GUIMARÃES, Portugal and ACTON, Mass., June 30, 2025 — Today TMG Automotive of Guimarães, PT and Haartz Corporation of Acton, MA announce their joint venture TMG & Haartz Solutions (www.tmghaartzsolutions.com) and investment in a new manufacturing site for automotive surface materials. Strategically located in Bostic, NC, the facility will occupy the sustainably renovated former Milliken Golden Valley plant and will consist of nearly 300,000 square feet of world-class synthetic leather manufacturing space. Focused on the localized supply of surface materials for seat covers, instrument panels, door pillars, and shift gear boots, the joint venture will serve customers across the Americas with a combined automotive industry experience of more than 150 years. 

“TMG is pleased to formally announce the next phase of a longstanding and successful partnership with The Haartz Corporation: the joint establishment of a new manufacturing facility in the United States,” said Jose-Antonio Texeira, Co-CEO of TMG Automotive. 

“This strategic decision is the result of a deep-rooted relationship built on mutual trust, aligned values, and a shared commitment to excellence in the automotive sector. Both companies have consistently demonstrated a strong understanding of the industry’s evolving demands and a dedication to delivering superior value to customers worldwide. 

The selection of the state of North Carolina as the location for this new facility reflects a careful and thorough evaluation of the conditions necessary to support sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and proximity to key markets. This investment will not only enhance our capacity to serve the North American automotive industry, but also reinforce our global supply chain and innovation capabilities. 

We are confident that this initiative will generate long-term benefits for our organizations, our employees, and the local communities in which we operate. It marks a significant step forward in our joint pursuit of industrial excellence and customer satisfaction.”

“Haartz is delighted to announce our joint effort with TMG, a strategic continuation of the great collaboration between our two companies,” said John Millea, President of The Haartz Corporation.

“Bringing a passion for innovation, creativity, and sustainable growth to North Carolina provides all of us with a great sense of excitement and optimism for the future. 

Haartz and TMG Automotive both know what it takes to support the automotive industry; our track records speak for themselves. Whether separately or together, our two companies have shown a willingness to tackle and solve the most complex of challenges. Adding Synthetic Leather capabilities in this region will expand our product offerings for customers in the Americas. 

TMG & Haartz Solutions is truly looking forward to engaging with the local community to bring a first-class manufacturing operation to a fantastic location in the Southeastern US.” 

TMG & Haartz Solutions unites the strengths of two family-owned leaders built on a shared legacy of innovation and over a century of high-performance materials expertise. By combining global experience with regional agility, TMG & Haartz Solutions seeks to deliver premium service while reducing the environmental impact of a global supply chain. Each and every product reflects a commitment to precision, local stewardship, and a lighter footprint—driving the next generation of automotive design. 

TMG & Haartz Solutions: Driven by Performance. Local by Choice. 

For more information, visit www.tmghaartzsolutions.com

TMG Automotive (TMG), a business unit of the TMG Group, is a world leader in automotive interior surface materials, notably synthetic leathers. The company’s headquarters is based in Portugal, São Cosme do Vale (V.N. Famalicão) and European operations are based in Guimarães and São Cosme do Vale (V.N. Famalicão), with an office in Shanghai. The company is also part of the HaMinGi joint venture of Ningbo, China alongside Haartz Corporation and Minth Group. First supplying materials to the automotive industry in 1971 and today accounting for more than 100 published patents, the company has established itself as a world leader in sustainable manufacturing, now employing over 750 people worldwide. For more information visit www.tmgautomotive.pt 

The Haartz Corporation (Haartz) is a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed convertible toppings and interior surface materials. The company’s world headquarters and North American manufacturing operations are located in Acton, Massachusetts, with additional manufacturing in Mannheim, Germany. The company also is part of HaMinGi – Ningbo, China, having joined with TMG Automotive and Minth Group in 2020. Beyond these manufacturing locations, Haartz maintains offices in Detroit, Munich, Tokyo, and Irapuato, Mexico. Employing over 400 people worldwide, Haartz has been a trusted automotive supplier since 1907, and continues to be privately owned and operated by the Haartz family. For more information, visit www.haartz.com. 

Media Contact: 
Brittany Bagnoli 
Corporate Communications 
+1-508-808-4364 
[email protected] 

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2721185/TMG_Haartz_Solutions_Logo.jpg

Funding Powers Industry-First FinOps for Smarter, More Sustainable Cloud Management

NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 — North.Cloud has successfully closed its Series A funding round, raising $5 million led by Companyon Ventures. The company also launched North 2.0, a suite of new products merging FinOps, GreenOps, and AI to tackle the cost and complexity of multi-cloud infrastructure.

“This funding allows North.Cloud to deepen its commitment to solving the most pressing challenges in cloud cost management,” said Matt Biringer, Co-Founder and CEO. “We’re grateful to our investors for recognizing the immense opportunity to accelerate savings, tackle complexity, and deliver sustainability-focused solutions tailored to our customers’ needs.”

Over the past year, North.Cloud has collaborated with the world’s preeminent engineering teams to monitor AWS and GCP bills, usage spikes, and commitments across fragmented dashboards. The newly released platform offers industry-first tools, including AI-powered recommendations, real-time fleet intelligence, and a sleek, user-first design, to deliver unprecedented clarity and actionability in cloud management.

“We’ve been blown away by the speed and efficiency of the North team. Their unique approach consistently delivers significant savings over traditional cloud cost and visibility tools,” said Andrew Berg of Companyon Ventures. “With AI adoption accelerating, companies are seeing a surge in cloud usage and infrastructure complexity. North is perfectly positioned to meet this moment, helping teams stay agile and cost-efficient through automation that scales with demand.”

New Platform Highlights Include:

• Arctic – Real-Time Commitment Automation: Arctic dynamically reallocates AWS and GCP commitments based on real usage, cutting compute costs by up to 55%—no forecasts or lock-ins needed.
• Coststreams – Cost Allocation Without Tags: Coststreams offers real-time cloud spend visibility by team or environment, without relying on inconsistent tags. Budgets are built-in and actionable.
• Agent North – AI-Powered FinOps Copilot: Ask plain-language questions in Slack or the app to analyze spend, flag anomalies, and generate instant FinOps insights, with no analyst required.
• GreenOps Impact Visualizations: Track carbon, energy, and water usage alongside cost metrics to align spend with environmental impact.
• Expanded Support for GCP: North now supports AWS and GCP optimization in a unified workflow, bringing automation, savings, and visibility across multi-cloud environments.

Since its launch in late 2023, the platform has delivered extraordinary outcomes, including:

• Generating $0 to $6M in ARR in just 14 months.
• Achieving up to 50% savings on AWS compute spend.
• Onboarding customers in under 5 minutes, with first savings surfaced within 30 minutes.
• Ranking in the top 1% of AWS savers globally.

Already supporting verticals like content platforms, healthcare, fintech, and e-commerce, North.Cloud supports innovators like Brave and Stayntouch, helping organizations modernize infrastructure and simplify financial operations.

The public cloud today handles $200 billion in annual technology spend. Despite being one of the most complex licensing ecosystems ever made, over 95% of this spending is still managed with a credit card and a spreadsheet. With the AI boom poised to supercharge this category to over $1 trillion by 2030, the need for better tools has never been greater. Visit North.Cloud for more information.

About North.Cloud

North.Cloud is an AI-powered cloud optimization platform tackling the rising costs and inefficiencies of modern cloud infrastructure. By eliminating manual FinOps processes and rigid cost models, North delivers real-time, automated savings across AWS and GCP. Its dynamic platform helps companies reduce waste, improve efficiency, and gain transparency over their cloud spend. To learn more, visit North.Cloud.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE North.Cloud

As AI reshapes enterprise software, Campfire’s rapid growth signals a new era for finance and accounting teams.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, 2025 — Campfire, the rapidly emerging leader in AI-native enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, today announced it has raised $35 million in Series A funding led by Accel, with participation from existing and new investors including Foundation Capital, Y Combinator, Capital 49, and angel investors including, Marten Abrahamsen, CFO at Vercel, Dan Kang, CFO at Mercury, Alex Estevez, Former CFO at Atlassian, Michael Gordon, Former CFO at MongoDB, Sowmya Ranganathan, Former Controller at OpenAI, and Jack Zhang, Co-Founder & CEO at AirWallex.     

The round accelerates the company’s mission to redefine finance for the AI era—fueling deeper product development, major investments in GenAI, and expanded reach to serve more ambitious companies globally.

ERP is one of the largest and most established markets in enterprise software, with a market capitalization of over $1 trillion across legacy incumbents such as Oracle, SAP, and Intuit. These platforms, built decades ago, have struggled to keep pace with the demands of today’s fast-moving, modern businesses. Campfire is seizing this moment of massive disruption, building a fully modern, AI-first ERP platform that is already winning over customers from established players like NetSuite and SAP.

“I founded Campfire because, as a customer, I lived through the pain of a legacy ERP that was holding us back. Our team has rebuilt ERP from the ground up, leveraging the latest in AI and modern architecture so finance teams can accelerate their monthly close, unlock deeper financial insights, and make smarter decisions,” said John Glasgow, Campfire CEO and Founder. “Accel was a great partner and investor from my time at Invoice2go, where I was an exec and led the company’s $625M sale to Bill.com. I’m thrilled to be partnered with the Accel team again. Their conviction and partnership provide credibility and confidence for the next stage of growth.”

The company’s GenAI conversational interface, Ember AI, powered by Anthropic’s Claude models, enables finance teams to interact with their data using natural language, run advanced reporting, and automate manual tasks—delivering real productivity gains and financial insights.

“At Accel, we have a long history of backing transformative software companies—including CrowdStrike, which redefined cybersecurity; Slack, which revolutionized workplace productivity; and Scale AI, which set the standard for AI infrastructure. We believe Campfire has the potential to reshape the ERP market similarly,” said John Locke, Partner at Accel and Campfire Board Director. “We have worked with John Glasgow previously, and believe his deep experience in finance gives him unique insight into the challenges CFOs face and how AI can elevate finance teams. Campfire’s rapid product execution, customer traction, and vision for an agentic future make them uniquely poised to lead this next wave of innovation.”

Campfire’s platform has already displaced legacy products at a number of enterprises, with customers such as Replit, Trust & Will, Coder, and others praising its ease of use, automation features, and ability to support complex, global organizations.

“I’ve implemented Campfire entirely in-house, not once, but twice. Both times, we closed our books just three weeks after signing,” said Brian Ehrlich, Finance Director at Flex. “At Flex, Campfire saved us over $300K in implementation costs, avoided hiring 1–2 full-time staff, and provided us with a scalable system that supports us through 1,000+ employee growth. With Campfire, we went from incomplete reconciliations to full GAAP accrual accounting and significantly faster close. It’s a modern, AI-powered platform that will grow with us well into the future—automating what used to take teams of people, with no consultants required.”

“As a lean team with complex, high-volume needs, NetSuite created more friction than momentum as we continued to scale,” said Zach Doyle, Accounting Manager at Advisor360. “Campfire was the modern ERP that could move at our pace. Campfire has helped us streamline financial processes, increase velocity, and build the foundation to scale with the business, while helping us stay lean as we grow.”

“As a fast-growing AI software development company, our accounting team manages complex customer contracts,” said Daniel deCoen, Controller at Coder. “Campfire is the AI-native ERP flexible enough to keep up, automating complex revenue logic and providing us with clarity as we scale.”

“At Trust & Will, our rapid growth introduced complex financial challenges that required a modern, flexible infrastructure. As an AI-native ERP, Campfire uniquely matched the speed, complexity, and ambition of our business,” said Ron Wangerin, CFO at Trust & Will. “By automating manual processes and delivering deeper financial insight, Campfire has given our team the clarity and time to focus on strategic work and partner with us as we scale.”

The ERP market is at an inflection point, with a “great unbundling” opportunity emerging as AI and cloud-native architectures reshape the landscape. Campfire’s San Francisco-based team has rapidly developed a category-defining AI-native ERP designed to support companies from startup through IPO. This funding will further accelerate the company’s mission.

As part of this next chapter, Campfire is launching Finance Forward, the first summit dedicated to empowering finance and accounting teams with the tools, knowledge, and community to thrive in the AI era. Sign up here to learn more.

About Campfire
Campfire is the AI-first ERP powering modern finance and accounting teams. A full replacement to legacy ERPs, it offers a general ledger, revenue automation, close management, and so much more—all on one unified platform. Campfire empowers finance teams with powerful, intuitive software that saves time on the monthly close, unlocks deeper financial insights, and scales with you. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and is backed by Accel, Foundation Capital, Y Combinator, Capital49 and notable finance execs from public and private companies. For more, visit www.campfire.ai.

About Accel
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. Atlassian, Bumble, CrowdStrike, Fiverr, Flipkart, Freshworks, Qualtrics, Scale, Segment, Slack, Spotify, Squarespace, Tenable, and UiPath are among the companies Accel has backed over the past 40+ years. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com or www.X.com/accel.

Campfire Media Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE Campfire Software, Inc.

• Gallant raises $18 million in Series B financing, led by Digitalis Ventures, to advance the first ready-to-use stem cell therapy through conditional FDA approval.
• NovaQuest joins as a new investor, bringing deep experience from the first human FDA-approved allogeneic stem cell therapy, to support Gallant’s leadership in veterinary regenerative medicine.
• Continued significant support from BOLD Capital and Hill Creek Partners, further validating Gallant’s potential by sophisticated investors and animal health industry insiders.

SAN DIEGO, June 30, 2025 — Gallant, an animal health biotechnology company pioneering off-the-shelf stem cell therapies for pets, announced the successful closing of its $18 million Series B financing. The round was led by Digitalis Ventures, with continued support from BOLD Capital and Hill Creek Partners, and new participation from NovaQuest Capital Management.

Gallant is creating a new category in veterinary care with ready-to-use stem cell therapies that target the root cause of the most common and underserved diseases in dogs and cats. Its first product for refractory Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is on track for FDA conditional approval in early 2026, and could become the first FDA-labeled, allogeneic stem cell therapy in veterinary medicine.

With this funding, Gallant accelerates its path to initial commercial rollout of its lead product for FCGS, while advancing a pipeline of therapies for Canine and Feline Osteoarthritis (COA and FOA), Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD), and Feline Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) – conditions where current standards of care manage symptoms rather than address the underlying disease.

“We have been continually impressed by Gallant’s team, clarity of vision, and ability to deliver. They’re tackling some of the most persistent needs in animal health using their proprietary technology platform to bring truly differentiated solutions to veterinarians and pets in need – meaningful innovation that targets the disease, not just symptoms,” said Dr. Cindy Cole, Technical Partner at Digitalis Ventures.

“Gallant has made significant strides in a short time, advancing a new class of therapies grounded in science and built for scale,” said Teymour Boutros-Ghali, Managing Partner at BOLD Capital. “As it moves through FDA review toward commercialization, we’re excited to stand behind a team pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in veterinary care.”

NovaQuest Capital Management’s participation brings notable category experience with their investment in Mesoblast. Their first product, RYONCIL^®, became the first-ever FDA-approved human allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy in the U.S. in December 2024.

“Regenerative medicine is entering its prime – we’ve seen it firsthand with the success of allogeneic stem cell therapies in human healthcare,” said Brian Axe, Partner at NovaQuest. “Gallant is bringing that same caliber of science to animal health with off-the-shelf therapies for pets targeting the root cause of disease where current care falls short. We’re thrilled to help bring these pioneering therapies to market.”

Gallant’s research, focused on canine and feline osteoarthritis, feline chronic kidney disease, and feline chronic gingivostomatitis, found that only 56% of veterinarians are satisfied with treatments for canine OA – and just 8% for FCGS. Most veterinarians understand that current therapies manage symptoms, not the underlying disease, and roughly half of veterinarians express a strong interest in using regenerative medicine across conditions. Gallant’s therapies are designed to meet that demand: ready-to-use, science-backed, and developed under FDA oversight.

“We’re honored to have the backing of partners who share our vision in creating this new category of medicine that doesn’t just help pets feel better, but helps pets get better,” said Dr. Linda Black, CEO of Gallant. “The FDA approval of the first human allogeneic stem cell therapy was a historic milestone, and we’re looking forward to delivering this breakthrough therapy for animal health.”

Gallant’s proprietary stem cell platform harnesses the unique potential of uterine-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The anticipated conditional approval of the FCGS therapy would offer new hope to cats facing this debilitating disease and help lay the regulatory roadmap for future off-the-shelf stem cell therapies. This work is part of Gallant’s larger mission: to make stem cell therapy accessible to every pet who needs it.

About Gallant

Gallant is an animal health biotechnology company creating a new category of veterinary medicine with a pipeline of off-the-shelf stem cell therapies targeting the root causes of diseases in pets. Led by pioneers in veterinary regenerative medicine with deep expertise in development, manufacturing, and commercialization, Gallant is making regenerative medicine accessible – moving beyond symptom management to restoring health at the source. Learn more at https://www.gallant.com/.

About Digitalis Ventures
Digitalis Ventures backs founders solving critical problems in health. The firm invests in early-stage companies across the healthcare ecosystem with the goal of supporting them through multiple rounds of financing. Digitalis is headquartered in New York City. Learn more at https://www.digitalisventures.com/.

About BOLD Capital
BOLD Capital is a venture capital firm focused on partnering with entrepreneurs and companies that share a bold vision for a brighter future. The firm invests primarily in two transformative areas: health and life sciences, and deep tech and productivity. BOLD identifies emerging science and technologies with the potential to disrupt and democratize massive markets, creating innovative solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Learn more at https://boldcapitalpartners.com/.

About NovaQuest Capital Management
NovaQuest Capital Management, located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, is a life science investment firm with a specialization in biopharmaceuticals. Founded in 2010, and with more than $2.5 billion raised across multiple funds, NovaQuest provides tailored capital solutions that fund innovation in biopharmaceutical development and invests in compelling healthcare companies with products and technologies aimed at helping humans and animals live healthier, longer, more productive lives. Learn more at https://www.novaquest.com/.

Contact:
Galyna Danylenko
+1 (443) 254-7567
[email protected]

SOURCE Gallant

Alexandros Petkos awarded $100K to develop open-source general-purpose robots for hazardous and repetitive tasks 

GREENWICH, Conn., June 30, 2025 — O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (OSV), an investment firm that empowers creators, has awarded a $100,000 O’Shaughnessy Fellowship to Alexandros Petkos, a robotics engineer based in Athens, Greece.

Petkos will use the fellowship to build open-source, general-purpose autonomous robots capable of performing hazardous or repetitive tasks, potentially addressing labor shortages across multiple industries. To achieve this, he will gather extensive robotics data to train advanced AI models, which he will integrate into the robots.

Petkos brings extensive robotics experience to the fellowship. At age 20, he built the hardware and software for a robot capable of physical tasks such as lifting and placing cardboard boxes. He fabricated most of the robot’s parts, assembled it himself, and collected datasets to train the AI model powering it. Earlier, at age 17, he built a four-legged robot capable of walking and navigating. This achievement earned him recognition in Forbes Greece’s ’30 Under 30′ list in 2022. Petkos was also a lead engineer at PNOĒ Inc., a Y Combinator-backed health technology startup.

OSV’s founder and CEO, Jim O’Shaughnessy, commented, “The fact that Alexandros has already built two functioning robots speaks volumes. We’re here to give him the support he needs to take his work to the next level.”

“Surrounding yourself with driven, ambitious people is essential for making real progress,” said Petkos. “I’m truly grateful to the OSV team for the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the exceptional individuals in this community.”

About the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships Program

Launched in 2023, the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships program discovers and empowers the world’s boldest creatives, builders and researchers. Fellows receive a $100,000 grant and gain access to OSV’s network of founders, investors and experts.

OSV will award 12 fellowships in 2025. Applicants will also be considered for the O’Shaughnessy Grants program, which provides 20 additional $10,000 grants to promising innovators.

Petkos is the eleventh fellow announced in 2025. More information about previous fellows is available at OSV’s website.

Applications for the fellowships are now closed and will reopen on Jan. 1, 2026. Individuals interested in learning more can do so via OSV’s website.

About O’Shaughnessy Ventures

OSV is a creative investment firm that empowers creators to bring their ideas to life. Founded by Jim O’Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of five books, OSV aims to provide financial support and to partner in growing the next life-changing creative ideas.

OSV combines Jim’s deeply rooted interest in all things art, science, investing and technology with his long-held desire to establish scenarios designed to help promising creators and their inspiring ideas succeed, regardless of age, location, job history or level of education. For more information, visit OSV’s website.

Media Contact:
Ena Gong
O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC
(917) 355-7420
[email protected]

SOURCE O’Shaughnessy Ventures

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. and NEW DELHI, June 30, 2025 — Emerge Education, a leading U.S.-based provider of enrollment, marketing, and international education services, has formed a strategic partnership with Shiftzzy, a smart student integration and support platform, to enhance the experience of international students coming to the United States.

Through this collaboration, universities and student service providers can now offer Shiftzzy’s all-in-one app to streamline key transition points such as housing, community-building, mentorship, student visas, education loans, and ongoing support. The partnership helps institutions meet student needs more efficiently—ultimately improving satisfaction and retention outcomes.

Shiftzzy is available globally on iOS and Android and is designed to support the full student lifecycle—from pre-arrival and orientation through graduation and beyond. The platform connects incoming, current, short-term, and alumni students, reducing the institutional workload typically managed by housing offices, orientation teams, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), student life departments, and career services.

“Universities are under increasing pressure to support international students with limited resources,” said James M. Hunter, PhD, CEO of Emerge Education. “Our partnership with Shiftzzy introduces a technology solution designed to help institutions deliver more effective support while focusing their efforts on improving engagement and long-term student success.”

Addressing a Critical Market Demand

Research indicates that while international students prefer digital support tools, they often find existing platforms fragmented or insufficient. In a 2024 survey of U.S. international students, 33% reported experiencing social and academic challenges—such as homesickness and difficulty making friends—and 29% expressed a need for more support in those areas. These findings underscore the importance of platforms like Shiftzzy, which provide centralized housing guidance, peer networking, mentorship, and administrative support to help students feel welcomed, connected, and set up for success.

Shiftzzy aims to address these challenges through the following features:

• Smart Roommate Matching, using unique filters to reduce conflict and housing stress
• Personalized Housing Concierge Services, assisting with leases, budgeting, and relocation
• Mentorship and Career Support, including job search guidance, mental health resources, visa advising, and alumni networking
• Global Peer Networking prior to arrival, to build belonging and early engagement
• Student Saver Deals offering discounts on essentials like banking, mobile plans, and local services

“Shiftzzy was created to simplify the study-abroad journey through accessible and scalable support,” said Adarsh Kakarania, Shiftzzy co-founder. “This partnership with Emerge allows us to extend that support to institutions that are seeking more efficient, student-centered integration tools.”

“Students face considerable uncertainty when moving abroad,” added Tanya Wadhwa Kakarania, co-founder of Shiftzzy. “Our platform helps ease that transition by offering centralized access to the resources and connections they need—while reducing the institutional workload.”

Proven Results with Scalable Impact

Shiftzzy already serves over 500 active users in just five months, has formalized a partnership with SUNY Oswego, and is currently in discussions with several other universities. They were also selected for the prestigious Startup Nexus program by the U.S. Embassy in India and the University of Connecticut.

With Emerge’s expertise in recruitment, marketing, and international enrollment, the platform is well-positioned to help institutions respond to digital engagement expectations while improving integration, retention, and student well-being.

To explore a university partnership or request a Shiftzzy demo, visit Shiftzzy.com or download the app today.

About Emerge Education

Emerge Education is one of the nation’s leading higher education services companies, dedicated to delivering strategic enrollment, marketing, and consulting solutions. Through its international division, Emerge supports institutions in maximizing enrollment, enhancing global brand recognition, and launching new academic pathways. Learn more at emergeedu.com.

About Shiftzzy

Shiftzzy is a dynamic student experience platform designed to simplify the study-abroad journey and strengthen campus integration. With features spanning recruitment, housing, community-building, mentorship, and student savings, Shiftzzy empowers international students while supporting universities and service providers in achieving retention, satisfaction, and engagement goals. Visit shiftzzy.com for more information.

Media Contact:
Christopher Wilford
Senior Vice President of Marketing
Emerge Education
Phone: 717-214-1631
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Emerge Education

• Fund II advances Recognize’s strategy of accelerating the growth of next-generation Digital Services companies seeking to deliver transformative solutions
• Strong participation from existing LPs and significant demand from new blue-chip investors
• Oversubscribed fund reached its hard cap in under five months

NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 — Recognize, a proven investor in and builder of next-generation Digital Services companies, today announced the final close of its second fund, Recognize Partners II/II-A, L.P. (“Recognize II”), with over $1.7 billion in total commitments. Co-founded by Managing Partners Francisco D’Souza, Charles Phillips, and David Wasserman, Recognize has quickly established itself as a notable investor-operator and trusted partner to digital services innovators.

Recognize seeks to back visionary founders and management teams who are building differentiated businesses that leverage AI, software, and digital platforms to deliver transformative outcomes to enterprises. With Recognize II, the firm continues to focus on investing in companies with enterprise values between approximately $50 million and $500 million – businesses that Recognize believes offer strong potential for accelerated growth with the support of Recognize’s partnership-driven value creation approach.

Recognize II was oversubscribed and closed less than five months from launch, with strong support from existing investors, including a significant GP commitment, and a curated group of new investors. The LP base includes leading global institutions such as endowments, foundations, pensions, insurers, family offices, outsourced CIOs and fund-of-funds across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Over the last six months, Recognize has made four new platform investments: SDG Corporation (cybersecurity services), Sprout (Digital Infrastructure Services), TRANZACT (insurance services), and HealthEdge (SaaS for healthcare payers).

The firm also completed two realization events earlier this year: the exit of AST, sold to IBM, and a partial exit of 2X through a strategic investment by Insight Partners. In 2024, Recognize also sold Torc, an AI-powered talent platform, to a subsidiary of Randstad. These realizations, in Recognize’s view, further reinforce the firm’s thesis that next-generation Digital Services firms are increasingly attractive to strategic buyers.

“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our partners,” said Debbie Park Munfa, Partner and Head of Investor Relations at Recognize. “We remain focused on building Digital Services businesses for the future and partnering with excellent management teams to deliver long-term value for our investors.”

Recognize was advised on the fundraise by Rede Partners Americas LLC, with Goodwin Procter LLP serving as legal and tax counsel.

About Recognize

Recognize is a distinguished investor and business builder focused on next-generation Digital Services companies. Headquartered in New York, the firm seeks to back visionary founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are building innovative businesses that leverage AI, software, and digital platforms to deliver transformative outcomes to enterprises. Recognize provides deep operational expertise, industry relationships, and strategic capital to drive accelerated growth of these specialized businesses. To learn more, visit www.recognize.com. 

Contact
Debbie Park Munfa
Recognize
[email protected]

SOURCE Recognize

MIAMI LAKES, Fla., June 30, 2025 — USpharma Ltd., a pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company commercializing several novel delivery platforms, today announced a significant growth equity investment by 1315 Capital, a Philadelphia-based healthcare growth equity firm.

USpharma leverages advanced and patented formulation technologies, including its next generation soft chewable dosage forms and the unique capabilities of its 150,000 square foot US-based GMP facility, to develop and manufacture innovative products across multiple pharmaceutical and supplement markets. This capital infusion will enable USpharma to accelerate the development and commercialization of its pipeline and scale operations to meet growing market demand.

“We are thrilled to partner with 1315 Capital as we enter this pivotal stage of growth,” said Manesh Dixit, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of USpharma Ltd. “This investment allows us to advance our mission to deliver science-backed, high-quality health solutions that improve patient access and adherence. We’re excited to bring our next-generation products to a broader audience with the support of such an experienced partner.”

“Consumers are increasingly focused on health and wellness solutions that are not only efficacious but delivered in a format that fits with their preferences and lifestyle.” said Matthew Reber, Partner at 1315 Capital. “We are proud to partner with USpharma as they expand their commercial reach and provide compelling product formulations in numerous large and growing healthcare markets,”

About USpharma Ltd.
USpharma Ltd. is a privately held healthcare company focused on the innovation, development, licensing, and commercialization of healthcare products. Driven by science and patient need, USpharma delivers accessible, high-quality solutions that improve health and wellness. For more information, please visit www.uspharmaltd.com.

About 1315 Capital
1315 Capital is a private investment firm with over $1 billion of assets under management that provides growth capital to commercial-stage healthcare services, pharmaceutical & medtech outsourced services, pharmaceutical & medtech products, and health & wellness companies. 1315 Capital targets both minority and majority investments in companies where high-quality management teams can rapidly scale platform companies into large and important businesses that positively impact patients, physicians, and the broader healthcare system. For more information, please visit www.1315capital.com.

SOURCE USpharma Ltd.

Backing From Sterling Select to Fuel Electrolyte Boost’s Strategic Growth Across Sports, Health, and Consumer Markets

LOS ANGELES, June 30, 2025 — Electrolyte Boost, a leader in innovative hydration and electrolyte support products, today announced the closing of a venture development deal with Sterling Select Group LLC (“Sterling Select”), and a simultaneous closing of its seed round from Sterling Select’s partners.

“Electrolyte Boost’s ground-breaking waterless electrolyte replenishment and functional nutrition solutions are not just category-defining, they fit perfectly across many market segments where the consumer seeks both physical and mental performance, as well as incredible recovery.  We have already tested the products with athletes of all ages and levels, military and first responders, as well as the medical profession, where carrying bulky liquid containers is just not feasible.  The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Christopher J. Steele, Managing Partner at Sterling Select and former NCAA Division I swimmer at Cornell University. 

Sterling Select operates at the intersection of capital and capability, offering early-stage companies like Electrolyte Boost a venture development approach that goes beyond funding to provide a full-service platform for market traction, brand development, and long-term success.

The partnership enables Electrolyte Boost to expand its retail and direct-to-consumer footprint, pursue high-impact partnerships, and further introduce its clinically proven waterless electrolyte replenishment products into performance-focused markets, including in sports, gaming, healthcare and the defense industry.

“Partnering with Sterling Select helps us unlock and ‘boost’ incredible equity value with their operational involvement and corporate development.  Sterling Select’s powerful network, including corporate, strategic and capital partners, will also propel our growth and amplify our impact,” explained Gary Kleinman, Founder and CEO of Electrolyte Boost. “This closing marks the beginning of a broader initiative to accelerate Electrolyte Boost’s growth through corporate development expertise, financial backing, and deep industry relationships across sports, media, healthcare, entertainment, and technology.”

About Electrolyte Boost
Electrolyte Boost, founded by Gary Kleinman, is a doctor-formulated powder that supports performance and hydration without the need for water. By eliminating water as the primary delivery mechanism, Electrolyte Boost offers a simple, fast, and great-tasting way to support overall hydration and activity. Focused on quality and customer satisfaction, Electrolyte Boost provides innovative health and wellness solutions for a variety of lifestyles and activities. For more information, visit www.electrolyteboost.com.

About Sterling Select Group LLC
Sterling Select is a venture development platform associated with Sterling Equities and is focused on early-stage and growth companies. With strategic reach across real estate, sports, entertainment, media, technology, and financial services, Sterling Select partners with entrepreneurs on the one hand, and established companies, organizations and family offices on the other to accelerate growth and create value through strategic capital, ecosystem access, and operating expertise. For more, visit www.sterlingequities.com/ventures

SOURCE Electrolyte Boost