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Raleigh co-working space Loading Dock raises $836,000
By Chris Roush
RALEIGH, N.C. — A collaborative workspace company based in Raleigh has raised $836,000 from investors in a private equity and debt offering, according to a filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Loading Dock Raleigh LLC raised the money from one investor, according to the filing.
The company, which was formed in 2017, has three membership plans ranging in price from $225 a month to $400 a month. Each comes with usage of a conference room and meeting space, printing, WiFi and coffee.
Its offices are located on Whitaker Mill Road in a former grocery warehouse. Some of the businesses using its space include Carpenter Real Estate Group, Gingham Creative and the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild.
The founder of the company is Philip Freeman, who is also the CEO of Murphy’s Naturals Inc., a natural products manufacturer.
The company claimed a Rule 506 (b) exemption for the filing. Companies relying on the Rule 506 exemption do not have to register their offering of securities with the SEC, but they must file what’s known as a Form D electronically with the SEC after they first sell their securities.
Durham-based ag biotech raises an additional $6.5 million
By Chris Roush
DURHAM, N.C. — A Durham-based agriculture biotech company has raised an additional $6.5 million in a private equity offering, according to a Form D filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Benson Hill Biosystems Inc. had earlier raised $18.5 million in March. The current private equity raise came from 16 investors.
Benson Hill Biosystems is a plant genomics company. It uses technologies and biological expertise to help organizations advance products to market faster and to tackle challenges in crop development.
Matthew Crisp is the president and chief executive officer of the company. Prior to co-founding Benson Hill Biosystems, he was the president of the agricultural biotechnology division and senior vice president at Intrexon Corp., a synthetic biology company.
In addition to launching the company’s ag biotech efforts, Crisp worked with Intrexon for more than five years, serving in multiple executive roles and on its board of directors. Prior to joining Intrexon in early 2011, Crisp was a managing director at Third Security LLC, a venture capital firm.
Benson Hill Biosystems is named after Andrew Benson and Robin Hill, two well-known photosynthesis researchers.
Companies relying on a Reg D exemption do not have to register their offering of securities with the SEC, but they must first file what’s known as a Form D electronically with the SEC after they first sell their securities.
Asheville-based solar company raises $14.9 million
By Chris Roush
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — An Asheville, North Carolina-based solar company has raised $14.9 million in a private offering, according to a filing Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Innovation Solar Ventures LLC, which operates as Innovation Solar Systems, raised the money from one investor, according to the filing.
The 30-year-old company installs renewable energy solar systems of all types and sizes.
John Green and Richard Green signed the filing. They are the managing partners at Innovative Solar Systems and have years of experience with designing and securing approvals for their world-class solar farms that now have a large footprint in the United States.
Their company has rapidly grown from its early roots of developing and building 2 megwatt-size systems to their current portfolio that is mainly composed of solar farms in the 25 megawatt to 100 megawatt sizes.
Their development services for others around the globe include projects that are approximately 500 megawatts in size and encompass several thousand acres.
The company claimed a Rule 506 (b) exemption for the filing. Companies relying on the Rule 506 exemption do not have to register their offering of securities with the SEC, but they must file what’s known as a Form D electronically with the SEC after they first sell their securities.
Charlotte-based business dining service raises $63 million
By Chris Roush
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A company that helps restaurants increase their business from corporations has raised $63 million in a private equity offering, according to a filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Dinova Parent Holdings Inc. raised the money from 37 investors. Frontier Capital, a Charlotte-based growth equity firm focused on software and tech-enabled business services companies, has completed a $40 million equity investment.
Dinova Parent Holdings lists its headquarters address as the same address as Frontier Capital. However, Dinova’s executives are located in Johns Creek, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb.
The company has a network of restaurants. Within the Dinova network, those restaurants are promoted as a preferred restaurant to business diners at thousands of corporations – large and small. It’s a reach that goes well beyond a local market, since Dinova says as much as 66 percent of business dining is related to out-of-town traveling.
In return, when a company employee uses a Dinova network restaurant, they earn a rebate for their loyalty and patronage of preferred providers.
Dinova says it influences more than $6 billion annually in business meals and entertainment expenses.
The company claimed a Rule 506 (b) exemption for the filing. Companies relying on the Rule 506 exemption do not have to register their offering of securities with the SEC, but they must file what’s known as a Form D electronically with the SEC after they first sell their securities.
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These stories are from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism.
