The gaming studio announced a seed round raise of $5.5 million

LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2023 — Shima Capital today announces its investment in Pixion Games, an innovative gaming studio. Shima Capital and founder Yida Gao were joined in the round by Avalanche Foundation’s Blizzard Fund, Eldridge, Merit Circle, ReadyPlayerDAO, VGC, Zee Prime, Mechanism Capital, GSR, Misfits Gaming, and others. The funds will go towards scaling the development of Pixion Games’ flagship game, Fableborne.

Fableborne is a mobile, action role-playing game that combines strategic base building with allowing players to gather blockchain-based in-game assets. Players of the game can also compete in Pixion League, the studio’s in-app tournament system. With the founders hailing from such companies as Konami, Gala Games, Ubisoft, and Sony, the project is set up for long term success.

“We love investing in a strong founding team, and the Pixion team already has a track record of more than half a decade of working well together,” said Yida Gao, Shima Capital’s Founder and Managing General Partner. “Once you add in their extensive experience developing and building multiplayer games that have been played by millions of users, this investment made a lot of sense for Shima Capital. We’re excited for Fableborne to be played by the masses.”

With the investment, Yida Gao continues his commitment to web3 gaming and the many opportunities it presents. To date, Shima Capital’s investment portfolio is made up of a large portion of gaming projects and remains an area of growth for the venture capital firm.

For more on Shima Capital, visit www.shima.capital. For more on Pixion Games, visit www.pixiongames.com.

About Shima Capital

Shima Capital is a leading early stage VC firm, founded by Yida Gao in 2021, investing in disruptive blockchain companies. The fund is deeply focused on taking a hands-on approach and working closely with its portfolio companies to provide the most sweat equity per dollar invested. As teams in Web3 push the frontier of innovation, Shima helps hire talent, build community, amplify narratives, and foster the acceleration of technical research and development. Shima is composed of seasoned investors, accomplished operators, and former founders who align on a mission to support all-star teams with building and scaling generational companies. For more information visit https://shima.capital/.

About Pixion Games

Founded in 2017, Pixion Games creates exciting multiplayer games that are easy to understand, hard to master, but ultimately fun to play in short sessions. Pixion Games was formed by veterans from Konami, Garena, Gala Games, Square Enix, Sony, Wargaming, Pixonic, Ubisoft, NCSOFT and many of the world’s most formidable game studios, with a proven track record in developing multiplayer experiences for millions of players. For more information visit https://pixiongames.com/.

Contact:
***@shima.capital

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/12975692

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Shima Capital

GREENWICH, Conn., July 25, 2023 — Ennabl, a leading Insurtech data analytics platform, is proud to announce the successful completion of its Series A funding, which has raised $8M.  This funding will accelerate the company’s growth and expand its market reach.

The Series A round was led by Brewer Lane Ventures, with participation from Altai Ventures and private investors.  The company will use the funds to invest in product development, expand the company’s sales and marketing efforts, and grow its team.

“Ennabl’s mission is to provide cutting-edge solutions for insurance brokers and agencies to help them grow their book of business and simplify their existing processes,” said Kabir Syed, CEO of Ennabl. “We’re thrilled to have Brewer Lane Ventures and our other investors on board as we continue to grow our platform and help brokers achieve their goals.”

Ennabl’s SaaS platform helps insurance brokerages and agencies to harness data to drive top-line growth.  Ennabl’s machine learning algorithms provide actionable intelligence for brokers to increase their commissions, find new customers, grow their book of business, and manage carrier strategy by extracting, cleaning, and enriching data from all of the broker’s systems and processes.

Ennabl has experienced rapid growth since its founding in 2021, with a customer base that includes a number of the world’s largest insurance brokers. The company has also partnered with several leading technology and service providers, including Reagan Consulting, NeuralMetrics, HazardHub, and Fenris Digital, to provide actionable external data that allows brokers to accelerate their top-line growth.

We’re excited to partner with Ennabl as they continue to drive innovation in the insurance technology space,” said Chris Downer, Partner at Brewer Lane Ventures. “Their platform is revolutionizing the way insurance brokers leverage data, and we see tremendous promise in Ennabl’s ability to further impact the market.” 

ABOUT ENNABL

Ennabl launched in 2021 with a seasoned management and engineering team of industry veterans to help brokers with data, insights, and workflow challenges. Serving as an insurance platform, Ennabl is used by numerous brokers and agents to unify and manage their data. By utilizing the platform, brokers can minimize the time spent on data maintenance and allocate more attention to enhancing their clients’ experience and their bottom line.

SOURCE ennabl

NMC and DWS secure $500 million for the Four Columns Junior Capital Fund VI

MILWAUKEE, July 25, 2023 — Northwestern Mutual Capital and DWS Group have secured $500 million in commitments from investors, successfully accomplishing the goal of the partnership between the two companies.

Today’s announcement officially closes fundraising for the Four Columns Junior Capital Fund VI (“the Fund”) with the $500 million in commitments coming from limited partners representing institutional investors from North America, Asia and Europe. Northwestern Mutual Capital (“NMC”) and DWS Group (“DWS”) first announced their partnership in October 2020 to identify and develop private market investment opportunities.

NMC has been investing in junior capital and private equity for more than 40 years, including $14 billion in junior capital through 425 investments since 2000. Through its partnership with DWS, NMC has grown third-party assets and further diversified.

“This is a unique opportunity for investors to access the same investments that Northwestern Mutual selects for its own general account,” said Dan Julka, vice president – securities of the Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company and Head of Northwestern Mutual Capital. “We are pleased with the progress of the Fund to date. The current market environment has allowed NMC to continue to differentiate itself by providing our private equity partners with steady access to capital for businesses we find attractive and improved economics and terms to our investors.”

“This collaboration with Northwestern Mutual Capital affords our clients access to a strong private credit investing team and unique platform not typically available to outside investors,” said Paul Kelly, head of alternative investments at DWS. “The NMC partnership is a great complement to DWS’s USD 123 billion¹ global Alternatives business as we continue to grow and expand our offerings across the private debt investment spectrum.”

The Fund is unlevered and invests in junior capital of performing, private-equity-backed businesses directly sourced from leading North American and European private equity sponsors. NMC serves as the Fund’s portfolio manager. A fixed portion of each junior capital investment sourced by NMC for its parent company, Northwestern Mutual, is allocated to the Fund, thereby providing investors with strong alignment with Northwestern Mutual, a company that has been helping people and businesses achieve greater financial security for more than 165 years.

DWS, a leading global asset manager, serves as the Fund Manager, providing the fund and its investors with institutional-caliber fund operations and administrative services, along with certain relationship management and fund oversight functions.

Since beginning its investment period in 2022, the Fund has made 30 separate commitments and is expected to provide investors with a highly diversified portfolio of an estimated 75-100 investments by the end of the investment period.

About Northwestern Mutual Capital (“NMC”) and Northwestern Mutual

NMC provides private market investment management and advisory services to Northwestern Mutual and other institutional clients. Led by a senior team with an average of more than 20 years working together, NMC’s 30+ investment professionals take pride in building strong relationships based on extensive deal-making capabilities and dependability. NMC has a long, proven track record across industries and asset classes through more than four decades of market cycles.

As of year-end 2022, NMC was responsible for managing portfolios with total AUM of $58 billion, including $16 billion of private equity and related investments.

https://media.nmfn.com/capital/index.html

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what’s most important. With more than $558 billion of total assets being managed across the company’s institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, nearly $35 billion in revenues, and $2.2 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 111 on the 2023 FORTUNE 500.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with “Advisor” in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

About DWS Group

DWS Group (DWS) with EUR 841bn of assets under management (as of 31 March 2023) aspires to be one of the world’s leading asset managers. Building on more than 60 years of experience, it has a reputation for excellence in Germany, Europe, and the Americas and Asia. DWS is recognized by clients globally as a trusted source for integrated investment solutions, stability and innovation across a full spectrum of investment disciplines.

We offer individuals and institutions access to our strong investment capabilities across all major liquid and illiquid asset classes as well as solutions aligned to growth trends. Our diverse expertise in Active, Passive and Alternatives asset management complements each other when creating targeted solutions for our clients. Our expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of our economists, research analysts and investment professionals are brought together in one consistent global CIO View, giving strategic guidance to our investment approach.

DWS wants to innovate and shape the future of investing. We understand that, both as a firm as well as a trusted advisor to our clients, we have an important role in helping navigate transition to a more sustainable future. With approximately 3,800 employees in offices all over the world, we are local while being one global team. We are committed to acting on behalf of our clients and investing with their best interests at heart so that they can reach their financial goals, no matter what the future holds. With our entrepreneurial, collaborative spirt, we work every day to deliver outstanding results, in both good and challenging times to build the best foundation for our clients’ financial future.

The brand DWS represents DWS Group gmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc., which offers investment products, or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C., which offer advisory services.

NOT FDIC / NCUA INSURED – MAY LOSE VALUE – NO BANK GUARANTEE
NOT A DEPOSIT – NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

¹ 1 As of March 31, 2023

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual

The agreement seeks to expedite breakthrough health and healthcare innovations for patients  

NEW YORK, July 25, 2023 — Digitalis Commons, the non-profit affiliate of Digitalis Ventures, has entered into a Partnership Intermediary Agreement to provide commercialization services to the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health’s (ARPA-H) Project Accelerator Transition Office (PATIO). This first-of-its-kind agreement aims to speed up and smooth the process of getting breakthrough innovations in health to the American public.

Equipped with $2.5 billion in federal dollars, ARPA-H is funding the research and development of new ways to tackle the hardest problems in health, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. PATIO exists to ensure that the biomedical and technological breakthroughs supported by ARPA-H translate into solutions and products that reach patients rapidly and equitably. 

“This collaboration presents an unprecedented opportunity to bring solutions to human health to market faster to improve people’s lives,” said Geoffrey W. Smith, founder of Digitalis Commons. “Together with PATIO, we are committed to harnessing our experience commercializing breakthrough innovations to transform patient care across the country.” 

Digitalis Commons’ selection signals the non-profit’s expertise in navigating through the regulatory, intellectual property, and market hurdles that can slow the delivery of innovative solutions to patients who need them. Throughout the collaboration, the Commons will harness its extensive network in the field of human health, technological proficiency, and market insights to expedite the transition of groundbreaking discoveries from the lab to the real world. 

“One important goal that PATIO has set and that Digitalis Commons wholly believes in,” said Smith, “is to reduce market friction at common failure points that too often get in the way of huge leaps in healthcare innovations.”

For each ARPA-H program, Digitalis Commons will build a team with the technical, translational, and business acumen to implement a successful and speedy go-to-market strategy. Candidates with relevant technical and market experience and a genuine commitment to having an outsized, positive impact on public health are encouraged to send a resume and cover letter to [email protected].

About Digitalis Commons:
Digitalis Commons is a non-profit, public interest technology-focused platform affiliated with the venture investment firm Digitalis Ventures. The Commons builds open, frontier-advancing, and scalable technology solutions that have an outsized impact on important problems in health and healthcare.

SOURCE Digitalis Commons

LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2023 — Valhalla Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm, today announced its debut $66M flagship fund to invest in audacious innovators challenging the status quo across deeptech and gaming. The firm is committed to supporting entrepreneurs who are unafraid to question consensus views and push the boundaries of science and engineering.

Valhalla Ventures prides itself on being a daring early-stage investor, focusing on technologies and ideas years before they enter the mainstream. Valhalla’s inaugural $66M fund will primarily focus on investments in seed-stage companies across deeptech (areas of interest include materials science, biology, energy generation/storage, and space technology) and gaming (targeting novel and underfunded gaming mediums with an emphasis on social experiences).

“Capital is scarce right now, especially for first time funds like us, so we’re honored to be backed by some of the world’s best founders, family offices, executives, and corporations,” says Devan Malhotra, general partner, who leads Valhalla’s gaming practice. “We want to bring venture back to its original promise, when Georges Doriot and the early investors in Silicon Valley worked hand-in-hand with the world’s boldest and zaniest entrepreneurs to solve the world’s hardest problems. The VC industry has lost its way. Too many funds spray and pray into ‘tier 1’ led deals while spending more time tweeting and fundraising than working with portfolio companies. We want to tack left, building a concentrated portfolio across non-traditional areas – gaming and deeptech – and working boots on the ground with the engineers, creatives, and scientists that are building a brighter future.”

Valhalla’s Fund I has been actively deploying since early 2022 taking 15 core positions to date, and will continue to make new investments until early 2025. On the deeptech side, Terran Biosciences and Avery Digital are each in their own way redefining what it means to be a biotechnology company, while Irradiant Technologies is revolutionizing the field of nanofabrication. In the realm of gaming, Incredible Dream is using board games to build the next billion-dollar IP franchise, while 1v1Me is building a platform for gamers to compete and bet on their favorite streamers.

“At Valhalla Ventures, we back relentless entrepreneurs tackling obvious problems with non-obvious solutions that challenge the bounds of science and engineering,” says Rohan Pujara, general partner, who leads Valhalla’s deeptech investments. “If you look at the biggest problems we face today, they are not solved by incrementally better software, but rather by breakthroughs in physical technology. We’re looking for businesses built around critical technology with captive markets, hinging on best-in-class engineering, execution, and scale-up.”

The Valhalla team is closely tracking the booming ecosystem of deeptech companies forming around SpaceX. “SpaceX has created a new generation of engineers that approach problems in a very unique way, with emphasis on questioning assumptions, simplifying processes, rapid execution, and automation. SpaceX is constantly working on things that have never been done before, and this has made it a breeding ground for technical entrepreneurs that want to solve impossible problems,” says Pujara, who recently led Valhalla’s investments in two companies founded by ex-SpaceX engineers, K2 Space, which is building high-powered satellite platforms for the next generation of space development, and Starpath Robotics, which aims to refuel vehicles like SpaceX’s Starship on the lunar surface.

“Bunch welcomed Valhalla Ventures to our team during our latest round. They quickly became one of our most insightful and helpful partners, making valuable connections to strategic partners and key players in the media and entertainment industry. They carry a strong conviction and demonstrate a deep understanding of our market. Any founder would be lucky to have them in their corner,” says Selcuk Atli, founder of Bunch, which is building a mobile digital world where gamers talk, share, and play together.

Valhalla Ventures was founded in 2020 by Devan Malhotra, Matthew King, and Rohan Pujara. Prior to raising Fund I, Valhalla invested $27M via SPVs in eight companies across deeptech, gaming, and blockchain.

About Valhalla Ventures

Valhalla Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests across deeptech and gaming. Founded in 2020, the firm is dedicated to supporting heretics who are audacious enough to challenge consensus and redefine the frontiers of science and engineering. Follow Valhalla Ventures at @hello_valhalla. For more information, please visit valhalla.ventures.

Press Contacts:
Michelle Isaacs, 22 Spring
[email protected]

Julian Galano, 22 Spring
[email protected]

SOURCE Valhalla Ventures

Over $4 billion in closed loans, speed, and one of only a few to lend on land make them the leaders in the space

ENGLEWOOD, N.J., July 25, 2023 — Saint Barthélemy is the playground for the ultra-rich. It’s also where one finds the highest real estate prices in the world.

So when an investor wants to acquire land for development, or refinancing, or for any number of reasons, there’s never an issue. Or is there?

“Who would want to use their own money?” says Kevin Wolfer, CEO of Kennedy Funding, a U.S.-based direct private lender with headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. “And credit markets are drying up — traditional lending is all but disappearing. There are very few lenders in the U.S. who are willing or have the ability to close on land in the Caribbean, and they certainly can’t close it in a timely fashion. Fortunately, we can. Lending in St. Barths and throughout the Caribbean is our specialty.”

Surrounded by the breathtaking eastern Caribbean Sea, St. Barths is home to some of the most exclusive and luxurious real estate in the world. On this 9.26-square-mile island with a population of just over 10,000, villas can cost up to 5 million euros — and up to four times that price for properties by the beach. These are among the most valuable homes on the planet. Plus, because of the island’s natural beauty and elite reputation, it’s an increasingly popular luxury tourist destination for the rich and famous. As a result, for investors and developers of real estate, St. Barths is a golden opportunity.

But development takes investment, and investment doesn’t come easy whether you’re U.S. or foreign based and searching for opportunities abroad. It’s essential to partner with a lender who not only is willing to work with international deals — a rare find in itself — but one that also has the expertise and track record to do so. Kennedy Funding has garnered this expertise in St. Barths.

“Only Kennedy Funding has the network and know-how to successfully cross borders to close deals — and close them fast — oftentimes in a matter of days,” adds Wolfer. “Borrowers looking to buy property, even raw land, in St. Barths and beyond come to us first because our track record speaks for itself.”

Borrowers may need a loan on land in St. Barths for any number of reasons. In general, using one’s own money when buying land or building properties is inherently risky — and beyond that, most people, no matter how wealthy they are, just don’t want to invest their own capital. Proceeds from a U.S.-based direct private lender can also be used as a bridge loan while borrowers pursue other funds. With the extra security of a land loan, prospective St. Barths property owners can be more confident that they’re making sound investments, providing an important layer of extra protection in a deal.

A land loan from Kennedy Funding can be a game-changing entry point into this exclusive arena. Kennedy is an international industry leader, as the only direct private lender with consistent, successful loan closures in other countries, including throughout the Caribbean. In a competitive land and property market, this knowledge is critical to success, especially when time is of the essence.

Kennedy Funding’s proven success gives borrowers an edge. “We bring robust, firsthand knowledge of a territory’s local laws to the table so borrowers remain compliant. As a direct private lender, we are not beholden to the same restrictions and red tape as a traditional lender. We examine each deal based on its merits, expeditiously assessing the potential of the investment and taking action in days, not months,” Wolfer said.

Loan proceeds can be used for a multitude of purposes, including working capital, acquisition, and refinancing.

Since 1985, Kennedy Funding has been expanding its portfolio of successful loan closures around the world. Our impressive track record of closures on St. Barths and throughout the Caribbean has made us a leader for land loans on this gorgeous, tranquil island. If you’re interested in purchasing land in St. Barths, contact Kennedy Funding to learn more and begin the land loan application process, or visit www.kennedyfunding.com. 

ABOUT KENNEDY FUNDING

Kennedy Funding is a global direct private lender specializing in bridge loans for commercial property and land acquisition, development, workouts, bankruptcies, and foreclosures. Kennedy Funding has closed more than $4 billion in loans to date. Its creative financing expertise provides funding up to 75% loan-to-value, from $1 million ($3 million international) to more than $50 million, in as little as five days. The company has closed loans throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, and Central and South America. Visit www.kennedyfunding.com.

SOURCE Kennedy Funding

Digital Media Investment Firm, Dimensional Associates, Purchases Controlling Interest and Recapitalizes MetaMedia for Next Phase of Network and Content Expansion

LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2023 — MetaMedia today announced a significant strategic investment from Dimensional Associates, which will drive the next phase of MetaMedia’s mission to provide cinemas, movie studios and other content producers with a global, cloud-based entertainment network that delivers cost-savings, operational efficiencies, access to expanded content and additional revenue opportunities. 

Dimensional Associates is the private equity arm of JDS Capital and is an owner/operator of companies at the crossroads of media and technology. Its principals bring significant expertise in content distribution over the internet. This capital infusion enables MetaMedia to complete the rollout of its network to its cinema partners who collectively represent more than a quarter of U.S. and Canadian cinemas, including Cinemark Theatres, Cinépolis, Marcus Theatres, B&B Theatres, Emagine Entertainment, Landmark Cinemas, CGV Cinemas, Fridley Theatres, Premiere Cinemas, Southern Theatres, TCL Chinese Theatre, CW Theaters and members of the Independent Cinema Alliance. Currently, MetaMedia’s network delivers premium films, live events, and advertising to 400 cinemas reaching more than 5,000 screens in most major cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Dimensional Associates’ investment will enable the MetaMedia network to expand to 2,000 additional cinemas across the U.S. and Canada, and, ultimately, reach cinemas internationally.

Danny Stein, the CEO of Dimensional Associates, has joined MetaMedia in the role of executive chairman. Stein brings a wealth of experience in digital distribution, having represented Dimensional as The Orchard’s lead shareholder and executive chairman from 2003-2014 before the company was purchased by Sony Music Entertainment. The Orchard also had a film and television distribution business, and a global commercial distribution platform for indie film and TV content creators. In 2015-2016, Stein was senior vice president of growth investments at MacAndrews and Forbes, the holding company that previously owned and operated Deluxe Entertainment Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary in which Stein served as president of Deluxe New Media overseeing global corporate development, strategy and innovation. 

MetaMedia’s platform creates a managed, last-mile broadband connection for cinemas that reduces delivery times and removes hundreds of millions in expenses for cinema owners and studios. The platform provides material and measurable environmental benefits over the traditional methods of delivery, while providing best-in-class intellectual property protection. MetaMedia’s platform is even more cost-effective for smaller, targeted film releases or platform releases from independent or international film studios. In 2022, MetaMedia delivered more than 350 films to cinemas across its network, allowing content producers and cinemas to save millions of dollars.

“We are at a watershed moment in cinema, where broadband and the cloud have been proven to benefit cinemas and premium content producers by expanding box office opportunities and providing massive operational and cost-savings, much in the same way these technologies have been used by Netflix, Disney and other streamers of content into homes,” said MetaMedia Founder and CEO Jason Brenek. “I am pleased that Dimensional will help fulfill MetaMedia’s vision and that Danny joins MetaMedia as executive chairman to augment MetaMedia’s existing leadership team, who will stay with the company and who collectively have more experience than anyone in internet delivery of premium live and pre-recorded content to entertainment venues in North America.”

MetaMedia has also enabled new and varied marketing and revenue-generating opportunities for its studio and cinema partners by enabling expanded programming choices, new cinematic content formats and enhanced release targeting. In addition to delivering feature films, the MetaMedia network exclusively delivered to cinemas the 2023 NCAA College Football Playoff and National Championship games from ESPN, numerous Esports tournaments from Activision/Blizzard, concerts from BTS, Coldplay, Garth Brooks, Metallica and others, and produced live fan events, including Q&A sessions with celebrities and content creators to help promote upcoming content releases.

About MetaMedia:

MetaMedia is the first global cloud-based entertainment platform that delivers movies, premium content and live events to cinemas and other venues around the world. MetaMedia’s global cloud-based platform provides for the secure, rapid, targeted and cost-effective delivery of big-screen premium entertainment to cinemas, drive-ins, arenas, and other commercial venues. MetaMedia is headquartered in Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.metamedia.global.

Media Contact: Charles Chamberlayne
(202) 302-7612

SOURCE MetaMedia

Earned wage access company announces new capital to improve employee financial wellness

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 25, 2023 — Immediate, an earned wage access company, announced today a $16 million round of funding. These funds, split between growth equity and a working capital facility, will enable Immediate to accelerate its growth trajectory in the workplace financial health sector.

Immediate solves liquidity challenges for employees facing unexpected expenses by allowing them to access funds when needed, without waiting for their next paycheck. Earned wage access has become a growing expectation for employers, giving them substantial advantages in staff recruitment and retention. Immediate structures its offering responsibly to create financial stability in the lives of employees.

This funding comes as Immediate enters its fifth year in business, and reflects on the growing momentum the company is experiencing due to employees’ increased financial challenges amidst the current economic climate.

The funding round was led by Castle Creek Launchpad, a joint fund managed by Castle Creek Capital and Launchpad Capital that invests in fintech companies that are transforming financial services through partnerships with regulated financial institutions, including the fund’s 34 community bank limited partners. Also participating in the funding round were strategic investors including BankSouth, a Georgia-based community bank, and Birmingham executives Bryan Statham and Cynthia Johnson. Bryan and Cynthia have experience implementing high growth strategies within early-stage companies and have quickly contributed to the growth and success of Immediate by serving in a hands-on advisory capacity to the business.  

The expanded working capital credit facility was provided by SouthPoint Bank, a leading southeastern financial institution.  Immediate was drawn to SouthPoint Bank’s exceptional products, services, and their mission to point businesses forward.

“Immediate stands out in Earned Wage Access with a well designed offering that lets employees manage their lives and employers run their businesses. Partnerships with banks will help employers better address the needs of a modern workforce. We’re excited to back a strong team and product in this vital and growing market,” said Ryan Gilbert, Founder and General Partner at Launchpad Capital.

“As Immediate continues to make progress towards our mission of positively impacting the financial well-being of 1 million American workers by 2025, we recognize the need to surround ourselves with investors who have scaled companies to the heights we expect to achieve. We could not be more excited about this group of investors, who are not only providing Immediate with funding, but also with  invaluable advisory and industry expertise that will undoubtedly expedite the growth trajectory of our company. The future is bright for Immediate and this round of funding – especially in a volatile economic climate – is a validating indication that we are well-positioned as a leader in the rapidly growing financial wellness market,” said Matt Pierce, Immediate Founder and CEO.

To learn more about Immediate, book a call today.

About Immediate

Immediate partners with employers to provide their employees with wages that have been earned but not paid, whenever they are needed. With seamless time tracking and payroll integrations, same-day and next-day bank transfers, and the ability to put earnings directly on a debit card, Immediate is working to improve financial wellness and eliminate cycles of debt for employees by allowing access to their hard-earned wages when they need it most. To learn more, visit joinimmediate.com.

Media Contact
Carly McGavin
(770) 826.7322
[email protected]

SOURCE Immediate

RALEIGH, N.C., July 25, 2023 — K4Connect, the leading provider of enterprise technologies for senior living communities, has raised $8.9 million in a new investment round co-led by Bryce Catalyst and AVP (AXA Venture Partners), with continuing support from other existing investors, including Intel Capital, Forté Ventures, Topmark Partners, and the Ziegler-Linkage Fund. This latest round brings the company’s total funding raised to $39 million and will be used to drive further adoption in the senior living market, while continuing to rapidly advance its patented FusionOS integration technology and K4Community Engagement Suite.

Along with the new funding, K4Connect also announced today that Mike Weller will be joining the company as the Chief Operations Officer. Mike has been working with K4Connect over the last year and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in client success, data analytics, and operations. “Mike’s experience in client success and in creating value in data-rich environments is a natural fit in the evolution of our company as we look to use data to drive operational insights and efficiencies for our customers, while improving the lives of the older adults who we ultimately serve,” said K4Connect Chief Mission Officer and CEO, F. Scott Moody.

“Since our founding, K4Connect has sought to put the power of the best in enterprise technologies into the hands of senior living operators. Addressing this need has never been more important as the population of older adults continues to rise amidst an ongoing national caregiver shortage,” added Moody. “We are thrilled to continue to deliver on that mission with the continued support of our existing investors, and welcome Bryce Catalyst’s Cary Burch to our board.”

K4Connect’s FusionOS technology is the industry’s first and only enterprise-class operating system that provides a “many-to-many” API integration capability. FusionOS enables senior living operators to seamlessly integrate new and emerging technologies and leverage critical health and behavioral data across connected systems and applications to optimize caregiver workflows, lower costs, and improve resident care. While the industry has seen significant growth in technologies that address many of senior care’s most prevalent issues, senior living operators can only unlock the full potential of data-rich technologies by deploying enterprise solutions that enable them to strategically integrate innovative technology services at scale.

“K4Connect’s approach to the senior living market is rooted in its unique enterprise technology expertise long sought after by senior living operators. The company’s enterprise platform provides the foundation for senior living operators to undergo a digital modernization to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of caregiver services now and into the future. We’re excited to invest in helping to make that vision a reality,” said Bryce Catalyst President and CEO, Cary Burch.

“K4Connect’s technologies and vision have never been more important to the health and well-being of the world’s aging population,” said Manish Agarwal, a General Partner with AVP, a current investor in the Company. “If anything, the pandemic accelerated the need for senior living technology, and K4Connect is the only company we’ve seen that can bring all the current disparate applications together into a single enterprise system where data is no longer siloed and can be tapped for its full value in operations and care. We’re excited to continue working with the K4Connect team to find ways improve the lives of the one billion people they hope to serve around the world.” 

To learn more about FusionOS or K4Community, a suite of Community engagement applications and associated user-friendly interfaces, visit www.K4Connect.com.

About K4Connect
K4Connect is a mission-centered healthtech company delivering the best in technology and solutions to providers serving older adults and those living with disabilities. The company’s patented FusionOS technology and award-winning K4Community engagement suite serve tens of thousands of residents and staff in senior living communities across the United States. With K4Connect, operators can better serve the needs of today’s residents and staff and drive operational efficiencies, while future-proofing their technology investments.

About Bryce Catalyst
Bryce Catalyst is a unique investment company with a focus on high growth sectors. Bryce Catalyst is managed by highly recognized software operators with proven track records of growing software & technology enabled companies. As operators for operators, Bryce has an affinity for closely held and operator-owned companies; and believe that beyond profits, aligned interests and a shared purpose are true measures of a successful partnership. For additional information, visit http://www.brycecatalyst.com.

About AXA Venture Partners
AVP (AXA Venture Partners) is a global venture capital firm investing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies, with €1.3bn of assets under management through four pillars of investment expertise: early stage, growth stage, late growth and fund of funds. Since its launch in 2016, AVP deployed capital across 60 technology companies in Venture and Growth stages in the US and in Europe. With offices in New York, London and Paris, AVP helps companies scale internationally and offers portfolio companies unique business development opportunities to further accelerate their growth. AVP is part of AXA IM– Alts, the alternative investment business unit of AXA IM.

Media Contact: Lindsay Hull with Zero to Five for K4 Connect, [email protected]om

SOURCE K4Connect