What Do Albert Einstein and streetwear brand Hellstar Have in Common? They’re Both Protected by Podqi.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2025 — Podqi, the automated IP protection platform transforming how brands defend their digital rights, today announced it has raised $3.2 million in seed funding. The round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from Soma Capital, Afore Capital, and strategic angel investors, and positions Podqi to lead in addressing the rapidly evolving challenges of IP protection in the digital age.
Founding team (left to right): Trevor West, Ivan Esmeral, and Jesse Xu.
In an era where the online counterfeit market exceeds $1 trillion and grows 20% year-over-year, companies and brands face unprecedented difficulties in protecting their IP assets. With the rise of ultra-fast fashion and instant viral products, malicious actors can now leverage AI content generation to fully impersonate storefronts in hours. These deceptive sites steal content directly from official sources and licensees, misleading consumers and manipulating search engine results to appear on the front page of Google within days.
Podqi’s platform automates the entire IP protection process from detection to takedown, scanning millions of potential infringements daily and enabling immediate enforcement at a scale previously impossible.
“Every brand selling products online faces the same challenge – the faster you grow, the more aggressively counterfeiters target you,” said Trevor West, CEO and co-founder of Podqi. “We’re building Podqi to turn the tables on infringers. Instead of playing defense, we help brands proactively protect their IP and unlock new revenue streams through licensing and enforcement. The companies and brands that work with us see counterfeits as an opportunity to identify potential licensees and recover lost revenue.”
“We invested in Podqi because the team is solving an important problem: IP infringement, which is increasingly top of mind for everyone — from brands and entertainers to the music and sports industry,” said Marc Bhargava, Managing Director at General Catalyst. “Co-founders Trevor, Jesse, and Ivan are a trusted team with a long history together. They move fast, envision the right product, and successfully sell into industries that have historically been slower to innovate.”
NEW YORK, March 11, 2025 — Vori Health, the nation’s pioneering physician-led solution for musculoskeletal care, is making waves in the healthcare industry and just announced a $53 million Series B funding round. Led by NEA and with continued support from AlleyCorp, Intermountain Health’s Intermountain Ventures, Echo Health Ventures, and Max Ventures, this heavily oversubscribed round is a testament to Vori Health’s rapid growth and innovative care model. In just 18 months, the company has delivered remarkable clinical outcomes and significant cost savings for patients and partners alike, while achieving an 800% revenue increase.
Founded to revolutionize the U.S. musculoskeletal care system in which patients often endure fragmented treatment paths, unnecessary surgeries, and subpar outcomes at premium costs, Vori Health’s comprehensive physician-led approach has achieved extraordinary milestones since its Series A funding. These transformative results include 91.6% of patients reporting clinically significant pain improvement, a remarkable 78-90% reduction in elective orthopedic surgeries, a 42% decrease in opioid utilization, and up to a 68% reduction in depression and anxiety among patients.
With these groundbreaking outcomes driving investor confidence, Dr. Ryan Grant, Co-Founder and CEO of Vori Health, sees the new funding as confirmation of the company’s vision. “This investment marks a pivotal moment in our journey to deliver truly value-based musculoskeletal care at scale,” stated Dr. Grant. “By integrating board-certified specialty physicians, cohesive care teams, and cutting-edge technology, we’re achieving outstanding outcomes nationwide. The swift adoption of our platform by Fortune 200 companies and national health plans clearly indicates that the market is primed for our comprehensive solutions.”
“Vori Health’s physician-led model, combined with exceptional clinical results and improved cost savings, distinguishes them in a highly competitive market,” said Mohamad Makhzoumi, Co-CEO, NEA. “We believe Vori has emerged as a pioneering leader in the value-based musculoskeletal care space and are thrilled to deepen our partnership as they continue to scale their transformative value-based care delivery platform.”
By delivering a verified 4:1 ROI while maintaining exceptional patient satisfaction, Vori Health’s integrated approach strongly appeals to health plan and employer clients. “With musculoskeletal conditions representing a large part of our healthcare spend, partnering with an innovative leader like Vori Health has been one of our best strategic decisions,” said the Vice President of Medical Affairs at a large health plan partner. “Their physician-led approach delivers exceptional care in a convenient setting that our members value while generating substantial cost savings for our organization—it’s the win-win solution we’ve been searching for.”
The new funding will propel Vori Health’s mission to transform value-based musculoskeletal care across the nation. Plans include deepening its value-based care initiatives (including evolving toward increasingly sophisticated economic models with two-sided population health risk), investing in advanced data analytics for more precise targeting of high-risk members, and enhancing its AI-powered technology platform and clinical programs to benefit even more patients, employers, and health plan partners.
This capital infusion empowers Vori Health to accelerate its vision of a healthcare system in which musculoskeletal treatment is not only more effective and accessible, but fundamentally more humane—offering patients a pathway to recovery that optimizes their outcomes, reduces unnecessary interventions, and transforms the overall care experience.
About Vori Health Founded by leading surgeons from Yale and Mayo Clinic, Vori Health is revolutionizing musculoskeletal care as the first nationwide physician-led practice delivering integrated virtual and in-person care. The company’s comprehensive approach combines board-certified physicians, physical therapists, registered dietitians, and health coaches who work collaboratively to eliminate unnecessary care while delivering superior clinical outcomes and validated cost savings for employers and health plans. Learn more at www.vorihealth.com.
About NEA New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. Founded in 1977, NEA has more than $25 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2024, and invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company’s lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm’s long track record of investing includes more than 280 portfolio company IPOs and more than 465 mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.nea.com.
About AlleyCorp AlleyCorp is a New York-based venture capital firm that incubates and invests in transformative companies across enterprise and consumer tech, healthcare, deep tech and robotics, economic infrastructure, and more. Founded by serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, AlleyCorp’s past incubations have included MongoDB, Gilt Groupe, Business Insider, Zola, Pearl Health, and Transcend Therapeutics. As one of the most active early-stage investors in New York, AlleyCorp focuses on investing at the incubation, pre–seed, seed and Series A stages. For more information, please visit alleycorp.com.
About Echo Health Ventures Echo Health Ventures drives systemic health care transformation through hands-on, purpose-driven strategic venture capital and growth equity investing. Echo brings together Cambia Health Solutions, Mosaic Health Solutions, USAble Corporation and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to accelerate health care innovation on a national scale and support meaningful health care impact. Learn more at www.echohealthventures.com.
About Intermountain Health Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 33 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs.
New borrower-centric AI solution streamlines raising, funding, and managing debt capital — saving companies over 100 hours and $100K per year
SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2025 — Arc, the leading capital management platform, today announced the launch of its AI-powered platform for borrowers, enabling ambitious private companies to raise and manage debt capital seamlessly in one place. Powered by Arc’s proprietary agentic AI, the platform eliminates manual, offline reporting obligations associated with managing debt facilities, saving businesses meaningful time and money, while delivering the same level of access and insights traditionally expected by companies and their lenders.
More powerful tools for companies raising and managing debt, powered by AI
Companies of all industries and sizes raising debt can now benefit from a capital management platform purpose-built to help them not only manage a debt capital raise, but also comply with lender requirements. With Arc, companies can now:
Generate a customized AI-driven capital assessment, arming the borrower with deep insights into the sizing, pricing, duration and structure of the facility they’re qualified for, along with detailed lists of lenders to engage.
Run a competitive debt raise across multiple lenders with tailored marketing materials, and evaluate term sheets side by side, using Arc’s platform to negotiate key terms.
Fund the loan into a one-click DACA-enabled cash management account and automate post-funding monitoring and reporting. This launch completes Arc’s vision of empowering companies with a streamlined, technology-forward alternative to traditional, offline banking and capital raising.
“With Arc for borrowers, we’re not only improving access to the debt capital markets for private companies, but also removing the friction that has always existed in borrower-lender relationships,” said Don Muir, CEO & Co-Founder of Arc. “Private credit is exploding as businesses seek alternatives to more rigid or expensive forms of capital. Our AI-powered platform levels the playing field, giving private companies the same sophisticated guidance, competitive processes, and detailed reporting that public companies supported by investment bankers typically enjoy—while saving them significant time, money, and complexity.”
Building for an underserved segment of the market
The private credit market continues to surge, with industry estimates projecting growth beyond $2 trillion in the coming years as companies increasingly turn to flexible financing. Arc’s Capital Markets platform addresses a critical gap for borrowers in the middle market who often lack standardized financial reporting and company marketing materials or access to the debt capital markets. Advances in Arc’s proprietary AI software make this possible.
“We’ve been working with Arc to secure debt financing, and the borrower platform has been a game-changer,” said Micah Geinsberg, CFO of Lendflow, a venture-backed Series A company. “Arc’s AI capital assessment gave us clarity on what we needed and who to approach, and the entire process—from raise to reporting—has felt effortless. It’s saved us countless hours and strengthened our relationship with our lender.”
Arc’s borrower experience connects its Capital Markets and Cash Management product offerings, creating a powerful flywheel effect that drives value for borrowers and lenders alike as platform activity scales. By connecting borrowers with lenders through AI-driven insights and streamlined processes, Arc delivers better terms and a superior user experience—positioning it as the go-to partner for private credit financing.
About Arc: Arc is the capital management platform for ambitious companies and investors. Arc serves the innovation economy with intelligent cash management and capital markets solutions, in partnership with leading financial institutions and a proprietary network of private credit funds.
Founded in 2021, Arc has headquarters in San Francisco and New York City. It has raised over $180 million of equity and debt capital from investors including Left Lane Capital, NFX, Atalaya, Bain Capital Ventures, Clocktower Technology Ventures, Torch Capital, and Y Combinator, among others. To learn more, visit www.joinarc.com.
Arc is a financial technology company, not a bank. For important information about Arc, see our general disclosures.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 11, 2025 — pgEdge, Inc., the industry leader in distributed PostgreSQL solutions, today announced that it has secured strategic investments from Akamai Technologies, Inc., the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online, and Qube Research & Technologies (QRT), a leading investment management firm. Existing investors Rally Ventures and Sands Capital also participated in the funding. These investments bring pgEdge’s total seed stage funding to $23 million, further fueling its growth and innovation in distributed PostgreSQL solutions to deliver high availability and low latency for mission-critical applications.
“pgEdge’s capability to provide geo-distributed PostgreSQL databases at or near the network edge for low data latency and high availability is highly complementary with how Akamai enables organizations to deploy stateful applications at the network edge on its distributed cloud,” said Michael Merideth, Chief Architect, Office of the CTO, Akamai.
“QRT was an early customer of pgEdge and we are excited to further cement our relationship with this investment,” said Nick Harris, CTO of QRT.
“These investments are a terrific validation of the value of pgEdge Distributed PostgreSQL,” said Phillip Merrick, Co-Founder and CEO of pgEdge. “We are delighted to see QRT strengthen their partnership with us, and equally excited to collaborate with Akamai on advanced solutions in edge computing and edge AI.”
pgEdge is the only fullydistributed PostgreSQL database that is both open (source available) and entirely based on standard PostgreSQL. According to the2024 Stack Overflow survey, PostgreSQL remains the top database choice among developers. pgEdge’smulti-master (active-active) replication technology, designed to operate across geographic regions and multi-cloud environments, delivers high availability and significantly reduced data latency for edge computing and edge AI applications.
About pgEdge
pgEdge, the leading company dedicated to distributed Postgres, is on a mission to make it easy for developers to build and deploy highly distributed database applications across global networks. Founded by industry veterans with decades of PostgreSQL expertise, pgEdge is headquartered in Northern Virginia. Its customers include prominent enterprises such as Bertelsmann, Qube RT, Jobot, European Parliament, and several U.S. government agencies. pgEdge’s investors include Rally Ventures, Sands Capital Ventures, Grotech Ventures, Sand Hill East, Akamai Technologies, Inc. and Qube Research & Technologies. Learn more atpgedge.com andpgedge.com/blog or follow pgEdge onLinkedIn orX.
Although 83% of Americans believe estate planning is important, only 31% have a will, and 55% have no plan at all. This new research from Trust & Will underscores this disconnect, revealing the urgent need for families to secure their futures as trillions of dollars in assets transfer between generations. Trust & Will is transforming the industry by making estate planning more accessible, affordable, and intuitive — ensuring that every family, not just the wealthy, can protect their legacy with ease.
“Trust & Will sets the standard for accessible, reliable estate planning,” said Jennifer Povlitz, Vice Chair, US, UBS Global Wealth Management. “Financial advisors and institutions trust the brand for its simplicity and world-class experience. It’s become an essential tool for advisors delivering value to their clients.”
The new investment will expand Trust & Will’s SaaS platform to provide financial advisors, attorneys, real estate professionals, member organizations, NPOs, and businesses with enhanced tools to provide their clients with seamless, multi-generational planning while building trust and value in their relationships. The company will also strengthen its data infrastructure, leveraging insights from over one million users to drive innovation, develop advanced financial tools, foster partnerships, and create solutions tailored to evolving customer needs.
This round will also support continued investment in artificial intelligence, which is fundamental to the future of estate planning. Already embedded in the platform, AI will further enhance the individual estate planning process by analyzing existing plans, delivering personalized recommendations, and providing real-time updates. “AI enables families and advisors to plan with greater clarity and confidence,” said Cody Barbo, CEO. “By combining technology with human compassion, we’re transforming how people protect and preserve their legacies.”
As Trust & Will continues to innovate with AI-driven solutions, it is also expanding its reach through strategic partnerships that integrate estate planning into major life milestones, such as buying a home or car. “Estate planning has been an untapped opportunity across our industry,” said Constance Freedman, Founder and Managing Partner at Moderne Ventures. “We’re thrilled to lead Trust & Will’s Series C out of Moderne’s new Growth Fund and welcome them into our Moderne Passport Program. We’re excited to help Trust & Will forge new partnerships, integrate estate planning into real estate, and make a lasting impact on families. Their innovation in this space is unmatched, and we’re proud to support their growth.”
“Every family deserves access to estate planning, and every professional deserves tools that simplify the process while delivering exceptional results,” Trust & Will CEO Barbo added. “This Series C funding is more than a company milestone; it’s a step toward transforming estate planning into an essential service that touches every family’s life and legacy.”
Founded in 2017, Trust & Will is the leading digital estate planning platform, trusted by over 1 million users. We provide modern, accessible solutions to help families protect their legacies with attorney-approved, legally valid documents tailored to individual state requirements. Our seamless online platform simplifies the estate planning and settlement process, empowering individuals to create wills and trusts while also partnering with financial advisors, attorneys, and institutions to make legacy planning more inclusive and affordable. With bank-level encryption and compliance with SOC 2 and HIPAA standards, we ensure maximum security and privacy for our members. As a certified B Corporation and the official estate planning provider for AARP members and leading financial institutions, Trust & Will is redefining estate planning for the digital age—making it easier, more secure, and accessible to every family.
The funding raise, led by Tetrad Corp., and joined by Hyundai Motor Group’s ZER01NE Ventures, Energy Capital Ventures, and Elemental Impact, among others, will support Capture6’s technology for generating value from brine waste.
BERKELEY, Calif., March 11, 2025 — Capture6, whose integrated system converts waste brine into both fresh water and carbon removal solutions, announces $27.5 million in Series A and project funding. Capture6 was advised by financial advisor Rothschild & Co. for the capital raise and the round was led by private equity firm Tetrad Corporation, with participation by Hyundai Motor Group’s ZER01NE Ventures, Energy Capital Ventures, Elemental Impact, Bridge Investment, Sopoong Ventures, Third Derivative, Stan and Jane Rodbell, and the Jacob S Shapiro Foundation. The Series A raise will allow Capture6 to advance core water recovery and carbon removal projects in its global pipeline.
Capture6 recently partnered with Palmdale Water District to eliminate the need for up to 100 acres of brine ponds and save up to 40% in lifetime costs through the use of their technology at a new facility. The company’s integrated system converts waste brine into both fresh water and carbon removal solutions.
“Climate change is creating water insecurity for much of the world’s population, driving up demand for freshwater worldwide, and exacerbating the root problem as current methods of water treatment are carbon intensive,” said Capture6 CEO Ethan Cohen-Cole. “Our approach reduces waste streams from desalination and wastewater treatment while generating new water sources, lowering waste disposal costs, improving the efficiency of water production facilities, and decarbonizing projects simultaneously.”
Capture6’s integrated system connects directly with existing water infrastructure to reinvent carbon removal and water treatment simultaneously. Unlike traditional direct air capture methods that use energy-intensive multi-step processes, Capture6’s system transforms waste brine — normally expensive to dispose of — into a solvent that directly mineralizes CO2 in a single step. This system creates valuable green chemicals for water facilities while recovering additional freshwater from brine that would otherwise be wasted. By addressing both climate and water security challenges within existing infrastructure, Capture6 offers a practical solution as the World Economic Forum projects freshwater demand to exceed supply by 40% by 2030.
“Numerous businesses and industries face wastewater disposal and freshwater acquisition challenges to their growth and long-term success,” said Tetrad spokesperson and board member Aaron Hilkemann. “In Capture6, we see a company committed to addressing these challenges head-on. Their solution decreases the financial burden for businesses and builds momentum around environmentally beneficial methods of water production and waste treatment.”
The company recently partnered with Palmdale Water District to eliminate the need for up to 100 acres of brine ponds and save up to 40% in lifetime costs through the use of their technology at a new facility. Capture6 is helping the District provide Southern California residents with new water supplies while helping the state meet its goal for carbon neutrality by 2045.
“Fresh water scarcity demands we rethink traditional water infrastructure to ensure districts can provide affordable, clean water and remove harmful pollutants,” said Danya Hakeem, VP of Portfolio at Elemental Impact. “We are proud to double down on our support for Capture6 and the Palmdale Water District project to help deliver meaningful cost savings while providing reliable, clean water to a community that needs it most.”
The successful Series A raise demonstrates Capture6’s ability to drive business and environmental value simultaneously.
“The technologies with the biggest potential impact are those that enable clean, safe, reliable, cost-effective energy,” added Energy Capital Ventures Vic Pascucci. “This funding elevates Capture6 as the industry leader in direct air capture, while simultaneously producing fresh water. After years of studying this space, we recognize Capture6 as a true game-changer through permanent carbon removal plus water security.”
Capture6 has so far announced four water positive carbon capture facilities across three continents. The company is developing a global pipeline, integrating with industrial partners in the U.S., Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and the Middle East. In 2024, the company also announced that Frontier facilitated a pre-purchase of 1,000 tons of carbon removal for Shopify and Stripe.
About Capture6
Capture6 is a water-positive carbon removal company based in California and New Zealand leveraging its technology to support climate resilience and industrial decarbonization. The company develops and commercializes highly scalable approaches to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Capture6 is pioneering an approach that can be deployed today by repurposing existing industrial-scale technologies. Additionally, when coupled with desalination facilities, Capture6 can recover over 50% of freshwater from desalination waste brine for drinking and industrial purposes in the process of removing CO₂. This creates a meaningful synergy between carbon removal and water security. Learn more at capture6.org.
About Tetrad Corporation
Tetrad Corporation is a family-owned private investment and asset management company founded by the late Walter Scott Jr. Tetrad follows its founder’s long term investment strategy and has primarily focused its diversified portfolio in energy, telecommunication, real estate, banking and agriculture.
About Hyundai Motor Group’s ZER01NE Ventures
ZER01NE Ventures focuses on investing in promising startups that show great potential yet need further support to develop their services and products. Through open collaboration, mutually beneficial partnerships are established in crucial growth sectors ranging from artificial intelligence & machine learning to micro-mobility. A unique aspect of the ZER01NE Ventures is that some startups chosen for further collaboration might not immediately be relevant to the Hyundai Motor Group but hold great future potential. In this way, ZER01NE Ventures helps to further democratize technological investment for greater opportunity and progress for humanity. Learn more at zer01ne.zone.
About Energy Capital Ventures®
Energy Capital Ventures® (ECV) is the only early-stage venture capital firm solely dedicated to the sustainability, resilience and digital transformation of the natural gas industry. In addition to this unique focus that champions innovation in what ECV has defined as green molecules™, the firm further differentiates itself with a customized engagement and deep integration with its strategic limited partners. This model brings together the innovation of the startup ecosystem with the scale of the natural gas industry to build generation companies and enable the future of clean, safe, reliable, cost-effective energy. Learn more at www.energycapitalventures.com.
About Elemental Impact
Elemental Impact is a nonprofit investing platform with 15 years of experience advancing innovative technology that creates lasting economic and environmental benefits across communities. Through our platform, we deploy catalytic capital and provide expert services to a portfolio of 160+ companies across energy, agriculture, transportation, industry, and nature-based solutions. Learn more at www.elementalimpact.com.
About Rothschild & Co, Global Advisory
Rothschild & Co is a family-controlled and independent group and has been at the center of the world’s financial markets for over 200 years. With a team of 4,600 talented financial services specialists on the ground in over 40 countries, Rothschild & Co’s integrated global network of trusted professionals provide in-depth market intelligence and effective long-term solutions for our clients Global Advisory, Wealth & Asset Management, and Five Arrows, its alternative assets arm. Global Advisory, a division of the Rothschild & Co group, designs and executes strategic M&A and financing solutions, providing impartial, expert advice to large and mid-sized corporations, private equity, families and entrepreneurs, and governments. Through its unrivalled network of 1,600 industry and financing specialists in 47 countries, Rothschild & Co’s Global Advisory business combines the breadth of its advisory offering with a high volume of transactions to achieve a unique understanding and perspective into markets and participants worldwide.
The no-code, AI-powered Canva for cybersecurity lets security teams of any size build custom solutions in minutes, without the enterprise price tag
TEL AVIV, Israel, March 11, 2025 — Sola Security, the self-serve platform built to democratize cybersecurity, announced its launch from stealth today with a $30 million seed round led by S Capital and veteran venture capitalist Mike Moritz. Investors also include S32, Glilot Capital Partners, and several prominent angel investors. Sola Security is redefining how organizations build and deploy security tools by eliminating complexity, cutting costs, and putting power back into the hands of security professionals at every level, enabling them to create tailored solutions with its no-code, AI-powered platform.
Founded in 2024 by cybersecurity veterans Guy Flechter (former CEO & Co-Founder of Cider Security, acquired by Palo Alto Networks) and Ron Peled (former Global CISO of LivePerson and strategic security consultant to startups), Sola was born from frustration with the industry’s current model: security teams drowning in expensive, siloed tools that require dedicated engineering resources to manage. Organizations today juggle up to 50 separate security tools, each with its own UI, costs, and maintenance headaches. Smaller teams and solo security professionals struggle even more, lacking the resources to manage bloated security stacks. The result? A landscape of inefficiencies, security gaps, and wasted budgets.
Sola Security lets businesses build functional security apps from start to finish, without needing deep technical expertise or bloated budgets. Users can deploy ready-made security tools from the Sola App Gallery or build custom security solutions using Sola’s AI-powered no-code studio.
“Cybersecurity shouldn’t be this hard or expensive. That’s the challenge Sola Security is here to solve,” said Guy Flechter, CEO & Co-Founder of Sola Security. “We see ourselves as part of the self-serve revolution created by giants such as Canva, Stripe, and Figma, who changed the way we work in their domains. Security tools today are either too narrow to solve real problems or too bloated to be usable, and we knew there had to be a better way. Sola Security lets any team create and customize security solutions instantly, without the overhead, without the engineering burden, and without the ridiculous price tag.”
“Sola isn’t just building another security solution, it’s transforming how security teams think and operate,” said Aya Peterburg, Co-founder and Managing Partner at S Capital. “By making security more accessible, adaptable, and aligned with real-world challenges, Sola is driving a much-needed shift in the cybersecurity industry. With a visionary team at the helm and a product that meets an urgent market need, we’re thrilled to be part of their journey.”
With Sola Security’s AI-powered platform, even teams without dedicated security engineers can confidently create and deploy solutions in minutes, without the bloat, overhead, or complexity of traditional security platforms.
“It’s rare to come across something truly refreshing in tech, but Sola Security is exactly that – a breath of fresh air,” said Michael Moritz, former Chairman of Sequoia Capital and investor in Sola. “Sola has embraced an audacious approach which will help make it easier for developers to plug the holes that riddle any security architecture. Right now Sola’s designs are bold, adventurous and desperately needed. But ten years from now security experts will wonder how they ever lived without Sola.”
To join the waitlist and be among the first to experience Sola, visit sola.security.
About Sola Security
Sola Security democratizes cybersecurity by empowering organizations to take control of their security strategy with minimal resource investment. It is a SaaS platform that enables organizations of all sizes and individuals to build, customize and collaborate on security tools using plain language, code, or Sola’s AI builder. Designed to eliminate complexity and reduce costs, With an intuitive no-code studio, users with even a basic understanding of their security needs can build custom security tools in minutes or use ready-made solutions from the Sola App Gallery. Sola ensures security teams can better build, understand and maximize the effectiveness of their security stack. For more information, visit sola.security.
The former Aetion and Remedy Partners CEO joins Define to further drive innovation across provider, payer, and pharmaceutical sectors
SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2025 — Define Ventures, one of the largest venture capital firms focused on early-stage health tech companies, today announced that Carolyn Magill, former CEO of Aetion, has joined the firm as venture partner. Magill, leveraging her 25 years of invaluable experience scaling companies and fostering innovation within payer, provider, and pharmaceutical organizations, will partner with Define founders to scale their companies and become category-defining companies.
Carolyn is a seasoned healthcare executive and two-time CEO, having held executive leadership positions across multiple corners of the ecosystem. Prior to joining Define, Carolyn was CEO of Aetion, whose platform transforms real-world data into regulatory-grade evidence for critical healthcare decisions. She also previously served as CEO of Remedy Partners, the premier bundled payments software and services company, and as Executive Vice President of Payer Strategy and Operations at Evolent Health, where she helped drive the company’s progression from startup through IPO. She also held several leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group, including Chief Operating Officer of its Community and State plan in New Jersey.
“Carolyn’s extensive experience across payer, provider, and pharmaceutical sectors makes her uniquely qualified to guide the next generation of health tech innovators,” said Lynne Chou O’Keefe, founder and managing partner at Define Ventures. “Having had the privilege of partnering with Carolyn as an advisor for many years, we’re confident her deep expertise, particularly in data and AI applications within the pharmaceutical landscape, will be invaluable to our partner companies.”
“Define represents the best of venture — an incredible founder community and a team of experienced operators who truly understand what it takes to build in healthcare,” said Magill. “Throughout my career, I’ve worked across many corners of healthcare, and joining Define allows me to bring that experience to the earliest stages of innovation, helping founders turn ideas into impact.”
Carolyn’s appointment complements Define Ventures’ existing venture partners, Bruce Broussard, former CEO of Humana, and Frank Williams, co-founder and former CEO of Evolent Health, creating a powerful trio of industry leaders with comprehensive experience across payer, provider and pharmaceutical sectors. Together, they bring unparalleled strategic depth to Define’s partner companies.
Define Ventures has $800 million in assets under management and partners with companies at the seed, series A and series B stages. The firm impacts leading health tech entrepreneurs with its high conviction approach, partnering with over two dozen companies including Hims & Hers (NYSE: HIMS), Unite Us and Cohere Health. To learn more about Define Ventures, visit www.definevc.com.
About Define Ventures
Define Ventures is one of the largest funds focused on early-stage health tech companies. With $800 million AUM, we take a high conviction approach in partnering with companies in the earliest stages. We believe the future of healthcare will be defined by those who bring together a deep understanding of the healthcare ecosystem paired with a technology-driven mindset. Our team was built to this vision, bringing together founders and investors who built category-defining companies and delivered over $25 billion in exit value, including Livongo (NYSE: LVGO), Evolent (NYSE: EVH), and Hims & Hers (NYSE: HIMS).
Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner, leads her team in closing $190M for Fusion Fund IV to continue investing in top technical founders who shape the future of innovation.
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 10, 2025 — With $190 million in committed capital, Fusion Fund announces the closing of Fusion Fund IV to continue supporting technical founders in enterprise AI, healthcare, and industrial automation. Fund IV was oversubscribed in less than six months, bringing Fusion Fund’s total assets under management to over $500 million. The fund is backed by institutional LPs, including endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds, and strategic family offices.
Fusion Fund Team
Fusion Fund was founded in 2015 by Managing Partner Lu Zhang. As a first-generation immigrant from Inner Mongolia, Lu Zhang is a serial entrepreneur who began her career as a materials science researcher from Stanford. After successfully exiting her startup, her track record as an angel investor, including 4 IPOs, led her to create Fusion Fund. Since then, she has built a distinguished ecosystem, assembling a top-tier investment team of technologists, operators, and executives, including Shane Wall, Partner, the former CTO of Hewlett Packard and a member of the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; David Gerster, Investment Partner, an expert in AI and data science with over 15 years of experience at Yahoo, Microsoft, and Groupon; and Ivneet Bhullar, Investment Partner, who previously led digital health and innovation initiatives at Amgen and Genentech.
The Fusion CXO Network (45+ Fortune 1000 executives) and Fusion Expert Network (50+ top industry leaders) provide portfolio companies with market validation, revenue growth and strategic partnerships. By combining thought leadership with deep industry connections, Fusion Fund remains at the forefront of AI innovation and venture growth.
“As AI transforms industries, we are committed to backing visionary founders tackling complex challenges in high-impact markets,” says Zhang. “With a seasoned team and a disciplined strategy, Fund IV strengthens our platform to drive breakthrough innovation and long-term growth.”
Fusion Fund, a female-led VC firm in Palo Alto, invests in early-stage entrepreneurs building innovation in enterprise AI, healthcare, and industrial automation. Its $190M Fund IV brings its AUM to over $500M. Its portfolio holds over 90 companies with a collective annual revenue exceeding $2.5B.
