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News Byte

Nomi Raises $3 Million to Help Retailers Fight Amazon

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on February 11 at 5:00 am PT

Rather than compete with Amazon on price alone, Nomi wants to help retailers provide better service by tracking consumer behavior across in-store and online channels. It is announcing a $3 million round today, led by First Round Capital. Other investors include Greycroft Partners, SV Angel, Forerunner Ventures and several angels. The New York company was founded by former Salesforce.com and Buddy Media executives, including CEO Marc Ferrentino, who served as Salesforce’s chief technical architect.

News Byte

Zynga Game Vets Raise $1.4 Million to Start Bee Cave Games

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on February 8 at 10:20 am PT

Bee Cave Games has raised $1.4 million in funding to build casino games. The Austin, Texas, company was founded by Erik Bethke, Nimai Malle and Jeremy Strauser, all of whom worked at Zynga on games, including Mafia Wars, Texas Hold’em Poker and Bingo. The round was funded in part by its own employees and from publicly held Glu Mobile. The company’s first game, Blackjack Casino, is in private beta on Facebook, and there are mobile versions under development.

News Byte

Rover.com Fetches $7 Million for Its Dog-Sitting Service

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on February 4 at 4:30 am PT

Rover.com, the dog-kenneling alternative, has raised $7 million in a second-round funding. The Seattle-based company said the Foundry Group led the round, with existing investor Madrona Venture Group also participating. Rover, which has raised more than $10 million to date, helps connect dog owners with potential sitters online. So far, sitters have signed up in 4,300 cities. Rover’s competitor, DogVacay, raised $6 million in November.

News Byte

Warby Parker Competitor Rivet & Sway Raises $2 Million More

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on February 1 at 6:00 am PT

Rivet & Sway, which sells prescription glasses online to women at $199 a pair, has raised $2 million in capital. The lead investor was Mousse Partners, with its existing investors Baseline Ventures and Harrison Metal also participating. The Seattle company has now raised $3.3 million in total, a fraction of the $50 million raised by New York-based Warby Parker. Rivet & Sway said it will use the proceeds this year for hiring, introducing sunglasses, and for launching a $50 discount for Valentine’s Day.