Startups
Money Moves

Super Money Moves: Check out DC’s top 10 deals of the year

In 2022, DC-area companies had four megarounds above $200 million. Here's who closed the region's top deals of the year.

Arcadia cofounder Kiran Bhatraju. (Courtesy photo)

In honor of the season of the holiday check from Grandma, we thought it only fitting to pull together the top funding moments of 2022.

This year, DC companies most likely didn’t raise quite as much as the monster $5 billion year that was 2021. But they still came in pretty strong — and, in some cases, at a higher caliber than the previous year. 2022 boasted not one but four deals over $200 million (and three of those over $300 million), compared to last year’s lone $228M Series A from Robotic Research. Not too shabby, if you ask us.

We don’t have the official numbers for Q4 yet, so some of this could be subject to change. But as of right now, these are the top money moments and raises of 2022 (of note, we opted to include what a company raised across the entire year instead of a single round).

So, DC, check out your top funding deals of 2022:

10. Federated Wireless’ $72 million Series B

A headshot of Iyad Tarazi

Iyad Tarazi, CEO of Federated Wireless. (Courtesy photo)

Federated Wireless started the year off strong, raising $58 million in a Series B led by Cerberus Capital Management. Then, in May, the company nabbed another $14 million, bringing the Arlington, Virginia shared spectrum and CBRS technology provider’s 2022 total to $72 million.

9. The $75 million investment round from GridPoint

The GridPoint team stands in front of trees in matching shirts.

The GridPoint team. (Courtesy photo)

Led by Goldman Sachs’ Sustainable Investing Group with participation from Shell Ventures, Reston, Virginia energy tech company GridPoint secured a $75 million investment round in March. According to CEO Mark Danzenbaker, the funds were put toward building up the team and adding new technological capabilities.

8. Curbio’s $90 million

Some of the Curbio team members as of 2019. (Courtesy photo)

Taking slot number eight, real estate tech company Curbio also had a two-part deal. In January, the company raised a $65 million Series B round before adding another $25 million credit facility from Cambridge Trust Company, a subsidiary of Cambridge Bancorp.

7. Caribou’s $115 million unicorn raise

Members of the Caribou team sit for a company photo

A group of Caribou (formerly MotoRefi) team members in 2020. (Photo via MotoRefi website)

In May, DC auto-financing and car insurance company Caribou landed an oversubscribed Series C at $115 million, led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. With the funds, the company formerly known as Motorefi reached a $1.1 billion valuation.

6. A $123 million Series E from Aledade

The Aledade team. (Photo via @AledadeACO on Twitter)

In a quarter that brought forth three unicorns, Aledade’s $123 million Series E nearly got swept under the rug. But the Bethesda, Maryland physician tech company deserves full bragging rights as our number six, thanks to a round led by existing investor Omers Growth Equity, with additional participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company.

5. Upside’s $165 million

GetUpside CEO Alex Kinnier and COO Wayne Lin.

Upside CEO Alex Kinnier and COO Wayne Lin. (Courtesy photo)

In May, retail tech company GetUpside inked a $165 million deal, with $65 million in equity and $100 million in debt financing. The round, led by General Catalyst, led the company to unicorn status and a rebrand to Upside.

4. $215 million for Inspiration Mobility

An electric vehicle charging up. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

That same month, DC startup Inspiration Mobility took home an even bigger raise. The EV-based tech company raised $215 million in a round led by new investors Macquarie Asset Management and Ferrovial SA, as well as ArcLight Capital Partners.

3. A cool $315 million for Pie Insurance

A glass door with the Pie Insurance logo. Employees are out of focus in the background.

Pie Insurance’s HQ. (Courtesy photo)

DC insurance tech company Pie Insurance has more than earned its third-place spot, thanks to its third megaround in three years. In September, the company raised a $315 million Series D led by Centerbridge Partners and Allianz X, bringing its total raised to date to $615 million.

2. Arcadia’s $325 million in 2022

Arcadia’s community solar tool. (Courtesy photo)

Teeeeechnically, DC climate tech company Arcadia raised just as much as our number one raise of the year; But since it was spread across two deals, we decided to give it the number two slot. In May, the company reached unicorn status with a $200 million funding round led by JP Morgan Asset Management’s Sustainability Growth Equity Team. But just a few days ago, it added another $125 million from Magnetar Capital, bringing its 2022 total to $325 million.

1. The legendary $325 million for Somatus

Somatus is a kidney care company in NoVa. (Photo by SJ Objio on Unsplash)

Our top raise for 2022 actually goes back to the beginning of the year. In February, the McLean, Virginia kidney care company Somatus broke the 2021 funding record with an oversubscribed, $325 million Series E. Wellington Management led the round, with additional investments from RA Capital Management, GIC and Fidelity Management & Research Company. According to Somatus, the funds were primarily earmarked for expanding its care model.

Bonus round: DC’s startups and growth companies weren’t the only ones raising this year. Several local VC firms also took home some hefty chunks of cash:

Companies: Curbio / Pie Insurance / GetUpside / Arcadia

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Y Combinator alum lands $4M seed to boost open-source connections

Celebrate your tech community: Nominations are open for the 2024 Technical.ly Awards

Tech lobbyist warns US not to ‘cut off’ innovation in new book

This Week in Jobs: A wealth of opportunity in these 24 open tech roles

Technically Media