CasaiQ announces name change, high-profile investors in $1.5M round

December 1, 2017  |  Bobby Burch

Zego CEO Adam Blake

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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Megan Darnell and Zach Anderson Pettet, Fountain City Fintech, nbkc bank

        Fountain City Fintech earns EDC’s Cornerstone Award in accelerator’s first year

        By Tommy Felts | May 30, 2019

        Fountain City Fintech’s plan was to put Kansas City on the map, Zach Anderson Pettet said. In the process, the community bank-backed accelerator earned attention in its own right, he said. “A big piece of our plan was to give our cohort a chance to dig in and really understand the city — understand the…

        Clarence Tan, Boddle Learning

        LaunchKC winner Boddle Learning scores $100K AT&T Aspire investment, accelerator

        By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2019

        Kansas City-based Boddle Learning is filling with steam as the startup gains momentum and joins the AT&T-fronted Aspire accelerator, Clarence Tan revealed Wednesday. “When we found out we were finalists, we were super, super happy,” Tan, founder and CEO, said of the lead-up to official word of Boddle’s selection for the San Francisco-based program. “They…

        Marcus Bullock, Flikshop, image courtesy of LETSFREEAMERICA

        Rise Up, Get Started competition set to award $1,500 grants; showcase paths from prison to founder

        By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2019

        “We took someone’s car at gunpoint,” recalled Marcus Bullock. “It was about a week after my 15th birthday. I was 15 years old and I trembled at the thought of — not a judge —but to be honest, because I had to stand in front of a phone and call my mother and feel her…

        Shea Geist, SharkOFF; Neelima Parasker, SnapIT Solutions; and Lisa Tamayo, Scollar

        KC’s woman-led startups selected for global summit; founders credit hustle, persistence

        By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2019

        What started as an opportunity to meet interesting people and showcase innovative ideas to investors has turned into a once-in-a-lifetime shot at elevating five of Kansas City’s women-led startups on an international stage, said Shea Geist, beaming. “My husband made the application and I was like … ‘Whatever, it’s a million to one chance,’ so…