BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 22, 2024 — With the annual vector season coming up, University Products recently underscored the critical importance of early vaccination against bovine anaplasmosis to reduce herd losses. Offering a sensible and budget-friendly solution for cattle farmers nationwide, the University Products Anaplasmosis Vaccine has been field-tested for over 20 years and provides superior protection against this devastating endemic disease.

“Anaplasmosis remains a longstanding challenge for the cattle industry,” said Gene Luther, Director of University Products. “It significantly impacts the health and productivity of herds every single year and it hits hard in the spring, summer and fall especially, when insects like ticks and biting flies begin to flourish, spreading disease. So you don’t want to wait until your herd is already infected before you start thinking about preventive measures. Start now. Especially since the FDA has imposed stricter rules for antibiotic use.”

University Products’ vaccine stands out for its affordability, with per-dose costs nearly half that of diagnostic lab testing, and also for its effectiveness in reducing clinical symptoms associated with anaplasmosis.

Getting Ahead of Vector Season: Navigating Regulatory Changes

The importance of timely and effective disease management strategies is highlighted by recent draft guidance from the Food and Drug Administration concerning antimicrobial drugs given to food -producing animals. Those drugs, previously much easier to get, now require veterinarian approval and administration.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) also weighed in on the potential challenges of implementing new FDA guidelines, which now also require duration labeling for products treating anaplasmosis. NCBA Chief Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Simmons warned that such labeling was problematic at best, stating: “Some of these diseases that are vector borne see variations in the vector season based on the climate that you’re raising cattle. They may not be able to give a specific duration. They may have to publish a maximum duration and that won’t be easy either.”

Of this specific concern, Gene Luther from University Products said, “This just underscores the many challenges our industry faces when dealing with bovine disease. But fortunately, our vaccine is already a straightforward, reliable solution. Our vaccine can be used in any climate, during any season.”

Some General Spring Calving Vector Recommendations:

• Vaccinate herds for anaplasmosis, if not previously done.
• Continue other vector measures for the herd like fly and tick control programs.
• Check spraying equipment, dust bags, and oilers, and obtain needed chemicals or tags for fly and tick control.
• Consider professional controlled-burns and/or chemical sprays to keep excessive weeds and brush in check. Always contact professionals for these mitigation measures.

The Bottom Line: Economic Benefits of Vaccines

“Our vaccine’s affordability enables more small and mid-sized cattle farmers to protect their herds too,” said Gene Luther. “While minimizing financial strain. That’s who we try to reach first – who we try to help the most: farmers who do not have enormous corporate budgets to work with. These folks need help that is immediate and cost effective.”

The University Products vaccine does not prevent infection, but when properly used, significantly reduces clinical signs in at-risk animals. The vaccine requires only two doses in the first year, with one annual booster each year thereafter, and is safe to use in any stage of bovine pregnancy.

A detailed description of the vaccine and its method of administration is publicly available for PDF download. For more information on vaccine availability for ranchers and veterinarians, please contact University Products directly.

About University Products LLC

Based in Louisiana, University Products specializes in USDA approved (for experimental use) bovine vaccines. Their anaplasmosis vaccine minimizes clinical signs in at-risk animals, is safe during pregnancy, and requires two initial doses plus annual boosters. The company is also researching vaccines for bovine babesiosis and theileriosis. Veterinarians can inquire about availability by emailing directly at [email protected].

Certain facts, quotes, and guidelines sourced from:

Media Contact:

Gene Luther, Director
1-225-334-0851
[email protected]

SOURCE University Products LLC

Wunderkind Harvard Dropout Steven Wang Brings Creator Economy to Investing

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2024 — dub, the first copy-trading platform in the U.S., today announced a $17 million funding round from a group of venture capital firms and individual investors including the CEO of Uber and Co-founder of Robinhood.

dub allows everyday investors to replicate the portfolios of emerging investment managers, famed hedge funds, or elected officials with a single tap. dub’s affiliated broker-dealer, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and member FINRA, helps facilitate copy-trading, a fast-emerging investment practice suited to today’s investor.

Tusk Venture Partners led the seed round, which also included investment from Robinhood co-founder Nathan Rodland, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Apex Fintech Solutions CEO Bill Capuzzi, former Federal Reserve Board of Governors vice chair and TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson, Jr., OneRepublic Front man Ryan Tedder, and an array of notable venture capital and individual investors listed below. The funding also includes a $2 million venture debt facility provided by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank.

dub translates the powerful benefits of the social-media-driven creator economy to investing. Individuals gain access to a wide variety of minds in asset management and bespoke investment strategies. With the simple-to-use dub app, everyday investors can choose to copy portfolios with the same ease of buying a single stock. The same investors, or any individual on dub, can also avail their own investment portfolios to be copied. dub’s launch offerings include several proprietary investments strategies built by former hedge fund managers from firms like Millennium, and others shared by Financial Influencers with varying backgrounds and experiences. See the dub app for more details on our early portfolios and their creators.

“A decade from now, instead of picking stocks, we’ll be picking people to invest in,” said Steven Wang, the 22-year-old founder and CEO of dub. “It’s already how my generation is investing, with the rise of social media and commission-free investing. Humans are narrative- and fear-driven creatures. Digitally-native creators have mastered the art of storytelling and are building fervent communities that leverage social accreditation to guide their investment decisions. With dub, we’re building the creator economy for finance.”

At 17, Wang left high school to found and ultimately sell a VR company, after which, at 18, he joined Apple working on projects including the Apple Watch. He was then admitted to Harvard, where he spent most of his time on the other side of the table, investing in early-stage startups as a Partner at Dorm Room Fund, only to leave school again to found dub.

Steven began dabbling with investing as a second grader, when his immigrant parents loaned him $200 to invest as an education in building wealth. Trading from that point through the meme stock era, he saw how retail investors like him changed how they invest. These insights gave Wang enough conviction to drop out of Harvard and pursue dub full-time. Since then, he’s hired a veteran executive team hailing from companies like Affirm, Millennium, Goldman Sachs, Meta and iCapital with decades of experience building and operating licensed financial companies.

“dub’s copy-trading platform opens a new frontier in retail investing. As the first broker dealer to offer copy-trading, they are in a position to offer a truly unique product to investors,” said Robinhood co-founder Nathan Rodland.

“Steven and the dub team have created a platform where financial creators can share their ideas, demonstrate their investment strategies, and provide retail investors with the information they need to take more agency over their investment decisions,” said Jordan Nof, co-founder and managing partner at Tusk Venture Partners.

Seed Investors
Tusk Venture Partners
Slow Ventures
Neo
Scribble Ventures
Alumni Ventures
K5 Global
Graph Ventures
Dorm Room Fund

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber
Nathan Rodland, co-founder of Robinhood
Bill Capuzzi, CEO of Apex Fintech Solutions
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., former CEO of TIAA and Chair Vice Federal Reserve
Charlie Johnston, former president of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Alex Rampell, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and co-founder of Affirm
Stephanie Zhan, general partner at Sequoia Capital
Co-Founder of Rocket Mortgage Dan Gilbert’s Detroit Venture Partners
Ryan Tedder, music producer and lead vocalist for OneRepublic
Kathryn Haun, CEO and founder of Haun Ventures
Emilie Choi, COO of Coinbase
Lachy Groom, Founder of LFG Capital
Michael Acheson, Founder of Interlaken Capital
Shiva Rajaraman, Chief Business Officer of OpenSea
Ryan Sarver, former general partner at Redpoint Ventures
Dan Nathan, CEO of RiskReversal and CNBC Panelist
Anthony Kontoleon, Partner at Azura
Reza Behforooz, Vice President of Engineering at Google
Steve Nadel, Partner at Seward & Kissel

About dub

DASTA Incorporated (“dub”) is the first copy-trading platform in the United States that lets users copy the portfolios of other investors with a single tap. dub’s innovative platform gives industry experts, financial influencers, and retail associates with a knack for trading, the ability to share their insights and investment portfolios— all through an easy-to-use mobile platform. Advisory services are provided by DASTA Investment LLC (“DASTA Investments”), an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage services provided by DASTA Financial, LLC (“DASTA Financial”), an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”).

SOURCE dub

As one of the largest fertility venture investments to date, the capital will fuel the growth of a clinic network committed to lowering the cost of and expanding access to top-tier IVF services in the U.S.

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 22, 2024 — Pozitivf, a rapidly expanding fertility clinic network making industry-leading fertility treatment more accessible to all, announced today that it raised $20 million in growth funding. The capital raise, one of the most significant awarded in the space, was led by MonCap. MonCap’s investment was made out of its dedicated fertility fund which represents one of the market’s largest and most strategic pools of capital specifically committed to expanding access to fertility-related care.

Currently, a single IVF cycle can range from $15,000 to $30,000, rendering the procedure inaccessible for the vast majority of the population. As one of the fastest-growing fertility providers in the U.S., Pozitivf’s board-certified physicians offer IVF services starting at $7,995 while upholding the industry’s highest safety and success standards. Leveraging decades of experience, Pozitivf employs lean management principles with an extreme focus on treatment details and process workflows to eliminate variability and overhead. The end result is industry-leading treatments and success outcomes, only at half the cost to the patient.

Pozitivf’s founding team has a wealth of experience launching and operating successful fertility clinics. Notably, Dr. Francisco (Paco) Arredondo founded RMA of TX and Smart IVF, which merged with the Inception/Aspire Fertility network in 2018. Post exit, he served as the Chief Medical Officer of Inception/Aspire Fertility and the Prelude Network, which manages over 90 clinics across North America. Having received a Master’s degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and completing his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Arredondo is one of the most experienced thought leaders within fertility. He even served as a member of the team that performed the first IVF procedure in Mexico in 1989. Dr. Arredondo is joined by his Co-founder Dr. Tony Anderson, who boasts over 20 years of experience and 10,000 IVF cycles performed. Dr. Anderson has played a pivotal role in building, designing and training embryology personnel for the highest-quality fertility centers in the country. Together, the team brings an unwavering commitment to reproductive justice and a belief in the fundamental human right to parenthood. The company aims to democratize fertility care by embodying simplicity, transparency, and affordability.  The recent investment will accelerate the clinic’s efforts to make top-tier fertility care accessible to a broader audience as it expands both within its current market of Texas and beyond.

“We are delighted to partner with MonCap on Pozitivf’s next chapter of growth,” said Dr Arredondo, Pozitivf’s Co-founder & CEO. “MonCap has a proven track record of adding value, and their expertise will help us further our mission to simplify fertility care and make it accessible to a wider spectrum of individuals and families. This collaboration is a testament to our shared vision of revolutionizing the fertility landscape and achieving the goal that having a healthy child is a universal human right.”

“We will make fertility care accessible to the vast majority of families across the globe,” said Jonathan Sockol, Managing Partner of MonCap. “We have known Pozitivf’s founding team for over two decades and are confident in their ability to bring this shared vision one step closer to a reality.”

About Pozitivf
Pozitivf is committed to simplifying fertility care to make it more accessible to individuals and families across all demographics. As one of the fastest-growing fertility clinics in the Southern United States, Pozitivf has redefined industry norms by optimizing operational efficiency without compromising the quality of care. By implementing lean management tools and strategically focusing on procedures that constitute a significant portion of industry volumes, Pozitivf has substantially reduced infrastructure costs and delivered a distinctive blend of affordability and exceptional success rates. Visit www.pozitivf.com/ for more information.

About MonCap
MonCap is a growth-based investment firm backed by some of the world’s largest family offices and institutions. The firm is currently investing out of its dedicated fertility fund, one of the market’s largest and most strategic pools of capital dedicated to expanding access to and lowering the cost of fertility-related care. Visit www.moncap.vc for more information.

Media Contact
Briana Chester
MATTIO Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Pozitivf Fertility

DENVER, Feb. 22, 2024 — Singularity, founded in late 2022, has successfully concluded its second funding round at the end of 2023, with this round led by Gumi Cryptos Capital. The funding will support the development of its protocol, aimed at facilitating compliant access to DeFi as well as ensuring commercial confidentiality for all on-chain activities, with an emphasis on institutional users.

Notable participation from investors such as Nomura’s digital asset subsidiary Laser Digital, Eureka Partners, and previous round investors including Apollo Crypto, Digital Asset Capital Management, and Gandel Invest, underscores top tier institutional and Venture Capital firms’ confidence in Singularity’s vision. With this latest round, Singularity has raised close to US$4 million since its inception.

Singularity is leading the way in developing a KYC/KYB-compliant institutional DeFi access layer, providing access to leading protocols for on-chain institutional participants while prioritizing commercial confidentiality. Users can seamlessly access existing on-chain liquidity and conduct transactions within Singularity, all while benefiting from on-chain anonymity by utilizing advanced zero-knowledge technology.

The initial cohort of institutional users comprises a significant portion of Singularity’s investors, spanning liquid funds, asset managers, and venture capitalists. Singularity stands as one of the first DeFi infrastructure protocols leveraging Noir-based zero-knowledge circuits. Noir is a domain-specific language for SNARK proving systems developed by Aztec Labs. It serves as a universal language for zero-knowledge (ZK) circuits. Users can have confidence in the commercial confidentiality of their on-chain activity protected by state-of-the-art cryptography.

“We look forward to launching in the coming months with our early institutional users. We focused on designing and building in 2023, and, in what was a very difficult year for primary markets, our investors’ commitments validate the institutional need to transact on-chain without information leakages” said Jemma Xu, co-founder of Singularity, “We have an exciting product roadmap ahead with more integrations and multichain deployments. Our immediate focus is on growing our institutional user base.”     

“We are proud to support Singularity in their efforts to advance DeFi accessibility. Singularity addresses a crucial need in the market, providing institutional users with both the compliance and the commercial confidentiality necessary to participate in DeFi. We look forward to partnering with Singularity in this journey,” said Miko Matsumura, Managing Partner at Gumi Cryptos Capital.

“We are excited to support Singularity on its journey to bring private and compliant DeFi accessibility to institutions.” said Jez Mohideen, CEO of Laser Digital.

Users can both leverage the underlying existing on-chain liquidity and transact within the Singularity, obfuscating both wallet addresses and order details. At launch, Singularity will be integrated with some of the major DeFi protocols and will continue to grow its integrations to provide users with a diversity of on-chain strategies.

About Singularity:

Singularity, a protocol developed by PG Foundation, is a compliant institutional DeFi access layer that provides access to popular protocols for institutional on-chain participants with commercial confidentiality. Users will have their wallet addresses obfuscated whilst leveraging existing DeFi liquidity. Singularity uses the state-of-the-art UltraPLONK proof system with zero-knowledge circuits based on Noir.

Contact:

Email: [email protected] 
Website: thesingularity.network
Twitter: https://twitter.com/singularityzk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/singularityzk 

SOURCE PG Foundation Ltd

California solar project utilizes energy storage to meet peak electricity demand periods

NEW YORK and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 22, 2024 — Arevon Energy, Inc., a leading renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, today announced it has secured more than $1 billion in aggregate financing commitments for its Eland 2 Solar-plus-Storage Project in Kern County, California. The 374 megawatt (MWdc) solar project coupled with 150 MW/600 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy storage is under early-stage construction and is anticipated to come online in Q1 2025.

Wells Fargo provided a $431 million tax equity commitment. Arevon obtained $654 million of debt financing including a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and letter of credit facilities. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) served as the Administrative Agent, Coordinating Lead Arranger, Green Loan Coordinator, and Bookrunner. Other Coordinating Lead Arrangers included BNP Paribas, CoBank, Commerzbank AG, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and National Bank of Canada. J.P. Morgan served as Joint Lead Arranger, Collateral and Depositary Agent. Amis, Patel & Brewer, LLP represented Arevon as Sponsor Counsel; Milbank LLP served as Lender Counsel; and Sheppard Mullin served as Tax Equity Counsel.

Daniel Murphy, Director of Project Finance at Arevon, remarked: “The Eland 2 financing is an amazing accomplishment after Eland 1 which achieved financial close in 2022. Both projects are excellent examples of Arevon’s ability to execute on large, complex transactions. I’m proud of our team’s achievement and grateful to our valued partners as we continue to complete successful transactions in this increasingly intricate space.”

“Following the successful financing of Eland 1, CIBC is proud to continue its support of Arevon as Bookrunner, Coordinating Lead Arranger, Green Loan Coordinator, and Administrative Agent on the financing of Eland 2,” said Ines Serrao, MD and Head of US Renewables at CIBC. “As a leader in renewable energy projects in the U.S., partnering with companies like Arevon underscores our commitment to helping our clients achieve their sustainability ambitions.”

Under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Southern California Public Power Authority, Eland 2 will provide 200 MWac of electricity to serve the power needs of Southern California, utilizing energy storage to provide electricity over an extended period each day. The solar energy generated by this project is enhanced by Tesla’s Megapack 2 XL battery system, which ensure seamless power continuity and reliability particularly during peak-demand periods. San Diego-based SOLV Energy is the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.

Eland 2, combined with the project’s first phase, Eland 1, collectively represent one of the largest power plants in Arevon’s portfolio. When completed, they will be one of the largest operating solar-plus-storage installations in the country with 751 MWdc of solar electricity generation and 300 MW/1,200 MWh of energy storage. 

“Solar-plus-storage projects – like our flagship Eland 1 and 2 facilities – play an important role in Arevon’s strategy. Hybrid power plants deliver a more reliable, predictable energy yield during peak electricity demand periods, which in turn enables consistent returns across our diverse, multi-gigawatt portfolio,” said Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Arevon. “The Eland projects highlight our team’s financial strength, industry expertise, and thoughtful approach to fostering a sustainable energy infrastructure. We will continue to build upon this momentum, as leaders in powering the energy transition.”

About Arevon 

Arevon Energy, Inc. is a leading renewable energy company, supplying clean energy to utilities and corporations across North America. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and New York City, Arevon uses innovative approaches and leading-edge technology to develop, build, finance, own, and operate clean energy projects. Arevon owns and operates more than 3,500 megawatts (MW) of solar, storage, and solar + storage hybrid assets across the country. The company is a renewable energy leader in California with more than 1,900 MW in operation and more than 1,000 MW in construction. Arevon has a robust portfolio of more than 6 gigawatts of projects in development which will enable the company to provide more clean, cost-effective energy to homes and businesses. Its financial strength, innovation, and industry expertise come together to improve the structure and performance of its platform of solar and energy storage power plants. Arevon was named one of Arizona’s Top Workplaces in 2022 and 2023. For more information, please visit: www.arevonenergy.com.

SOURCE Arevon

LONDON, Feb. 22, 2024 — DRUID, a leader in the field of conversational AI technology and a pioneer of the Conversational Business Applications category, today announced a significant milestone, reporting 2.2X growth in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), reaching $13 million in 2023. 

After concluding its Series B funding round in 2023, DRUID AI is now valued at $100 million and re-established as a US-based company. 

DRUID aims to reach $24 million in ARR by the end of 2024 and strengthen its presence in the US market. The company plans to generate 50% of its new revenue through a robust network of resellers and delivery partners, focusing on connectivity with LLM providers and leveraging Generative AI to meet the needs of enterprises across all industries. 

2023 was a prolific year for DRUID, highlighted by significant ARR growth, strategic Series B funding, and several product developments, including the MegaBot, a conversational robot orchestrator that integrates the company’s technology stack to act as a single point of interaction for all the digital operations, which has proven its efficiency by automating 80% of tasks.

DRUID’s 40% client base growth highlights the trust in its conversational AI solutions, with notable clients like Georgia Southern University, Texas Children’s Hospital, and White Castle. This trust comes from DRUID’s commitment to integrating client feedback into product enhancements, tailoring solutions to specific needs, positively impacting their businesses by driving growth, reducing risks associated with the lack of access to critical and historical information, and focusing on cost optimization.

DRUID now serves 250 enterprises in industries like healthcare, banking, and higher education across 42 countries.

“Reflecting on 2023, it’s truly humbling to see how far we’ve come with our growth as a pioneer in the conversational AI field,” shared Liviu Dragan, CEO of DRUID. “As we venture into 2024, our commitment is to continue exploring the vast potential of AI, with a sincere hope to revolutionize how businesses interact and operate. It’s a journey we’re truly honored to be on.” 

DRUID opened new offices in New York, Austin, Singapore, and Sydney and invested in assembling senior teams across the US, EMEA, and APAC regions. The top management team has been strengthened by adding valuable members, including Bill Schwaab as VP of Sales in the US, Martin Kraft as VP of Sales for EMEA and APAC, and Roelof Stofberg as Chief Operations Officer. 

LONDRES, 22 de febrero de 2024 — DRUID, un líder en el campo de la tecnología de IA conversacional y pionero de la categoría de aplicaciones comerciales conversacionales, anunció hoy un hito importante: reportó un crecimiento de 2,2 veces en los ingresos recurrentes anuales (ARR), alcanzando los 13 millones de dólares en 2023.

Después de concluir su ronda de financiación Serie B en 2023, DRUID AI ahora está valorada en 100 millones de dólares y se ha restablecido como una empresa con sede en EE.UU.

DRUID pretende alcanzar los 24 millones de dólares en ARR para finales de 2024 y fortalecer su presencia en el mercado estadounidense. La compañía planea generar el 50% de sus nuevos ingresos a través de una sólida red de revendedores y socios de entrega, enfocándose en la conectividad con proveedores de LLM y aprovechando la IA generativa para satisfacer las necesidades de las empresas en todas las industrias.

2023 fue un año prolífico para DRUID, destacado por un crecimiento significativo de ARR, financiación estratégica de Serie B y varios desarrollos de productos, incluido MegaBot, un robot orquestador conversacional que integra la pila de tecnología de la empresa para actuar como un único punto de interacción para todas las operaciones digitales, que ha demostrado su eficiencia al automatizar el 80% de las tareas.

El crecimiento del 40 % de la base de clientes de DRUID destaca la confianza en sus soluciones de IA conversacional, con clientes notables como Georgia Southern University, Texas Children’s Hospital y White Castle. Esta confianza proviene del compromiso de DRUID de integrar los comentarios de los clientes en las mejoras de los productos, adaptar las soluciones a necesidades específicas, impactar positivamente sus negocios al impulsar el crecimiento, reducir los riesgos asociados con la falta de acceso a información crítica e histórica y centrarse en la optimización de costes.

DRUID ahora presta servicios a 250 empresas en industrias como la atención médica, la banca y la educación superior en 42 países.

“Al reflexionar sobre 2023, es realmente una lección de humildad ver hasta dónde hemos llegado con nuestro crecimiento como pioneros en el campo de la IA conversacional”, compartió Liviu Dragan, consejero delegado de DRUID. “A medida que nos adentramos en 2024, nuestro compromiso es continuar explorando el amplio potencial de la IA, con la sincera esperanza de revolucionar la forma en que las empresas interactúan y operan. Es un viaje en el que nos sentimos verdaderamente honrados de estar”.

DRUID abrió nuevas oficinas en Nueva York, Austin, Singapur y Sydney e invirtió en formar equipos de alto nivel en las regiones de EE.UU., EMEA y APAC. El equipo de alta dirección se ha fortalecido con la incorporación de miembros valiosos, incluido Bill Schwaab como vicepresidente de ventas en EE.UU., Martin Kraft como vicepresidente de ventas para EMEA y APAC, y Roelof Stofberg como director de operaciones.

The AI-focused Firm Brings BeCause’s Total Seed Funding to $2.5M to Support the Sustainability Data Technology Company’s Growth

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Feb. 22, 2024 — BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, has secured a $600,000 (€556K) tail-end investment from Dutch investor Curiosity VC to close their seed round. This latest investment brings the company’s total seed funding to $2.5 million (€2.32M), including the $1.9 million (€1.76M) seed raised in November from Denmark’s Ugly Duckling Ventures, Estonia’s Superangel.io and other investors.

“We reserved some space at the end of our round for a strategic investor to join on equal terms and are thrilled to have found that partner in Curiosity VC. As an AI-focused fund, Curiosity brings key competencies and an international network to the table that will prove invaluable to us as we continue to unfold how artificial intelligence can enable more sustainability-focused operations in hospitality and tourism and across our growing set of solutions,” says BeCause co-founder and CEO Frederik Steensgaard.

Mission-Driven Growth

Using BeCause, hotels can fully automate the collection, analysis, and communication of their sustainability efforts through a centralized hub, making it much easier for properties to qualify for industry certifications like GreenKey and ensure regulatory compliance based on local frameworks. BeCause dramatically reduces the cost of repetitive and manual tasks by up to 60%, compared to the error-prone processes still widely used within the industry to manage sustainability data. This increase in efficiency and trust significantly improves operational effectiveness.

Hotels also gain critical insights into the types of sustainability investments that might be most valuable for their business and the planet while enabling them to leverage the growing consumer demand for sustainability-focused accommodations. Simultaneously/Finally, the platform allows travel marketplaces, like Booking.com, to get real-time information from green certification labels about a hotel’s sustainability status, which they can use to help travelers and customers make informed choices about their travel plans.

BeCause currently has over 20,000 hotels worldwide streaming sustainability data via its platform and counts more than 50 certifiers and 15 travel booking marketplaces amongst its users.

“What attracted us to BeCause is that they have a clear goal and a true passion for the problem at hand. Their advanced AI capabilities further enhance their ability to drive innovation, address complex challenges, and revolutionize sustainability efforts across sectors. Looking at how far they’ve already come, their execution powers are undeniable,” says Herman Kienhuis, Managing Partner at Curiosity VC. “They have a solid growth strategy in place and are perfectly positioned to solve the needs of stakeholders in hospitality, acting not just as a compliance tool, but as a strategic asset that opens improvement opportunities and aligns the industry with the evolving priorities of a more environmentally aware society.”

The now-completed seed round will enable BeCause to push ahead with its solution developed to support the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), a pioneering regulation that strengthens the rules concerning ESG reporting for any company operating in the zone. Funding will also support the company’s accelerated growth rate to meet demand from global enterprise customers, such as Booking.com, easyJet, Google, Radisson Hotel Group, and other global marquee brands across the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.

“CSRD will transform how companies report on their sustainability. BeCause has a major role to play in ensuring hotels and tourism companies can seamlessly communicate their impact on people and the environment to their investors, governments, and the world,” Steensgaard adds. “We are grateful to our VC partners for believing in our vision and enabling us to meet the diverse needs of all our clients. Now it’s time to accelerate the future of sustainable tourism and hospitality.”

For more information about BeCause or to speak with CEO and Co-founder Frederik Steensgaard, please contact Vanessa Horwell at [email protected].

About BeCause
BeCause is an enterprise software company that streamlines the flow of sustainability data and creates synergies between different stakeholders in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries, empowering them to make decisions that result in positive, responsible change for people, the planet, and their profits. BeCause works with over 20,000 hotels, including brands like Radisson, certification entities like GreenKey, industry partners like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and marketplaces like Booking.com. For more information, visit because.eco.

About Curiosity
Curiosity is an Amsterdam-based venture capital fund focused on early-stage investments in ambitious, diverse teams based in the Benelux, Nordics, and Baltics. The fund invests in AI-first software companies that create value for businesses and society. Curiosity is led by two experienced operator-investors, Herman Kienhuis and Maurice Beckand Verwee, supported by a community of expert advisors and portfolio company founders who all become co-owners of the fund. For more information, visit https://www.curiosityvc.com or email: [email protected].

SOURCE BeCause

DENVER, Feb. 21, 2024 — Varana Capital, an asset management platform specializing in venture capital, private equity, and public markets, proudly announces the successful first close of their Chai 10x Fund. With over $20 million secured and more than $10 million of additional commitments, this marks the largest first closing for emergency Israel funds to date.

As part of Varana’s commitment to Israel, The Chai 10x Fund (the “Chai Fund” or the “Fund”) operates with heavily discounted fees, ensuring maximum impact and contribution to the growth and success of Israeli tech enterprises. Varana Capital’s commitment to this mission is further demonstrated by the personal engagement of their team, who, since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7^th, 2023, have traveled to Israel repeatedly to meet with CEOs, government officials, and senior executives from Israeli financial institutions.

Ezra Gardner, Co-Founder of Varana Capital, recently delivered a keynote address to the Knesset Finance Committee, shedding light on the urgent matter of the $10 billion deficit in foreign investments in Israel. This proactive involvement underscores Varana Capital’s dedication to advocating for Israel’s economic prosperity and global competitiveness.

Looking ahead, Varana Capital intends to exceed their $50 million target for investment in Israeli tech. Subsequent to the oversubscription in investor spots in the initial Chai 10x Fund, Varana Capital plans to introduce a parallel fund (the “Parallel Fund”), providing investors with the same unique opportunity to support the immediate fundraising needs of Israel, while making exceptional investments. Mirroring the Chai Fund, the Parallel Fund will maintain heavily discounted fees for investors and align its portfolio to support the same companies.

Ezra Gardner, Varana Capital CIO and Chai 10x Fund Portfolio Manager, expressed optimism for his beloved country stating, “I am very pleased with our first closing and our commitment to the Chai Fund mission: making outstanding investments, while supporting the Israeli economy, particularly during these challenging times. I believe this is truly an opportunity to redefine what ‘doing well by doing good’ means.  Please, join us in our mission!”

To learn more about the Varana Capital Chai 10x Fund and the opportunity to invest in the new Parallel Fund, please email [email protected].

About Varana Capital. Founded by Philip Broenniman and Ezra Gardner in 2012, Denver-based Varana Capital, LLC invests in and cooperatively engages with public and private companies, partnering with visionary leaders to create a global impact. For more information, visit Varana Capital’s Website, or visit Varana Capital’s LinkedIn page.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE Varana Capital, LLC