UpStart Weekly Rundown - October 7, 2024

KOHO Banks $190M to Drive Lending Expansion and Banking License Ambitions

Canada’s challenger bank KOHO just added a hefty $190 million to its piggy bank—$40M in equity and $150M in debt. This funding round, led by PROPELR Growth with help from Rockefeller Capital and other usual suspects, will fuel KOHO’s push to secure a Schedule 1 bank license. CEO Daniel Eberhard says the new cash will supercharge their lending services and launch snazzy new products like rent reporting and buy-now-pay-later options, all while keeping Canadian wallets happier. Watch out, traditional banks—KOHO is coming for your crown​

Marlow Bags $1.8M to Help Women “Go with the Flow” with Game-Changing Tampon Tech

Canadian startup Marlow just secured $1.8M to revolutionize the menstrual product market with a novel lubricated tampon. Tired of outdated period products, Marlow aims to make insertion smoother and less stressful. This funding, led by prominent investors, will help Marlow expand its reach and educate consumers on its more comfortable solution. With a focus on creating a product women actually want, Marlow is taking a step forward in addressing period care pain points often ignored by mainstream brands

Empathy Health Raises $2.8M to Expand "Sober Sidekick" – Where Peer Support Meets Recovery

Empathy Health Technologies just secured $2.8 million to scale its lifesaving "Sober Sidekick" app. By gamifying peer support and bringing empathy to the forefront of addiction recovery, this app aims to replace stigma with real human connection. Growing from 10,000 to over 200,000 users, the platform boasts an impressive 4.8-star rating and serves as a 24/7 support lifeline where every post is met with encouragement from the community. With this new funding, expect them to continue their mission of making sure nobody walks their recovery journey alone

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