BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 12, 2025 — IMB Partners (“IMB”), a private investment firm based in Bethesda, MD, today announced the final close of its inaugural institutional fund, IMB Partners SBIC I (“SBIC Fund I”). SBIC Fund I closed with a total committed capital of $125.5 million, exceeding its original target of $100 million. The Fund will continue to build upon IMB’s strategy of investing in lower middle-market companies that deliver services to the utilities and government contracting sectors.

Founded in 2010, IMB Partners executed eight platform investments as an independent sponsor, raising capital on a deal-by-deal basis. Partner companies from this period include Richmond Wholesale, Alder Foods, and Elite Brands – jointly held today as Pro Food Solutions – e&e IT Consulting, Ashburn Consulting, Carr & Duff, Farwest Corrosion Control Company, and LaFata Contract Services, which IMB exited in August 2022.

Of the fundraising outcome, IMB’s Managing Partner, Kelvin Pennington, commented, “We are honored to have the support of 100 investors and partners. From banks, pension funds, and insurance companies, to foundations, endowments, and high net worth individuals; we value each and every individual who has committed to joining us on this journey.”

IMB Partners’ CEO, Tarrus Richardson, added, “Our first dedicated fund will allow IMB to continue its mission to support companies in the government contracting and utilities & infrastructure services sectors. We look forward to providing growth opportunities to lower middle market businesses that may otherwise lack access to essential capital.”

IMB was approved for its license from the SBA to operate SBIC Fund I as a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) in October 2023. SBIC Fund I closed on December 31, 2024.

Placement agents for the fund were Thomas Capital Group and Commerce Street Capital, LLC (Dallas, TX). Winston & Strawn LLP provided legal counsel.

About IMB Partners: Founded in 2010, IMB is a private equity sponsor focused on investing and partnering with management teams to grow lower middle market companies serving government agencies and utilities. IMB believes in people and partnership first and takes an entrepreneurial approach to building companies of scale. IMB seeks platform investment targets with $10–$100 million in revenue. Learn more at imbpartners.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE IMB Partners

MESA, Ariz., Feb. 11, 2025 — Northrim Horizon (“Northrim”), a permanent capital investment firm, today announced the successful close of Northrim Horizon Fund III, L.P. (“Fund III”) with total committed capital of $235 million (the hard cap). Raised over a period of five months, Fund III was oversubscribed with commitments from leading global investors, including insurance companies, endowments, fund-of-funds and family offices.

Consistent with the strategy of Funds I and II, Fund III will focus on partnering with well-run, enduring platforms within business and consumer services, healthcare services, and software and tech-enabled services.

“We are thrilled to share the successful close of Fund III and deeply appreciate the trust our investors have placed in us,” said Brad Gulbrandsen, Managing Parter of Northrim Horizon. “With this additional capital, we are well-positioned to grow our portfolio and drive enduring value for our partners and stakeholders.”

Since its inception, Northrim has invested in 47 companies, including 11 platforms and 36 strategic add-on acquisitions. Northrim targets mature, cash-generative businesses with EBITDA between $1 to $5 million in its areas of focus.

DLA Piper served as legal counsel.

About Northrim Horizon

Northrim Horizon is a permanent capital investment firm that acquires and operates well-run, profitable service and software businesses. Northrim builds long-term value by reinvesting its earnings into its companies and people. The firm is based in Mesa, Arizona. For more information, please visit www.northrimhorizon.com.

Contact:

Eli Kapsack
[email protected]

SOURCE Northrim Horizon

With $7.6 Million Round Led by Norwest, Former Talkdesk Executives Release Generally Available Solution that Empowers Anyone to Create Automations Using Natural Language Conversation

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2025 — Pinkfish AI, pioneer of Generative Automation, today launched a platform that radically changes how enterprises create and manage automations. Now available for use by enterprises anywhere, the Pinkfish Generative Automation platform combines the intuitive interface of generative AI with enterprise-grade reliability to empower anyone – including those in operations, services and other business units who have no coding experience – to create powerful automations through natural language conversations.

Customers, including IPSY, Humach, Sage Publications, Elevate, Talkdesk and others, are already leveraging Pinkfish’s Generative Automation Platform to drive significant efficiency gains. Use cases span critical business functions across operations, services organizations and IT teams, with new automations deployed in hours rather than months.

The company also announced that it closed a $7.6 million pre-seed funding round led by Norwest Venture Partners to accelerate product innovation and usher in general availability. Storm Ventures and angel investors joined the round. Norwest Partner Scott Beechuk will join the board of directors.

Scalable Generative Automation for Deterministic and Agentic AI Use Cases
Despite significant investments in automation tools, enterprises continue to struggle with widespread manual, repetitive tasks that drain resources and slow business operations. Traditional automation platforms require specialized expertise and lengthy deployment cycles – leaving most automation needs unaddressed as tickets pile up in IT backlogs.

“With Generative Automation, Pinkfish introduces a new approach that makes creating enterprise-grade automations as simple as having a conversation,” said Charanya “CK” Kannan, Pinkfish’s co-founder and CEO. “Unlike traditional low-code platforms that become unwieldy with complex workflows, Pinkfish allows users to simply describe what they need, and the platform collaborates to quickly build a solution. The result is a reliable automation that seamlessly scales from one to a million runs with perfect consistency, whether for deterministic or AI agent use cases.”

Pinkfish was co-founded in 2024 by Kannan, who previously served as chief product and technology officer (CPTO) at Talkdesk, where she was instrumental in growing the company from Series A to a $10 billion valuation in just six years; and CPTO Ben Rigby, who was Talkdesk’s senior vice president of AI.

At the Forefront of a Fast-Growing AI Agent Market
The nascent AI agent market is poised for substantial growth, from just $5 billion last year to more than $47 billion by 2030, according to a recent study. The use of generative AI and other technologies will combine to automate work activities that take up as much as 70% of employees’ time today, McKinsey noted.

“In a sea of AI companies, where so few have products in production generating measurable ROI for customers, Pinkfish really stands out. While most companies are either focused on self-service for SMBs or heavy lifting implementation for the enterprise market, Pinkfish has cracked the code on self-service for the enterprise,” said Norwest’s Beechuk. “CK and Ben have leveraged their deep technology expertise and experience from Talkdesk to deliver real value for customers, especially in complex environments. We see incredible potential in Pinkfish to transform the way enterprises automate.”

The Pinkfish Generative Automation Platform represents a breakthrough in enterprise automation by combining:

• Natural language automation development that eliminates the need for coding or specialized training
• Deterministic execution that ensures consistent, reliable results at enterprise scale
• Self-healing capabilities that detect environmental changes and automatically suggest and implement fixes
• Seamless handling of both simple workflows and complex AI agent scenarios
• Enterprise-grade governance and team collaboration features
• 200+ integrations, browser automation, large language model (LLM) and document processing all in one platform

Build Automations for Your Enterprise Faster – Sign up for Pinkfish Today!
If you are ready to speed up your enterprise automation and help shape the future of software development, visit www.pinkfish.ai today and start building smarter, faster automations with Pinkfish.

Customer Quotes:

Sree Sreedhararaj, CTO of IPSY, the world’s largest beauty subscription; Ex-CTO of Sephora
“Pinkfish has revolutionized how we operate, combining the creativity of generative AI with the precision of automation. What used to take days is now accomplished in moments—delivering personalized experiences that delight our customers and drive measurable results. With PinkFish, innovation isn’t just a goal; it’s our daily reality. The IPSY team has been leveraging Pinkfish for automations in instances across the company, from mission-critical real-time pricing workflow automation to employee offboarding automation. Our teams love the platform because it saves them time and resources without compromising results. It’s clear that the future of automation lies in what Pinkfish is building—reimagining automation from the ground up for the AI generation”

Tim Houlne, CEO of Humach, a customer experience (CX) customer contact center provider
“Pinkfish is our premium partner, and we’ve leveraged their platform for many of our customers. We’ve used the Pinkfish Generative Automation Platform to build digital workers faster and with consistent results. We are now using Pinkfish to expand our digital worker and automation practice. This partnership is opening up exciting opportunities for both of our companies, and we look forward to growing together.”

About Pinkfish AI
Pinkfish AI makes enterprise automation creation as simple as describing your ideas with the company’s Generative Automation Platform. Pinkfish combines the best practices of API integrations and browser automation with the potential of generative AI. This approach enables users to effortlessly create automations through natural language descriptions, seamlessly connecting hundreds of systems, files, data and browser automations. The platform empowers anyone to solve problems and drive change without the need for technical skills or coding knowledge, making businesses more agile and putting the power of automation into the hands of those who know their workflows best. Pinkfish was co-founded in 2024 by CEO Charanya Kannan, who previously served as chief product and technology officer (CPTO) at Talkdesk, and CPTO Ben Rigby, who was Talkdesk’s senior vice president of AI. Headquartered in San Francisco, Pinkfish has raised more than $7.6 million in funding from Norwest Venture Partners, Storm Ventures and angel investors. For more information, visit www.pinkfish.ai.

SOURCE Pinkfish

Led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives with SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Activant joining as new investors, funding to be used to accelerate AI product innovation

BOSTON and DUBLIN, Feb. 11, 2025 — Tines, the leader in AI-powered workflows, today announced $125 million in Series C financing, valuing the company at $1.125 billion. The round was led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives with participation from new investors SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Activant and existing investors Accel, Felicis, CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, and Addition. The financing follows a May 2024 $50M Series B extension, bringing the total capital raised by Tines to $272 million.

Tines empowers teams to build, run, and monitor their most mission-critical and sophisticated workflows. Global leaders including Coinbase, Databricks, GitLab and Mars use Tines to transform their security and IT operations, dramatically enhancing productivity and streamlining operations while mitigating risk. The number of automated actions within the Tines platform has more than tripled over the past year, exceeding one billion tasks automated every week.

“IT and security teams continue to face a deluge of manual and tedious tasks, and too often traditional automation tools further weigh them down instead of lifting them up,” said Tines CEO Eoin Hinchy. “By connecting people to the AI, data and systems they need to do their best work, the opportunity before us at Tines is to become the universal orchestrator of modern, secure workflows across the enterprise. This new round will help us realize that opportunity.”

Tines recently launched native AI features and Workbench, a generative AI chat interface that enables users to query, gather and analyze information, take real-time action on data across applications, and determine next steps. Tines will use this round of funding to accelerate product innovation focused on helping users connect AI software and LLMs with the data and systems they need to perform tasks at optimal efficiency and effectiveness, while also facilitating privacy and compliance safeguards required to ensure enterprise-grade security.

“Generative AI is the next frontier of enterprise technology, driving significant productivity gains across multiple business functions. With a focus on building secure workflows at scale, Tines will play a critical role in providing the underlying infrastructure required to drive widespread adoption of AI across organizations” said Alexander Lippert, managing director in Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives. “We’ve been highly impressed with the Tines management team and believe they are uniquely positioned to build a global leader in enterprise automation”

“Since its founding in 2018, Tines has demonstrated exceptional growth by staying laser-focused on delivering tangible value to customers and building solutions tailored to their evolving needs,” said Amit Lubovsky, investment director at SoftBank Investment Advisers. “We are excited to partner with the Tines team as they execute on their vision, pushing the boundaries of automation, and bringing best-in-class workflow orchestration solutions to the entire enterprise.”

To learn more about how companies across industries are using Tines to transform how their teams operate, visit www.tines.com/case-studies/.

About Tines

At Tines, we’re building a future where technology empowers businesses and people to work smarter and more securely. Leaders across a wide array of industries, including Canva, Elastic, Kayak, Intercom, McKesson and Oak Ridge National Laboratory use Tines’ AI-powered workflows to operate more effectively, mitigate risk, reduce tech debt, and do the work that matters most. Co-headquartered in Dublin and Boston, Tines has raised $272M in funding to date from investors including Goldman Sachs, Softbank, Activant, Felicis, Addition, Accel, Blossom Capital and Lux Capital. To learn more about Tines, visit www.tines.com.

About Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is one of the leading investors in alternatives globally, with over $500 billion in assets and more than 30 years of experience. The business invests in the full spectrum of alternatives including private equity, growth equity, private credit, real estate, infrastructure, sustainability, and hedge funds. Clients access these solutions through direct strategies, customized partnerships, and open-architecture programs.

The business is driven by a focus on partnership and shared success with its clients, seeking to deliver long-term investment performance drawing on its global network and deep expertise across industries and markets.

The alternative investments platform is part of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which delivers investment and advisory services across public and private markets for the world’s leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals. Goldman Sachs has more than $3.1 trillion in assets under supervision globally as of December 31, 2024.

Since 2003, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives has invested over $13 billion in companies led by visionary founders and CEOs. The team focuses on investments in growth stage and technology-driven companies spanning multiple industries, including enterprise technology, financial technology, consumer and healthcare.

Media Contacts:

Jason Fidler                                                   
Tines                                                             
[email protected]

Danielle Stickler
Bateman Agency for Tines
[email protected]         

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2503502/5160251/Tines_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Tines

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2025 — Comulate, the technology company leveraging AI to transform the insurance industry, announced a $20 million Series B funding round led by BOND and Workday Ventures, marking a pivotal expansion of its vision to transform the insurance back office.

“Comulate has scaled to 8-figure revenues in less than 3 years since founding – an unprecedented pace in the insurance industry,” according to Jay Simons, General Partner at BOND and former President of Atlassian. “The team is uniquely positioned to broaden its vision and transform an industry still burdened by hundreds of billions of dollars spent on manual operations across the value chain.”

The investment from the strategic capital arm of Workday, a leading finance and HR platform, will further propel Comulate’s reinvention of critical back-office workflows. As part of this investment, Comulate also joins Workday’s Partner Program to accelerate deeper integration for shared customers.

Since launching in 2022, Comulate has grown to power the back office operations of leading firms, including IMA Financial, The Baldwin Group, and Hilb Group. In the last twelve months, the company tripled revenues while enabling customers to reclaim over 350,000 hours by automating highly manual and error-prone processes across the accounting lifecycle.

“In my twenty-five years in the industry, I’ve never seen customers so bought in,” says Jonathan Crystal, Managing Partner at Crystal Venture Partners and former CFO of Top 25 US broker Crystal & Company. “What’s even more striking is how Comulate channels that energy — by doubling down on their commitment to build something transformative and lasting as an independent company.”

BOND and Workday Ventures join investors Neo, Spark Capital, Jonathan Crystal, Plaid’s Zach Perret, and Applied Intuition’s Qasar Younis. Jordan Katz, Co-Founder and CEO of Comulate, says, “We’re grateful to be joined by world-class partners who share our conviction and accelerate us in bringing new solutions to life. We’re in the early innings of our journey and are excited to build upon our momentum.”

About Comulate
Comulate is the technology company leveraging AI to transform the insurance industry. Powering dozens of the largest insurance brokers, Comulate’s category-defining accounting automation eliminates 90%+ of manual work, creating a radically exciting future for the insurance back office.

To learn more about Comulate, please visit: www.comulate.com

Media Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE Comulate

ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2025 — Pickleheads, the leading platform for pickleball players to connect and organize games, is excited to announce the closing of a $2.5 million seed round.

This investment furthers their mission to enhance the on-court experience for players through technology.

Powering America’s Fastest Growing Sport

Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport for three consecutive years, with 36.5 million players—surpassing golf, tennis, and basketball.

But with rapid growth comes challenges: court shortages, long wait times, and overwhelmed organizers.

Pickleheads solves these issues and is now the go-to platform for players:

• 9 million players visited Pickleheads last year
• #1 mobile app for pickleball
• 354,000 registered users, growing 405% year-over-year.
• Official court and game finder of USA Pickleball and the Global Pickleball Federation

“Pickleball offers something we all need now more than ever — the joy of real-world connection,” said Max Ade, CEO and co-founder of Pickleheads. “That’s why we believe pickleball will become the world’s largest sport.”

The Future of Pickleball – and Pickleheads

Pickleheads believes that every game should be a good game—fun, social, and competitive. While open play was once the gold standard, today’s players span a wide range of skill levels, making structured programming essential.

The company is now powering level-based formats of play that preserve the magic of open play while ensuring balanced, competitive games.

“Many players know Pickleheads as the go-to court finder, but we’re quickly evolving into a complete platform to power rec play,” said Brandon Mackie, COO & co-founder of Pickleheads. “Organizers can set up games, collect payments, run round robins and recruit from our network of local players.”

The Financing

This $2.5M seed round was led by Overline, an Atlanta-based VC, with participation from Ardent, Oregon Sports Angels, Profluence Capital, Service Provider Capital, and Network Ventures.

“Pickleheads is revolutionizing the on-court experience for players, and we couldn’t be more excited to support their vision,” said Sean O’Brien, Managing Partner at Overline.

Join the Pickleheads Team!

Pickleheads is hiring for remote roles. Apply at pickleheads.com/jobs.

Media Contact:
Brandon Mackie
[email protected]
(404) 666-3252

About Pickleheads:

Pickleheads is the #1 website and app for pickleball players, helping players around the world find courts, organize games, and connect with their community. Endorsed by USA Pickleball and the Global Pickleball Federation, Pickleheads serves nearly 1 million players every month.

Photo assets available here.

SOURCE Pickleheads

Playboy founder’s son, Marston Hefner, joins RM11 as CSO

RM11 to reshape the adult content industry via creator-driven VIP experiences paired with highest payouts and industry-leading technology for privacy and support

DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2025 — RM11, a premium adult content-sharing platform designed to uplift and prioritize creators, has officially launched, backed by $2 million in seed funding led by a private investor. Rooted in a creator-first philosophy, RM11 is designed to redefine the intersection of the content creator economy and adult industry, giving more power – and earnings – back to the creator. 

“RM11 was created to address a clear gap in the market — a platform that is truly creator-first, equitable, and built with integrity,” said Natalie May, CEO of RM11. “As a female-founded company, we’re challenging the status quo with an approach that values creators as partners, not products. By prioritizing privacy, fairness, and the entrepreneurial spirit, RM11 is transforming the adult content industry with a premium, non-exploitative experience that benefits both creators and their audiences. This funding is a testament to the value RM11 brings to the market and the urgency for a platform that is meeting the evolving needs of the industry by providing creators with the tools to be successful and maximize their earning potential.”

RM11, which is launching after a successful two-month Beta, was built with creators at the forefront, offering them the tools and technology to thrive in a safe, premium environment. With the industry’s best 90/10 commission split, invite-only access for unparalleled privacy, innovative technology, and advanced monetization tools, RM11 is redefining how creators connect with their audiences and maximize their earnings. RM11 is more than a platform — it is a place where creators are truly valued and supported.

In addition to the funding, RM11 announced it has brought on Marston Hefner, the son of Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, as its Chief Strategy Officer.  As a creator himself, Hefner will help to expand creator offerings; launch curated, celebrity-driven advertising campaigns; and support global outreach efforts to build awareness and enhance social media presence.

A Premium Experience Inspired by Luxury

At RM11, the user experience is designed to evoke the essence of a luxury hotel stay. Creators, referred to as “hosts,” cultivate exclusive environments for their “guests,” ensuring a personalized and intimate experience. Each interaction occurs in dedicated “rooms,” where hosts invite guests via unique links, allowing for curated connections that prioritize privacy and discretion. This invitation-only model fosters a sense of exclusivity, making every chat a premium experience. The platform’s customer service, known as the “concierge desk,” solely functions in providing exceptional support, ensuring that both hosts and guests feel valued and cared for at every step of their journey.

Creator-Centric Approach

RM11 is setting new industry standards by allowing hosts to take full ownership of their content, earnings, and audience while shying away from the traditional norms of other industry platforms that inhibit creators’ work via high fees and limited flexibility. Its mission to provide a safe, supportive, and innovative platform that places the needs of creators over profits is exemplified through offerings such as:

1. Transparent, Low Fees: While many platforms take excessive cuts out of creator earnings, RM11 charges an industry-low 10% platform fee, allowing creators to retain 90% of their earnings.
2. Full Content Control: Creators maintain ownership of their work, deciding what to share and with whom, fostering a dichotomy of trust and freedom.
3. Privacy and Safety: With robust security measures and a focus on privacy, RM11 ensures a safe space for creators and their audiences.

“By providing creators with the tools and support they require, we’re building a platform that values innovation, inclusivity, and respect,” said May. “It’s a step forward in our commitment to delivering unmatched value, fostering more one-on-one intimate connections, and ensuring RM11’s creators’ success and safety remain at the heart of everything we do.”

Partnering with the Industry’s Best

Coupled with his intricate knowledge of the adult creator industry and unique perspective, Hefner is a welcomed addition to the RM11 team and will serve as an invaluable asset to creators and senior leadership. His reputation as a champion of fostering a creator-first environment and his advocacy for ethical standards within the industry make him the obvious choice to help elevate the company’s brand, foster trust with creators, and promote a message of respect and professionalism within adult content creation.

“The adult industry is evolving, and RM11 is redefining what it means to be a content creator,” said Hefner. “I’m thrilled about the opportunity to steer the ship alongside Natalie and drive RM11’s transformation. With my experience, deep knowledge of the space, and our newfound capital, I’m eager to see the incredible content our creators develop with the resources at their disposal. I’m truly confident that we’ve built a community where all creators can thrive.”

As RM11 continues to grow and evolve, the company remains dedicated to its mission of prioritizing creators’ needs over profits and building a more inclusive and fair ecosystem for all. With this new round of funding, RM11 is positioned to expand its impact, support more creators, and further disrupt the adult content industry for the better.

About RM11
RM11 is the ultimate platform for creators and their admirers to connect in a secure, exclusive, and premium environment. Inspired by the elegance of a luxury hotel, RM11 transforms creators into “hosts” and admirers into “guests,” inviting them into private “rooms” for intimate and elevated one-on-one digital experiences. For hosts, RM11 offers unparalleled tools to empower and thrive, including industry-leading commission splits, advanced privacy measures, and innovative ways to seamlessly connect with guests. For guests, RM11 provides personalized interactions and exclusive access to premium content, all supported by a concierge-level commitment to service. Female-founded and led, RM11 is where empowerment meets fantasies, setting a new standard for meaningful and luxurious digital connections.

For media inquiries or more information, please contact: [email protected]

SOURCE RM11.com

Investment Powers the Debut of Pyxa: A Groundbreaking Platform for 3D Spatial Biology Research

BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2025 — Stellaromics, a pioneer in 3D spatial biology spun out of the laboratories of Karl Deisseroth (Stanford University) and Xiao Wang (MIT and Broad Institute), today announced the completion of a Series B funding round in the amount of $80M. The round, led by Catalyst4 with participation from Stanford University Ventures, will support the development and commercialization of Pyxa, Stellaromics’ groundbreaking 3D spatial biology platform.

Unveiled today, the Pyxa platform enables researchers to visualize and analyze the spatial organization of cells and molecules within thick tissue samples at an unprecedented resolution. These breakthroughs, based on the company’s STARmap and RIBOmap technologies, greatly expand upon applications of traditional 2D methods by offering a true 3D perspective, providing researchers with a deeper understanding of tissue organization, cellular interactions, and disease mechanisms.

Key Features of Pyxa Include:

• Thick tissue analysis: Analyze tissue slices 100μm thick or more, offering a 10–20x improvement over current methods.
• Sub-cellular resolution, multi-omic spatial profiling: Simultaneously analyze the spatial distribution of hundreds to thousands of genes, enabling a comprehensive view of cellular interactions.
• Simplified workflow: Automated processes streamline sample preparation, data acquisition, and analysis, reducing researcher workload.
• Advanced visualization software: Intuitive tools for 3D exploration of spatial genomics data provide unprecedented insights into biological systems.

“We are excited to introduce Pyxa, a 3D profiling technology platform that will redefine the boundaries of spatial biology,” said Todd Dickinson, CEO of Stellaromics. “By providing a true three-dimensional multi-omic representation of biological systems, Pyxa will empower researchers to make breakthrough discoveries that deepen our understanding of human biology and accelerate the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics.”

With its ability to analyze both thin and thick tissue sections with sub-cellular resolution, Pyxa overcomes longstanding limitations in spatial biology, allowing researchers to explore cellular organization in ways never before possible. This advancement is already proving valuable across neuroscience, oncology, and immunology, where understanding tissue architecture at this level can unlock critical insights into disease mechanisms.

“As a scientific co-founder, it’s incredibly gratifying to see this technology come to fruition and empower researchers to explore the intricacies of biology in 3D,” said Xiao Wang, Core Member at the Broad Institute.

Initial users have already begun to leverage the transformative potential of Pyxa across diverse research areas:

• Nigel Jamieson, Group Leader at the University of Glasgow: “I’m thrilled by the potential of Stellaromics’ 3D spatial transcriptomics platform to revolutionize cancer research. Its ability to analyze thick tissue sections in 3D provides unparalleled insights into tumor heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment, including the progression of pre-malignant pancreatic cysts and the transformation of healthy liver tissue into tumors. The emergence of 3D spatial technology marks a transformative step toward creating comprehensive disease atlases, paving the way for more precise diagnostics and targeted therapies to improve patient care.”
• Gordon Wang, Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University: “As an early user of the Pyxa platform, I’ve been impressed by its ability to deliver a comprehensive 3D perspective on biological systems. The platform is fundamentally useful, as tissue analysis is inherently three-dimensional. We’re excited to continue partnering with Stellaromics to push the boundaries of scientific research.”
• Xin Jin, Associate Professor at Scripps Research: “The transition from 2D to 3D spatial omics is transformative for neuroscience. While 2D methods provide molecular profiles, they miss critical long-range cellular interactions. We can now visualize these connections at an unprecedented scale, enabling high-throughput analysis of genetic perturbations across complex tissues. Combining CRISPR gene editing with high-resolution spatial analysis allows us to uncover new insights into brain development and disease progression in ways we never could before.”
• Arpy Saunders, Assistant Professor at the Vollum Institute of OHSU: “We are thrilled to be among the first to utilize the groundbreaking Pyxa platform. A key advantage of Pyxa over other spatial transcriptomic technologies is its ability to analyze much larger tissue volumes per experiment. By enabling dense reconstructions of intact neural circuits in 3D, Pyxa will significantly advance neuroscience research, particularly for our laboratory’s goal of reconstructing cell type-specific synaptic connectivity relationships in high-throughput by tracking the synaptic spread of viruses using RNA barcoding.”

The Pyxa system is available for order now, with an early access program already fully subscribed and set to launch in the second half of 2025. Initial commercial shipments are estimated to begin at the end of 2025. To support researchers interested in generating pilot data for a Pyxa system, Stellaromics offers a dedicated services program. Stellaromics will showcase the Pyxa technology at the AGBT 2025 conference in Marco Island, Florida from February 23rd-26th.

About Stellaromics

Stellaromics is a privately held company dedicated to pioneering breakthroughs in 3D spatial multi-omics. The company’s mission is to empower researchers with cutting-edge tools that illuminate the complexities of biological systems, enabling groundbreaking discoveries that improve human health. Stellaromics is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Media Contact
Kristen White
Co-Founder & Partner, Oak Street Communications
[email protected]
415.608.6060

SOURCE Stellaromics

Link Ventures Investment Enables Datalign to Scale AI Offerings for Wealth Management

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 11, 2025 — Datalign Advisory (“Datalign”), an AI platform matching consumers with leading financial advisors, today announced Link Ventures invested $5 million in Datalign, bringing their total investment in Datalign to $9 million on a post-money valuation of $75 million. The capital enables Datalign to further accelerate the development of innovative AI and ML capabilities that promise to transform how financial advisors serve their clients. The investment follows a year of exceptional 300% growth, with Datalign referring nearly $40 billion in assets to Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”) firms at the end of 2024, compared to $14.8 billion at the end of 2023.

“Organic growth has always been a fundamental challenge in wealth management. As we approach an $80 trillion wealth transfer, Datalign has cracked the code on scalable growth for RIAs,” said John Wernz, former Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Wealth Enhancement Group and Executive Director at Datalign. “Their ability to deliver high-quality client relationships at scale is exactly what the industry needs right now.”

Link Ventures’ investment in Datalign marks a significant milestone in both companies’ trajectories. Link Ventures has consistently demonstrated an ability to identify and scale category-defining, transformative companies, as evidenced by early investments in CarGurus, EverQuote and DataSage (acquired by Vignette). Link Ventures has emerged as a leading force in AI investing, with its investments in Mercor and Liquid AI becoming two of their respective industry’s top five AI unicorns in the past year. Link sees similar unicorn potential in Datalign’s approach to reimagining the wealth management space and rapid path to profitability.

“In my experience investing in AI companies, I’ve rarely seen the combination of innovative technology and massive market opportunity that Datalign presents,” said Dave Blundin, co-founder and Managing Partner at Link Ventures. “Not only have they assembled an exceptional team of talent from MIT and tech giants like Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft, but they stand out as the fastest-growing company in Link Venture’s portfolio history. We see incredible potential for Datalign to become a unicorn in fintech.”

Capitalizing on Link Ventures’ deep expertise in building market-defining companies, Datalign aims to aggressively scale its team of AI experts and has plans to release several AI-focused products in 2025 as the company continues to invest in industry-changing technology that redefines how people receive financial services. The company has already launched a number of AI Initiatives in the last six months, including:

• AI Lead Performance Monitoring analyzes historic performance and behavioral data to predict a prospect’s suitability and likelihood of conversion before an RIA receives the match, ensuring higher-quality connections for both prospects and RIAs.
• The Datalign Knowledge Graph (Graph). By leveraging AI and Machine Learning (ML) predictive models, Graph helps determine the best RIA-prospect fit during the matching process, ultimately streamlining the onboarding experience and improving outcomes for both consumers and advisors by aggregating over a decade of behavioral, financial, and demographic data across hundreds of variables for more than 200 million Americans. This powerful tool tracks key life events and factors to generate accurate predictions about both current and future financial needs.
• Geographic Expansion Optimization (GEOs), is an AI-powered targeting tool analyzing market data to identify new geographic markets where an RIA’s services and advisors can offer value to meet existing consumer demand. Datalign’s Enterprise partners using the tool have already seen a month- over-month lead volume increase of 35% and their total AUM referred has grown by a compound monthly rate of 15% since leveraging GEOs recommendations.

“With Link Ventures’ partnership, we’re strategically positioned to execute our vision of leading the wealth management industry’s AI revolution,” said Satayan Mahajan, CEO of Datalign. “Link is the perfect partner for Datalign’s next stage of evolution because of their team’s successful history in investing in disruptive and transformative technology, and we’re excited for what the future holds.”

Since its launch in 2022, Datalign has retained near 100% of its customers, experiencing 18% average month-over-month growth across its platform.

For more information, go to https://www.datalignadvisory.com/.

About Datalign Advisory
Datalign Advisory is dedicated to redesigning and simplifying the journey to find financial advice by connecting consumers and vetted financial advisory firms on its proprietary platform. Focused on quality over quantity, Datalign’s AI-enhanced platform is designed to create more meaningful connections and financial outcomes. Leveraging data and AI-powered analytics, Datalign’s three-sided marketplace enables a streamlined, efficient, and improved experience for both consumers and advisory firms by aligning their unique needs to create one-to-one matches. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Datalign was founded in 2022 and is backed by Link Ventures.

MEDIA CONTACT: [email protected] 

About Link Ventures

Link Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology startups that leverage data science and artificial intelligence to disrupt existing markets and help solve challenging problems for enterprises and consumers. Markets include financial services, digital healthcare, ecommerce, payments, media and cybersecurity. Link’s team has deep sector expertise, having co-founded leading enterprise and consumer internet companies and led numerous transactions and successful investments in internet services businesses for over 20 years. For more information, please visit the Link Ventures website or LinkedIn.

SOURCE Datalign Advisory