ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., May 12, 2025 — X-Bow Systems Inc (X-Bow), the leading non-traditional producer of advanced manufactured solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, today announced the successful final closing of its Series B funding round, totaling over $105 million. The strategic portion of this round was led by Lockheed Martin with a significant investment in X-Bow Systems. To strengthen the industrial base and create mutual benefit for both companies, X-Bow and Lockheed Martin have entered into a strategic agreement allowing Lockheed Martin to accelerate X-Bow as a new independent supplier of SRMs and other services for their existing and future programs.

“We have built a highly respected ‘deep hardware technology’ company with the current Series A and B investments from our venture partners,” said Jason Hundley, chief executive officer and founder of X-Bow Systems. “This additional investment and our ongoing partnership with Lockheed Martin position us for significant growth. We are expanding our production capacity, accelerating our innovation efforts and strengthening our role as a critical independent supplier within the defense industrial base.”

“We are pleased to continue our investment in X-Bow Systems, a company developing SRM technology that aligns with our strategy to support innovative solutions that enhance our nation’s security,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Our follow-on investment in X-Bow Systems underscores Lockheed Martin’s dedication to advancing the aerospace and defense industry.”

Prior to this Series B raise, X-Bow established itself as a leader and innovator in the defense and aerospace sectors, demonstrated by:

• Successful Launch Services: A multi-year backlog in hypersonic component flight tests and other critical DoD mission capabilities.
• Non-Traditional SRM Industrial Base Leader: The only new company to be integrated into over 8 SRM programs across both strategic and tactical sizes.
• Technology Disruption: Utilizes a patented Advanced Manufacturing of Solid Propellant (AMSP) system with over 12 development iterations, capable of printing and flying both tactical and strategic size SRM energetic grains.
• Innovation Expertise: Producing and executing the development of the world’s only ‘mobile energetics factory,’ the revolutionary Rocket Factory in a Box^™, a rapidly deployable energetics production system that offers unprecedented flexibility for defense applications.

Fueled by private capital, X-Bow’s soon-to-open Texas energetics campus located just south of Austin, utilizes the company’s AMSP technology. Our affordable and sustainable SRM production approach allows the Department of Defense and other customers the speed and scale to counter evolving threats.

This total round included investment from Razor’s Edge Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Lockheed Martin, Balerion Space Ventures, Boeing Ventures, Bravo Victor Venture Capital, Upsher Management Company, Capital Factory Ventures, Arkenstone Capital, and Event Horizon Capital.

Union Square Advisors LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to X-Bow for this financing transaction.

About X-Bow Systems
X-Bow Systems is disrupting the aerospace industry with innovative and cost-effective advanced manufactured energetics for the solid rocket motor and launch vehicle market. X-Bow is also designing and building a suite of modular solid rocket motors and small launch vehicles for both orbital and suborbital launch services. X-Bow is led by CEO Jason Hundley, Chairman Mark Kaufman, CTO Max Vozoff, CRO Maureen Gannon, General Counsel John Leary, COO Mike Bender, CFO Hector Fernandez and a growing team of seasoned industry veterans and new space entrepreneurs. X-Bow is a dual-use technology company with investment from: Crosslink Capital, Razor’s Edge Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures, Boeing, Arkenstone Capital, The Capital Factory, Upsher Management Company, Event Horizon Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, X-Bow has additional presence in California, Alabama, Colorado, Texas, Utah, Maryland and Washington, DC. For more information visit XBowSystems.com.

SOURCE X-Bow Systems

New investment affirms confidence in co-founders’ leadership that brought Stash to profitability and their vision to make wealth-building accessible to all

After 10 years of growth, Stash launches Money Coach AI to translate complex investment strategies into real-time personal guidance

NEW YORK, May 12, 2025 — Stash, the revolutionary platform helping millions build financial futures, announced today that it has secured $146 million in an oversubscribed new Series H funding through a round led by Goodwater Capital, with participation from returning investors Union Square Ventures, StepStone Group, Serengeti, and the University of Illinois Foundation, as well as funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. This new capital will accelerate Stash’s mission to make expert financial guidance accessible to everyone and deepen Stash’s investment in AI to transform its financial guidance capabilities.

This latest infusion also underscores strong investor confidence in Stash’s strategy and business model under the leadership of co-founders and co-CEOs Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson, who recently returned to Stash to lead the next phase of growth for the company. Under their leadership, Stash has achieved profitability, strengthened its core subscription model, and elevated its AI capabilities. With 1.3 million paying subscribers and $4.3 billion in assets under management, Stash continues to redefine financial inclusion – empowering everyday Americans with personalized, AI-driven financial advice at scale.

“This new funding is a resounding vote of confidence in Stash’s vision for the future of personal finance,” said Robinson. “For a decade, Stash has helped millions take control of their financial futures. Now, we’re doubling down—transforming how people save, invest, and build long-term wealth with AI-powered intelligence at the core. We’re just getting started.”

Money Coach AI: Personal Financial Advice for Everyone
The investment will accelerate product innovation, drive subscriber growth, and further develop Stash’s AI capabilities. Central to this strategy is Money Coach AI, an advanced financial guidance platform that translates expert-level investing strategies into real-time, personalized recommendations for everyday users. Since its recent launch, Money Coach AI has already reshaped how millions of Americans engage with their money and think about their personal finances. From helping customers pick their first investment to providing personalized diversification guidance, Money Coach AI helps customers get started and make saving and investing a habit that sticks.

With 2.2 million user interactions already,¹ Money Coach AI will serve as the cornerstone of Stash’s renewed commitment to help users build savings, invest consistently, and make smart financial decisions. Notably, 1 in 4 customers who interact with Money Coach AI go on to take a positive action, such as making an investment, depositing funds, diversifying, or turning on or adjusting Auto-Stash, within 10 minutes of interaction, demonstrating its tangible impact on behavior.²

“For too long, financial advice has been out of reach for everyday people,” said Krieg. “Stash’s mission has always been to change that. Now, by leveraging the power of AI, Stash is helping people take control of their money, understand their options, build real wealth, and secure their financial future, no matter where they’re starting from.”

Stash’s Next Era
The first wave of fintech focused primarily on access. Now, Stash is tackling the next challenge: delivering expert-level, personalized advice – what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Through its scalable approach, Stash is demonstrating that AI can do more than automate; it can empower users by helping them make informed financial decisions in real-time.

“With Brandon and Ed leading the way, Stash is laser-focused on innovation, growth, and setting a new industry standard,” said Chi-Hua Chien, Founder & Managing Partner at Goodwater Capital. “Stash isn’t just using AI to enhance its platform—it’s using AI to transform how people engage with their money. The company’s momentum is undeniable, and we are proud to support this next frontier in fintech.”

A Decade of Success with the Best Yet to Come
As Stash celebrates its 10-year anniversary, the company reflects on a decade of helping millions of Americans break down financial barriers and build wealth. Now, with fresh capital, Stash is doubling down on that mission – not just the wealthy – can build and sustain long-term financial success. 

For more information about Stash, visit www.stash.com.

About Stash
Stash is a financial platform dedicated to empowering people to invest and build better lives. Stash’s plans—starting at just $3 a month—unlock access to a suite of simple, automated solutions designed to help people find security and peace of mind through saving and investing. The company’s full suite of products and services includes StashWorks, a financial wellness benefit for employers that provides guidance and easy access to short- and long-term saving; the Stock-Back® Debit Card, delivering up to 5% Stock-Back on everyday purchases^3. As of February 2025, customers who Auto-Stash have 9x  more (900%) in their accounts after one year compared to customers who don’t Auto-Stash. Stashers rely on Stash for timely education, expert advice, and clear next steps to help them grow their money and achieve lifelong goals. Learn more at www.stash.com.

Disclosures:

¹ Complete direct interactions between a user and our AI model.

² Based on Stash Internal data as of April 2025.

³ Limitations apply; 5% Stock-Back Rewards available only for qualified bonus merchants on Stash+. See Bonus Terms and Conditions. All Stock-Back^® rewards contribute to a single $10 per month cap. All rewards earned through use of the Stash Stock-Back^® Debit Mastercard^® will be fulfilled by Stash Investments LLC and are subject to Terms and Conditions. You will bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of the investments that you earn, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash. In order to earn stock in the program, the Stash Stock-Back^® Debit Mastercard must be used to make a qualifying purchase. Stock rewards that are paid to participating customers via the Stash Stock Back program, are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value. Stash Banking services provided by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. The Stash Stock-Back^® Debit Mastercard^® is issued by Stride Bank pursuant to license from Mastercard International. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Any earned stock rewards will be held in your Stash Invest account. Investment products and services provided by Stash Investments LLC and are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value.

This content is for educational and information purposes only. Nothing in this content should be construed as investment, tax or legal advice.

Media Contact:
Sarika Doshi
Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected]

SOURCE STASH

CHICAGO, May 12, 2025 — InvestBev, the largest private equity firm focused on the adult beverage industry and CPG, is proud to announce the closing of an eight-figure financing agreement with Registered Distillery One, a fast-growing and respected name in the bourbon industry. The capital will be used to support the company’s ongoing expansion and related growth initiatives.

This transaction arrives at a pivotal moment for the bourbon sector. While other investors pause, InvestBev continues to lead, backing high-potential operators and fueling the next phase of growth across the category.

“We feel very good about Mike Tetterton and what Registered Distillery One is doing,” said Brian Rosen, General Partner at InvestBev. “At the root of our thesis is a simple belief: independent alcohol beverage brands deserve access to smart capital and strategic support. This agreement is a direct reflection of that mission.”

Mike Tetterton, founder of Registered Distillery One, added, “We chose InvestBev Credit as the best solution for our company. They made the process easy and quick. InvestBev is a great partner for this stage of our growth.”

InvestBev Credit, the firm’s private credit arm, has already deployed nearly $30 million in 2025, helping distilleries, barrel owners, and brand operators unlock the trapped value of their aging inventory. With favorable credit terms and a deep understanding of the distillate and barrel space, InvestBev Credit has emerged as a vital financial partner—seen by many in the industry as a savior during a time when traditional lending sources remain rigid or inaccessible.

This latest agreement further underscores InvestBev’s commitment to fueling founder-led success across the three tiers of the alcohol beverage industry. Through a unique combination of equity, credit, insurance, and advisory solutions, InvestBev delivers unmatched financial and strategic support to the brands shaping the future of the category.

For more information about InvestBev and their work in supporting the adult beverage industry, please visit: http://www.Investbev.com.

About InvestBev

Founded in 2015 by Brian Rosen, InvestBev Group is a premier private equity firm in the adult beverage industry, known for its short return windows and non-correlated investment strategy. Helmed by Rosen, who is a third-generation industry veteran, InvestBev Group has raised nearly $200 million across four funds, a $100 million credit platform, and a low-cost insurance provider to distilleries. InvestBev is dedicated to supporting emerging brands and segments within the alcohol sector.

Learn more: Website | LinkedIn

Press Contact:

Shannon Duer
845-548-1211

SOURCE InvestBev

BRUSSELS and SAN FRANCISCO, May 12, 2025 — EIT Digital, a leading European digital innovation and entrepreneurial education organization, today announced a new initiative strategically aligned with the European Commission’s “Choose Europe” initiative. This collaboration aims to attract U.S.-based researchers and global entrepreneurs to Europe’s vibrant digital innovation ecosystem.

Launched on 5 May 2025 at Sorbonne University in Paris, “Choose Europe” represents a €500 million investment by the European Union, supplemented by an additional €100 million from France. The program seeks to position Europe as a global hub for scientific research and innovation, offering substantial incentives such as “super grants”, extended contracts, and relocation bonuses to international researchers, particularly those from the United States.

In response, EIT Digital has developed tailored programs to facilitate the integration of U.S. researchers, entrepreneurs and global innovators into Europe’s digital landscape.

The initiative consists of a track for researchers, led by EIT Digital Silicon Valley Foundation and a track for entrepreneurs. These include:

SPIN: Rise: A three-month hybrid pre-incubation program providing practical tools to strengthen public funding applications and develop compelling pitches for potential investors.

SPIN: Explore: A nine-hour online course offering foundational business skills and insights into transitioning innovations from the lab to the market.

Additionally, EIT Digital’s renowned Growth Services program has allocated a limited number of positions for U.S. scaleups. This initiative assists tech companies in accessing necessary funding to expand their operations in Europe through a structured approach encompassing preparation, investor connections, and fundraising support.

Early stage entrepreneurs can have access to EIT Digital’s Venture Incubation Program, a two-stage initiative, combining entrepreneurial education and venture-building support.

Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital, stated: “The ‘Choose Europe’ initiative presents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen transatlantic scientific collaboration and a chance for global entrepreneurs to benefit from the European Way of Life. Our dedicated programs build on top of the European Commission’s initiative offering U.S.-based talents a privileged pathway into Europe’s digital innovation ecosystem, enabling them to contribute to solving global challenges through technology, essentially a place to land in Europe with EIT Digital.”

EIT Digital’s initiative aligns seamlessly with the European Commission’s vision of making Europe a global magnet for researchers, offering scientific freedom, stable and predictable funding opportunities, state-of-the-art facilities, and a vibrant international community of top-tier talent.

Participation in EIT Digital’s SPIN and Growth Services programs offers U.S. researchers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to join a European network of over 350 partners, including universities, research centers, and leading tech companies.

For more information on EIT Digital’s programs for U.S.-based researchers and entrepreneurs, please visit www.eitdigital.eu/globalinnovatorsforeurope

About EIT Digital

EIT Digital is a pan-European organization promoting open innovation and entrepreneurial education. Since its launch, EIT Digital has equipped more than 3,500 students with the skills to innovate and become entrepreneurs; supported more than 780 start-ups and scaleups to grow internationally, created more than 250 ventures and launched more than 540 products and services commercially.

SINGAPORE, May 9, 2025 — Zoth, a fast-growing protocol in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, is entering a new phase after a March exploit briefly disrupted operations on its ZeUSD platform. Instead of going silent, the team responded with transparency and urgency, reinforcing its commitment to building secure, institutional-grade infrastructure for RWAs onchain.

A Resilient Response

The exploit involved unauthorized protocol activity during Zoth’s mainnet expansion and token launch preparations. The team’s response was swift and composed; issues were contained, users were kept informed, and mitigation steps were implemented without delay.

Founder Pritam Dutta noted, “It would’ve been easy to walk away. But we didn’t build Zoth to be fragile.” That mindset shaped every step of the recovery process.

Strengthening the Foundation

Zoth’s comeback isn’t about quick fixes, it’s about building smarter. The protocol rolled out key upgrades, including:

• AI-powered real-time monitoring
• Independent smart contract audits
• A public bug bounty and open-sourced infrastructure
• Governance enhancements for secure future upgrades

Zoth also launched a Compensation Program to support affected users, via a mix of treasury-backed assets, vested $ZOTH tokens, and potential partner collaboration—a rare step in DeFi that helped restore trust.

Community-First Approach

A hybrid model was introduced to prioritize capital preservation and protocol sustainability. The package includes:

• Stable asset compensation for principal loss
• Vested $ZOTH tokens from the contributor and ecosystem reserves
• Active discussions with a liquid fund for user redemptions

This balanced approach resonated with users, retention remained above 80%, and the community stayed engaged in governance and recovery planning.

Staying Mission-Driven

Zoth’s long-term vision remains unchanged: to bridge real-world financial instruments like treasury bills and money market funds with permissionless yield on-chain. But it’s doing so through compliance-first design and institutional-grade security, not short-term hype.

“Zoth is not a DeFi casino,” said co-founder Koushik Bhargav. “We’re building public goods infrastructure for RWAs.”

Strategic Backing

Zoth secured a $15M strategic token commitment from Bolts Capital, reinforcing institutional belief in the protocol’s future and the broader potential of onchain RWAs.

What’s Next

Zoth is executing a phased relaunch of ZeUSD with a focus on long-term resilience. Guided by forensic experts and new security leadership, upcoming milestones include:

• Relaunch with risk-isolated vaults
• Cross-ecosystem liquidity partnerships
• Institutional onboarding
• DAO-led governance enhancements

Resilience Over Hype

Zoth’s recovery isn’t just about bouncing back—it’s about setting a new standard in RWA infrastructure: transparent, durable, and principled.

“We may have been hit hard. But we’re not done. Not even close.” Zoth Founders

About Zoth
Zoth is a decentralized infrastructure protocol enabling compliant tokenization and on-chain settlement of real-world assets such as treasury bills and sovereign debt. Built for institutional-grade security and capital efficiency, Zoth aims to redefine how RWAs move onchain.

Press Contact
Name: Pritam Dutta
Company: Zoth
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 9510733901
Website: https://zoth.io

SOURCE Zoth

Amid global supply chain volatility, Yale, Stanford, and Kaiser Permanente build resilient healthcare supply networks powered by Clarium

NEW YORK, May 8, 2025 — Clarium, the company powering the world’s first and market-leading AI-powered healthcare supply chain resiliency platform, today announced a $27 million Series A funding round from Northzone, with participation from existing investors including General Catalyst, AlleyCorp, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Texas Medical Center Ventures, and 1984 Ventures. This round brings Clarium’s total funding to $43 million to-date, and will allow the company to deliver on its mission of optimizing the modern health system and mitigating growing economic and environmental uncertainty in the supply chain for suppliers and hospitals.

The healthcare industry overspends on its supply chain by over $25B each year, largely due to fragmented, unharnessed data, inefficient workflows, and wasted supplies. As major weather events, global pandemics, and economic tariffs intensify, supply chain vulnerabilities are poised to disrupt critical care operations in hospitals nationwide.

Clarium’s platform collects, unifies, and automates crowdsourced data from providers, suppliers, and vendors across the entire healthcare supply chain, creating the world’s first AI-powered resiliency platform dedicated to helping major hospitals and health systems manage their supply chain operations. Clarium predicts supply chain disruptions based on real-time weather, geopolitical, and current events data, providing tailored recommendations for substitutions and preventing major disruptions to productivity and outcomes. The resiliency platform – which spans workflow operations, inventory and stock management, and disruption and substitution optimization – are ideated and built in collaboration with leading health systems, allowing Clarium to respond swiftly and directly to the needs of supply chain teams. After adopting Astra OS, hospital systems have seen over $10 million in average cost savings, fueled by 50% faster disruption resolution and 88% substitute approvals.

“The fragmentation and inefficiencies of the healthcare supply chain continue to plague our country’s hospital systems as they face more financial pressure than ever,” said Steve Liou, Founder and CEO of Clarium. “At Clarium, we’re leveraging the power of AI to modernize the hospital supply chain, working directly with health systems to develop valuable technology that enhances productivity, cuts wasteful spend, and improves patient health outcomes. We are grateful for the support from Northzone and our existing investors as we continue scaling our platform to new partners across the country.”

“Working closely with Clarium has allowed us to access the next-gen technology we need to manage our supply chain more efficiently,” said Jacqueline Epright, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Yale New Haven Health. “Clarium is innovative to address supply chain pain points, attuned to our needs, and truly dedicated to helping our hospital systems save on costs and deliver the best possible health outcomes to patients.”

Clarium’s $27 million financial investment from Northzone and existing partners will allow the company to accelerate the development and scale of Astra OS – including additional app and solution development – expand its team, and develop relationships with new health system partners.

“Despite many recent advancements in healthcare technology, hospital procurement processes have largely remained stuck in the 20th century. While several point solutions exist, Clarium is the first comprehensive, end-to-end platform for managing the hospital supply chain,” said Molly Alter, Partner at Northzone. “We believe Clarium possesses the technology and vision to enable end-to-end supply chain management for every one of the 5,000 hospitals nationwide.”

Since announcing its seed funding in 2024, Clarium has doubled its headcount and added key leadership including Burton Bracken (Head of Business Development), Marek Sirendi (Head of AI), Marcelo Fracchia (VP of Growth), and Shivani Stadvec (Chief Marketing Officer). The company has also expanded its collaborators roster beyond Yale New Haven Health, Geisinger, Ochsner Health, and Boston Children’s Hospital to include The Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, St. Luke’s, and others. Additionally, Clarium announced a long-term strategic partnership with the Healthcare Industry Resiliency Collaborative (HIRC) to co-develop transformative technology and data standards.

To learn more about Clarium and its technology, visit www.clariumhealth.com.

About Clarium
Clarium is a healthcare technology company that is transforming how the hospital supply chain is managed for providers and suppliers. Clarium empowers leading health systems, including Yale New Haven Health, Stanford, and Geisinger, to optimize their supply chain operations with an AI-powered platform, Astra OS, which delivers unified data, actionable insights, and intelligent workflow automation. The company was founded in 2020 by Steve Liou and has raised $43 million in venture funding.

About Northzone
Northzone (northzone.com) is a global venture capital fund built on experience spanning multiple economic and disruptive technology cycles. Founded in 1996, Northzone has raised more than ten funds to date, with its most recent fundraise in excess of $1.2 billion and has invested in more than 175 companies, including category-defining businesses such as Trustpilot, Spotify, Klarna, iZettle, Kahoot!, Personio, TrueLayer, Spring Health, and Zopa.

Northzone is a full-stack investor from Seed to Growth stage, with transatlantic hubs out of London, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Stockholm and Oslo.

SOURCE Clarium

FUKUOKA, Japan, May 8, 2025 — Medmain Inc., a Japanese medtech startup that offers PidPort, an AI-powered cloud system to assist in digital pathology, is pleased to announce that it has raised 3.3 million USD through a third-party allotment of shares, with One Capital as the lead investor and Niremia Collective and Plug and Play as additional participants. With this round, the company’s total equity funding has reached 18 million USD.

About Medmain Inc.

Medmain Inc. is a Japanese medtech startup with the corporate mission “To create a world where medical services can be accessed with technology anywhere, anytime”. As a partner to medical professionals around the world, the company develops and provides PidPort, an AI-powered cloud system that supports digital pathology. Learn more at: https://en.medmain.com

Medmain has been providing a full range of services in the field of digital pathology, starting with a digitization service for specimen slides, to remote diagnosis support that connects remote facilities via cloud computing, to the presentation of high accuracy and rapid analysis of pathology results using AI, all of which are utilized at many facilities. We have also succeeded in accelerating the speed of development of pathology AI, our core technology, by creating a proprietary platform that accelerates AI development by means of transfer learning. About PidPort: https://us.medmain.com

• Purpose and Background of the Fundraising (Challenges Medmain Aims to Address) 

The funds raised will be used to further enhance the development of our product “PidPort,” invest in infrastructure for digitalization, strengthen our sales organization, apply for regulatory approval of our pathology AI, and build a foundation for international expansion.

With the global increase in cancer diagnoses, the number of pathology examinations has also risen significantly, leading to a chronic shortage of personnel and placing a heavy workload on medical institutions. Traditionally, pathology diagnoses have long relied on physical glass slides, but at Medmain, we have been supporting medical institutions through the provision of digital services and our platform, “PidPort.”

PidPort is currently used by many clients in a wide range of settings, including remote diagnostic support and consultations between medical institutions, multi-facility conferences, academic conferences, educational use in lectures and training sessions, as well as research and quality control at universities and corporations.

Moving forward, we will continue to enhance functionality and strengthen integration with surrounding systems to further improve service convenience. At the same time, we are committed to expanding support and value delivery to more medical sites, and to strengthening our organizational structure in preparation for global expansion.

[Comments from Investors]

One Capital

“Medmain is delivering and implementing an innovative solution that integrates digital pathology and AI in the highly specialized and experience-driven field of pathology diagnosis.

We are deeply impressed by their AI diagnostic technology grounded in a strong understanding of pathology, the high level of product maturity, the exceptional breadth of cancer types covered—surpassing global competitors—their ability to embed solutions into clinical settings through co-creation with healthcare professionals, and the passion and execution capability of Mr. Iizuka and the team.

We are confident that Medmain will play a vital role in dramatically advancing the quality, speed, and accessibility of medical care. We will fully support their business expansion across funding, talent, and strategic development.” — Yukako Yokota, Partner, One Capital.

[About One Capital]

One Capital is an independent venture capital firm that invests in and supports SaaS and healthcare startups. They provide hands-on support from both a business and financial perspective, fully backing bold initiatives that create lasting value for society. They also operate a unique business model that includes offering DX advisory services and developing SaaS products for their limited partners.

Niremia Collective

“We at Niremia Collective are honored to participate in this funding round, strongly resonating with Medmain’s vision and technological capabilities in addressing challenges within the field of pathology. Amid a global shortage of pathologists, Medmain’s AI-powered digital pathology solution “PidPort” offers a profoundly impactful approach by simultaneously improving access to care and diagnostic accuracy.

In particular, the platform’s ability to handle multiple organ types with high precision and its strong implementation capability, grounded in collaboration with clinical settings, suggest tremendous potential for further expansion both in Japan and abroad.

Guided by our mission to realize wellbeing through technology, we are committed to supporting initiatives that enhance the quality and sustainability of healthcare. We will continue to stand alongside Medmain as a strategic partner in creating global impact and driving growth.” — Naoko Okumoto, Founder and Managing Partner, Niremia Collective.

[About Niremia Collective]

Niremia Collective is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, USA, specializing in the wellbeing technology sector. It was founded by Naoko Okumoto, an expert in business development and investment across Silicon Valley and the Asia-Pacific region, and Nichol Bradford, the founder of Transformative Technology, the world’s largest and most recognized ecosystem for wellbeing technology.

Plug and Play

“We at Plug and Play are thrilled to announce our investment in Medmain, a healthcare AI company transforming pathology through technology. With the strong support of numerous corporate partners and new government initiatives in Japan, we believe the country is emerging as a prime destination for global investors seeking the next generation of unicorns.” — Alireza Masrour, General Partner, Plug and Play.

[About Plug and Play]

Plug and Play is a top-tier global venture capital firm and accelerator headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA. The company invests in and supports startups with innovative technologies and ideas. Plug and Play has a strong track record of nurturing unicorn companies such as PayPal, Dropbox, Guardant Health, and LendingClub.

• Representative Comment

Medmain Inc.
CEO Osamu Iizuka

“We are honored to welcome such strong investors who highly value Medmain’s mission, technological capabilities, and accomplishments in addressing critical healthcare challenges in the field of pathology through the power of technology.

Our platform, “PidPort,” is already being used in a wide range of clinical settings, contributing to improvements in the quality of care, operational efficiency, and research and development.

Moving forward, we will further accelerate product development by enhancing integration with hospital and diagnostic systems, strengthening AI functionalities, and improving overall usability to deliver an even better service.

Beyond Japan, we aim to expand globally and actively contribute to solving healthcare challenges around the world.“

SOURCE Medmain Inc.

Funding Led by HalfCourt Capital with Participation from Mozilla Ventures, BrightSpark, AlleyCorp, Sentiero, and Union Bay Partners

NEW YORK, May 8, 2025 — Jozu, the company building enterprise-grade orchestration tools for AI applications, today announced it has raised $4 million in seed funding. The round was led by HalfCourt Capital, with participation from Mozilla Ventures, BrightSpark, AlleyCorp, Sentiero, and Union Bay Partners.

The investment will accelerate Jozu’s mission to provide security-conscious organizations with AI/ML lifecycle tooling that accelerates AI projects from development to production—without compromising compliance, security, or operational agility.

Meeting Enterprise Demand for AI Operations

As businesses move from AI prototypes to production, they face significant challenges managing the complexity of AI/ML projects. Jozu provides a comprehensive solution for AI model and agent orchestration, enabling organizations to deploy and scale AI solutions with confidence.

“Organizations are moving from prototypes built with OpenAI and Anthropic, to production deployments using self-hosted models to protect their data and competitive advantage,” said Brad Micklea, CEO & Founder of Jozu. “That isn’t as simple as grabbing an open source model from Hugging Face – AI models and Agents need to be integrated, tested, secured, and audited throughout their lifecycle. This funding will allow us to meet the rapidly growing enterprise demand for tools that simplify, secure, and speed the productization of self-hosted AI projects.”

Strategic Investment Fuels Growth

The seed round will support Jozu’s ambitious growth plans for the next 18-months, including:

• Expanding Platform Capabilities – Creating the industry’s first extensible AI operations control plane to streamline AI/ML deployment, inference, security, and governance
• Enhancing AI Security & Compliance – Integrating AI/ML security scanning, model lineage tracking, and signing frameworks to help businesses meet regulatory and operational requirements
• Scaling Open Source Adoption – Working with the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) to establish an open standard for AI model packaging, with KitOps.org as its reference implementation
• Growing the Team – Hiring world-class engineers and go-to-market experts focused on building the future of DevOps for enterprise AI

KitOps: Foundation for AI Development

Jozu’s open source standard, KitOps, which is part of the CNCF, has already gained significant traction as the preferred packaging and versioning solution for organizations self-hosting AI/ML models. Unlike proprietary formats that lock businesses into a single vendor and aren’t compatible with existing DevOps tools, KitOps leverages OCI (the same standard used for containerized applications), ensuring that AI models are portable, reproducible, and secure.

Major organizations in the private and public sectors from North America, the European Union, and Asia have integrated KitOps into their AI/ML platforms. The project has been downloaded over 85,000 times in its first year and is being used in enterprise production environments globally.

Investor Perspectives

“The next phase of AI adoption is all about operational excellence,” said Rob May, General Partner at HalfCourt Capital. “Jozu is building the critical infrastructure that will allow enterprises to deploy and manage AI applications with the same rigor – and the same teams and tools – they use with traditional software. We’re excited to support their vision for making enterprise AI operations seamless, secure, and scalable.”

About Jozu

Jozu provides security-conscious organizations with AI/ML lifecycle tooling that ensures AI projects move efficiently from development to production—without compromising compliance, security, or operational agility. With deep expertise from organizations like AWS, Red Hat, and Docker, the Jozu team understands the discipline needed to operate mission-critical AI applications at enterprise scale.

For more information about Jozu and its AI orchestration platform, visit jozu.com.

SOURCE Jozu

PERTH, Australia, May 8, 2025 — Laurence Escalante, founder of VGW and a leading backer of emerging industries, has led a strategic bridge funding round for Green Li-ion, an Australian clean-tech innovator transforming the battery recycling sector.

The round will enable Green Li-ion to accelerate the scale-up of its breakthrough battery rejuvenation technology, as global demand for sustainable sources of critical materials reaches new heights.

The investment comes at a crucial time. With the United States moving to restrict imports of key battery metals, Green Li-ion’s patented Australian technology is positioned to help North America reshore refined cathode material production. The company is on track to become the largest domestic producer of these materials in the U.S.

“Our world-first technology redefines how we source critical minerals,” said Leon Farrant, CEO and Founder of Green Li-ion. “By recovering valuable materials from battery waste, we’re significantly reducing the environmental cost compared to extracting the same volume of minerals from the earth.”

Green Li-ion’s proprietary process delivers up to a 90% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional mining, positioning the company as a pioneer in the fast-growing “urban mining” industry. Initially developed at its Geelong technology centre, the company has scaled to six operational facilities across the globe.

The investment from Escalante underscores growing confidence in vital Australian-developed clean-tech and demonstrates his support for global decarbonisation efforts. As governments and industries transition to net-zero, Green Li-ion’s innovation offers a critical advantage combining performance and sustainability at scale.

Green Li-ion holds 87 patents and continues to revolutionise the energy storage industry with world-first technology that fully remanufactures spent lithium-ion batteries and battery waste.

SOURCE Green Li-ion