CasaiQ announces name change, high-profile investors in $1.5M round
December 1, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Techstars Kansas City graduate CasaiQ is hoping a new funding round — and new name — will accelerate the development and deployment of its smart home tech.
Led by former Brightergy exec Adam Blake, CasaiQ announced Friday that it raised a $1.5 million round, which includes a handful of local investors. The KCRise fund, Techstars Ventures, Zoloz CEO Toby Rush, ShotTracker co-founder Davyeon Ross, S2 Capital CEO Scott Everett and other undisclosed investors joined in the round.
The firm also announced that it has changed names to become “Zego.”
“The new name – Zego – better represents who we are as we move beyond a smart home solution to more of a digital amenity platform,” Blake said in a release.
Zego has created a platform for apartment owners and managers to offer residents a digital amenity package, including smart home technology. Zego provides a mobile app to residents that enables them to control devices — such as smart locks, thermostats and lights — in their apartments and streamlines interactions with their property manager.
Zego’s property manager portal helps managers to control such devices as door locks and thermostats, helping to increase operational efficiency for maintenance staff and leasing agents.
“Smart homes, integrated services and enhanced user experiences packaged into a platform is a global opportunity over the next five to 10 years,” said Rush, CEO of Kansas City-based Zoloz. “Zego has an early-movers advantage in the U.S. with global scale in its future.”
Blake and Zego recently completed the three-month, mentor-led Techstars Kansas City program. At the program’s October demo day event, Blake announced that Zego had 9,000 apartment units under contract.
Founded in 2017, the company is currently hiring for five positions, including roles in customer service, software engineering and sales.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Listen: How does Kansas City regard failure?
In the entrepreneurial world, the word “failure” takes many definitions. For some entrepreneurs, failure is a badge of honor, while for others it’s taboo. Regardless, failure is a part of reality amongst startups and it’s a topic that’s been examined at length in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community. KCUR’s Up To Date recently hosted Startland editor-in-chief Bobby Burch, Pipeline Inc.…
Events Preview: Compute Midwest, Shark Tank
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Compute Midwest When: October 22 – 23 Where: Municipal Arena Over a thousand remarkable people from around the globe will converge in…
Lager: Why I quit my cushy job for a broke startup
It’s 4:03 a.m. My bedroom is still dark and the late August heat leaves me little need for a blanket. I lay here wide-awake, arms crossed behind my head on a pillow that’s too thin, while the rest of the world sleeps in deep peacefulness. I hear nothing, save for the wind occasionally singing outside…
90 on the Clock with Mighty Handle
90 on the Clock with Mighty Handle By John McGrath, KCPT, and Bobby Burch, Startland News Ed’s Note: Flatland and Startland News have partnered to highlight Kansas City’s innovators and entrepreneurs, all in 90 seconds. This is the fifth and final episode in the series. Think of Mighty Handle as your digital defender. No, Mighty Handle is not anti-virus…