The Weekly Nectar- March 23, 2021

Top of the mornin’ to ya! Did you make corned beef and cabbage last week? According to Smithsonian, the Irish were startup geniuses, having a corner on the market with their delicious corned beef. The salt tax was much lower in Ireland and the beef high quality, so the green isle supplied much of Europe and the Americas with the salty protein. In fact, it was in such high demand that during the war with France, England allowed French ships to make pit stops in Ireland to bring the corned beef. Business was booming for the lucky Irish entrepreneurs. So now you know, the Irish love startups too. Here’s what’s happening in the Beehive state:

• Skill Struck K-12 Program Secures Series A

  Access to STEM programs can be tough to find- especially for minorities and underprivileged communities. Skill Struck makes it easier for kids to be productive online, and a new seed funding of $1.3 million from a series of angel investors, including local investment group Park City Angels, helps further their cause.

• Dental Intelligence Acquires Modento

  We know the dentist office can be scary, but Dental Intelligence, a leading dentistry analytics and workflow automation platform is making it ultra tech savvy, so that helps, right? Last week Dental Intelligence announced the acquisition of Modento, a comprehensive solution for innovative patient communications and management. This will expand Dental Intelligence's product suite and position the company for continued growth. 

• Swell is… Well… Swelling

  Swell, a customer engagement platform for local businesses based in Cottonwood Heights, announced a successful Series A funding round. The $8 million round was led by SkyLab Ventures with support from Teamworthy and Swell’s current investors, including Cultivation Capital. 2020 treated them well, with triple digit growth and the release of a new version of their engagement platform

• Headshots in a Heartbeat

  Having a professional headshot or photos for your portfolio can be hard to come by, and they’re probably spendier than you’d like if you’re in the startup stage or looking for a job. Atwood Innovation Plaza at Dixie State is hosting a “Professional Photo Networking Party” on Tuesday, March 30th from 4:00-6:00 PM. You’ll leave the event with edited, professional images from some of Southern Utah’s best photographers, ready to add to your website or update your LinkedIn profile. Spots are limited, so sign up here.

• The Pets Get the Dollas

  Have a pet-focused startup idea? It’s a good time to go for it. The pandemic gave us a lot of time to stay home and fret over things in our houses- with pets (old or new) near the top of the list. According to Crunchbase, this spike in interest meant a surge of VC funding in everything from smart collars to special foods and vitamins. It’s a good time to be a lazy dog, and a good time to start a business for those pups.

There you have it. Have you registered for StartFEST yet? It’s going to be really great, and I mean it sincerely. Get more info here.

We’re happier than a leprechaun with a pot o’ gold to report on startup news in Utah. Do you have something you think we should share? Email us at hello@beehivestartups.com or emily@beehivestartups.com