New funding will accelerate Plenful’s platform expansion to enhance operational efficiency and deepen adoption across top healthcare systems

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2025 — Plenful, the leading AI workflow automation platform modernizing healthcare operations, today announced a $50 million Series B funding round. The round is co-led by Mitchell Rales, co-founder of Danaher Corporation, who also joins Plenful’s board and Arena Holdings, with participation from Notable Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, TQ Ventures, Susa/Kivu Ventures, and other leading investors. This brings Plenful’s total funding to $76 million and will accelerate product development and go-to-market efforts to meet growing demand across the healthcare ecosystem.

“Healthcare teams have long been under immense strain from the sheer volume and complexity of their work. The need for change has never been more urgent,” said Joy Liu, founder and CEO of Plenful. “Plenful was built by healthcare operators for healthcare operators, and as such, we deeply understand the mission-critical work these teams do every day. By partnering closely with our customers and automating workflows, we’re offering a better way for healthcare staff to work. One that improves compliance, drives revenue, saves time, and supports their teams and the patients they care for.”

Solving Healthcare’s $1 Trillion Admin Problem

The U.S. healthcare system spends nearly $1 trillion each year on administrative tasks — a burden that contributes to labor shortages, employee burnout, and a growing crisis in access to quality care. A Google Cloud/Harris Poll survey found that 81% of medical staff and 77% of claims staff say that administrative work contributes to burnout, with two-thirds of providers expressing serious concern over human error in these processes. Yet most healthcare organizations still rely on outdated systems, complicating workflows with siloed, messy data across multiple formats and touchpoints. Critical institutional knowledge often lives only in the heads of a few overburdened employees, creating additional risk and fragility in day-to-day operations.

Plenful’s platform automates these workflows using AI purpose-built for healthcare. It handles messy, disparate workflows across formats, systems, and departments, reducing errors and streamlining operations while providing real-time reporting and task management for healthcare staff. Leading healthcare organizations like Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Cencora, Renown Health, Shields Healthcare Group, and Samaritan Health use Plenful to decrease time and costs, drive compliance, and unlock new revenue.

Expanding Across Use Cases and Markets

Plenful’s most widely adopted use cases include prior authorization, 340B compliance and missed opportunity auditing, and order and referral data entry. With this new funding, the company will expand its platform to address more unmet needs across healthcare, deepening its presence in the pharmacy, health systems, provider groups, and payor markets where it’s already seeing strong traction.

“Plenful is tackling some of healthcare’s toughest challenges with an AI platform that’s already driving meaningful, measurable results for their customers,” said board member and Danaher Corporation Co-Founder Mitchell Rales. “And what truly gets me excited is the team. Joy is a visionary leader with remarkable learning agility and deep healthcare expertise, supported by a team whose execution and creativity are exceptional.”

“The healthcare market is ripe for transformation, and Plenful is positioned to lead that shift,” said Chelcie Taylor, investor at Notable. “Their ability to deliver immediate ROI and drive efficiency at scale gives them a significant edge as healthcare organizations increasingly turn to AI to solve entrenched administrative challenges.”

Trusted by Industry Leaders, Proven at Scale

Plenful has experienced over 4x year-over-year growth and is now trusted by more than 60 leading U.S. healthcare organizations, underscoring strong market demand for proven, AI-driven automation in healthcare.

“What could take a large team many hours only takes seconds with Plenful, and the reporting they provide is more accurate than our previous solution,” said Savannah Randolph, pharmacy services analyst at Samaritan Health Services. “We’ve reduced our time spent by 96%; it’s incredible. Plenful has enabled us to redeploy staff to higher-value tasks and operate more efficiently overall. And with their scalable platform, we’re excited to expand into other use cases to continue unlocking value.”

“Plenful’s team has been a true pleasure to work with,” shares Adam Porath, vice president of pharmacy at Renown Health. “They come from pharmacy operations themselves; they just get it. We’re expanding our use of the platform this year and looking forward to realizing even more operational efficiencies.”

“We couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead,” Liu shares. “This funding allows us to invest deeply in our team as we scale, especially across machine learning, engineering, product, partnerships, and customer success. We’re building for the long term, and that starts with growing a world-class team to support our customers and deliver on our vision.”

About Plenful

Plenful is the leading AI workflow automation platform transforming how healthcare teams work. Built to empower healthcare operators and the patients they serve, Plenful enables healthcare organizations to scale operations with speed, precision, and intelligence. By combining deep human expertise with purpose-built AI, Plenful automates complex workflows to eliminate inefficiencies, enhance compliance, and unlock critical revenue. Trusted by top pharmacies, health systems, providers, and payors, Plenful powers smarter, faster, and more affordable healthcare operations. To learn more, visit Plenful.com.

Media Contact:
Abby McAdams, ASM Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Plenful

Co-founder and CEO of Cardlytics, Greenlight CMO to Provide Decades of Operational and Marketing Expertise to Portfolio Companies as Firm Enters 25th Year of Fintech Investing

ATLANTA, April 30, 2025 — TTV Capital, an early-stage fintech venture capital firm, today announced that Lynne Laube and Rachel Hamilton have joined as venture partners. In these roles, Lynne and Rachel will provide strategic counsel to TTV Capital’s portfolio companies based on their decades of experience scaling early-stage fintech companies. Today’s news arrives as TTV Capital marks its 25th year of investing from its home base in Atlanta, the center of the fintech ecosystem.

“We started investing in fintech during the early days of the internet, which was one of the most consequential enabling technologies for the financial sector. But now, as we witness exponential advancements in AI, we have an even bigger opportunity ahead of us,” said Gardiner Garrard, Co-founder and Managing Partner of TTV Capital. “With two new venture partners, we are even better positioned to support our portfolio companies across early- and growth-stage operations and marketing. Our promise to our investors has always been to drive returns, and by adding Lynne and Rachel, we’ve assembled the strongest possible team to do just that.”

Lynne Laube is the co-founder and former CEO of Cardlytics (NASDAQ: CDLX), which she took public in 2018. Under her leadership, Cardlytics pioneered banking rewards and loyalty programs to become one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the U.S. When she stepped down in 2022, Lynne had scaled Cardlytics to $300 million in revenue and expanded its reach to over 180 million monthly users, transforming how financial institutions connect with their customers. She currently serves on several private and public company boards, including NerdWallet. Lynne brings more than 30 years of experience building and scaling businesses; she is uniquely qualified to provide operational support to TTV’s portfolio companies, including those that are approaching an exit.

“When I was building Cardlytics, I received tremendous guidance and support from my investors, especially TTV Capital. They provided me with practical, real-world advice from the perspective of operators and founders who had been in my shoes. I appreciated that back then and still do now,” said Lynne Laube, Venture Partner at TTV Capital. “I wanted to join TTV so that I could do the same for today’s founders. I’m looking forward to digging in with our portfolio companies to help them grow and scale their businesses.”

Rachel Hamilton is the former CMO of Greenlight, the family fintech company on a mission to help parents raise financially-smart kids. With a strong track record of building digital marketing strategies from scratch, Rachel grew Greenlight’s customer base from tens of thousands to millions, which ultimately led the company to attain a valuation of $2.3B. Prior to Greenlight, Rachel was a product marketer at Facebook, where she developed the go-to-market strategy and led teams to launch and drive adoption of the company’s most critical ad products; she was awarded a patent for her work on Meta’s dynamic sponsored content ranking algorithm. Rachel will draw from her deep expertise in digital marketing to counsel early-stage portfolio companies on growth marketing, customer acquisition, product marketing, and brand.

“In my work as a marketer, what I’ve enjoyed most is helping startups build their digital marketing strategy from the ground up. I’ve long been impressed with the TTV team’s founder-friendly approach, and I appreciate the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with early-stage portfolio companies to get their marketing efforts off the ground,” said Rachel Hamilton, Venture Partner at TTV Capital. “I’ve seen firsthand how marketing and customer acquisition can accelerate company growth, and I’m eager to support our founders as they build the next generation of fintech brands.”

The addition of Lynne and Rachel underscores TTV’s commitment to building a team that will deliver meaningful results for investors and founders alike. As part of this strategy, venture partner Paul Todd will become a full-time partner at the firm. The TTV team has been consistently recognized as a founder-friendly firm by Inc., and TechCrunch named the firm as one of the most important fintech VCs in 2025.

TTV Capital was founded in Atlanta in 2000, before the term “fintech” had been coined. The venture capital firm is indelibly linked to both the city and the emergence of fintech, having made early-stage investments in Atlanta-based pioneers including Cardlytics, Featurespace, and Greenlight. To date, TTV’s portfolio spans more than 100 companies across core financial technologies and embedded fintech, including eight that have reached valuations of $1B or more.

About TTV Capital
Founded in 2000, TTV Capital is one of the longest-running venture capital firms investing exclusively in early-stage fintech companies. We create enduring value for our investors, founders, and team by supporting our portfolio companies at every stage of growth. Our distinct approach combines deep industry knowledge with connections, resources, and founder-friendly relationships. TTV’s portfolio includes more than 100 market leaders and emerging pioneers across payments, banking, investing, and embedded finance. The firm has been named to Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list, the top ten of the Founder’s Choice VC list, and Institutional Investor’s Fintech Finance 40.

TTV Capital is headquartered in Atlanta and has a presence in the Bay Area. For more information, visit www.ttvcapital.com.

SOURCE TTV Capital

Oversubscribed Series C financing round will accelerate the company’s next phase of growth, vertical integration, facility expansion, product development and implementation

CENTENNIAL, Colo., April 30, 2025 — True Anomaly, Inc. today announced its $260 million fundraise. The Series C financing was led by Accel, with participation from Meritech Capital and existing investors Eclipse, Riot Ventures, Menlo Ventures, 645 Ventures, ACME Capital, Space VC, Champion Hill Ventures, and Narya. Debt capital is being provided by Stifel Bank.

True Anomaly was founded to develop advanced autonomous defense products for U.S. and Allied space superiority. In the three years since its founding, True Anomaly has built and launched its Jackal spacecraft, designed and deployed Mosaic software, secured multiple government contracts, opened four offices and two production lines, raised $400M in capital, and built a rapidly growing world-class team. In December, True Anomaly executed its Mission X-2 campaign, and recently announced the launch of its Jackal spacecraft for development in GEO and cislunar orbits, representing critical domains within the space superiority mission set. Jackal’s balance of performance, flexibility, and adaptability will allow True Anomaly to effectively counter threats as fast as they can change.

“The threat to our Armed Forces and way of life from adversary capabilities in, from, and through space demands the complete focus of an innovative industrial partner,” said Even Rogers, CEO and co-founder of True Anomaly. “We are uniquely positioned to partner with the U.S. Government and its allies to place asymmetric, viable deterrence options into the hands of warfighters on record timelines. We’re thrilled to partner with investors who share our vision and confidence in our modular, software-centric approach, and whose support accelerates our mission to deliver resilient, affordable space capabilities that keep our nation and its allies ahead of acute emerging challenges.”

The Series C financing will support True Anomaly’s next phase of growth, vertical integration, facility expansion, product development and implementation. Over the next 18 months, True Anomaly is launching four missions across three different orbits, delivering on new product offerings, and growing its talent pool to more than 250 employees.

“True Anomaly has the right vision, products and leadership to address the critical need to defend U.S. superiority in space. Innovation in space defense is at an early stage, but True Anomaly is a clear frontrunner,” said Jonathan Turner, Partner at Accel. “Building leading capabilities in space is a difficult challenge, but we are impressed with the experience and technical expertise of the True Anomaly team. We have followed True Anomaly for some time, and we feel now is the right moment to support and accelerate their vision and product roadmap.”

In addition to product advancements and milestones, True Anomaly recently expanded its leadership and advisory team by bringing on critical industry experts Stephen Kitay as SVP of Space Defense and Frank Calvelli to the Board of Directors. In February, the company reached opened its 90,000 ft² Long Beach facility.

Full details on the round and how the funds will be used can be found on the company’s blog.

About True Anomaly 

True Anomaly is building the future of space security and resilience at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and autonomy. Our vision is to enable a secure, stable, and sustainable space environment for the US, Allies, and Partners by designing, building, selling, and fielding the solutions required to achieve space superiority.

Founded in 2022, True Anomaly is headquartered in Centennial, CO, with offices in Colorado Springs, CO, Washington, D.C., and Long Beach, CA. For more information, please visit www.trueanomaly.space and connect on LinkedIn.

About Accel Ventures
Accel is a global venture capital firm that is the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. The firm helps ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more information, visit https://www.accel.com/ 

SOURCE True Anomaly

Latest funding reflects growing urgency to know the identity behind every digital interaction — without compromising privacy, user experience, or security

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2025 — Persona, the leading verified identity platform, today announced a $200 million Series D funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $2 billion. The round was co-led by Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital, with participation from existing investors including BOND, Coatue, First Round Capital, and Index Ventures.

AI, fraud, and fragmentation are redefining online identity

“We’re facing an identity authenticity crisis, where the line between real and synthetic has become increasingly blurred,” said Rick Song, CEO and co-founder of Persona. “Identity in an AI-driven world isn’t about ticking a box, and the question is no longer ‘is this a bot or not?’ but rather ‘who is the bot acting on behalf of, and what is their intent?’ Identity is the linchpin: it reveals who is behind each action, provides context around their intent, and ultimately builds trust in a future where AI mediates more of our interactions.”

Automated traffic eclipsed human traffic on the internet for the first time in 2024 — and with the advancements in AI, it’s projected to account for over 90 percent of all internet traffic by 2030. AI systems have also surpassed human performance on all major CAPTCHA systems, further blurring the line between humans and machines online. But not all AI-driven traffic is malicious — it’s simply unidentified. As we move into this new era, the question is shifting from whether an interaction is automated to understanding who is behind it and what their intent is.

At the same time, organizations face a deeply fragmented regulatory environment with ever-evolving compliance demands across jurisdictions, verticals, and identity use cases. Meanwhile, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, leveraging AI to create synthetic identities, generate deepfakes, and launch automated attacks at scale. And consumers are demanding greater privacy and control, pressuring companies to deliver seamless experiences without compromising on data protection.

Together, the rise of AI agents, increasingly sophisticated fraud, regulatory fragmentation, and growing privacy expectations have created a far more complex — and constantly evolving — identity landscape. As new identity verification technologies and frameworks emerge to meet these challenges, businesses need more than static solutions. They require a dynamic, configurable identity platform that can adapt to diverse use cases, keep pace with shifting risks, and scale trust wherever and however it’s needed.

Infrastructure for today’s challenges — and tomorrow’s unknowns

Persona’s platform was built for this complexity. Unlike rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions, it provides a configurable, privacy-first foundation that adapts to businesses’ needs as regulations shift, fraud evolves, and use cases expand.

“Identity is a foundational mega-trend driving digital transformation, and we’ve believed from day one that Persona would power this shift through its software-native solution,” said Thomas Laffont, co-founder of Coatue. “With the rise of AI agents, it’s critical to verify the identity — whether person or bot — behind every online interaction. Rick and the Persona team have both the vision and the ambition to build the platform that will help to lead this transformation.”

In addition to doubling its customer base, Persona has achieved a number of key milestones over the past year, including:

Building the verified identity layer for any business

To help organizations keep pace with the rapidly evolving identity landscape, Persona is building a verified identity layer — secure infrastructure that helps businesses verify individuals and entities across contexts while giving people control over their personal information.

For companies, this means a flexible foundation that supports evolving regulations, risk models, and user journeys. For individuals, it means a reusable identity they can carry across services — eliminating the need to repeatedly enter sensitive information while keeping privacy and consent at the core.

“Identity has become the foundation of every digital interaction, and in the age of AI, we believe solving identity will be more pivotal than ever,” said Nick Shalek, Partner at Ribbit Capital. “We’ve long admired Persona’s ambition to build a verified identity platform and have been impressed by the diversity of industries, use cases, and geographies of their customers. Their rapid growth and adoption by leaders like OpenAI, LinkedIn, Etsy, Twilio, and Block are clear validation that they’re solving real problems at scale.”

About Persona

Persona offers a unified identity platform that gives businesses the building blocks they need to securely collect, verify, manage, and make decisions about individuals’ and businesses’ identities — along with automation and orchestration tools to streamline the entire process from end to end.

Founded in 2018, Persona is headquartered in San Francisco and is available in 200+ countries and territories and 20 different languages. Persona serves any business that needs to verify its customers online, including AI platforms, retail, fintech, marketplace, delivery services, real estate and hospitality, HR, edtech, legal services, home and childcare services, and more. For additional information, please visit https://withpersona.com/

SOURCE Persona

Round led by True Ventures; Company Founded by PhD Researchers

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2025 — Pallie AI, a technology company developing an AI-powered companion supporting health and wellbeing, today announced it has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm True Ventures, with participation from the health-tech investor Palta known for backing the unicorn Flo. The funding will accelerate the development of Pallie’s AI companion, who acts as a friend, confidant, and wellness coach providing users with their Apple Health data analysis and personalized wellness support in their favorite messaging app.

Pallie’s technology combines AI with an empathic, highly personalized, human-like interaction to address two critical challenges in modern society: loneliness and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Pallie engages with users like a good friend to provide social and emotional support through natural conversation. It further delivers personalized health recommendations — informed by advanced AI algorithms and Apple Health data — designed to boost the user’s motivation for wellbeing.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, a Gallup report found the rate of loneliness among U.S. adults to be on the rise again at 20% after a temporary downward trend following the COVID-19 pandemic. Global reports on loneliness from the pandemic pointed even higher. The Gallup report cites social wellbeing specifically as a key factor in reducing feelings of loneliness. 

To combat loneliness, Pallie seamlessly integrates into users’ daily lives through existing messaging platforms, requiring no additional app downloads or sign-ups. “Pallie is a pro at maintaining engaging, natural conversations that foster genuine connection and a sense that someone’s looking out for your best interests,” commented Ivan Zolotukhin, CEO and founder of Pallie. “Pallie is powered by advanced AI agents designed not just to assist, but to connect. Unlike most AIs, which can feel robotic, Pallie is so natural and relatable that users chat with it for hours about movies, books, and memorable meals — just like they would with a friend.”

Pallie’s features include a growing collection of long-term wellbeing programs that help users increase physical activity, improve sleep quality, connect with new people, and make better nutrition choices. Its guidance becomes progressively intelligent through discovery and interpretation of patterns in user’s health data, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the user through contextual awareness of their daily life — incorporating calendared events, relevant news, weather, and local spots of interest aligned with their wellbeing goals and preferences.

“We’ve long been captivated by the future of human-computer interfaces, and we are certain that AI will become an even more ambient presence in our lives in the very near future,” said Jon Callaghan, co-founder at True Ventures. “When we met Ivan and his team at Pallie, we were amazed by their creation and how effortlessly their personalized agents integrated into the daily routines of their users. Experiencing it offers a glimpse into the future — Pallie exemplifies the incredible potential of AI to adapt to human behavior (in this case, by texting) and deliver meaningful value. We are thrilled to partner with Pallie to support their vision of the future of AI in our daily lives.”

“Our team of PhD researchers, top-tier data scientists, and health industry veterans has created something truly unique,” added Zolotukhin. “Imagine having the world’s most intelligent AI right by your side constantly thinking about you — one that truly gets you and is there for life’s daily challenges. That’s what we’ve created with Pallie. It’s not just about tracking health metrics; it’s about having a supportive presence that nudges you toward better choices, celebrates your wins, and offers a steadying hand during tough times — all while keeping safety and privacy at the core.”

The funding will be used to enhance the AI’s capabilities, expand its range of wellness programs, and scale the platform to reach more users globally. Start talking with Pallie and explore its capabilities in beta, no app download required.

About Pallie AI

Pallie AI, a product from AI Companions, Inc., is an AI friend and health buddy focused on supporting emotional and social wellbeing. Led by PhD researchers and esteemed data scientists, Pallie is both a friend and health coach that communicates naturally with its users through popular messaging platforms while leveraging Apple Health data for personalized guidance. Pallie AI’s mission is to combat loneliness and promote healthier lifestyles through accessible, intelligent, and empathetic AI interaction. Learn more athttps://pallie.ai.

About True Ventures

Founded in 2005, True Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in early stage technology startups. With more than $3.8 billion under management, True provides pre-seed, seed, and Series A financing to founders in some of today’s fastest growing markets. To learn more, visitwww.trueventures.com.

SOURCE AI Companions, Inc.

Kennedy delivers 9% interest rate for the land loan

ENGLEWOOD, N.J., April 30, 2025 — One of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States is about to get much-needed new housing, thanks to a loan from Kennedy Funding.

The direct private lender closed a $1.66 million loan for borrower OFS Ventures to acquire 9.32 acres of raw land in McKinney, Texas, part of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. OFS Ventures intends to develop 69 townhomes on the site. Proceeds of the loan will be used toward acquiring the $3.3 million property.

“Securing a 9% interest rate is a feat in the current market, especially for funding projects as untouchable as raw land,” said Mark Falzone, executive loan officer at Kennedy Funding. “Our ability to secure such favorable rates for OFS Ventures is a testament to our decades of relationship-building and experience working with borrowers to secure raw land deals.”

The broker on the transaction was Alex Caragiannides, a Melville, N.Y.-based veteran real estate lending expert. According to Caragiannides, he reached out to Kennedy Funding because of the firm’s reputation for successfully closing land deals.

“I’m always on the lookout for ways to creatively structure financing solutions across the U.S., and working with Kevin and Mark was refreshing,” Caragiannides said. “Kevin, Mark, and all the professionals at Kennedy Funding make it look easy!”

Caragiannides cited the firm’s “sound process and methodology” for funding land loans as his reason for calling Kennedy first on the OFS Ventures opportunity.

“Kennedy Funding is virtually the only lender out there that will fund raw land loans and do so successfully,” Caragiannides said. “No one touches land loans except for Kennedy. They are the experts.”

According to Kevin Wolfer, President/CEO of Kennedy Funding, the firm’s flexibility to work with borrowers on an individual, personalized basis is key to funding deals other financial institutions won’t touch.

“Nearly all banks and conventional lenders have blanket policies that automatically refuse to consider any deal that involves raw land,” Wolfer said. “However, we’re able to investigate the merits of each deal and see the opportunity from the borrower’s point of view. Through that lens, we can assess the entirety of the deal. That includes the economic circumstances and trends that influence a project’s success, as they do in this deal involving building housing in a very popular major metro area.”

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has experienced the most growth among all major United States metro areas. The population boomed from 7.6 million in 2020 to 8.1 million in 2023. Major companies, such as CBRE, AECOM, and Frontier Communications, have moved their corporate headquarters to Dallas in recent years. As a major metropolitan area, Dallas is a hub for culture, sports, and a thriving culinary scene, attracting residents from both within and outside the U.S. to the area.

“As the Dallas-Forth Worth population grows, the need for quality, well-located housing grows, too,” said Wolfer. “The OFS Ventures project will turn this vacant space into a place that dozens of families can call home. Supporting their vision to build housing in this bustling area is a financially wise use of raw land.”

For more information about Kennedy Funding, visit www.KennedyFunding.com.

About Kennedy Funding
Kennedy Funding is a global direct private lender specializing in bridge loans for commercial property and land acquisition, development, workouts, bankruptcies, and foreclosures. Kennedy Funding has closed more than $4 billion in loans to date. Their creative financing expertise provides funding up to 75% loan-to-value, from $1 million ($3 million international) to more than $50 million in as little as five days. The company has closed loans throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, and Central and South America.

www.kennedyfunding.com

SOURCE Kennedy Funding

Ad Operations Orchestration Startup Secures Backing Led by Both New and Existing Investors, Tribeca Venture Partners and Ardent Venture Partners, in Oversubscribed Round

NEW YORK, April 30, 2025 — PilotDesk, a no-code AI workflow automation platform for advertising operations and account management, today announced it has raised $5.8 million in Series A funding led by Tribeca Venture Partners and Ardent Venture Partners. The raise comes one year after the company’s seed round and coincides with its rebrand from PilotDesk to Swivel.

“We started with a simple goal: eliminate repetitive work in ad operations,” said Joseph Hirsch, CEO, Swivel. “In just over a year, we’ve helped major CTV and adtech players boost efficiency and performance for their clients. Our rebrand to Swivel signals the next chapter — building more intelligent systems that prevent the need for staff to ‘swivel-chair’ between multiple ad platforms and enable powerful automation in revenue operations at scale. We’re here to free up teams to focus on the work that actually moves the needle.”

The oversubscribed round includes new investors Tribeca Venture Partners and Motley Fool Ventures, alongside existing investors Ardent Venture Partners, Roster Capital, and AperiamVentures, all of whom increased their commitment.

“We’re backing a team that understands both the pain and the potential in ad operations,” said Chip Meakem, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Tribeca Venture Partners. “Swivel is solving a clear problem with clear ROI, and they’re doing it in a way that doesn’t require ripping and replacing what’s already there. That’s a powerful combination.”

“We invest in companies that become long-term platforms, not just short-term tools,” said Phil Herget, Co-Founder and General Partner, Ardent Venture Partners. “Swivel has the right product, the right team, and the traction to scale. We’re impressed with what they’ve done in a year since our seed investment, and we know they’re just getting started.”

The funding will support team growth and accelerate product development, including deeper AI-driven orchestration, unified analytics, and seamless integrations with ad servers, demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), order management system (OMS) platforms, and more.

Swivel’s automation engine is already delivering measurable results. In a deployment with LG Ad Solutions, the platform performed over half a million automated actions, equating to an impressive 25,000 hours of manual ad operations productivity time created, and transitioned from a pilot to a long-term partnership.

“This team has always had a nose for real pain points in adtech – that is because they have created some of the most successful companies in adtech – and they’ve built for scale from day one,” said Mike Shehan, Board Member and Co-Founder of Roster Capital. “Swivel is where the industry is heading — not theoretical, not five years out — right now.”

The rebrand marks the next phase of the company’s evolution while staying grounded in its mission: to remove operational friction and help revenue teams move faster, with fewer resources.

Swivel was co-founded by Joe Hirsch, Matt Dearborn, and Rich Lin, the team behind SpringServe, the leading video ad server acquired by Magnite in 2021. They’re joined by President Frans Vermeulen, a veteran of TransUnion, TruOptik, and FreeWheel, and CTO Geir Magnusson Jr., formerly of AppNexus, fuboTV, and SourcePoint. Together, they bring a rare mix of deep adtech experience and technical leadership, building automation tools grounded in real operational pain points — and proven at scale.

To learn more about Swivel please visit https://www.swivel.ai.

About Swivel
Swivel provides no-code automation, AI, and machine learning, to support ad operations — enabling teams to focus on strategy, growth, and performance as opposed to repetitive tasks. As revenue and media spend increase across the ecosystem, the operational burden has historically scaled with it. Swivel’s vision is to break that pattern. The platform drives improved yield for sellers and greater media efficiency for buyers, without increasing headcount or complexity.

Media Contact
Michael Vaughan
[email protected]
(813) 210-1706

SOURCE Swivel

The company bridges the efficiencies of AI with the local expertise of real people to manage the complexities of daily life.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2025 — Faye, the tech platform connecting households with trusted Family Advisors, has raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding to make high-quality personal assistant support radically more accessible. The round was led by Unusual Ventures, with participation by Springbank and a strategic group of angel investors from Nextdoor, Roblox, Square, and Doordash.

This raise reflects growing conviction that modern households deserve more than apps and automation — they also need compassionate, human-centered support to manage the complexity of daily life.

Founded in 2023 by consumer technology veterans Emily King and Kip Kaehler, Faye is pioneering a new category of service: peer-to-peer support for the mental load of home life. Faye provides working households with a trusted Advisor to handle tasks such as event and travel planning, home services, personal shopping, vendor management and decision-making — personalized, multi-step tasks where AI alone falls short.

“Technology should elevate human connection, not replace it. While AI is useful for basic asks, we don’t think AI alone will be able to solve complicated, highly nuanced tasks,” said Emily King, CEO and co-founder of Faye. “For example, your chatbot can pull up summer camps near you, but it can’t gather community-vetted resources, relay sensitive information, or navigate gated portals. By blending tech with the talents of experienced, local professionals, we’re building a marketplace that improves lives and creates economic opportunity.”

Family Advisors are carefully matched with households based on location and firsthand experience. They are not overseas or anonymous shift workers but peers with context, judgment, and strong professional skills. Advisors are supported by AI software to help them deliver high-trust, high-touch service at scale.

Faye’s AI-powered platform enables Advisors to support clients from start to finish: researching providers, gathering quotes, communicating with vendors, and creating frameworks to simplify decision-making. This approach saves households time, money, and stress and unlocks earning potential for an overlooked labor force.

“Faye is creating an entirely new category by bridging the gap between thoughtful technology and trusted local expertise,” said Sarah Leary, Venture Partner at Unusual. “AI alone can’t get it done — real-world tasks need real-world work. Faye’s Advisors are using AI as a force multiplier, not a replacement.”

“This is the future of work — giving smart, capable people a way to earn real income by doing the kind of behind-the-scenes work every household needs. Faye is building the infrastructure to make that work visible, respected, and scalable,” added Courtney Leimkuhler, co-founder and Managing Partner at Springbank. 

This funding will accelerate product development, expand Faye’s national network of Advisors, and support growth in existing markets including New York, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Denver.

Faye memberships start at $169/month. For less than $6 per day, members gain access to flexible, personalized support for tasks like managing calendars, booking travel, sourcing services, and coordinating family logistics — all areas where trust, timing, and context matter.

To learn more about Faye, visit findfaye.com.

SOURCE Faye

JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 30, 2025 — Flash Coffee, the Indonesia-based coffee chain, today announced an additional $3 million in funding to fuel its expansion across the country. The round was led by TA Ventures, a global early-stage venture capital firm, and supported by long-term existing investor White Star Capital.

Flash Coffee has secured this new round of investment to accelerate its national expansion, following a year of strong performance & profitability. This funding is a direct vote of confidence in the business, driven by a clear demonstration of healthy unit economics and an impressive average store-level EBITDA of 22%, while our new stores are even stronger at 36% EBITDA, which is well above industry benchmarks.

The capital will be used to fuel Flash Coffee’s growth trajectory, supporting its goal of surpassing 70 stores across Indonesia in 2025 & launching in two new cities. With revenues per store having doubled in the past year, all stores are now operating profitably, Flash Coffee is well-positioned to scale while continuing to deliver standout, design-forward lifestyle experiences.

“The past year has been about discipline. We’ve focused on getting the fundamentals right; profitable stores, stronger teams, better menus, and spaces that reflect the modern Indonesia. We didn’t chase growth; we earned it,” said Jakob Angele, Executive Chairman of Flash Coffee. “This latest investment will help us scale what works: beautifully designed stores, high-performing teams, and a product that speaks to today’s Indonesian consumer.”

Flash Coffee’s bold new store design, featuring natural textures, regional materials, and lush greenery, sets a new standard for Indonesia, encouraging customers to stay longer and connect more deeply with the brand. With the introduction of our refreshed logo and the ‘Kebanggaan Indonesia’ (‘Proudly Indonesian’) watermark, Flash Coffee is going back to its Indonesian roots by blending local craft, culture & community into every detail.

Designed entirely in-house, this identity isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s a strategic driver of profitability and loyalty, reinforcing Flash Coffee’s deep connection to both customer and country as they expand deeper into existing cities and new locations across Indonesia.

“We spent significant time analysing the opportunities of this category in Southeast Asia, as a result we’re excited to join Flash Coffee’s journey,” said Richard Armstrong, Venture Partner & SEA Lead, TA Ventures.  “Today’s Indonesian consumer is cross-generational, seeking experiences that are meaningful and personal.  Flash Coffee has perfectly adapted, responding to this shifting consumer behaviour.”

For photos of Flash Coffee’s redesigned stores, click here.

About Flash Coffee

Flash Coffee is redefining coffee culture for Indonesia’s young-minded generation, those who value craft, connection, and a strong sense of place.

Focused on sit-and-stay environments, Flash Coffee delivers handcrafted barista-quality coffee at scale within spaces that are thoughtfully designed to reflect Indonesian identity: modern, warm, and proudly local. Every store is designed to wrap around the consumer, inviting lingering, conversational and communal, bringing together the best of local flavor and global quality in a way that resonates deeply with today’s customers.

About TA Ventures

TA Ventures is a global early-stage venture capital firm backing visionary founders across the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and MENA. Since 2010, TA Ventures has backed 250+ startups, including SumUp, DeepL, Impress, and other breakout category leaders.

SOURCE Flash Coffee