HELSINGBORG, Sweden, Jan. 22, 2024 – Today, Acorai, a start-up medical device manufacturer from Sweden, has announced closing an oversubscribed series seed equity round. Acorai secured more than $4.5m in funding to finance its clinical studies and move towards regulatory approval, which comes off the back of €2.3m in non-dilutive grant and €10m in future equity financing from the European Innovation Council (EIC).

The round was led by Solardis Health Ventures, with participation from KHP Ventures, , Carma Fund and other US investors. Significant follow-on investment was taken from existing investors from across Sweden and the EU.

Acorai in 2024

After designation as a Breakthrough Device by the US FDA in August 2023, Acorai started its global clinical study, CAPTURE-HF, and aims to have its monitoring system ready for clinical use. Concluding in 2024, the study aims to demonstrate the performance of the device through a 1200-patient catheterization study.

The Chief Clinical Advisor to Acorai, Dr Andrew J Sauer, commented, “With CAPTURE-HF, the team has really focused on the science to enable the fullest use of this device when it hits the market. This funding further validates that Acorai is a uniquely positioned company to change the paradigm of how patients with heart failure are managed in traditional and acute care settings. To my knowledge, this is the only company that has recognized and is adequately addressing the glaringly obvious unmet need within the acute heart failure workflow”. He added, “Raising capital in this environment is tougher than it was even 18 months ago, so it’s a huge achievement of the management team and an example of how truly scalable this platform could be in the right hands … congrats”

Acorai’s journey to a Series A raise

The Team, led by Filip Peters, Jakob Gelberg, Kasper Bourdette, and Matthew Mace, is planning the completion of their study in 2024, and through active engagement with regulators, Acorai is targeting US market access by 2025.

The focus now is to complete clinical testing, targeting a larger capital raise ahead of commercial launch in 2025.  Acorai will continue to have a presence at conferences through 2024 with upcoming trips to THT, Boston and ACC, Atlanta for CSO Matthew Mace and CEO Filip Peters presenting at VIVE in Los Angeles in February and the LSI Emerging Medtech conference in Dana Point in March.

e-mail [email protected] to get in touch or set up a meeting. 

About Acorai

Acorai is developing a non-invasive intracardiac pressure monitoring device to improve heart failure management for more than 64 million patients worldwide. Acorai’s Monitoring system was designated a breakthrough device by the FDA in 2023 and is built upon the patented SAVE Sensor System, a proprietary, non-invasive hardware & machine learning platform.

Acorai is backed by Solardis Health Ventures, KHP Ventures, GA Investors, , and Life Science Invest with a seasoned medical device team and corporate advisory board with experiences from GE Healthcare, Verily & Abbott, and has established clinical partnerships with world-leading hospitals.

Visit https://acorai.com/ to learn more about Acorai’s potential to become the new standard in heart failure management and a leader in non-invasive patient care.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2183401/4224716/Acorai_AB_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Acorai AB

Seasoned Leaders Each Bring Years of Experience in Wealth Management and FinTech to Support the Firm’s Strategic Vision and Growth Plans

MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 22, 2024 — Surge Ventures (Surge), a new SaaS venture studio initially targeting the financial services and wealth management industry, announced the expansion of its advisory board comprised of wealth management and FinTech industry executives to help guide the firm as it continues its journey to find, fund and nurture the leading technologies of tomorrow. New Board members are Nimesh Mehta, Joseph Kuo, Brian Johnson and Ann Robinson. They join current members, Jason Lish (Chairman), Dr. Neil Daswani, John Rostern, Larry Roth, Matthew Martin, Geoff Moore.

“I’m honored to have such a distinguished group of industry heavyweights accept my invitation to join our Industry Council,” said Sid Yenamandra, Founder & CEO, Managing Partner of Surge Ventures. “Each is a respected leader and influencer in the highly regulated and data-dependent industries, where we are initially focusing our efforts. As they become part of our already impressive Board, we will look to their insights to support our efforts as we continue to conceptualize and develop a set of category leading technology products and brands.”

Additional Industry Council Members Bring Exceptional Backgrounds and Expertise

Surge has established a strong Industry Council comprised of seasoned executives and influencers from across the FinTech and wealth management sectors. The new Board members will add their voices as strategic counselors to Surge’s leadership, as the firm executes its vision and growth plans. The new members will elevate the Board with their unique perspectives:

• Nimesh Mehta is an accomplished executive with over a 25-year track record of driving innovation, strategic thinking and business transformation. In his role as Chief Information Officer at National Life Group, Mehta leads a global technology team, enabling the 175 year old company to become one of the fastest-growing insurance companies in the US. He spearheaded initiatives to scale the business, implement customer-centric transformations and drive cost reductions while maintaining double-digit growth. Mehta led initiatives that resulted in significant cost savings, improved customer experiences and successfully launched innovative solutions and platforms that were the first in the industry. Before joining National Life in 2008, he served in various leadership positions at Lincoln Financial Group. Mehta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and an MBA, both from Case Western Reserve University. His achievements have been recognized through numerous industry accolades, including the Orbie Dallas CIO of the Year award and the NTT Game Changer of the Year award.
• Joseph Kuo has 25 years of experience in public relations, corporate communications and marketing communications for financial services firms. Over the years his work has encompassed both ongoing brand elevation campaigns as well as communications support for transactional, regulatory and special situations. Kuo is Chief Executive Officer and founder of Haven Tower Group LLC, a leading strategic communications agency with a singular focus on serving the wealth management space. Before launching Haven Tower in 2011, he served as SVP and Head of Public Relations at LPL Financial, one of the largest independent wealth management firms in the country. While at LPL, he served as a key architect of the company’s public positioning in its multi-billion-dollar initial public offering on the NASDAQ Stock Market in November 2010. Prior to LPL, Kuo was a Partner at Kekst & Company, a leading global public relations firm. He has served on the Board of Advisors of Entreda, providing strategic counsel to the company in support of its sale to Smarsh. Kuo earned a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude and phi beta kappa, in History and East Asian Studies from Yale University.
• Brian Johnson is a global technology leader with vast contributions across industries, organizations and communities. He has a firm grasp of business-aligned technology solutions and a track record of successes through enduring relationships with customers partners and executive peers. His leadership style includes championing responsible investments, building integrated strategies and directing and empowering teams to deliver solutions to critical and complex business challenges. As former Head of Infosec & Technology at PayPal, Johnson recently built, championed funding and led expansion programs to ensure the security and scale of more than 400M customers processing more than $3B in daily transactions on PayPal payments platforms. Johnson has experience in enterprise technology across industries including Software, Government, eCommerce, Fintech, and Financial Services and is known as a highly collaborative, innovative and strategic thinker. Most recently, he enjoyed remarkable opportunities to greenfield build research teams for Customer Account Protection, Cyber Fraud and Emerging Technologies Research.
• Ann Robinson is a 20-year financial services veteran, with experience in banking, insurance, and securities regulated markets. She is a dedicated and motivated professional with a strong background in compliance technology and financial services. Robinson has successful experience consulting on multifaceted projects, streamlining internal processes to improve efficiency, and fostering positive relationships with a wide range of clients and key business partners. She is accomplished in product management, product marketing, process redesign and business development. Robinson is currently the Chief Compliance Officer at Farmers Financial Solutions, LLC, a broker dealer offering financial products and services to customers. Prior to her current role, Robinson was SVP of Business Development at RegEd, First Vice President Compliance at Morgan Keegan and Director of Compliance Training at AmSouth Bank. She holds a BS from Samford University and an MBA from the University of Alabama Birmingham.

Existing members of the Surge Venture’s Industry Council include Jason Lish (Chairman) – Chief Security Officer, Lumen Technologies, Larry Roth, CPA, JD – Managing Partner of RLR Strategic Partners, Neil Daswani, PhD – CISO, QuantumScape, Matthew Martin – Former Senior Vice President and Deputy CISO, LPL Financial, Geoff Moore – CIO, Valmark Financial Group, John Rostern – Former SVP and Global Lead – Cloud & Infrastructure Security Services at NCC Group.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Nimesh, Joe, Brian and Ann to the Surge Ventures Industry Council,” said Lish. “Coming from different sectors of the broad financial services industry, their varied experiences will be a great advantage to us as we continue to provide guidance to Sid and the leadership at Surge.”

About Surge Ventures

Surge Ventures will co-found and invest in promising start-ups that are using innovative technology to address rapidly intensifying data and privacy needs across wealth management firms and other financial services businesses. Consistent with the venture studio model, Surge Ventures will go beyond providing investment capital and strategic guidance to its portfolio companies. The firm will leverage its decades of technology expertise, best practices for bringing nascent innovative products to market in the wealth management space, customer acquisition and deep operational knowledge to grow multiple software companies from the ground up to serve as a “shared services” backbone to its portfolio companies, offering scalable operations, foundational technology building blocks, demand generation, corporate finance and enterprise sales support, among other solutions.

The firm has developed a set of proprietary methods, known as the “Surge Method,” to rapidly test business ideas, detect early signs of product-market-fit and track on-going growth to de-risk investments by focusing on only the most promising products and solutions.

Media Contact

Mitch Manning
Haven Tower Group LLC
424 317 4858
[email protected]

SOURCE Surge Ventures

SEATTLE, Jan. 19, 2024 — The highly anticipated TED AI talk delivered by Untapped Capital’s Yohei Nakajima, also known as the father of BabyAGI, is now available to the public at http://go.ted.com/yoheinakajima. Originally presented at TED-AI in San Francisco on October 17, 2023, Nakajima’s talk provides valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of AI and its profound impact on our identities and society. Nakajima spoke alongside tech luminaries including Reid Hoffman, Ilya Sutskever, Andrew Ng, and Grammy award winner Oak Felder.

Nakajima, known for his pioneering work in the tech industry, is a distinguished venture capitalist with a passion and talent for building. He is the creative mind behind BabyAGI, a groundbreaking open-source AI platform inspired by human cognitive development. Released in April 2023, BabyAGI has inspired developers worldwide to work on their own autonomous agents, showcasing Nakajima’s ability to drive innovation.

Untapped Capital, the pre-seed venture capital firm he co-founded in 2020, has been at the forefront of industry disruption. Leveraging AI and automations, Untapped Capital invests in unexpected founders and employs innovative methods such as outbound and build-in-public strategies to identify promising startups. The firm’s unique culture and technology-driven approach, including custom No-Code CRM and AI tools, have positioned it as a pioneer in various sectors, including artificial intelligence, Web3, and No Code.

In his TED AI talk, Nakajima delves into the concept of identity in the age of AI and digital interconnectedness. Drawing from his experiences with BabyAGI and his journey in the tech world, Nakajima explores how our identities are shaped by our roles within various communities, both online and offline. He challenges conventional notions of identity and emphasizes the importance of embracing this ever-evolving journey of self-discovery.

Nakajima also highlights the transformative potential of AI in fostering greater understanding and empathy among individuals and communities. He emphasizes the role of AI as a tool for bridging divides, bringing diverse stories together, and creating a harmonious collective tapestry.

“Harnessing the power of AI, let us seize the chance to collaborate like never before, ensuring that our combined voices echo with harmony and purpose,” Nakajima prophetically encouraged the audience as he concluded his talk. “Let’s build incredible things, let’s be good to one another, let’s solve some real problems. Of course, there will be challenges, many of them – and face them we shall. Together, let’s embrace the promise of this new enlightenment, where the fusion of AI and our shared spirit ignites an era of unparalleled unity and progress.”

Yohei Nakajima’s TED AI talk is a must-watch for anyone interested in the future of technology, identity as a shared journey of self expression, and the potential for AI to reshape our understanding of ourselves and the world.

For more information about Yohei Nakajima and Untapped Capital, please visit https://www.untapped.vc or follow Yohei @yoheinakajima

For press inquiries, please contact:

Karen Blondell
[email protected] 
424.263.7371

SOURCE Untapped Capital

COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2024 — CerraCap Ventures, a leading venture capital firm in healthcare innovation, has invested in Acorai, a cutting-edge company in cardiovascular health technology. The investment will boost the development and deployment of Acorai’s novel Acorai Heart Monitor (AHM), which aims to solve critical challenges in heart failure management.

AHM is a game-changer in heart failure monitoring, due to its accuracy and reliability in measuring the intracardiac pressures non-invasively. The device can provide precise data on important parameters such as pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), right atrial pressure (RAP), and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), which are crucial parameters to effectively manage heart failure patients. Acorai’s dedication to providing clinically relevant information helps healthcare providers make informed decisions on heart failure management.

“We are excited to join forces with Acorai in their vision to transform cardiovascular health,” said Saurabh Ranjan, Founder & Managing Partner at CerraCap Ventures. “Acorai Heart Monitor solves data management challenges, ensuring that healthcare providers have access to reliable and timely information for optimal heart failure management. This investment shows our trust in Acorai’s innovative approach and commitment to enhancing patient outcomes.”

With the backing of CerraCap Ventures’ strategic investment, Acorai is set to make a big difference in the healthcare industry, Current round of funding will be used to conduct global clinical studies to get FDA approval followed by the market launch of AHM, bringing this groundbreaking technology to healthcare providers and patients around the world.

“Acorai is excited to welcome CerraCap Ventures as an investor, further expanding its presence in the world’s most important markets. We look forward to leveraging CerraCap’s experience of successful investing in the healthcare space and its network of healthcare systems globally,” Shared Filip Peters, CEO & Co-Founder.

About CerraCap Ventures

CerraCap Ventures is a leading venture capital firm in early-stage innovation, supporting and investing in companies that excel in cyber security, advanced analytics, and health-tech. CerraCap Ventures focuses on B2B enterprise companies and helps them grow through its distinctive “Sales & Scale” approach, which harnesses partnerships with Fortune 500 companies to fuel growth and success. With a history of successful investments, CerraCap Ventures strives to support the development of cutting-edge technologies for a healthier, secure planet.

About Acorai:

Acorai is developing a non-invasive intracardiac pressure monitoring device to improve heart failure management for more than 64 million patients worldwide. Acorai’s Monitoring system was designated a breakthrough device by the FDA in 2023 and is built upon the patented SAVE Sensor System, a proprietary, non-invasive hardware & machine learning platform.

To learn more visit: https://acorai.com/

Contact: Nikki Arora, na@cerracap.com

SOURCE CerraCap Ventures

Erie Strategic Ventures invests in tech-enabled pet wellness and insurance, AI-powered insurance operations and digital estate planning startups

ERIE, Pa., Jan. 18, 2024 — Erie Strategic Ventures, the venture capital arm of Erie Insurance (ERIE), today announced investments in three new portfolio companies: Wagmo, Roots Automation and Trust & Will.

The Erie Strategic Ventures fund, launched in August 2022, focuses on investing in the personal and commercial insurance value chain, as well as adjacencies that offer potential to deliver value to ERIE, its agents and policyholders. ERIE works with the corporate venture capital firm Touchdown Ventures to help manage Erie Strategic Ventures. The three investments announced today support startups operating in tech-enabled pet wellness and insurance, AI-powered insurance operations and digital estate planning.

“We are excited to partner with Wagmo, Roots Automation and Trust & Will,” said Keith Kennedy, senior vice president for Next Level Innovation at Erie Insurance. “Erie Insurance is a relationship company, and we believe that these three relationships create numerous opportunities for mutual benefit.”

• Wagmo offers a tech-enabled pet care solution with unique pet wellness and pet insurance products specifically designed for employers, designed to extend coverage beyond traditional offerings and increase value and flexibility for customers. Select features include the ability to visit any groomer or service provider, submit claims digitally and have claims paid in 24 hours all through Wagmo’s app. Wagmo’s innovative approach to pet wellness complements and fills gaps that pet owners have identified with traditional pet insurance products.
• Roots Automation leverages artificial intelligence, trained on insurance-specific data, to automate manual and time-consuming processes across claims, underwriting and insurance operations. Roots’ AI-powered “Digital Coworkers” increase operational agility, reduce premium leakage, improve combined ratios, and free people from inefficient and repetitive work enabling them to be more creative, collaborative and innovative.
• Trust & Will is an online digital estate planning and settlement platform that provides an easy, fast and trusted way for individuals to set up an estate plan or navigate probate. Trust & Will’s product aligns with Erie Insurance’s focus on protecting families by providing affordable and flexible offerings to help them prepare for—and get through—difficult times.

Erie Insurance is a Fortune 500 auto, home, business and life insurance company that generated $8.6 billion in direct written premium in 2022. Founded in 1925, ERIE is the nation’s 12th largest homeowners insurer, 12th largest automobile insurer, and 13th largest commercial lines insurer based on direct premium written. ERIE is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and has more than six million policies in force and a network of over 13,000 independent agents across 12 states and Washington, D.C.

In addition to providing capital, Erie Strategic Ventures leverages ERIE’s industry leadership and value proposition to support portfolio companies. With nearly 100 years of insurance expertise, ERIE can serve both as a customer and development partner for startups. ERIE seeks to identify and support additional projects in the years ahead to bring innovative products and services to market.

Learn more about Erie Strategic Ventures at www.erieinsurance.com/ventures.

About Erie Insurance
According to A.M. Best Company, Erie Insurance Group, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, is the 12th largest homeowners insurer, 12th largest automobile insurer and 13th largest commercial lines insurer in the United States based on direct premiums written. Founded in 1925, Erie Insurance is a Fortune 500 company and the 19th largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on total lines net premium written. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best, ERIE has more than 6 million policies in force and operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia. News releases and more information are available on ERIE’s website at www.erieinsurance.com.

About Touchdown Ventures
Touchdown Ventures partners with corporations to manage their venture capital programs. Touchdown works closely with each corporation to help achieve the financial and strategic benefits from venture capital investments. The firm maintains offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. More information on Touchdown can be found at www.touchdownvc.com.

SOURCE Erie Indemnity Company

• Das Unternehmen nimmt eine gute Verdoppelung der Mittel für seinen Risikokapitalzweig, Aramco Ventures, vor
• Entscheidung unterstützt die langfristige Strategie von Aramco durch Investitionen in strategische Bereiche der Geschäftsentwicklung
• Absicht zur Finanzierung von bahnbrechenden Innovationen in einer Vielzahl von Branchen

DHAHRAN, Saudi-Arabien, 18. Januar 2024 — Aramco („das Unternehmen”), einer der weltweit führenden integrierten Energie- und Chemiekonzerne, hat seinem globalen Risikokapitalzweig, Aramco Ventures, zusätzliche 4 Milliarden Dollar zugewiesen. Damit wird das Aramco Ventures zugewiesene Kapital mehr als verdoppelt, so dass sich die Gesamtinvestitionssumme von 3 Mrd. USD auf 7 Mrd. USD erhöht.

Damit erhöht sich die gesamte Risikokapitalzuweisung von Aramco auf 7,5 Mrd. USD, wozu auch der mit 500 Mio. USD ausgestattete Risikokapitalfonds Wa’ed Ventures gehört, der sich auf das Ökosystem der Start-ups im Königreich Saudi-Arabien konzentriert.

Die Entscheidung spiegelt die wachsende Bedeutung des Risikokapitalprogramms von Aramco wider, das die Entwicklung bahnbrechender neuer Technologien ermöglicht, Diversifizierungsmöglichkeiten für Aramco schafft und den Weg für Kooperationen mit innovativen Start-ups ebnet. Auf diese Weise soll sie dazu beitragen, die langfristige Strategie des Unternehmens voranzutreiben, die eine Konzentration auf neue Energien, Chemikalien und Übergangsmaterialien, diversifizierte Industriegeschäfte und digitale Technologien vorsieht.

Ahmad Al Khowaiter, exekutiver Vizepräsident für Technologie & Innovation bei Aramco, sagte: „Innovation ist der Schlüssel zur Bewältigung einiger grundlegender Herausforderungen, vor denen die Welt heute steht, darunter die Energiewende. Mit Aramco Ventures wollen wir Pioniere mit großen Ambitionen unterstützen und ihnen dabei helfen, ihre Ideen in die Tat umzusetzen. Indem wir in den nächsten vier Jahren zusätzliche 4 Mrd. USD an Finanzmitteln bereitstellen, wollen wir den finanziellen Rückhalt bieten, der erforderlich ist, um bahnbrechende Lösungen auf die nächste Stufe zu bringen. Dies wird Unternehmen in verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien auf der ganzen Welt entscheidende Impulse geben und gleichzeitig einen Beitrag zu den langfristigen Zielen von Aramco selbst leisten.”

Vor der neuen Kapitalzuweisung verwaltete Aramco Ventures drei Fonds. Dabei handelt es sich um einen digitalen/industriellen Fonds mit 500 Mio. USD, der in Technologien investiert, die für Aramco von strategischer Bedeutung sind; den Prosperity7-Fonds mit 1 Mrd. USD, der in bahnbrechende Technologieunternehmen außerhalb des Energiesektors investiert; und den Nachhaltigkeits-Fonds mit 1,5 Mrd. USD, der in Start-ups investiert, die das Potenzial haben, Aramcos Bestreben zu unterstützen, bis zum Jahr 2050 Netto-Null-Treibhausgasemissionen (Scope 1 und Scope 2) in allen eigenen und betriebenen Anlagen zu erreichen.

Aramco Kontaktinformationen X: @aramco

Informationen zu Aramco

Aramco ist ein weltweit tätiges, integriertes Energie- und Chemieunternehmen. Unser Handeln wird von der Überzeugung geleitet, dass Energie Chancen eröffnet. Wir fördern einen von acht Barrel der weltweiten Erdölproduktion und entwickeln zukunftsweisende Energietechnologien – bei allen Aktivitäten widmen wir uns dem Ziel, positive Veränderungen anzustoßen. Wir setzen uns dafür ein, unsere Ressourcen zuverlässiger, nachhaltiger und nützlicher zu machen. So wollen wir weltweit zu Stabilität und langfristigem Wachstum beitragen. www.aramco.com 

Informationen zu Aramco Ventures

Aramco Ventures ist die Risikokapital-Tochtergesellschaft des Aramco-Konzerns, dem weltweit führenden voll integrierten Energie- und Petrochemieunternehmen. Mit Hauptsitz in Dhahran und Niederlassungen in Nordamerika, Europa und Asien investiert Aramco Ventures weltweit in Start-up- und wachstumsstarke Unternehmen mit Technologien, die für die Muttergesellschaft Aramco von strategischer Bedeutung sind, und unterstützt damit in erster Linie die betriebliche Dekarbonisierung, neue kohlenstoffärmere Kraftstoffgeschäfte und digitale Transformationsinitiativen des Unternehmens. Aramco Ventures betreibt auch Prosperity7, das Investitionsprogramm des Unternehmens für bahnbrechende Technologien.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.aramcoventures.com.

Haftungsausschluss

Die Pressemitteilung enthält zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen. Alle Aussagen in dieser Pressemitteilung, die sich nicht auf historische oder aktuelle Fakten beziehen, sind zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen. Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen geben die aktuellen Erwartungen und Prognosen des Unternehmens in Bezug auf seine Kapitalausgaben und Investitionen, Großprojekte, vor- und nachgelagerten Leistungen wieder, auch im Vergleich zu anderen Unternehmen. Diese Aussagen können Aussagen enthalten, denen Worte wie „abzielen”, „glauben”, „erwarten”, „anstreben”, „beabsichtigen”, „können”, „vorhersehen”, „schätzen”, „planen”, „projizieren”, „haben können”, „wahrscheinlich”, „sollten”, „könnten” und andere Worte und Begriffe mit ähnlicher Bedeutung oder deren Verneinung vorausgehen oder folgen. Solche zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen unterliegen bekannten und unbekannten Risiken, Unwägbarkeiten und anderen wichtigen Faktoren, die außerhalb der Kontrolle des Unternehmens liegen und die dazu führen können, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse, Leistungen oder Erfolge des Unternehmens erheblich von den erwarteten Ergebnissen, Leistungen oder Erfolgen abweichen, die in solchen zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen zum Ausdruck gebracht oder angedeutet werden, einschließlich der folgenden Faktoren: das internationale Angebot an und die Nachfrage nach Rohöl und der Preis, zu dem es Rohöl verkauft; die Auswirkungen von Pandemien oder Infektionskrankheiten auf die geschäftlichen und wirtschaftlichen Bedingungen sowie auf Angebot und Nachfrage nach Rohöl, Gas und raffinierten und petrochemischen Produkten; Wettbewerbsdruck; Bedenken in Bezug auf den Klimawandel und dessen Auswirkungen; das Wetter; die Zyklizität der Gas-, Öl-, Raffinerie- und Petrochemiebranche; Terrorismus und bewaffnete Konflikte; ungünstige wirtschaftliche oder politische Entwicklungen; betriebliche Risiken und Gefahren in der Öl- und Gas-, Raffinerie- und petrochemischen Industrie; jede erhebliche Abweichung oder Änderung der gegenwärtigen wirtschaftlichen und betrieblichen Bedingungen, die die Schätzung von Menge und Wert der nachgewiesenen Reserven des Unternehmens beeinflussen könnten; Verluste infolge von Risiken im Zusammenhang mit unzureichenden Versicherungen; die Fähigkeit des Unternehmens, laufende und künftige Projekte zu realisieren; die Vergleichbarkeit verschiedener Zeiträume; die Fähigkeit des Unternehmens, Vorteile aus jüngsten und künftigen Akquisitionen zu erzielen, auch im Hinblick auf SABIC; Risiken im Zusammenhang mit der Geschäftstätigkeit in mehreren Ländern; die Abhängigkeit des Unternehmens von seiner Geschäftsführung und seinen Mitarbeitern in Schlüsselpositionen; die Zuverlässigkeit und Sicherheit der IT-Systeme des Unternehmens; Rechtsstreitigkeiten, denen das Unternehmen ausgesetzt ist oder ausgesetzt sein könnte; Risiken im Zusammenhang mit Öl-, Gas-, Umwelt-, Gesundheits- und Sicherheitsvorschriften und anderen Vorschriften, die sich auf die Branchen auswirken, in denen das Unternehmen tätig ist; Risiken im Zusammenhang mit dem internationalen Geschäftsbetrieb, einschließlich Sanktionen und Handelsbeschränkungen, Anti-Bestechungs- und Anti-Korruptionsgesetzen sowie anderen Gesetzen und Vorschriften; Risiken, die sich aus den Anforderungen für den Erhalt, die Aufrechterhaltung und die Erneuerung staatlicher Lizenzen, Genehmigungen und Zulassungen ergeben; Risiken, die sich aus bestehenden und potenziellen Gesetzen, Vorschriften und anderen Anforderungen oder Erwartungen in Bezug auf Umweltschutz, Gesundheits- und Sicherheitsgesetze und -vorschriften sowie den Verkauf und die Verwendung von Chemikalien und Kunststoffen ergeben; potenzielle Änderungen der Ausgleichszahlungen, die das Unternehmen im Zusammenhang mit dem Verkauf von Kohlenwasserstoffen auf dem Binnenmarkt erhält; potenzielle Auswirkungen auf die Steuersätze, falls das Unternehmen sein Downstream-Geschäft nicht innerhalb des von der saudi-arabischen Regierung festgelegten Zeitraums abtrennt; Risiken im Zusammenhang mit Projekten, die von der Regierung geleitet werden, und anderen staatlichen Anforderungen, einschließlich der von der Regierung festgelegten Höchstmengen für die Rohölproduktion und der angestrebten maximalen nachhaltigen Kapazität (MSC) sowie der Bedeutung der Kohlenwasserstoffindustrie für die Regierung; politische und soziale Instabilität und Unruhen sowie tatsächliche oder potenzielle bewaffnete Konflikte in den Regionen, in denen das Unternehmen tätig ist, und in anderen Gebieten; Zins- und Wechselkursschwankungen; Risiken, die sich ergeben, falls die Regierung die Bindung des SAR an den US-Dollar aufhebt oder ändert; sowie andere Risiken und Unwägbarkeiten, die dazu führen könnten, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse von den zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen in dieser Pressemitteilung abweichen, wie sie in den letzten regelmäßig bei der Saudi Stock Exchange eingereichten Berichten aufgeführt sind. Weitere Informationen zu den potenziellen Risiken und Unwägbarkeiten, die dazu führen könnten, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse von den prognostizierten Ergebnissen abweichen, finden Sie in den letzten Berichten des Unternehmens, die regelmäßig bei der Saudi Stock Exchange eingereicht werden. Solche zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen beruhen auf zahlreichen Annahmen über die gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Geschäftsstrategien des Unternehmens und das Marktumfeld, in dem es in Zukunft tätig sein wird. Die in der Pressemitteilung enthaltenen Informationen, einschließlich, aber nicht beschränkt auf zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen, gelten nur für das Datum dieser Pressemitteilung und sollen keine Zusicherungen hinsichtlich zukünftiger Ergebnisse geben. Das Unternehmen lehnt ausdrücklich jegliche Verpflichtung zur Veröffentlichung von Aktualisierungen der Pressemitteilung, einschließlich Finanzdaten oder zukunftsgerichteter Aussagen, sei es aufgrund neuer Informationen, zukünftiger Ereignisse oder aus anderen Gründen, sofern dies nicht gesetzlich oder regulatorisch vorgeschrieben ist. Die Pressemitteilung sollte nicht als Finanz-, Steuer- oder Anlageberatung verstanden werden. In die zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen sollte kein übermäßiges Vertrauen gesetzt werden.

CHICAGO, Jan. 18, 2024 — Maxwell Street Capital Partners (Maxwell Street) announced an investment in The Integration Group (TIG), a leading provider of contract logistics and industrial supply chain aftermarket solutions for customers across the automotive, agriculture, and industrial equipment end markets. Based in Chicago, IL, Maxwell Street is a private investment firm focused on middle and lower middle market transportation, logistics, supply chain and route-based businesses.

“This partnership perfectly fits our strategy of investing in companies led by strong, entrepreneurial teams with distinct advantages in the supply chain and logistics sector,” said Maxwell Street Partner Evan Harwood. “TIG’s 30-year history of exceptional customer service is impressive. We are dedicated to supporting TIG in further developing its supply chain expertise and driving growth organically and through strategic acquisitions.”

Headquartered in Marshalltown, Iowa, The Integration Group offers a comprehensive suite of warehousing and supply chain logistics solutions. These services encompass the entire support cycle, including supplier procurement, product development, regulatory review, assembly, kitting and packaging, supply chain management, inventory management, order fulfillment, returns management, and ongoing sales and marketing support.

Nate Koenig, Chief Sales Officer and President of TIG, added: “This is a pivotal moment in our company’s journey. The industry is shifting towards a more integrated, value-added partnership approach. With Maxwell Street’s collaboration, we can enhance our offerings, not only maintaining our commitment to existing customers but also showcasing our capabilities to new ones.” Jeret Koenig, Chief Operating Officer of TIG, added: “As founders, it was crucial for us to align with a partner who shares our vision for the future, especially in terms of supporting our employees and existing customers while also positioning the business for growth.”

As part of the investment in TIG, Maxwell Street’s Evan Harwood and Paul Loeb will join the TIG board of directors alongside founders Nate and Jeret Koenig, and a new independent director, Ed Bowersox.

“We are excited to work with Nate, Jeret, and the entire TIG team,” said Paul Loeb – Maxwell Street Partner and founder of American Backhaulers and Command Transportation – before adding, “the evolving complexity of customer supply chains presents a unique opportunity. With its proven track record delivering comprehensive, high-touch supply chain solutions, TIG is ideally positioned to meet these emerging needs.”

About The Integration Group: Headquartered in Marshalltown, Iowa, The Integration Group (f/k/a TIG Distributing and ExodusDirect) is a leading provider of contract logistics and industrial supply chain aftermarket solutions for customers across the automotive, agriculture, and industrial equipment end markets. The Integration Group exists to provide world-class, end-to-end supply chain management services through strategic partnerships with its customers. For more information on TIG, please contact [email protected].

About Maxwell Street: Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Maxwell Street is a private investment firm focused on middle and lower middle market transportation, logistics, supply chain and route-based businesses. Co-founders, Evan Harwood and Paul Loeb, named the firm after the historic Maxwell Street in Chicago – drawing inspiration from its hands-on entrepreneurial spirit and gritty roll-up-your-sleeves mentality. Within this theme, Maxwell Street seeks to partner with entrepreneurs and founders to help them scale their businesses and achieve their goals. For more information on Maxwell Street, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE Maxwell Street Capital Partners, LP

Sixteenth Annual Competition to showcase 45 interactive tech startups across nine categories

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 18, 2024 — South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals today announced the finalists for the 16th annual SXSW Pitch® event presented by KPMG, happening March 9 – 10 at the Hilton Austin Downtown during the Startups track of the SXSW Conference. SXSW Pitch showcases 45 interactive technology companies within nine distinct categories to a panel of industry experts, high-profile media professionals, venture capital investors and angel investors. The advisory board selected the most innovative startups from the 670 applications received this year.

“Over the last 16 years, SXSW Pitch has brought together some of the most promising and groundbreaking early stage companies from around the globe,” said SXSW Pitch Event Producer, Chris Valentine. “2024 is an exciting year for startups, and we are looking forward to showcasing these inspiring companies that are making waves in their respective industries and the world as a whole, as well as help connect them with the resources needed to continue advancing.”

To determine winners, the 45 participating companies will present their innovations in front of a live audience to a panel of expert judges, including industry moguls like Dave Rose of Gust, Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital, Jessica Robinson of Assembly Ventures, Daniel Kraft of NextMed Health, Tipatat Chennavasin of The VR Fund, Kwame Anku of Black Star Fund, Artur Gushiken of Softbank and many more. One winner will be awarded per category and the most promising startup will receive the Best In Show award.

SXSW Pitch is debuting a new category this year, ‘Student Startup’, which highlights the talent of today’s young entrepreneur ecosystem. These students are developing disruptive innovations and will be showcasing their novel technology within the areas of magnetic levitation, robotics, cancer detection and more.

Each year, SXSW Pitch welcomes finalists from all around the world. This year will feature entrepreneurs representing Belgium, Estonia, France, Israel, England, South Korea, Netherlands, Taiwan and Vietnam, among others.

The finalists of 2024 SXSW Pitch in each category are:

Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice: Autonomize (Austin, TX); Carviz (Berkeley, CA); Gan.ai (San Francisco, CA); MyPart (Tel-Aviv, Israel); Nava AI (Austin, TX)

Enterprise & Smart Data: Aiki (Austin, TX); Diagon (Alameda, CA); Revend NV (Antwerp, Belgium); Swif.ai (Santa Clara, CA); Unified API (Toronto, Canada)

Entertainment, Media & Content: A/F Labs (Singapore); Displace (San Diego, CA); Naya (Groningen, Netherlands); OpusClip (Redwood City, CA); Upvote (Des Moines, IA)

Extended Reality and Web3: Afference (Boulder, CO); Applix (Austin, TX); DLT Payments OÜ (Tallinn, Estonia); Valkyrie Industries (London, England); Visualsyn (Seoul, Korea)

Food, Nutrition & Health: PHIOGEN (Houston, TX); Sama Therapeutics, Inc (Cambridge, MA); Shin Fang Co (Taipei, Taiwan); SIMPLE Planet (Seoul, South Korea); SingleTimeMicroneedles (Storrs, CT)

Future of Work: DIVERSD (New York, NY); Escalate (Silver Spring, MD); Folio.works (Oakland, CA); Grapefruit Health (Chicago, IL); ProjectUs.ai (Boston, MA)

Innovative World Technologies, sponsored by Collins Aerospace: Cephable (Boston, MA); Coordle Inc (Baltimore, MD); Monte Caldera Technologies Inc (Miami, FL); Skyline Nav AI, Inc. (Cambridge, MA); VOTIX (Syracuse, NY)

Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics, sponsored by Collins Aerospace: BUYO Bioplastics (Hochiminh City, Vietnam); Jist (Cremieu, France); Lotus (San Jose, CA); Pavewise, Inc. (Fargo, ND); ReMo Homes (Gardena, CA)

Student Startup, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin: Asclepii (Cleveland, OH); MACH Transit (Austin, TX); Paradigm Robotics (Austin, TX); Rehydrate (Cambridge, MA); SkinCheck (Tulsa, OK)

Of the 647 companies that participated in SXSW Pitch between 2009 and 2023, over 93% received funding, with a combined funding of almost $23.2 billion (excluding undisclosed grants, angel, and seed funding). 17% of these companies have been acquired by industry giants such as Google, British Telecom, Huffington Post, Apple, Live Nation, OpenTable, Meta, Michelin, Constant Contact, and Harmon. SXSW Pitch startups also include Klout, ICON, Hipmunk, Wildfire, Tubemogul, Siri, Foodspotting and Tango.

The 2024 Pitch event will feature 25 companies on Saturday, March 9, and 20 companies on Sunday, March 10, at the Hilton Austin Downtown. A winner from each category will be announced during the SXSW Pitch Award Ceremony on Sunday, March 10, at 6:30 pm CT.

For a complete list of the 2024 Finalists, including alternates, visit: https://www.sxsw.com/pitch/

To learn more about the Startups Track, visit:
https://www.sxsw.com/conference/startups/

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2024 will take place March 9 – 10, 2024, in Austin. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.

SXSW 2024 is sponsored by Volkswagen, The Austin Chronicle, Porsche, C4 Energy, Venmo, and Delta.

Press Contacts:
Benjamin Perez
[email protected]
512-467-7979

Nicole Lombardo
[email protected]
631-357-9593

SOURCE South by Southwest

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 18, 2024 — Safary, the web3 alternative to Google Analytics, has announced the successful closure of its pre-seed round, raising $2.4 million USD. The round was led by Lemniscap, with participation from Arca, SevenX, Big Brain Holdings, Saison Capital, Diaspora Ventures, and 20 web3 angel investors – 14 of which are members of the Safary community.

The funding will be leveraged to add firepower to Safary’s team and accelerate the development of Safary’s marketing attribution platform, which enables Web3 teams to analyze their marketing CAC, channel ROI, and customer LTV. Safary’s free, user-friendly solution allows projects to unlock powerful Web3 analytics simply by adding one line of code to their website.

Google’s plan to phase out third-party cookies by 2024 means marketers will no longer be able to use the tracking methods they’ve long relied on to understand user behavior, personalize experiences, and optimize campaigns. Acknowledging this impending shift, Safary empowers marketers with the ability to protect user privacy while collecting only the data they need to make informed decisions.

As the only cookie-free Web3 tracking platform, Safary allows marketers to centralize their growth data and measure the results of any Web3 marketing campaign from organic content to KOLs, quests, ad networks, and more – offering critical insights without infringing on users’ privacy. Safary tracks wallets, shows Web3 conversions, and links to on-chain actions in an intuitive no-code dashboard.

Safary’s journey has been unprecedented, from launching as the first Web3 growth community, to evangelizing the Web3 growth ecosystem, and now to building a powerful growth platform. As Safary co-founder Justin Vogel says: “Growth leaders are at the center of everything we do – that means we’ll work hard to support them whether they’re using our software or not.”

Every new Safary member speaks one-on-one with a Safary co-founder, Justin Vogel or Eliott Mogenet, upon joining the community. They’ve spoken directly with over 400 Web3 growth leaders, more than any other team, giving them an intimate understanding of the most pressing growth challenges in the industry. The community now consists of heads of growth from Ledger,  dYdX, and over 200 Web3 companies.

Safary’s team is a unique blend of growth and privacy experts. Their founding engineer Ricardo Carvalho holds a PHD in data privacy, and the company’s technical advisor is among the leading experts on decentralized identity and privacy, having spent six years as a tech lead at ConsenSys.

Justin Vogel, Co-founder of Safary, said: “We believe that growth leaders will change Web3 for the better, and with it the world. Our goal is to empower them with the network, knowledge, and technology they need to grow the next generation of great companies. We’ve built a next generation tracking platform designed to uphold the highest standards of privacy while offering valuable insights into the performance and efficacy of every marketing activity and campaign. We’re excited to join forces with leading Web3 investors to build the Web3 growth ecosystem and create a more ethical and secure data future for all.”

Roderik van der Graaf, Founder of Lemniscap, said: “As the era of third-party cookies draws to a close, the digital marketing and data privacy landscapes are facing a watershed moment. Safary offers marketers a timely lifeline, providing a way to gather actionable intel without compromising user privacy. With an unrivaled partner network featuring top Web3 growth leaders, Safary is in prime position to address immediate industry needs and deliver a powerful new attribution system that can drive Web3 adoption. We look forward to supporting their mission to enable every company to thrive in the new internet.”

About Safary

Safary is the Web3 alternative to Google Analytics, designed to replace traditional tracking systems without relying on cookies. Tailored for the modern internet, it tracks visitors, wallets, and web3 conversions in an intuitive no-code dashboard. With Safary, you can centralize your growth data and measure the results of any web3 marketing campaign from organic content to KOLs, quests, ad networks, and more. Best of all, it’s free and super easy to set up: just one line of code on your website unlocks powerful web3 analytics.

About Lemniscap

Lemniscap is an investment firm specializing in investments in emerging crypto assets and blockchain startups. Since its founding in 2017, Lemniscap has funded multiple investments in the crypto blockchain space, on the core belief that blockchain technology will upend traditional business models, resulting in profound changes in the world economy. The Lemniscap team consists of talented people with backgrounds in financial markets, PE/VC, technology and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit https://lemniscap.com/.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2320916/Safary_Cofounders.jpg

SOURCE ForewordVenture Ltd