For customers, the process is simple: They join a brand’s loyalty program, link any preferred credit or debit card, and receive instant cashback incentives for purchases at partner retailers —no extra steps needed as customers spend with their linked card. Brands benefit from automated tracking and insights, with payouts made directly from each transaction. Kalder’s platform manages everything for both the customer and the brand – from sign-ups to purchase tracking and payments, powered by integrations with payment networks. The Kalder system gives brands unique insights into customer spending, creates new acquisition channels with partners, and enhances their engagement and loyalty-building efforts.

“For the first time, brands with loyal followings can earn revenue from their existing customer loyalty programs, much like the gold standard of loyalty programs in the travel and finance categories,” said Gokce Guven, Kalder CEO and Founder. “Until now, most brands haven’t had access to tools that allow them to turn loyalty into profit. With Kalder, any brand can turn loyalty programs into direct revenue streams. With acquisition costs soaring, brands are looking for new ways to deepen customer relationships and retain quality customers, and we’re excited to help them build this into their everyday strategy.”

“Kalder is finally delivering on the long-held promise of loyalty monetization without the cost and complexity of traditional rewards programs,” said Noah Doyle, Managing Director of lead investor Javelin Venture Partners. “As someone who has spent years transforming loyalty into revenue for major brands, I know the challenges involved. Kalder has streamlined this process into a turnkey model that gives brands of all sizes an unprecedented opportunity to profit from customer loyalty and align it seamlessly with their marketing goals.”

Brands that rely on Kalder today include iconic names like Godiva, LVMH-backed retailer MILE, Heat.io, the Swiss-Brazilian sports club BSC Young Boys. Based on Kalder’s model, the average brand sees 50,000 cashback users, which drive $450K in rewards sales revenue monthly.

Additional investors include Harry Maguire of Manchester United, Shuo Wang, Co-founder of Deel, Julius Genachowski, Board Chairman of Sonos, former FCC Chairman and board director of Mattel and Mastercard.

Michael Sutherland, former CTO of Real Madrid, added, “Kalder stands out for its innovative approach, offering a digital loyalty ecosystem that seamlessly aligns fan experiences with club goals. Their cashback product is particularly disruptive, fostering a sense of community by connecting fans with local and international businesses. It not only creates real value for fans but also generates scalable, net-new revenue for clubs—all with minimal integration and no upfront costs.”

“Gokce and the Kalder team bring a fresh approach to rewards that truly benefits both brands and their customers,” said Julius Genachowski, Board Chairman of Sonos, former FCC Chairman and board director of Mattel and Mastercard. “I’m impressed to watch as their team is already delivering astounding results that deliver true value to everyone involved.”

About Kalder

Kalder is a fintech company redefining customer loyalty by helping brands earn revenue from rewards programs that give customers direct brand rewards back at partner retailers. With an easy-to-integrate API, Kalder enables brands to launch profitable loyalty programs, deepening customer relationships and gaining valuable insights—all without complex setups.

Founded in 2022, Kalder is based in New York City and backed by Javelin Venture Partners, Emergence Capital, 8VC, Human Capital, Alumni Ventures, and Formus Capital.

Learn more at Kalder.co

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Kalder

Lightyear’s Telecom Operating System has transformed how enterprise IT / networking teams buy and manage their telecom infrastructure, culminating in record revenue growth and customer retention.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2024 — Lightyear, the leading provider of enterprise telecom management software, today announces the completion of its $31 million Series B fundraise led by Altos Ventures, with meaningful participation from existing investors Ridge Ventures, Amplo, Zigg Capital, and Susa Ventures. This new round of funding comes at the heels of major product milestones, including the launch of Lightyear’s Network Inventory Manager, Bill Consolidation, and API offerings, as well as major achievements in revenue and customer growth.

Founded by Dennis Thankachan (CEO) and Ryan Schrack (CTO) in 2019, Lightyear’s Telecom Operating System has revolutionized the enterprise telecom experience with AI software that streamlines and digitizes network service procurement, inventory management, and bill payment. Enterprises who leverage Lightyear across the full telecom lifecycle spend exponentially less time on telecom management while reducing telecom costs significantly. Lightyear is trusted by 300+ enterprises and 5,000+ enterprise users worldwide, including the likes of Alo Yoga, Palo Alto Networks, Five Guys, Pandora Jewelry, and Teladoc. Lightyear also works with 1,000+ ISPs and telecom service providers spanning the globe.

This Series B round marks another major milestone in Lightyear’s growth. “Enterprise telecom management is a decades-old problem that’s exceptionally difficult to solve due to the lack of data transparency, workflow standardization, and digitization that exists across the thousands of global carriers. This Series B funding is a testament to the years of hard work from our team, culminating in the first-ever software product to properly address each problem area of the telecom lifecycle. With this new funding, we’re poised to continue aggressively innovating against customer pain points,” said Lightyear CEO Dennis Thankachan.

“Lightyear’s software has modernized the way enterprise IT and networking teams manage their telecom infrastructure, saving them countless hours of tedious work,” said Zac Mohring, Principal at Altos Ventures. “The company’s top-tier growth, retention, and commitment to excellence are driving the industry forward. We’re extremely proud of what Dennis, Ryan, Suhith, Rob, and the entire Lightyear team have built, and are thrilled to be a part of their journey.”

The Series B funding will be directed toward continued product innovation within Lightyear’s Telecom Operating System platform, adding depth within its three core product lines (Procurement, Network Inventory Management, Bill Consolidation), while also building new products and features around network monitoring, AI, bulk site procurement and more. Further, Series B funding will allow Lightyear to invest more deeply in customer experience and support improvements.

About Lightyear
Lightyear (https://lightyear.ai) is the only digital workflow and system of record platform that unlocks efficiency across the full lifecycle for enterprise telecom services, revolutionizing the telecom experience to drive material time and cost savings. Lightyear’s Procurement platform automates RFP creation, quoting, install management, and more for internet, WAN, voice, and colocation services, reducing time spent on procurement materially while network intelligence and pricing data ensures enterprises select the optimal solution at the lowest cost. Lightyear’s Network Inventory Manager creates a digital system of record for enterprise networks, tracking 30+ data points per service (static IPs, contract details, account IDs) and automating lifecycle management workflows such as MACD ticketing and renewal re-shopping. Lightyear’s Bill Consolidation software offers enterprises one consolidated bill for all telecom services, eliminating the headache of tracking invoices and handling audits while avoiding service disruptions.

Media Contact
Athena Ascione
[email protected]

SOURCE Lightyear

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FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 19, 2024 — Block 3 LLC, a company on a mission to develop and integrate tech advancements into American intelligence and defense, made a strategic investment into Sphinx LLC. This investment underscores Block 3’s commitment to innovation and positions it as a leader in delivering critical cyber intelligence and geospatial technologies to protect our citizens, warfighters, and infrastructure.

Garrett Pagon, Block 3 Co-Founder and former CEO of OGSystems, shared his vision for the company: “We invest in founders who are passionate about outmaneuvering and dominating adversaries in the digital battlespace. Sphinx’s expertise will ensure our clients have the tools needed to gain tactical advantage.” 

Rich Aves, Block 3 Co-Founder and former Executive Vice President at Parsons Corporation and CGO of OGSystems, added, “Our investment in Sphinx is a fusion of talent and technology aimed at tackling the most sophisticated cybersecurity challenges our nation faces.”

Steve Martin, Block 3 Co-Founder and former COO of OGSystems, emphasized the strategic impact: “We see ourselves as a strategic asset for the government bridging the gap between small companies with unique capabilities and the missions they could transform. Our approach will include a mix of organic development and technology acquisition aimed at satisfying specific mission needs with cutting edge technology and services.”

Block 3’s strategy includes adding to Sphinx’s capabilities by continuously scouting for new tech partnerships and opportunities. Sphinx, known for its cutting-edge intelligence and security services, has been pivotal in providing advanced adversary defeat, technology integration, digital forensics and incident response services to key agencies like NGA, DIA, and INSCOM. Bob Dredger, Founder and CEO of Sphinx, expressed enthusiasm about the combination: “Putting Block 3’s market sophistication and the technical expertise of Sphinx together will fuel the next leap in our evolution. Sphinx and Block 3 both share a culture dedicated to professionalism with a team-focused approach to achieving our success. Our combined capabilities and unwavering commitment to the mission will ensure our clients continue to receive the exceptional services they’ve come to expect from Sphinx.”

About Block 3 LLC:
Named for the warfare doctrine of simultaneously conducting conventional, asymmetric, and peacekeeping operations in a three-block radius, Block 3 invests in cyber and geospatial technology to protect American assets and exploit adversaries in the digital warfare domain. www.block3.us

About Sphinx LLC:
Derived from US Army Military Intelligence insignia, Sphinx represents tactical intelligence and strategic thinking, and is a leader in cyber operations and counterintelligence. Sphinx delivers bespoke services that detect, neutralize, and exploit the efforts of adversaries targeting US equities for Fortune 500 and government clients. Their capabilities in sophisticated cybersecurity services range from Digital Forensics and Incident Response to advanced threat emulation and red team activities. www.sphinxsecure.com/

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Block 3

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The company will use the funds to accelerate the commercialization of its sustainable thermoplastic elastomers, high-performance materials derived from recycled end-of-life tires

KIRKLAND, Wash., Nov. 19, 2024 — Prism Worldwide, a leader in innovative material solutions that is dedicated to advancing end-of-life tire recycling technology, today announced it has raised $40 million in Series A and Series A1 funds. Prism is using the funds to consolidate operations, make capital investments in technology and equipment, and expand its team. To date, the funding has provided a foundation from which Prism has reached commercial viability, demonstrated by an initial round of sales and sales commitments for its thermoelastic polymers (TPEs). The development of these TPEs marks the first time any company has successfully created a sustainable, high-performance polymer derived from end-of-life tires. The funding rounds were co-led by return investors Columbia Pacific Advisors, a Seattle alternative investment firm, and Jim Sinegal, co-founder and former CEO of Costco. The combination Series A and Series A1 funding round also includes participation from Robert “Spike” Anderson, former CEO of Anderson Daymon Worldwide. Anderson is Chairman of Prism Worldwide’s board of directors.

“Prism has achieved what no other company has by successfully developing a novel method to turn end-of-life tires into a useful polymer that can be compounded into a wide range of rubber and plastic products,” said John Bratrud, Portfolio Manager, Columbia Pacific Advisors. “Solving the challenge of recycling tires and transforming them into sustainable, high-quality, and reliable material opens a wide range of revenue pathways in every market that uses elastomers and plastics.”

The first deployment of Series A capital was for the acquisition of CRC Polymer Systems, a custom compounding company that supplies compounds, resins, and colors to the plastics industry. The acquisition enabled Prism to increase its capacity for product development, manufacturing and distribution throughout the United States and North America.

“Few companies have such a significant number of avenues to achieve financial success,” said Jim Sinegal, independent investor and co-founder and former CEO of Costco. “In addition to individual customers, Prism’s technology holds profound value for large petrochemical polymer companies seeking ways to make their virgin materials more sustainable.”

Prism breathes new life into end-of-life rubber tires, which traditionally have limited high-value uses. Tires are often burned or ground into final-stage materials used on playground surfaces or sporting fields. With its environmentally friendly technology, Prism reverses the polymerization of the end-of-life tire rubber in a novel, energy-efficient, and low capital-intensive manner that allows the end material to be functional and flexible in a wide range of elastomer and plastic applications. Notably, Prism makes it possible to integrate a higher concentration of recycled materials to be used in both rubber-based and plastic-based products without conceding product quality. Its technology can help companies scale revenues and profitability while helping them achieve sustainability goals by reducing carbon emissions and reliance on virgin petrochemical-based materials.

“Our patented technology has already captured the attention of a significant number of customers in the specialty polymer industry,” said Bob Abramowitz, CEO, Prism Worldwide. “This novel technology eliminates the common fate of end-of-life tires and waste plastics that often litter landfills or illegal dumps by creating functional polymers from these valuable recycled materials. We’re already fielding inquiries from a host of companies seeking ways to make their consumer and industrial products more sustainable. Even more compelling is that once the products manufactured from our polymer intermediates reach their end-of-life usefulness, they can be recycled again, creating a truly circular, long life.”

Notably, Prism is producing a real-world product that’s available for purchase today.

About Prism Worldwide
Prism was founded on the principle that there should be a better use for end-of-life (ELT) tires. We recognize that to solve this long-standing issue we need solutions that provide performance-oriented products. This requires that we address the problem differently.

Developed and patented in the United States, Prism’s technology and products are American-made and American-sourced. Prism provides a cost-effective solution that helps end users increase profitability by using sustainable materials.

We are bringing new patented technology to the market by producing polymer intermediates derived from ground tire rubber. These performance solutions for TPE, TPV, TPO markets (Ancora) and rubber modified plastics polymer markets (Ennova) are sustainable and circular, creating higher value uses for end-of-life tires and offering a route to Making Tires More Circular.

In November 2022, Prism acquired CRC Polymer Systems (CRC), a custom compounding company supplying compounds, resins, and colors to the plastics industry. For more information please visit https://prismww.com/.

Media contact:
Dwain Schenck
[email protected] 
+1 (203) 223-5230

SOURCE Prism Worldwide

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The latest funding will help Cresta double down on its existing product suite, scale its go-to-market efforts, and rapidly develop the next generation of virtual agents

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 19, 2024 — Cresta, the end-to-end generative AI platform for contact centers, today announced the closing of its $125 million Series D round of financing. The round was led by new investors World Innovation Lab (WiL) and QIA with participation from Accenture, EnvisionX Capital, LG Technology Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, and Workday Ventures. The round also includes returning investors Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, J.P. Morgan, Sequoia Capital, and Tiger Global. This brings the company’s total funding to over $270 million.

There is increased pressure in the contact center space to drastically drive down costs while improving customer loyalty and top-line revenue. Cresta provides a unified platform for human and AI agents that transforms customer conversations and workflows at every level of the contact center. With Cresta, customers can uncover real-time insights and behavioral best practices in order to scale winning behaviors across their human agents, while automating mundane tasks using virtual agents.

“Cresta provides Fortune 500 companies like Intuit and Verizon with leading AI-powered technology that empowers them with clear competitive advantages,” said Ping Wu, Chief Executive Officer at Cresta. “With this latest round of financing, we look forward to expanding our end-to-end AI platform to help dramatically reimagine how contact centers function and expand the use of human-centric AI to both augment human agents to make them more effective and save costs using human-like virtual agents.”

Cresta today also announced several major milestones for the company:

• In the last two years, the company has nearly quadrupled its annual recurring revenue (ARR) and nearly doubled its customer base.
• Cresta will be rapidly scaling R&D, opening two new engineering hubs in Romania and India to add to existing offices in Palo Alto, San Francisco, New York, Berlin, and Toronto.
• Cresta has appointed Rob Theis, General Partner and Chief Investment Officer at WiL, to the company’s board of directors.

“Ping and the Cresta team consistently show that they have what it takes to succeed in the contact center AI space,” said Rob Theis, General Partner and Chief Investment Officer at WiL (World Innovation Lab). “We were impressed by Cresta’s track record with Fortune 500 companies and we view Cresta as the strongest end-to-end platform in the market. They are defining the next era of contact centers with best-in-class AI performance.”

Cresta’s end-to-end platform is trusted by the world’s leading contact centers to drive powerful business outcomes.

• Brinks Home, one of North America’s leading home security and alarm monitoring companies, selected Cresta to transform their contact center operations and revitalize customer engagement. By combining real-time agent assistance with Cresta’s AI-driven quality management (QM) and coaching capabilities, Brinks Home was able to cut QM costs by 50%, increase first-call resolution to 75%, and boost the company’s net-promoter score by 30 points.

“Partnering with Cresta has enabled us to build stronger customer connections, boost retention, and drive revenue,” said William E. Niles, CEO of Brinks Home. “We have transformed customer conversations into a competitive edge, cutting call transfers from 30% to 8%—a 73% improvement. In addition, we are thrilled to partner with Cresta to use their next-generation virtual agent platform to dramatically reduce costs and reinvest in the business in other ways. It’s going to be a complete game changer for Brinks Home.”

The funding follows Cresta being named to the Forbes AI 50  List of Top Artificial Intelligence Companies of 2024, recognition in Forrester’s Real Time Revenue Executions Platforms Q2 20224 Wave, and the announcement of several new, human-centric AI solutions for the contact center in early 2024.

To learn more about Cresta, please visit https://cresta.com/.

About Cresta:
Cresta is on a mission to turn every customer conversation into a competitive advantage by unlocking the true potential of the contact center. Cresta’s platform combines the best of AI and human intelligence to help contact centers discover customer insights and behavioral best practices, automate conversations and inefficient processes, and empower every team member to work smarter and faster. Powering customer experiences for companies like Cox Communications, Hilton, and Carmax, Cresta helps turn every conversation into an opportunity. Follow our blog and connect with us on LinkedIn and X.

About WIL:
WiL (World Innovation Lab) is a venture capital firm that partners with leading global corporations and government entities in Japan and Asia. With offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tokyo, the firm’s mission is to serve as a bridge between startups and corporations in the United States and Asia, with a particular focus on Japan. WiL supports its portfolio companies by establishing corporate partnerships that enable U.S. and European startups to scale globally, and Japanese startups to innovate and globalize. WiL invests in emerging technology spanning fintech, insurtech, automation and productivity, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, health tech and sustainability. Notable WiL investments that have exited to public markets from Fund I and Fund II include Asana, Mercari, Raksul, Wise and Auth0 — whose acquisition by Okta was completed in May 2021. WiL also invests in exceptional venture funds, and supports its LPs in corporate venture investment efforts. For more, visit https://wil.vc/

About QIA:
QIA is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state reserve funds. QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with leading institutions around the world to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar.

SOURCE Cresta

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BOSTON, Nov. 19, 2024 — Unruly Studios, the innovators behind Unruly Splats, is poised for a significant leap forward as it expands its role as the go-to partner for movement-based learning in schools and after-school programs. With the surge in screen-time reduction initiatives and a growing demand for active learning tools, Unruly Studios is ready to deliver on a bold vision: enhancing teaching and learning by combining movement with collaboration to build active educational environments.

In the past year, Unruly Studios has achieved significant milestones:

Product Expansion: Following the successful launch of Unruly Math, Unruly Studios is entering the general education space, introducing new ways for students to engage in movement-based math practice and expanding into more parts of the school day with future movement-based experiences. One standout achievement is reaching 40 million stomps through Unruly’s innovative products, highlighting how students are embracing math and coding through physical activity.

Growing Partnerships: Unruly Studios has formed key partnerships at the state level and across the U.S. and Canada, expanding its footprint in K-12 classrooms. Unruly has also partnered with the Brains and Motion after-school program, marking its first step into the growing after-school learning space.

Leadership for Growth: The company has bolstered its team with key hires, including Krista Curran, President and COO, whose experience from Amplify Education will accelerate the go-to-market strategy for Unruly Math, Chris Garrity, Product Manager and former member of MIT Media Lab’s Scratch team with deep experience building engaging tools for kids, and James Sanders, Product Marketing Manager, who brings extensive experience bringing innovative solutions (Breakout EDU, Future Ready Schools) to K-12 classrooms.

Unruly Studios is backed by a group of strategic investors. In its recent $4 million pre-Series A funding round, the company secured investments from edtech impact investor LBZS, LLC; Lyman Missimer, Partner at Owl Ventures; Miriam Altman-Reyes, Founder of Brass Ring Ventures and former CEO of Kinvolved; and Karl Rectanus, former Founder of LearnPlatform. Unruly Studios also added new board members: Zach Silverstein, Principal at Z Beach Strategies, and Jim Mylen, former President and SVP of Amplify. Closing out its strong investor support, AT&T Ventures, which invested in a previous funding round, continues to support the company’s growth.

The team is actively developing new movement-based learning concepts to support Unruly Studios’ rapid growth in both schools and after-school programs. With new markets and product lines on the horizon, Unruly is committed to inspiring more active and engaging learning experiences in the near future.

About Unruly Studios

Unruly Studios combines STEM learning with active play and collaboration for elementary and middle school students. Our flagship products, Unruly Math and Unruly Code, transform coding and math practice into exciting, movement-based experiences. Developed by experts from Nickelodeon, iRobot, Disney, Mattel, and Hasbro, our tools make learning ridiculously fun and inclusive. With over 40 million stomps across North America, our mission is to boost academic confidence, reduce screen time, and bring joy to the classroom.

Media Contact

James Sanders
[email protected]

SOURCE Unruly Studios

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Leading the modern revolution in auto repair: Revv’s platform simplifies complex repair procedures, maximizing vehicle safety, while uncovering hidden profit centers for shops.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2024 — As the complexity of modern vehicles escalates, the auto repair industry faces a critical challenge: adapting to the sophisticated needs of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which are now standard in 92% of new vehicles. Addressing this head-on, Revv is thrilled to announce it has secured over $20 million in funding. The round, led by Left Lane Capital, with continued participation from Soma Capital, 1984, and Agalé Ventures, underscores the industry’s confidence in Revv’s potential to transform auto repair services.

Revv was born in an auto repair shop, where founder Adi Bathla, an early Product Leader at Misfits Market, observed the difficulties technicians faced with increasingly software-dependent vehicles. Together with Rashmi Sinha, an engineer with a shared passion for modernizing offline industries, they developed a platform that not only tackled the technical demands, but also captured the invaluable, intricate OEM data sitting in the brains of the most experienced technicians. This foundation enabled their initial product to rapidly gain traction, servicing over 30 auto repair shops prior to taking on any funding.

Adi Bathla, CEO and co-founder of Revv, recalls, “Every day, skilled technicians struggled with the myriad of repair procedures and the dense rulesets that vary by make, model, and trim. These challenges weren’t just technical; they directly undermined business efficiency and profitability. Recognizing the need for a change, we devised a system that exponentially cut down the research time for ADAS repairs.”

Revv’s platform leverages advanced large language models to condense hours of diagnostic research into seconds, aggregating data from over 60 sources to provide clear, actionable repair packages for complex ADAS systems like automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warnings. The hardware-agnostic system integrates seamlessly with all shop equipment and the full estimation software suite, ensuring immediate access to essential diagnostic information for all team members. Additionally, the embedded feedback loop from technicians enables continuous self-learning and improvement.

In just 16 months, Revv has expanded to 2,100+ repair locations and, in under 7 months, surpassed seven figures in ARR, with continued double to triple-digit quarter-over-quarter growth since. The platform’s ability to identify ADAS repair opportunities at the beginning of repair workflows has been pivotal to this growth, enabling shops to capitalize on these opportunities and significantly boost revenue for vehicles already on site. Shops of all specializations and sizes, including body, collision, paint, dent & repair (PD&R), and calibration & mechanical, report dramatic results. For example, one early adopter expanded from one location to 37 shops in four months, while another increased revenue by 75% in nine months by making ADAS repairs a core part of their business model with the platform’s support.

“RevvADAS has quickly become an indispensable tool for us,” said Mike Stuver, Chief Operating Officer of Complete Collision Solutions, a Texas-based repair services company. “The whole experience has been positive, from ease of setup to ease of use. It’s rare to see such quick adoption with new technology, but that has been the case for us.”

“After an extensive market analysis of AI applications that genuinely solve problems and add value to end customers, Revv is among the strongest we’ve seen,” said Dan Ahrens, Managing Partner at Left Lane Capital. “They’ve built a solution that demonstrates a deep understanding of industry needs, positioning them as an essential platform for modern vehicle repairs. Their team is exceptional, and we are excited to partner with them long term.”

Looking to the future, Revv is expanding its capabilities with the recent introduction of auto-quoting and advanced documentation tools. Additionally, following successful trials in the mechanical repair space, they’ve secured highly strategic distribution agreements to supercharge their presence in this new market segment. But Bathla has no plans of stopping there.

“Our vision extends beyond diagnostics,” said Bathla. “We are committed to building a comprehensive 360-degree repair solution that serves shops of all sizes globally. By maximizing value at each location, we aim to help the entire repair industry navigate the increasing complexity of modern vehicles, ensuring safer cars and supporting repair shops to thrive in this new era.”

About Revv
Revv is a B2B SaaS business that’s transforming the auto repair industry with revolutionary AI and machine learning solutions that streamline processes and enhance road safety. Our mission is to pave the way for a safer transportation landscape.

Revv ADAS is an AI-powered platform that automates the complex research required to understand ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems) repairs for auto repair businesses. For more information, visit www.revvhq.com

About Left Lane Capital
Founded in 2019, Left Lane Capital is a New York and London-based global venture capital and growth equity firm investing in hyper-growth Consumer and SMB businesses with enduring customer relationships. Left Lane’s mission is to partner with extraordinary entrepreneurs who create category-defining companies across growth sectors of the economy. Select investments include Kings League, Bilt Rewards, Blank Street, M1 Finance, Wayflyer, Pearl, Polycam, LOVB, Talkiatry, Kittl, Ownwell, and more. For more information, please visit www.leftlane.com.

SOURCE Revv

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Round Led by Tiger Global, Co-Led by New Investor Balderton, with Additional New Investor Participation from Teachers’ Venture Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19, 2024 — Kong Inc., a leading developer of cloud API technologies, today announced it has closed a $175 million in up-round Series E financing, with a mix of primary and secondary transactions at a $2 billion valuation. The round was led by Tiger Global and co-led by new investor Balderton, with additional new participation from Teachers’ Venture Growth, the late-stage venture and growth investment arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and 137 Ventures among others and continued support from Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, CRV, Sapphire Ventures, and Notable Capital. This brings Kong’s total capital raised to $345 million.

“This funding will fuel our efforts to help any organization to leverage our unified API platform to manage, secure, and observe both internal and external APIs like never before,” said Augusto Marietti, CEO and co-founder of Kong Inc. “As we continue to see a worldwide surge in demand for API calls – propelled most recently by the rise of LLMs – Kong is uniquely positioned to help our customers consolidate disparate API systems to enable “the software assembly line” of the AI era.”

Kong will use the new funds to accelerate its global GTM expansion, enhance product innovation with AI-infused capabilities across AI Gateway, Konnect, Insomnia and all our leading API runtimes such as Kong Gateway and Kong Mesh, while investing in the growth of its customer experience teams.

Market Leadership

“Kong’s strategic expansion across Europe, Asia and emerging markets addresses the growing global demand for robust API solutions. Their commitment to delivering a secure, scalable and resilient API infrastructure platform is essential in today’s digital economy,” said Rana Yared, General Partner at Balderton. “The Kong team enables businesses worldwide to innovate and adopt AI at scale.”

In addition, Rana Yared will join Kong as a board observer.

“Kong has shown remarkable growth and vision, particularly with their focus on empowering developers and businesses to harness the power of AI through secure API adoption,” said Andrea Roda, Principal at Balderton. “Their commitment to innovation and customer success is unmatched, and we believe they are setting the standard for the future of critical digital infrastructure.”

Vision for API-First Companies in an AI-Driven World

Kong’s unified API platform enables organizations to build AI applications faster while ensuring centralized API security, governance and visibility across all services. As more companies pivot to becoming API-first, Kong provides the critical infrastructure needed to enable secure and scalable AI solutions.

“Kong helps companies build and innovate faster by providing a platform that governs, manages and discovers all APIs and AI models within an organization,” added Marco Palladino, CTO and co-founder, Kong Inc. “We’re helping customers across industries — from startups to Fortune 500^® enterprises — accelerate their time to market, scale AI capabilities and reduce operational risks. This is achieved through the most secure and comprehensive API management, which effectively serves as an operating system to oversee all APIs and AI models in any enterprise. Given that API and AI connectivity are at the core of every digital product, Kong’s platform is a strategic core component in every modern architecture.”

With this funding, Kong is poised to continue revolutionizing API management and AI integration for organizations globally, empowering businesses to stay ahead in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world.

About Kong Inc.

Kong Inc., a leading developer of cloud API technologies, is on a mission to enable companies around the world to become “API-first” and securely accelerate AI adoption. Kong helps organizations globally — from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises — unleash developer productivity, build securely and accelerate time to market. For more information about Kong, please visit www.konghq.com or follow us on X @thekonginc.

SOURCE Kong Inc.

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Strategic collaboration to deliver greater value to clients by leveraging consulting capabilities alongside technology-led transformation

MUMBAI, India and ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 19, 2024 — UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, has invested in Uniqus Consultech, a tech-enabled global platform that offers consulting solutions in the accounting & reporting, finance operations, governance, risk, ESG, and technology domains. This investment, part of Uniqus’ previously announced Series B round, will lay the foundation for a strong collaboration between the two companies.

The alliance between UST and Uniqus combines deep functional knowledge and strong technology capabilities to help clients better solve core business challenges and fully harness the power of technology, including AI/GenAI. As a part of the strategic collaboration, UST will leverage Uniqus’ extensive practical experience in the areas of finance, risk, and sustainability to identify and implement the best digital solutions for its clients.

UST will be able to offer an expanded solution portfolio to help clients navigate evolving and complex regulatory requirements, assess environmental impacts, enhance supply chain transparency, and improve social impact initiatives by integrating Uniqus’ ESG capabilities into its offerings. Uniqus’ AI-enabled – ESG UniVerse platform tracks, measures, and reports on ESG metrics, including carbon emissions, and facilitates engagement with supply chain partners. UST will leverage Uniqus’ finance and risk transformation capabilities to provide comprehensive finance and risk solutions and platforms to its clients.

Jamil Khatri, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Uniqus, said, “Organizations want technology to enable them in solving business problems effectively and get real benefits. UST’s transformative engineering and innovative ecosystem in combination with Uniqus’ deep domain experience on sustainability, finance, and risk will elevate our product and service offering to clients across the globe. We are truly excited to embark on this journey together with UST, introducing new capabilities to serve a large, combined client base in a holistic manner.”

“Corporate sustainability, responsible business practices, and ESG consulting have become integral to building a comprehensive modern corporate strategy, and integrating Uniqus’ ESG capabilities into our portfolio will enable UST to serve our clients better and differentiate ourselves in an increasingly competitive landscape. This relationship with a market leader is an excellent opportunity to enhance our service offerings and drive sustainable growth while laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and resilient economy,” said Vijay Padmanabhan, Chief Financial Officer, UST.

With this investment, UST continues to expand its ecosystem of strategic partnerships, driving cutting-edge solutions. UST or Uniqus Consultech, did not disclose the investment value.

About Uniqus Consultech:

Uniqus Consultech is a global tech-enabled consulting company that specializes in Accounting & Reporting, ESG and Tech Consulting. The Company is co-founded by consulting veterans Jamil Khatri and Sandip Khetan and backed by marquee investors such as Nexus Venture Partners, Sorin Investments, and other angel investors. Anu Chaudhary, a global ESG specialist with over 20 years of experience, serves as the Global Head of ESG. Abhijit Varma, a veteran technology specialist, leads Tech Consulting globally.

Uniqus has a global team of 500 professionals led by 50+ Partners & Directors across eleven offices in the USA, Middle East and India. The company serves more than 200 clients, including marquee names such as HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, Al Rajhi Group, Arab National Bank, The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), Burjeel Holding, Tawal, Flipkart, GE and GAP.

Uniqus is committed to leveraging technology and an integrated global delivery model to provide best-in-class consulting services that drive measurable results and create long-term value for its clients.

For more information, please visit: www.uniqus.com

About UST

Since 1999, UST has worked side by side with the world’s best companies to make a powerful impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Our digital solutions, proprietary platforms, engineering expertise, and innovation ecosystem turn core challenges into impactful, disruptive solutions. With deep industry knowledge and a future-ready mindset, we infuse innovation and agility into our clients’ organizations—delivering measurable value and positive lasting change for them, their customers, and communities around the world. Together, with 30,000+ employees in 30+ countries, we build for boundless impact—touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at www.UST.com.

Media Contacts, UST:
Tinu Cherian Abraham
+1 (949) 415-9857 (US)
+91-7899045194 (India)

 Merrick Laravea
+1 (949) 416-6212

Neha Misri
+44-7341787926

Roshini Das K
+91-7736795557

[email protected]

Media Contacts, India.:
Adfactors PR
[email protected] 

Media Contacts, U.S.:
S&C PR
+1-646.941.9139
[email protected]

Makovsky
[email protected] 

Media Contacts, U.K.:
FTI Consulting
[email protected] 

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SOURCE UST

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