Funding comes as platform prepares for launch of Rysk Beyond, an advanced decentralized market maker protocol for options trading

LONDON, Jan. 31, 2023 — Rysk Finance, the on-chain market maker for DeFi derivatives, has successfully raised $1.4 million USD in a pre-seed funding round led by Lemniscap, with participation from Encode Club, Ascensive Assets, Starbloom, Yunt Capital, and Manifold Trading, as well as angel investors Hype.eth, Ivangbi, Windra Thio, among others.

The funding will be leveraged to enhance platform security, drive engineering and research efforts and expedite the launch of Rysk Beyond, an advanced decentralized market maker protocol for options trading. Rysk Beyond represents the next iteration of Rysk’s first product, the Rysk Dynamic Hedging Vault (DHV) Alpha.

Rysk DHV set out a framework for providing depositors and liquidity providers with unparalleled access to uncorrelated, competitive risk-adjusted returns in different market conditions, by trading options and interacting with any derivative with a trackable delta.

One of Rysk’s goals since inception has been to build innovative DeFi applications that offer an optimized, sophisticated user experience, while addressing systemic industry complexity around generating higher returns per unit of risk taken for liquidity providers.

Rysk Beyond will extend the scope of options trading considerably with a rich suite of innovative features, geared towards providing a tailored options AMM experience. Users will be able to leverage the protocol to buy and sell options on multiple expiries and strikes with tight bid/ask price and higher capital efficiency.

Users will also be able to construct bespoke options strategies in one transaction through Rysk’s novel contract architecture design, including call/put spreads, strangles and butterflies, but also engage in term structure plays, such as calendar spreads, which is new to DeFi. Rysk will be working with traders and other structured products protocols to build traction with this new infrastructure. The upcoming launch of Rysk Beyond will spur integrations with DeFi protocols, treasuries and instruments such as perpetuals, futures and options, as the platform aims to underscore its credentials as the most liquid on-chain market maker for DeFi derivatives.

Dan Ugolini, Co-Founder of Rysk Finance, said: “As DeFi natives who envision a future where finance is transparent and truly democratised, we aspire to actively contribute to a vast ecosystem of sustainable risk-adjusted yield products with various market conditions. Today’s announcement represents an important milestone in our journey to become the most liquid on-chain market maker for DeFi derivatives. We look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with strategists, developers, and other protocols who share our vision to advance DeFi maturity.”

Roderik van der Graaf, Founder of Lemniscap, said: “The team at Rysk has demonstrated an innate understanding of DeFi market dynamics, and with Rysk Beyond, is developing a category-leading solution that is set to redefine the parameters of DeFi risk innovation. We’re supremely confident in the capabilities of the team in charting a strong growth trajectory in the near and long term, and are firmly aligned with their bold vision to deliver on-chain market making for DeFi derivatives. We look forward to supporting their exciting pipeline of activity in the months ahead.”

To collaborate with Rysk or to find out more about the platform’s DeFi solutions and roadmap, please visit https://www.rysk.finance/.

About Rysk Finance

Rysk Finance is spearheading on-chain market making for DeFi derivatives, while resolving long-standing industry complexity around generating higher returns per unit of risk taken for liquidity providers. Rysk’s signature product, the Dynamic Hedging Vault (DHV) is a dynamic new self-governing options AMM, generating uncorrelated returns for liquidity providers by trading options. By leveraging its proprietary DHV solution, Rysk is on a mission to expedite DeFi risk maturity while expanding adoption levels of sustainable yields. For more information, visit: https://www.rysk.finance/

About Lemniscap

Lemniscap is an investment firm specializing in investments in emerging crypto assets and blockchain startups. Since its founding in 2017, Lemniscap has funded multiple investments in the crypto blockchain space, on the core belief that blockchain technology will upend traditional business models, resulting in profound changes in the world economy. The Lemniscap team consists of talented people with backgrounds in financial markets, PE/VC, technology and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit https://lemniscap.com/.

SOURCE Rysk Finance

DENVER, Jan. 30, 2023 — Greyter Water Systems Inc., provider of The Greyter HOME™, a residential greywater reuse system advancing the construction and building industry completed a $10m Series B round. Led by Ferguson Ventures, the Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arm of Ferguson, a leading North American value-added distributor serving the built-world industry, and LEN^X, the investment arm of Lennar, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, the investment offers Greyter the opportunity to scale its business to meet increasing demand from builders for sustainable and water efficient homes and communities.

The Greyter HOME is a revolutionary, award-winning appliance that meets the stringent NSF 350 standard for residential greywater reuse and can reduce indoor water consumption by as much as 25%. This first-of-its-kind, fully automated system captures water from showers and bathtubs, treats it to a near-potable quality, and provides clear, odor-free water to meet a home’s toilet-flushing demands.

Greyter, by teaming up with Ferguson Ventures and LEN^X, is poised to make great strides toward changing the way water is used in residential homes.

With increasing stresses on water supply, homebuilders and municipalities are working together to reduce water consumption within the home. Greyter has been steadily building momentum since its Series A closing in early 2020, when it subsequently began integrating the Greyter HOME solution into residential homes at greater scale.

“Over the past 10 years, we’ve had an obsessive focus on developing a solution that manages water more efficiently because it makes no sense to flush toilets with drinking water,” said Mark Sales, co-founder and CEO. “By capturing and treating shower and bath water so that it can be reused to meet the demands of toilet flushing, the Greyter HOME offers builders and municipalities the single greatest water conservation solution for the home.

“Ferguson is committed to helping our customers design and build water-efficient communities,” says Blake Luse, Managing Director of Ferguson Ventures. “We invested in Greyter to accelerate the adoption of innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce water consumption. They have created a revolutionary product, and together we’ll help the industry build better, more environmentally friendly homes.”

“The importance of incorporating sustainable and logical environmental solutions into our homes and communities is front and center at Lennar,” said Eric Feder, President of LEN^X. “Greyter has been an extraordinary partner, and this investment underscores our continued commitment to accelerate the ability to bring sustainable, water savings solutions to our homeowners across the country.”

In 2022, Greyter teamed with Ferguson and Lennar to bring the Greyter technology to 29 homeowners at Lennar’s Red Hawk community located in Castle Rock, Colorado. “We commend the town of Castle Rock’s commitment to water conservation and its adoption of Regulation 86, which provided the framework for including the Greyter HOME solution within this community,” said John Bell, co-founder and CCO. The completion of Red Hawk marks the Greyter HOME’s third community with Lennar.

“We are extremely excited to see the industry helping to lead the charge on water conservation. Having investment from LEN^X and Ferguson Ventures continues to validate our innovative product and its importance to water sustainability efforts,” said Mark Sales co-founder and CEO, “This is also a strong signal that the industry is addressing water conservation by ensuring that homes and buildings are energy efficient as well as water-efficient – the perfect combination for a sustainable future.”

About Greyter Water Systems
With pressures on freshwater resources and with the rising costs of water, Greyter’s mission is to work with builders and municipalities to create water efficient communities. The Greyter HOME is an award-winning, NSF 350 certified water recycling system that can help reduce indoor water consumption in a family home. Greyter also offers industry proven water reuse solutions for multi-unit, commercial and industrial buildings. Greyter is a privately held business led by a team with many years of experience in offering innovative water resource management solutions to the commercial/industrial and residential marketplace. For more information on the Greyter HOME and Greyter Water Systems visit www.greyter.com.

About Lennar Corporation
Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation’s leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar’s Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar’s homes and, through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily by commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. Lennar’s Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. LEN^X drives Lennar’s technology, innovation, and strategic investments. For more information about Lennar, please visit lennar.com.

About Ferguson
Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG; LSE: FERG) is a leading value-added distributor in North America providing expertise, solutions and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. We exist to make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful and sustainable. Ferguson is headquartered in the U.K., with its operations and associates solely focused on North America and managed from Newport News, Virginia. For more information, please visit www.corporate.ferguson.com or follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ferguson-enterprises.

About Castle Rock Water
Castle Rock Water is municipally-owned and provides three distinct water services – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. Though a part of the City of Castle Rock, the water provider is funded solely through rates and fees. Having one water provider for all water service provides consistency and reliability for service with an integrated approach for efficiencies. For more information about Castle Rock Water, please visit www.crgov.com 

Media Contact:
Kate Peters
Greyter
[email protected]
(844)473-9837 xt.235

SOURCE Greyter Water Systems USA

The funding round was led by Bluestein Ventures, and joined by Acumen America, Beta Boom, KCRise Fund, 1st Course Capital and AssetBlue Ventures. In addition, the company was a 2022 recipient of Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.

This capital investment and support will also help FFM broaden its reach with managed care plans, providers, and community-based organizations to quantify the efficacy of “food is medicine” interventions for treating key health conditions. FFM provides bulk ordering for organizations and direct-to-door access to individuals who can shop meals, produce, or shelf-stable, brand-name grocery items, as well as complementary telenutrition support.

About Free From Market

Free From Market is the first patient-driven digital health platform to provide personalized food access and selection, integrated telenutrition and educational support, as well as the ability to measure health outcomes for individuals living with chronic conditions where food is the standard of care. FFM partners with healthcare payors, providers, nonprofits, and other organizations to offer their members and patients “food is medicine” interventions to  treat health conditions. FFM’s mission is to help all Americans manage their health through food, regardless of income or zip code.

Trive Capital (“Trive”), the Dallas-based private equity firm, is excited to announce its recent investment into Kittyhawk, Inc. (“Kittyhawk” or the “Company”), a leading provider of Hot Isostatic Pressing (“HIP”) services for a variety of industries including space, commercial aerospace, defense, and medical applications.

About Kittyhawk
Kittyhawk is a leading provider of Hot Isostatic Pressing services, supporting a wide array of industries including aerospace & defense and space. With a fleet of high-quality HIP vessels and dedicated team of operators, Kittyhawk is committed to improving the fatigue properties of mission-critical components.

About Trive Capital
Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm with more than $4 billion of regulatory assets under management. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement. We seek to maximize returns through a hands-on partnership that calls for identifying and implementing value creation ideas.

The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 100 middle-market transactions representing in excess of $6 billion in revenue across Trive’s targeted industry sectors and situations.

The Indian startup scene is a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity, and venture capital has been a major driver of growth. With the emergence of new startups, India’s venture capital scene is booming. From tech startups to healthcare companies, venture capital firms are investing heavily in India’s emerging industries. This article will take a look at India’s venture capital scene and the opportunities it presents.

The venture capital landscape in India is rapidly changing. With the influx of new investors, the capital available to startups is increasing dramatically. New investors are looking to back innovative startups, and venture capital firms are eager to get in on the action. As venture capital firms pour money into India’s startups, the country’s economy is growing and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Venture capital firms are investing in a variety of sectors, from technology to healthcare. India’s tech startups have been particularly attractive to investors, with companies like Oyo, Flipkart, and Paytm receiving billions of dollars in investments. Healthcare startups are also gaining traction, with companies like Practo and Cure.fit receiving significant investments.

India’s venture capital scene is booming and is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs. With billions of dollars of venture capital pouring into the country, India’s startup ecosystem is growing and creating new jobs and opportunities. From tech to healthcare, venture capital firms are investing heavily in India’s emerging industries, and the future looks bright for India’s entrepreneurs.

LOS ANGELES , Jan. 26, 2023 — People Science, a direct-to-consumer scientific research company providing a scaled research and development (R&D) platform for alternative medicines, today announced $5.3 million in a second seed round of funding led by Acre Venture Partners with participation from Bluestein Ventures, THIA Ventures and FORM Life Ventures. This brings their total seed funding to $8.5M with the prior seed round supported by Noetic Fund, Woven Science, and LifeForce Capital. The company will use the new capital to support their expansion into nutrition and food as medicine alongside their existing research efforts on natural and synthetic psychedelics, the microbiome, cannabis and cannabinoid medicines and digital health interventions. Lucas Mann, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Acre Venture Partners, will join the People Science Board of Directors.

“There are many solutions for humans to stay well and get better and some of these have been in use for millennia. However, until now, there has not been any great clinical research infrastructure to study these alternative medicines with real people and with rigorous science at scale,” said Noah Craft, MD, PhD, co-founder and co-CEO of People Science. “More than ever before, people are defining their own path to wellness and trying to figure out what makes them better. We are bringing the tools of science directly to the people to help them find answers and to share this knowledge with society.”

People Science is building a new clinical research infrastructure for alternative medicines that connects people, doctors, and scientists through its technology platform, CHLOE (the Consumer Health Learning and Organizing Ecosystem). CHLOE is a modular software technology that combines a consumer-facing mobile app with a rigorous high-quality clinical research platform. Consumers can use CHLOE to help understand which alternative medicines work best for themselves. Companies and other researchers engage with People Science to test their ideas and products directly or by licensing CHLOE. Sponsored clinical studies with CHLOE began in late 2022, with the goal of launching the app to the public in early 2023.

“We invest in companies that are innovating in food and agriculture to improve the health of people and the planet – both what we eat and how we grow it”, said Mann. “We think this platform has the potential to be transformational in unlocking robust evidence and data-based claims that are often lacking in the ‘food as medicine’ space – and such claims have the power to not only propel consumer products forward but also the adoption of more food-driven practices by the medical community.” 

Overcoming The Stigma Associated With Psychedelic Therapies

People Science is filling the void of much-needed clinical research at a time when psychedelic medicines have started to show broad therapeutic potential for treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, substance abuse and other mental illness diagnoses. A recent study revealed that the global psychedelic drug market is expected to reach $7.03 billion in 2026. In addition, the global medical cannabis market is expected to grow from $16 billion this year to $46 billion by 2027. Cannabis is often used to provide relief for chronic pain, nausea, sleep issues, muscle spasms and other health conditions.

“We’re seeking to advance and validate knowledge about alternative medicines,” Belinda Tan MD PhD, co-founder and co-CEO of People Science said. “By sharing and creating tremendously valuable evidence through the use of our technology, and including people from all backgrounds, we’re building bridges between our modern society and indigenous cultures. Humans have the power to improve themselves and we are providing them with better tools to do so.”

Unlocking The Evidence That Underpins ‘Food as Medicine’

People Science will work with food companies focused on bioactive ingredients, metabolic health, gut microbiome and other health initiatives to develop evidence around improving the way people feel in a real world setting. To date, the sector has struggled to prove efficacy of many of these food-as-medicine-based interventions at scale. With its tech-enabled, consumer-focused platform, People Science provides the tools needed to make data generation and feedback loops more efficient, scalable and cost effective to build the tangible evidence needed to show the power of food-based solutions in driving better health outcomes.

With this latest round of funding, People Science will continue to develop the CHLOE technology platform to support additional consumer-facing features as well as to support their growing client pipeline for CHLOE software licensing. The core team will expand to support customer growth and retention.

About People Science

People Science is building a people-forward clinical research infrastructure to support the evolution, knowledge and understanding of alternative medicines. As a technology-enabled clinical research services company, People Science empowers individuals to answer the question, “Which alternative medicines work best for me?” through their proprietary CHLOE app. People Science connects clients who make or want to promote the understanding of alternative medicines to the people who test their products. Learn more at peoplescience.health.

Contact:
People Science
[email protected]

SOURCE People Science, Inc.

The Rapidly Growing Platform Built for Insurance Distributors Now Has Over 11,000 Agent Users in Just Over a Year

PALO ALTO, Calif, Jan. 26, 2023 — iLife Technologies, the all-in-one front end “Operating System” (OS) for insurance carriers and agencies, today announced $17M in new funding to continue helping insurance distributors consolidate previously fragmented workflows. With iLife’s industry leading OS, agents can instantly generate quotes & e-apps, communicate and market to clients directly from the CRM, and build insurance websites code-free.

The round was led by Foundation Capital, Brewer Lane Ventures, and SCOR Ventures, with participation from GTMFund and OpenView Partners. With iLife’s rapid industry adoption, notable former insurance carrier executives joined the Board at iLife, including John Kim, former President at New York Life, and Deanna Mulligan, former CEO at Guardian Life.

“Over the last two decades, I’ve led and advised some of the largest life insurance companies in the world, and I’ve seldom seen a company as innovative and game-changing for this industry as iLife,” said John Kim, now Founder and Managing Partner of Brewer Lane Ventures. “Nelson and his team are arming agents and carriers at all levels with everything they need to excel at their jobs. We are delighted to support iLife on this next phase of their journey.”

Historically, agents have had to piece together 10-14 different pieces of software to complete sales and marketing workflows, making sales cycles long and costly with poor experiences for both agents and consumers. With iLife, they are able to complete all their critical workflows in one place, eliminating redundant sign-in’s and data entries, leading to a dramatically better productivity and cost savings for agents, agencies, and carriers.

“It was a no-brainer for us to invest in iLife for a second time. Their team is incredibly talented and dedicated to building the best platform to support life insurance agents. They’ve had incredible customer traction in an otherwise difficult macroeconomic environment, and their ability to partner with the top insurance carriers at this stage in their journey is remarkable. We can’t wait to see how iLife transforms the life insurance business for years to come,” said Rodolfo Gonzalez, General Partner at Foundation Capital.

Since launching in the summer of 2021, iLife has expanded from two carrier partnerships to 27 carriers, and continues to quickly gain industry adoption. With more than 11,000 agent users, the company achieved 633% YoY revenue growth, with per user spend increasing almost every single month since launch, and several Enterprise deals to be announced later in the year.

The Series A funding will be used toward product engineering and growth. In total, the company has raised $21M in funding from leaders in the fintech and insurance industries. iLife will be announcing noteworthy partnerships with top carriers and IMO’s in the near future. For more about iLife, visit http://www.ilife.tech.

About iLife

iLife’s software helps insurance agents grow and build their life insurance business. Trusted by over 11,000 agents, iLife’s software solves pain points in insurance distribution by providing all critical workflow functions in one place, shortening sales cycles, reducing back office expenses, and providing better experiences. To learn more about iLife, visit iLife.tech.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE iLife Technologies