UpTo scores $2M in VC, adds 6 in downtown

There is $2 million more in UpTo's bank accounts after the downtown Detroit-based startup closed on its Series A round of venture capital.

The 2-year-old social media startup initially raised $875,000 in a seed capital round when it first launched in 2011. Since then it has grown to nine employees and four interns who work in the company's offices in the M@dison Building. The company has hired six people over the last year and has four openings for professionals in software development, marketing and sales.

"We're excited about the opportunity to continue growing our business and update our consumer platform," says Greg Schwartz, co-founder & CEO of UpTo.

UpTo's software platform opens up its users calendar to social media, so it allows people to connect with friends and family by alerting them where the users expect to be in the near future. So while social media startups like Four Square and Facebook focus on the recent past UpTo focuses on the immediate future.

UpTo is now evolving its platform to make it a everyday calendar so it can integrate a users interests, such as sporting events or concerts. "We see it as an opportunity to redefine what is a calendar is used for," Schwartz says.

Source: Greg Schwartz, co-founder & CEO of UpTo
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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