Catalyst portfolio company BrightFarms, the leading supplier of locally grown salads for supermarkets, named Brian Jenny as Vice President of Sales. Jenny will oversee existing retail accounts and will lead business development as the company continues its rapid growth.
Catalyst-backed ChowNow is opening its first regional office in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. The LA-based company’s director of recruiting, Candace Taylor, expects roughly 50 jobs to be created in Kansas City over the next year and said hundreds more could follow as the company finds its footing in the midwest.
Rural internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc., a Catalyst portfolio company, says recent network investments now make it possible to offer some of its customers broadband service only city dwellers used to be able to expect – faster speeds and unlimited data plans.
Catalyst-backed BrightFarms, the No. 1 brand of locally grown packaged salads, announced plans for national expansion with new sustainable greenhouse farms in New England (Central MA), New York (Hudson Valley) and North Carolina. The three new greenhouses further the brand’s presence and add to BrightFarm’s network of local and sustainable farms across the Mid-Atlantic and into the South. The company currently operates greenhouses in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, supplying major retailers in a dozen major metro markets.
Catalyst-backed Fusion announced major product enhancements that expand its already established risk management capabilities with a new third-party management offering along with a solution for organizations to securely connect with broader internal and external communities. These new enhancements empower organizations with the most flexible and innovative way to manage and mitigate risk to the perimeter of their enterprises and throughout their supply chain.
Catalyst-backed BrightFarms recently harvested the first crop from its new 120,000-square-foot indoor greenhouse facility in Wilmington, Ohio. The company invited regional and state officials to the first harvest at the greenhouse located 45 minutes southeast of Dayton to demonstrate the economic impact the new greenhouse will have in the state. While local is the number one demand driver of produce, supermarkets have trouble sourcing the quantity they need, so BrightFarms aims to supply local produce at a commercial scale. The greenhouse is state-of-the-art in both its sustainability and production.
Galvanize has secured a $32 million Series C financing led by growth equity firm Catalyst Investors with participation from New Markets Venture Partners and existing investors: ABS Capital Partners, University Ventures and the Colorado Impact Fund. Tyler Newton from Catalyst Investors will join the Galvanize board ofdirectors.
Denver-based computer coding training school Galvanize is to acquire competitor Hack Reactor in a deal that brings together two of the largest privately held coding boot camps, the two companies told Reuters. Additionally, the company closed a $32 million funding round led by Catalyst Investors.
Catalyst-backed MediaMath, a pioneer in programmatic advertising, announced an integrated set of initiatives designed to advance the next generation architecture for digital marketing. The company unveiled a range of investments in technology, people and relationships, as well as $225 million in new financing, to accelerate its mission to connect marketers with consumers in a manner that is more effective, efficient and trusted.
Catalyst-backed BrightFarms’ locally-grown lettuce and basil are currently in 650 stores including Walmart, Kroger, Ahold, and Albertsons locations. In two years, the brand has grown its distribution by 225% reaching a household penetration of 1.5 million.