TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 15, 2023 — OX Security, the leading software supply chain security solution and founding member of the Open Software Supply Chain Attack Reference (OSC&R), announced today that it received an investment from IBM, the leading hybrid cloud and AI company and the parent company of Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source solutions. The investment represents the companies’ intent to collaborate on expanding the frontiers of software supply chain security and create value for developers of cloud-native solutions.

OX, an Israeli startup established in 2021, is building the first holistic software supply chain security solution – going beyond the CI/CD or SDLC and providing visibility, automation and risk insights from Code-to-Cloud-to-Code. Through a combination of best practices from risk management and cybersecurity and a fantastic user experience, OX makes software supply chain security processes effortless for security teams to manage and easy for developers to adopt. Standardized to the OSC&R framework, OX also provides the continuity and cohesiveness that many security strategies are often lacking.

“This investment from IBM is proof that OX’s holistic security solution for today’s modern software supply chains is the right solution at the right time,” said Neatsun Ziv, Co-founder and CEO of OX Security. “We look forward to working closely with IBM and the team at Red Hat, helping their enterprise customers bake security into product development – ensuring the integrity of every software build, remediating critical risks quickly and releasing secure products with confidence.”

“IBM has been contributing to open source ecosystems for over 20 years,” said Professor Yaron Wolfsthal, Head of IBM’s Security Center of Excellence in Israel. “With over 75% of applications consisting of open source code, it is critical that organizations be able to determine the trustworthiness of the dependencies, tools and infrastructure used in every project.  OX’s holistic approach and its thought leadership in standardizing software supply chain risks represents our commitment to help organizations improve the security of the open source ecosystem,” he continued.

“With IBM’s investment in OX, we continue to emphasize the importance of software supply chain security as a key part of cloud-era application development,” said Ben Daniels, Partner at IBM Ventures.

OX Security demonstrated the company’s solution, running as a Red Hat OpenShift operator, this August at Black Hat 2023 in Las Vegas. OX Security and IBM say they will collaborate to help advance the successful adoption of DevSecOps practices. With this investment, IBM joins existing investors who participated in OX Security’s $34M seed round announced in September 2022.

ABOUT OX SECURITY

At OX, we believe that security should be an integral part of the software development process, not an afterthought. Through a combination of best practices from risk management and cybersecurity and a fantastic user experience, OX makes software supply chain security processes continuous – from design to production – and easy for developers to adopt. Founded by Neatsun Ziv and Lior Arzi, who previously led Check Point’s Security Division, OX provides security and engineering teams with the visibility, prioritization and automated remediation they need to bring security and integrity to every step of the software supply chain and release secure products on time. Visit www.ox.security for more information.

ABOUT IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

ABOUT RED HAT

Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver reliable and high-performing Linux, hybrid cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Red Hat helps customers integrate new and existing IT applications, develop cloud-native applications, standardize on our industry-leading operating system, and automate, secure, and manage complex environments. Award-winning support, training, and consulting services make Red Hat a trusted adviser to the Fortune 500. As a strategic partner to cloud providers, system integrators, application vendors, customers, and open source communities, Red Hat can help organizations prepare for the digital future. Visit www.redhat.com for more information.

SOURCE Ox Security

• Total equity investment reaches $34 million as Zeelo gears up to serve new US enterprise clients and launch new transportation technology features for bus operators
• Three new venture capital firms from Europe and North America complete the round which was led by FlatzHoffmann with additional participation from existing firms ETF Partners, InMotion Ventures and angel investors
• Co-founders Sam Ryan (CEO) and Barney Williams (CCO) relocate to Boston to scale team and accelerate US expansion
• Commitment to reach net-zero services by 2030, with nearly 10% of all UK Zeelo services already operating on battery electric vehicles

BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2023 — Zeelo, the global transit-tech company powering bus operators, employers and schools to provide highly efficient, sustainable and affordable private bus and shuttle transport programs, has secured $14 million in its latest Series A extension round from three new venture capital firms, including FlatzHoffmann, the European growth equity investor; IREON Ventures, the venture capital arm of Motor Oil Hellas; and a prominent Boston-based family office with a principal that recently took their Nasdaq listing private for $6 billion.

In an oversubscribed investment round led by FlatzHoffmann, with additional participation from angels and venture capital funds, Zeelo commits to accelerate and scale the team and operations and launch new technology products to serve US enterprise clients and operators for employee shuttle transportation needs for commutes across the East and West coasts.

Zeelo, which has live operations on three continents, is on a mission to accelerate expansion in the US, opening its second headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. Co-founders Sam Ryan and Barney Williams have relocated to invest in scaling the team to meet increased demand, while fellow co-founder and CTO Dani Ruiz continues to build the engineering team in Europe to accelerate new product development. Zeelo has already secured contracts with Fidelity as well as two leading multi-site corporate enterprise clients, including the world’s leading e-commerce marketplace and a global shipping and logistics business. This sets the stage for rapid revenue growth at low capital expenditure in the world’s leading developed market. With a proven Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS) platform, Zeelo is well-positioned to capture significant market share and drive sustainable growth within the B2B bus commuting sector in developed markets. The combined US and UK mass transportation market is worth $40 billion.

“Developed markets are underserved for daily mass transportation needs and we have seen increased demand for our transit-tech solution in the United States over the past 12 months,” says Sam Ryan, Co-Founder and CEO at Zeelo. “Due to this demand, we’ve had a growing number of requests from shuttle operators to leverage our technology to improve their client relationships and streamline operations. This new capital will accelerate Zeelo’s expansion across the US for an accelerated rollout of large scale, multi-site transportation contracts, with some of North America’s biggest household brands, as well as further investment in our software offering.”

Zeelo addresses the evolving needs of B2B organizations – such as shift worker employers, office worker employers, schools and universities – providing customized transportation services for daily commutes to suburban and peri-urban areas that lack sufficient mass transit coverage. In addition, Zeelo’s platform offers relevant insights to its clients to plan their headcount, production capabilities, and staff punctuality to save clients on average of 12 hours per week in administrative tasks, increase bus ridership by 50% and enable 43% in cost savings per year, on average, for employee shuttle transportation.

“Our newly set up fund seeks to support technology companies with proven business models and a lasting environmental impact,” says Christopher Hoffmann, Partner at FlatzHoffmann. “We help them navigate the transition from Series A to growth and beyond. Zeelo is a unique and proven mobility player headquartered in Europe with a strong expansion push to the US. It combines a strong transit-tech platform with a clear sustainability mission. We are convinced of Zeelo’s experienced leadership team and their ability to innovate and execute. They have come very far in building their business, and we look forward to supporting their growth strategy for developed markets.”

FlatzHoffmann, which was established this year by Alois Flatz and Christopher Hoffmann, operates in Munich and Zurich with a pan-European reach. The fund targets companies at the later-stage growth phase from Series A onwards, with established customer use-cases, recurring revenues and sound unit economics. Both partners bring substantial investment and operational experience to the table. Alois Flatz was an early partner at Sustainable Asset Management (SAM), a partner at cleantech investor Zouk Capital and a Senior Advisor at Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management fund. Christopher Hoffmann is an operator-investor who was a growth equity investor at Zouk Capital and has a 10-year operational track record as CFO of growth companies, including a successful cleantech IPO in 2016 with va-Q-tec.

Zeelo also passes on CO2 emissions savings to its clients and has committed to transitioning all services to net-zero emissions battery-electric buses by 2030, with nearly 10% of Zeelo’s UK clients having already made the switch to electric buses for their commuter services. Meanwhile in 2022, Zeelo offset over 2,600 tons of CO2 emissions and created over 26,000 employment opportunities, with 70% of Zeelo riders admitting that they rely on the service to commute to work, and without which they would not have been able to accept their job.

Zeelo has an experienced, execution-focused and entrepreneurial management team. The co-founders previously built, led and successfully exited their first transit-tech business to Addison Lee.

For press inquiries, please contact Zeelo:

Sonia Afzal, Head of Communications
[email protected] | +44 (0)7950 467 773

Kathleen Osborne, Kamel PR
[email protected] | +001 607 434 2065

About Zeelo

Zeelo is a leading global transit-tech company powering bus operators, employers and schools to provide highly efficient, sustainable and affordable transportation programs. Zeelo provides software and managed services to its clients and partners to increase bus occupancy levels and reduce transportation costs, CO2 emissions and administrative time. Its secure and innovative transportation management software system comprises a SaaS platform, proprietary routing algorithm, mobile apps for riders and drivers, and 24/7 customer support (4.9 TrustPilot rating) ensuring poorly connected commuters have a regular, subsidized and sustainable bus service, wherever they are based. Headquartered in London with an R&D team in Spain and live operations in the UK, US and South Africa, Zeelo was founded in 2016 by Sam Ryan, Barney Williams and Dani Ruiz. The co-founders previously sold their pioneering ride-sharing app JumpIn to Addison Lee in 2014. Zeelo, your next stop. For more information, please visit www.zeelo.co

About FlatzHoffmann

FlatzHoffmann is a European growth equity investor that invests in environmental tech companies, supporting their transition from venture to growth. The fund backs experienced management teams that harness technology to drive progress and impact within our planetary boundaries. FlatzHoffmann invests across industrial technology, transportation & logistics, energy, sustainable materials and food & agriculture. The fund takes an active approach to partnering with portfolio companies, supporting commercial and organisational growth and leveraging its entrepreneurial ecosystem of fund investors. For more information, please visit www.flatzhoffmann.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2185824/Barney_Williams_Sam_Ryan.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2185828/Zeelo_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Zeelo

NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2023 — Newmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK) (“Newmark” or “the Company”), a leading commercial real estate adviser and service provider to large institutional investors, global corporations, and other owners and occupiers announces the firm has recently raised $500 million from an institutional investor on behalf of Envision Cold (Envision) to capitalize a new cold storage operating and development company. The investment allows Envision to acquire and develop over $1.5 billion of cold storage assets. Newmark advised on the capital raise and formation of the company. The team was led by Newmark’s Co-Presidents of Debt & Structured Finance, Jordan Roeschlaub and Dustin Stolly.

With the funding sourced by Newmark, Envision has closed on acquiring cold storage operations and assets in Oakland, CA, San Francisco, CA, Laredo, TX and Vancouver, BC. Envision plans to continue acquiring and developing a network of facilities across North America, focusing on markets that are underserved by cold storage from both a physical infrastructure and customer service perspective. Providing its users with various services, including traditional cold storage, import/export services, transportation and blast freezing, Envision has engaged a preeminent real estate development team to oversee all ground-up development projects, which will be essential to the company’s growth.

“We are excited to announce the launch of Envision and our plans to build one of the preeminent cold storage companies in North America,” said Austin Solem, Chief Executive Officer of Envision. “The magnitude of this investment was driven by the strength of not only our team’s commitment to innovation and service but also to the opportunity within the market itself. The cold storage industry is stronger than ever, and it needs more national providers to satisfy the increasing demand.”

Led by an Executive Leadership team with a deep history in the cold storage industry, having previously worked together at the world’s second-largest cold storage owner/operator, Americold, Envision continues to build out a best-in-class organization to oversee the expansion and operation of the platform.

“We are proud to have represented Envision in the capitalization by a well-respected institutional investor. Led by an expert team, we expect Envision to have a great runway to create scale in the cold storage sector,” commented Roeschlaub.

Newmark’s effort on behalf of Envision is part of the Company’s continued push into complex joint venture financing, focusing on raising capital for platform and programmatic joint ventures across all real estate sectors.

About Envision Cold
Founded by a leadership team with over 50 years of collective experience with the biggest players in the cold storage industry, Envision Cold is a forward-thinking cold storage developer and operator. Envision combines scale and expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset and dedication to building bespoke solutions—and delivering them quickly. Through partnerships with a best-in-class developer and an elite investor, the firm designs, builds and operates custom temperature-controlled facilities and logistics systems based on customers’ specific visions and goals. Envision’s value-added services cover the broader cold chain, from initial processing to final mile delivery, and everything in between, providing innovative solutions to customers to bring safeguarded food to the world. Learn more https://www.envisioncold.com/.

About Newmark
Newmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK), together with its subsidiaries (“Newmark”), is a world leader in commercial real estate, seamlessly powering every phase of the property life cycle. Newmark’s comprehensive suite of services and products is uniquely tailored to each client, from owners to occupiers, investors to founders, and startups to blue-chip companies. Combining the platform’s global reach with market intelligence in both established and emerging property markets, Newmark provides superior service to clients across the industry spectrum. For the year ending December 31, 2022, Newmark generated revenues of approximately $2.7 billion. As of June 30, 2023, Newmark’s company-owned offices, together with its business partners, operate from approximately 170 offices with over 7,400 professionals around the world. To learn more, visit nmrk.com or follow @newmark.

Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements about Newmark
Statements in this document regarding Newmark that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include statements about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, results, financial position, liquidity and outlook, which may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual impact may differ, possibly materially, from what is currently expected. Except as required by law, Newmark undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see Newmark’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information set forth in these filings and any updates to such risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information contained in subsequent reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K.

SOURCE Newmark Group, Inc.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 14, 2023 — Silicon Valley-based automotive radar startup, Altos Radar, has raised $3.5 million in seed round funding that will fast-track the commercialization of 4D imaging radars in driver-assisted and autonomous vehicles.

The funding, led by Hesai Technology CEO David (Yifan) Li, ZhenFund and Monad Ventures, will be used to mass-produce and market Altos Radar’s new high-performance 4D imaging RADAR Altos V1, which demonstrates revolutionary perception capabilities at a fraction of the cost of its competitors.

Starting in 2017, the FCC and other global RF regulators opened up the 76-81GHz frequency band for automotive radar use. This enabled the possibility of producing high-resolution radars at one-third the size of the previously used 24GHz radars with similar angular resolution.

Dozens of companies have been racing to develop this technology, including a well-known electric car company, which earlier this year brought back their radars for their FSD (Full Self-Driving) Hardware 4.0 upgrade.

Altos Radar stands out from the crowd, due to their real-time, on-board computed, LIDAR-like point clouds from a ready to ship product. The radar offers long-range detection and a point cloud with up to 3,000 points per frame at 10 fps. 

Furthermore, Altos Radar’s team has achieved state-of-the-art performance on low-cost, mass-produced automotive System on Chips (SOCs). This makes Altos V1 radar the world’s first production-ready non-FPGA-based, 4-chip cascaded (12TX, 16RX) 4D imaging radar, offering great advantages in cost, reliability and mass-producibility.

Due to the nature of radio waves, radars outperform other types of sensors in their unique capability for far-range detection spanning hundreds of meters, instant and accurate velocity measurement, and robustness in adverse weather conditions. As a pioneer in the field of high-performance 4D radars, Altos V1’s detection capacity can now achieve an unprecedented range of 500m for cars and 180m for pedestrians.

What has impeded traditional radars from playing a bigger role in the autonomous vehicle sensor suite is the lack of height information, low angular resolution and suboptimal signal-noise performance, all of which the new generation of 4D imaging radars by Altos Radar are set to change.

The team at Altos Radar are proven experts in electronics design, signal processing algorithms, compute optimization and radar perception in autonomous vehicles, having held leading R&D positions at Hitachi, ZF, Huawei and Pony.ai, as well as in the autonomous driving departments of Apple and Lyft.

Altos Radar’s new high-performance 4D millimeter-wave RADAR caters to the demands of a 4D imaging radar market that Yole’s 2022 Automotive Radar Report estimated will double YoY by 2027 to $8 billion. Moreover, projections from McKinsey’s Autonomous Driving’s Future Report show potential revenues from the autonomous driving market could hit $400 billion by 2035.

About Altos Radar

With strong experience in the autonomous driving industry, Altos Radar is a rising radar startup committed to developing high performance 4D imaging radars at an economical price point. Altos Radar’s core team members are top talents from the tech industry, including seasoned professionals in hardware from Apple and Huawei, as well as software experts from Mozilla and Pony.ai.

To learn more about Altos Radar, please visit https://www.altosradar.com

SOURCE Altos Radar

Salon Freedom Acquires 9 Houston Owned Locations
Largest Operator of Franchised Sola Salon Studio Locations Expands
Operations into Houston, Texas, through Successful Acquisition

BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 14, 2023 — Salon Freedom Holdings, LLC (“Salon Freedom”), the fastest growing and largest operator of franchised Sola Salons is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of 9 Sola locations in the Houston, Texas market. This acquisition expands Salon Freedom’s market presence into Texas, adding to existing operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Tennessee.

The Houston locations were previously operated by the BCCD group, having opened their first location in 2013. BCCD built a robust and successful 9-unit operation spanning the southern Houston market including units in central Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pasadena, and Clear Lake. This strategic purchase represents a significant milestone for Salon Freedom as it strengthens its presence in one of the nation’s most dynamic and diverse markets.

“This acquisition is a testament to our commitment to empowering beauty and wellness professionals by leveraging our best-in-class platform across an expanded portfolio,” said David Raduziner, Co-Founder and CEO of Salon Freedom. “Houston will be a key market for us, and this acquisition allows us to provide even more opportunities for beauty professionals to run their own businesses and achieve their dreams. Including the 13 locations we opened over the last 12 months, we now operate 60 locations serving approximately 1,400 beauty and wellness professionals across diverse markets in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, Central Pennsylvania, Nashville, and Knoxville, and now Houston.” 

“We’re proud of the platform the Salon Freedom team is building,” said Todd Recknagel, Chairman of the Board for Salon Freedom. “Our goal is to continue to build a great culture for our 60 locations and make our Sola Pros our number one priority. We’re confident the team will deliver exceptional results with the integration of the Houston locations.”

With this expansion, Salon Freedom continues to revolutionize the salon industry via the Sola Salon Studios platform by providing a turn-key environment for independently minded beauty and wellness professionals to own and operate their own businesses.

“Salon Freedom has been one of Sola’s fastest growing franchises. It’s gratifying to see them accelerate that growth via acquisitions and leverage their high-performing platform into new markets,” said Jordan Levine, COO of Sola Salon Studios. “The Salon Freedom team has been an incredible champion of the Sola brand and a leader in the system. We congratulate them on their continued growth and success.”

Since its inception in 2004, Sola has grown to more than 685 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Sola has remained committed to technology and innovation to better support its rapidly growing community of almost 20,000 independent beauty professionals. With proprietary tools like its SolaGenius application and BookNow website feature plus its BeautyHive™ product supply fulfillment platform, the brand continues to be regarded as the leading franchise concept in the salon studios sector.

“Franchisees like Salon Freedom continue to elevate Sola as the most dominant brand in the salon studios segment,” said Christina Russell, CEO of Salon Studios. “We applaud their continued growth and commitment to supporting independent beauty pros throughout their markets.”

ABOUT SOLA SALONS

In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with over 685 locations open in the U.S and Canada, Sola is proud to offer nearly 20,000 independent beauty professionals the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without the risk and overhead of opening a traditional salon. Its innovative salon model empowers beauty and wellness professionals to take control of their lives and their careers by providing beautiful, fully equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to launch their business in no time. For more information, please visit www.solasalons.com.

ABOUT SALON FREEDOM

Salon Freedom was formed in 2008 to develop franchised Sola Salon locations. The company announced a major investment in March 2022 by Three20 Capital Group, Geneva Glen Capital, and Stonehenge Partners. Salon Freedom operates 60 Sola Salon Studios locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas. 

ABOUT THREE20 CAPITAL GROUP

Three20 Capital Group (“Three20”) is a private equity firm led by franchise veterans Todd Recknagel and Kristi Mailloux. Three20 has a depth of experience in franchising, distribution, energy efficiency and multi-unit businesses. A sampling of Brands they have partnered with include Massage Envy, Office Pride, Take 5 Oil Change, Mr. Handyman, Molly Maid, Quatrro Business Services, and AM Conservation Group. www.Three20group.com

ABOUT GENEVA GLEN CAPITAL

Geneva Glen Capital (“GGC”) is a Chicago-based private equity firm that invests in proven private companies with leading market positions, significant growth potential, and stable cash flows. GGC makes control investments and targets companies headquartered in the U.S. or Canada with EBITDA between $2 million and $20 million. The firm works closely with management teams to establish and execute on a clearly defined value creation and growth plan. www.genevaglencapital.com

ABOUT STONEHENGE PARTNERS 

Stonehenge Partner (“Stonehenge”) is an Ohio-based private equity firm serving the lower middle market. Founded in 1999, Stonehenge has a long history of partnering with leading entrepreneurs and managers who are focused on building winning teams, accelerating growth, and creating shareholder value. Stonehenge provides flexible capital that meets the needs of all stakeholders, including majority equity, minority equity, debt, and combinations thereof. Stonehenge has raised more than $1.4 billion of committed capital and is currently investing out of its sixth institutional fund. www.Stonehengepartners.com

Contact David Raduziner, CEO at [email protected] or Todd Recknagel, Chairman of the Board at [email protected] 

Contact:
Brittanie Gioioso                                                                                                                    
720-764-9682
[email protected]

SOURCE Salon Freedom Holdings, LLC

• $525 million raised for Fund II, exceeding $500 million target
• Additional $280 million raised for Fund II co-investments
• Firm now manages over approximately $2.7 billion AUM

BALTIMORE, Aug. 14, 2023 — Access Holdings, a digitally-enabled middle market investment firm based in Baltimore, today announced it has raised approximately $805 million in new capital, including $525 million for Access Holdings Fund II L.P. (“Fund II”) and an additional $280 million for Fund II co-investment. This capital will be used for middle market buyout and growth capital investments in the U.S. The fund exceeded its target of $500 million amid strong headwinds in the private equity fundraising market. Access now manages more than $2.7 billion in assets.

The fund received support from several institutional investors, including new and existing limited partners comprised of endowments, insurance companies, prominent asset managers, and others. Investors in Access Holdings Fund I L.P. increased commitments to Fund II by an average of over eighty percent. Access Holdings Fund I closed at approximately $340 million and generated approximately $300 million of co-invest.

“We are humbled and grateful for the support of our new and existing investors and partners,” said Access Holdings Founder & Managing Partner Kevin McAllister. “Access’ second fund close marks a significant milestone in our firm’s history. We will continue to execute innovative and systemic value creation strategies that support enduring success for our stakeholders and continue to strengthen their trust in our partnership.”

Since the close of Access’ first fund in December 2020, market conditions have tightened. Private equity funds face a tougher environment, with the number of funds achieving their target raise decreasing from 89% in 2021 to 53% in 2022[1], and time in market doubling from 16 months in 2021 to 32 months in 2023[2]. Access launched Fund II in November 2021, and it closed 21 months later.

Access Holdings utilizes a contemporary digitally-enabled, high-velocity build and buy approach to maintain growth in the face of market uncertainty. By implementing purposeful best practices and next generation technologies, Access has scaled eight platform companies and completed over 200 add-on acquisitions. Access will continue to advance its business building capabilities as it deploys Fund II capital and works with partners to scale and grow market leading businesses. 

Press Contact
Katie Leshinsky – Phone: (201) 290-4511 / Email: [email protected]

About Access Holdings
Access Holdings Management Company LLC is a Baltimore-based, digitally-enabled middle market investment firm with offices in Baltimore, Maryland and New York, New York and has approximately $2.7 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2013, Access Holdings was a non-fund sponsor until its first fund in 2020. We provide high-quality, direct investments opportunities to create concentrated portfolios of essential service-based businesses in North America. We undertake active build and buy strategies, pursuing what we want to own, great markets and distinct business models. In doing so, Access partners with and supports exceptional, passionate, visionary leaders to scale and innovate businesses. For more information, please visit www.accessholdings.com.

¹Source: Preqin; Bain & Company analysis, Experienced funds under $5bn
²Source: Preqin as of July 11, 2023, for North America Buyout Funds less than $1bn in size. 32 months reflects 2023 YTD

SOURCE Access Holdings

• Sanghun Kim, former CEO of Naver; Kelvin Dongho Kim, CEO of Korea Credit Data (KCD); Tony Lyu, Venture Partner at SoftBank Ventures; and Simon Seojoon Kim, CEO of Hashed, participate as angel investors.
• Attracting investments from Musinsa and CTR.. creating a buzz in the art market.
• Organizer of the leading art fair in Korea “Art Busan,” launching a new Seoul fair in November 2023.

BUSAN, South Korea, Aug. 14, 2023 — On the 9^th of August, Art Busan Inc., the organizer of the leading Korean art fair ‘Art Busan’, announced that they have successfully secured their first investment round. Despite concerns about the ongoing economic downturn, this investment round validates the sustained interest in the art market and the high value and growth potential of the ‘Art Busan’ brand. Prominent unicorn startup founders and renowned investors including Sanghun Kim, former CEO of Naver, Kelvin Dongho Kim, CEO of Korea Credit Data, Simon Seojoon Kim, CEO of Hashed and Tony Lyu, venture partner at SoftBank Ventures Asia are among the list of investors. Korea’s leading fashion platform Musinsa and global mobility group CTR have also joined this initial investment round. 

Through this round of investment, Art Busan has successfully secured the optimal strategic partnership base required to expand its existing art fair business to Seoul and the global market. At the same time, it has positioned itself to operate a diverse range of new ventures within the on and offline sectors of the international art markets, which require strategic alliance.

Art Busan was established in 2011 with the ambition to transform the culturally marginalized city of Busan into a city of culture. In pursuit of this goal, they organized their first art fair, ‘Art Show Busan,’ in 2012. By 2022, Art Busan attained Korea’s top art fair brand title, in terms of visitor numbers, total sales volume, and art fair ranking conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, establishing itself as an art fair brand that gained not only domestic but also international attention. Through Art Busan, acclaimed international galleries have made their first debut into the Korean market, leading them to open their Korean branches. As such, Art Busan has been a key player in connecting major art institutions, galleries, art patrons and collectors. With its stable organizational culture and agile execution as a private entity, Art Busan has been a driving force behind the revitalization of the domestic art market in the absence of global-level art fairs. Now, with plans to host a new event integrating design and art in this year, and expanding its presence to Seoul, Art Busan aims to strengthen Korea’s brand power and make a leap into the global art market.

Sanghun Kim, former CEO of Naver, who has served as the Chairman of the National Theater Company of Korea, a board member of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and the President of the National Hangeul Museum Support Committee, responded that “I firmly believe and support that Art Busan, which started in my beloved city of Busan, will grow into a leading brand in Korea’s art and cultural scene and play a significant role in expanding the foundation of Korean art market in the right direction.” Kelvin Dongho Kim, CEO of Korea Credit Data added that “I was strongly attracted by Art Busan’s founding story and how the local fair from Busan has grown into Korea’s leading art fair brand. I am excited to join this investment round as I wanted to contribute to the company’s vision of becoming a global art brand.”

Director Seokho Jeong of Art Busan said, “this investment holds significance as it recognizes the substantial contributions Art Busan has made to the advancement of the Korean art market thus far, and its unique brand value established within the art market.” He added, “moving forward, we aim to grow Art Busan as a global brand and take a leading role in ensuring the nourishing and sustainable development of the Korean art market.”

As a significant step in its full-scale business expansion and global leap, Art Busan will unveil the first edition of the premium design and art fair, ‘DEFINE SEOUL,’ in the Seongsu district of Seoul from November 1st to 5th.

SOURCE Art Busan

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 14, 2023 — Biocanic, a software platform that helps functional and personalized health practitioners manage their clients and their health data, today announced that it has closed a $600,000 seed round. The round was led by Potter Ventures LLC, with participation from angel investors. Phil Potter, CEO of Potter Ventures, will take a board position as a part of this investment.

Biocanic is the first of its kind health intelligence system that helps practitioners collect, manage, and analyze their clients’ health data. The platform includes a variety of features that help practitioners to:

• Collect and process comprehensive health data from their clients, including intake forms, lab testing, supplement protocols, and client communication.
• Analyze their clients’ health data to identify areas of concern and develop personalized health plans and programs.
• Track their clients’ progress over time and identify areas where they may need additional support.

“We’re thrilled to have Phil Potter and his team join us on this journey,” said Biocanic CEO Jeremy Malecha. “Phil’s experience both as a patient and as an investor will be invaluable as we scale our business.”

With the funds from this round, Biocanic plans to continue development of its platform, expand its team, and market its platform to personalized health practitioners.

“I’m excited to partner with Biocanic and help them accelerate growth of their platform,” said Potter. “Not only is the personalized medicine industry growing at double digits, but I became aware of Biocanic while working with my personalized health physician. As a longevity enthusiast and active investor, I am excited to help Biocanic reach more practitioners across the globe.”

About Biocanic

Biocanic is the first of its kind health program intelligence system specifically designed to streamline personalized health programs for functional and integrative health practitioners. Biocanic helps practitioners effectively on-board, build and implement personalized health programs for their clients.

To learn more about Biocanic, visit www.biocanic.com.

Contact
Jessica Del Pino
[email protected]
844-812-8874

SOURCE Biocanic, Inc.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 14, 2023 — The first American Academy of Dermatology educational session to discuss the potential of regenerative medicine in dermatologic treatments featured data from Turn Biotechnologies’ ERA™ technology’s reprogramming of skin cells.

Turn Bio, a cell rejuvenation company developing novel mRNA medicines for untreatable, age-related conditions, shared results of the company’s ERA™ reprogramming technology on skin cells during the AAD 2023 Innovation Academy, the organization’s summer education meeting, held Aug. 10-13 in Tampa, Florida.

During a live podium presentation entitled “Epigenetic Reprogramming for Skin Rejuvenation,” on Aug. 12, Edward Hsia, PhD, vice president of Dermatology at Turn Bio, shared data showing that reprogramming with Turn Bio’s ERA technology rejuvenates cells within the extracellular matrix (ECM), resulting in comprehensive changes related to improved skin quality and structure. ERA reprogramming technology significantly reduced oxidative stress, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cellular senescence markers. It simultaneously increased fibroblast proliferation and collagen production.

“The AAD’s decision to introduce a session exploring the potential impact of regenerative medicine on dermatologic treatments acknowledges the importance of these new therapies, including the promise of Turn Bio’s ERA technology,” said Joely Kaufman, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and director of Skin Associates of South Florida, in Coral Gables, Florida, who co-directed the session in which Turn Bio presented its data. “We are on the verge of significantly improving standards of care for many conditions. The potential is incredible for both patients and practitioners.” 

This regenerative medicine session, co-directed by Kaufman and Saranya P. Wyles, MD, PhD, FAAD, program director of Clinical Regenerative Medicine Education in Mayo Clinic’s Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics in Rochester, Minnesota, was a first for the AAD.

It showed attendees that regenerative medicine is rapidly advancing and aims to restore form and function through innate reparative mechanisms.

“It is an honor for Turn Bio to be included in the inaugural regenerative medicine session at the AAD 2023 Innovation Academy,” said Turn Bio CEO Anja Krammer. “We are thrilled to be sharing our research in epigenetic reprogramming for cell rejuvenation and showing the possibilites in dermatological treatments for patients in the future.”

ABOUT TURN BIOTECHNOLOGIES

Turn Bio is a pre-clinical-stage company focused on repairing tissue at the cellular level and developing transformative drug delivery systems. The company’s proprietary mRNA-based ERA™ technology restores optimal gene expression by combatting the effects of aging in the epigenome. This restores cells’ ability to prevent or treat disease and heal or regenerate tissue. It will help to fight incurable chronic diseases. Its eTurna™ Delivery Platform uses unique formulations to precisely deliver cargo to specific organs, tissues, and cell types.

The company is completing pre-clinical research on tailored therapies targeting indications in dermatology and immunology, and developing therapies for ophthalmology, osteo-arthritis, and the muscular system. For more information, see www.turn.bio.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jim Martinez, rightstorygroup
[email protected] or (312) 543-9026

SOURCE Turn Biotechnologies