Startups

The owner of River City Roll and Bar West is closing in on a $2 million capital raise for his dating app startup.

The 9-year-old Shockoe Bottom-based company, which sells management software to nonprofits, plans to use some of the funding to expand its AI tools and grow its headcount.

The company has installed its micro-farms in 40 states and five countries and its new leader said he’s looking forward to continued growth. 

The startup started selling its snack products in local stores like Stella’s Grocery and Libbie Market in early 2023 and is now in 165 locations across the country, including local Whole Foods, Kroger and Publix stores.

The Scott’s Addition-based business recently introduced its Galleri Lite Micro-Farm, a new iteration of its flagship Galleri Micro-Farm – an automated indoor vertical farm it introduced three years ago. 

Joye B. Moore’s pies may have captured the tastebuds of the sharks, but she ultimately walked home empty-handed from Friday’s “Shark Tank” episode.

Joye B. Moore will pitch her company on tonight’s episode of ‘Shark Tank’ at a time of re-birth for Joyebells after it had to pull its products from store shelves in 2023. 

When Sara Sloman sat down to her first Mahjong table in 2023, she never dreamed the game would spur a business that has grown throughout Richmond and beyond.

The mortgage industry veteran purchased the Richmond franchise of Mobiledumps, while a local couple are the new owners of the region’s Pool Scouts franchise.

Envee and its pesto-caesar salad dressing is the latest food venture born out of the university’s Bench Top Innovations program.