The global collective of Gen Z VCs, founders, angel investors, start-up enthusiasts, & aspiring VCs convene in Chicago for the return of national event, Future-of-Chicago Summit 2023, by Gen Z VCs

CHICAGO, June 9, 2023 — World Business Chicago, the city’s economic development agency, joined national organization Gen Z VCs to announce its national event, Future-of-Chicago Summit 2023, is occurring in Chicago, today June 9. Last year’s summit held on October 7th, 2022 resulted in:

• $2.4m in estimated interest on Stonks was pulled in by 12 startups
• 18 diverse speakers breaking down into 44% women and 61% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
• 300+ Gen Z innovators in attendance

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, via proclamation, declared today, June 9, 2023, as “Gen Z VC Day” in the City of Chicago.

Gen Z VCs is a collective of 24,000+ young venture capitalists (VCs), angel investors, founders, startup enthusiasts, and aspiring VCs. This global organization strives to make venture capital (VC) more transparent and welcoming for the next generation of investors through strategic initiatives and by serving as a central place where young people in venture capital can collaborate, connect Gen Z founders with like-minded young investors, and elevate the Gen Z perspective and voices.

“Gen Z VCs is so excited to continue investing in the next-gen leaders in Chicago’s ecosystem through our 2nd annual Future of Chicago Summit. We launched our first-ever local chapter earlier this year right here in Chicago and have had Gen Z leaders hosting events every month to bring together the community – it’s led to closed funding rounds, new jobs, and increased access to the broader VC & tech ecosystem for young people. The next-gen team in Chicago is incredibly special, and there’s nowhere else we’d rather bring together our global community for our biggest event of the year.” – Meagan Loyst, Founder & CEO of Gen Z VCs.

Gen Z VCs Future-of-Chicago Summit 2023 is presented by World Business Chicago and its council of 200+ local leaders. World Business Chicago’s programs drive inclusive growth and opportunity throughout the city’s tech, innovation, and startup ecosystem, including through flagship programs, Chicago Venture Summit series, Startup Chicago, ThinkChicago, and Venture Engine with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition.

“Diversity and inclusion is not a separate initiative we take on with economic development. It is an integral part of how World Business Chicago works to distinguish our great and diverse city from other parts of the country,” said Michael Fassnacht, CEO of World Business Chicago. The 24,000 members of the Gen Z VC community represent 80 countries. We are proud to announce the Gen Z VC Future-of-Chicago Summit 2023 is back in Chicago for a second time to reinforce Chicago as the future of the startup ecosystem.”

“As a gen z-er at World Business Chicago I am proud to see how my organization is at the forefront of investment in Gen Z Voices” said Beatriz Kauffmann, lead organizer of Gen Z VCs: Future of Chicago Summit and ThinkChicago Program Manager at World Business Chicago. “The community formed at last year’s conference is physically altering the Chicago ecosystem. With an engaged group of 500+ young investors, entrepreneurs, and startup enthusiasts, Gen Z VC Chicago has hosted a variety of different events in the city to encourage young professionals to support each other throughout their careers.”

Today’s summit will include a full-day of programming, which will highlight keynote speakers, fireside chat, panels, and a startup showcase to connect local talent with innovative companies. This year’s featured keynote speaker will be Andy Dunn, co-founder of Bonobos Inc., co-founder of the angel investment firm, Red Swan, and a 2018 Forbes 40-under-40 awardee.

To learn more about Gen Z VCs Future-of-Chicago Summit, visit https://tinyurl.com/genzchicago

SOURCE World Business Chicago

SAN DIEGO, June 9, 2023 — Montfort Ventures, a boutique startup fundraising advisory firm specializing in startup fundraising and growth acceleration, is thrilled to announce the opening of its inaugural branch in San Diego, California. This strategic expansion marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to foster innovation and support entrepreneurial endeavors across the United States and Europe.

With a strong focus on helping early stage startups fundraise in the United States, Montfort Ventures has established a reputation for its expertise in identifying promising early-stage ventures and providing them with the necessary capital and resources to thrive. The decision to open a branch in San Diego comes as a result of the city’s vibrant and dynamic startup scene, which has shown tremendous growth and potential over the past years, with local startups having raised over $9 billion in 2021 alone. 

San Diego has emerged as a hotbed for innovation, attracting entrepreneurs and investors from various industries. The region boasts a rich ecosystem, encompassing renowned research institutions, a skilled talent pool, and a supportive entrepreneurial community. Moreover, San Diego has consistently ranked among the top cities for startup activity and is home to a diverse range of industries, including biotechnology, cleantech, healthcare, and software development.

“We are delighted to expand our presence to San Diego,” said Yannis Moore, Founder and Managing Partner at Montfort Ventures. “This move aligns perfectly with our mission to partner with visionary founders and disruptive startups that have the potential to revolutionize their industries. San Diego’s entrepreneurial spirit and its commitment to innovation make it an ideal location for us to discover and invest in the most promising startups.”

Montfort Ventures’ San Diego branch will offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to support startups at every stage of their growth journey. The firm will focus its fundraising efforts on helping Life Science, Deeptech, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, Cleantech, and B2B SAAS startups in their fundraising journey. Through Montfort’s volunteer work with the NETVA Program of the Office for Science and Technology of the Embassy of France in the US, the firm also has a strong focus on helping EU early-stage Deeptech founders approach the American market.

The opening of Montfort Ventures’ San Diego branch at the University Club Atop The Symphony Towers further solidifies Montfort Ventures’ commitment to fostering innovation and driving economic growth in the region. By leveraging its extensive network and proven investment strategies, Montfort Ventures aims to fuel the success of San Diego’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and contribute to the development of groundbreaking technologies and solutions.

For more information about Montfort Ventures and its services, please visit their website at www.montfortventures.co 

SOURCE Montfort Ventures

The round, led by Supply Change Capital, will fuel development of PartnerSlate’s Marketplace to streamline collaboration in the $200-billion contract manufacturing industry for food and beverage brands.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 9, 2023 — PartnerSlate, the online marketplace connecting food brands and contract manufacturers (co-mans), announced today that it raised a $4-million round led by Supply Change Capital. The funding will accelerate the growth of its online marketplace digitizing the $200-billion food and beverage contract manufacturing industry.

CPG brands that list in the marketplace get matched to nearly 6,000 co-mans in PartnerSlate’s database, the largest and most accurate of its kind in North America. Co-mans are able to search marketplace listings to find projects with requirements matching their specific equipment, capabilities, risk appetite and capacity. PartnerSlate has already connected over $1 billion dollars worth of food and beverage projects to co-mans in 2023.

“PartnerSlate can cut a brand’s search for the right co-man from months to days,” said Vince Tseng, PartnerSlate’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Our approach replaces cold-calling with data science, helping both parties save hundreds of hours of following mismatched leads to dead ends.” Prior to PartnerSlate, Tseng used the same approach to build a repair vendor matching platform as Chief Services Officer at SquareTrade, which Allstate acquired for $1.4 billion in 2017.

Food Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) is a $1-trillion-plus US industry that has undergone seismic changes in the last decade. Around 30,000 new CPG products launch in the US each year according to Nielsen IQ, and hundreds of them are listed on the PartnerSlate marketplace every month.

Innovations in retail and direct-to-consumer distribution have lowered barriers to entry for new products, while snacking, plant-based diets and the demand for global flavors are here to stay. But finding the right manufacturing partner can take 12 months or longer, and delays products from getting to market.

“We are thrilled to be leading PartnerSlate’s round,” said Shayna Harris, Managing Partner at Supply Change Capital and PartnerSlate board member. “Finding the right manufacturing partner is a bottleneck for both emergent CPG businesses and incumbent brands looking to adapt to changing consumer tastes. PartnerSlate’s leadership team has both the right food manufacturing and software development experience to build the platform the market so desperately needs.”

PartnerSlate plans to use its new funding to expand project management features to help expedite projects through production and to invest in sales and marketing.

“We’ve seen a 3x growth in projects since our beta launch 4 months ago,” said Matt Suggs, co-founder and Chief Business Officer. “Startups love that we can find the right-sized partners, Fortune 500 brands appreciate the breadth and speed of our network, and co-mans like that we are a one-stop shop to streamline business development.”

“PartnerSlate has transformed our ability to get new customers,” said Rob Hannusch, Sales Director at Thermal Kitchen, a Florida-based co-man. “It’s a great delivery service for high quality leads. We’re now working with multiple customers through PartnerSlate, and it’s been invaluable in helping us hit our 2023 growth goals.”

Additional investors joining the round included Cleveland Ave, ResilienceVC, Pacific Fin Capital, Mentors fund, Newlin VC, and the MBA fund.

About PartnerSlate 
PartnerSlate is a leading platform connecting brands and manufacturers in the food and beverage industry. Founded in 2021 by Matt Suggs and Vince Tseng, its project marketplace – PartnerMatch – helps supply and demand stakeholders find partners and collaborate more effectively in the multi-trillion-dollar global CPG market. Based in San Francisco, PartnerSlate is venture-backed by leading firms including Supply Change Capital and Cleveland Ave. For more information, visit partnerslate.com.

Media Contact: 
Tiff Quan 
213-221-5330 
[email protected]

SOURCE PartnerSlate

BOULDER, Colorado en NEW YORK, 8 juni 2023 — TIFIN AMP, de Artifical Intelligence (“AI”)-partner voor moderne distributie, is verheugd de succesvolle afronding van een Serie A-ronde aan te kondigen, alsook de oprichting van een nieuwe raad van bestuur onafhankelijk van moedermaatschappij TIFIN.

De ronde wordt geleid door Motive Ventures, de venture-tak van Motive Partners. Deze stap markeert een uitbreiding van de samenwerking tussen TIFIN en Motive Partners, voortbouwend op de investering die Motive Partners deed in TIFIN’s Serie D-ronde vorig jaar.

Het geïntegreerde distributieplatform van TIFIN AMP is het eerste in zijn soort in de vermogensbeheersector. Met behulp van geavanceerde machine learning en data science stelt het vermogensbeheerders in staat om onaangeboorde distributiemogelijkheden voor fondsen en beheerde accounts op te sporen binnen hun bestaande klanten- en prospectenbestand. Met de geïntegreerde Nurture-mogelijkheden die realtime feedback geven, kunnen vermogensbeheerders nu hun eigen aangepaste algoritmische platforms ontwerpen die automatisch leren en evolueren wanneer ze zich richten op vermogensbeheerders. In combinatie met gegevens die uniek zijn voor TIFIN AMP kunnen de algoritme- en feedbackmogelijkheden de manier veranderen waarop de sector producten distribueert naar adviseurs en consumenten.

Ramin Niroumand , hoofd van Motive Ventures, gaf als commentaar: “De sector van het vermogens- en activabeheer staat op een AI-kantelpunt – TIFIN AMP herkende dit lang voor de AI-hype. Hun sterke groei sinds de lancering, in combinatie met de zwaargewichten in hun pijplijn, zijn redenen waarom we in AMP geloven.”

Alvi Abuaf , Industry Partner bij Motive Partners, die zitting zal nemen in het TIFIN AMP-bestuur, licht toe: “AMP hervormt de manier waarop vermogens- en fondsbeheerders leads ontdekken en prioriteiten stellen op een moderne en efficiënte manier. Als externe AI-partner helpt AMP vermogensbeheerders met hun verkoop en distributie voor verschillende producten, segmenten en regio’s met toegang tot een overtuigende combinatie van datasets.” 

Dr. Vinay Nair, oprichter en CEO van TIFIN, voegt hieraan toe: “TIFIN heeft bedrijven gebouwd die mensen helpen in contact te komen met producten en advies. TIFIN AMP wil een nieuw paradigma vormen voor de distributie van ETF’s, Mutual Funds, managed accounts en alternatieve beleggingen met een op de gebruikersvraag en AI gebaseerde aanpak. We zijn verheugd om de onafhankelijkheid van TIFIN aan te kondigen met strategische steun van Motive, een investeringsbedrijf van zeer ervaren investeerders, exploitanten en vernieuwers, om de volgende groeifase van TIFIN AMP te ondersteunen.”

Sinds de lancering in december 2022 werkt TIFIN AMP samen met toonaangevende vermogensbeheerders, wat een radicale verandering heeft teweeggebracht in hun distributiestrategieën door de kracht van AI en datawetenschap. Samen luiden ze een nieuw tijdperk in van bewustwording, leadgeneratie en modernisering in de branche.

Over Motive Partners

Motive Ventures is de early-stage investeringstak van Motive Partners en richt zich op pre-seed tot serie A financiële technologie-investeringen in Noord-Amerika en Europa. Motive Ventures is gevestigd in Berlijn, Londen en New York. Motive Partners is een gespecialiseerde investeringsmaatschappij die zich richt op durfkapitaal-, groei- en buy-outinvesteringen in op technologie gebaseerde financiële en zakelijke dienstverleningsbedrijven. Motive Partners brengt gedifferentieerde expertise, connectiviteit en capaciteiten om waarde op lange termijn te creëren in financiële technologiebedrijven. Meer informatie over Motive Partners vindt u op www.motivepartners.com.

Over TIFIN

TIFIN is een AI- en innovatieplatform voor vermogen. TIFIN is opgericht om aantrekkelijke en intelligente vermogenservaringen te ontwikkelen voor een beter financieel leven.

TIFIN beheert Magnifieen consumentgerichte marktplaats die gepersonaliseerde beleggingen biedt via next-gen intelligentie en een AI-beleggingsassistent; TIFIN Wealth, een AI-engine die organische groei mogelijk maakt voor financiële adviseurs, vermogensondernemingen en financiële aanbieders op de werkplek door middel van beleggingsvoorstellen, marketingautomatisering en datawetenschap; TIFIN AMP, een AI-platform om de distributie voor vermogensbeheerders te moderniseren; en TIFIN Studios, een incubatieplatform voor het opzetten van nieuwe bedrijven.

Voor vragen kunt u contact opnemen met onze perswoordvoerder:  
AJ Boury  
[email protected]

De hierin opgenomen informatie mag op geen enkele wijze worden opgevat of geïnterpreteerd als een uitnodiging tot het verkopen of aanbieden van adviesdiensten. Alle inhoud is alleen voor informatieve doeleinden.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1962153/TIFIN_AMP_Lockup_3__1_Logo.jpg 

SOURCE TIFIN

MEDELLIN, Colombia, June 8, 2023 — The Green Coffee Company (GCC), a Legacy Group portfolio company and Colombia’s largest coffee producer, announced today that it has closed its $25 million Series C equity funding round.

The company’s financing to-date has been funded by more than 450 individual accredited and high-net-worth individual investors primarily from the U.S., who have invested over $60 million in the business. Direct investments from ‘mass affluent’ or high-net-worth individuals is a growing trend for Legacy Group’s emerging market opportunities.

“The Green Coffee Company is offering unprecedented access to investment in one of the world’s most timeless and in-demand commodities: Coffee. We’re the only operator at-scale giving accredited international investors this opportunity,” said Cole Shephard, founder of GCC and partner at Legacy Group. “The $25 million Series C equity raise is a testament to the credibility we have in the market. With our ever-expanding investor base, this raise brings our total equity funding to-date to over $60 million. In a market like Colombia, the impact we can have with this capital is market-defining and will be globally disruptive to how we drink coffee.”

Proceeds from the funding round will expand the company’s Colombian farming operations, as it looks to become the world’s largest producer of arabica coffee, to accelerate its U.S.-based coffee roasting operations and to enable the company to launch lines of liquors and spirits distilled from coffee cherries and other coffee ‘waste.’ The company is currently seeking $65 million of institutional debt capital to supplement the equity raise in order to execute on its expansion plans.

Kevan Zipin, an investor since 2018, said of the company, “Being a part of this raise is phenomenal. What Cole, Adam, and the whole team are bringing to the world of coffee is incredibly compelling and unique. With their constant communication and insight, every new step has me feeling like I am a part of the developmental process.”

Since its founding in 2017, GCC now has total landholdings in excess of 9,000 acres and more than 11,500,000 coffee trees under ownership, which makes the company more than two times larger than any other coffee producer in the country. With intentions of becoming the world’s largest producer of arabica coffee in the next two years, GCC is considering a potential 2026 U.S. IPO exit.

About the Green Coffee Company

The Green Coffee Company is a consolidated coffee farming operation headquartered in the U.S. with operations based in Colombia. GCC has complete control of the supply chain: from cultivation to processing to direct trade with end-clients. GCC’s holistic approach to the coffee sector and commitment to best environmental practices not only establishes the long-term profitability and sustainability of the business, but also improves the quality of the coffee produced on the farms.

About Legacy Group

Legacy Group is a leading investment firm in Latin America with a strict focus on high-quality LATAM businesses for international high-net-worth & accredited investors that can produce outsized returns. With over $60 million of investment under management, our mission is to continue to build and source a concentrated portfolio of disruptive businesses for our clients through our on-the-ground experience that can quickly become market leaders in underinvested yet macroeconomically significant industries in Latin America. As just one example, in 2017, Legacy Group founded the Green Coffee Company, which has since become Colombia’s largest coffee producer. For more information contact Legacy Group at [email protected] or visit their website at https://legacy-group.co/.

SOURCE Legacy Group

Early-stage investment firm joins other strategic investors to drive growth of artificial intelligence in Proptech

MINNEAPOLIS, June 8, 2023 — Rice Park Capital Management LP (“Rice Park”), a Minneapolis-based, private investment firm, announces its venture capital strategy (“RPC Ventures”) has made an investment into Purlin, a technology company that designs, creates, and delivers advanced AI solutions for the real estate market. Purlin provides enterprise-level software tools to real estate brokerages, real estate teams, and agents to help them more effectively generate more leads, promote properties, target potential buyers, and manage the buying and closing process.

“Rice Park’s venture strategy is about identifying companies that are the right fit and investing in them early. We saw a space with significant tailwinds around AI to support the real estate transaction process,” said Nick Smith, CEO and Managing Partner at Rice Park. “We are impressed with Purlin’s enterprise-level engagement and what its team has built over the past few years. Additionally, we believe there is opportunity for an even broader application within the mortgage market, title, and the closing process.”

Chris Bixby, Managing Director of Venture Capital Strategies at Rice Park said, “We’re excited about this new partnership and joining Purlin’s board. We believe its platform is unique because it has the flexibility to digest and utilize AI developments in this rapidly expanding sector. Purlin built its business innovatively by developing and integrating cohesive teams in Los Angeles and Armenia consisting of PhDs, computer scientists and data experts, which we believe provides the foundation for growth in this market.”

Purlin’s competitive advantage is grounded in its ability to apply its AI and machine learning tools to each step of the real estate process. Given the existing real estate transaction environment, brokerages are increasingly focused on delivering tools to their brokers that can help them generate leads and close processes faster. Today, Purlin’s customers include Douglas Elliman Realty and the Eklund | Gomes Team.

“This additional investment will enable us to take Purlin to new levels. Rice Park is the perfect partner for us because of its deep understanding of the real estate and mortgage markets,” added Giorgi Chigogidze, Founder and CEO of Purlin. “A few years ago, we embarked on a mission to deliver on the promise of AI in real estate. Our new partnership with Rice Park proves that our mission and roadmap is being realized beyond brokerages, in large adjacent categories.”

Rice Park joins New Valley Ventures, an investment vehicle managed by Douglas Elliman Inc., Redwood Trust Inc., through its strategic venture investment platform, RWT Horizons, SUM Ventures, Mission Gate, and Fredrik Eklund and Julia Spillman-Gover, of The Eklund | Gomes Team as investors in the business.

About Rice Park Capital Management
Rice Park Capital Management LP is a private investment firm managing funds and investment vehicles on behalf of institutional investors, family offices and high net worth individuals. Its investment focus is to deliver cycle-resistant returns to its limited partners by unlocking value in complex opportunities in the residential and commercial mortgage and real estate sectors. RPC Ventures seeks to provide active capital to early-stage real estate and mortgage technology businesses.

Learn more about Rice Park at www.riceparkcapital.com.

No Offer or Solicitation. This press release is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities.

SOURCE Rice Park Capital Management

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 8, 2023 — Hememics Biotechnologies, Inc. has entered into a strategic partnership with General Graphene Corporation of Knoxville Tennessee, the culmination of a four-year collaborative effort to develop a scalable, non-clean-room process for the manufacturing of the company’s 32-plex, graphene biosensor chips. Combined with Hememics’ expertise in long-shelf-life detection biology, this partnership promises to revolutionize point-of-care diagnostics tools for pathogens and environmental toxins.

In the past nine months alone, Hememics in conjunction with General Graphene has manufactured more than 100,000 graphene biosensors. Using its patented desiccation technology for detection biology, Hememics has functionalized and tested these biosensors through numerous molecular and antigen tests to detect SEB and ricin at consistent sensitivities in the low picomolar range and get results within 5 minutes.

The 100,000+ sensor tests are part of a broader program for perfecting chip designs. “Feedback from these tests will help a great deal in furthering products targeted for human trials,” said John Warden, CEO of Hememics.

These chips are capable of detecting multiple pathogens from a single saliva or blood sample with a level of detection more than 100x more sensitive than lateral flow, a common point-of-care test format.

“We are more than delighted with the performance of our penny-sized, 32-plex graphene sensor array,” said Sri Aithal, Director of Research and Development at Hememics.

“In the highly competitive world of diagnostics, speed and cost define whole product categories. At single-digit picomolar levels of detection, five-minute test times and non-cleanroom manufacturing techniques, we broke through three significant barriers at once,” said David Ho, President and CSO of Hememics.

“Our collaboration with Hememics has been extremely positive and productive from day one. As a pure-play graphene foundry, General Graphene seeks partners who possess the application expertise necessary to commercialize graphene-based applications. Hememics has been an excellent fit for us with their vast knowledge and expertise in graphene-based biosensors,” said Greg Erickson, CEO of General Graphene.

General Graphene Corporation is a pure-play CVD graphene foundry manufacturing large-area, roll-to-roll (R2R), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene. Using its proprietary roll-to-roll CVD graphene manufacturing processes, General Graphene is equipped to drive meaningful CVD graphene-based R&D at scale and accelerate the commercialization of CVD graphene materials across various markets.

Hememics uniquely uses graphene-based sensors with its patented bio preservatives to bring handheld, lab-quality testing performance to wherever needed – whether it is a farm, emergency room or battlefield. This rugged, low-cost platform consists of a portable, easy-to-use reader utilizing a single-use biochip with 32 sensors that can be individually programmed to detect molecular, antigen and antibody targets.  We put a whole lab in your hand so you can make decisions when and wherever necessary – simplifying workflows with results within 5 minutes.

Media Contact: 
John Warden, Jr. 
240-800-1113 
[email protected]

SOURCE Hememics Biotechnologies, Inc.

BOULDER, Colo. and NEW YORK, June 8, 2023 — TIFIN AMP, the Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Partner For Modern Distribution, is delighted to announce the successful close of a Series A round and the establishment of a new board independent from parent company TIFIN.

Leading the round is Motive Ventures, the venture arm of Motive Partners. This move marks an expansion of the collaboration between TIFIN and Motive Partners, building on the investment Motive Partners made in TIFIN’s Series D round last year.

TIFIN AMP’s integrated distribution platform is the first of its kind in the asset management industry. Powered by advanced machine learning and data science, it empowers top-tier asset management firms to unearth untapped fund and managed account distribution opportunities within their existing client and prospect base. With its integrated Nurture capabilities that provide real-time feedback, asset managers can now design their own custom algorithmic platforms that are learning and evolving automatically when targeting wealth managers. When combined with data that is unique to TIFIN AMP, the algo and feedback capabilities can change how the industry distributes products to advisors and consumers.

Ramin Niroumand, Head of Motive Ventures, commented: “The wealth and asset management industry is at an AI tipping point – TIFIN AMP recognized this long before AI was hyped. Their strong growth since launch, combined with the heavy-weight players in their pipeline, are reasons that we believe in AMP.”

Alvi Abuaf, an Industry Partner at Motive Partners, who will serve on the TIFIN AMP board, commented: “AMP is reshaping the way asset and fund managers conduct lead discovery and approach prioritization in a modern and efficient way. By acting as an outsourced AI partner, AMP helps asset managers with their sales and distribution across products, segments, and geographies with access to a compelling combination of datasets.” 

Dr. Vinay Nair, the Founder and CEO of TIFIN, added that “TIFIN has been building companies that help connect people to products and advice. TIFIN AMP aims to shape a new paradigm for the distribution of ETFs, Mutual Funds, managed accounts and alternative investments with a user demand and AI-based approach. We are thrilled to announce its independence from TIFIN with strategic backing by Motive, an investment firm of deeply experienced investors, operators and innovators, to support the next phase of growth for TIFIN AMP.”

Since its launch in December 2022, TIFIN AMP has been working with leading asset managers, revolutionizing their distribution strategies through the power of AI and data science. Together, they are ushering in a new era of awareness, lead generation, and modernization in the industry.

About Motive Partners

Motive Ventures is the early-stage investment arm of Motive Partners, focused on pre-seed through to Series A financial technology investments in North America and Europe. Motive Ventures is based in Berlin, London and New York. Motive Partners is a specialist investment firm focusing on venture, growth equity and buyout investments in technology-enabled financial and business services companies. Motive Partners brings differentiated expertise, connectivity, and capabilities to create long-term value in financial technology companies. More information on Motive Partners can be found at www.motivepartners.com.

About TIFIN

TIFIN is an AI and innovation platform for wealth. TIFIN was created to build engaging and intelligent wealth experiences for better financial lives.

TIFIN manages Magnifi, a consumer-focused marketplace that delivers investment personalization through next-gen intelligence and an AI investing assistant; TIFIN Wealth, an AI engine that enables organic growth for financial advisors, wealth enterprises, and workplace financial providers through investment proposals, marketing automation, and data science; TIFIN AMP, an AI platform to modernize distribution for Asset Management firms; and TIFIN Studios, an incubation platform for new business creation.

For media inquiries, please contact:
AJ Boury
[email protected]

The information contained herein should in no way be construed or interpreted as a solicitation to sell or offer to sell advisory services. All content is for informational purposes only.

SOURCE TIFIN

The round, led by ICONIQ Growth, will allow Pigment to drive sustainable growth and further product innovation to help companies ‍like Klarna, Miro and PVH adapt to change, with confidence

 SAN FRANCISCO , June 8, 2023 — Pigment, the business planning platform, today announced an $88 million Series C funding round led by ICONIQ Growth. The Series C investment brings the company’s total amount raised to $248M in under three years. Felix Capital, as well as previous investors Meritech, IVP and FirstMark have also joined the round.

This latest infusion of capital comes off the back of a 600% increase in revenue and a 10x increase in users throughout 2022, with companies such as Klarna, Miro, PVH (including brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein), Airtable, Figma, Webhelp and Poshmark choosing Pigment to help plan, make decisions, and drive growth.

“In today’s economic climate, far too many companies are being held back because they don’t have the right tools in place to get a full view of their business, manage changes, and grow. They’re forced to plan and make decisions with inaccurate, incomplete and siloed information,” said Eléonore Crespo, co-CEO and co-founder, Pigment.

“Our vision from the beginning has been to help people and organizations of all sizes make better business decisions. With this infusion of funding, we are on a clear path to drive innovation and change the status quo in an industry desperately in need of it. Pigment has never been more critical and relevant than it is today,” added Romain Niccoli, co-CEO and co-founder, Pigment.

Pigment will use the funds to drive sustainable growth at the company, with headcount expected to increase by 25% by the end 2023, across enterprise sales, partnerships and product teams. The company will also invest in product innovation for decision-makers across disciplines, including:

• Pigment AI, a chat-like interface to automate tasks, bring more people into the planning process and accelerate decision-making
• New automations to enable collaborative planning across teams to reduce the budgeting cycle and increase forecasting accuracy
• New HR and Sales planning features to aid specific teams to plan and report according to their needs, with organizational chart visualizations and territory heat maps

“We’ve had a great partnership with Pigment since the beginning and product innovation is a key reason our relationship continues to deepen,” said Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO, Klarna. “With Pigment’s AI and workforce planning investments, I am confident that Klarna is and will continue to be better equipped to make the right decisions about our business in the best interests of our customers.”

“At Figma, our finance team wears many hats – we’re responsible for circulating business information, quickly diagnosing issues, and presenting leadership with solutions. Pigment allows us to understand our levers and make timely decisions for the business while remaining lean,” said Praveer Melwani, CFO, Figma.

ICONIQ Growth, Pigment’s newest investor, has made meaningful investments in some of the world’s largest technology companies including Adyen, Datadog, Gitlab, Miro, Snowflake, and more. “We are delighted to support Pigment with our global platform as they continue to expand their footprint in the US and beyond,” said Matt Jacobson, General Partner at ICONIQ Growth. “We’ve been incredibly impressed by Eléonore and Romain’s intense focus on product velocity and remarkable customer care, which has translated into exceptional growth and affinity,” added Seth Pierrepont, General Partner, ICONIQ Growth.

In the past year, Pigment has strengthened its North American presence, opening an office in Toronto and hiring senior leadership in the U.S. and Canada. Notable recent hires include Sean Brophy, Global Head of Sales, who joined from Alteryx where he led enterprise sales; and Vanessa Brangwyn, Global Head of Customers, who joined from Achievers, where she was Chief Customer and Revenue Officer.

About Pigment

Pigment is a business planning platform. By bringing together people, data and processes into an intuitive, adaptable, integrated platform, teams can quickly build trusted strategic and operational business plans to drive growth, react to change and future-proof their business. Industry-leading companies like Klarna, Figma, Airtable, PVH and Webhelp trust Pigment every day, allowing them to make confident and accurate decisions. Learn more at www.gopigment.com.

About ICONIQ Growth

ICONIQ Growth partners with visionaries defining the future of their industries to transform the world. Our investment platform and unique ecosystem help amplify our portfolio companies’ success from early growth stage to IPO and beyond. Our portfolio includes Adyen, AirBnB, Alibaba, Alteryx, Automattic, BambooHR, Braze, Chime, Collibra, Coupa, Datadog, Docusign, Gitlab, Marqeta, Miro, Procore, Red Ventures, Relativity, ServiceTitan, Snowflake, Sprinklr, Truckstop, Uber, Wolt, and Zoom, among others. Elevated by our global community of founders, pioneers, and leaders, we are entrepreneurs backing entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit ICONIQGrowth.com.

SOURCE Pigment