But the funding announcement came on the same day Groupon filed initial paperwork for a $750 million IPO, on the heels of a nearly-billion dollar funding round.

We asked the Groupon knockoff--one of hundreds in the world--for comment on the tech story of the week.

"Groupon created the enormous daily deal market, and the IPO will shine a spotlight on the booming local commerce space," CMO Sarah Eisner said via email. "Juice in the City and a few others are working to fine-tune the model so it’s ideal for local merchants and users--and even more profitable in the long run for everyone involved.”

The funding will allow Juice to aggressively expand across the country, the way Groupon pushed into new markets with its cash.

“We’re now ready to take our message nationwide,” said Philippa Smith, co-founder and CEO of Juice in the City, in the release.

Juice in the City emphasizes local businesses and moms earn a percentage of the deal’s revenue; there are some online community elements as well. Juice in the City is based in San Mateo, but Ms.  Smith lives in New York.