Proven Digital Marketing and Technology Leaders Paul Filsinger and Giancarlo Maniaci Get Behind Procure IT as Investors & Advisors

CARROLLTON, Texas, June 13, 2023 — Procure IT, a game-changing data-driven IT procurement and management company, announced today that it raised $3.5 million in a new round of funding, bringing the total initial funding to $4.8 million. The company promises to combine people, processes and software to create an industry-first platform for IT procurement, spend, performance and risk management.

The latest funding round includes investments from two proven digital marketing and technology leaders Paul Filsinger and Giancarlo Maniaci, who also will serve as advisors to Procure IT’s leadership team.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Paul Filsinger and Giancarlo Maniaci as Procure IT investors and advisors,” said Randy Jeter, Procure IT Managing Partner and former CEO of RapidScale. “Both leaders are highly experienced at building and growing forward-looking technology-powered companies by leveraging innovative product strategy and the latest advances in data-driven digital marketing. Their investments validate our vision to transform how IT is sourced and managed; their active guidance will help us achieve it.”

Procure IT’s managing partners, along with current and future investors, plan to raise additional capital before seeking private equity funding in 12-24 months, Jeter added.

About Procure IT’s Investor-Advisors
Filsinger is a technology leader with 30 years of experience in software, IT, media and digital advertising. Over three decades, he has been an entrepreneur/owner/founder and President of System1, a $1 billion public company. Filsinger sold his business to System1 and then spent more than five years scaling teams, revenue and profitability, culminating in a public offering on NYSE (SST). As president, he was responsible for digital brands, including MapQuest, StartPage, HowStuffWorks, Answers.com, CouponFollow, Info.com, Infospace, WebCrawler, Dogpile and more.

Following a long career as a business builder, Filsinger has become an angel investor in companies aligned with his technology interests. Recent investments include MadisonAve.ai, a startup using generative AI to create advertising.

Filsinger’s investment in Procure IT is grounded in his experience building technology-enabled companies.

“At System 1, for example, we made huge investments in cloud-based technologies,” said Filsinger. “Procure IT helps companies better manage their technology investments by monitoring and analyzing it to realize and optimize its value. As an entrepreneur, founder and former public company CEO, I know that’s a brilliant idea that’s long overdue. Ironically, advancements in technology finally make it possible to achieve. I’m all in on helping Procure IT to get this into the hands of business owners and IT leaders everywhere.”

Maniaci is a serial entrepreneur and one of the world’s foremost experts in digital product marketing. Presently, he is CEO of eJam Inc., a performance-based online advertising and marketing company. Maniaci was the CEO and co-founder of TapIt!, a mobile advertising platform that sold to Phunware for $23 million in 2013. Earlier in his career, he was Managing Partner for iDials, a hosted PBX, predictive and autodialing platform that was sold in 2010.

The entrepreneur actively provides seed investment and incubation to technology and digital media startups. Among his present and past investments are Estimote, creators of the SpaceTimeOS for smart workplace applications, and PayDivvy, the first and only social bill-paying platform.

Maniaci’s investment in Procure IT will leverage his interests and experience in technology and digital media.

“Procure IT hits the sweet spot for me – using technology to disrupt traditional ways of doing things and creating incredible value for business customers,” said Maniaci. “I’m excited to back its mission of transforming IT procurement and management. And I’m eager to help tell the Procure IT story using the latest digital marketing platforms and techniques to ensure every business hears about a better way to source and manage their critical technology investments.”

More Information
To learn more about leveraging the Procure IT platform to simplify and optimize your company’s IT environment, visit www.procureit.com. To speak to a Procure IT sourcing expert, visit  www.procureit.com/contact or [email protected].

Suppliers interested in becoming part of the Procure IT platform can connect with the supplier management team by emailing [email protected].

About Procure IT
Procure IT, the data-driven IT procurement and management company, simplifies IT sourcing and expense, performance and risk management for businesses of all sizes – from small and medium businesses (SMBs) to global enterprises. Procure IT leverages decades of expertise in technology sourcing, relationships with more than 350 IT suppliers, proven processes and a proprietary CX software platform to help business clients save time and money while ensuring they have the technology they need to succeed in a competitive marketplace. Procure IT advises more than 3,000 businesses nationwide, speeding sourcing by 5X and reducing spending by 25 percent. For more information, visit www.procureit.com or engage with us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Khali Henderson
BuzzTheory (for Procure IT)
480.848.6726
[email protected]

SOURCE Procure IT

Funding led by Blockchange Ventures with participation from GFR Fund, Peter Thiel, Blockwall Capital, private investors & industry advisors 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 13, 2023 — Collectibles.com, with a focus on connecting, inspiring, and better serving the diverse interests of all collectors, today announced its $5 million seed round, led by Blockchange Ventures. Collectibles.com is building the world’s first Web3 community and marketplace — powered by the Collectibles Protocol™ and blockchain integration — to drive innovation in the estimated $500 billion global collectibles market. By combining advanced technology and unique consumer rewards with the shared values that drive the passion and motivations for collectors everywhere, Collectibles.com will offer an exciting new experience for all levels of expertise and interests.

The recent seed round drew support from respected venture funds including: Blockchange Ventures, GFR Fund, Peter Thiel and Blockwall Capital, along with select private investors, advisors & industry strategics. Notable investors also include serial entrepreneurs and technologists: Adam Jackson, CEO Braintrust; Sean Cohan, former Chief Growth Officer, Nielsen; Trevor Traina, CEO Kresus & respected collector; Vinny Lingham, CEO Waitroom, Shark Tank SA; and Hollywood actor & collector, Orlando Bloom.

As the category-defining brand domain, Collectibles.com is poised to become the leading destination for the currently fragmented world of collecting, by providing practical tools, technology & resources that put the needs and preferences of collectors front and center. Unlike most existing apps, websites & legacy marketplaces that are strictly transactional, Collectibles.com will feature a robust, connected community to unite global collectors through their common interests and passions, with several unique features:

• Beneficial user rewards for contributions to the community and platform 
• Powerful collection management application to organize, manage and value all collectibles
• AI and ML technologies to offer most accurate & comprehensive collectibles data
• Proprietary Collectibles Protocol™ and blockchain integration to deliver a new, more efficient & transparent marketplace experience
• Data-driven, market-based asset valuation for collectibles based on over 30 sources of historical sales/transactions
• Community social profiles to display collections and foster engagement 
• Personalization, recommendations and community connections based on preferences 
• Category-specific discussion groups, curated content and educational resources

“Our work to date has demonstrated the value of — and demand for — innovation by collectors, making the expansion into other collectibles verticals a natural next step,” said Collectibles.com Co-Founder and CEO Alex Ivanov. “By combining the power of the collectibles community with the promising capabilities of Web3 technology, we can fundamentally rethink how people buy, sell, trade and manage anything they collect.”

Since launching as a proof-of-concept in 2021, offering a collection management application focused only on trading cards and reaching over 250,000 registered users, collectors are now adding tens of thousands of items per day, currently valued at over $2B of cards under management. The upcoming launch of Collectibles.com will expand into several new verticals, including comic books, coins, stamps, memorabilia and more.

“For most, the hobby of collecting is much more than just buying and selling or making an investment — it represents a greater passion and personal motivation, something that connects them to a larger community and often passed from generation-to-generation, whether it’s comic books, sports cards and memorabilia, or even vintage lunch boxes,” said Dietrich von Behren, Co-Founder and Chief Business & Strategy Officer at Collectibles.com. “With our new round of funding and strategic partners, we’ll bring a series of industry-changing innovations to the global collectibles industry, from casual hobbyists to sellers and major brand partners.”

Launching in the fall of 2023 and building the ecosystem for what shall become a decentralized secondary market, the Collectibles.com community and marketplace is being developed with blockchain integration and smart contracts for advanced functionality and commerce optimization, and will offer a unique customer loyalty rewards system to incentivize adoption while driving significant innovation across the massive collectibles industry. 

“We believe that blockchain technology will radically alter how marketplaces will grow in the future—especially those with pre-existing communities,” states Ken Seiff, Managing Partner of Blockchange Ventures. “Adding the economic layer of a blockchain to a social network will catalyze growth & commerce in new and novel ways. In the case of Collectibles.com, we expect it will better serve the collectors globally that represent a multi hundred billion dollar asset class.”

About Collectibles.com
At Collectibles.com, we’re Powered by Passion™— building a premium destination and resource for the passionate community of collectors worldwide, where enthusiasts of all levels can share expertise and experiences centered around their common interest in collectibles—from Mickey Mantle to Mickey Mouse and everything in between. Building the world’s first Web3 community and marketplace for collectors, we’re developing a more engaging, integrated and trusted consumer experience, across all verticals. By offering collection management tools combined with community, content and commerce, Collectibles.com is creating a powerful platform for all current collectors and the next generation. To pre-register and reserve your custom username & profile, visit www.collectibles.com For additional Collectibles.com news & information, visit blog.collectibles.com.

Collectibles.com Media Contact:
Lucas Mast
Director, Marketing + Communications
415-218-7204
[email protected]

Collectibles.com Partnership Opportunities
Dietrich von Behren
Co-Founder, Chief Business + Strategy Officer
[email protected]

SOURCE Collectibles.com

LONDON, June 13, 2023 — BoomFi, a next-generation payments company, has announced an oversubscribed seed funding round of $3.8 million led by White Star Capital. The team will use the capital to transform crypto and digital currency payments for web3. SaaS, eCommerce, creators, marketplaces and traditional web 2 merchants.

Stablecoin settlements in 2022 boomed to an astounding $7.2 trillion with adoption experiencing a 47x increase since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldpay and Crypto.com’s survey reveals a whopping 60% of 1.5 million merchants are primed to accept crypto, yet only 4% are currently offering this option. With crypto‘s benefits of lower fees, instant settlements, and reduced fraud rates, demand for robust, user-friendly crypto payment solutions is surging.

“The way we pay for things and send/receive money in the future will involve crypto rails and bridging traditional and decentralised systems. But today it’s riddled with a mirage of complexities and challenges.” says Jack Tang, co-founder of BoomFi. “We’re streamlining payments across various blockchains and traditional payment rails into one seamless, borderless and familiar payment experience. This funding will push us full-throttle into a world where crypto payments is the norm, not the exception.”

BoomFi’s seed round drew backing from notable venture capitalists, strategic investors, and industry figures, Including White Star Capital, Passion Capital, Blockchain Founders Fund, Kraken Ventures, GSR, Aquanow, Mantle Network, founders from Moonpay, Ramp Network, Transak, Layer Zero, The Giving Block and former execs from Stripe, Revolut and Worldpay. The funds will be used for strategic partnerships, product development, and expanding the merchant base in the burgeoning web3 sector

Co-founded by serial tech entrepreneur Jack Tang and fintech product executive Michael Si, BoomFi is determined to erase the complexities traditionally associated with crypto transactions. BoomFi’s all-in-one product supports a vast array of payment models including one-time payments, recurring payments, metered billing and invoicing, and seamlessly integrates crypto and fiat systems, ensuring a superior user experience.

BoomFi offers merchants a simple and fast onboarding process, with no-code paylinks to get going in minutes, low-code integrations, and fully customisable API options. The company’s crypto checkout plugins will be available across major eCommerce, payment orchestration and billing management platforms in the coming months as Alternative Payment Methods, making crypto payments across blockchains even more accessible and compliant for businesses.

“BoomFi is set to spearhead the crypto payment revolution. Their unwavering commitment to streamlining crypto transactions in the payment sector aligns flawlessly with the prevailing trends. We are witnessing a significant shift towards the utility phase of blockchain technology and crypto, where goods and services seamlessly integrate, and BoomFi’s dedication perfectly captures this evolving landscape” said Sep Alavi, General Partner at White Star Capital.

“We are deeply impressed by the proven track record and business acumen shown by the BoomFi team. Validated by such promising early traction, it’s clear BoomFi’s full payment stack solution solves a big problem in the market.” – Tobias Bauer, Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund

BoomFi has spent the past four months in intensive product development and has secured strategic partnerships, to be announced in conjunction with its public beta launch in the coming months as it ramps up onboarding new merchants.

About BoomFi
BoomFi is a next generation crypto payment processor, enabling businesses to accept cryptocurrencies across a wide range of blockchains and currencies in a compliant and safe manner. Businesses can accept one-time payments, recurring payments, metered and invoicing available through our no-code, low-code and SDK/API options. You can settle funds in your preferred crypto wallet or bank account, seamlessly bridging flat and crypto economies.

Press Contact Information:
Contact: Jack Tang (Co-founder & CEO)
Phone: +447776000080
Email: [email protected]

Brand Kits:
Logos
Founder Photos
Product Photos

SOURCE BoomFi

QUÉBEC CITY, June 13, 2023 – Feldan Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the development of treatments based on intracellular delivery of therapeutics, has announced the initial closing of a $16.5 million Series B investment. The funds will primarily be used to conduct clinical phases I/II for Feldan’s FLD-103, an intralesional treatment against basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and to advance its pulmonary program to the preclinical stage.

New investors Investissement Québec, Amgen Ventures (United States), GC Cell (South Korea) and FSIT2 join the renewed support of GC Holdings (South Korea) and other existing shareholders to help Feldan bring breakthrough treatments to clinical development.

“Feldan is excited to welcome a new group of investors to our existing syndicate as we are reaching an important milestone in our development,” said Francois-Thomas Michaud, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Feldan. “We are very proud that despite the challenges that arose from the COVID pandemic and the current economic environment, a Québec-based company has been able to create a promising clinical-stage therapeutic and is now positioned to accelerate its development towards clinical trials. This highlights the great talent and resilience of our team, in addition to further establishing the potential of our technology.”

Since having engineered a revolutionary peptide-based intracellular delivery technology, Feldan is determinedly working towards the development of treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. Feldan’s proprietary technology has been proven highly effective at delivering different types of molecules to various organs, allowing them to reach untapped intracellular therapeutic targets. The company has made notable breakthroughs in the delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides (ASOs) to skin basal cells and lung epithelial cells.

Feldan’s focus is on the completion of clinical phases I/II of intralesional FLD-103 to treat basal cell carcinomas (BCC). BCC, the most common skin cancer and most frequent form of all cancers, affects 3.6 million people in the US and Canada each year and results in the development of tumors mainly in sun-exposed skin areas such as the face, neck and scalp. Patients affected by BCC mostly rely on surgery for removal of tumors, an effective yet disfiguring and invasive procedure leaving patients to deal with scarring and long recovery time. With FLD-103, Feldan aims to improve patients’ quality of life by offering them a nonsurgical, effective and minimally invasive therapeutic option.  

Feldan will also be working on advancing its pulmonary delivery program towards preclinical development and further leveraging its intracellular delivery technology to offer life-changing therapeutics to patients.

“The life sciences are a strategic industry for Québec’s economy, and Feldan is a promising company in this sector. Investissement Québec’s support illustrates the critical role we play in bolstering local biopharmaceutical companies and bridging gaps in the financing chain. We are proud to support Feldan as their first product enters clinical trials and they continue to develop their technology.” Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Québec.

“We are delighted that Amgen is investing in this leading Quebec-based biotech company,” stated Ugur Gunaydin, General Manager of Amgen Canada. “As one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, Amgen is fundamentally value based and deeply rooted in science and innovation to transform new ideas and discoveries into medicines for patients with serious illnesses. Feldan’s novel and unique drug delivery technology is an example of the important innovation coming from Quebec’s Life Sciences sector. We are very excited to see this technology’s potential expanding in the development of next generation therapies for patients everywhere with unmet medical needs.” 

ABOUT FELDAN THERAPEUTICS

Feldan, located in Québec City, Canada, is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of treatments based on the intracellular delivery of therapeutics. Feldan has designed the Feldan Shuttle, a proprietary, peptide-based technology that enables safe and efficient delivery of various compounds inside cells. This technology unlocks the development of a new generation of therapies by giving access to intracellular targets beyond the reach of existing drugs. Feldan’s pipeline focuses on diseases affecting skin and lungs.

ABOUT INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC

Investissement Québec’s mission is to play an active role in Québec’s economic development by stimulating business innovation, entrepreneurship and business acquisitions, as well as growth in investment and exports. Operating in all of the province’s administrative regions, the corporation supports the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes with investments and customized financial solutions. It also assists businesses by providing consulting services and other support measures, including technological assistance available from Investissement Québec – CRIQ. In addition, through Investissement Québec International, the corporation prospects for talent and foreign investment, and assists Québec businesses with export activities.

SOURCE Feldan Therapeutics

Inaugural structured capital fund will deploy flexible debt and equity

RADNOR, Pa., June 13, 2023 — Hidden River Strategic Capital, a Philadelphia-based investment firm, announced that its inaugural fund, Hidden River Strategic Capital I, LP (“Hidden River” or the “Fund”), has closed on $245 million of committed capital, significantly above its initial target.

Founding Partners Steve Gord, Todd Morrissey and Kevin Condon are lower middle market veterans who were most recently founders and leaders at two well-regarded private equity firms.  Hidden River was formed to focus exclusively on flexible junior capital for small business owner-operators, an area underserved by the well-worn investment approaches of growth equity, buyout, and mezzanine/credit funds.

“Private lower middle market businesses tend to face a funding void between the often rigid investment approaches of traditional credit funds and the overly dilutive, controlling approaches of growth equity and buyout funds.” said Founding Partner, Steve Gord. “We started Hidden River to address this gap in the market with our structured capital offering – flexible, hybrid debt and equity.”

“We are grateful to our limited partners for their support and belief in our approach and are excited to execute on our differentiated strategy.” Gord continued.

Hidden River will support management teams who will continue to own and operate their business, while using the Fund’s investment for growth, acquisitions, inactive shareholder recapitalizations and other strategic initiatives.

“Throughout their investment careers, our founders have consistently seen small companies struggle to find the right partner when the capital need sits somewhere between the traditional boxes of mezzanine debt and growth equity.” said Graham Bachman, Managing Director of Business Development. “We look forward to providing funding solutions to owner-operators that don’t saddle them with inflexible debt on the one hand or crowd them out as leaders of their business on the other.”

About Hidden River Strategic Capital
Hidden River Strategic Capital invests $5 million to $25 million into U.S.-based positive cash flow businesses typically generating at least $10 million of revenues. Hidden River provides flexible, customized and partnership-oriented structured capital to support these management-owned businesses through their growth needs and strategic initiatives. The Fund is licensed as a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) and invests in a variety of industries with a strong preference for unique, repeatable and durable business models.

Business and Media Inquiries
Graham Bachman
Managing Director, Head of Business Development
[email protected]
T 610.291.2521

SOURCE Hidden River Strategic Capital

ATLANTA, June 13, 2023 — Successful construction entrepreneurs, Aaron and Coleen Phillips, are thrilled to announce the launch of Oakley Services, an innovative industrial services family office and investment company that aims to shape the future of their market in the South.

The Phillip’s entrepreneurial journey began 15 years ago with the establishment of their first company, AMCON Industrial, and since then they’ve launched an impressive five more industry-leading construction services companies. Now, with the introduction of Oakley Services, the group is set to firmly plant its flag as the leading services group for manufacturing organizations in the region.

“We’re thrilled to launch Oakley Services and embark on this new chapter,” said Aaron Phillips, Co-Founder and CEO of Oakley Services. “According to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), manufacturing projects account for a large portion of nonresidential construction growth in 2023 and the Southeast continues to position itself as a hotbed. Our firms are in a unique position to support the growing demand with the quality and scale of our capabilities.”

Oakley Services sets itself apart from traditional investment groups by adopting a hands-on approach, actively engaging with its portfolio companies, and fostering long-term partnerships. “By providing financial resources, strategic guidance, and operational support, the family office aims to propel its companies to new heights of success,” stated Coleen Phillips, Co-Founder and COO.

In addition to investing in existing companies, Oakley Services is committed to nurturing and incubating new business ideas in our sector. We’ve built an industrial innovation center in Fairburn, Georgia that serves as a hub for founders, technologists, and industry experts to come together and develop cutting-edge solutions for our customers. By cultivating a dynamic partner ecosystem fueled by creativity and collaboration, we plan to help Georgia remain at the center of the nation’s modern day industrial revolution.

Britton Clark, CRO of Oakley Services, added, “We firmly believe that collaboration and partnerships are the keys to success in today’s rapidly evolving construction landscape. Oakley Services will serve as a catalyst for growth, providing not just financial support, but also strategic guidance and operational expertise. We look forward to building a strong network of like-minded partners who are passionate about transforming the industrial services space.”

Oakley Services’ launch marks a significant milestone in the Phillip’s journey. Their unwavering dedication, entrepreneurial acumen, and profound industry knowledge have laid the foundation for a venture like Oakley Services to shape the future of industrial services in the South.

ABOUT OAKLEY SERVICES 

Founded in 2023, Oakley Services is an innovative industrial services family office and investment company that aims to shape the future of the industry in the South. Its firms offer a comprehensive suite of contracting services that empower leading manufacturers and construction companies across the region. To learn more about Oakley Services or its individual firms (AMCON, LaborWorx, BoldAir, RIGUPATL, Helix, and DivvyWorx), visit oakleyservices.com.

SOURCE Oakley Services

Aiming to Disrupt The Venture Capital Landscape

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2023 — How Women Lead, the network of 20,000 corporate leaders driving women’s representation in positions of power, influence, and wealth, today unveils the future of venture capital: The New Table Campaign. The campaign’s mission is simple—disrupt the venture capital landscape by inspiring women to invest in venture capital funds who invest in women founders. In 2022, only 2.1% of venture funding went to women-founded companies—a number unchanged after a decade of data tracking outsized returns by women founders and the new entrants to venture, women fund managers. The organization decided to take matters into its own hands and activate women’s wealth and influence to change the landscape. The New Table campaign goal is to bring 10,000 women into venture capital investing to close the large funding gap for companies founded by women. In celebration of the launch, How Women Lead will be ringing the bell at NASDAQ on Friday, June 16th.

The groundbreaking campaign is for women who are done waiting for a seat at the table. The New Table campaign will invite 10,000 women to pledge to invest in venture in the next 12 months. Taking a seat at the table as a venture investor is easy, the benefits for us all are extraordinary.

“Although women have more power, and wealth than ever before, there is still a huge gap in venture capital funding. Our needs as women investors aren’t being met and investments are not reflecting our values or interests,” said Julie Castro Abrams, Founder and CEO of How Women Lead and Managing Partner of How Women Invest—the only venture fund in the US that funds companies with only women founders. “I’m excited to launch The New Table campaign for every woman—from powerful CEOs to successful young entrepreneurs to women who are retired—everyone needs to know how to build and sustain wealth. We’re aiming to demystify the venture capital process. The New Table is designed to give women the tools and network they need to increase their wealth and put their expertise to work scaling companies that make a tremendous impact in the world. Venture investing has long been seen as a man’s game and it is time to change that story. This is a powerful opportunity for women to grow both power and influence professionally and personally.”

In tandem with the launch of The New Table campaign, How Women Lead is debuting its proprietary searchable index of women-led venture capitalists for women who take the pledge to join The New Table. This Values-Based Investing Tool is the first of its kind to sort and find women-led VC firms based on specific values, minimum investment amounts, investment stages, or industry sectors.

“I’m excited about bringing more women to the table so that we can create opportunities and abundance together,” said Jessica Karr, General Partner at Coyote Ventures, whose firm is included in the Values-Based Investing Tool.

How The New Table Works
Gaining a seat at The New Table starts with a pledge. Women interested in venture investing can sign-up at HowWomenLead.com/new-table and pledge to invest within 12 months.

Using the resources provided and The Values-Based Investing Tool, accredited investors can search more than 30 active women-run venture funds to find investment opportunities that align with their interests, values, investment amount, and financial and impact objectives. The New Table online tool is the first of its kind and further signifies how women harness their power to dramatically steer the investment ecosystem toward values-aligned, women-founded, and led businesses.

Please visit HowWomenLead.com/new-table for additional information and follow the movement on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About How Women Lead:
How Women Lead connects 20,000 top executive women to activate their individual and collective power to achieve equity for women. Founded in 2011, the organization fights for change at all levels by affecting systems reform, mobilizing movements, education, research and access to opportunities like board seats and investing. How Women Lead’s philanthropic arm, How Women Give, provides grants and invaluable connections to women’s and girls’ organizations on the frontlines of today’s most critical issues. And its sister organization, How Women Invest, invites women to play big and powerfully in venture, making meaningful investments and propelling high-potential, women-led companies forward at scale. For more, visit https://howwomenlead.com/.

Media Contact: Dara Kaplan, [email protected]

SOURCE How Women Lead

VANCOUVER, BC, June 13, 2023 — GameOn (CSE: GET) (OTCQB: GMETF), a next generation fantasy sports platform partnered with the world’s biggest IPs to launch, operate, and monetize web3 games, today announces a strategic financing from industry heavyweights, Lightning Capital and Flow, the blockchain platform started by NBA Top Shot maker Dapper Labs. The funds will be used to accelerate GameOn’s PLAYN3XT platform and acquisition of major league IP partners.

The total amount raised is $1.7m from two instruments:

1. A series of convertible notes led by Lightning Capital (the “Investment”), signed on June 8, 2023. The Investment has a face value of $1.2m and simple interest at the annual rate of 10% per annum. Full terms of the Investment are detailed below.
2. A non-dilutive grant from the Flow Ecosystem Fund, signed on June 5, 2023. The grant funding is subject to certain to-be-announced major league projects and milestones.

“Earning conviction from web3 powerhouses is a nod to our team, product, and business,’ said GameOn CEO, Matt Bailey. “We continue to surround ourselves with resources, people, and organizations that foster success. We’re aggressively honing in on major league IP acquisition that will return scaled profitability, fueled by best-in-class product and execution.”

Lightning Capital is a trusted Digital Asset Investment Firm combining deep web3 knowledge and experience with a 3+ year audited track record. They offer Investors diverse risk/reward exposure across three distinct funds. Lightning Venture Fund focuses on early stage investments with the largest total addressable market in projects, protocols, and picks-and-shovels businesses that are providers of hardware, software, and services to the digital asset and web3 ecosystem. Lightning Capital targets 10-20 investments per fund and provides invaluable operational expertise to portfolio companies.

“GameOn’s cutting-edge technology and proven ability to scale major brand partnerships is an exceptional investment opportunity,” said Lightning Capital General Partner, Jock Percy. “Matt and team are world class, and we’re excited to help drive and operationally support their major league strategy as a long term partner.”

The Flow Ecosystem Fund is the largest joint commitment made towards any blockchain ecosystem. Flow is the blockchain platform started by Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot. Dapper Labs’ current studio partners include the NBA, NBPA, WNBA, WNBPA, LaLiga, Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, Genies, and UFC. Notable investors in Dapper Labs include Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Union Square Ventures, Venrock, BOND, GIC, Google Ventures (GV), Samsung, and the founders of Dreamworks, Reddit, Coinbase, Zynga, and AngelList, among others.

“We’re blown away by GameOn’s next generation fantasy sports platform,” said SVP Flow Ecosystem Partnerships, Mickey Maher. “There is a track record of IPs having huge success on Flow, like NBA Top Shot from Dapper Labs. We can’t wait to share that knowledge, experience, and network, and be a key strategic partner to GameOn’s long term success.”

GameOn is hosting an investor webinar on July 6 to discuss the funding, financial filings, and what’s next for the company. Please email [email protected] to be added to the event invite.

Terms of the Investment
The convertible note forming the Investment is offered on a non-brokered private placement basis. Simple interest will accrue at a rate of ten percent (10%) per annum. Unless earlier converted into common shares (“Shares”), the principal and accrued interest of the Investment will be due and payable by GameOn to the holders of the Investment (the “Holders”) on the date that is twenty-four (24) months from the date of the issuance of the Investment (the “Maturity Date”); prior to the Maturity Date with the acceptance of the Holders (provided GameOn pays the Holder all of the interest that would have been due had the Holders held the Investment until the Maturity Date), or upon demand by the Holders. The Investment plus any accrued but unpaid interest thereon will be convertible into Shares of GameOn at a price of $0.10 per Share. The securities issued will be subject to a 4-month one day hold period from the date of issue of the convertible notes forming the Investment, or the Shares. The completion of the private placement remains subject to the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the CSE. Proceeds of the offering will be used for general working capital purposes.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors:
Matt Bailey, Director & Chief Executive Officer
GameOn Entertainment Technologies Inc.
[email protected]

About GameOn
GameOn (CSE: GET) (OTCQB: GMETF) partners with the world’s biggest sports, media, and entertainment IPs to launch brand-building, money-making web3 games (with intuitive web2-friendly rails). We turn fans into superfans – engaging, retaining, and monetizing audiences. With a diverse team of web3, gaming, and sports veterans with experience at Take-Two Interactive, Twitch, EA, Dapper Labs, and the Brooklyn Nets, our platform is proven and executed at scale with millions of users, gameplays, and revenue. GameOn has launched products for NBCUniversal, Bravo, Karate Combat, Times Internet, the WNBA, DICK’S Sporting Goods, and Gaming Society. Learn more about our PLAYN3XT platform.

Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by use of the words “believes,” “may,” “plans,” “will,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “projects” and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this news release are forward looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company, execution of business strategy, future performance and future growth, business prospects, synergies and opportunities of the Company and its related subsidiaries, and other factors beyond the Company’s control.

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SOURCE GameOn Entertainment Technologies Inc.

Leading venture capital firms Blume Ventures, Veda VC, Java Capital, 100xEntreprenuers, T2D3 Capital, Arka Venture Labs, Mplier Capital Ventures, and other prominent investors contribute to the funding round

WILMINGTON, Del., June 12, 2023 — ZapScale, the trailblazer in delivering the easiest Customer Success Platform, is thrilled to announce that it has successfully raised $2.5 million in seed funding from leading venture capital firms, including Blume Ventures, Veda VC, Java Capital, 100xEntreprenuers, T2D3 Capital, Arka Venture Labs, and other prominent investors.

“We are immensely grateful for the trust and confidence shown by our investors,” said Manasij Ganguli, 2^nd time Founder and CEO of ZapScale. “This funding marks a significant milestone for ZapScale, and we are excited to leverage these resources to build the easiest customer success platform in the world. Our mission is to empower businesses with cutting-edge technology and actionable insights, allowing them to effortlessly scale their operations and achieve outstanding customer success outcomes.”

Blume Ventures, a second-time investor in Manasij, expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership. Ashish, Partner at Blume Ventures, commented, “We are delighted to continue supporting Manasij and ZapScale on their journey. We have witnessed Manasij’s exceptional entrepreneurial acumen in his previous startup, and we are confident in his ability to drive innovation and deliver groundbreaking solutions. We are excited about the potential of ZapScale’s Customer Success Platform to transform the way businesses engage with their customers.”

ZapScale’s customer success platform is tailored specifically for small and medium-sized SaaS businesses, addressing a significant gap in the industry’s offerings for this segment. Leveraging AI technology and data from multiple customer touchpoints, ZapScale provides actionable insights, predictive analytics, and ready-made playbooks to proactively address customer needs, reduce churn, and identify upsell opportunities.

The investment will fuel the rapid development of ZapScale’s Customer Success Platform, with a focus on enhancing its AI-driven capabilities and expanding its presence in the US market.

About ZapScale

ZapScale is a Customer Success Platform designed for B2B SaaS companies, focussed on small and medium-sized enterprises. The platform equips customer success teams with the tools they need to effectively monitor and manage their customers. With over 40 pre-built KPIs, 50 out-of-the-box playbooks, and integrations across multiple sources, ZapScale provides evidence-based, conjecture-free, and accurate customer health scores.

Media Contact:
Nikita Kalra
Head of Marketing,
ZapScale
+ (91) 9873799244 
[email protected]com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2097823/ZS_Logo.jpg

SOURCE ZapScale