New Inference-First Data Infrastructure Overcomes Pilot Paralysis Impacting the Majority of AI Initiatives; Frees Data and AI Teams to Focus on Innovation and Competitive Advantage vs. Managing Complex Infrastructure

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 18, 2025 — Typedef Inc., turning AI prototypes into scalable, production-ready workloads that generate immediate business value, today has come out of stealth mode with $5.5 million in seed funding led by early stage investors Pear VC with participation from Verissimo Ventures, Monochrome Ventures, Tokyo Black, and several angel investors.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure market is projected to reach $200 billion by 2028. With a new purpose-built AI data infrastructure for modern workloads, Typedef is helping AI and data teams overcome the well-documented epidemic affecting the bulk of enterprise AI projects – failure to scale. 

“It is extremely difficult to put AI workloads into production in a predictable, deterministic and operational way, causing most AI projects to linger in the prototype phase – failing to achieve business value or demonstrate ROI,” said Yoni Michael, Co-founder of Typedef. “The fact is, legacy data platforms weren’t built to handle LLMs, inference, or unstructured data. As a result, the workaround has been a patchwork of systems, aging technologies and tooling, or DIY frameworks and data-processing pipelines that are brittle, unreliable, and don’t scale. Typedef is righting these wrongs with a solution built from the ground up with features to build, deploy, and scale production-ready AI workflows – deterministic workloads on top of non-deterministic LLMs.”

Typedef makes it easy to run scalable LLM-powered pipelines for semantic analysis with minimal operational overhead. The developer-friendly solution manages all the complex properties of mixed AI workloads like token limits, context windows, and chunking through a clean, composable interface with the APIs and relational models engineers recognize. Typedef allows for rapid, iterative prompt and pipeline experimentation to quickly determine production-ready workloads that will demonstrate value – then realize that potential at scale.

“Data complexities and flawed data inputs are common obstacles on the journey to AI-readiness,” said Kostas Pardalis, Co-founder of Typedef. “AI and data teams want the same rigor and reliability they expect from traditional data pipelines. They want to supercharge their online analytic processing (OLAP) workloads with AI, extract new value from proprietary data, and run complicated agentic workloads with predictability and scalability. Typedef is making this possible, allowing teams to finally deliver on their AI promises to stakeholders.”

Typedef is completely serverless bypassing any infrastructure provisioning or configuration. Users simply download the open-source client library, connect their data sources and start building their AI or agentic pipelines with just a few lines of code. No complex setup, no infrastructure to provision, no brittle custom integrations to troubleshoot.

“Typedef lets us build and deploy semantic extraction pipelines across thousands of policies and transcripts in days not months,” said Lee Maliniak, Chief Product Officer at Matic, a leading insurance-tech platform that partners with top-rated carriers. “We’ve dramatically reduced the time it takes to eliminate errors caused by human analysis, significantly cut costs, and lowered our Errors and Omissions (E&O) risk.”

“Typedef is ushering in the new era of AI infrastructure where model training has given way to inference and where teams can build reliable, scalable, and cost-effective Large Language Model (LLM) workloads without the complexity or strain of managing infrastructure,” said Arash Afrakhteh, Partner at Pear VC. “I’ve backed this team because they’ve lived the problem, know what’s needed, and have the added experience of running data infrastructure startups to successful exits.”

About Typedef Inc.
Typedef enables organizations to drive new levels of analytic insight and competitive advantage from AI initiatives – moving AI projects from pilot to production faster, more efficiently, and at scale. The purpose-built, AI data infrastructure for modern workloads handles LLM-powered pipelines, unstructured data processing, inference complexity, and the running of batch AI workloads in production, allowing data and AI teams to focus less on managing complex infrastructure and more on driving innovation and business value – fully realizing the promise of AI. To learn more about Typedef or to demo the product, visit www.typedef.ai

Media Contact
April H. Burghardt
PR Consultant
[email protected]
646-246-0484

SOURCE Typedef

BRNO, Czech Republic, June 18, 2025 — The European Union’s vision of digital sovereignty enters a new phase with the launch of DNS4EU, a public DNS resolver providing secure, privacy-focused, and reliable internet access to EU citizens. The service is led by Whalebone, a cybersecurity company born in the Brno region, one of Europe’s most dynamic hubs for digital innovation and cyber resilience.

Developed within a European consortium with support from ENISA and national CERTs, DNS4EU is now fully operational and available to the public. It is the first EU-backed resolver offering a secure, transparent, privacy-first alternative to services like Google and Cloudflare.

DNS4EU includes several components: a public resolver; DNS4GOV, a commercial-grade service for governments and critical infrastructure; and a threat intelligence exchange network supporting secure DNS adoption and cross-border cybersecurity coordination.

“After years of building a global market leader position in large scale on-prem/hybrid deployments of protective DNS, we decided to step up and challenge Cloudflare and Google in the public resolver space. More privacy, more transparency and more dedication,” said Richard Malovič, CEO of Whalebone.

The launch highlights the Czech Republic’s growing role in Europe’s cybersecurity. With the center in Brno, the region is home to an active community of cybersecurity companies and a collaborative environment with global impact. Key institutions like Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology lead major European cybersecurity projects — QARC and CCAT — underscoring the region’s expertise in quantum-safe cryptography and certification. Both universities are also founding members of the CyberSecurityHub^CZ, a national competence center fostering collaboration across sectors.

According to a recent JIC report, cybersecurity is the region’s most dynamic tech sector by venture capital investment. In early 2025 alone, local companies secured almost €40 million — including rounds raised by Whalebone, Threatmark, and Safetica. This builds on Brno’s strong record of cybersecurity ventures that became international players, including the $28.4 million acquisition of Runecast and the sale of Flowmon Networks. The city also gave rise to AVG Technologies, the Czech Republic’s first unicorn, acquired by Avast in 2016 and now operating globally as Gen.

“Brno’s cybersecurity success is built on deep research, strong talent, and strategic support for startups,” said Petr Chládek, CEO, JIC innovation agency. “DNS4EU proves the region can deliver digital sovereignty at a European scale.”

-DNS4EU se pone en marcha, lo que confirma la solidez del ecosistema de ciberseguridad de Brno, según la agencia de innovación JIC

BRNO, República Checa, 18 de junio de 2025 — La visión de la Unión Europea sobre la soberanía digital entra en una nueva fase con el lanzamiento de DNS4EU, un solucionador de DNS público que proporciona acceso a internet seguro, centrado en la privacidad y fiable a los ciudadanos de la UE. El servicio está liderado por Whalebone, una empresa de ciberseguridad nacida en la región de Brno, uno de los centros más dinámicos de Europa en innovación digital y ciberresiliencia.

Desarrollado en el marco de un consorcio europeo con el apoyo de ENISA y los CERT nacionales, DNS4EU ya está plenamente operativo y disponible para el público. Es el primer solucionador respaldado por la UE que ofrece una alternativa segura, transparente y que prioriza la privacidad a servicios como Google y Cloudflare.

DNS4EU incluye varios componentes: un solucionador público; DNS4GOV, un servicio de nivel comercial para gobiernos e infraestructuras críticas; y una red de intercambio de inteligencia sobre amenazas que apoya la adopción de un DNS seguro y la coordinación transfronteriza en materia de ciberseguridad.

“Tras años de consolidar nuestra posición de liderazgo global en implementaciones locales/híbridas a gran escala de DNS protector, decidimos dar un paso al frente y desafiar a Cloudflare y Google en el ámbito de los resolutores públicos. Más privacidad, más transparencia y más dedicación,” dijo Richard Malovič, consejero delegado de Whalebone.

El lanzamiento destaca el creciente papel de la República Checa en la ciberseguridad de Europa. Con el centro en Brno, la región alberga una comunidad activa de empresas de ciberseguridad y un entorno colaborativo con impacto global. Instituciones clave como la Universidad Masaryk y la Universidad de Tecnología de Brno lideran importantes proyectos europeos de ciberseguridad (QARC y CCAT), lo que subraya la experiencia de la región en criptografía y certificación de seguridad cuántica. Ambas universidades también son miembros fundadores de CyberSecurityHub^CZ, un centro nacional de competencia que fomenta la colaboración intersectorial.

Según un reciente informe de JIC, la ciberseguridad es el sector tecnológico más dinámico de la región en términos de inversión de capital de riesgo. Tan solo a principios de 2025, empresas locales obtuvieron casi 40 millones de euros, incluyendo rondas de financiación de Whalebone, Threatmark y Safetica. Esto se suma al sólido historial de Brno en empresas de ciberseguridad que se han convertido en actores internacionales, incluyendo la adquisición de Runecast por 28,4 millones de dólares y la venta de Flowmon Networks. La ciudad también fue cuna de AVG Technologies, el primer unicornio de la República Checa, adquirido por Avast en 2016 y que ahora opera globalmente como Gen.

“El éxito de Brno en ciberseguridad se basa en una investigación exhaustiva, un talento excepcional y el apoyo estratégico a las empresas emergentes”, afirmó Petr Chládek, consejero delegado de la agencia de innovación JIC. “DNS4EU demuestra que la región puede lograr la soberanía digital a escala europea”.

Funding now totals over $43 million, strengthened leadership focused on a 2026 commercial launch of the OncoIntelligence™-driven, PreciseBreast™

NEW YORK, June 18, 2025 — PreciseDx, the leading innovator behind PreciseBreast, a novel breast cancer diagnostic that is powered by OncoIntelligence, their proprietary AI-platform, today announced the successful closing of $11 million in funding and two key leadership hires. This latest round of funding was led by Eventide Asset Management (“Eventide”), Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and Philips Ventures and included Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, GenHenn Capital Venture, along with other existing investors. This funding will help prioritize the company’s ongoing clinical data collection, commercial expansion and planning for the 2026 launch of its flagship product, PreciseBreast.

The news also comes as the company announces two critical leadership appointments. Eric Converse, a seasoned leader with imaging diagnostics and AI/ML technologies experience has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, Ed Sitar, who has over 30 years of financial leadership in diagnostics and market access, has become the Chief Financial Officer.

“This represents a defining moment for PreciseDx and our mission to support physicians and patients in making more informed, biologically driven decisions in the management of breast cancer,” said Founder Carlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, Professor and System Chair of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “With PreciseBreast, we are introducing the first-of-its-kind AI-enabled diagnostic tool grounded in the underlying biology of tumor progression, leading in the new era of diagnostic precision. This gets us one step closer to achieving our vision and shifting the paradigm for evaluating risk of tumor recurrence with the ultimate goal of predicting treatment benefit. We are proud to be advancing a technology that empowers both pathologists and oncologists, and most importantly, offers hope to patients and their families facing breast cancer.”

PreciseBreast is designed specifically to speed the process of care planning for breast cancer patients. The test provides comprehensive insight into phenotype and grade to accurately predict the risk of recurrence within hours. PreciseBreast uses OncoIntelligence, its proprietary AI-platform, to combine seven morphologic features with four clinical factors to produce a single OncoIntelligence Score between 0 and 100. PreciseBreast has been clinically validated by prominent research institutions and in more than 3,000 breast cancer cases, for its ability to accurately and reliably stratify patients into two cohorts based on risk of disease recurrence at six years.

“This latest round of funding reflects strong investor confidence in PreciseBreast, enabling us to expand access to OncoIntelligence, our AI platform that has the potential to improve outcomes and save lives of patients affected by breast cancer,” said Eric Converse, CEO. “With early success in PreciseBreast, OncoIntelligence can begin to provide treatment guidance for many other solid tumor types.”

For more information on PreciseBreast and PreciseDx, please visit precisedx.ai.

Contact: 
[email protected] 

*Both Mount Sinai and Carlos Cordon-Cardo have a financial interest in PreciseDx. Either or both could potentially benefit financially from statements regarding PreciseDx.

SOURCE PreciseDx

Des investisseurs existants apportent des fonds pour terminer l’essai international RESPONDER-HF

TEWKSBURY, Mass., 17 juin 2025 — Corvia Medical, Inc, une société qui se consacre à la transformation du traitement de l’insuffisance cardiaque, a annoncé aujourd’hui la clôture d’un cycle de financement de 55 millions de dollars auprès du syndicat d’investissement existant de la société, composé de Third Rock Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, AccelMed, Lumira Ventures, et de deux investisseurs stratégiques.

Les fonds seront utilisés pour compléter l’étude RESPONDER-HF en cours, une étude de confirmation en double aveugle, randomisée, contrôlée par simulacre, de la Corvia^® Atrial Shunt, actuellement en cours dans plus de 65 institutions sur trois continents. L’étude devrait produire les données cliniques finales nécessaires à l’approbation par la FDA de la dérivation en tant que traitement innovant de l’insuffisance cardiaque avec fraction d’éjection préservée et légèrement réduite (HFpEF/HFmrEF).

“Nous sommes profondément reconnaissants du soutien inébranlable de nos investisseurs de longue date alors que nous avançons vers la soumission à la FDA de la Corvia Atrial Shunt”, a déclaré George Fazio, PDG de Corvia Medical. Leur engagement va dans le sens de notre mission, qui est de mettre ce traitement transformateur de l’insuffisance cardiaque à la disposition de millions de patients dans le monde entier.

Paul LaViolette, président du conseil d’administration de Corvia Medical, a ajouté : ” Nous sommes fermement convaincus que Corvia a le potentiel de modifier fondamentalement le paysage du traitement de l’insuffisance cardiaque, et nos investisseurs partagent cette vision. Grâce à ces ressources, nous sommes bien équipés pour mener la société à travers le processus d’approbation et introduire cette thérapie révolutionnaire sur le marché”.

À propos de l’insuffisance cardiaque (IC) et de la Corvia Atrial Shunt

Plus de 26 millions de personnes dans le monde sont atteintes d’hypertension, et la majorité d’entre elles souffrent d’hypertension artérielle, ce qui en fait le plus grand besoin clinique non satisfait dans le domaine de la médecine cardiovasculaire. Le Corvia Atrial Shunt est conçu pour réduire la pression auriculaire gauche élevée, principal facteur des symptômes de l’insuffisance cardiaque, en créant un passage entre les oreillettes gauche et droite, réduisant ainsi les événements d’insuffisance cardiaque et améliorant la qualité de vie. La FDA a accordé à la Corvia Atrial Shunt le statut de Breakthrough Device en 2019. Pour plus d’informations sur l’éligibilité à l’étude RESPONDER-HF, veuillez consulter le site https://treatmyheartfailure.com.

À propos de Corvia Medical, Inc.

Corvia Medical, Inc. révolutionne le traitement de l’insuffisance cardiaque grâce à de nouveaux dispositifs cardiovasculaires transcathéter. Fondée en 2009 et basée à Tewksbury, MA, la société privée Corvia a pour objectif de transformer la norme de soins pour le traitement de l’insuffisance cardiaque, permettant ainsi aux patients de reprendre leur vie en main. Visitez le site https://corviamedical.com.

CONTACT AVEC LES MÉDIAS :
Lisa Ensz
+1 978-654-6120
[email protected]

Dr. Greenthumb’s Insane OG Seeds Drop Globally June 19

BERLIN, June 17, 2025 — Barney’s Farm, Amsterdam’s iconic seed bank, has joined forces with Dr. Greenthumb’s, the cannabis brand from Cypress Hill frontman B-Real, to debut a first-of-its-kind line of genetics that blends craftsmanship with cultural legacy.

30 Years in the Making

This collaboration has been three decades in the making. Derry Brett and B-Real first crossed paths in Amsterdam’s coffee shop circuit in the early ’90s. What began as a friendship rooted in a shared love for the plant now combines global influence with underground credibility.

This isn’t a celebrity endorsement—it’s a pledge to preserve a culture forged long before legalization, social media, or MSOs entered the scene. A partnership between two pioneers who helped shape the narrative before the world started watching.

Insane OG Goes Global

The debut strain, Insane OG, drops globally on June 19 at Mary Jane Berlin, Europe’s premier cannabis expo. Inspired by B-Real’s notorious 1998 anthem “Dr. Greenthumb,” Insane OG pays tribute to a counterculture built on resistance and dedication to the craft.

Bred from OG Kush, Bubba Kush, and Granddaddy Purple, Insane OG is an aromatic, indica-forward hybrid boasting 27% THC, delivering true connoisseur quality.

“Before anything leaves our house, it’s been stress-tested, verified, and refined to spec,” said Derry Brett, founder of Barney’s Farm. “We don’t release—we unveil. That’s the difference.”

The next drop, Cherry Bomb—a syrupy, high-yield hybrid—lands in September, featuring a pinene-dominant terp profile to enhance focus and mental clarity. More info coming soon.

Global Cannabis Movement

As legalization expands across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Barney’s Farm x Dr. Greenthumb’s has set a new global standard that honors the culture while prioritizing elite genetics.

What to Expect:

• World-class seed drops with international availability
• Certified nurseries for expert phenohunting
• Curated strain rollouts with long-term planning
• Lifestyle merch paired with each strain

“This collaboration is for the heads who’ve been with us since day one—before the hype and the headlines,” said B-Real, Founder of Dr. Greenthumb’s. “We helped build culture. Now we’re preserving it, one seed at a time.”

About Barney’s Farm
Founded in Amsterdam in 1986, Barney’s Farm is one of the most awarded seed banks in the cannabis industry. Since 2003, its U.S. expansion has brought its legendary genetics stateside through partnerships with elite brands like Doja Pak and Backpack Boyz. From RS11 x Bana OG to Lemon Cherry Gelato, Barney’s Farm continues to shape cannabis culture with breeding precision and landrace preservation.
Global Site | U.S. Site | @barneysfarm.genetics

About Dr. Greenthumb’s
Founded by Cypress Hill’s B-Real, Dr. Greenthumb’s fuses music, cultivation, and culture into a brand built for legacy. The Dr. Greenthumb’s brand has retail locations across California, and coming to Illinois soon; the brand is also currently active in AZ,UT, IL, FL, with additional states forthcoming in 2025.
Website | Insane OG Info | @drgreenthumbs

Media Assets
Available in the press kit.

Media Contact
Madison Mullis
[email protected]

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Oversubscribed Series F Led by Dragoneer Investment Group

DURHAM, N.C., June 17, 2025 — Teamworks, the Operating System for Sports™ powering more than 6,500 elite sports teams globally, today announced it has secured $235 million in an oversubscribed Series F financing led by returning investor Dragoneer Investment Group.

This latest round, which closed at a pre-money valuation exceeding $1.0 billion, will fuel the company’s mission to advance AI-powered solutions across professional, collegiate, and Olympic sports programs, cementing Teamworks’ position as the leading sports technology company globally.

“This significant investment validates our vision of creating the most comprehensive technology ecosystem in sports,” said Zach Maurides, CEO and Founder of Teamworks. “From our origins in communication and scheduling, to building the defining operating system for sports, this funding positions us to accelerate our data science capabilities and to shape the future of AI in sports.”

Teamworks has established itself as the premier provider of sports technology across four key pillars, delivering a platform that drives winning by unifying talent acquisition, athlete development, game preparation, and operational excellence in one powerful ecosystem:

Personnel:
For front office and personnel staff to drive talent identification, acquisition, and development that helps build championship-caliber teams.

Performance:
For integrated performance teams to deliver evidence-based, personalized, and coordinated care that increases availability and readiness to compete.

Coaching:
For coaching staff to streamline game preparation by bringing video, data-driven insights, and reporting into one powerful and mobile-friendly platform.

Operations:
For organizational leaders to streamline communication, logistics, and administrative functions across entire organizations, connecting and empowering staff and players.

The investment comes at a time when Teamworks’ operating system is already the preferred technology for collegiate and professional teams globally, including 100% of NFL, 90% of MLB and Premier League, 87% of NBA, 83% of MLS teams, 81% of NHL teams, 99% of DI NCAA athletic departments, and 65+ Olympic federations across 24 countries.

“Teamworks is the unmatched leader in sports technology, delivering critical solutions that are indispensable to organizations across the sports ecosystem,” said Christian Jensen, Partner at Dragoneer Investment Group. “Throughout our partnership, we have witnessed firsthand their remarkable execution, product expansion and growth trajectory. Their innovations in talent acquisition, player development, gameday preparation, digital banking, and operational technology create a market-leading end-to-end experience. We’re excited to be a part of Teamworks’ next chapter as they continue to transform how sports organizations operate.”

This funding, a combination of primary and secondary, will enable Teamworks to accelerate development of AI-powered solutions across all four product categories by expanding its world-class data science team and enhancing AI-driven insights that deliver smarter, faster decision-making for athletes, coaches, and administrators. It will also enable Teamworks to enhance its market-leading platform functionality through improved data unification across products, deeper integration with key partner technologies, and a consolidated mobile app that delivers real-time alerts and context-aware recommendations powered by its best-in-class machine learning and data science capabilities.

“Our customers choose to partner with us not only because we’re a stable, reliable company that for 18+ years has continued to deliver premium solutions, but because we continue to evolve right alongside them,” said Kyle Charters, CFO of Teamworks. “As the sports landscape changes and as our customers’ ambitions grow, this milestone provides significant resources to invest in innovation and world-class talent that will help them succeed.”

About Teamworks

Teamworks is the leading operating system for high performance, powering more than 6,500 sports teams and military organizations worldwide. Teamworks’ suite of best-in-class products drives winning by enabling data-driven talent acquisition, holistic performance development, game preparation, and operational excellence. Founded in 2004, Teamworks has expanded its offerings through strategic acquisitions, including INFLCR, ARMS Software, Smartabase, Zelus Analytics and Telemetry Sports, enhancing its ability to meet the complex needs of modern high-performance environments. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, Teamworks remains at the forefront of innovation in sports and human performance technology. Visit teamworks.com to learn more.

About Dragoneer Investment Group

Dragoneer Investment Group is a growth-oriented investment firm with over $25 billion under management and a flexible mandate to invest in high-quality businesses in both the public and private markets. For over a decade, Dragoneer has partnered with management teams to grow exceptional companies, characterized by sustainable differentiation and superior economic models. The firm seeks to deliver attractive returns while maintaining a focus on capital preservation and margin of safety. Dragoneer looks to partner with the best businesses globally and has been an investor in companies such as Airbnb, AmWINS, Atlassian, AuditBoard, CCC, Clearwater, Datadog, Dayforce, Dollar Shave Club, DoorDash, Duck Creek, Dynatrace, Flipkart, Mercadolibre, Meta, Nubank, PointClickCare, Procore, Roblox, Samsara, Slack, Snowflake, Spotify, Uber and others.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Teamworks

SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, June 17, 2025 — Owl Ventures, the world’s largest venture capital firm focused on education technology with over $2 billion in assets under management, announced today that veteran technology executive and investor Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen has joined the firm as a General Partner. He will lead Owl’s strategic expansion across Europe, Africa, Middle East and other emerging markets, with a focus on impactful, AI-driven innovations in education.

Fjeldsoe-Nielsen brings over two decades of experience building and backing leading technology companies as both an operator and investor. He held key operational roles at Uber and Dropbox, where he helped guide their early international expansion and scale them into globally recognized platforms. Transitioning to venture capital, he became General Partner at Balderton Capital, one of Europe’s premier funds, before co-founding 2xN, a venture firm focused on quantum computing. As an investor, he has backed category-defining companies across education, mobility, quantum and AI—including strategic co-investments with Owl Ventures.

“We are thrilled to have Lars join our team at Owl Ventures. We’ve known and respected Lars for many years, and have had the opportunity to collaborate closely as co-investors,” said Tom Costin, General Partner at Owl Ventures. “Lars brings a rare combination of operating depth at the highest levels of tech and proven investment acumen across sectors. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion for education, extensive global network and perspective are tightly aligned with Owl’s mission and we’re excited to have Lars play a pivotal role in our next phase of growth.” 

Fjeldsoe-Nielsen’s drive to focus on AI in education is rooted in a lifelong interest in how geography and circumstance shape access to opportunity. Having grown up in Africa, he witnessed these dynamics early and has built a career around technologies that remove systemic barriers. He holds degrees from the University of Oxford and London Business School, where he also served as a Governor and Chairman of the Endowment Committee. This sustained engagement with institutions of learning, combined with his cross-functional experience in operating, building, and investing, gives him a distinct perspective on how emerging technologies can help deliver high-quality educational outcomes more equitably at scale.

“Joining Owl Ventures is an exciting next chapter,” said Fjeldsoe-Nielsen. “I am particularly inspired by Owl’s unique sector focus and leadership in education technology, and I look forward to working with visionary founders and education leaders worldwide to create meaningful, scalable impact in this critical sector. The transformative potential of AI to improve global education is immense, creating opportunities for ventures that improve access, quality, and learning outcomes while generating strong financial returns.”

“Lars brings global insight, technical depth, and a clear track record of supporting scalable companies,” added Tory Patterson, General Partner at Owl Ventures. “As we continue to grow our global platform and pursue cross-border opportunities, his experience and perspective will be invaluable in supporting founders and advancing our mission.”

Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Boston and London, Owl Ventures has built a global platform investing in leading education technology companies across PreK–12, higher education, career mobility, and EdTech+ (intersection of EdTech and other major industries such as FinTech and healthcare). With nearly 100 portfolio companies serving 700 million learners worldwide, Owl continues to expand its global footprint. Fjeldsoe-Nielsen’s addition further strengthens the firm’s presence in Europe and emerging markets, supporting solutions that address access, quality, and relevance in education. AI remains central to Owl’s investment thesis, enabling scalable impact and expanded opportunity.

About Owl Ventures
Owl Ventures is the largest venture capital firm in the world focused exclusively on the education technology market. With over $2 billion in assets under management, Owl invests across the education spectrum—including early childhood, K–12, higher education, and career mobility. The firm combines deep domain expertise with a global network of Limited Partners, investors, and strategic partners to help entrepreneurs scale transformative, category-defining companies. www.owlvc.com
For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

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Applications open through August 4, 2025 for dairy startups and entrepreneurs focused on high-growth dairy products

TRACY, Calif., June 17, 2025 — The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and innovation consultancy VentureFuel today announced the opening of applications for the seventh Real California Milk Excelerator, one of the largest dairy-specific startup competitions in the world, along with the formalization of an Incubator track for early-stage products.

The competition, which focuses on accelerating value-added products using real milk, features an immersive mentorship program and access to non-dilutive capital and an innovation ecosystem for brand growth. Since launching in 2019, the Real California Milk Excelerator has supported more than 50 startups, helping to drive multi-million-dollar growth and national retail expansion across Whole Foods, Sprouts, Costco and more. The addition of the official Incubator track, piloted in 2024, represents a deepened commitment to driving dairy innovation and supporting a broader ecosystem of entrepreneurs across all stages of growth.

“From concept to commercialization, our expanded program meets innovators where they are and helps them scale by tapping into the powerful benefits of California milk and our support system for brands that use the Real California Milk seal,” said Bob Caroll, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board. “By formalizing the Incubator alongside the Excelerator, we’re helping even more startups realize their potential and doubling down on our long-term commitment to reimagining what’s possible with real milk from our dairy farm families.”

The Excelerator and Incubator tracks will run for 10 weeks and offer stipends to support program participation—from formulation and production to marketing and retail strategy, along with providing elite mentorship, hands-on support, and connections across the dairy supply chain. The program will culminate in an in-person event in California where Incubator and Excelerator participants will sample their products and the Excelerator cohort will compete in a live pitch competition with up to four finalists taking home $30,000 in marketing support. Those four will then compete over the following 12 months to unlock an additional $100,000 in support based on in-market performance.

The Real California Milk Excelerator is open to growth-stage companies already demonstrating product traction and revenue, while the Incubator track is built for early-stage startups, including pre-revenue concepts. Applicants will be evaluated through a single submission and placed into the track that best aligns with their business stage, traction, and goals.

The program’s return comes amid renewed momentum for dairy. According to Circana, real milk sales rose 4.6% year-over-year in dollar terms through May 2025, underscoring consumer interest in real milk for its taste, nutrition, and versatility.

“Dairy is experiencing a powerful resurgence as consumers seek authentic, nutritious options—and the opportunity for innovation has never been greater,” said Fred Schonenberg, Founder and CEO of VentureFuel. “In year seven of the Real California Milk Excelerator, we continue to unlock new commercial growth for visionary entrepreneurs who are building with dairy, no matter what stage their products are in. By connecting bold ideas with the resources, expertise, and network they need, we are proud to work with CMAB to help shape the future of dairy and drive the next wave of category-defining products.”

Applications are open through August 4, 2025. Startups and entrepreneurs developing high-growth dairy products made with at least 50% dairy are encouraged to apply. Categories of interest include beverages, snacks, cheeses, yogurts, butter, confections, and even non-edible items such as personal care or pet products with a specific interest in GLP-1 friendly, gut health, high protein, lactose-free and reduced sugar products.

Interested parties can apply or learn more about  competition rules, key dates, the application process, and RSVP for a virtual information session on July 15, 2025 at 12 PM PST at realcamilkexcelerator.com.

The 2025 Real California Milk Excelerator celebrates the state’s role as the number one producer of dairy in the United States. California, also known for innovation, has a reputation for quality dairy products and leads the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. More than 1,000 family dairy farms produce the milk found in fluid milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products identified by the Real California Milk seal.

About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world. Connect with the CMAB at RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, X and Pinterest.

About VentureFuel
VentureFuel is an independent innovation advisory firm that helps the world’s best organizations commercialize innovation to ignite change by working with startups. Its innovation programs help enterprise organizations learn, test, build and invest in emerging technology to solve their biggest problems today and unlock new sources of growth. VentureFuel provides organizations like Hershey’s, Comcast, Dick’s Sporting Goods, AARP Foundation and the State of California the tools to drive transformative change with less risk, more speed, and greater proximity to the consumer than traditional innovation models. Learn more at: www.venturefuel.net, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. You can listen to The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast on Apple, Spotify, Simplecast or wherever you get your podcasts.

SOURCE Real California Milk