Valisure Secures Strategic Investment, Announces Appointment of New CEO, & Expansion of Executive Leadership Team to Accelerate its Growth in Enterprise Healthcare

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Feb. 28, 2024 — Valisure, a healthcare industry pioneer for independent quality assurance in pharmaceutical drugs, has recently received substantial investments from leading healthcare venture capital firms to accelerate Valisure’s rapid growth and impact. Concurrently, the company is pleased to announce key leadership developments, including appointing a highly experienced healthcare leader as CEO and additional expansion of its executive team.

The venture funding is led by AlleyCorp, a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in transformative companies across dedicated verticals for Healthcare, Diversified Technology, Robotics, and Social Impact. This strategic investment will provide Valisure with the financial resources needed to accelerate its research and development efforts, expand its team of experts, and further strengthen its position as a market leader in the critically needed, independent pharmaceutical quality assurance space. Valisure has gained global recognition for its commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of medications through its highly impactful, independent testing. Valisure’s expanding services are being increasingly adopted by major public and private health systems.

Continuing in its pursuit of expanding within the healthcare industry, Valisure is proud to introduce Chip Phillips as the new Chief Executive Officer–an accomplished healthcare executive with a strong focus in the pharmacy service space. He brings a wealth of experience, having served as President of ANDA, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and was an executive leader at CVS Health. At CVS, he spent time leading the Medicaid business, TheraCom, Inc., and Minute Clinic. This appointment underscores Valisure’s strategic commitment to being an integral part of the pharmaceutical ecosystem, contributing to the continued improvement of product safety and quality through the provision of independent quality assurance.

“I am pleased to join Valisure as the Chief Executive Officer at a time in the industry when supply chain concerns, drug shortages, fiscal pressures, and quality issues appear to be at an all-time high,” states Chip Phillips, Valisure’s newly appointed CEO. “I look forward to collaborating with the talented team and enabling Valisure to expand its work with the industry to strategically address these issues.”

With Chip’s appointment as CEO, Valisure’s Co-Founder David Light assumed the role of President, enabling him to focus on continuing to grow the company’s thought leadership and overall mission through its broad network of government, industry, and academic partners.

“As President, I am eager to expand Valisure’s existing leadership in the independent pharmaceutical quality assurance space that we’ve rapidly created in the United States since we founded the company in 2015. I’m also looking forward to nurturing existing partnerships and strengthening strong relationships with leaders throughout healthcare,” says David Light, President of Valisure. “These endeavors are aimed at further growing our impact on pharmaceutical quality and safety and overall improving public health.”

Likewise, Wolfgang Hinz, Ph.D., has assumed a pivotal leadership position as the Chief Scientific Officer of Valisure. Formerly a technology co-founder at Ion Torrent, Wolfgang led chemistry Research and Development resulting in a globally commercialized DNA sequencing platform acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. He boasts an impressive portfolio of over 100 granted patents, reflecting his extensive success in technology development across chemistry, biology, and engineering. Wolfgang conducted his graduate studies at the University of Cape Town and post-graduate studies at Yale University.

Further strengthening the executive team, Valisure welcomes Adam Clark-Joseph, Ph.D., as Chief Analytics Officer, leveraging his expertise as a former finance professor focusing on algorithmic trading. Adam completed a dual bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics at Yale University, a master’s degree in economics at Cambridge University as a Gates Scholar, and a Ph.D. in economics at Harvard University.

Additionally, Jill Nailor, R.Ph., a pharmacist by training, has advanced to the position of Chief Business Development Officer at Valisure. Leveraging her extensive industry experience, including time at Walgreens and Pfizer, she is dedicated to building Valisure’s client portfolio.

In this transformative chapter marked by new strategic venture partnerships and appointments of visionary leadership, Valisure is poised to broadly integrate its novel approach to independent quality assurance for pharmaceuticals into the healthcare industry at a time when it has never been more needed.

About Valisure:
Valisure is a pioneering technology company at the forefront of addressing a critical gap in the healthcare supply chain through independent quality assurance. Our mission is to revolutionize the broken supply chain by providing a critically missing element: transparency to quality and independent certification through chemical analysis. At a time when transparency and reliability have never been more critical, Valisure addresses a significant unmet need, reshaping the future of the healthcare supply chain. Explore collaboration opportunities with us to advance the quality assurance standard in healthcare at www.valisure.com.

SOURCE Valisure

Investment to strategically expand leading dental service organization’s footprint and modern dentistry offering

CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2024 — GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced today that its management partnership with Kelly McCrann, Avryo Health Services, LLC (“Avryo Healthcare”), has completed a strategic investment in 7to7 Dental (“7to7” or “the Company”) in partnership with Justin Coke, Chief Executive Officer, and Tiffany Winburn, DMD, Chief Clinical Officer, who retained substantial ownership in the Company. Kelly McCrann has joined 7to7 as Executive Chairman alongside the existing management team who will continue in their current roles.

Founded in 2008 and based in San Antonio, Texas, 7to7 is a leading dental service organization (DSO) with nine locations in the area. Providing a comprehensive suite of dentistry services, including general and specialty dentistry, specialty endodontic and oral surgery services, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry and emergency dentistry, 7to7 delivers unique customer service by offering extended hours seven days a week, better accommodating busy patients’ schedules and dentistry needs.

Avryo Healthcare is a Leaders Strategy™ partnership formed with Kelly McCrann in 2022 with the intention of partnering with companies in the multi-site healthcare services industry as part of a strategy to build a market-leading company, with a focus on utilizing new technologies and operating strategies to enhance patient access and experiences. Mr. McCrann has over 35 years of experience in the healthcare services industry, including spending significant time operating in the DSO space.

This strategic partnership will strengthen 7to7’s offering and position the Company to build on its unique model in the dental services industry. GTCR expects to make additional investments in the business to fund future organic growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions.

“We are thrilled about the partnership between Avryo and the 7to7 team,” said Sean Cunningham, Managing Director and Co-Head of Healthcare at GTCR. “Kelly, Justin, and Tiffany bring together complementary strengths with a shared vision of advancing the dental care industry. We look forward to being part of the journey and leveraging GTCR’s experience building successful multi-site healthcare services companies.”

“7to7 was founded to create a more accessible and convenient patient experience and to provide flexibility for hardworking dental professionals. We’re excited to partner with Kelly and the team at GTCR to advance that vision and bring high quality dental experiences to more patients,” said Justin Coke, CEO of 7to7.

Kelly McCrann, Executive Chairman of 7to7, added “Justin and Tiffany have built a very special company that truly puts patients first by providing exceptional convenience and offers a differentiated opportunity to continue expansion throughout Texas and beyond. I look forward to working with the 7to7 team to build on their successes to create a patient-centric, modern dental platform.”

“The dental services industry has been a focus area for Avryo, and 7to7 has a team and a brand that patients trust. We appreciate their partnership and are excited to strategically pursue the growth opportunities we collectively see ahead of the business,” added John Kos, Managing Director at GTCR.

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm that pioneered The Leaders Strategy™ – finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. GTCR is focused on investing in transformative growth in companies in the Business & Consumer Services, Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare and Technology, Media & Telecommunications sectors. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $25 billion in over 270 companies, and the firm currently manages $40 billion in equity capital. GTCR is based in Chicago with offices in New York and West Palm Beach. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

GTCR Media Contact

Andrew Johnson

212.835.7042

[email protected] 

SOURCE GTCR

• Pittsburgh-based firm closes $50 million fund to invest in pre-seed and seed companies.
• Focuses on Black and diverse-led technology startups, with over 10 investments already made in companies including EMTECH, Goodfynd, The Folklore, and Kloopify.
• Senior team has many decades of collective experience in the industry, and the fund is backed by iconic LPs including Alphabet, Bank of America, and Mark Cuban.

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 28, 2024 — Black Tech Nation Ventures (referred to as “BTN.vc” ), a Pittsburgh-based venture firm, today announced the close of a $50 million inaugural fund. BTN.vc invests in software startups led by founders from diverse backgrounds that have historically been overlooked by venture funding. The fund believes these Black, Latinx, female, indigenous and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs have the potential to generate outsized returns within the venture industry as a whole.

“We set up BTN.vc to equip and train a new generation of more diverse entrepreneurs and investors,” said David Motley, one of three general partners. “We are committed to providing intellectual as well as financial capital to help our founders navigate growing a successful company and opening up opportunities for future venture capitalists who are Black or diverse to participate in the industry.”

BTN.vc is investing in high-potential founders at the seed and pre-seed stage who are building companies with technology that is driving change and unlocking outsized value, in sectors including fintech, edtech, health tech, climate tech, and AI and machine learning. 

The firm has already invested in 10 companies in cities including Atlanta, Boston, District of Columbia, Indianapolis, New York, and Pittsburgh. These include; EMTECH, a fintech infrastructure company; Goodfynd, an enterprise solutions provider for food truckers and mobile vendors; The Folklore, an e-commerce platform connecting brands from the African continent to premium retailers in the US; and Kloopify, provider of supply chain sustainability analytics. Multiple investments have already secured up-round follow on funding.

BTN.vc expects to back 20-30 companies from its inaugural fund, typically seeking entry at the pre-seed and seed stages with checks in the $250,000 to $1M range. The firm has led, co-led and or helped complete funding rounds. The team has built a unique deal funnel to match its investment focus, which includes diverse professional development groups, top tier research universities, and historically Black colleges and universities.

BTN.vc was co-founded in 2020 by three serial entrepreneurs united by a commitment to building and enabling a diverse technology ecosystem.

• Kelauni Jasmyn is a former software developer and the founder and CEO of Black Tech Nation, which is building community and resources to bridge the gap between the Black community and the tech community in Pittsburgh and across the US.
• David Motley brings extensive experience with technology and innovation driven companies having led a corporate venture fund and co-founded a prior private venture fund.  He also co-founded the African American Directors Forum (AADF), which strives to increase representation of African American executives at the public company board level.
• Seán Sebastian previously founded Birchmere Ventures, a $300m AUM seed-stage investor that led investments in almost 100 portfolio companies attracting more than $4bn in follow-on capital and achieving over $18bn in market value.  Included in that portfolio were 25 diverse-led startups and some of the firm’s strongest performers.

BTN.vc is backed by a range of blue chip LPs including Alphabet, First National Bank (FNB Corp), Mark Cuban, First Close Partners, and Bank of America.

Jeremiah Gordon, General Counsel at CapitalG who co-led Alphabet’s investment in BTN.vc as part of its $100 million investment in initiative into black-led capital firms, startups and organizations supporting black entrepreneurs added: “By focusing on founders from underrepresented groups and geographies, BTN.vc is tapping into a rich vein of entrepreneurship largely unexplored by traditional venture groups.”

For more information, please visit https://btn.vc/.

Contact: Abby Vare / Olachi Ihekwaba, [email protected], +1 (631) 408-0791

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2348091/BTN_vc.jpg

SOURCE Black Tech Nation Ventures (BTN.vc)

LONDON, Feb. 28, 2024 — In a significant move for fintech, NayaOne announces a $4.7 million funding round led by EJF Capital, with Valley Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Valley Bank and Carthona Capital also on board. This investment is a testament to NayaOne’s growth and potential to transform financial services with its innovative sandbox-as-a-service platform.

NayaOne’s proven platform enables a radical reduction in technology adoption cycles within the finance sector.  Financial institutions can now swiftly navigate the fintech landscape, fostering partnerships that were once hindered by traditional, slow-moving processes. This is particularly relevant today, as a mere 5% of banks choose to develop tech in-house, highlighting the growing reliance on external fintech innovations for strategic advancements.

The timing of NayaOne’s platform aligns perfectly with the industry’s urgent shift towards digital transformation, offering flexibility and speed for revenue growth, customer retention, or crisis recovery.

Karan Jain, CEO of NayaOne, emphasises the significance of this funding round, it’s a nod to the opportunity and magnitude of the challenge we’re tackling in financial services. “It’s about more than just growth; it’s about setting the pace in a sector that’s fundamentally rethinking how it evolves”

Echoing Jain’s sentiment, EJF Ventures’ Michael Cherepnin points to the strategic inflection point: “We’re still in the early stage of a tech revolution in banking and capital markets, and NayaOne stands out as the critical infrastructure enabling the next big leap forward.”

Valley Ventures’ Managing Partner, Neal Kapur sheds light on the tangible edge NayaOne provides: “Our collaboration has dramatically streamlined how we vet fintech vendors, positioning us well ahead in the Digital Transformation and AI race.”

Dean Dorrell of Carthona Capital, reflecting on their early bet with this being their second round with NayaOne, adds, “Watching NayaOne’s journey from an early-stage hopeful to a fintech trailblazer has been nothing short of inspiring. This round is a launchpad for what’s next.”

With its latest funding, NayaOne is poised to redefine finance services. As everything moves to being digital first, NayaOne’s technology enables FIs to achieve their strategic outcomes by successfully navigating through the chaos and complexity of vendor technology.

About NayaOne

NayaOne’s mission is to help organisations navigate the complex financial technology ecosystem. Our Sandbox as a Service platform and marketplace of vetted Fintechs accelerates the adoption of emerging technologies and streamlines vendor collaboration. We help institutions to foster strategic partnerships and deliver exceptional customer experiences – delivering on our commitment to make technology more accessible and create a more innovative and inclusive financial ecosystem. To learn more please visit https://nayaone.com.

About EJF Capital

EJF Capital LLC is a global alternative asset management firm headquartered outside of Washington, D.C. with offices in London, England and Shanghai, China. As of December 31, 2023, EJF manages approximately $6.0 billion¹ across a diverse group of alternative asset strategies. The firm was founded in 2005 by Manny Friedman and Neal Wilson. To learn more, please visit http://ejfcap.com/ and please read additional Risks and Limitations located here. ¹ Firm AUM includes $3.0 billion in CDO assets through affiliates and $165.3 million of uncalled capital.

About Valley Ventures

Valley Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Valley National Bank, invests in and partners with companies that represent the future of finance. Valley National Bank is a regional bank with nearly $62 billion in assets. Valley operates many convenient branch locations and commercial banking offices across New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, and Illinois, and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable team dedicated to meeting customer needs.

About Carthona Capital 

Carthona Capital is a venture capital firm based in Sydney, Australia. Carthona Capital invests in early and growth stage companies across a range of sectors, with a focus on fintech, healthtech, and deeptech. Carthona Capital has a global perspective and a hands-on approach, providing strategic guidance and operational support to its portfolio companies. Carthona Capital has backed some of the most successful and innovative fintech companies in Australia and beyond, such as Afterpay, Athena, and Nura. 

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2349483/NayaOne_Logo.jpg

SOURCE NayaOne

HuLoop to Expand Its Unified Automation Platform and Financial Services, Retail/CPG Customer Base

AUBURN, Calif., Feb. 27, 2024 — HuLoop Automation, a leader in AI-powered intelligent automation, today announced the successful closing of its $5M seed round. The round was led by Moneta Ventures, with participation from Rebellion Ventures, Growth Factory, Vibranium VC, Nurture Ventures, Insta VC and others. This funding will fuel HuLoop’s mission to revolutionize automation, making it simpler, faster, and more affordable for its growing roster of clients in financial services and retail/CPG.

HuLoop’s approach to automation offers a radical departure from first-generation solution providers. Traditional automation solutions provide point solutions like Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Business Process Management (BPM), or Software Test Automation, which are too complex, involve time-consuming implementations, and are prohibitively expensive. In contrast, HuLoop combines cutting-edge technologies and human-in-the-loop processes to augment RPA, BPM and Test Automation to deliver faster results with unprecedented ease of use.

“Our goal at HuLoop is to democratize automation, making it accessible to non-technical professionals and to companies of all sizes,” said Todd P. Michaud, CEO of HuLoop Automation. “With this funding, we are excited to further enhance our platform and bring the benefits of AI-driven automation to more businesses, enabling them to achieve new levels of productivity and efficiency.”

“We have been active in the enterprise AI space for many years and believe HuLoop is poised to lead the next round of innovation in the automation industry,” said Lokesh Sikaria, Managing Partner at Moneta Ventures. “Their innovative approach and commitment to customer success sets them apart, and we are excited to be part of their journey.”

The additional capital will enable HuLoop Automation to expand its team, accelerate product development, and scale its operations to meet growing demand. For more information about HuLoop Automation and its platform, visit www.huloop.ai.

About HuLoop Automation:

HuLoop Automation offers AI-powered intelligent automation solutions that are radically simple, fast, and affordable, for companies of all sizes to boost their productivity. The platform caters to two primary industry sectors: financial services and consumer commerce.  HuLoop’s no-code solution provides a digital workforce that automates mundane, repetitive work, enabling employees to concentrate on more valuable work. By leveraging an array of innovations like AI-based intelligent agents, robotic process automation (RPA), intelligent document processing (IDP), generative AI, and human-in-the-loop employee experiences, HuLoop helps companies achieve new levels of productivity and efficiency.

Media Contact:
Erin Leventhal
(619) 800-3040
[email protected]

SOURCE HuLoop Automation, Inc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 27, 2024 — Rhombus, a leader in cloud-managed physical security, is excited to announce securing $26M+ in equity investments co-led by Tru Arrow and Cota Capital, and $17M in debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank, with existing investors Caden Capital and Uncorrelated Capital participating.

With over 100,000 cameras, sensors, and access control devices deployed, Rhombus is proud to protect over 30,000 locations across the globe. Rhombus’ scalable infrastructure, advanced analytics, and plug-and-play integrations continue to solve for the modern-day security needs of businesses and organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to school districts and cities. “We continue to be impressed by the growth and the capital efficiency presented by Rhombus and are excited to continue to strengthen our relationship,” said Julian Nash, Managing Director with SVB’s Frontier Tech Group. 

Additionally, in the last year, Rhombus has made outstanding progress in augmenting its ecosystem while continuing to focus on growth and optimization. Highlights include:

As Rhombus continues to grow, they remain focused on producing innovative approaches to security infrastructure at scale. Pete Ignatowicz, Senior Manager of Security Services at Ameriprise Financial, praised Rhombus for its transformative impact, stating, “Pivoting to Rhombus for over 100+ locations throughout the US, EMEA, and APAC has increased our situational awareness, freed up resources and reliance on a bulky server footprint, allowing us to focus our resources on other enhancements. In short, we’ve gained a valuable partner in Rhombus.” Rhombus offers a comprehensive suite of security solutions including advanced AI analytics, access control, and alarm monitoring. However, it is the platform’s swift search and data insight tools that make Rhombus the ideal choice for large-scale deployments.

“We believe Rhombus is building a leading next-generation cloud-managed physical security platform. Most of the market has yet to transition to a modern solution supplied by a US-based vendor, presenting a substantial opportunity for Rhombus’s open architecture approach,” said Adam Silverschotz, Co-Founder of Tru Arrow Partners. “We are encouraged by Rhombus’s portfolio extension beyond cameras into Access Control, as well as the company’s continued expansion across Western markets. This investment is the beginning of a long-term partnership.”

The platform’s simplified management features enable efficient multi-camera investigations and smart searches, saving time and enhancing security. Advanced analytics, powered by machine learning, deliver real-time notifications for faces, vehicles, and more. The company also emphasizes a customer-centric approach, providing custom solutions, industry-leading support, and a long-term partnership commitment. Rhombus values innovation, integrity, and simplicity, aiming to make physical security stress-free while maintaining high ethical standards.

“This capital infusion is a testament to the trust and confidence our investors and customers place in our vision. With this funding, Rhombus is poised to continue our trajectory of rapid growth” said Garrett Larsson, CEO of Rhombus. “The opportunities are vast, and we are committed to leveraging this capital to pioneer innovative solutions, forge strategic partnerships, and further solidify our position as a leader in the industry.”

About Rhombus

Rhombus is a unified, cloud-based physical security platform that brings security cameras, access control, sensors, alarms, and integrations together under a single pane of glass. Backed by Cota Capital, Caden Capital, Tru Arrow Partners, Lemnos Labs, and Promus Ventures, Rhombus is on a mission to make the world safer with simple, smart, and powerful physical security solutions. To learn more, visit rhombus.com.

About Cota Capital

Cota Capital backs the bold. Cota is a technology investment firm that partners with exceptional teams to build and grow timeless companies that enable the future. Cota delivers Knowledge Capital, a differentiated combination of deep operational expertise, know-how, impactful and data-driven market insights and intelligence, and a vast industry network. Together, these elements are put to work to empower Cota entrepreneurs to execute their vision, unlock scale, minimize risk, and bring enduring ideas to life. For more information, please visit www.cotacapital.com 

About Tru Arrow Partners

Tru Arrow Partners is an investment firm based in New York, formed specifically to partner with leading families from around the world. The firm’s focus is on private growth technology companies primarily in the global internet, software, consumer, and fintech industries. The firm was founded by Glenn Fuhrman, James Rothschild and Adam Silverschotz. Prior to launching Tru Arrow, Glenn co-founded MSD Capital, L.P., the private investment firm for Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, and from 1998 through 2019 served as its Co-Managing Partner. James was co-founder and Managing Partner of West Arrow, a Partner at Lepe Capital and has directed his family investment vehicles for over 15 years. Adam was previously a Partner at TCV, and before that a Managing Director at Coatue based in Hong Kong.

Contact Information:
Rhombus
Sarah Lathe
[email protected] 
(650) 826-2764

SOURCE Rhombus

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2024 — Campfire, the Y Combinator-backed startup modernizing accounting software for startups and midsize companies, today announced it closed a $3.5 million seed funding round led by Foundation Capital and joined by Y Combinator and Twenty Two Ventures. Campfire will use the funding to attract world-class talent and further support its flagship products, which provide a modern general ledger and automate revenue processes.

Powering the accounting for modern teams
While legacy accounting solutions designed for sole proprietors or huge conglomerates across industries, Campfire is focused on serving startups and mid-size technology companies. These companies require user-friendly software, modern APIs for building custom workflows and integrations, and features that bridge the gap between basic functionality and enterprise-level complexity. Campfire is both simple and scalable, offering two distinct yet synergistic products: Revenue Automation and Core Accounting.

Campfire’s Revenue Automation software is a comprehensive suite of tools for revenue recognition, invoicing, billing, and insightful KPI reporting. Its Core Accounting product, which was publicly announced today after an extended private beta with customers of various sizes, includes core accounting features such as financial reporting, a general ledger that supports multi-entity and currency consolidation, and treasury management, all complemented by seamless integrations and scalable to millions of transactions. Together, these products form a powerful combination that makes accounting and financial reporting more efficient, intuitive, and impactful.

“Our mission is to give accounting and finance teams superpowers to do their best work by automating mundane tasks so they can focus on high-value, strategic work,” said John Glasgow, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Campfire.

Angus Davis, General Partner at Foundation Capital that led the funding round said, “I invested in Campfire because the founders have the deep industry experience to pull it off, the product is very impressive, and the team is shipping new features at an unbelievable pace. Campfire is the ERP I wish I had when my last company outgrew QuickBooks.”

Campfire is headquartered in San Francisco, and currently hiring. For more information, visit www.meetcampfire.com.

About Campfire
Founded in 2023, Campfire is a San Francisco-based company specializing in modern accounting software for startups and midsize companies. Leveraging its experience from the Y Combinator startup accelerator, Campfire is dedicated to transforming the traditional accounting software landscape with its user-friendly, AI-powered platform. Positioned as a modern alternative to legacy accounting software, Campfire focuses on providing intuitive, customizable, and efficient financial management software. For more information, please visit www.meetcampfire.com. The company can be reached at [email protected].

SOURCE Campfire

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Feb. 27, 2024 — Volvo Group Venture Capital AB has invested in Zacua Ventures Builders Fund I, L.P. – a global venture capital fund focused on early-stage technology for the construction industry.

Zacua Ventures was established in 2022 and focuses on start-ups working with emerging technologies that address decarbonization in the construction industry. The Zacua fund invests in companies working with at least one of three primary investment themes: productivity, sustainability, and urbanization.

“Zacua Ventures provides us with early access to leading start-ups in the construction industry. Through the co-operation we look forward to connecting with more players at the forefront with innovative solutions that can make the construction industry more efficient and sustainable,” says David Hanngren, Investment Director at Volvo Group Venture Capital.

Operating globally in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, Zacua Ventures has  access to the latest technology development in each region and its sub-sectors of construction technology, creating possibilities to invest in the most impactful solutions in for example sustainability, robotics and digitization.

“Volvo CE has the ambition to lead the transformation of the construction industry towards more sustainable site solutions and through Zacua Ventures we cover a broader technology portfolio, while also creating relationships to potential partners needed to meet future customer demands and target new value pools”, says Carolina Diez Ferrer, Head of Future Solutions at Volvo CE.

Zacua Ventures has gathered several corporate partners, with a total of 19 companies from across the globe with ties to the construction sector and Volvo Group being one of them.

“We are excited to have Volvo Group on board with their large experience and ambitions to decarbonize the construction industry. We believe that our corporate network and the internal team’s understanding of both the construction and investment landscapes, makes Zacua Ventures uniquely positioned to act as a bridge between startups and corporate investors, unlocking new possibilities for collaboration and growth,” says Juan Nieto, Founding Partner at Zacua Ventures.

Volvo Group Venture Capital was founded in 1997 and invests globally in venture companies. The aim is to drive transformation by facilitating the creation of new services and solutions and to support collaborations between start-ups and the Volvo Group. The market trends shaping the future of transportation and infrastructure solutions and the strategic priorities of the Volvo Group define the investment focus areas: Logistics Services, Site Solutions, Electrification, and Sustainability.

The transaction has no significant impact on the Volvo Group’s earnings or financial position.

February 27^th, 2024

Journalists wanting further information, please contact:
Claes Eliasson, Head of Media Relations
+46 73 553 7229
[email protected]

For more information, please visit volvogroup.com  For frequent updates, follow us on X: @volvogroup 

The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs more than 100,000 people and serves customers in almost 190 markets. In 2023, net sales amounted to SEK 553 billion (EUR 48 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE AB Volvo

The firm’s winning track record is on course for another successful fund to fuel better-for-you brands across food & beverage, personal care, and business services

BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 27, 2024 — BFG Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage consumer products, today announces the activation of its third fund, “BFG Fund III”, with commitments already approaching 70% of the $125 million target fund size. This Fund will be used to propel the growth of emerging brands in the food, beverage, and personal care categories. Staying true to the firm’s mission, BFG Fund III will champion brands that prioritize consumer wellness and sustainability.

Since its formation ten years ago, BFG Partners has made notable investments including early support for some of today’s top trending consumer packaged goods such as OLIPOP, Mid-Day Squares, Athletic Greens, and Vacation.  BFG Partners’ success is underscored by multiple exits, including the acquisition of Chameleon Cold Brew by Nestle, Birch Benders by Sovos Brands, and Curlsmith by Helen of Troy.

“We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to continue to support the health and wellness ecosystem with Fund III,” said Tom Spier, Founder and Managing Partner of BFG Partners. “We know first-hand what a difference growth capital can make for young companies competing for market share, and we’re honored to share our learnings from the past decade with the founders that we partner with in the future.”

Committed to profit and purpose, BFG Partners’ mission is to drive positive change by working closely with exceptional entrepreneurs to foster sustainable growth and outperformance. “Fund III will help us provide hands-on strategic support while staying focused on innovative early-stage companies,” said Dayton Miller, Managing Partner of BFG Partners. “We’re currently exploring investments in a variety of categories with compelling value propositions for today’s evolving consumer.”

For more information, please visit www.bfgpartners.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About BFG Partners

Established in 2014, BFG Partners is a venture capital firm that seeks partnerships with early-stage consumer brands whose products do better for people and the planet.  The BFG team is composed of former founders and CEOs with more than 30 years of industry experience in consumer goods. Operating from offices in Boulder and Los Angeles, the team is positioned in some of the biggest consumer hubs in the country.  BFG goes beyond financial backing and helps support operational strategy, tactical marketing, channel development, organizational design, and capital planning. BFG Fund III follows the success of Fund I ($54 million) and Fund II ($108 million).  For more information on BFG Partners, visit www.bfgpartners.com.

Media Contact
Gianna Parenti
[email protected] 

SOURCE BFG Partners