UT Austin’s Discovery to Impact Program invests in Group1, a company developing advanced cathode materials that enable critical mineral-free, domestically sourced Potassium-ion batteries.

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 29, 2023 — Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin has invested $250,000 in Group1, a UT Austin-affiliated startup aiming to revolutionize the energy industry by developing Potassium-ion battery (KIB) technology. The investment will help Group1 increase its workforce, expand production capacity of their product potassium cathode material, Kristonite^™, to pilot-scale, and forge business partnerships with Tier1 cell and automotive manufacturers that wish to establish a domestic, “lithium alternative” solution.

This is the fourth investment made by UT Austin’s $10 million Seed Fund, which is managed by Discovery to Impact, the University’s research commercialization team. The fund invests in the most promising new startups built on university-owned intellectual property emerging from UT Austin’s $845 million research enterprise. It invested in Group1, an Austin-based technology company born out of the late 2019 Nobel laureate Professor John Goodenough’s lab, because of its commitment to commercialization of ground-breaking research and belief that KIBs are a credible, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

“This investment in Group1 is a testament to the University’s dedication to expanding research commercialization across campus and leveraging the immense and growing intellectual talent of UT Austin and its affiliates,” said Christine Dixon Thiesing, Associate Vice President of Discovery to Impact. “We are a world class university located in the heart of Austin, Texas—a booming technology and innovation hub and a vibrant and dynamic city—at the forefront of the 21st century’s emerging knowledge-based economy. We are excited about our partnership with Group1, and wish the Group1 team continued success.”  

Group1 will commercially produce KIBs, an energy storage solution free of critical minerals such as Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, and Copper, while facilitating domestic manufacturing and further strengthening U.S. energy security. Its product, Kristonite^™, a 4V cathode material — Potassium Prussian White (KPW) — enables KIBs that can deliver faster charging with enhanced safety and higher energy density when compared to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)-based LIBs or Sodium-ion batteries (NIB), making them the future of the energy industry. To date, Group1 has raised $7.5 million to bring KIB technology to market and is currently in the early phases of engagement with leading supply-chain partners and several of the largest and most reputable cell manufacturers, domestic and globally.

“Group1 is pleased with UT Austin’s investment into Group1. It will enable the commercialization of ground-breaking battery technology that reduces U.S. reliance on critical minerals that are chiefly sourced from conflict regions or countries suffering geopolitical unrest,” said Alex Girau, CEO and Co-founder of Group1 and an Energy Transition Fellow at the Energy Institute. “We are proud to be based in the battery capital of the world, Austin, Texas, and to further strengthen our ties with world renowned institution such as UT Austin.”

Group1 employs several UT Austin alumni and affiliates – including employees who worked at Professor John Goodenough’s famed lab, where many of today’s LIB innovations, such as LFP, were invented. Leigang Xue, Group1 Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder, invented the core KPW technology during his time at UT Austin as a Postdoctoral researcher in the Goodenough lab. In addition, he is also a Visiting Scholar at the Texas Material Institute. Group1 has further developed KIB core technology and has established a world leading IP position, which includes exclusive license from UT Austin.

“As an investor in Group1 and having been a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) for ten years, I believe deeply in this partnership’s potential to transform the U.S battery supply-chain and help solve the looming Lithium shortage,” said Kyle Bass, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Hayman Capital. “UT has long been a world leader in developing battery technology and I am excited that Group1 will commercialize this technology in Texas.” 

For more information about Group1, visit www.group1.ai. For more information about Discovery to Impact, visit https://discoveries.utexas.edu/.

About Group1

Founded in 2021 and based in Austin, TX, Group1 is the world’s first engineered materials company focusing on the rapid commercialization of Potassium-ion batteries. The company is revolutionizing the energy industry by enabling sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective energy storage — expanding beyond the limitations of Lithium-ion batteries while building on the best of Lithium-ion technologies.

About Discovery at Impact and The UT Austin Seed Fund

Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin brings research discoveries to the marketplace to impact the world. Working with world-class inventors, investors, creators, and entrepreneurs, the Discovery to Impact team launches startups and collaborates with established businesses to accelerate new products, services, solutions, and cures. The $10 million UT Austin Seed Fund is managed by Discovery to Impact. The fund invests in the most promising new startups built on university-owned intellectual property emerging from UT Austin’s $845 million research enterprise.

Media Contact:
Helen McCarthy
[email protected]
202.420.8449

SOURCE Group1

CH4 Global will meet growing global demand for enteric methane mitigation solutions in animal agriculture.

HENDERSON, Nev., Aug. 29, 2023 — CH4 Global, Inc., a climate tech company on the path to radically reducing GHG emissions in animal agriculture, today announced it has raised US$29 million in Series B funding. The company will use the funds to build and validate the CH4 Global EcoPark™, an aquaculture and production facility that will make CH4 Global’s signature product, Methane Tamer™, at scale. 

This round, led by DCVC, DCVC Bio, and Cleveland Avenue – with participation from other investors with a strong interest in climate change – brings the total raised to date to nearly US$47 million. It also underscores market demand for safe, viable solutions to vastly reduce enteric methane from ruminant livestock.

When added to cattle feed, Methane Tamer—which uses a red seaweed (Asparagopsis)—reduces the animals’ methane emissions by up to 90% while also reducing the feed energy lost to methane emissions. With the development of its CH4 Global EcoPark, the company is poised for expansion in key markets and with key partners throughout all six inhabitable continents.

This is a key development in the fight against climate change. The 1.5 billion cows on the planet produce more than 150 million tons of methane annually — the largest single source of methane globally. At more than 12 billion tons CO₂-e per year (at an average of 100 kg methane/cow), this is a larger GHG output than from the US, the EU, and India combined. Moreover, the UN cites methane as over 80 times more impactful than CO₂ on global warming over the next 20 years. 

“We are receiving massive interest from governments, food producers and farmers of all sizes, fueling our sense of urgency that we must act now to avoid a climate tipping point. The pressure is on with new regulations and the desire to produce at a measurably lower impact. What we’ve developed at CH4 Global is what we call a CH4 Global EcoPark, which enables low-cost growth and processing of Asparagopsis,” said Steve Meller, PhD, co-founder and CEO, CH4 Global. “We are formulating our unique feed supplement products, Methane Tamer, to meet the specific needs of each cattle market segment, starting with feedlot operations, beef and dairy, as well as for grazing dairies. Eventually, we will also formulate for remote and generally unattended cattle around the world.”

“CH4 Global’s secret sauce is its product, plain and simple: the feed additive it has expertly formulated stands apart from other seaweed-based offerings,” said John Hamer PhD, Managing Partner at DCVC Bio and a member of the CH4 Global board of directors. “DCVC Bio is thrilled to back Steve and his exceptional team: they are ready to scale up a critical solution to climate change.”

“CH4 is exactly the kind of deep tech company the world urgently needs,” said Zachary Bogue, DCVC Co-founder and Managing Partner. “Their natural and proprietary solution to the vexing global problem of methane from cattle can have a material environmental impact quickly and at scale.” 

As part of this funding round, Cleveland Avenue, LLC will join the CH4 Global Board of Directors. “We are excited about the opportunity that CH4 Global represents in addressing the major global problem of methane gas emissions. Cleveland Avenue looks forward to supporting CH4 Global’s world-class team in this endeavor,” said Randall Lewis, Managing Partner at Cleveland Avenue, LLC.

Over 150 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce methane emissions by 30%. This followed the IPCC’s May 2021 report that stated that “methane is the single biggest lever for climate change impact in the next 25 years.” According to the IPCC, methane emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030 relative to projected levels in order to put the world on a path consistent with the Paris Agreement 1.5˚C target.

About DCVC and DCVC Bio (https://www.dcvc.com)

DCVC backs entrepreneurs using deep tech to solve problems and multiply the benefits of capitalism for everyone while reducing its cost. DCVC Bio invests in early-stage life science companies driven by deep-tech approaches.

About Cleveland Avenue (https://www.clevelandavenue.com)

Founded by Don Thompson, the former President & CEO of McDonald’s Corporation, Cleveland Avenue is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that invests in lifestyle consumer brands and technology companies that positively disrupt large and growing markets. To learn more, visit www.clevelandavenue.com.

About CH4 Global (https://www.ch4global.com)

CH4 Global, founded in 2018, is on an urgent mission to bend the climate curve, through collaboration with strategic partners worldwide. Led by a world-class team of senior business builders, scientists and entrepreneurs, the company delivers market-disruptive products that enable the food industry value chain to radically reduce GHG emissions. The company’s first innovation, Methane Tamer™ feed additives for feedlot cattle, harnesses the power of Asparagopsis seaweed to reduce enteric methane emissions by up to 90%. CH4 Global is headquartered in Henderson, NV, with current subsidiaries in Australia and New Zealand. Learn more about CH4 Global and our recent news.

Media Contacts – CH4 Global, Inc.
For press inquiries in North America, Latin America, and Europe
Charlene Moore, Public Relations Officer, and Communications Counsel
[email protected] | P: +1 725 272 5732 | M: +1 831 331 5332

For press inquiries in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand
Verity Edwards, Hughes Public Relations and Communication Counsel
[email protected] | P: 08 8412 4100 | M: 0412 678 942

SOURCE CH4 Global, Inc.

New investment, led by BIP Ventures, will accelerate product innovation to address the unique needs of large complex organizations

CHICAGO, Aug. 29, 2023 — Mediafly, the revenue enablement company, today announced an $80 million investment led by BIP Ventures with support from Boathouse Capital and Mediafly insiders. The funding will advance Mediafly’s strategy to deliver the most comprehensive revenue enablement platform, intentionally designed for large enterprises. Mediafly is used daily by top B2B go-to-market teams to engage buyers, prepare sellers, quantify value, and continuously optimize sales force performance.

Over the past 18 months Mediafly grew its customer base 164% and added new capabilities through organic innovation and the acquisition and integration of five revenue technology vendors. Mediafly is now the only provider to effectively combine enablement (content management and coaching) and intelligence (conversation and revenue) in a unified platform. The company’s platform is trusted by a vast network of sales, marketing, customer success, enablement, and operations professionals at global organizations including Nestle, ADP, Honeywell, TransUnion, Heineken, Adobe, Sealed Air and Moen.

“In this environment companies have to clear a high bar to raise money. Our investment is a resounding statement about how critical revenue enablement is and how well-positioned Mediafly is to lead the sector,” said Mark Buffington, Managing Partner of BIP Ventures. “They are the only company that has combined revenue enablement and intelligence — a game-changer for complex enterprise companies.”

Over the last five years, enterprise B2B selling has experienced significant transformation: buyers digitally self-educate, buying groups have grown, and everyone is inundated by content. This shift requires a modern approach to enablement, with personalized, immersive experiences that stand out.

Mediafly makes it easy to create and share content and is designed to scale across tens of thousands of sellers and buyers. The platform features enterprise functionality including robust user management and permissioning, stringent brand governance, effortless personalization, seamless data integration, and reliable security.

“Our mission is to help revenue teams succeed with their buyers and to positively progress the pre- and post-meeting relationship through content experiences that build trust and confidence,” said Carson Conant, Mediafly Founder and co-CEO. “We’re seeing strong demand from the enterprise segment reaffirming the need for unique solutions that address the challenges global go-to-market teams face. With this funding, we’re poised to unveil new capabilities and enriched services, equipping our customers with what they need to strengthen business relationships and increase revenue growth.”

“The days of companies putting together a pastiche of best of breed tools are well behind us,” said Mary Shea, Mediafly co-CEO. “Mediafly’s platform allows business leaders to consolidate their enablement tools by uniting content management, digital sales rooms, revenue and conversation intelligence, and value selling tools. My research shows that 75% of go-to-market leaders strongly prioritize providers that offer multiple products. Companies are tired of balancing siloed data and disconnected technologies that are expensive, difficult to maintain and result in poor user adoption.”

To learn more about bringing enterprise revenue enablement to your organization, visit Mediafly.com.

Union Square Advisors LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Mediafly in its financing.

About Mediafly:
Mediafly is the revenue enablement company market-facing teams rely on to plan, predict, coach, and engage at the highest levels. Our platform empowers sellers to lead with value, managers to coach at scale, leaders to forecast with confidence — and buyers to interact with personalized and dynamic content. In today’s complex, unpredictable market, top revenue teams worldwide, including Nestle, ADP, Honeywell, TransUnion, Heineken, Adobe, Sealed Air and Moen, turn to Mediafly to accelerate pipeline growth and close more deals faster. To learn more, visit www.mediafly.com.

About BIP Ventures:
BIP Ventures, the North American-focused venture capital division of BIP Capital, is one of the Southeast’s largest and most active VC firms. BIP Ventures partners with extraordinary founders to drive exceptional outcomes. Since 2007, BIP Capital has invested in the success of B2B software and tech-enabled service businesses at all stages of maturity. In addition to capital, it supports entrepreneurs with access to infrastructure, acumen, and talent that results in category-leading companies. A distinct multi-stage investment platform drives consistent top-quartile returns. For more information, visit bipventures.vc or follow BIP Ventures on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter @bipventures.

SOURCE Mediafly

NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2023 — CobiCure Medical Technologies, a non-profit pediatric initiative, part of the Advancium Health Network, announced today its continued commitment to solving the unmet needs in pediatric medical technologies with a grant of strategic support, resources, and $2 million in funding to PolyVascular, a Houston,TX based medical device company, developing a transformative, first of its kind, non-surgical heart valve for young children suffering from congenital heart disease.

The strategic support, resources, and funding provided by CobiCure MedTech will be used to further advance the development of PolyVascular’s novel polymer heart valve towards becoming the first of its kind to demonstrate human clinical readiness. This strategic collaboration aims to accelerate this life-saving technology for children born with congenital heart defects, which affect nearly 40,000 births per year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“CobiCure’s mission, strategic ecosystem, and critical resources are a perfect match for helping PolyVascular realize their goal of eliminating invasive surgeries in children with congenital heart disease,” said Emma Moran, PhD, Director of Strategy & Development at CobiCure MedTech. “Our commitment to supporting life-changing medical devices like PolyVascular’s will fill gaps in pediatric MedTech and we look forward to the positive impact it could have on children’s lives.”

The resource and funding grant provided by CobiCure MedTech adds to the $3.5 million in grants previously secured from sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II, as well as $750,000 from private funding.

“This investment from CobiCure MedTech is a testament to the progress our team has made and acknowledges the need for better solutions for children with congenital heart disease,” said founder and pediatric cardiologist, Henri Justino, MD. “We’re grateful for the trust placed in our team by CobiCure. With their support, we are one step closer to reaching this vulnerable population to improve their quality of life and offer parents greater peace of mind.”

CobiCure MedTech provides an expedited pathway to sustainable commercialization that is often out of reach for many pediatric innovators and their medical devices. The lack of investment in the field places operational, developmental, and commercial constraints on innovators, further deepening the gaps for pediatrics, thereby limiting the number of approved pediatric medical devices. The current landscape leaves the medical community with few options, ultimately placing the burden on families and hindering the child’s quality of life.

The CobiCure non-profit model is supported by strategic business and scientific advisors with world-leading commercial expertise, who are motivated to transform the industry by removing Return on Investment (ROI) as a motivator and instead prioritizing impact and immediacy. CobiCure MedTech applies deep industry knowledge and strategic expertise at any stage of the product lifecycle to support pediatric innovation from ideation, through development and regulatory affairs, to commercial execution. CobiCure MedTech is reimagining the pediatric medical device landscape to ensure that pediatric medicine has access to tools and technology that can transform the industry and positively impact children’s lives.

About PolyVascular

PolyVascular is developing a next-generation heart valve replacement for children suffering from congenital heart disease. The company’s pioneering non-surgical valve uses a novel polymer to replace faulty heart valves, reducing the need for multiple surgeries and significantly improving patients’ quality of life. For more information, visit https://polyvascular.com.

About CobiCure MedTech

CobiCure MedTech is a non-profit pediatric organization, part of the Advancium Health Network, focused on reimagining pediatric medical technology through its strategic ecosystem, critical resources, leadership and funding, ensuring that return on investment is not a determinant for bringing life-changing pediatric medical technologies to children.
For more information on how CobiCure is reimagining the pediatric technology landscape to transform lives, visit: https://advanciumhealth.org/cobicure.html

Media Contact

Kaitlyn Tuson
[email protected]

SOURCE Advancium Health Network

TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 29, 2023 — GITAI USA Inc. and GITAI Japan Inc. (GITAI), the world’s leading space robotics startup company, has raised an additional US$15 million for the Series B Extension round. Combined with the US$30 million funding announced in May of this year, the total amount of the Series B Extension round is now US$45 million.

The additional funds raised in this round will be primarily used to achieve the following objectives:

• Business expansion in the U.S.
• Partial coverage of the lunar surface demonstration

In this round, GITAI raised funds through a third-party allotment from the following companies and funds:

Green Co-Invest Investment Limited Partnership

• Pacific Bays Fund 1 & 1A Investment Limited Partnerships (Pacific Bays Capital)
• MSIVC 2021V Venture Capital Investment Limited Partnership (MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE Venture Capital Co., Ltd.)

Additionally, GITAI secured funds through a loan from the following company:

• MUFG Bank, Ltd.

About GITAI:
GITAI is the world’s leading space robotics startup, aiming to provide safe and affordable labor in space and reduce operational costs by 100 times. GITAI is developing highly capable, safe, and reliable robots to help build and maintain satellites, space stations, lunar bases, and cities on Mars.

Company: GITAI USA Inc. (Los Angeles), GITAI Japan, Inc. (Tokyo)
CEO: Sho Nakanose
URL: https://gitai.tech/
Contact Us: [email protected]
Phone: 424-587-1787

< Press Kit >

SOURCE GITAI USA Inc.

Led by thesis-driven healthcare investor NewSpring

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 29, 2023 — AeroSafe Global (AeroSafe), the industry-leading cold chain solution provider, announced today the closure of a $43M funding round led by NewSpring, via NewSpring Health Capital, the Firm’s dedicated healthcare fund. Existing blue chip healthcare investors, including Peloton Equity, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Hamilton Lane, Flexstone Capital, Wave Equity Partners, and Escalate Capital, also participated in the round.  This growth capital will be used to support continued customer growth with innovative product development and increased operational capacities. 

As AeroSafe continues its quest to ensure safe, sustainable deliveries of therapeutics, so does its positive impact on the healthcare industry. More than 45 biopharma companies trust AeroSafe to help them deliver millions of shipments to hundreds of thousands of patients, providers, pharmacies, and hospital systems in 85 countries.  AeroSafe is transforming the pharma supply chain for a more reliable, sustainable future.

“We are thrilled to welcome NewSpring to the AeroSafe team,” said Jay McHarg, CEO of AeroSafe.  “With their depth of knowledge, extensive experience, and outstanding team, NewSpring is the ideal partner for AeroSafe at this time of explosive growth in existing and expanding markets.”

As part of the transaction, Pete Buzy and Kapila Ratnam, Ph.D., are joining the AeroSafe Board of Directors. Buzy is the former Chairman of Gene Therapy at Catalent, Inc., and currently serves as an Advisory Partner for NewSpring’s dedicated healthcare funds. Ratnam is a Partner of NewSpring and the Firm’s dedicated healthcare funds with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry.

“As demand for biologics and the timely, safe delivery of temperature-sensitive therapeutics continues to skyrocket, AeroSafe is redefining cold chain solutions by increasing visibility and responsiveness to avoid costly failures that result in lost drug inventory,” said Dr. Ratnam. “Jay and his team have done a tremendous job developing a technology-enabled service to one of the pharmaceutical industry’s largest problems, and we’re thrilled to work alongside their entire team as we expand access to these critical services and take the business to new levels of growth.”

Baird acted as the exclusive placement agent and Foley Hoag acted as the legal advisor to AeroSafe.

About AeroSafe Global
AeroSafe Global is the leader in biopharmaceutical cold chain solutions, providing ‘Cold Chain as a Service’ (CCaaS) to ensure the safe, sustainable delivery and effective use of pharmaceuticals. Its comprehensive service offering includes high-tech reusable thermal packaging, outsourced supply chain services, and a temperature monitoring control tower, all part of a pay-per-turn hassle-free program.  AeroSafe Global delivers outstanding reliability with significant sustainability benefits through its industry-leading reuse program that reduces carbon usage and landfill by 65% and 90%, respectively, compared to traditional Styrofoam containers.  For additional information, please visit www.AerosafeGlobal.com. 

About NewSpring
NewSpring partners with the innovators, makers, and operators of high-performing companies in dynamic industries to catalyze new growth and seize compelling opportunities. The Firm manages over $3.0 billion across five distinct strategies covering the spectrum from growth equity and control buyouts to mezzanine debt. Having invested in over 200 companies, NewSpring brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources to take growing companies to the next level and beyond. Partnering with management teams to help develop their businesses into market leaders, NewSpring identifies opportunities and builds relationships using its network of industry leaders and influencers across a wide array of operational areas and industries. To learn more, visit www.newspringcapital.com.

SOURCE NewSpring

With 9x annual recurring revenue growth since 2021, Apollo.io becomes the first sales technology unicorn minted in 2023 and one of the fastest growing companies in SaaS

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 29, 2023 — Apollo.io, the leading go-to-market (GTM) solution for sales and marketing teams, announced today that it has raised $100M in Series D funding led by Bain Capital Ventures (BCV), with participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital, Tribe Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners. Following the company’s Series C in March 2022, this investment brings the company’s total funding to approximately $250 million while nearly doubling the valuation of the company at $1.6 billion.

The company has grown revenue 9x over the last two years and currently serves over three million GTM professionals at over 500,000 companies from startups to global enterprises including Qualtrics, Customer.io, and Census. This cash injection will allow it to more than double employee count to continue building the next generation of GTM.

Sales today is more challenging than ever before. The traditional go-to-market tech stack includes disparate tools that are complex to set up, difficult to integrate, cost-prohibitive to most businesses, and most importantly, offer no intelligent end-to-end GTM guidance. According to Salesforce’s 2022 State of Sales Report, sales teams use an average of 10 tools to close deals and reps say they’re only spending 28 percent of their week actually selling, with the majority of their time consumed by other tasks like deal management and data entry.

By building sales intelligence, engagement, and execution workflows on top of Apollo’s proprietary B2B buyer database, Apollo enables sales and marketing teams to operationalize their go-to-market strategy, generate pipeline, win deals, and improve team performance with AI-driven GTM guidance — all in one streamlined platform.

“In line with our mission to make world-class go-to-market solutions simple and accessible to all, we have experienced unprecedented product-led growth during a time of economic uncertainty,” said Tim Zheng, Co-Founder and CEO at Apollo. “Our investors, led by Bain Capital Ventures, bring a new level of sophistication to the table that will accelerate Apollo.io’s journey from startup to scaleup. We look forward to expanding our offering for sales professionals to effectively target, engage, and convert buyers into long-lasting customers.”

Some of the world’s largest and most influential enterprise organizations trust Apollo.io to connect and convert quickly and efficiently with key decision-makers to unlock more revenue. Apollo.io is now the No. 1 ranked Sales Intelligence and Sales Engagement solution on G2, empowering sellers to find and prioritize prospects who are actively looking to buy.

“Tim and the Apollo team have built a remarkable B2B platform that we believe will redefine the next generation of go-to-market sales,” said Merritt Hummer, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures. “Once companies experience Apollo’s buyer database coupled with powerful automation tools for lead generation and beyond, they’re hooked. We see the company providing the foundation for GTM teams everywhere in the future, driving direct sales at an unprecedented scale.”

Apollo.io’s success and position in the market has led to an influx of world-class tech talent, recently adding Leandra Fishman as Chief Revenue Officer from Intercom and SendGrid/Twilio, Dzmitry Markovich as SVP of Engineering from Dapper Labs and Dropbox, and Shek Viswanathan as a Chief Product Officer from Qualtrics. Having more than doubled headcount in 2023, Apollo.io plans to grow to 1,000 team members by 2025 across engineering, marketing and sales, design, product, legal, and people operations — an increase of 122 percent. The company is remote-first, employing 450 team members who are fully distributed across 30 countries globally. Apply to join the Apollo.io team today.

• “Apollo.io has built the ideal unified GTM platform — from data to engagement to deal execution to forecasting — and is in a fabulous position to combine Generative AI with their B2B buyer database to optimize and ultimately re-invent sales software.” Sonya Huang, Partner at Sequoia Capital
• “It has been a privilege for us to be part of Apollo.io’s journey since inception and see them disrupt the sales-tech space. Apollo.io is democratizing access to intelligent go-to-market software globally. It’s becoming one of the most ubiquitously used platforms across categories. Apollo.io’s intuitive self-serve product along with user-friendly pricing has helped expand its reach beyond sales professionals and tech businesses. We love the Apollo.io team’s obsession with delighting users and maximizing consumer surplus. The new round will help the company further invest in R&D and make its product even more powerful.” – Abhishek Sharma, Managing Director at Nexus Venture Partners

Sign up for free at www.apollo.io.

About Apollo.io
Apollo.io is the leading go-to-market solution for revenue teams, trusted by over 500,000 companies and millions of users globally, from rapidly growing startups to some of the world’s largest enterprises. Apollo.io provides sales and marketing teams with easy access to verified contact data for over 270 million B2B contacts, along with tools to engage and convert these contacts in one unified platform. By helping revenue professionals find the most accurate contact information and automating the outreach process, Apollo.io turns prospects into customers.

About Bain Capital Ventures
Bain Capital Ventures (BCV) is a multi-stage VC firm investing across four core domains—fintech, application software, infrastructure, and commerce-tech. Leveraging the unique resources of Bain Capital, we deploy targeted support at every stage of the company-building journey. For over 20 years, BCV has helped launch and commercialize more than 400 companies including Attentive, Bloomreach, Docker, DocuSign, Flywire, LinkedIn, Mirakl, and Redis. You can follow us on Twitter @BainCapVC.

SOURCE Apollo.io

The funding will support Intuition Robotics’ growth as demand surges for loneliness interventions, and fuel its continued development of ElliQ’s relationship and conversational capabilities, powered by generative AI and deep utilization of Large Language Models (LLMs)

RAMAT GAN, Israel, Aug. 29, 2023 — Intuition Robotics announced today that it has secured a first closing of a new funding round amounting to $25 million, $20M in venture capital and $5M in venture debt, and led by Woven Capital, the growth fund of Toyota, with participation from Toyota Ventures, OurCrowd, Western Technology Investment, and additional investors. The funding will help the company meet surging demand for its AI care companion ElliQ across government aging agencies and healthcare organizations. It will also allow the company to deepen integrations into the healthcare system and help aging populations better connect with others, and better access much-needed products and services while reducing costs.

Loneliness is an epidemic that can cause serious harm to health, with the U.S. Surgeon General recently advising that experiencing loneliness can increase the risk of death equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The U.S. healthcare system is increasingly seeking solutions, with legislation recently introduced to create a national policy to promote social connection and address soaring rates of loneliness.

Intuition Robotics has pioneered ElliQ, an AI companion designed to enhance the lives of older adults by combating loneliness and promoting healthy and independent living. In an era dominated by groundbreaking technologies, ElliQ has consistently demonstrated its ability to engage users over time and positively impact the lives of older individuals with its proactive suggestions and conversational capabilities. ElliQ provides companionship and support for older adults through daily health check-ins, cognitive and physical activities, connection to family and friends, and more using a simple and intuitive interface.

“Intuition Robotics is advancing the future of mobility for aging populations by offering human connection and access to goods and services that they couldn’t obtain otherwise,” said Nicole LeBlanc, a partner at Woven Capital who is also joining the company’s board of directors. “The company is leading the way by providing a field-proven solution that delivers strong results, improving social infrastructure and serving overlooked markets in unique, thoughtful, and powerful ways. These are precisely the values behind the future of mobility that Toyota is bringing to life, making Intuition Robotics a natural fit for Woven Capital.”

The funding round comes on the heels of a successful commercial launch with government agencies across the United States. Intuition Robotics has initiated programs to distribute ElliQ at no cost to end users with the New York State Office for the Aging, the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, the Olympic Area Agency on Aging, and California’s Agency on Aging in Area 4. In addition, the company signed its first agreement with a Managed Care Organization focusing on Medicare beneficiaries. In the state of New York, the product has shown unprecedented engagement levels with users averaging over 30 interactions with ElliQ per day. It has been proven to reduce loneliness for 95% of users.

The latest advancements in Generative AI and the prevalence of transformers and Large Language Models (LLMs) have allowed Intuition Robotics to integrate rich and continuous conversational experiences into ElliQ. By leveraging these advancements, ElliQ has deepened its conversational abilities, allowing for an even deeper relationship to evolve between ElliQ and the user. The company has developed technology that chooses the areas where to integrate multiple LLMs seamlessly into the experiences such as sparking the creativity of the users by painting with ElliQ through the use of DALLE2, augmenting scripted conversations, and achieving deeper contextual understanding. This is done with guardrails and algorithmic control on the integrity of the experience.

“We’ve seen the direct impact that loneliness has had on our aging community, but we’ve also seen the positive results our AI and technology have on the older adult population. Beyond the groundbreaking results in reducing loneliness – ElliQ is also seeing an impact on health, wellness, and behavior change,” said Dor Skuler, CEO and Co-founder of Intuition Robotics. “The latest advancements in AI have advanced ElliQ’s conversational capabilities to become even more contextual, personalized, and goal driven. We’re proud to be at the forefront of harnessing this technology for the benefit of our users. We are excited to utilize this new funding to deploy more ElliQ devices out into the world, further increase its accessibility, expand partnerships, and gain a deeper understanding of the role ElliQ can play in the healthcare ecosystem. We are grateful for the support of Woven Capital and our additional investors as we continue our mission to empower older adults to live happier, healthier, and more independent lives at home,”

“Since we first invested in Intuition Robotics in 2017, we’ve been inspired by the team’s mission to empower older adults using AI. It’s exciting to see the progress they’ve made over the years – from ElliQ’s initial development and testing, to the commercial deployment and now a growing number of partnerships,” said Jim Adler, founder and general partner of Toyota Ventures. “We share the company’s vision of using technology to amplify the human experience and look forward to seeing how ElliQ will continue to enrich the lives of older adults.”

About Intuition Robotics
Intuition Robotics is on a mission to empower older adults to live happier, healthier, and more independent lives at home. The company’s award-winning product, ElliQ^®, is a proactive care companion for older adults. ElliQ helps keep users healthy, engaged, and informed, while alleviating the effects of loneliness and social isolation. Intuition Robotics has won several awards for its work with ElliQ including Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and the CES Best of Innovation award. The company was founded in 2016 and investors include: Woven Capital, Toyota Ventures, Samsung NEXT, iRobot, OurCrowd, Terra Ventures and Venture Capital firms from California, Israel, Japan, and Asia. To learn more, please visit intuitionrobotics.com.

Media Contact
Jennifer Laski
Si14 Global Communications
irpr@si14global.com

SOURCE Intuition Robotics

HYDERABAD, India, Aug. 29, 2023 — Aryastha Life Sciences, a leading Contract Research and Development Organization in healthcare, has achieved a major milestone by successfully concluding its Series A funding with significant backing from Vessella Group, a prominent investor in India.

A strategic funding boost from Vessella positions Aryastha to reshape drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. With a vision to provide exceptional solutions for unmet clinical needs, Aryastha leverages cutting-edge R&D infrastructure in India and plans expansion in the USA. Aryastha aims to differentiate as a pioneer, utilizing AI, advanced preclinical models derived from patient samples and  pluripotent stem cells  ‘Aryastha’s Bio Solutions™^‘ for efficient drug screening. This innovative approach accelerates the clinical translatability of candidates, streamlining services across the value chain and addressing pharmaceutical industry challenges.

Aryastha’s commitment to transforming drug discovery attracts top talent aiming to influence healthcare. With cutting-edge facilities and a skilled team, Aryastha cultivates an environment of innovation. Partnering with Vessella Group offers a unique chance for impactful change in healthcare. Vessella’s investment acknowledges outsourcing’s significance in drug discovery and development, aligning with Aryastha’s expertise. Guided by visionary leadership, Aryastha is poised to advance scientific solutions and provide quality healthcare services.

Quote from Co-Founder & CEO, Dr. Raghava Reddy Kethiri, Ph.D.:

“Empowered by our excellent team and infrastructure, we have united our expertise to establish a leading drug discovery and development service company globally. With our vast collective knowledge and experience, we are dedicated to revolutionizing the drug discovery and development process by de-risking throughout the entire value chain.”

Quote from Co-Founder, Former Faculty of Harvard Medical School, Boston & Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Pradip K. Majumder, Ph.D.:

“Aryastha will differentiate by unique preclinical models from patients’ samples and pluripotent stem cells. By mimicking the intracellular milieu and patho-physiological ecosystem to enhance the predictability of the clinical success of drug-like molecules. These cutting-edge technologies will enable faster and more economical routes for clinical translatability of drug candidates.”

Quote from Vessella Group Managing Director & CEO, Sivananda Reddy Mandra:

“Pharmaceutical outsourcing is vital in drug discovery and development. Our investment in Aryastha offers a distinctive yet attractive opportunity to collaborate and contribute to healthcare. Tempus Law Associates and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas structured the business legally. While specific Series A terms remain undisclosed, Aryastha’s partnership with Vessella promises innovation and quality healthcare services worldwide.”

ABOUT VESSELLA GROUP

Vessella Group, a renowned and distinguished investor in many sectors including infrastructure, healthcare and expands into pharma and life sciences, affirming a dedication to global healthcare progress. Visit www.vessella.com for details.

ABOUT ARYASTHA LIFE SCIENCES

Aryastha, an innovation-driven Life Science service provider, offers CRDMO solutions for novel drug development from Hyderabad, India. With advanced R&D and a visionary approach, Aryastha excels in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechs. Discover more on LinkedIn or at www.aryastha.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195351/Aryastha_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Aryastha Life Sciences