BUSSUM, The Netherlands, Feb. 16, 2023 — Nextkidney is proud to announce that it has raised 11.9 million EUR in a recent B funding round. The B round combined 7.8M EUR investment by professional and informal investors in France and The Netherlands with a crowdfunding campaign (led by OnePlanetCrowd) raising 4.1m EUR. The funds will be used for clinical trials and market clearance of the company’s ground-breaking portable device.
Dialysis market demands a truly portable device
The treatment of kidney failure is a growing issue in public health policies. It is one of the main sources of healthcare costs in western societies with over $40 Bio spent in 2020 only in the United States, while there is an annual growth of 6% of kidney patients dependent on dialysis worldwide.
Jérôme Augustin, Chief Executive Officer of Nextkidney BV: “The continued growth of the global dialysis market demands for a device that addresses current issues of manpower, logistics and patients’ quality of life. The Neokidney™ does this by enabling patients to perform dialysis treatments any place at any time, not hampered by logistics of fluids or infrastructure, enabling patients to longer stay connected to society and their professional lives”.
Neokidney™ enables dialysis treatment to adapt to patients’ lives
The Neokidney™ is set to improve patient outcome and economics. Its award-winning design enhances patients’ dialysis experience with a simple to use interface and minimal footprint in patients’ homes. Its sorbent technology drastically reduces fluid usage and power consumption, providing dialysis therapy outcomes which are on par with those of state-of-the-art home hemodialysis devices. The Neokidney™ really makes dialysis treatment adaptable to the patients’ lives!
“We are thrilled to have raised this significant amount of funding, which will allow us to bring our innovative device through clinical trials and market clearance,” said John Stooker, CFO of Nextkidney. “Our goal is to improve the lives of kidney failure patients by offering them a solution that is both effective and convenient, and we believe that our device will do more than just that.”
Nextkidney’s crowd funding campaign garnered strong interest from healthcare providers and patients internationally who eagerly anticipate the launch of the Neokidney™. This reassures the need for a hemodialysis device that is truly portable.
About Nextkidney
Nextkidney’s mission is to improve the quality of live of dialysis patients worldwide with the development of the Neokidney™ home hemodialysis device. The company places the patient and his/her quality of life at the centre of its approach and uses innovative technologies to offer a safe, practical, and easy-to-use solution. The Neokidney™ is a registered trademark of NextKidney S.A.
Operating cash revenue grows nearly 40 percent YoY in 2022, with shipments exceeding 20,000 units
SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 16, 2023 — Pudu Robotics, a commercial service robotics manufacturer, has announced completion of a Series C3 financing round raising more than US$15 million. The financing round was exclusively invested by Puhua Capital, with Taihecap continuing to serve as the exclusive financial advisor. The new funds will be mainly used to build a new production base for Pudu Robotics in a move to expand production capacity and develop products for commercial cleaning scenarios.
PuduBot 2 from Pudu Robotics
Pudu Robotics is a leading high-tech company in the field of commercial service robots in China. The company focuses on the R&D, design, production and sales of commercial service robots. It has established a business presence in some 600 cities in more than 60 countries and regions around the world.
With the service industry hobbled by ever mounting challenges in hiring workers worldwide, Pudu Robotics has engaged in a massive expansion beyond the borders of its home market since 2020, achieving rapid growth in shipments. Cumulative global shipments to date exceed 56,000 units, while sales in overseas markets as a percentage of the company’s total has grown from 8% in 2019 to over 80% currently.
As a R&D-driven company, Pudu Robotics has been able to independently research and produce four core components of commercial robots: motors, single-line LiDARs, RGB depth-sensing cameras, and computing platforms & motion controllers.
Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics, said the company is developing steadily in the delivery segment, with growth in overseas shipments continuing to accelerate. The company derived 90% of its revenue from sales in 2022. Pudu Robotics has steadfastly refused to chase fast growth by rolling out low-price models or allowing leased products to take up too large a proportion of revenue, ensuring solid operating indicators in terms of payments and collections. In 2022, cash revenue from operations increased by nearly 40% year on year, with shipments exceeding 20,000 units. High-end models, most notably the BellaBot, are widely recognized across global markets. Japan’s leading restaurant group Skylark ordered 3,000 BellaBots in one go, setting an industry record.
Pudu Robotics’ current product lineup includes indoor delivery robots, PuduBot, PuduBot 2, BellaBot, KettyBot, HolaBot and SwiftBot; in-building delivery robot FlashBot; cleaning robots PUDU CC1 and PUDU SH1; as well as disinfection robot Puductor 2.
Earlier, Pudu Robotics announced that it has achieved large-scale application of its independently-developed VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology solution through its latest delivery robot PuduBot 2. As an important breakthrough in the field of commercial robots, the VSLAM solution makes the product qualitatively better in terms of positioning accuracy, positioning reliability and scenario adaptability.
Zhang added that Pudu Robotics, as the only engineering and technology research center for indoor intelligent mobile robots in Guangdong Province, will continue to increase its investment in technology R&D to maintain its leadership in the product field. At the same time, Pudu Robotics is also optimistic about the cleaning robot market, and will focus on seeking new breakthroughs in cleaning robot products to further consolidate its advantages in the delivery robot segment.
SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2023 — Applexus is thrilled to announce that the Government of Alberta has awarded the company a $1.4 million IGF grant (Investment and Growth Fund) to establish its business footprint in Canada. Applexus also received significant support from Invest Alberta to navigate the funding application process and understand the significant benefits of investing in the Province. Calgary Economic Development also helped facilitate the process by making key introductions.
This expansion along with the high-impact investment will help Applexus bring new and innovative solutions to the market. Applexus understand that this is the first time an IT company has received such a significant grant through the fund in the region. Applexus is honored to have received this grant and would like to thank the Government of Alberta for its support. Applexus will use the funds to invest in the development of new technology, hire additional staff, and expand its reach to better serve its clients.
Calgary has an excellent pool of graduates to help Applexus grow its team and the right access to a skilled workforce along with exceptional infrastructure. As a consulting firm, Applexus spends a lot of time and money traveling to customer sites, and Calgary as an air travel hub provides convenient, fast, and economical access to its clients in the US market. Furthermore, Calgary is one of the most affordable places to settle down, has a strong public education system in place, a superior standard of living with diverse and welcoming communities, and world-class quality of life. Alberta’s new Immigration Program for tech professionals will also enable Applexus attract skilled professionals from outside North America.
Applexus’ CEO and founder Sam Mathew had this to say:
“The IGF grant will allow us to take our company to the next level, help strengthen our presence, expand our offerings, bring new jobs to the region, and positively impact the community. We’re grateful for the support of the Government of Alberta, as we work to build a stronger and more diverse economy for the state.”
Applexus is committed to working with local partners to create new opportunities to ensure that the new delivery center is aligned with the needs and priorities of the community and stands as a driver for economic growth in the region. Applexus is excited to begin this new chapter in the company’s journey and takes immense pride in collaborating with the Government of Alberta to transform its presence into an enormous success.
“We are excited to establish ourselves in the growing and vibrant technology sector of Calgary and hope to use this opportunity to make a valuable impact in the community,” said Dan Ratchford, Vice President and Head of Delivery – Canada, “The IGF grant will allow Applexus to penetrate new regions to elevate and reinforce its presence, serve a wider audience, absorb a multi-faceted and exceptional talent base, and bring new and innovative services to the province and the country.” Applexus is extremely thankful to the Government of Alberta for recognizing, funding, and facilitating our vision by supporting plans to set up its facility and in the process, allowing it to do more for the province.
“I am excited to welcome Applexus Technologies to Calgary and the province of Alberta,” said Honorable Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism. “Applexus’ decision to choose Calgary as the location of their new Canadian headquarters speaks volumes about their confidence in Alberta as a great place to do business. Congratulations to Applexus, and we wish them great success in their new venture.”
“Applexus is a welcome addition to Alberta’s tech and innovation sector, and we are excited the company has chosen our province to establish its Canadian headquarters,” said Rick Christiaanse, CEO, Invest Alberta. “This investment in Alberta will help support our local economy through the creation of 125 new jobs over five years while giving Applexus access to the skilled talent Alberta is known for so it can thrive in a rapidly growing sector. The support the company received from the Government of Alberta, Invest Alberta, and Calgary Economic Development positioned our province as a destination of choice and is a tangible example of Alberta’s world-renowned ‘make it happen attitude’ when it comes to global investment.”
“Calgary has the talent pipeline, access to global markets and competitive business environment for technology leaders like Applexus to thrive,” said Brad Parry, President & CEO, Calgary Economic Development. “With one of the fastest-growing tech workforces in North America, Calgary is a city of innovation and opportunity where bright minds and big ideas come together to do game-changing work across industries.”
About Applexus
Applexus has been at the forefront of innovation in the SAP landscape. As a premier SAP services provider and a leader in Data and Analytics, we are dedicated to providing cutting-edge and value-driven technology solutions to bring about business transformation from our delivery center in Calgary, Canada. As a thought leader, we bring personalized solutions and industry expertise for multiple business types in different industry verticals, besides creating add-ons and utilizing cloud-based capabilities to improve our impact. Our leadership team and employees practice a culture of excellence and cohesiveness to support our objectives and usher in new beginnings. For more information, visit https://www.applexus.com
About Invest Alberta
Invest Alberta is engaging the world and providing high-end tailored support to companies, investors, and major new projects. With team members strategically positioned in key markets around the world, Invest Alberta works to break down barriers so businesses can start up, scale up, and succeed without limits. Since 2020, Invest Alberta has supported the commitment of nearly $20 billion in investment that created more than 24,000 new high-value jobs for Albertans.
About Calgary Economic Development
Calgary Economic Development is an opportunity-maker, helping to spark and fuel Calgary’s growth. Our job is to connect people with resources that can help them grow their careers or businesses, thrive in new locations or markets, and feel at home in our community. We offer a wealth of information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote Calgary, in Canada and around the world. We’re exhilarated about our role in shaping and sharing Calgary’s story and we’re proud to be part of the energy. For more information, please visit our website at www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com and follow us on Twitter @calgaryeconomic.
Funding Secured by the Real Estate Development and Investment Firm will Facilitate the Launch of its New Gaming and Entertainment Platforms as well as Finance the Renovation of the Iconic Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2023 — Dreamscape Companies, a New York-based real estate development and investment firm founded by industry veteran Eric Birnbaum, today announces it has successfully completed an $850million capital raise. The funding was managed by financial institutions Wells Fargo, which led the debt syndicate, and Raymond James, which led the equity private placement. The capital raised will launch two independent Dreamscape platforms: Dreamscape Entertainment Properties, Inc, an experiential real estate investment trust that will own gaming, hospitality and entertainment assets, and Dreamscape Entertainment Integrated Resorts, Inc, an operator of gaming, hospitality and entertainment assets. These new, independent Dreamscape platforms will focus on investing and operating in strategically located, high-barrier-to-entry markets with asymmetric growth potential. The success of this latest capital raise demonstrates Dreamscape’s commitment to diversifying its capabilities and deepening its presence in key markets throughout the U.S.
“As Dreamscape continues to evolve and expand, we knew the gaming and entertainment sector would be a natural fit and become a central part of our business,” said Eric Birnbaum, CEO and Founder of Dreamscape. “We are passionate about creating dynamic lifestyle experiences. I strongly believe that with our team’s unique development capabilities, investment acumen and deep operating expertise, we are poised to become a differentiated player within this space.”
The capital raise will also finance a multi-phase renovation of Dreamscape’s first gaming property, the iconic Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. The company acquired the property in late 2019 from Caesars Entertainment, contemporaneously entering into a sale lease-back with Caesars to operate the property. As the first all-suite hotel to hit the Las Vegas Strip in 1990, the resort holds a prominent position in the city’s storied past. With the intent to preserve the property’s bones and honor its legacy, Dreamscape will use the financing to reimagine the two-tower structure, restoring it into a premiere resort and casino experience with modernized amenities and an array of offerings that speak to today’s gaming and hospitality consumer. The property will remain open throughout the renovation, with the company slated to officially take over and manage operations at the resort in 2023.
“The previous year introduced unexpected and incredibly challenging financial market conditions for gaming and real estate development issuers,” said Duane Bouligny, managing director in Wells Fargo’s Corporate & Investment Bank. “Amidst this challenging economic environment, we are pleased to have successfully led the debt capital raise for Dreamscape as the company launches its new gaming and entertainment platforms, renovates its first gaming property, and continues to diversify and scale.”
“Through Eric’s leadership and the unwavering dedication of his talented, best-in-class team, Dreamscape is perfectly positioned to continue its current trajectory and achieve its expansion goals,” said Steven Loffman, Managing Director at Raymond James. “Dreamscape has a unique ability to thoughtfully acquire and then execute with a style that consistently speaks to its targeted customer. The company has significantly increased its already robust portfolio and will continue to do so with this latest round of funding.”
Lifestyle-oriented real estate and hospitality sit at the core of Dreamscape’s ethos. These newly capitalized platforms, coupled with the upcoming renovation of the Rio, will provide Dreamscape with a unique foundation to scale within the entertainment and gaming sectors. The company already has a broad presence and geographically diverse portfolio, owning and operating assets in Nashville, Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New Orleans, Charleston and Philadelphia.
About Dreamscape Dreamscape’s talented team of real estate professionals has collectively deployed in excess of $35 billion across residential, retail, hospitality, entertainment and gaming properties and has decades of experience in these verticals. Eric Birnbaum and his team have assets in New York, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, Charleston and Philadelphia. The team has worked on a diverse portfolio of significant properties, including critically acclaimed endeavors such as Henry Hall in New York’s Hudson Yards, The Pod Hotel in New York’s Times Square, The Goodtime Hotel in South Beach, Miami, Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and 5420 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
The healthcare benefits platform enables startups to provide competitive health and wellness benefits for their teams in less time.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2023 — Today Thatch announced the launch of its healthcare benefits platform, which helps startups offer competitive health and wellness benefits in less time. The company also announced over $6 million in total funding, including a pre-seed and seed round. The company’s seed round was led by a16z and GV, with participation from strategic investors including Lux Capital, Quiet Capital, Not Boring Capital, and BrightEdge (the impact investment arm of the American Cancer Society).
Thatch sits on top of a company’s existing health plan to remove the friction employees experience managing their healthcare finances. The product was designed with startups in mind, and today includes a tech-enabled Health Savings Account, or HSA, a Thatch debit card for all healthcare expenses, on-demand access to experts who can resolve billing issues via text, and a dashboard that brings everything together. In short, Thatch is delivering sophisticated solutions to startups that level the competitive playing field for talent.
With budgets tightening in today’s economic climate, employers are increasingly looking to benefits solutions to attract and retain talent. A great team is one of the biggest predictors of startup success, and 88% of employees rank healthcare as their most highly valued benefit. This is not surprising because paying for healthcare in the United States is painful and medical debt is the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the country. Thatch believes this challenge presents an opportunity to employers who want to improve the employee healthcare experience.
Thatch enables employers to make paying and saving for healthcare meaningfully easier. Every employee receives a Thatch card to pay for healthcare the way they want: from their checking account, upcoming paycheck, or HSA balance. Intelligent controls make it easy to personalize the experience, reducing the burden of large bills. When employees use their Thatch card, they’ll also be able to access intelligent recommendations on things like health plan selection, savings goals, and HSA strategies based on their own expenses.
Thatch’s fresh take on the HSA makes saving on healthcare easier. The tech-first approach solves major pain points of existing HSAs — users often don’t know which expenses are HSA-eligible, they have to save and categorize their own receipts for future audits or distributions, and have to keep track of contributions against their annual limit. Thatch HSA users can text Thatch at any time to see if purchases are HSA-eligible and save receipts in the Thatch dashboard for compliance and future distributions. Employees can also easily see tax savings from HSA utilization and automatically track contributions against their annual limit.
Medical billing issues are a ubiquitous experience, and one that employers shouldn’t have to manage. Thatch’s billing experts are available on-demand to help employees understand their medical bills and resolve billing issues. Employees simply upload a bill, share some basic information, and a patient advocate will take care of it behind the scenes.
“Paying for healthcare is painful, but it shouldn’t be,” said Chris Ellis, co-founder and CEO of Thatch. “We’re excited to work with startups who want to improve the healthcare experience for their employees. I continue to be inspired by the fact that what we’re building has the potential to impact every American by bringing innovation to an important space that has long been overlooked.”
“Thatch is building a smart and original solution for the long-standing healthcare financial crisis in our country, in the form of an exciting new application of financial technology,” said Julie Yoo, General Partner at a16z. “We’re proud to be backing this exceptionally talented team of healthcare and fintech experts to tackle this problem.”
“Rising healthcare costs are a burden on patients and families, and Thatch offers a new path forward to create a more seamless healthcare payment experience,” said Krishna Yeshwant, General Partner at GV. “We’re excited to work with Chris Ellis, Adam Stevenson, and the Thatch team as they advance their mission to make paying for healthcare easier and more accessible for patients with a tech-enabled approach.”
To join Thatch and bring world-class health benefits to your company, visit thatch.ai.
About Thatch
Thatch is on a mission to help businesses give great healthcare to their employees in under five minutes. Founded in 2021 by Chris Ellis and Adam Stevenson, Thatch is the modern health benefits platform for startups. The platform includes a Thatch card for all healthcare spend, tech-enabled HSA to save for future expenses, and bill resolution experts on-demand to answer healthcare financial questions. Backed by leading venture capital firms and strategic investors such as a16z, GV, Lux Capital, Quiet Capital, Not Boring Capital, and BrightEdge (the impact investment arm of the American Cancer Society), Thatch has raised more than $6 million to date. To learn more, visit thatch.ai.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2023 — Agya Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on real estate tech, blockchain, AI and sustainability, proclaims the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) will cut through material use cases in real estate tech from search and listings to mortgages, construction, and sustainability.
“AI presents a generational opportunity in real estate,” said Kunal Lunawat, co-founder and managing partner of Agya Ventures. “Real estate is a $50+ Tn asset class, and one of the key drivers of the global economy. There is a significant opportunity for real estate tech entrepreneurs, because of the scale of the opportunity, and the moment of time we find ourselves in.”
The Opportunity in Real Estate Tech
Some of the most valuable companies in the early years of the real estate tech cycle created significant stakeholder value across these sub-sectors in real estate tech listed below – all of that will be in play with AI in the future.
Residential search and listings: Google’s first real threat to its Search product could come through Bing’s integration with ChatGPT. That said, both Search and Bing are not tailormade for real estate, which in part, explains why Zillow, Redfin, and StreetEasy have become valuable businesses. A machine learning (ML) enabled search and listings engine that leverages large language models, integrates with MLS providers, and provides more robust results for buyers and renters presents a significant opportunity.
Real estate brokerages: We believe real estate will always need the consultative hand of brokers – they are invaluable and cannot be replaced when an individual or family is making the largest financial decision of their lives in buying a home. Yet, a number of services provided by brokers and brokerages can be automated in a similarly personalized and consultative manner. Enter AI-powered chatbots that power real estate brokerages of the future.
Mortgage marketplaces and underwriting: The single-family mortgage market is estimated to be >$13 Tn in the United States alone. Mortgage search and underwriting have gotten better over the years but there’s room for much more. For one, the industry stands out for its abject lack of personalization. AI has the ability to create and work off infinite customer personas, providing more robust search and underwriting solutions.
Renters and homeowners’ insurance: Landlords and mortgage lenders typically mandate renters/buyers to get an insurance policy before moving into an apartment/home. Unlike real estate brokerages, where the agent’s role is critical, it is our belief that AI can completely automate the insurance layer, especially as it relates to renters’ and homeowners’ insurance policies. These products are relatively cheaper and not as complex, and ML-tooled bots can improve the customer journey: from acquisition and underwriting to policy administration and claims management. Companies like Lemonade have given a glimpse of what’s possible with Maya AI but we have only gotten started in this $125 Bn+ market.
Construction estimation, bids and materials: The world is going to add 2 Tn square feet of real estate by 2060 – the equivalent of adding 1 New York City every month for the next 37 years! Pause for a moment and think about the amount of data the construction industry will generate over the next few years – and now consider the existing BIM and BOM models and current paper/spreadsheet-based estimation and bidding tools, and their technical sophistication. We are not going to replace general contractors at the job site but it’s amiss to say that general contractors that don’t partner with AI companies to leverage their own data will be at a competitive disadvantage in the years to come.
Sustainable construction: The built world accounts for 40% of global greenhouse emissions, and with 2 trillion square feet of additional real estate coming up, the number does not look any better. Part of the problem in solving emissions from the built world is that there’s only as much we can do with existing real estate – emissions that have been already operationalized in the environment. The more effective solution is to embed sustainability at the point of inception of the project, when a building is still in its design stages. Layering AI in an architect’s workflow to determine emissions outcomes across scenarios, and subsequently make recommendations triaging cost, zoning and sustainability is going to be critical in how the built world interacts with climate change.
Moment in Time “Considering the significant opportunity set for real estate and AI today, we distinctly believe startups are better positioned to build new companies in the space, compared to legacy real estate technology companies looking to add AI to their existing product mix,” Lunawat said.
The AI revolution will birth two categories of companies, as defined by entrepreneur and author Elad Gil.
De novo applications built on top of large language models by startups that don’t exist today but will thrive in the years to come. Ex: an AI-enabled new real estate search platform with a distinct UI/UX.
Incumbent products that add AI/machine learning tooling to remain competitive in the market and retain distribution. Ex: Zillow injects AI into its search feed but largely retains its product functionality.
When it comes to real estate tech, it is crucial to juxtapose Gil’s distinction with how 2022 panned out for incumbents in the industry. Layoffs abounded in real estate tech last year – close to 10,000 people were let go in 2022, up 300% from 2021, as companies sought to preserve burn and refocus on their core offerings. An index of 17 publicly listed real estate technology companies was down >80% from their peak valuation, many of them having gone public via SPACs in the recent past.
“At a time when several incumbents in real estate tech continue to battle challenging micro and macro conditions, it is tough to envision how existing players can effectively adapt AI in a meaningful fashion this year,” Lunawat said. “Our analysis indicates that mature companies are looking to play defense and preserve their core offering, ruling out any robust embrace of AI in their existing products.”
This, in turn, creates a unique and urgent window for startups to build ground-up de novo applications for real estate with AI at its core. The technology is not perfect but is growing at a breakneck speed. ChatGPT 4.0 is expected to launch this year and will open yet another paradigm in AI. We have entered an era where programming moves from imperative to declarative code, expediting product cycles and feedback loops in an unprecedented fashion. In all of this, the opportunity set for entrepreneurs in real estate tech across search, listings, mortgage, insurance, construction, and sustainability stands out as a generational one.
This report was originally published in TechCrunch
Finalists will present at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference to earn prizes and secure funding from accredited investors for their early-stage companies.
PHOENIX, Feb. 15, 2023 — Venture Madness by Invest Southwest has selected 17 finalists for the 2023 Venture Madness Competition. Finalists were selected by judges from a pool of 88 applicants based on market need, industry attractiveness, competitive advantage, business model, management team and investment opportunity.
“These 17 companies will compete at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference for the chance to win their share of $40,000 in cash prizes,” said Hamid Shojaee, Board Chairman of Venture Madness. “Presenting finalists will also have the opportunity to secure funding for their early-stage companies from accredited investors that will be attending the event.”
Listed in alphabetical order, the 17 finalists are:
Attendees at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference and Expo include accredited investors, service professionals, and entrepreneurs. The conference is held in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority and is Arizona’s longest standing venture capital and pitch conference, bringing together accredited investors with the region’s most promising ventures. Since the inception, participating companies have raised more than $1 billion in funding.
This year’s event will also feature a new alumni session that highlights four former finalists who will share inspiring stories about raising capital.
The Venture Madness competition is open to early-stage and emerging growth companies from across the U.S. and offers its participants exclusive access to active, accredited angel investors and venture capital firms from around the country. All finalists receive expert mentorship from seasoned investors, business leaders and other successful entrepreneurs in preparation for the competition.
About Venture Madness by Invest Southwest Venture Madness by Invest Southwest is the premier organization for connecting investors with the best and brightest ventures in the region. It offers year-round programs and events and hosts Arizona’s longest-running capital conference and pitch competition. In addition to providing a valuable connection point for both investors and early-stage companies preparing for growth, Venture Madness offers unparalleled networking for investors, early-stage companies, business leaders and mentors all designed to help young companies navigate their way to success one step at a time.
About The 2023 Venture Madness Conference and Expo The Venture Madness Conference and Expo is the signature event for Venture Madness by Invest Southwest. It is a unique capital conference and pitch competition presented in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority where vetted companies apply to compete against one another in a head-to-head competition to crown a champion. For more, visit venturemadness.com.
About Previous Investor / Attendees Investment firms who have attended the Venture Madness competition previously include: Access Venture Partners, ATI (Arizona Tech Investors), AZ-VC (formerly invisionAZ Fund), Battery Ventures, Bridge Bank, Canyon Angels, Cottonwood Technology Fund, Cypress Growth Capital, DCA Asset Management, Decathlon Capital, Desert Angels, DLA Piper, EPIC Ventures, Fulcrum Equity Partners, Golden Seeds, Grayhawk Capital, Intel Capital, Kickstart Fund, Lighter Capital, MSP Sports Capital, Next Frontier Capital, Peak Ventures, Pelion Venture Partners, PHX Ventures, Prospeq, Radian Capital, RevTek Capital, Signal Peak Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, Sonoran Founders Fund, Sorenson Capital, State 48 Ventures, Stout Street Capital, Sun Mountain Capital, Trinity Capital, Warburg Pincus and Wells Fargo Bank.
Beloved by millions of fans worldwide, Superplastic’s top synthetic celebrities eye streaming after their social media success with the help of Amazon Studios and Amazon‘s Alexa Fund
CULVER CITY, Calif. and BURLINGTON, Vt., Feb. 15, 2023 — Today, Amazon and Superplastic announced a multifaceted collaboration that spans investment and a first-look deal with Amazon Studios, which is currently in development on a series featuring Superplastic’s synthetic celebrities.
The Alexa Fund, Amazon’s venture capital arm that focuses on new media, smart consumer electronics, ambient intelligence, and other areas of digital technology, leads Superplastic’s $20 million Series A extension investment round. Other investors include Craft Ventures, Google Ventures, Galaxy Digital, Kering, Sony Japan, Scribble Ventures, Kakao, Animoca Brands, Day One Ventures, and Betaworks. This latest round brings Superplastic’s total funding to $58 million to date, and supports the expansion of the Superplastic character universe.
Additionally, The Janky & Guggimon Show, starring the Superplastic synthetic celebrities Janky and Guggimon, is in development at Amazon Studios. The two companies have also signed a first-look deal to facilitate the creation of additional series and films starring other characters in the Superplastic universe. The Janky & Guggimon Show follows the adventures of two lazy and spectacularly incompetent best friends who are hell-bent on getting rich and famous but leave a trail of chaos and destruction in their wake. The endearing duo includes Janky, the loveable idiot who spends his spare time scamming celebrities, and Guggimon, a fashion icon and master manipulator who’s too narcissistic to care.
While successful merchandise, gaming, and metaverse activations traditionally follow the success of a popular animated series, this is one of the first times that the sequence has been reversed: Superplastic’s synthetic celebrities Janky and Guggimon built a massive fan base on social media before landing a first-look deal on a major streaming service. Each episode features a cast of animated and human celebrity friends. If ordered to series, it will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
“Superplastic’s universe of synthetic celebrities have earned a cult following in every medium they’ve touched,” said Superplastic founder and CEO Paul Budnitz. “The new collaboration partnership with Amazon Studios reaches a massive audience and provides a new playground for us to wreak havoc worldwide. We’re grateful for the investment the Amazon Alexa Fund gave us to help us continue to grow the Superplastic Universe!”
“As we expand the Alexa Fund to address a wider range of consumer technologies that include ambient computing, smart devices, and the future of entertainment, we’re very excited to add Superplastic to our portfolio,” said Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund. “Superplastic’s virtual celebrities delight audiences and meet their customers where they are, and we see them as demonstrative of a new class of IP that is going to be increasingly relevant with younger generations. We are excited to be an investor and to continue to help Superplastic and Amazon’s Media and Entertainment teams identify more ways to delight customers.”
About Superplastic:
Superplastic is a Vermont-based character design studio that creates synthetic celebrities with millions of followers worldwide, and who appear in social media, music, gaming, high-end collectibles, fashion, animated entertainment, web3 and live experiences. The company sells tens of millions of dollars in real and virtual products annually, and has collaborated with Gucci, Fortnite, Mercedes-Benz, Tommy Hilfiger, Christie’s Auction House, J. Balvin, Kidsuper, Pusha-T, Paris Hilton, Post Malone, The Weeknd, Vince Staples, Rico Nasty, and more.
About Amazon Studios: Amazon Studios is the home for talent, creating and producing Original films and television series for a global audience. Original series premiere exclusively on Prime Video, which is available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Amazon Studios also produces and acquires Original movies for theatrical release and exclusively for Prime Video, in addition to producing Original content for Freevee, Amazon’s premium free streaming service.
About the Alexa Fund: The Alexa Fund is Amazon’s venture capital fund that invests in smart electronics, ambient computing, artificial intelligence, and media & entertainment.
Creator Tech Innovations by Ekwe, Synthogy, Myxt, SonicMind, Insoundz, Black♦BT, Riffler, Artiphon, Mitchell Acoustics, ASI Audio x Sensaphonics, Soundbrenner & Endless Set to Usher in a New Era of Creative Expression
In Association With The MIDI Association John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, & A3E
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Feb. 15, 2023 — Triple G Ventures LLC, the global business and growth accelerator for rising brands empowering the creator economy, invites the music industry to experience the latest in creator tech at its fully interactive music technology #[email protected] exhibit, at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM Show 2023) from Thursday April 13, 2023 to Saturday Apr 15th 2023 at the Anaheim Convention Center #10105. The exhibit has been co-curated by Music Tectonics, the wildly creative music innovation conference and podcast.
Triple G Ventures, Music Tectonics and Jordan Rudess, Unveil 12 Game-Changing Music-Tech Brands at #[email protected] 2023
Triple G Ventures + Music Tectonics Invites the Music Industry to Experience the Latest in Creator Tech
The #[email protected] experience builds on last year’s standing room only, crowd pleaser of the NAMM floor. This April, expect the space within #[email protected] and The MIDI Association’s MIDI Showcase to become the hub for all innovators at NAMM.
“With everything from music creation for beginners to sophisticated tools for seasoned artists, this carefully curated mix of brands is going to blow people away,” said Triple G Founder and CEO, Gregg Stein.
Hands-on demonstrations, punctuated by live performances from Grammy-Award winning keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Jordan Rudess, and a host of other artists, will be paired with a constant stream of podcast interviews by Music Tectonics from this year’s NAMM Show.
“We have partnered with brands leveraging the latest innovations, from AI to Web 3.0. These are the most purpose-driven and forward-thinking people in our industry. They’ve harnessed technologies, then layered on their own inventions. What they have done is nothing short of astounding. By making the tools of music-making more accessible to all, they inspire new creators, and empower existing creators to imagine new ways to realize and render their inner art.” Stein continued.
EKWE is a digital canvas for music-making by blurring the gap between playing and learning music. A seamless and enjoyable way for users to find joy through the exploration of 150+ authentic musical and contemporary electronic instruments sampled from around the world.
SYNTHOGY is the audio software company and product leader in Virtual Instrument Technology, producing the world’s most acclaimed and award-winning Piano Virtual Instruments. Best-known for Ivory II Grand Pianos, critically acclaimed as the “Platinum Standard” for Virtual Pianos.
MYXT is a new, easy to use app for storing, organizing and sharing your files. After inventing Google Reader and leading the team that built Twitter’s retweet function CEO Chris Wetherell created Myxt out of frustrations with existing solutions for artists and creators. Myxt enables instant collaboration while increasing productivity and enhancing creativity. Available on mobile and desktop.
SONICMIND (by Divisia) is a revolutionary technology that enables any setting, any time, on the fly, for any analog pedal, switcher or amp – while leaving the tone path purely analog. Any manufacturer can adopt SonicMind, making gear easily programmable with the intuitive app. It’s fully-compatible with MIDI, extending the standards for guitar gear control! The first available SM product is the LAA Custom SmartSwitcher.
INSOUNDZ is an audio enhancing API that automatically removes background noise, treats reverberation and enhances speech from audio content recorded on any device, in any environment, producing crystal clear audio that’s ready to distribute and consume.
BLACK♦BT is launching the world’s first combination pedal controller with BLE Midi and subsequent line of products to add infinitely more expressive possibilities to keyboard, guitar and digital audio workstations (DAW).
RIFFLER is a unique AI-driven app that instantly creates unlimited copyright-free guitar riffs. It’s extremely simple to use, but also offers endless customization options for advanced users.
ARTIPHON designs smart instruments for the next billion musicians by combining hardware, software, and shareable content that anyone can play.
MITCHELL ACOUSTICS is leading the way in delivering premium yet accessible hi-fi audio experiences with innovative new true wireless smart-home audio systems, speakers and turntables.
ASI AUDIO x SENSAPHONICSbrings a fundamentally different approach to in-ear monitoring, hearing, protection and enhancement with its award-winning patented active ambient 3DME technology.
SOUNDBRENNER creates an addictive music-practice experience that allows anyone to learn and master any instrument by combining wearable devices with great software.
ENDLESSS.FM is to the music industry what TikTok is to Hollywood. It’s multiplayer music making, helping musicians create, collaborate, publish and discover music online. The Endlesss beatmaking arcade machine will make its debut at NAMM.
JORDAN RUDESS, voted “Best Keyboardist of All Time” by Music Radar Magazine, is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire for platinum-selling Grammy-award winning prog rock band, Dream Theater. moForte, the company makes Jordan’s Geoshred product is a MIDI
Association corporate member and Jordan will also be playing in the [email protected] concert on the
Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage on Saturday from 4 – 5 pm to close the 2023 April NAMM show.
JOHN LENNON EDUCATIONAL TOUR BUS is a state-of-the-art non-profit mobile production studio(s), outfitted with the latest audio and video technology and musical instruments, reaching more than 500,000 students every year.
MUSIC TECTONICS covers news and conversations about how technology is changing the music industry.
THE MIDI ASSOCIATION is the global non-profit 501(c)6 trade organization that connects the companies who develop MIDI products and new MIDI specifications with all the people around the world that create music and art with MIDI.
A3E EXCHANGE is a thought leadership, business intelligence, B2B exchange, and social environment, for the music and pro audio industry.
ABOUT TRIPLE G VENTURES
The award-winning go-to global business growth accelerator for rising brands, scaling emerging tech companies empowering the creator economy. Triple G Ventures specializes in business growth from seed to scale in consumer and creator tech including, but not limited to, IoT, AI, Web 3.0, Machine Learning, IT, A/V Tech, EdTech, and more. Triple G Ventures architects and delivers brand strategy, product definition, go-to-market, channel strategy, sales and marketing strategy and execution, digital transformation, strategic partnerships, business operations, team development, financial business strategy, and planning.
For more information on Triple G Ventures’ business growth and management consulting services visit www.triplegventures.com.
