Upsie, the Black-founded consumer-warranty startup that got its start in St. Paul, has been acquired by a San Francisco company called Akko that is building a presence in a similar market.
Akko announced the acquisition this week, saying it planned to integrate Upsie’s existing network of independent device repair specialists with its own.
Upsie decided to close in October 2023, according to a LinkedIn post from Upsie’s VP of Engineering. Its website is functional but its Facebook and Instagram accounts no longer appear active.
The Twin Cities startup was launched in 2015 by founder and former CEO Clarence Bethea, who set his sights on disrupting the traditional extended-warranty market that was a profitable side hustle for electronics retailers.
Akko, meanwhile, launched in 2020 and has raised roughly $15 million in funding, according to Crunchbase.