DELRAN, N.J., Dec. 18, 2023 — Pickleball Kingdom, the leading brand for indoor pickleball, is taking on a new role… that of matchmaker. As part of the company’s aggressive national expansion plan, it has identified New Jersey as a key growth area. The company previously announced it plans to open 20 Pickleball Kingdom locations in Central New Jersey over the next few years. It is now on a star search to find ambitious people who want to participate in that growth.

Pickleball Kingdom CEO, Ace Rodrigues, commented, “There’s a tsunami of opportunity coming our way. The hunger for pickleball is ravenous and we are scaling to meet that demand. We are only limited by speed at which we can identify key partners to expand with.”

Recently, local businessman, Sam Sood, was introduced as the company’s Master Franchisee in Central New Jersey. Sood has identified numerous prime locations that meet the company’s proprietary demographic and psychographic formula. He explains, “Building a Pickleball Kingdom involves specifics elements being in place to enhance its success. With Central New Jersey and Bucks County, PA, as a backdrop, there are many locations that get us very excited about the future. I’m actively seeking interested parties so we can connect them to these excellent locations.”

Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in America, has taken New Jersey by storm. Its widespread popularity has created a significant demand for high-quality indoor facilities that cater to players of all skill levels. Pickleball Kingdom, with its wealth of experience in the industry, is now inviting entrepreneurs and pickleball enthusiasts to partner with in developing new indoor pickleball clubs.

Rob Streett, COO of Pickleball Kingdom, added, “For the right person, this opportunity could be life changing. We’re looking for ‘early adaptors’ who see the value in being first to market. Franchising experience is a plus, but not necessary. If someone has the right attitude, our training will provide all the support they will need.” 

Why Pickleball Kingdom?

Prime Locations: Pickleball Kingdom has conducted extensive research to identify prime locations throughout New Jersey and Bucks County, PA. for these new clubs.

Established Brand: As a recognized leader in the pickleball community, Pickleball Kingdom brings a strong and reputable brand to the table.

Comprehensive Support: Franchisees will benefit from a comprehensive support system provided by Pickleball Kingdom.

Thriving Industry: The pickleball industry is booming and is packed with immense potential for growth.

Community Engagement: Pickleball is not just a sport; it’s a community. As a franchisee of Pickleball Kingdom, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with local enthusiasts and contribute to the growth of this exciting sport.

Pickleball Kingdom is actively seeking individuals who have the entrepreneurial spirit to make a difference in their local communities. Whether someone is an experienced business owner or a pickleball enthusiast looking to turn their passion into a career, Pickleball Kingdom invites you to start a conversation with them.

For all inquiries:
Rob Streett
COO
888-788-0999
[email protected]
www.pickleballkingdom.com/franchise

About Pickleball Kingdom:

Pickleball Kingdom is the leading name in the world of pickleball, dedicated to promoting and growing the sport through the development of high-quality indoor facilities. With a commitment to excellence, Pickleball Kingdom provides players of all skill levels with an exceptional pickleball experience.

SOURCE Pickleball Kingdom

Continues Operationally Intensive Investment Strategy Targeting
Industrial Carve-Outs, Restructurings, and Complex Buyouts

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2023 — Turnspire Capital Partners LLC (“Turnspire”) today announced the closing of Turnspire Value Fund II, L.P. (together with its parallel funds, “Fund II”) at its hard cap of $275 million in capital commitments. 

Since its inception in 2013, Turnspire has invested over $180 million in control investments across nine platform companies. In Fund II, Turnspire will continue targeting complex transactions involving North American lower middle-market industrial and consumer businesses with revenues between $50 million and $400 million.

Turnspire welcomes to Fund II a diverse group of high-caliber institutional investors across North America and Europe, including corporate and public pension funds, endowments and foundations, asset managers, funds of funds, and family offices as well as high-net-worth individuals.  Fund II also includes significant participation from the general partner and members of Turnspire’s executive operator network. 

“We are grateful to our existing and new limited partners for their trust in Turnspire,” said Founder and Managing Partner Ilya Koffman.  “In Fund II, we plan to continue employing the proven investment strategy that Turnspire has executed for over a decade – by exclusively targeting high-quality businesses, buying right, and creating significant value through operational transformations.  We look forward to further demonstrating Turnspire’s reputation as the buyer of choice for complex lower-middle-market transactions.”

Turnspire Partner Abel S. Osorio added “We believe that the significant investment community demand for Fund II reflects Turnspire’s differentiated investment strategy, the quality of our team, the high-caliber executives we partner with to drive operational improvements, and the strength of our investment track record.  We take immense pride in the lasting franchise we have built and look forward to continuing to earn our investors’ trust.”

Chapman and Cutler LLP acted as legal counsel to Fund II and InRider Partners LLC provided investor relations services. 

About Turnspire Capital Partners
Turnspire Capital Partners invests in high-quality businesses that have reached strategic, financial, or operational inflection points and stand to benefit from our hands-on, operationally focused approach.  Turnspire’s investment philosophy is predicated on creating value through operational improvements rather than through financial leverage. Turnspire strives to make each of its portfolio companies best-in-class in their respective industry niche and then to grow the businesses through organic initiatives or strategic acquisitions. For additional information, please visit www.turnspirecap.com. 

CONTACT:
Mark Semer
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257-4170
[email protected] 

SOURCE Turnspire Capital Partners

Fairshake and its affiliates plan to support pro-crypto candidates in both the US House and US Senate on both sides of the aisle.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2023 — Fairshake, a federal super PAC registered with the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”), and its network of affiliated super PACs today announced their first wave of fundraising efforts. They will report $78 million raised and in the bank in Q4 2023 to support leaders who support American crypto and blockchain innovation and responsible regulation in the forthcoming 2024 elections.

Embracing the transformative potential of the American crypto community, Fairshake is dedicated to advancing leaders who are poised to champion innovation and navigate the complexities of responsible regulation in the digital age.

Fairshake has support from:

• Andreessen Horowitz
• Ark
• Brian Armstrong
• Blockchain Capital
• Wences Casares
• Circle
• Coinbase
• Ron Conway
• Cumberland
• Framework Ventures
• Hunter Horsley
• Jump Crypto
• Kraken
• Lightspark
• Messari
• Multicoin Capital
• Paradigm
• Potter Ventures
• Ripple
• Fred Wilson
• Cameron Winklevoss
• Tyler Winklevoss

Fairshake and its affiliates remain steadfast in their mission to support leaders who champion the interests of progressive innovation, including blockchain technology and the crypto industry, through independent advertising efforts. In order for the blockchain economy to realize its full potential, a clear regulatory and legal framework for success is needed. The crypto community continues to advance initiatives to promote stability, tech innovation, and growth of the blockchain economy in the U.S., positioning it as a hub for blockchain technology development and adoption.

Fairshake is a federal independent expenditure-only committee (super PAC) registered with the FEC and supports candidates solely through its independent activities. Protect Progress and Defend American Jobs are also federal super PACs registered with the FEC and are affiliated with Fairshake.

SOURCE Fairshake

TAIPEI, Dec. 16, 2023 — Caliway Biopharmaceuticals (Caliway) announced that it has closed an oversubscribed capital raise, securing over $100M by issuing 8 million new shares.

The new funding will enable Caliway to advance the clinical development of its lead pipeline CBL-514, a small-molecule injectable drug that reduces subcutaneous fat in treatment areas. The use of proceeds includes multi-country, multi-center Pivotal Phase 3 studies for non-surgical subcutaneous fat reduction, and a CBL-514’s Phase 2b study (CBL-0202DD) for treating Dercum’s disease compared with placebo.

“We are thrilled to see that CBL-0202 Phase 2 study results demonstrated that CBL-514 exerts promising efficacy on subcutaneous fat reduction, reducing more than 300 mL of subcutaneous fat on average over the treated area compared with the placebo. 85.7% and 76.2% of participants lost at least 150mL and 200mL of subcutaneous fat in the treated area after receiving CBL-514 treatment(s).

Moreover, the CBL-0201DD Phase 2 study results showed that CBL-514 has a solid potential to become the first-in-class medicine to treat Dercum’s disease. We found that 64.5% of painful lipomas show dimension reduction of more than 50% after CBL-514 treatment.” said Vivian Ling, CEO of Caliway. “With the new funding, we look forward to pushing CBL-514 into its next clinical developmental milestones to fulfill the unmet medical needs for subcutaneous fat reduction and Dercum’s disease.”

The application of the CBL-514 Pivotal Phase 3 study (CBL-0301) for subcutaneous fat reduction has been submitted to Australian Bellberry HREC. Caliway will submit the Pivotal Phase 3 study IND to the U.S. FDA, EMA, and other countries’ regulatory authorities following up.

In addition, the IND application of CBL-514 Phase 2b study for Dercum’s disease was submitted to the U.S. FDA in December, 2023. The study will evaluate CBL-514’s efficacy, safety, and tolerance in treating Dercum’s disease compared with placebo.

About CBL-514

CBL-514, a potentially first-in-class small-molecule drug, is an injection lipolysis drug that can induce adipocyte apoptosis and lipolysis to reduce subcutaneous adiposity in treatment areas in animal studies without causing any systematic side effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system. Caliway’s nonclinical studies showed that CBL-514 upregulates the apoptosis mediators caspase 3 and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and then induces dose-dependent adipocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro.

Caliway is investigating multiple indications for CBL-514, including non-invasive subcutaneous fat reduction, Dercum’s disease, cellulite, and lipoma treatment.

About Caliway Biopharmaceuticals

Caliway Biopharmaceuticals (Caliway) is a Taiwan-headquartered, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company driven to breakthrough drug discovery of novel small-molecule therapeutics. Listed on the emerging stock market in Taiwan (TPEX6919), Caliway aims to become an innovative pharmaceutical leader in aesthetic medicine and inflammatory disease. For more information, please visit: www.Caliway.com.tw/en

Disclaimer

This article and related information on this site contain forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information requires the Company to make numerous assumptions and is subject to inherent risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are beyond the control of the Company which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to timely inform, update, or revise the information on this site if circumstances should change.

SOURCE Caliway Biopharmaceuticals

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 15, 2023 — Nanotherm is thrilled to announce the latest addition to its advisory board: Kent Helfrich, former CTO of General Motors, VP of GM Research and Development and President of GM Ventures, GM’s Corporate Venture Capital team. Mr. Helfrich is a seasoned senior executive known for his innovative leadership and global technology value creation, from start-ups to multi-national product development teams.

His joining comes at a pivotal time for Nanotherm as the company continues to revolutionize thermal solutions through cutting-edge nanotechnology. The company’s proprietary thermal films and coatings have set new standards in energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and versatility, extending the range of electric and hybrid vehicles while improving passenger safety and comfort.

“Nanotherm is at the forefront of heating technology, and Kent’s strategic acumen is the perfect catalyst for our next phase of innovation and growth,” said Andy Dickson, CEO of Nanotherm. “We are confident that with Kent’s guidance, we will accelerate our commercialization efforts and transform thermal solutions in the mobility sector and beyond.”

Kent Helfrich commented, “I am excited to join Nanotherm’s advisory board and to collaborate with a team that’s as passionate about innovation as I am. Nanotherm’s technology has the potential to redefine thermal solutions, and I look forward to contributing to a brighter, more efficient future.”

About Nanotherm:

Nanotherm is a pioneering company in the field of nanotechnology-based thermal solutions. Its innovative thermal films and coatings offer unprecedented efficiency and versatility, promising substantial cost savings and environmental benefits. Dedicated to sustainable practices and the advancement of energy-efficient heating technology, Nanotherm is improving the way we heat our world.

For more information, please contact:

Brian Gamble
6171-D Huntley Rd.
Columbus, OH 43229
[email protected]
(410) 627-9298

www.nanotherm.tech

SOURCE Nanotherm

Seedphrase, Pranksy, Gmoney, Zeneca and more have invested in a new protocol built to bring quality engagement and beat the Twitter bots

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2023 — A group of the world’s best known cryptocurrency and NFT investors are financially backing a new social-fi innovation company to ‘fix Crypto Twitter’. The company, ‘/Reach’, has attracted seed funding from a wide number of public facing figures including Seedphrase, Zeneca, Pranksy, Gmoney, Dingaling, and Mooncat2878. Previous institutional funding from amongst this group include investments in Blur, LooksRare, SuperRare, and NFTNow.

L’anamour and 8an, co-founders of /Reach shared: “Twitter is the home of the international crypto community, yet the platform, the algorithm, and the millions of fake profiles are a constant source of frustration to people and businesses alike. We’re here to change this, and we’ve built a fit-for-pupose protocol and gathered together some of the biggest names in crypto to help us achieve this mission.”

After completion of a beta phase involving onboarding over 6,000 users, /Reach is planning its full launch for 14:00 EST Monday 18th December powered by the $REACH token.

The new company and its investors are looking to use social-fi innovation to fix some of the social media platform’s most glaring problems. The protocol’s USP which allows it to do this is a unique integration between Discord, the home of closed crypto communities, and Twitter/X. This enables anyone to promote their content to an engaged, audited user base while remunerating them for their contribution to the network effects.

This integration allows users and businesses alike to break through the Twitter algorithm and promote their content to targeted audiences. The protocol has already garnered interest from large gaming and media incumbents outside of web3 as a planned next step for growth.

Despite its position as the unofficial “home” of the crypto industry online, Twitter/X has increasingly come under fire from inside and outside of the blockchain industry for the prevalence of bots, fake followers, and low quality engagement across the platform.

A study earlier this year found that many of the biggest crypto profiles have 100,000s of fake ‘bot’ followers inflating their communities. These same fake profiles are also used to promote projects with artificial and low quality engagement on social posts. Elon Musk’s attempts to prevent this since he acquired the company have had limited results, Twitter/X is predicted to lose 30 million users over the next two years – almost 10% of its active user base.

Seedphrase, one of the most recognisable names on Crypto Twitter, the owner of the rarest Cryptopunks, and lead advisor of /Reach shared:

“I’m happy to announce that I’ve joined Get Reach as an advisor and investor in a bid to fix crypto Twitter and help the platform become what it was meant to be. The average organic engagement rate on X is only currently 0.05%. There is high demand for tools to help grow user engagement, while being safeguarded from unpredictable algorithmic changes and competition.

Get Reach’s platform fosters a collaborative environment where creators and contributors unite to enhance the visibility of Web3 projects, while reaping rewards for their participation. The onus is on us to welcome corporates into web3, and I see Get Reach as the perfect gateway for this with a true decentralised ethos.”

/Reach’s full launch will take place at 14:00 EST on Monday 18th December with full details to be released on the project’s Twitter/X page on Monday.

ABOUT /REACH

/Reach is a simplified, automated, permissionless protocol for quality engagement rewarding, powered by $REACH. The /Reach protocol allows for brands, projects, communities, and individuals to leverage the network effects of a large, vetted and audited audience to organically amplify their key pieces of content, and reward them for it. 100% of all rewards put up by creators are redistributed back into the network.

/Reach was founded by 8an, former venture developer at Rocket Internet, founding team at Numan, and co-founder of art fractionalisation protocol Particle,  and Lanamour, former private equity investor and founder of vintage photography platform FocusBloc. /Reach raised $1,000,000 on chain in less than 24 hours from the likes of Seedphrase, Zeneca, Pranksy, Gmoney, Dingaling, Canary Labs, NxGen, PunkDAO, Mooncat2878, Dingaling, and 0xSun and others who have been using the /Reach protocol throughout its beta phase and have seen the impact it can have on their communication strategies.

ABOUT SEEDPHRASE

Having been involved in the crypto space since 2013, Seedphrase (Daniel Maegaard) is one of the most prolific figures in the web3 space and is highly involved in luxury fashion, music and generative art. He has amassed one of the largest personal collections of digital art and NFTs which includes the only 1/1 Cryptopunk#8348.

ABOUT ZENECA

Known as one of the educational pillars of web3, Zeneca (Roy Bhasin) has helped the masses with onboarding to the world of NFTs by way of his Twitter/X posts and founding of the ZenAcademy and 333Club. Despite a more recent entrance to digital collectibles, Zeneca’s focus on value creation and ability to simplify complex topics has cemented him as a crypto thought leader.

ABOUT PRANKSY

Boasting almost 500,000 followers on Twitter/X, Pranksy is known to many as the apex of NFT collecting and trading, having sold over 1,250 Bored Apes and earning over 1,000ETH trading CryptoPunks.

ABOUT GMONEY

A founder and collector, GMONEY is one web3’s most notable pioneers. Known simply by his alias and recognized immediately by the rare ape CryptoPunk that he uses as his PFP, GMONEY is the founder of Admit One (a membership-based group of NFT collectors) and 9DCC (a web3-based fashion brand).

ABOUT PUNKDAO

PunkDao are the the largest decentralized organization holding punks. They invest in projects through Punk Ventures, a VC investment DAO with membership on application. 

SOURCE /Reach

Funding would help high performance window manufacturer add over a hundred new jobs

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Dec. 15, 2023 — Alpen High Performance Products (Alpen), the leading American manufacturer of high performance window technologies for commercial and residential markets, today announced that is has been selected for negotiation of $5.8 million in funding from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) for the production of ultra-thin, triple and quad-pane insulated glass units (IGU’s) for windows. The status was given to Alpen as part of a larger DOE project that will grant $275 million to seven different companies to strengthen domestic supply chains and accelerate clean energy manufacturing.

“This selection validates our ongoing commitment to manufacturing high performance windows and doors,” said Alpen CEO Brad Begin. “It also speaks to the hard work of our employees. Our company has grown exponentially over the last few years because of moments like these. That has allowed Alpen to offer better opportunities and more upward mobility for our highly diverse workforce. We expect to create more than a hundred new jobs because of this selection.”

The announcement was made by the DOE at the inaugural meeting of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience and first reported on by the New York Times. The funding, once negotiated, is designed to help the company retrofit existing facilities in Louisville, CO and Vandergrift, PA, in order to produce IGU’s. These retrofitted, automated facilities will be among the first of their kind in the United States and will help the company create more domestic jobs.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is driving the manufacturing boom while preserving the communities and workforce that have powered our nation for generations,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. “With these historic investments, DOE will bring new economic opportunities and ensure these communities continue their key role in strengthening America’s national and energy security.”

The New York Times article claims the DOE’s program will distribute $275 million to seven projects in its initial round and expects its funding to be matched by about $600 million more in private investment. According to an Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) report, “the DOE award will increase Alpen’s production tenfold, create 100 good-paying jobs through investment in automation, and significantly reduce customers’ energy use and home heating and cooling costs.”

“Being selected for the DOE’s negotiation of funding is the next piece in Alpen’s ongoing mission to improve building performance,” said Begin. “Our windows were installed in some of the first high performance homes and buildings in the United States, and in thousands of residential and commercial projects since then. That list includes the Empire State Building, and projects in some of the harshest climates in the world including Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. Alpen will continue to lead the way. We will continue to champion ideas that make our world’s buildings more comfortable, more efficient, and more focused on climate issues.”

For more information about the DOE selecting Alpen for negotiation of funding, please contact Alpen media relations by clicking here. For more information about Alpen HPP, please click here.

About Alpen
For over forty years, Alpen has pursued a quest to radically transform the built environment in the United States by designing windows, doors and architectural glass that continue to raise the bar on performance. We specialize in leveraging advanced materials and innovative design to ensure exceptional performance for both commercial and residential applications. Our products rank among the most efficient and durable solutions in North America and beyond. Please visit Alpen’s website to learn more.

Media Contact:
Reid Wegley
[email protected]
206-963-4167

SOURCE Alpen High Performance Products

Obviously AI Makes Machine Learning More Accessible By Enabling Companies To Turn Their Raw Data Into Predictive AI Models.

GREENWICH, Conn., Dec. 15, 2023 — O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (“OSV”), a family office that invests in ambitious seed and pre-seed startups, announced today that it has invested in Obviously AI, Inc. (“Obviously AI”). Founded in 2020 by Nirman Dave and Tapojit Debnath, Obviously AI enables companies to use their raw data to generate actionable insights using AI models. Whereas previously using AI to gather conclusions from data would be a costly and time-consuming process, Obviously AI makes the process possible with just a few clicks.

OSV’s founder, Jim O’Shaughnessy, commented; “The advent of AI creates an opportunity for corporations to leverage data and understand their customers, product, market, and business in ways they simply could not historically. Obviously AI bridges the gap between what and how, bringing AI to businesses of all sectors and sizes.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim, an investor with a remarkable track record of building lasting companies and deep domain knowledge in AI, and his team at OSV,” said Obviously AI cofounder and CEO Dave; “with their support, Obviously AI is poised to accelerate its mission of helping every company become an AI company.”

About O’Shaughnessy Ventures

OSV is a family office that invests in ambitious seed and pre-seed startups. Founded by Jim O’Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of four books on investing, OSV aims to provide financial support and to partner in growing the next life-changing ideas. For more information, visit https://www.osv.llc/.

Media Contact:
Ena Gong
O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC
(917) 355-7420
[email protected]

SOURCE O’Shaughnessy Ventures

Fresh capital will strengthen SpiceJet’s financial position and provide resources to invest in growth plans 

GURUGRAM, India, Dec. 15, 2023 — The Board of Directors of SpiceJet Ltd. has approved the raising of fresh capital of over INR 2,250 Crore (approximately USD 270 million) through the issuance of equity shares to Financial Institutions, FII’s, HNI’s and private investors aimed at fortifying the airline’s financial strength and accelerating its growth trajectory.

The Board, in a unanimous decision, considered and approved issuance of equity shares/equity warrants under private placement basis, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals as may be required.

The proposed preferential issues comprise of investors like Elara India Opportunities Fund, Aries Opportunities Fund, Mahapatra Universal Limited, Nexus Global Fund, Prabhudas Lilladher, Resonance Opportunities Fund and many more for issuance of equity shares and equity warrants aggregating to over INR 2,250 Crore.

The proposed fund infusion will go a long way in enhancing product presence and market reach of SpiceJet and will also provide deep financial foundation. The capital raised will be instrumental in funding operational expansion initiatives, including fleet enhancement, route network expansion, and technological advancements.

“This is a significant fund raise and it is designed to strengthen SpiceJet’s financial position, enhance operational capabilities, settle outstanding issues and position the airline again for sustained growth in the dynamic aviation sector,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet. 

He expressed optimism about the positive impact these developments would have on the airline’s future.

“We are confident that this capital raise will help us achieve our goal of building a world class airline in India. I personally thank all our stakeholders, all those who work for SpiceJet and all those who work with SpiceJet and who have patiently waited for this day. They have allowed us the time and opportunity to overcome a difficult phase in our history, and we are grateful to them,” Singh said.

SpiceJet has on order more than 200 Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

About SpiceJet: 

SpiceJet is India’s favourite airline that has made flying affordable for more Indians than ever before. SpiceJet is an IATA-IOSA certified airline that operates a fleet of Boeing 737s & Q-400s and is one of the country’s largest regional players operating multiple daily flights under UDAN or the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

SOURCE SpiceJet