Charlotte startup WAEV says hello to $1M

WAXHAW – Charlotte-area startup Waev has raised nearly $1 million from 16 investors, according to a securities filing.

The company, led by founder and CEO Jake Corday, is a provider of digital solutions and products “that enable bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues to take their marketing capabilities and customer experience to the next level,” according to the company’s LinkedIn page.

WAEV, an acronym for “We Actively Engage Visitors,” as suggested in the firm’s website copy and design, has not raised funding previously, according to the database maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

But according to the company’s first SEC filing, the minimum accepted investment was $7,499. In total, the firm has raised $999,998 in equity funding from 16 investors.

The company’s website lists clients including Mellow Mushroom, Top Golf, and multiple alcohol brands, among others.

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Corday’s LinkedIn profile states that the focus is on ” revolutionizing guest engagement in bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues by leveraging cutting edge IoT display technology.”

In addition, Corday’s profile notes that the company’s “breakthrough ‘seat-at-the-table’ digital advertising medium is quickly becoming the platinum standard for delivering targeted venue & brand messaging at the point-of-purchase.”

The firm was founded in 2018, according to Corday’s LinkedIn profile. Before founding the company, Corday served as the operations team lead at Sunlight Financial. He also founded a company, Bad Glass Studios, while a sophomore at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

WAEV isn’t the only North Carolina startup looking to grow its footprint in providing brands digital storytelling opportunities.

Durham-based The Looma Project is a retail technology platform that gives brands a platform at the “point of decision” in grocery stores nationwide, including at Charlotte-area headquartered Harris Teeter that has previously raised capital to expand. The company also recently hired a new executive to its team with plans for a “year of retail expansion.”