SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2024 — The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) named CytexOrtho the winner of the inaugural OrthoPitch Technology Competition during the AAOS 2024 Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Through the competition, the AAOS, the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists, aims to fuel innovation and foster advancements with the potential to improve or transform existing standards of orthopaedic care.

CytexOrtho, a pre-clinical stage medical device company working to advance orthopaedic treatment options for cartilage repair, presented a novel implant designed to naturally restore joints instead of artificially replacing them. The ReNew^™ Hip implant offers an innovative solution for the millions of active patients with early hip disease who are too young for a total hip replacement.

“The ReNew Hip implant is comprised of two very special components – one is a 3D-woven textile and the other is a high-precision, Tru3D printed component,” said Bradley Estes, PhD, founder and CEO of CytexOrtho, during the live pitch event. “The integration of these two components give us an implant that not only recreates the form and contour of a healthy articular joint surface but also recreates the function of articular cartilage and bone.”

According to Dr. Estes, surgeons remove only the damaged tissue and replace it with the implant. The implant restores the joint to its proper form and contour, and over time, cells move into the gaps in the layers of the implant and form functional tissue while the implant is slowly absorbed into the body. The technology received FDA Breakthrough Device designation and is poised to finish its phase 1 clinical trial and launch a phase 2 clinical trial once additional funding is secured.

“Being named winner of the first OrthoPitch competition validates the hard work our team at CytexOrtho has devoted to helping patients through this technology,” Dr. Estes said. “As we approach first-in-human clinical trials this year, we’re thrilled to receive this recognition from AAOS and are looking forward to promising outcomes.”

Presented by AAOS and sponsored by MCRA, OrthoPitch kicked off in July 2023 with a call for companies to submit a new technology or product concept with a focus on its impact on the practice of medicine and patient care. The AAOS Devices, Biologics and Technology (DBT) Committee conducted a multi-staged review process focused on ease to market, reimbursement coverage, impact on market and commercialization. The top four submissions—Biomedical Bonding AB, CytexOrtho, nView medical and Solenic Medical—were invited to pitch their concept live to a distinguished panel of regulatory, reimbursement and commercialization experts, physicians and investors during the AAOS Annual Meeting. Following the pitches, the audience was treated to a spirited round of questions from the panel of judges. Ultimately, CytexOrtho was named the winner, impressing both the judges and audience, which contributed to the outcome via a live online vote.

“Orthopaedic surgeons are at the forefront of new procedures and technologies to optimize patient care in an evidence-based approach,” said Jason L. Dragoo, MD, FAAOS, and DBT Committee chair. “With programs such as OrthoPitch, we’re able to nurture innovation(s) from the ground up and witness energy and excitement for the future of musculoskeletal care. The experience of being in person at the AAOS Annual Meeting gave new meaning to ‘pitching a deal’ and allowed each finalist the opportunity to receive valuable feedback.”

As grand prize winner, CytexOrtho will receive:

• Exposure to top seed and early-stage investors physicians, strategists and fellow industry members
• A complimentary booth at AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego
• Complimentary regulatory or reimbursement assessment by a MCRA consultant
• One seat access to Axiom Health’s Market Intelligence Platform
• One 20-minute Innovation Theater time slot at the AAOS 2024 and 2025 Annual Meetings
• A complimentary webinar with AAOS
• One-on-one coordinated meetings with a minimum of nine leading MedTech investors

To learn more about the OrthoPitch terms and conditions, visit AAOS.org/OrthoPitch. For information about CytexOrtho, visit www.cytexortho.com.

About the AAOS
With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level to best treat patients in their daily practices. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments and related musculoskeletal health care issues; and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.

Follow the AAOS on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About MCRA, LLC
MCRA is the leading privately held independent medical device, diagnostics and biologics Clinical Research Organization (CRO) and advisory firm. MCRA delivers to its client’s industry experience, integrating its six business value creators: regulatory, clinical research, reimbursement, healthcare compliance, quality assurance, and distribution logistics to provide a dynamic, market-leading effort from innovation conception to commercialization. MCRA’s integrated application of these key value-creating initiatives provides unparalleled value for its clients. MCRA has offices in Washington, DC, Hartford, CT, New York, NY, and Tokyo, Japan and serves nearly 1,000 clients globally. Its core focus areas of therapeutic experience include orthopedics, spine, biologics, cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, wound care, artificial intelligence, dental, anesthesia, general surgery, digital health, neurology, robotics, oncology, general and plastic surgery, urology, and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices and medical device cybersecurity. www.mcra.com.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

ORINDA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2024 — Wowzer AI is thrilled to announce its official launch, introducing a free, all-in-one platform designed to revolutionize content creation for both creative professionals and enthusiasts. Wowzer stands out as a comprehensive, user-friendly solution, providing access to top-tier AI models, cutting-edge model training, and prompt assistance, with more advanced features coming soon. By seamlessly merging industry-leading technologies, Wowzer empowers users to bring their creative visions to life with unparalleled speed and simplicity.

Wowzer’s multi-model image generator allows users to create images across various AI models simultaneously, including SDXL, Dall-E, Getty AI, and more, providing diverse styles and dynamic results with a single click. Designed with a focus on user-friendliness, Wowzer caters to both budding designers and seasoned professionals, making the creative journey rewarding and enjoyable for everyone.

In addition to providing access to the world’s most-used and most-secure AI image models with a single sign-on, the platform also offers a Prompt Enhancer to take the guesswork out of writing image prompts. The Prompt Enhancer suggests language based on prompt engineering principles, ensuring users get the exact image they want.

Additionally, Wowzer adopts a transparent and accessible pricing model, allowing users to dive into AI image generation with a free tier, called Wowzer Studio, and a pay-as-you-go membership for additional images and advanced features. Wowzer Studio includes the multi-model platform, Prompt Enhancer, and free credits every month. Users can also earn credits by sharing their generated images, participating in contests, and interacting with the Wowzer community of artists.

Upcoming features include additional AI models, images as input, upscaling, and advanced image controls, as well as plug-ins for easy integration with popular tools like Photoshop and Canva.

For enterprises, Wowzer offers GenAI Model Training, which brings the ability to create custom LLMs and image models with enterprise-grade security. GenAI Model Training is designed for businesses that want to uplevel their customer communications and brand consistency and empower a broader base of non-creatives so that any employee can become an on-brand contributor.

Peter Jackson, CEO of Wowzer AI, shared his excitement, saying, “What’s happening in AI right now is thrilling and full of possibilities, but it also can be confusing and scary at times. Our goal is to make AI image generation more accessible and less intimidating while capitalizing on the latest advances. We believe Wowzer is set to reshape the way generative AI is perceived and used.”

In preparation for launch, Wowzer partnered with Stability AI, the world’s leading open source generative AI company. “We’re thrilled to see Wowzer advancing the way businesses interact with Stability AI’s cutting-edge models,” said Scott Trowbridge, VP of Business Development at Stability AI. “Their prompt enhancer is a game-changer, simplifying the prompting process and enabling users to achieve remarkable outcomes without the need for extensive expertise in AI prompting. Wowzer AI’s contributions, powered by Stability AI, are crucial in democratizing the accessibility and utility of AI technology.”

For media inquiries or more information about Wowzer AI, please contact:

Renée Van Meekeren
VP of AI Marketing
Wowzer AI
Phone: 612-400-4452
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wowzer.ai

About Wowzer AI

Wowzer AI is a free, all-in-one, AI-driven image generator and content workflow solution. With access to the industry’s best AI models, model training, and prompt assistance, creative professionals and amateurs alike are empowered to express their vision. Using Wowzer, creative concepts come to life with unprecedented speed and ease of use. Our passion is to inspire creativity and elevate human expression with approachable and tailored generative AI that protects the intellectual property of creators. Discover endless possibilities at Wowzer.ai and connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

SOURCE Wowzer AI

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2024 — Architect Financial Technologies, Inc. (“Architect” or “the Company”), an emerging leader in derivatives brokerage services and trading technology, has closed a $12 million capital raise. With the completion of the new round, the Company has raised $17 million since its inception in January 2023. The round was co-led by BlockTower Capital and Tioga Capital, and attracted new investors including CMT Digital, ParaFi Capital, A Capital, and Twelve Below. These firms join a number of Architect’s founding investors – including Coinbase Ventures, SV Angel, Third Kind, SALT Fund, and US Digital Trust – in their continued participation.

Architect initiated the capital raise in response to significant developments in US derivatives and tokenized asset markets. The investment will support the imminent launch of Architect’s US derivatives brokerage for retail and institutional investors, offered through its CFTC-regulated subsidiary Architect Financial Derivatives LLC, and will facilitate the Company’s future expansion into US securities and security derivatives services. Additionally, the funding will enable the continued growth of Architect’s Chicago headquarters and further support its strategic expansion into EU and APAC jurisdictions.

Brett Harrison, founder and CEO of Architect, commented on the news: “As derivatives trading volume and open interest continues to surge across asset classes, and large financial institutions accelerate the primary issuance of tokenized assets, there is critical market demand for high-throughput, low-latency, trading and distribution infrastructure operated by regulated intermediaries with advanced technological capabilities. With the completion of this funding round and the support of our new and existing investors, Architect and its subsidiaries are well-positioned to assist a broader range of clients in navigating these market developments. We look forward to rapidly scaling our technology-forward, cross-asset brokerage services and institutional trading platforms.”

Architect provides institutions and professional investors with comprehensive trading and portfolio management software for traditional and digital asset markets across global jurisdictions. Its flagship platform offers algorithmic execution, advanced market visualization, discretionary trading, and risk management tools, supported by proprietary low-latency data normalization and exchange connectivity infrastructure. In September 2023, the Company’s subsidiary, Architect Financial Derivatives LLC, became an NFA-registered Independent Introducing Broker for CFTC-regulated derivatives. The Company recently launched Architect Edge, a cross-asset market data and event monitoring platform, and Architect Match, a portfolio management and trade reconciliation platform for financial institutions.

About Architect:

Architect Financial Technologies, Inc. is an institutional trading technology provider for global futures, options, and digital asset markets. Architect Financial Derivatives, LLC is an NFA-registered Independent Introducing Broker for CFTC-regulated derivatives.

To learn more, please visit https://architect.xyz.

This communication is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute a recommendation, investment, or legal advice. Readers should consult their investment, fiduciary, and/or legal advisors for guidance in making investment or business decisions.

SOURCE Architect Financial Technologies Inc

Company continues to deploy its automated, modular greenhouses that deliver fresh produce at costs competitive to traditional, outdoor-grown agriculture using less water, fertilizer and waste.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2024 — Hippo Harvest, a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) startup developing advanced greenhouse systems that produce sustainably-grown produce, today announced the close of its $21M Series B funding round led by Standard Investments. Congruent Ventures, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Hawthorne Food Ventures, and Energy Impact Partners also participated in the round. The funding will be used to scale the company’s greenhouse operations and to expand its product offerings into new categories of leafy greens.

Founded in 2019, Hippo Harvest operates a first-of-its-kind repurposed greenhouse facility in Pescadero, CA that out-competes traditional greenhouses in scalability and unit economics and is comparable to traditional outdoor-grown produce prices. The company utilizes a closed-loop, non-recirculating, direct-to-root fertilizer system, machine learning and autonomous mobile robots to calculate and efficiently distribute water, fertilizer, light, and heating on a micro-climate basis throughout its greenhouses. The result is significantly more cost and resource efficient production of fresh produce. Consumers and retailers enjoy the superior quality, consistency, and food safety of Hippo greens at competitive prices.

“We’re excited by the opportunity to scale our production and reach more consumers with high-quality, sustainable produce,” said Hippo Harvest CEO Eitan Marder-Eppstein. “Our team’s work over the past twelve months demonstrates our ability to create modular, cost-effective growing systems that can be deployed across the country. We look forward to working with our investors to make it a reality.”

“Since inception, Hippo has delivered superior produce while maintaining cost efficiencies. Standard invests in companies disrupting traditional industry and we are thrilled to partner with Hippo on its journey to scale,” said Logan Ashcraft, Principal at Standard Investments, who joins Hippo’s Board of Directors.

The company’s farming methods increase food safety and extend shelf life by up to 30% compared to outdoor-grown produce, due to a number of unique factors. Plants are irrigated with purified water and a uniquely customized nutrient blend from below, rather than above, reducing the risk of pathogen and fungus formation caused by water and nutrients touching the leaves. Off-the-shelf robots with customized attachments are used to tend to and harvest the plants, delivering precise levels of water and nutrition for healthier plants. All production is done in a clean, controlled greenhouse, reducing damage and quality variations that occur in conventional outdoor farming. Products are packed on-site, immediately after harvesting, using 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. Instead of conventional chemical pesticides, the company uses beneficial insects, natural oils, and other pesticide free practices.

Hippo Harvest’s approach to growing produce in greenhouses addresses a critical need to reduce climate change related volatility in the fresh-food supply chain. It also offers ecological benefits like significantly reducing water and fertilizer use, even in low-water environments or areas with limited agricultural space, and reduces methane-producing agricultural waste that is caused by traditional farming, without sacrificing accessibility and affordability at commercial scale. These characteristics increase the availability of locally grown, fresh food and provide communities with more accessible water, a cleaner environment, and safer, more stable agricultural jobs, without sacrificing accessibility and affordability at commercial scale.

The company signed The Climate Pledge, a commitment co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism for businesses to reach net-zero carbon by 2040. Today, San Francisco residents can find Hippo Harvest products on the shelf at their local Gus’s Community Markets or online at Amazon Fresh with more locations coming soon in Northern California.

About Hippo Harvest 
Hippo Harvest is a venture-backed controlled environment agriculture (CEA) startup based in the San Francisco Bay area. The company uses closed-loop, direct-to-root fertilizer systems, machine learning and robots to grow fresh produce in repurposed greenhouses. Hippo’s first-of-its-kind modular greenhouse design enables produce to be grown closer to consumers using fewer inputs (such as water, fertilizer and energy). For more information, please visit hippoharvest.com.

About Standard Investments 
Standard Investments is a fundamentally driven investment platform focused on the intersection of industry and technology. Standard Investments deploys capital flexibly and creatively across the public and private markets, spanning the life cycle of a company, and leverages its deep industrial knowledge and operational experience to create value.

Business Contact: 
[email protected]

Media Contact: 
Chris Krolak
Mulberry & Astor
[email protected]

SOURCE Hippo Harvest

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2024 — Artie has closed a Seed round of $3.3M to make database replication real-time, reliable, and cost-effective.

Exponent Founders Capital led the round with participation from General Catalyst, Y Combinator, and angel investors including Benn Stancil, Lenny Rachitsky, and Arash Ferdowsi.

Artie is unique in its use of change data capture (CDC) and streaming technology to sync data, along with the ability to automatically handle schema evolution in-flight.

Today, the majority of companies are still utilizing batched ETL (extract, transform, load) processes to sync data. This introduces data lag in the data warehouse, hindering real-time analytics and operational use cases, and results in data consistency and scalability issues.

Artie’s software ensures high data integrity while dramatically reducing latency to seconds. It also saves money by eliminating the need to process large batches of data. Customers are then able to operationalize their data warehouse and generate more timely, impactful insights.

For example, Substack, a leading subscription network, previously used batched ETLs to move production data from its databases into Snowflake. These batches would transfer data every few hours or even overnight. This delayed its data analysts’ ability to analyze experiment data and initiate new workflows, which lowered overall organizational productivity. After implementing Artie, data lag was slashed dramatically to a mere 10-15 seconds. Substack’s A/B testing framework now measures much faster and data integrity also improved. The result is a tangible acceleration in decision-making processes across the entire company.

“One common misconception about real-time streaming is its presumed higher cost compared to batch processing,” says co-founder and CEO Jacqueline Cheong. “Artie’s customers tell a different story: not only do they benefit from real-time data, but they often also see a reduction in total cost of ownership.”

Companies with large volumes of data stand to benefit the most, explains co-founder and CTO Robin Tang, who previously scaled infrastructure at Opendoor, Zendesk, and several early-stage startups. “While not immediately intuitive,” he says, “processing smaller amounts of data continuously using Snowflake’s virtual data warehouse requires less computational power than ingesting bulk data every 1-2 hours.”

Who benefits from real-time data? A wide range of industries. Fintech companies, for instance, rely on it for risk analysis and transaction monitoring. Ecommerce companies use real-time data to monitor inventory levels, optimize warehouse logistics, and iterate on experiments. For advertising agencies, the use of real-time marketing analytics enhances campaign effectiveness and the ability to personalize outreach.

Companies employing AI models for incremental or online machine learning depend on access to the latest production data. The importance of real-time data escalates even more when companies provide analytical dashboards to their customers. While internal BI teams might manage with some data delay, expecting customers to endure even brief lags in data is increasingly seen as unacceptable in today’s fast-paced environment.

Artie has achieved remarkable growth. Having launched six months ago, it has scaled from processing zero to over 30 billion rows of data. It is now serving over 10 enterprise customers and has experienced significant revenue growth of mid-double digits month-over-month in the past few months. With the infusion of new funding, it plans to expand the team to support its pipeline of high-growth and innovative companies. To experience how real-time data can elevate your competitive edge, contact us to discuss your use case.

Jacqueline Cheong 
[email protected]

SOURCE Artie Technologies Inc.

Aircastle, Air New Zealand, Embraer, Google, HIS, Natixis CIB, Safran, and Technip Energies are now part of first-of-its-kind effort to reduce emissions and drive production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by providing startups with both financial and strategic capital

United customers play a role too, with more than 115,000 people contributing nearly $500,000 since February 2023

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2024 — United today announced that Aircastle (a Marubeni & Mizuho Leasing Company), Air New Zealand, Embraer, Google, HIS, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, Safran Corporate Ventures, and Technip Energies are now among the 22 corporate partners that make up the airline’s The United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund^SM, a first-of-its kind effort to reduce emissions and drive production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through investments in startups.

These corporate partners make up all parts of the aviation supply chain – airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, fuel producers, engineering and technology experts, financiers, travel management and more – and have now committed more than $200 million while collaborating to provide strategic expertise to help the Fund’s portfolio companies reach commercialization.

Since its inception in February 2023, the Fund remains aviation’s first and only venture fund backed by a broad limited partner base and created to identify and support startups advancing feedstock and technology development focused on increasing the supply of SAF.

The airline has included a way for everyday consumers to participate as well. Anyone using United.com or the United app has an option to contribute to supplement United’s investment in the UAV Sustainable Flight Fund^SM before check-out. Users have the choice to contribute $1, $3.50 or $7.00.¹ Continuing in the effort toward climate transparency for our customers, United also now shows an estimated carbon emissions for flights booked through United.com or the United app. In less than 12 months, more than 115,000 people have contributed nearly $500,000 since February 2023.

SAF is an alternative to conventional jet fuel that, on a lifecycle basis, reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with air travel compared to conventional jet fuel alone. To date, United has invested in the future production of over five billion gallons of SAF – the most of any airline in the world.²

“SAF is the best tool we have to decarbonize airplanes, but we don’t have enough of it. To create the fuel supply we need for our fleet, United recognized that we would have to help build a brand-new industry from scratch – like wind and solar in previous decades,” said Andrew Chang, Managing Director of United Airlines Ventures. “As part of our effort to build a new sustainable aviation ecosystem, we recruited a group of partners with the industry expertise to support our startups with both financial and strategic capital, to help them navigate the entire process from conception to commercialization.”

Sustainable Flight Fund Milestones

• Added 22 corporate partners
• Raised more than $200 million in committed capital
• Portfolio company milestones:

UAV Sustainable Flight Fund

The UAV Sustainable Flight Fund^SM is a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle designed to leverage support from cross-industry businesses in order to support start-ups focused on decarbonizing air travel through SAF research, technology and production. The fund is comprised of more than $200 million in investment commitments from United and corporate partners including: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Aircastle (a Marubeni & Mizuho Leasing Company), American Express Global Business Travel, Aviation Capital Group, Boeing, Boston Consulting Group, Embraer, GE Aerospace, Google, Groupe ADP, Hawaiian Airlines, HIS, Honeywell, JetBlue Ventures, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, Safran Corporate Ventures, and Technip Energies, among others. For more information about the fund, please visit the United Airlines Ventures website.

Consumer Awareness and Call to Action

The default option for customer contributions is set at $3.50 to illustrate the potential impact of customer action at scale: if the 152 million people who flew on United in 2022 each contributed just $3.50 to the UAV Sustainable Flight Fund, that would be enough to design and build a SAF refinery capable of producing as much as 40 million gallons of alternative fuel annually.³

United’s Commitment to Net Zero Emissions by 2050

United aims to be net zero by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050, without relying on traditional carbon offsets. In addition to the UAV Sustainable Flight Fund^SM, United has launched a SAF purchasing program called the Eco-Skies Alliance and established a venture fund – United Airlines Ventures – to identify and invest in companies and technologies that can help decarbonize air travel. These strategic investments include carbon capture, hydrogen-electric engines, electric regional aircraft and air taxis. In May 2023, United received validation of our 2035 near-term emissions reduction target from the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to reduce our carbon intensity 50% from a 2019 base year. In 2023, United became the first U.S. airline to show customers an estimate of each flight’s carbon footprint in their search. This year, United was the only domestic airline to receive an ‘A-” leadership band score for Climate Change 2023 from CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project.

About United

At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

United Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to, among other things, plans and projections regarding the company’s environmental, social or governance (ESG) goals, targets, commitments, strategies and initiatives and related business and stakeholder impacts. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our future plans, objectives, goals, targets, commitments, strategies and initiatives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, known or unknown, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future plans, objectives, goals, targets, commitments, strategies and initiatives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, any failure to meet stated ESG goals, targets, commitments, strategies and initiatives in the time frame expected or at all as a result of many factors, including changing societal, market, competitive, regulatory or stakeholder expectations, any delay or inability of United Airlines or the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund (the “SFF”) to realize the expected benefits of the investments, including from a delay or failure of any project to be fully developed or become operational or to produce sustainable aviation fuel or other ESG-related product in the amounts contemplated or at all, or a failure of the SFF to achieve any return on an investment by the SFF or a realization of a partial or total loss of any investment by the SFF. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect United’s business and market, particularly those identified in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections in United’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Risks and uncertainties related to United’s environmental compliance, climate commitments and climate strategy are further described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of United’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022—”We are subject to many forms of environmental regulation and liability and risks associated with climate change and may incur substantial costs as a result. In addition, failure to achieve or demonstrate progress towards our climate goals may expose us to liability and reputational harm.”

The statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release and except as otherwise required by applicable law or regulation, United Airlines undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. In particular, United Airlines reserves the right to change, amend, supplement or abandon some or all of the statements regarding goals, targets, commitments, strategies, initiatives, intentions and other statements from time to time without notice.

In addition, some of our disclosures in this press release are estimates or based on assumptions due to inherent measurement uncertainties. For example, United’s statement that it has already invested in the future production of more than five billion gallons of SAF – the most of any airline in the world is based on publicly announced future purchase agreements for SAF of certain airlines as of the date hereof. The use of words such as “partnered,” “partnering,” “partner” and variations of such words in this press release is not intended to and shall not be construed to imply that a legal partnership relationship exists between United and any other company.

SOURCE United Airlines

Revolutionizing the MSP Landscape: Our Innovative Platform Breaks Through Consolidation Clutter, Gaining Momentum

CINCINNATI, Feb. 14, 2024 — Blue Alliance, a fast-growing, operator-led MSP collective, announced today that it has completed a growth recapitalization transaction with Prairie Capital, a proven firm in scaling companies across a wide array of industries. Prairie Capital’s investment will enable Blue Alliance to accelerate its growth strategy and offer more MSP owners an alternative to the standard agreement, as well as the opportunity to be part of a strong, supportive community focused on scaling and shared success.

For Nick Recker, founding partner and CEO of Blue Alliance, the fundamental synergies of the two companies felt like a partnership right from the start. “Freedom drives entrepreneurs like me. We designed the Blue Alliance model to offer MSPs owners continued freedom throughout our partnership, and Prairie’s business model resembles ours in that way.” Blue Alliance will continue to operate independently within the Prairie portfolio.

“We hand-selected Prairie as our investment partner because the two companies share many of the same philosophies for growing businesses,” added Recker. These shared philosophies include protecting the company’s brand, stakeholders, and relationships; leveraging best practices and building scalable platforms; embracing an entrepreneurial mindset; encouraging autonomy and focusing strategic investment in operational areas to unlock incremental value and growth. 

Blue Alliance is the fourth company founded by Nick Recker, and it was inspired by his experience and passion running the Cincinnati-based MSP, Path Forward IT, a company he founded in 2002 that specializes in providing concierge IT services to healthcare practices. The global interruption to business in 2020 exposed vulnerabilities, especially for founder-business owners. “I recognized that banding together would make us stronger. That sentiment became the vision to create a platform for MSP owners that fosters collaboration, sharing resources, buying power and expertise.” 

Today, Blue Alliance is redefining the MSP landscape by translating the founders’ experiences as MSP owners into a collaborative ecosystem where elite MSPs can thrive and grow, but it’s an increasingly crowded market.

“Consolidation is flooding the MSP industry. Regardless of whether it’s called a roll-up or a platform, most consolidations are transaction-based,” said Patrick Jensen, Partner, Prairie Capital. Blue Alliance is built on the understanding that for MSP owners, it’s not merely a transaction; it’s their life’s work and legacy. “Blue Alliance stands out for its empathetic approach and deeper integration model, making it a compelling alternative to traditional acquisition platforms.” 

“Our mission is to champion the independent MSP,” says Shaun Sexton, founding partner of Blue Alliance. “We set out to create an option for MSP owners like us who were ready to partner and take their business to the next level but hesitate because they don’t want the company they built to be dismantled, to lose its soul,” Sexton added. “Our approach is about collaboration, not control. We know the collective is only as strong as the sum of its parts. That’s why our mission is to amplify all the good things about a member MSP company, not change them.”

“What we’ve built at Blue Alliance is different from the other MSP platforms. For us, it’s personal. We’ve been where they are, we speak their language,” says Recker. “With Prairie on our team, we’ll be able to move faster, offering freedom to more MSP owners.”

ABOUT BLUE ALLIANCE
Blue Alliance is a fast-growing, operator-led MSP collective that offers a different option for MSP owners looking to invest in their future and unlock the full potential of their business. Built on first-hand entrepreneurial experience and insights, Blue Alliance invests in and nurtures a community where the best MSPs can unite and grow without losing their identity. For more information, visit bluealliance.com.

ABOUT PRAIRIE CAPITAL
Founded in Chicago in 1997, Prairie Capital is a private equity fund with a long and successful track record of scaling growth-oriented, lower middle market companies in partnership with talented founders and management teams. Since inception, Prairie has invested over $1 billion in 100+ platform companies. Prairie makes control equity investments in founder-owned companies that require company-building investments to evolve into scalable platforms capable of sustaining accelerated growth. Prairie targets companies that participate in growing subsectors within business services, consumer, education, healthcare, industrial, and technology. More information about Prairie can be found at www.prairie-capital.com.

SOURCE Blue Alliance

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2024 — WIT, the digital activation platform across sports and entertainment, announced today that it has closed a round of funding led by McCarthy Capital out of their Emerging Growth strategy.

Vaidhy Murti founded WIT in 2021 as a platform for sports teams to create immersive fan experiences to digitally engage with fans. Over the last two years, WIT has powered some of the most exciting experiences in sports – from viral campaigns featured on ESPN and Sunday Night Football, to a custom arcade-style game mirroring the NFL’s Emmy Award-winning Super Bowl LVII halftime commercial.

WIT’s rapid growth demonstrates the evolution of an industry that is being dynamically transformed by technology. In a world where building direct customer relationships is paramount, WIT’s turnkey platform augments marketing capabilities and fosters deeper connections. WIT provides the ability to launch sleek, branded campaigns at scale in a matter of minutes that are designed to engage consumers while capturing valuable first-party data. “We are excited to partner with the management team of WIT,” said Matt Breunsbach, Managing Director at McCarthy Capital. “WIT enables sports and entertainment companies to create digital activations to increase fandom. The company has experienced impressive growth since inception and has an innovative Fan AI product launch on the horizon. We look forward to supporting WIT’s growth and continued efforts to become the leading digital activation platform.”

WIT will use the new funding to scale its operations, fuel product innovation, invest in new verticals, and expand the team. “We are incredibly excited to partner with McCarthy Capital to continue to push the boundaries of fan engagement”, said Vaidhy Murti, Founder & CEO of WIT. “We are in the early stages of a digital revolution, and this investment will empower us to further deepen our commitment to our people and our partners. Our exponential growth has been made possible by our incredible team members and dedication to excellence, and we’re only just getting started.”

About WIT 

WIT offers a digital activation platform that powers some of the most exciting, turnkey experiences in sports and entertainment. WIT’s supercharged experiences elevate marketing efforts, enhance brand partnerships, capture first-party data and drive revenue. Partners include numerous venues, leagues and teams across the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, MLS, NWSL, and NCAA. Learn more by visiting WIT’s website and LinkedIn.

About McCarthy Capital 

McCarthy Partners Management, LLC is a registered investment advisor that conducts business as McCarthy Capital. McCarthy Capital, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is focused exclusively on lower middle-market companies. For more than 35 years, the McCarthy organization has been partnering with founders, families, and exceptional management teams to support the growth of their companies. More information about McCarthy Capital can be obtained at https://www.mccarthycapital.com.

Contact: Will Bryan, [email protected] 

SOURCE WIT

Moves will accelerate adoption of AI-driven brand protection focused on e-commerce revenue growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2024 — IPSecure, the leading Buy Box brand protection company for brands and e-commerce agencies, announced today that it has raised its second multi seven-figure round of funding, led by Secondary Market pioneer Manhattan Venture Partners. The company also announced that Dan Ciporin, a successful early e-commerce operator and former General Partner at Canaan Partners, Frederick Felman, Partner at Sage Partners, and William Barkow, Partner at Manhattan Venture Partners, will be joining IPSecure’s Advisory Board.

Owning the Buy Box is the key to sales, revenue and wallet share for e-commerce professionals, especially on Amazon, the dominant e-commerce platform in the U.S. and globally. Statista estimates that Amazon captured 37.8 per cent of all US e-commerce spending in 2022 and forecasts an 11.7 per cent increase in 2024. The Amazon platform is home to almost 10 million sellers, with 4,000 new sellers added daily. These sellers compete for every Buy Box click on Amazon to drive their revenue, ROI, and market position.

“Unlike traditional brand protection software that targets intellectual property attorneys, IPSecure offers a platform that is purpose-built to protect and expand wallet share for e-commerce professionals and Amazon managers,” said David Cooper, CEO and Founder of IPSecure. “With Amazon representing almost half of every dollar spent on e-commerce in the US, the Amazon Buy Box is valuable real estate that drives revenue and ROI for brands and Amazon agencies.”

“Competition for the Buy Box is fierce, and, despite Amazon’s best efforts, unauthorized sellers will try to win the Buy Box from legitimate sellers,” continued Cooper. “As a result, brands and Amazon agencies must safeguard their Buy Box from illicit sellers or risk losing wallet share.”

IPSecure’s AI-driven technology targets sellers operating within this illicit market. When brands and agencies purge unauthorized sellers from Amazon, they are able to increase their Buy Box win rate. IPSecure tracks and quantifies net new sales and can demonstrate a clear ROI from investing in Buy Box brand protection.

“Since our original seed investment in 2021, IPSecure has gained significant traction with both major brands and Amazon agencies, proving that the esoteric online brand protection market is ripe for disruption,” said William Barkow, Partner at Manhattan Venture Partners. “I am excited to join the IPSecure Advisory Board and help David and his team to leverage their decades of experience in brand protection into transforming the brand protection category from a cost center to a revenue and ROI driver.”

“As e-commerce becomes more integrated into everyday lives, the need for brands to control their customer experience grows exponentially. IPSecure’s innovative technology leverages IP protection as the fuel to drive real, verifiable e-commerce growth and I look forward to working with Dave and his team to accomplish great things in the future,” added Dan Ciporin, new IPSecure Advisor and former General Partner at Canaan Partners.

About IPSecure

IPSecure is Buy Box Brand Protection for brands and Amazon Agencies. After 20+ years building brand protection solutions for the world’s largest brands, the team at IPSecure has reinvented intellectual property (IP) protection and channel management on Amazon into the fuel that is driving massive revenue growth for their customers. Founded in early 2020, with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Boise, IPSecure increases Buy Box win rates by up to 50% and is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for sellers, brands, and agencies. Visit IPSecure at www.ipsecure.com to learn more.

SOURCE IPSecure