HONG KONG, Sept. 29, 2024 — Tired of sacrificing taste for nutrition? Try Future Salad, the world’s first carbon-neutral drinkable salad. It supports a healthy lifestyle and combats climate change. In September 2024, on its 4th anniversary, Future Salad completed a Series A funding round to expand into new markets and develop products.

Completion of Series A Funding to Drive New Market Expansion and R&D
Future Salad, the pioneering food technology company behind the world’s first carbon-neutral drinkable salad, announced the successful completion of its Series A funding round in September 2024. The company secured US$5 million, raising its valuation to US$50 million. The investment was led by DL Securities, a subsidiary of DL Holdings Group (1709.HK), with participation from returning investor Bruce Rockowitz.

Joseph Lang, CEO of DL Securities, commented on the investment: “Future Salad’s innovative approach to nutrition and sustainability aligns perfectly with our investment strategy. We’re confident this funding will catalyze their growth and market penetration, especially in the U.S.”

The company’s growth trajectory has been impressive, with its previous Pre-A+ round in October 2022 raising US$3 million and valuing the company at over US$26 million. The involvement of Bruce Rockowitz, a seasoned Canadian businessman, is expected to leverage his extensive business network to support Future Salad’s expansion in Western markets.

D = Detox, Drinkable and Delicious Healthy Option
Future Salad’s flagship product, the Detox Salad Drink Mix, has sold over 4 million packs since 2020 and is now available on Amazon and the US market. This nutritious drink aids detoxification, supporting gut health and enhancing energy, skin clarity, and overall vitality. Due to popular demand, Future Salad will launch Future Salad Kids® in the fourth quarter of this year.

Proven Results with Detox and Drinkable Benefits
In a recent weight loss challenge endorsed by Bupa, 18 participants achieved impressive results, including weight, waistline, and body fat reduction. They also lowered blood pressure and improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels. One participant reduced their body weight by 40%. These results highlight the effectiveness of Future Salad in promoting health and well-being.

A Sustainable Choice
Future Salad has a positive environmental impact. Each pack helps reduce 22 grams of CO2 through a global tree planting program, certified by VERRA’s Verified Carbon Standard, achieving over 100,000 kilograms of carbon reduction. By choosing Future Salad, you’re nourishing your body and supporting a greener planet. Incorporate Future Salad into your routine for its delicious taste, nutritional benefits, and eco-friendly credentials. It’s the perfect choice for a healthy lifestyle and a sustainable future. Sip Your Way to a Healthier You and a Greener Planet.

ABOUT FUTURE SALAD
Founded in 2020 and established in Hong Kong, Future Salad is a pioneering future food technology company that specializes in providing cutting-edge, nature-inspired, and technologically innovative healthy food solutions. Leveraging freeze-dry technology, Future Salad transforms traditional salads, preserving their nutritional value and delivering a convenient and affordable dining alternative for busy individuals. The flagship product, the Detox Salad Drink Mix, has garnered widespread consumer acclaim, with over 4,000,000 packs sold since its introduction.

Future Salad is also dedicated to making a positive environmental impact. Each pack consumed helps reduce 22 grams of carbon dioxide through the company’s global tree planting program. This initiative is certified by VERRA’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), underscoring Future Salad’s commitment to sustainability.

For more information, visit https://futuresalad.com/

ABOUT DL SECURITIES
DL Securities, a subsidiary of DL Holdings Group(1709.HK), provides a comprehensive range of financial services tailored to meet clients’ unique needs. With expertise in securities trading, financial advisory, and investment research, DL Securities assists individuals and corporate clients in achieving their investment objectives. For more information, please visit https://dl-holdings.com/en/our-services-dls

ABOUT DL HOLDINGS GROUP
DL Holdings Group is listed on the mainboard of Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1709.HK), with market value near USD$1 Billion. DL is a prominent asset management and financial services platform, with a core focus on family office in the Asia-Pacific region. Our commitment is to provide personalized wealth management and succession services throughout the entire life cycle for ultra-high net worth families. Additionally, we offer global asset allocation and management services to high-net-worth families, financial institutions, private enterprises, and external wealth management platforms. Under its subsidiary SeazonPacific, operates an apparel sales business dedicated to providing comprehensive supply chain management solutions for its clients.

CONTACT: Angus Au, +852 6570 0000, [email protected]

SOURCE Future Salad

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The Capital will Fuel Republic’s Rapid Growth and Expansion

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2024 — Republic Capital Group (“Republic”), a leader in providing investment banking services to the wealth and asset management industry and their clients, is pleased to announce a minority, non-control investment from Merchant Investment Management (“Merchant”). This reflects Republic’s industry leadership, rapid growth and commitment to be the most comprehensive investment banking solution to wealth and asset management firms and their clients.

Merchant’s ecosystem includes $180B in assets in the wealth and asset management industry, and they have invested in multiple service providers including regulatory and compliance, technology, and business transition and accounting services.

Since its founding 9 years ago, Republic has made an indelible mark on the wealth and asset management industry through creating and leading many noteworthy transactions. In 2019, the firm was awarded “Financial Services Deal of the Year” by M&A Advisor, beating out firms such as Yahoo and PayPal. In 2022 and 2023, Republic advised on more wealth management assets transacted than any other group in their space. In 2023, Republic sourced and led the largest acquisition of a CPA firm by a wealth management firm in history when it represented Creative Planning in its acquisition of BerganKDV. This, along with other significant transactions, led to winning “M&A Deal of the Year” for all categories and being named “Boutique Investment Banking Firm of the Year” for 2023 by M&A Advisor.

John Langston, CEO and Founder of Republic said, “We are pleased to receive this investment and be part of a concerted effort to support and build the independent wealth and asset management services ecosystem broadly. Merchant’s willingness to collaborate with other industry players along with their deep understanding of our space made them an ideal partner for us.”

Marc Spilker, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Merchant, stated, “Merchant and Republic are united by a shared vision for the wealth management industry: to ensure the RIA community has access to the best advice, execution, and capital formation. The strength of this partnership lies in the alignment of our values and the cultural synergy between both firms, which will drive its success.'”

John Langston added, “I want to thank our deal team at Republic of Marc Irizarry (Partner), Jim Collins (General Counsel), Blake Cargill (Partner), and Vic Esclamado (Partner) for their exceptional work and support on this project. Thank you to the entire Republic team for all your work and belief in building something special. You are what is special about Republic, and I’m deeply grateful for you.” 

About Republic Capital Group 
Republic Capital Group provides investment banking services to wealth and asset management industry and their clients. We partner with firms that are at the leading edge of M&A activity and are active participants in the growth and evolution of the industry. 

For more information, please visit republiccapgroup.com and follow us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/republic-capital-group.

Republic Capital Group – securities offered through Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC. 

SOURCE Republic Capital Group

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Latest round of financing will support Monolith’s commercial growth, as it continues to advance toward expanding operations

LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 26, 2024 — Monolith Materials, Inc. (Monolith), a global leader in clean hydrogen and carbon black, today announced a closed funding round from existing investors, including Azimuth V Energy Evolution Fund and Azimuth Capital Management’s Development Company Platform, Cornell Capital, Decarbonization Partners, TPG Rise Climate, and Warburg Pincus. This is the latest round following Monolith’s capital raise in July 2022 and conditional approval for a loan from the Department of Energy Loan Programs Office to expand its production facilities in Nebraska.

“It is an exciting time for Monolith, and we are incredibly proud of the work we are doing to scale the business supported by world-class investors,” said Rob Hanson, co-founder and CEO of Monolith.  

Monolith uses clean energy to power a commercial-scale proprietary plasma pyrolysis process that electrifies carbon black and hydrogen production. The carbon black produced from Monolith’s low-emission process is an essential input for tires, plastics, inks, paints and other uses. Today, the carbon black that Monolith produces at its existing facility (OC1) goes into tires across North America. The clean hydrogen to be produced at Monolith’s expansion facility (OC2) will be converted to ammonia and is expected to be supplied as fertilizer to farmers in America’s Corn Belt to help feed and fuel the world.

“This funding continues our decade-long partnership with Monolith as the company builds a high energy, low emissions future,” said Roy Ben-Dor, Managing Director and Head of Energy Transition & Sustainability, Warburg Pincus. “The company’s proprietary approach to producing sustainable hydrogen, carbon black, and ammonia is critical to decarbonizing the energy and materials sectors.”

“The Monolith team continues to move at pace in tackling emissions from some of the most widely used, yet most difficult to decarbonize materials. Since our initial investment in 2022, we’ve seen strong demand from top brands in Monolith’s end markets and we look forward to continuing that momentum with our latest investment,” said Jonathan Garfinkel, a Managing Partner of TPG Rise Climate.

“Rob and the team at Monolith continue to successfully navigate the road toward launching their expansion, which will significantly scale their operations and put more clean tires on the road,” said Dr. Meghan Sharp, Global Head of Decarbonization Partners. “We look forward to continuing to support the company.”

About Monolith
Monolith is a next-generation cleantech company that uses clean energy to power a commercial-scale proprietary plasma pyrolysis process that electrifies the production of carbon black and hydrogen, which provides environmental advantages over conventional production processes. Monolith is backed by Azimuth Capital Management, Cornell Capital, Decarbonization Partners, Elda River Capital Management, LLC, Imperative Ventures, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, Perry Creek Capital LP, SK Inc., TPG Rise Climate and Warburg Pincus. For more information on Monolith, visit www.monolith-corp.com.

About Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global growth investor. The firm has more than $83 billion in assets under management. The firm’s active portfolio of more than 225 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Since its founding in 1966, Warburg Pincus has invested more than $117 billion in over 1,000 companies globally across its private equity, real estate, and capital solutions strategies. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information please visit www.warburgpincus.com.

About Azimuth Capital Management
Founded in 2000, Azimuth is an energy transition private equity manager focused on late stage growth equity and development opportunities in North America and Europe. Azimuth is an international leader in energy operating and project development experience, which enables differentiated results across five funds in addition to in-house development company origination. Azimuth V targets low carbon fuels, battery materials, and baseload clean power and storage with a focus on efficient carbon mitigation. For more information, please visit www.navigatingenergy.com.

About Cornell Capital
Cornell Capital is a U.S.-based private investment firm with ~$6 billion of AUM and offices in New York and Hong Kong. Leveraging decades of global investment experience, the firm takes a disciplined approach to investing across the consumer, financial services, and industrials/business services sectors, often in companies that can benefit from the firm’s Asia presence and cross-border expertise. Founded in 2013 by Senior Partner Henry Cornell, the former Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs’ Merchant Banking Division, the firm is led by a highly seasoned team with significant shared investment experience. For more information, visit www.cornellcapllc.com. 

About TPG Rise Climate
TPG Rise Climate is the dedicated climate investing strategy of TPG’s $19 billion global impact investing platform. TPG Rise Climate pursues climate-related investments that benefit from the diverse skills of TPG’s investing professionals, the strategic relationships developed across TPG’s existing portfolio of climate-focused companies, and a global network of executives and advisors. The fund takes a broad-based sector approach to investment types, from growth equity to value-added infrastructure, and focuses on climate solutions in the following thematic areas: clean electrons, clean molecules and materials, and negative emissions. Jim Coulter, TPG Founding Partner and Executive Chairman, serves as a Managing Partner of TPG Rise Climate. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson serves as TPG Rise Climate’s Executive Chairman. For more information, please visit www.therisefund.com/tpgriseclimate.

About Decarbonization Partners
Decarbonization Partners is a joint venture between Temasek and BlackRock focused on late-stage venture capital and early growth private equity investing in next-generation companies that provide solutions and technologies to help accelerate global efforts to achieve a net zero global economy by 2050. Decarbonization Partners combines Temasek and BlackRock’s complementary platforms and expertise in sourcing and underwriting private investments, portfolio and risk management, and sustainable technology and analytics. Decarbonization Partners invests in a wide range of companies that have proven technology and need capital to scale. The partnership attracted $1.40bn in capital from a diverse set of over 30 institutional investors across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

SOURCE Monolith

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26, 2024 — The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School announced its 2024 list of Most Fundable Companies^®, 18 innovative companies that are poised to impact their respective sectors. The awards and accompanying gala are presented by the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship. 

This year, over 2000 early-stage US startups from all 50 states applied for recognition among the Most Fundable Companies, which is a free resource to help high-growth potential companies secure capital, attract investors, and scale their business. The seventh annual list included companies across industries such as FinTech, AgTech, Healthcare, Industrial Automation, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Advanced Materials.

“Having been a founder of a business myself, I understand the challenges of thriving in today’s competitive market,” said John Figueroa, Founder and Executive Chairman of CarepathRx and the keynote speaker at the Most Fundable Companies event. Figueroa, a 1997 MBA graduate from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, added, “Being named one of the Most Fundable Companies offers founders an exceptional opportunity to distinguish themselves as these companies represent the future. Each is committed to innovative growth and equipped with the tools needed for success. Investors should take note.” 

The annual Most Fundable Companies initiative is a key part of Pepperdine’s programming to support and enhance the growing nation-wide interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. By providing a platform for growth-stage companies to attract investors, the Graziadio Business School is enhancing the businesses of tomorrow. 

“It’s no secret that the business landscape is evolving,” said Deborah Crown, dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. “At Pepperdine, we are committed to supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey—whether they are just starting out or advancing their ventures. Our goal is to provide the education and resources they need to succeed, regardless of age or experience.”

The Most Fundable Companies are evaluated on several variables including financial projections, market opportunity, intellectual property, competitive advantage in their market, and the strength of the management team expertise. Each of these variables is then used to generate objective and customized feedback and scoring to improve readiness for funding. 

To learn more about the winners visit the 2024 Most Fundable Companies Webpage.

2024 Pepperdine Graziadio Most Fundable Companies:

AgTechLogic, Inc. (Mesa, AZ)
Axio (Primer Global, Inc.) (Scottsdale, AZ)
Delta Thermal, Inc. (Tucson, AZ)
EicOsis Human Health, Inc. (Davis, CA)
Hibiscus Health, Inc. (New York, NY)
Kamau Therapeutics, Inc. (South San Francisco, CA)
Living MaKa, P.B.C. (Arlington, VA)
Magicbox World, Inc. (Burbank, CA)
Notice Ninja, Inc. (Tampa, FL)
PittMoss, LLC (Ambridge, PA)
PropTexx, Inc. (New York, NY)
Replika Software, Inc. (New York, NY)
Reverse Energy Solutions Corp. (Chicago, IL)
Stratus Medical, LLC (Magnolia, TX)
Swish Brand Experiences, Inc. (Northville, MI)
TodayPay, Inc. (New York, NY)
ViralMoment, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
WEAV3D, Inc. (Norcross, GA)

PitchBook University rated Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s MBA program #31 in the Top 100 colleges ranked by startup founders. These rankings serve as a resource for aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, and stakeholders in the startup ecosystem to identify leading universities in this field. Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business offers courses that deliver an unparalleled learning experience—including transformational opportunities for entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey. More information is available here.

Disclaimers:
The Pepperdine Graziadio Most Fundable Companies List does not represent an offer to sell securities. It does not constitute investment advice, nor is it an endorsement of any product or service. Pepperdine University is not a broker-dealer and does not perform services provided by a broker-dealer, including but not limited to any financial or investment advising.

Press inquiries can be sent to [email protected].  

The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School — for more than 50 years — has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing purpose-driven leaders and accelerating purpose-driven impact, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of BS, MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. 

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn.

Pepperdine University is a private Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in Malibu, California. Rooted in the Christian tradition, Pepperdine is committed to both the relentless pursuit of truth through academic and scholarly excellence and to embodying Christian faith and values. With students at the heart of the educational enterprise, the University prepares approximately 10,300 scholars across its liberal arts school, Seaver College, and its four nationally recognized graduate schools for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

Seaver College | Caruso School of Law | Graziadio Business School
Graduate School of Education and Psychology | School of Public Policy

SOURCE Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School

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MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 26, 2024 — Veteran Ventures Capital (VVC), a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in dual-use national security technology businesses led by veteran entrepreneurs and leaders, today announced a strategic investment in Agile Space Industries (Agile), a leading innovator of in-space chemical propulsion technologies. Agile specializes in the development of advanced chemical propulsion systems, including thrusters and rocket engines for satellites and spacecraft, which are designed, 3D printed, and tested all under one roof. This unique approach is rapidly transforming the in-space propulsion market. The investment marks the first capital deployment from Veteran Ventures Capital’s 2^nd Fund and aligns with VVC’s ongoing commitment to revolutionizing space propulsion, following its successful Fund I investment in Phase Four, a provider of electric and multi-mode propulsion systems for satellites.

Agile Space Industries’ advanced chemical propulsion technologies provide rapid-response capabilities and high thrust efficiency, both of which are critical for a variety of space missions, including maneuvering, orbit raising, and deep-space exploration. The global space propulsion market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 30% through 2030, fueled by increasing demand for both chemical and electric propulsion systems across commercial and national security sectors. VVC’s investment in Agile expands its strategic portfolio in space propulsion, complementing Phase Four’s electric and multi-mode systems to provide a comprehensive range of propulsion solutions towards diverse and evolving satellite constellation requirements.

“Agile Space Industries exemplifies the innovative spirit and advanced technical capability that Veteran Ventures Capital seeks in its portfolio companies,” said Derren Burrell, Founder and Managing Partner of Veteran Ventures Capital. “By investing in Agile, we are broadening our propulsion capabilities beyond Phase Four’s electric systems to include high-performance chemical propulsion. Agile’s unique approach of integrating design, 3D printing, and testing under one roof significantly accelerates their development cycles, making them a formidable player in the rapidly growing space propulsion market. We are excited to support Agile as they scale their operations and redefine in-space propulsion.”

This strategic investment will enable Agile Space Industries to accelerate its product development, increase production capacity, and continue advancing its innovative propulsion technology. Agile’s solutions enhance the operational flexibility and performance of spacecraft, positioning the company as a key player in the expanding space industry.

“We are excited to partner with Veteran Ventures Capital, whose investment philosophy aligns closely with our mission to deliver reliable, high-performance chemical propulsion solutions for space missions,” said Chris Pearson, CEO of Agile Space Industries. “With VVC’s support, Agile will scale our operations, diversify our customer base, and meet the critical demand for propulsion systems in the rapidly growing space industry.”

Veteran Ventures Capital’s investment in Agile Space Industries highlights its commitment to fostering innovation in dual-use technologies that serve both commercial and national security interests. By investing in veteran-led companies like Agile, VVC continues to advance its strategy of backing transformative technologies that contribute to U.S. technological leadership and the security of our nation.

About Veteran Ventures Capital
Veteran Ventures Capital invests in dual-use national security technologies, focusing on companies led by veteran entrepreneurs and leaders. Committed to advancing U.S. technological superiority, Veteran Ventures Capital provides capital, mentorship, and strategic guidance to high growth companies serving critical government and commercial markets. VVC’s portfolio includes leading companies in defense, aerospace, cybersecurity, and other sectors essential to national security, including notable investments in space propulsion through Agile Space Industries and Phase Four.

About Agile Space Industries
Agile Space Industries is a leader in high-performance chemical propulsion systems for space applications. With a focus on delivering agility, reliability, and performance, Agile develops propulsion solutions that support a diverse range of space missions. The company’s thrusters and rocket engines are designed, 3D printed, and hotfired all under one roof, setting a new standard for rapid development in the in-space propulsion market.

For media inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]

SOURCE Veteran Ventures Capital

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2024 — Gladly, a leader in customer service innovation, has announced its groundbreaking unified Customer Service Platform, powered by advanced AI. The platform is set to disrupt the industry by replacing outdated ticket-based systems, enabling retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to offer seamless, personalized support that resolves support issues and drives customer loyalty and revenue. Recognizing the transformative potential of Gladly’s approach to customer service, venture capital firm AVP led a $40M funding round to fuel the company’s growth. AVP, known for backing high-growth, technology-driven companies, sees Gladly as a catalyst for change in the customer service industry. With this investment, Gladly is poised to help brands deliver exceptional, cost-effective customer experiences and redefine customer service as a strategic, revenue-generating asset.

The platform launch comes at a pivotal moment, as customer experience becomes a crucial differentiator for brands, and generative AI gains widespread adoption. While AI has recently been heralded as a solution for improving customer service efficiency, it has struggled to address two fundamental issues. First, legacy ticket-based systems leave agents without the comprehensive context needed to deliver personalized support, resulting in fragmented experiences and unresolved issues. Second, AI solutions bolted onto these outdated platforms may answer more queries but still lack complete customer history, leading to ineffective interactions and increased frustration when transitioning to human agents. Furthermore, add-on AI solutions can pose risks to brand integrity and operational safety.

Gladly’s AI-Powered Customer Service Platform addresses these challenges head-on. By centering every interaction around the customer rather than tickets, Gladly enables AI to provide more accurate, human-like responses, while equipping agents with the context they need to be more effective. This seamless integration of Gladly’s Gen AI capabilities with its core platform not only mitigates the risks associated with AI implementations but also guarantees a consistently high-quality customer experience, whether driven by AI or human agents.

“In today’s challenging retail environment, where customer loyalty is hard-won and easily lost, our AI-powered, unified Customer Service Platform is a game-changer. It not only enhances customer experience but turns support into a strategic asset that drives growth and loyalty,” said Joseph Ansanelli, CEO of Gladly.

Gladly’s Customer Service Platform aggregates all customer interactions, regardless of channel, into a single lifelong customer record that powers both AI and agent-led support, leading to more personalized and efficient service. Gladly accelerates agent efficiency by automating routine inquiries, allowing agents to focus on high-value customer interactions such as cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Gladly also employs rigorous quality control of its AI offering, with features such as the ability to configure AI behavior to specific tone and brand guidelines, and advanced hallucination detection technology that ensures AI-generated content remains factual and relevant. Gladly’s customers achieve faster resolutions, reduced agent handle times, and realize higher CSAT scores.

“Gladly is solving critical challenges in how customer service is delivered,” said Alex Scherbakovsky, General Partner at AVP. “With its people-centered product philosophy, next-gen AI offerings, and experienced go-to-market leadership, Gladly is poised to transform the multi-billion dollar customer service market.”

With this new unified platform, Gladly is inviting retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to redefine what’s possible in customer service. By transforming support teams into growth drivers, Gladly is setting a new standard for the industry. To learn more about how Gladly can help your business turn customer service into a competitive advantage, visit gladly.com.

About Gladly
Gladly is the AI-powered, people-centered Customer Service Platform built to navigate today’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape. Gladly empowers brands to deliver world class customer experiences at scale, enabling them to efficiently overcome the challenges of declining customer loyalty and rising costs. Its unique approach puts customers at the center, unifying all interactions into a single, lifelong conversation. This ensures customers have seamless, personalized experiences across all channels, driving faster resolutions and deeper, more meaningful connections that boost customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Trusted by hundreds and hundreds of iconic brands like Nordstrom, Warby Parker, and Crate & Barrel, Gladly delivers impressive, industry-leading results. Businesses have seen up to 470% yearly ROI, a 45% reduction in handle times, and customer satisfaction scores as high as 98%. With Gladly, businesses can provide the radically personal service their customers deserve, while maximizing operational efficiency—transforming customer service into a powerful engine for growth, loyalty, and competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. Learn more at gladly.com.

About AVP
AVP is a global venture capital firm specializing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies, managing more than $2 billion in assets across four investment strategies: Venture, Growth, Late Stage and Fund of Funds. Since its establishment in 2016, AVP has invested in more than 60 technology companies in Venture and Growth stages in the US and Europe.
With offices in New York, London and Paris, AVP supports companies in expanding internationally and provides portfolio companies with tailored business development opportunities to further accelerate their growth. For more information on AVP, please visit axavp.com.

SOURCE Gladly

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024 — 3D Cloud (formerly Marxent), the global leader in 3D digital asset management for 3D product visualization, today announced a $20 million growth capital investment led by Arnie Bellini of Bellini Capital. Bellini, a prominent Tampa Bay tech entrepreneur and board member at 3D Cloud, has expanded his support as the company continues to dominate the next generation of online shopping experiences and replace legacy systems.

“Retailers and manufacturers are flocking to 3D Cloud, drawn by its pioneering cloud-based design and visualization software that outperforms traditional solutions by a factor of five,” said Arnie Bellini, Managing Partner at Bellini Capital. “This game-changing technology enables retailers to deliver hyper-personalized, on-demand services like never before. I’m excited to be part of this journey as 3D Cloud continues to drive innovation and lead the market,” Bellini added.

This latest capital infusion is a testament to the traction 3D Cloud has gained in the market and Bellini’s confidence in the company’s strategic direction. With several high-profile client wins like CITY Furniture, Best Home Furnishings, and Flexsteel, as well as a refreshed brand identity 3D Cloud is positioning itself at the cutting edge of the digital transformation wave. The surge in demand for cloud-based 3D room planning and 3D product configuration solutions makes this investment critical for scaling operations, driving innovation, and ensuring market leadership.

“We’re pleased once again to have the support of Arnie Bellini and Bellini Capital.  Arnie’s mentorship and counsel have been invaluable to our team,” shared 3D Cloud’s CEO and Co-Founder, Beck Besecker. “Arnie is a long-term thinker who understands the real challenges of bringing new tech to market and how to mature an organization from a startup to a sustainable business that not only delivers value to customers but also understands its responsibility to team members and the broader community,” added Besecker.  “Arnie’s energy and enthusiasm are unmatched.  We’re thrilled to have his support.”

“3D Cloud gets it. They are responding to the clear market demand from pros, designers, and homeowners alike by reducing onboarding time, accelerating project design, automating presentations, and providing a highly collaborative design experience,” Bellini said.  “Homeowners now have web-based access to design tools that are fun and easy to use.  And for major retailers, the cost of managing their design and visualization programs is dramatically reduced.”

Over the past 18 months, 3D Cloud has experienced impressive growth, onboarding numerous new customers and expanding the reach of its platform across the home furnishings, office furniture, and DIY sectors. The company remains laser-focused on delivering high-performance, next-gen solutions that address critical industry challenges, from order accuracy to enhanced customer experiences.

About 3D Cloud

3D Cloud is the 3D digital asset management platform for 3D product visualization and the global leader in 3D e-commerce for furniture, kitchen, bath, outdoor, office furniture, closets, and storage. The 3D Cloud 3D digital asset management platform is a B2B SaaS that allows retailers and brands to build endless applications such as 3D product configurators, 3D room planners, and WebAR from a single 3D product catalog. With 3D Cloud, 3D content is created, managed, and published to all 3D applications from a single source of truth for consistency across every touchpoint in the customer journey. Applications that run on 3D Cloud include 3D Cloud Product Configurators, 3D Cloud Sectional Configurator, 3D Cloud Room Planner with Design from Photo, 3D Cloud Kitchen Designer, 3D Cloud Virtual Reality, 3D Cloud 360 Product Spins, 3D Cloud Instant Renders, and 3D Cloud WebAR Augmented Reality. 3D Cloud has offices in Miamisburg, Ohio; St. Petersburg, Florida; and London, England. Clients include a major U.S.-based home improvement retailer, Kingfisher plc, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Macy’s, Ashley, HNI Corporation, La-Z-Boy, Joybird, and John Lewis and Partners. The company is backed by Dan Gilbert and Arnie Bellini. For more information, visit 3Dcloud.com.

SOURCE 3D Cloud

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 H1 FY25 ARR Growth of Over 200% With NRR At 190%

SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 26, 2024 — Observe, Inc., the SaaS observability company reinventing the way machine-generated data is stored, managed and analyzed, today announced “Project Voyager,” its most significant product update yet. Voyager introduces an AI Investigator along with OpenTelemetry-Native APM and Snowflake Observability, enabling Engineering, DevOps and SRE teams to troubleshoot incidents faster and improve customer experience. Also announced today is the closing of $145 million in Series B funding with the most recent investments by Evolution Equity Partners and Madrona Ventures. Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar also joins Observe’s board of directors, effective immediately.

Traditional logging, monitoring and APM tools are too complex, failing to curb skyrocketing costs and mean-time-to-resolution (MTTR) of incidents for modern distributed applications. In stark contrast, Observe continues to simplify – delivering a single observability product for all telemetry data and tooling, and a unique AI-powered approach to troubleshooting which provides on-call engineers with the information they need, when they need it.

“The introduction today of Observe APM fulfills the original vision we had for Observe – to ingest data into a single data lake, analyze it using a single query language and access it through a single consistent user interface,” said Jeremy Burton, CEO of Observe Inc. “Next, Observe’s AI Investigator clearly outlines our vision for the future – a world in which a network of intelligent agents will work on behalf of, and in conjunction with, on-call engineers to further reduce MTTR.”

Observe’s AI Investigator orchestrates a network of domain-specific AI agents, assisting engineers in quickly identifying and resolving issues. AI agents are finely tuned for specific tasks such as accessing runbooks or prior incidents, understanding Kubernetes, AWS or Github, or generating queries to interact with Observe. When incidents are resolved, summaries are generated and used to train AI agents so they get smarter over time.

AI Agents are orchestrated by a master “AI Planner” which drives the troubleshooting workflow. This can be thought of as a digital companion or assistant to the on-call engineer.

“There is immense opportunity in leveraging AI for the modern observability industry,” said Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. “Observe’s AI-powered investigation features are a promising addition to this growing market.”

Project Voyager’s OpenTelemetry-Native APM provides immediate visibility into the services, traces and spans of all applications instrumented using the OpenTelemetry standard. Unlike many legacy vendors, Observe exclusively uses the upstream OpenTelemetry agent for instrumentation – nothing proprietary is included. 

Observe released Trace Explorer earlier this year and, today, adds to that with Service Explorer and Service Level Management. Teams can now align their observability practices with customer experiences by setting Service Level Objectives with a single click and proactively track the consumption of error budgets. Observe’s unique architecture enables users to retain more of their traces for longer periods of time. Some vendors will downsample traces to as little as 1% and retain them for as little as 15 minutes. Observe does not downsample traces by default and retains all tracing data for 13 months.

Finally, Voyager introduces Snowflake Observability, now available in the Snowflake Marketplace and offers 1TiB/month of Snowflake data for free. This integration allows developers to gain critical insights into query performance and application health without moving telemetry data outside of Snowflake, ensuring maximum security and efficiency.

“We make guarantees that not a single byte of our customers’ data leaves their Snowflake accounts. So it is important to us that our Observability data remains in Snowflake,” said Molham Aref, CEO of Relational AI. “We chose Observe for its native integrations with Snowflake, OpenTelemetry support and cost efficiencies.”

Today’s announcement also caps a period of exponential growth for Observe, with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) up over 200% year-over-year and Net Revenue Retention (NRR) over 190% at the end of the first half of FY25. The Series B funding will be used to further build out engineering and sales functions to keep pace with growth expectations in the second half of the year.

“Observe was the first to recognize that Observability was fundamentally a data problem and have taken a unique approach”, said Karthik Subramanian, Partner at Evolution Equity Partners. “The economics and speed of troubleshooting that Observe has pioneered for current modern IT stacks with massive data scale and growth promises to be a game changer. We are thrilled to support them as they continue to scale.”

Observe now serves almost 100 customers, including large enterprises such as Capital One and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

For more information, please read about Observe’s Project Voyager on their blog, or visit observeinc.com.

About Observe, Inc.
Headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., Observe is the observability company reinventing the way business data is stored, managed and analyzed. Only Observe eliminates silos of logs, metrics and traces by storing all data in a single, more cost-efficient data lake. The company’s unique Data Graph technology enables users to troubleshoot distributed applications three times faster than competing observability solutions. Brands such as Capital One and Topgolf trust Observe to turn their business data into actionable information. Investors include Capital One Ventures, Madrona Venture Group and Sutter Hill Ventures. For more information, visit: www.observeinc.com.

About Evolution Equity Partners
Evolution Equity Partners, headquartered in New York City, partners with rapidly growing software companies that safeguard our digital world. The firm was founded by investor and technology entrepreneurs Richard Seewald and Dennis Smith, who manage and lead the firm, and its partners have been involved as founders, investors and as senior operating executives in leading software companies around the world. Evolution has invested in over sixty enterprise software companies building a growing portfolio of market leaders. Learn more at www.evolutionequity.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Courtney Bonness
Bateman Agency for Observe
[email protected]

SOURCE Observe, Inc.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26, 2024 — DC Capital Partners Management, LP (“DC Capital”), a sector focused private equity firm that invests in middle market Government and Engineering companies, announced today that it has made a control investment in PK Companies Group, LLC (“PK” or the “Company”). PK’s founders have reinvested equity as part of this transaction.

Founded in 2004, PK specializes in non-discretionary, regulatory driven specialty inspections, repair and maintenance, and safety services in support of industrial and heavy commercial facilities across the U.S. In addition to offering coatings, fireproofing, and soft-craft services, PK maintains a growing portfolio of technology enabled software and hardware solutions that offer real-time transparency and comprehensive data driven insights for asset integrity, mechanical inspection, and on-site safety compliance. The Company’s focus on mission-critical services and regulatory compliance culminates in a highly sustainable reoccurring revenue model.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Brian and Kenny Turpin along with their outstanding team. PK is at the intersection of where regulatory requirements meet specialty solutions and services. PK offers their current clients differentiated solutions. We look forward to working with them as we build out their businesses along the x-y-z axes, which we define as geographies, markets, and capabilities,” said Thomas J. Campbell, Founder and Managing Partner of DC Capital. “The PK team shares our core values of always doing the right thing and treating people the way you want to be treated. As we build out all aspects of the business, both internally and externally, we will ensure these values continue to flourish.”

Brian Turpin, PK’s CEO said “We recently recognized that our business was at an inflection point, and we needed to partner with a group that would help us reach the next levels of evolution. We have found that with Tom and his team at DC Capital. DC Capital has decades of experience and expertise which gives them a firm understanding of our business. It’s these attributes that will allow PK to better serve its clients, both current and future, through the expansion of our capabilities across more industry groups and geographies. All of us at PK are grateful to be working with DC Capital as we grow both personally and professionally.”

Jack A. Goldstein, Principal at DC Capital, added “PK’s relentless focus on quality, organic investment, customer service, and safety has translated into an extremely impressive track record of growth for the Company. Together with the PK team, we have developed a comprehensive strategic plan to continue this trajectory by funding additional investments in new equipment, green fielding new facility locations, and expanding the Company’s nascent foothold in recently penetrated markets.”

DGP Capital, with securities transactions conducted through StillPoint Capital, LLC, served as M&A advisor to PK and Polsinelli PC served as legal counsel. Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP served as legal counsel to DC Capital Partners.

About PK

Headquartered in Wichita, KS and with operations across the U.S. including in Kansas, Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi, PK is an integrated company offering non-discretionary, regulatory driven, tech-enabled inspections, maintenance and specialty industrial services. The Company serves blue-chip industrial and heavy commercial customers across the energy & power, chemical / petrochemical, manufacturing, food & beverage, and renewables end-markets. PK prides itself on quality, customer service, and safety which has established the brand as best-in-class specialty service provider with an industry leading reputation. Learn more at www.pksti.com.

About DC Capital

DC Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, focused on making control investments in middle market, U.S.-based, Government and Engineering companies. Learn more at www.dccp.com.

Contact:
Thomas J. Campbell
202-737-5220

SOURCE DC Capital Partners Management, LP

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