Startups

Out of the worry of raising children with severe food allergies, Rupa Tak, Lauren Elmakis and Vineeta Shah found opportunity. The trio of local mothers recently launched GoFar Snacks, a brand of nut-free energy bars for children that they’re quickly trying to get on store shelves and online. The idea came after years of having… Read more »

  After percolating in kitchens in Washington, D.C., a cold brew coffee company has poured into Manchester and already has further growth plans in mind. Confluence Coffee Co. got up and running last month at 700 Bainbridge St. near City View Landing, the 17.5-acre mixed-used development taking shape on the former Reynolds South plant. Owner… Read more »

A local startup that’s caught the eye of local and global investors is taking over more space in Shockoe Bottom. Evatran, which makes wireless charging stations for electric cars, has leased 8,000 square feet at 2219 E. Franklin St. The company is likely to use the space for operations and manufacturing, according to broker John… Read more »

A nascent company that recently expatriated from the Richmond startup scene for a dip in a larger capital pool has hit yet another milestone: the launch of its product to the general public. Today, one day after the filing deadline for IRS tax returns, Painless1099 is launching an initial free version of its service that… Read more »

An Uber-inspired local startup is headed west thanks to its victory last week at Richmond’s newest startup competition. Uzurv, a Richmond-based ride reservation app that’s designed to complement services like Uber and Lyft, was named the winner of a pitch contest hosted by the local chapter of Aging2.0. Uzurv beat out eight other companies that… Read more »

When Richmonder Zachary Jester raised nearly twice the amount of money he hoped for from a crowdfunding campaign two years ago, it was cause for celebration. But after ordering the material for the high-end speakers his donors were clamoring for, Jester had a problem: he had to build them. “We got the stuff ordered and… Read more »

A local car consignment chain took an out-of-state road trip for its newest location. CarLotz opened a storefront this month in Charlotte, North Carolina. The expansion to the Tar Heel State is the 5-year-old company’s first outside of Virginia and its fourth car lot overall. Since launching in 2011, the used car consigner has opened… Read more »

Having unlocked the Richmond market, one local live-action puzzle venture hopes to put Northern Virginia under its spell, while another has expanded to a new location near Willow Lawn.

A local healthcare startup is feeling flush. Iggbo, which got its start in Richmond last year, recently completed a $3 million capital raise, according to SEC filings. Founded by Mark Van Roekel, Nino Valentine and Shaiv Kapadia, Iggbo is a tech-based logistics company that uses an Uber-like system of connecting independent phlebotomists with doctors and… Read more »

Dan Steiner was watching “The Today Show” last year when inspiration struck. At the time, Steiner, who runs West End accounting firm Steiner Business Solutions, was frustrated with the difficulty he had getting meetings with clients and potential clients, and was looking for a different way of getting in touch. “What’s the best way to… Read more »