DALLAS, Feb. 5, 2024 — Nibiru Chain, a general-purpose layer 1 blockchain, has successfully closed its latest round of funding, securing $12 million to set the stage for an ambitious phase of growth. Venture investments included contributions from Kraken Ventures, ArkStream, NGC Ventures, Master Ventures, Tribe Capital, and Banter Capital.

“Nibiru has taken all of the best in class technology and research developed over the past few cycles and packed them into the best new chain we have ever analyzed. They optimize for developers with a built-in dev toolkit, easy-to-use APIs, language SDKs, and a native oracle. MV Capital could not be more excited to be a partner with Nibiru as we move into the new level of adoption for crypto.” – Tom Dunleavy, CIO and Partner at Master Ventures Capital

Nibiru’s Community Sale on CoinList sold out its initial allocation of $3M in 9 minutes. An additional $3M extension sold out as well within 11 minutes. By the end, this sale had 842% in pre-funded excess interest, attracting 42,713 registrants and over 5,000 purchasers of the network’s staking and utility token, NIBI.

Onboarding Next Generation Blockchain Applications

Nibiru Chain stands out with its innovative tech and emphasis on developer and user-centricity. Key partners expressed their enthusiasm:

“We look forward to supporting the distinctive Layer 1 model Nibiru has designed, where the core primitives are built alongside the core foundation for maximum interoperability — all while incentivizing developers and users through its smart contract royalty mechanism.” – Brandon Gath, Managing Partner at Kraken Ventures

It’s the platform of choice for developers who prioritize security and performance. Boasting 40K transactions per second (TPS), 1.4s block times, and robust security, Nibiru Chain’s versatility spans multiple sectors including real-world assets (RWAs), gaming, DeFi, and more. Developers build on Nibiru Chain with confidence, leveraging CosmWasm smart contracts for enhanced security or the familiarity of the EVM.

Additionally, developers can leverage Nibiru’s “dev gas” royalty mechanism to ensure a sustainable model for long-term growth. At its core, Nibiru Chain is driven to create the optimal environment for developers and users.

“Nibiru’s integrated super applications, native oracle, and data-indexing significantly reduce the technical selection difficulties for Web3 projects while simultaneously lowering the likelihood of security incidents. This will heighten user and developer confidence and the consequent growth and prosperity of the Nibiru ecosystem. – Allen Su, General Partner at ArkStream Capital

Looking Ahead – Nibiru Chain’s 2024 Roadmap

In 2024, Nibiru Chain sets its sights on expanding the ecosystem. Key developments include several initiatives such as a gamified engagement airdrop, integration with major liquidity centers, listing on several top-tier centralized exchanges, implementing parallel optimistic execution, and achieving full EVM-compatibility.

This year is marked by the anticipated launch of Nibiru Chain’s flagship dApps such as Nibi-Perps, Nibi-Swap, and NUSD. These releases will mark major milestones in Nibiru Chain’s journey towards a user and developer-centric platform.

About Nibiru Chain

Nibiru Chain is a breakthrough L1 blockchain and smart contract ecosystem sporting superior throughput and unparalleled security. Nibiru aims to be the most developer-friendly and user-friendly smart contract ecosystem, leading the charge toward mainstream Web3 adoption by innovating at each layer of the stack: dApp development, infra, consensus, a comprehensive dev toolkit, value accrual.

For more information visit: nibiru.fi

Nibiru Chain Socials: https://linktr.ee/nibiruchain

SOURCE Nibiru Chain

CHICAGO, Feb. 2, 2024 — Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) today launched $1 million in funding for the Made in Illinois Grant Program. The Made in Illinois program provides up to $50,000 in matching grant funding to small- and mid-sized Illinois manufacturers to support innovation and strategic advancements in manufacturing.

“In Illinois, our manufacturing footprint is growing faster than ever before,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This is possible because of a talented local workforce and the coordination of state and local officials creating policies that result in job creation and growth. Thanks to organizations like IMEC and the Illinois Made Program, manufacturers are being given more opportunities to expand their business right here at home and play a major role in making Illinois the best place in the nation to live, work, do business, and raise a family.”

“Illinois has a storied history as one of the nation’s largest manufacturing states and we are proud to partner with IMEC on the Made in Illinois initiative,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “This program helps small-to-mid-sized manufacturers meet market demands and enhance production, which supports the manufacturing sector and contributes to Illinois’ economic prosperity.”

Applications are open now through March 31, 2024, and manufacturers are encouraged to explore the benefits offered by the Made in Illinois Grant Program by visiting www.imec.org/madeinillinois. The page provides details on eligibility criteria, application procedures, and the improvements achievable through this initiative.

“With the launch of the Made in Illinois Grant Program, we commend the state for making a strategic investment in our manufacturers and their future,” said IMEC President, David Boulay, PhD. “This program puts manufacturers front and center, empowering them for a future marked by innovation, growth, and lasting success in the evolving world of manufacturing.”

To be eligible to apply for this program, companies must:

• Be an Illinois manufacturer (as designated with a NAICS code starting with 31-33)
• Have between 5-250 employees
• Operated in Illinois for at least 3 years
• Had sales revenue in the last 12 months prior to application date

In addition to the grant opportunity, the Made in Illinois Grant Program also offers manufacturers access to expertise and resources, guiding them toward a future defined by productivity and innovation. Through expertise and resources and through the grant program, manufacturers are set to benefit from:

• Productivity Boost: Grant funds support production enhancements for sustained growth.
• Innovation Focus: The program encourages manufacturers to integrate cutting-edge technologies for continuous improvement.
• Cost-Effective Innovation: Backed by IMEC’s expertise, manufacturers innovate while keeping costs in check.
• Quality Improvement: Grant recipients invest in automation to elevate product quality.
• Workforce Support: Automation and smart technologies equip manufacturers with an opportunity to up-skill their workforce.
• Market Leadership: Manufacturers gain a leadership position by adopting cutting-edge technologies.
• Machinery Acquisition: Emphasis on strategic acquisition for advanced machinery.
• Flexibility and Resilience: Fosters adaptability through advanced technologies to lower operational risk and pivot to market shifts.

Applications for the Made in Illinois Grant Program are open until March 31, 2024. The program will award matching grants between $5,000 and $50,000 to eligible companies. Interested manufacturers are encouraged to visit the official program page at www.imec.org/madeinillinois.

SOURCE IMEC

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2024 — Meme Kombat ($MK) has raised nearly $8 million for its battling iGaming ecosystem, which will see meme characters go toe-to-toe in its battling arena.

The Web3 gaming platform is a first-of-its-kind offering as far as meme battling goes. But the innovation doesn’t stop there. Meme Kombat will also enable players to wager on the outcome of the bouts, in a novel twist that is already proving that it appeals to a wide crypto audience.

Meme Kombat has a hard cap target of $10 million, which explains why the fundraising is picking up such a strong head of steam at this juncture. In the last stage of the presale, contributors are now in a race against time to secure their stake in the future of crypto gaming.

Native token $MK is on sale at the cheap price of $0.279 as the ICO approaches the finishing line. The rate at which funds have been amassed has grown at a rate of more than 2,500% over the past eight weeks alone.

iGaming, wagering and meme coins constitute a triumvirate of perhaps the most closely watched and lucrative sectors of the crypto industry.

Helping to encourage contributions is news from the Meme Kombat team, promising a forthcoming $25k giveaway – not that any further encouragement is required judging by the way fundraising is powering ahead.

https://x.com/Meme_Kombat/status/1753278770922803378

Meme Kombat is a one-of-a-kind project that hits all the bases

Meme Kombat allows token holders to deposit their tokens in order to take part in the battling and wagering. From their activity on the platform, players can secure various rewards in addition to their winnings from wagering on the outcome of the meme character fights.

There is nothing else quite like Meme Kombat on the market today, which is no doubt its core appeal to the ICO’s contributors. The project will launch with an 11-character Season 1, to be followed up with Season 2 at a later date.

Meme Kombat’s Season 1 will be available after the presale is sold out and the project is launched. There are 11 meme characters you can battle with in Season 1: Milady, Baby Doge, Doge, Floki, Kishu, Mong, Pepe, Pepe2, Shiba, Sponge and Wojak.

Season 2 meme characters will be out just before Season 1 wraps up. But the story doesn’t end there for Meme Kombat. There are ambitious plans in the works, as hinted at in its marketing materials.

For instance, according to the Meme Kombat website, “the project has plans for further expansion, potentially adding new game modes, partnerships, and other exciting developments.”

https://x.com/Meme_Kombat/status/1747560275664949488

How Meme Kombat is the perfect fit for crypto enthusiasts

Meme coins continue to attract buyers who clearly are sold on its vision, and in particular the potential of a decentralized application that could have wide appeal across the multi-billion dollar meme coin space and beyond.

Increasingly, crypto investors are homing in on projects with real-world use cases that can attract a large and engaged customer base – Meme Kombat does exactly that. To reiterate, the project targets three of the hottest segments in crypto: gaming, betting and meme coins.

Data from listings site CoinGecko values the GameFi sector in market cap terms at $20.7 billion. Another key metric shows that gambling tokens are valued at circa $700 million and growing.

Meanwhile, CoinGecko estimates the worth of the meme coins sector at around $20 billion. Meme Kombat has the perfect market fit for this total addressable market that can be measured in tens of billions of dollars.

https://x.com/Meme_Kombat/status/1752904512631677106

Meme Kombat’s total token supply is 120,000,000, of which thirty percent is allocated for staking and battle rewards, 10 percent for community rewards, and ten percent for decentralized exchange liquidity. Fifty percent of the total token supply is on sale in the ICO.

Prospective contributors to the presale will be comforted to hear that Meme Kombat‘s smart contract is fully security audited and no major issues have been detected.

Another thing Meme Kombat has going for it is the quality of its art, as shown on its social media properties. Meme coins live and die by the vibrancy of their communities – irreverent humor and engaging artwork are key parts of making that pitch to new community members.

All the signs indicate that the project’s polished and professional team of designers (and developers) has got a handle on the meme zeitgeist, as you can see from the X postings above.

Ultimately then, Meme Kombat is in the enviable position of appealing to all types of meme coin communities. So whether followers of Pepe, Shiba Inu or Sponge, there’s something for everyone at Meme Kombat. 

Media contact: [email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2333133/meme_kombat_AI_art.jpg

SOURCE Meme Kombat

Furno Makes Cement Production Agile, Scalable and Carbon Neutral

GREENWICH, Conn., Feb. 2, 2024 — O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (“OSV”), a family office that invests in ambitious seed and pre-seed startups, announced today that it has invested in Furno Materials Inc. (“Furno”).

Founded in 2020 by Gurinder Nagra, Furno is building modular cement plants that are more carbon-efficient, cheaper to build, and less space-intensive than traditional plants.

Cement is the second most-consumed commodity in the world (behind water), and it produces 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Traditional cement plans are large and must be custom-built. Furno’s modular cement plants burn natural gas instead of coal. This means they release less carbon dioxide than traditional cement plants and can be heated and cooled more efficiently. Furno’s plants are designed to fit inside a shipping container, meaning they are portable and take up minimal space, which is ideal for building in developing markets.  

OSV’s founder, Jim O’Shaughnessy, commented; “While it may not get as much attention as other technologies, commodity production plays a critical role in building the world around us. As developing economies continue to build and developed nations update their infrastructure, cement will only become more important. We are excited to partner with Gurinder and the Furno team to ensure our future includes cleaner, more efficient, and generally smarter cement production.”

“We are proud to welcome OSV as a key seed investor in Furno Materials,” said Furno founder and CEO Nagra; “OSV’s dedication to positive-sum outcomes resonates with our values and our commitment to building a more sustainable and green future. With OSV’s support, we can accelerate our journey toward creating a lasting impact on the cement industry and beyond.” 

About O’Shaughnessy Ventures

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

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

SOURCE O’Shaughnessy Ventures

Avation’s Vivally® System, the only FDA-cleared, non-invasive, closed-loop, at-home wearable, changes the way urinary incontinence and urgency caused by overactive bladder syndrome is treated

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2024 — Avation Medical, an innovative neuromodulation and digital health company with a mission to make wearable peripheral neuromodulation accessible to patients across a variety of clinical conditions, announced more than $22 million in equity financing in its oversubscribed Series C round, led by new investors ShangBay Capital and Asahi Kasei, which included Angelini Ventures, JobsOhio Growth Capital Fund, and others. Additional investments were also provided by multiple existing investors, including Arboretum Ventures, Tonkawa, Medtronic, and Avestria Ventures. The funding in the round, which remains open, will be used for the U.S. launch of the company’s Vivally System.

The Vivally System is the only non-invasive, FDA-cleared, wearable neuromodulation system for home use that delivers closed-loop, autonomously adjusted electrical stimulation to treat patients with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and urinary urgency caused by overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, which affects more than 46 million people in the U.S. Using proprietary algorithms and electromyographical sensors, the System detects and calibrates to the level of energy being delivered to the tibial nerve during stimulation to ensure optimal, customized therapeutic output in a true real-time, closed-loop operation. Worn on the ankle, Vivally is used at home for therapy sessions lasting only 30 minutes, as little as once per week. Unlike other implantable neuromodulation approaches for bladder treatment, Vivally requires no surgery and no drugs.

Avation Co-Founder and CEO Jill Schiaparelli confirms, “This new capital will jump-start the highly anticipated launch of Vivally, which sets a new standard for OAB care. We are thrilled to welcome new investors and grateful for the unwavering support of existing investors who share our belief that non-invasive wearable neuromodulation therapy will significantly benefit patients and clinicians.  We could not ask for a stronger group of institutional investors as we accelerate our efforts to bring this innovative technology to market.” Schiaparelli noted that representatives from Asahi Kasei and Angelini Ventures will now join Avation Medical’s board of directors.

A surgery- and drug-free at-home wearable neuromodulation system represents a huge advancement in the treatment of OAB. While neuromodulation has traditionally been effective in treating OAB symptoms, to date it has required in-office visits or invasive surgical procedures, relegating it to less than 10 percent of patients seeking treatment. Vivally can be used earlier in the care pathway to treat the approximately nine million people seeking treatment annually for their symptoms. In two multi-center clinical trials, the Vivally System was shown to significantly reduce daily void, incontinence, and urgency episodes and improve patient quality of life. Additionally, the System facilitated an 88-percent therapy compliance rate. Symptom reduction was demonstrated out to one year, even with a decrease in therapy frequency.  Full details of the study were recently published in the journal Urology.

“Avation Medical’s Vivally technology, with its excellent efficacy and unprecedented safety profile, proven in two multi-center clinical trials, is designed for patients who don’t want surgery or drugs,” stated William Dai, managing partner of ShangBay Capital, Palo Alto. “We are pleased to partner with Avation’s leadership team to drive the successful commercialization of this beneficial therapy.”

“Angelini Ventures is honored to support Avation Medical in redefining OAB treatment,” said Thomas Thestrup, PhD, principal at Angelini Ventures, the venture capital firm of Angelini Industries, Rome, Italy. “OAB a prevalent medical condition that hasn’t seen breakthrough innovation in 25 years. A patient-friendly, at-home wearable has a significantly larger market opportunity to reach patients than existing invasive neuromodulation options, especially when you consider that this product will allow clinicians who are not surgically trained to provide relief to their patients.” 

“Arboretum Ventures led Avation’s Series B round because of our strong belief that a new treatment approach for OAB was being sought by both patients and physicians,” commented Dr. Thomas Shehab, managing partner of Arboretum Ventures and Avation Medical board chair. “After witnessing the strength of the Avation team and the excellent clinical outcomes of the Vivally System, we were ready to increase our investment in Series C.”

Avation Medical is launching the Vivally System, which is available with a prescription, in key markets in early Spring 2024.

About Avation Medical and the Vivally System

Avation Medical is an innovative neuromodulation and digital health company with a mission to make wearable peripheral neuromodulation accessible to patients across a variety of clinical conditions. The Company’s Vivally System is the only FDA-cleared, closed-loop, at-home wearable neuromodulation device system. Combined with a companion mobile application, Vivally offers a comprehensive therapy and support system for patients suffering from urge urinary incontinence and urinary urgency caused by overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). Vivally is prescribed by a clinician following a brief clinical evaluation which includes personalized calibration. Personalization establishes an EMG target and range of neuromodulation energy associated with the detection of an EMG signal to indicate nerve activation. Vivally delivers clinically effective therapy in just 30 minutes, as little as once per week. Vivally is available by prescription in select geographies in the United States.   Learn more at Avation.com.

For more information, contact
Beth LaBreche
[email protected]
612-578-2834

SOURCE Avation Medical

ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2024 — MYAVANA, the beauty-tech company founded by black female tech entrepreneur, Candace Mitchell Harris, announces a new experiential partnership with Ulta Beauty, coupled with strategic investments from Prisma Ventures, the beauty retailer’s digital innovation fund, and the BrainTrust Fund.

As a key component of the strategic partnership,Ulta Beauty has proudly unveiled a new Virtual Hair Analysis tool, which integrates MYAVANA’s HairAI™ technology and empowers guests to gain a comprehensive understanding of their hair type and receive personalized product recommendations.The tool will seamlessly integrate within Ulta Beauty’s e-commerce virtual try-on experiences, revolutionizing the way customers explore and select hair care products.

“Through Prisma Ventures, Ulta Beauty’s digital innovation fund, we’re always looking to support and invest in technologies that will pave the path forward for the world of beauty – especially those with like-minded values aiming to innovate the space through an inclusive lens,” said Agustina Sartori, Senior Director of Digital Innovation at Ulta Beauty & Managing Director of Prisma Ventures, “Candace’s visionary approach to digitizing beauty experiences for all hair types, including textured hair, is incredibly unique, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with MYAVANA on their mission to open new doors for more guests through hair analysis technology.”

Additionally, BrainTrust Fund, which invests in breakthrough brands led by at least one Black founder that serves the majority, also made a strategic investment in MYAVANA alongside Prisma Ventures. The funds will go towards their enterprise retail expansion, including salon channels and global product distribution leveraging the company’s consumer intelligence across the hair industry. “Myavana is emerging as a leader in beauty AI because its hair strand analysis super-serves every customer in this valuable marketplace, from the shopper seeking a personalized diagnosis, to retailers and stylists wanting to sell the right products to shoppers the first time,” say BrainTrust Fund General Partners Kendra Bracken-Ferguson and Lisa Stone. “We’re looking forward to working with Candace and her team as the brand continues to accelerate.”

“In the beginning at MYAVANA, we set out on a mission to transform the hair industry through science and technology and I am ecstatic to partner with Ulta Beauty to begin this digital transformation in retail. Through our personalized hair care technology that will innovate and elevate our shopping experiences, we’re excited to bring to market better identification and understanding of our unique hair strands and unique hair journeys while partnering with the nation’s largest beauty retailer that prioritizes innovation and inclusion” says Candace Harris, CEO & Founder of MYAVANA.

Candace Harris founded MYAVANA in 2012, leveraging 17 years of experience in computer science to develop AI haircare technology that analyzes the variables of hair strands and hair products to produce personalized hair care plans that support healthy hair and hair growth. She is a pioneer within a space that is overwhelmingly homogenous and non-inclusive, carving out solutions for BIPOC women, a group often ignored.

About MYAVANA
MYAVANA is a Black female-owned, and operated beauty tech company backed by over a decade of research, development and data. MYAVANA is disrupting the multi-billion dollar, textured hair care market as a pioneer of HairAI™ (Artificial Intelligence Hair Strand Analysis) technology and HairSI™ (Scientific Hair Strand Analysis). MYAVANA Labs has analyzed over two billion hair strands, making it the world’s largest database of textured hair care data. MYAVANA couples its personalized, scientific hair analysis with the company’s prescriptive, data-driven hair product recommendation suite of over 3000 commercially available hair products on the market. All product recommendations have been performance tested and validated by MYAVANA for effectiveness on textured hair types and conditions. The MYAVANA suite of products forms a transformational hair care solution for consumers and an elevated data driven service as well as retail opportunity for industry professionals.

By partnering with MYAVANA’s Consumer Intelligence Data Insights, Hair Product Manufacturers can gain insights into textured hair conditions to inform product development needs. As a B2C and B2B solution, MYAVANA’s Personalized Consumer Intelligence Data is poised to radically change how hair product purchasing decisions are made by consumers – through data personalization, and illuminate the massive data validated opportunity for more targeted textured hair relevant products and solutions by the hair care industry. With MYAVANA’s Recommendation Intelligence, Retailers can license the hair analysis technology to offer personalized hair product recommendations to shoppers online and in-store.

MYAVANA will become a force multiplier for 5th generation technology jobs creation in the beauty space – where some AI tech is predicted to replace traditional jobs like in customer service, tech support, accounting, manufacturing, etc.

About the founder
Candace Harris founded MYAVANA in beta in 2012 researching and developing proprietary AI hair care technology that analyzes the variables of hair strands and hair products to produce personalized hair care plans that support healthy hair and hair growth. As a graduate of Georgia Tech, she brings over 17 years of experience in computer science to MYAVANA. Candace is the 2023 BeautyMatters Innovator of the Year, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, WWD Top 50 Beauty Innovator, BET Honors STEM Award winner, Sephora Accelerate fellow, and recent Georgia Tech Computing Hall of Fame inductee. Candace’s work has been featured nationally on CNN, Marie Claire, ESSENCE, Inc. Magazine, Black Enterprise, Business Insider, and more.

For more information, visit MYAVANA.com or follow @MYAVANAHairCare

Media contact: For media inquiries email [email protected].

SOURCE MYAVANA

New framework deepens relationship between the utility industry’s most active corporate venture investor and parent company National Grid to scale energy innovations faster.

LOS GATOS, Calif., Feb. 1, 2024 — National Grid Partners (NGP), the corporate venture capital and innovation arm of one of the world’s largest utilities, today announced a streamlined leadership structure and refreshed investment focus to accelerate progress toward net zero and scale innovation across global energy networks.

Led by Steve Smith, recently appointed president of NGP, these efforts bring National Grid’s strategy, innovation and startup investing together under one umbrella. The new structure is designed to maximize impact and further build on the parent company’s transformational work to provide a clean, fair and affordable energy transition.

“Utilities must move faster to scale innovations that can slash emissions, support soaring energy demand and create the utility of the future,” said Smith, a veteran utility regulator and financial industry innovator who joined the British energy giant in late 2021 as group head of Strategy, Innovation and Market Analytics. “National Grid Partners already offers critical financial resources and expert advice to some of the most exciting companies in climate tech and beyond. Our new structure connects entrepreneurs even more closely with our world-class innovation teams to bring essential technologies to market at industry leading speed.”

The new structure will draw on the NGP team’s combined 225 years of venture investing and utility operations experience to help startups scale new technologies in months, not years. Smith has made the following appointments and promotions to lead this charge:

• Vice President, Investments – Pradeep Tagare: With a decade-long track record in venture and startups – including 13 years at Intel Capital – Pradeep will run the investing function of National Grid Partners, identifying technologies poised to make the greatest impact on the energy transition. He previously had been Vice President, Corporate Venture Capital and will now lead NGP’s full investment team.
• Vice President, Business Development – Brett Chandler: Brett has more than 14 years of experience bridging utility and startup cultures to embed innovation into utilities. His team engages startups with National Grid’s core business units to generate mutual strategic and financial value. Brett has served in this role in an acting capacity since early 2023.
• Vice President, Innovation and Venture Acceleration – Gerard Kelly: A former startup founder and CEO, Gerard has helped design and oversee innovation projects across National Grid with the potential to generate more than $1 billion in impact over the next 10 years. He will now manage innovation and venture acceleration efforts across the U.S. and U.K., which includes overseeing the NextGrid Alliance, a first-of-its-kind network of more than 100 electric utilities around the world.

NGP also has sharpened its investment strategy to focus on four pillars. Derived from conversations with startup founders, utilities and other innovation leaders to identify the most pressing challenges in the clean energy transition, the pillars include:

• Future Electric Networks: Upgrading and rebuilding the grid to boost renewable energy, increase reliability and meet new electric demand while reaching net-zero.
• Customer First: Delivering solutions to help customers manage a fair and affordable energy transition.
• Efficiency Through Innovation: Deploying artificial intelligence, cloud and edge computing, and other emerging technologies to improve operational performance.
• Decarbonizing Gas: Delivering innovative technologies to reduce leakage and decarbonize our networks.

To integrate more closely with Silicon Valley, NGP is moving to Menlo Park’s celebrated Sand Hill Road, the global epicenter of the venture capital industry.

National Grid Partners has invested more than $400 million in 43 companies since its 2018 launch, with seven successful exits and an industry leading percentage of portfolio “unicorns” valued at more than $1 billion. The organization has been named the utility industry’s most active corporate venture investor by Bloomberg NEF, and it recently unveiled a unique evaluation framework for measuring the impact of its portfolio companies on carbon emissions.

In addition, NGP has delivered a step change to National Grid’s innovation strategy by introducing hundreds of startup technologies, identifying future challenges, and developing prototypes and business models to meet those challenges.

About National Grid Partners
National Grid Partners (NGP) is the venture investment and innovation arm of National Grid plc., one of the world’s largest investor-owned energy companies. NGP invests for strategic and financial impact across four pillars: Future Electric Networks; Decarbonizing Gas; Customer First; and Efficiency Through Innovation. By providing corporate venture capital, business development counsel and direct integration with National Grid’s innovation team, NGP is accelerating the energy transition and helping innovators reach critical scale faster. We also convene the NextGrid Alliance (www.ngalliance.energy), an innovation network of senior executives from more than 100 worldwide utility companies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, NGP has offices in Boston, London, and New York. Visit ngpartners.com or follow us on Twitter (@ngpartners_) and LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Grid Partners

DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Harbor, a pioneering company in infant care technology, announces the successful completion of a $3.7MM seed round led by Trust Ventures joined by Morrison Seger and Capital Factory. This follows Trust Ventures pre-seed investment in September 2022. Additional notable participants for the seed round include former NFL quarterback Tim and Demi-Leigh Tebow, retired US Professional Tennis player John and Madison Isner, NFL punter Thomas and Lauren Morstead, and entrepreneurs Sam and Sara Sodine Parr.

The idea of Harbor was conceptualized after a personal experience co-founder and CEO Kevin Lavelle, founder and Chairman of the Board of menswear brand Mizzen+Main, had with the leading baby camera on the market. One morning, Lavelle woke up to realize the camera in his infant’s nursery had lost connection to his phone’s app, and upon further research found that app-based systems cannot be relied upon to be a true baby monitor. Lavelle partnered with co-founder and CPO Charlie Hill to begin an intensive product development cycle to revolutionize key attributes that had been overlooked in the infant monitoring space.

Harbor’s revolutionary baby monitor, launching in May 2024, offers key features like local and remote access that streams with or without internet, a high-quality camera that streams in 2k, best-in-class data privacy assurance, split screen capabilities to monitor up to four children, and Smart Audio, a more considered and helpful alerting system. They will also be launching a revolutionary new Remote Night Nanny service, making all night, eyes on expertise and coaching from professionally trained infant experts available to families for a fraction of the cost of traditional night nannies and infant care programs. This is complemented by additional telehealth services at accessible pricing.

“This investment helps us launch to the world. Our mission is to create happier parents and healthier families, one restful night at a time. We’re democratizing access to sleep expertise and improving family wellness,” says co-founder Kevin Lavelle. “Technology should make our lives better. Today’s solutions increase anxiety in an already overwhelming and difficult time where we should be able to focus on our little ones. Parents and kids deserve a secure, reliable, quality baby monitor, and since none exist, Harbor has built just that.”

Harbor’s mission of creating happier parents and healthier families stems from the belief in the power of safe and good sleep while providing accessible and innovative sleep technology and democratized telehealth services. By partnering with Pediatric Sleep Experts as Remote Night Nannies, Harbor’s remote nanny services will become available for $20/night compared to the traditional $400–$700/night fees. Other telehealth services will include lactation and postpartum counseling, and sleep and wellness coaching. 

“Lauren and I care deeply about raising a happy, healthy family, and we’re thrilled to back what the team at Harbor is doing. We’ve experienced so much raising our kids and know Harbor will make a huge difference for parents everywhere,” says investor, Thomas Morstead.

Starting in February 2024, Harbor will launch a waitlist campaign to offer early access to its innovative device and services.

About Harbor

Harbor is on a mission to transform the way we take care of young children and their families. Harbor is creating a revolutionary baby monitor with capabilities that include Remote Night Nannies, Health Tech Services (infant and postpartum care), and comprehensive attributes that will enable parents to get much-needed sleep and infant care expertise for a fraction of traditional costs.

SOURCE Harbor

• Canyon Star TV acquired over 900 family-friendly titles at no cost through deep relationships in the media and entertainment industry.
• Canyon Star announced its first round of institutional capital, one year after launching its AVOD streaming platform in January 2023 and organically capturing more than 18,485 viewers.
• Upon securing funding, Canyon Star plans to begin the production of five original titles, sign at least three content licensing contracts, and onboard 20K new viewers through marketing strategies during 2024.

“We have created a network that is for everyone. I am proud of the programming and welcome the opportunity to see it reach its full potential with the help of more investors that believe in our family-friendly programming and the joy of shows that make you happy and entertained,” highlights president and co-founder Kelly Kantz, an executive with over 30 years in the media and entertainment industry.

Joey Canyon, founder and CEO, shares his vision for this capital raising initiative and its impact on the future of Canyon Star TV, “I believe that there are strategic investors out there that still believe in the morals and standards that Canyon Star TV lives by. Investors that understand our vision and would like to join us and make a significant contribution in keeping Canyon Star TV a safe haven for families everywhere.”

In addition to its co-founders, the Canyon Star TV team includes industry veteran Carolyn Crawford as Senior Media Advisor and serial entrepreneur, author, and humanitarian Terri Schmidt as Senior VP of Canyon Star Shopping.

Funds for the $2 million round of seed capital will be used to accelerate growth to produce five original titles in 2024, marketing, improve the user interface, and license quality, wholesome, family-friendly programming.

To learn about participating in this round of capital, email [email protected]

About Canyon Star Television Network:

Canyon Star TV (CSTV) is a family-friendly television network led by Joey Canyon and Kelly Kantz. CSTV officially launched globally in early 2023 and offers the world wholesome family programming that celebrates traditional country and Americana music as well as a full spectrum of entertainment with unique and original content. Subscribers can use any streaming device to access a broad range of exclusive programming anytime, anywhere, including everything from popular movies and classic TV shows to shopping, travel, sports, lifestyle, food, and history programs to live performances by some of the best country music artists around. Canyon, Kantz, and the extended CSTV team bring together their love for all aspects of the entertainment industry while providing viewers with new, exciting, and enriching content for the whole family.

To explore potential content partnerships with Canyon Star TV, contact [email protected].

Media Contacts:
Jeremy Westby, [email protected], +1-833-537-2911, 800
Scott Sexton, [email protected], +1-833-537-2911, 802

SOURCE Canyon Star TV