Backed by Markd, Loro offers the only no-code platform with a free tier for up to $100K in GWP annually—empowering a new generation of insurance builders

DOVER, Del., July 16, 2025 — Loro, the modern platform powering specialty insurance distribution, today announced the successful close of its $1.1 million seed funding round. The round was led by Markd, a prominent insurtech-focused investor, with participation from strategic angels across the insurance ecosystem.

Loro enables carriers, MGAs, and program managers to build and distribute insurance products at unprecedented speed, while maintaining full underwriting control and unlimited distribution flexibility. The platform is also the only insurtech solution that offers a completely free tier for up to $100,000 in gross written premium (GWP) annually, with no minimum commitment. This bold move removes the traditional financial barriers that prevent new entrants from launching and scaling insurance programs.

“This investment is a vote of confidence in our mission to unlock a better future for insurance builders,” said Peter Tilbrook, CEO and Co-Founder of Loro. “We’ve grown to over 25 clients globally, connected more than 600 brokers, and powered meaningful premium volume, all without compromising on speed, affordability, or flexibility. This new capital allows us to double down on building the infrastructure the specialty market has been waiting for.”

Loro’s no-code product builder lets users replicate their existing underwriting rules, logic, and pricing models– whether from spreadsheets or APIs– without needing to overhaul what works. Users can configure dynamic forms, set up complex document generation logic, and automate rating, invoicing, tax, and renewal flows in days. Built-in integrations with Stripe, ePayPolicy, DocuSign, Turris,  and other tools allow for seamless quote-to-bind workflows.

Unlike legacy systems, Loro is designed for multi-layered distribution, enabling users to assign and manage downstream brokers, retail agents, and partners in a fully digital environment. Every participant gets access to quoting, portals and performance insights, while the owner retains control of pricing, rules, and brand experience.

“Loro is doing something few others dare to do: empowering the people closest to risk to move faster, yet without them sacrificing any control,” said Parker Beauchamp, of Markd. “The team understands the nuances of specialty insurance and is building with deep empathy for MGAs and carriers. We’re proud to back them as they shape another chapter of insurance distribution.”

Loro’s “speed to data” advantage provides real-time visibility into every quote, bind, and payment across the network. Clients can generate custom bordereaux, track commissions, automate Lloyd’s reporting, and integrate all data points via API enabling true operational intelligence without delay.

With this funding, Loro will accelerate its product roadmap, grow its global team, and invest further in connectivity, ensuring carriers, MGAs, brokers, and agents can work together on one unified, modern infrastructure.

About Loro
Loro is a no-code, multilingual platform purpose-built for specialty insurance. Designed to launch and distribute products in weeks, not months, Loro gives users full underwriting control, multi-level distribution, and real-time data access, all from a single interface. Loro is the only insurtech solution that’s free up to $100K in GWP annually, with no minimum commitment.

About Markd
Markd is a venture capital company focused on funding and partnering with transformative insurtechs. It pays homage to the insurance industry’s legacy while helping design its future. Markd’s mission is to power substantial work and continually inspire more ideas to prevent hurt and loss.

SOURCE Loro Insurtech Inc.

Investment positions Nuqleous to accelerate growth and further expand leadership position in the retail analytics software market

BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 16, 2025 — Nuqleous, a provider of space planning and retail analytics software solutions, announced that it has secured a strategic majority investment from Rubicon Technology Partners (“Rubicon”) designed to accelerate product innovation and support the company’s long-term growth objectives. In conjunction, Nuqleous has appointed Ben Cronin, a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the retail and supply chain software sector, as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Founded initially as Rock Solid Retail, Nuqleous provides enterprise solutions to transform retail data into actionable insights that enable intelligent decision-making for leading consumer packaged goods companies. Nuqleous’ market position is based on its data accuracy, ability to normalize multiple sources of complex data streams, and a comprehensive suite of tools for data discovery and business intelligence serving category managers, retail sales, and supply chain teams.

Garrett Levey and Bill Kloza, who served as co-CEOs of Nuqleous since 2023, said “This investment marks a powerful endorsement of the platform, people, and purpose we’ve built together. We couldn’t be prouder of our team — their relentless focus on customer success and innovation has brought us to this milestone. With Rubicon’s partnership and Ben’s leadership, we’re poised to scale our impact and deliver even greater value to the brands and retailers we serve.” Levey and Kloza will both continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

Ben Cronin joins Nuqleous with a distinguished track record of scaling enterprise software businesses and partnering with major retailers, including prior experience as SVP of CPG at e2open. He added “I am incredibly excited to lead Nuqleous through the next phase of its growth journey as we continue to build on the market-leading platform that Bill, Garrett, and our talented team has developed. Our goal remains to deliver powerful, innovative tools that enable our customers to harness retail data and drive smarter, faster insights as a strategic partner to drive their growth objectives.”

“Our investment in Nuqleous represents the continuation of Rubicon’s long-standing commitment to backing innovative technologies and support CPG brands and retailers,” said Evan Howell, Principal at Rubicon Technology Partners. “We’ve had the opportunity to get to know Ben Cronin and deeply respect the leadership, experience, and strategic vision he brings to Nuqleous. We have a strong conviction in what we can accomplish together as we embark on this next chapter of growth.”

Raymond James served as the exclusive financial advisor to Nuqleous.

About Nuqleous

Nuqleous provides mission-critical data analytics and space planning automation software for over 180 consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands globally. With deep expertise in retail data systems, Nuqleous’ suite of applications – including Shelf IQ, Retail Analytics, and Presentation Builder – enables sales, category management, replenishment, logistics, and enterprise IT teams to derive insights faster and more efficiently, optimize retail execution, and accelerate growth. To learn more about Nuqleous, please visit www.nuqleous.com.

About Rubicon Technology Partners

Rubicon Technology Partners is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in enterprise software companies with innovative products and talented management teams to help grow and scale their businesses. Rubicon utilizes a collaborative approach to enable companies to adapt to the changing requirements of their businesses as they grow and scale using a set of proprietary processes, best practices and a portfolio-wide engagement model. Rubicon has over $4 billion in assets under management and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with additional offices in New Haven, Connecticut and San Mateo, California. To learn more about Rubicon, please visit www.rubicontp.com.

Media Contact: [email protected] | (833) 687-5368

SOURCE Nuqleous

HOUSTON, July 16, 2025 — Amperon, a leading provider of AI-powered energy forecasting and analytics solutions, today announced a strategic investment from Acario, the corporate venture capital and innovation division of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (“Tokyo Gas”). This additional backing reflects continued investor confidence in Amperon’s technology and vision and will support the company’s continued customer growth and strategic initiatives across North America, Europe, and beyond.

Amperon’s AI-powered forecasting solutions now support customers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and across 15 countries in Europe. The company has seen rapid international growth since its 2024 expansion into markets such as the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. Through continuous advancements in machine learning, physics-based modeling, and weather ensemble features, Amperon continues to raise the bar in forecasting performance and reliability for energy market participants worldwide.

“Bringing Tokyo Gas and Acario on board as investors is a meaningful step in Amperon’s global trajectory,” said Sean Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Amperon. “Their strategic focus on decarbonization and innovation aligns with our mission to modernize energy forecasting worldwide. This investment strengthens our position as we scale internationally while continuing to build from our base in Houston.”

Tokyo Gas is Japan’s largest gas utility, typically meeting one third of the country’s total demand every year. Its innovative history includes becoming the first company in Japan to import LNG and it was the first company in the Japanese energy industry to announce its intent to achieve net zero by 2050. Acario accordingly focuses on supporting forward-looking technology companies making a high impact on the energy industry and its future. In addition to decarbonization, optimization and resilience, this includes diversification into new services and solutions.

Tokyo Gas and Acario have been steadily expanding a global portfolio of partners through strategic collaborations and investments aligned with this long-term vision. A recent example of these efforts includes a 2019 investment in Octopus Energy which led to the creation of a joint venture to operate the brand locally in Japan, where Tokyo Gas has also become a major electricity provider serving over 3.8 million customers.

“As global energy systems evolve, the imperative for precise, real-time insights has never been clearer,” said Kenji Maeda, CEO of Acario. “Amperon’s AI-powered forecasting technology is unique in its accuracy and scalability. We see it playing a vital role in helping both utilities and a diverse set of stakeholders navigate the energy transition with greater stability. This investment reflects our commitment to supporting new solutions that enable smarter, more sophisticated energy trading worldwide.”

Amperon’s AI models—which combine real-time weather, consumption, and market data—have consistently outperformed traditional forecast providers, and the company has established itself as a trusted partner for energy retailers, utilities, and independent power producers, such as Ørsted, Axpo, AES, and Rhythm Energy, delivering AI-powered forecasts that enable real-time, data-driven decision-making.

This strategic investment from Acario follows a March 2025 investment from National Grid Partners, underscoring continued momentum and global confidence in Amperon’s technology and market strategy. By providing precise insights, Amperon helps its customers manage resources more effectively and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Learn more in Amperon’s first annual Impact Report.

About Amperon

Amperon is the leading energy forecasting company, positioned at the intersection of energy data and AI. Founded in 2018, Amperon has become a trusted partner to power and utility companies, delivering demand, renewable generation, and price forecasts. With cutting-edge predictive analytics, seamless data integrations, and premium customer support, Amperon enables customers to enhance grid reliability and optimize asset performance. Committed to grid modernization, Amperon is the forecasting company of the energy transition.

For more information about Amperon, visit www.amperon.co.

About Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1885, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. is Japan’s largest provider of city gas primarily in the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding Kanto region. Since the liberalization of Japan’s electricity market, it has also been providing electricity in the same area. As of its group’s management vision “Compass2030,” Tokyo Gas promotes the challenge of achieving “Net-Zero CO₂” and will lead the transition to a decarbonized society.

For more information about Tokyo Gas, visit www.tokyo-gas.co.jp.

About Acario Innovation LLC.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, Acario Innovation LLC is the corporate venture capital and open innovation division of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. The name “Acario” comes from the word “Akari,” which means “light” in Japanese. Acario is focused on funding market leading companies in the new energy economy, sustainability and digital transformation sectors, including mobility, energy storage, and next-generation customer and energy services. As a dedicated subsidiary of Tokyo Gas, Acario plays a key role on the path to Compass 2030, as outlined by Tokyo Gas.

For more information about Acario, visit www.acarioinnovation.com

SOURCE Amperon

“For decades, decisions have been driven by instinct. But gut calls are expensive — and in today’s market, they’re dangerous,” said Joseph Rutakangwa, Co-Founder & CEO. “This raise lets us put a real-time AI copilot in the hands of every decision-maker — so teams can move faster, smarter, and with total clarity.”

Unlike most AI systems built on scraped content, passive signals, or modeled behavior, Rwazi captures real-time consumer activity — shared directly and voluntarily at a massive scale. That precision powers a new kind of intelligence system: one that helps teams detect shifts early, simulate outcomes, and act with speed and confidence.

The system sharpens constantly — learning from patterns to refine how it understands markets, predicts shifts, and guides action. Rwazi already analyzes billions of behavioral signals across demographics, markets, and products. The result: decision-making that’s not just faster, but surgically precise. Teams move with clarity, leaders with conviction — and businesses finally operate at the speed of change.

Already trusted by Fortune 100 teams, Rwazi helps enterprises:

• Grow market share by spotting opportunities before competitors
• Reduce customer acquisition costs by understanding what resonates, where, and why
• Increase customer lifetime value by aligning product, pricing, and channel decisions with real-time demand

The funding will be used to deepen Rwazi’s simulation capabilities, expand its global data infrastructure, and enhance its AI copilot’s ability to contextualize and recommend next best moves across functions. As economic volatility rises, companies are realizing that delayed reporting is no longer enough.

“Gut instinct might’ve worked when things moved slowly. But today, the teams that win are the ones with systems that see early and act fast,” Rutakangwa added. “That’s exactly what we’re building.”

Learn more at Rwazi.

Rwazi is an AI company delivering decision intelligence that helps enterprise teams drive growth, cut waste, and act with clarity. Fortune 100 companies use Rwazi to support strategic decisions across marketing, product, and operations.

SOURCE Rwazi, Inc.

Ex-Waymo leaders deploy heavy machinery equipped with autonomous technology to address America’s building crisis as demand for new infrastructure surges

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2025 — Bedrock Robotics, the company developing advanced autonomous systems for the $13 trillion global construction industry, emerged from stealth today with $80 million in Seed and Series A backing. Rather than design and sell costly new machinery, Bedrock upgrades customers’ existing heavy equipment fleets with reversible, same-day hardware and software installs to enable fully autonomous operations.

With reindustrialization of the United States accelerating, Bedrock’s technology bridges the expanding gap between rapidly rising domestic infrastructure needs and shrinking workforce capacity. In 2024, investment in U.S. manufacturing facilities alone reached a record $238 billion. Despite a painful shortage of 500K construction workers, 1.25 billion hours are spent annually on operating heavy equipment. With 40% of construction workers expected to retire in the next decade, the case for automation that enhances availability and flexibility of labor for the industry has never been stronger.

Founded by three former Waymo leaders – including the former head of its trucking program – and a fourth co-founder who previously led teams at Segment, the Bedrock Robotics leadership team brings extensive experience across machine learning, system architecture, and operation of autonomy technologies in complex, safety-critical environments. Now, the company’s executives are applying their expertise to construction to improve cost, schedule, safety, and predictability of labor-intensive projects. Laurent Hautefeuille, previous EVP at Uber Freight responsible for building the business from inception to $5B in revenue, has recently joined Bedrock as COO.

By integrating with existing construction machines and workflows, the Bedrock Operator powers machines with expert capabilities, empowering builders with the ability to work around the clock, accelerate project schedules, increase profitability and safety, and track progress on jobs. Bedrock’s systems are running on machines, starting with excavators, across active customer construction sites in Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas. The latest funding rounds, Series A led by 8VC and Seed led by Eclipse, will help Bedrock grow its engineering, operations, and commercialization teams, and deepen partnerships to reach its target of initial operator-less deployment in 2026.

“The construction industry is facing so much pressure with the soaring demand for new factories and data centers, the housing crisis, and the mandate for re-industrialization in the U.S.,” said Boris Sofman, CEO and co-founder of Bedrock Robotics. “The only way to rise to the occasion is by empowering construction teams with advanced automation they can trust. Together with our partners in the industry, we’re ushering in a new era where autonomy and intelligence supercharge building, which will benefit both contractors and society.”

Companies like Sundt Construction, a Phoenix-based general contractor with whom Bedrock collaborates closely on field testing and product improvements, are looking for ways to expand operational capacity. “At Sundt, we pride ourselves on being one of the most forward-thinking builders in the country. Staying at the forefront of innovation means continuously exploring technologies that can improve how we work,” said Eric Cylwik, Director at Sundt Construction. “From our earliest conversations with Bedrock, it was clear they had a strong grasp on the challenges we were trying to solve with robotics. Their thoughtful approach to safety and deployment made it an easy decision to partner and pilot their system on our projects. When a technology proves its value in the field, this industry will pick it up fast.”

Bedrock Robotics has also recently teamed with three Texas firms, Zachry Construction, Champion Site Prep, and Capitol Aggregates.

Bedrock’s fundraising has also included participation from Two Sigma Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, NVentures (NVIDIA’s venture capital arm), Crossbeam Venture Partners, Raine Group, Tishman Speyer, Atreides Management, Al Rajhi Partners, and Samsara Ventures.

To learn more about Bedrock Robotics, visit https://bedrockrobotics.com.

Additional Quotes 

“There are only a small handful of people who can introduce autonomy to a new industry with real credibility — and Boris and the Bedrock Robotics founding team are those people,” said Aidan Madigan-Curtis, partner at Eclipse. “We’re at a unique moment in technology history where autonomy can be productized for industries that truly need it. When I met Boris and the team, it was clear to me that their grit and experience could address the massive market demand for innovation in construction.”

“I’ve long been a robotics skeptic, but Bedrock Robotics was the first company I saw that had it all: the right team, a truly compelling problem that can uniquely be solved today, and a massive market opportunity. Bedrock’s founding team helped pioneer road autonomy at Waymo, and now they’re breaking new ground in construction. At a time when rebuilding America is front and center, Bedrock Robotics’ automation platform is poised to be the workhorse of the new American economy — boosting productivity, driving resilience, and raising wages where it matters most,” said Alex Kolicich, Founding Partner at 8VC.

“What Bedrock is doing is truly next level. While others are focused on moving dump trucks from point A to B, Bedrock is using advanced AI to actually shape the earth itself. Led by one of Waymo’s original technical leaders — someone who helped bring full autonomy to public roads —they are now applying that experience to revolutionize how we build the world,” said John Krafcik, former CEO of Waymo and early Bedrock investor.

About Bedrock Robotics
Founded in 2024, Bedrock Robotics is an autonomous construction technology company with headquarters in San Francisco and active deployment sites across the United States. Led by engineers who helped pioneer autonomous driving at Waymo, Bedrock brings proven autonomy systems to heavy equipment fleets, enabling builders to improve safety, reduce risk, expand capabilities, and accelerate critical project timelines. For more information, visit https://bedrockrobotics.com.

About Eclipse
With ~$5 billion in assets under management and a team of investors with deep operating expertise in technology, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, healthcare, transportation, and more, Eclipse is a leading U.S. investment firm. Its leadership team has the experience necessary to create and scale complex operations. Eclipse partners with exceptional companies that make physical industries more efficient, resilient, and profitable. For more information, visit https://eclipse.capital.

About 8VC
8VC is a leading technology investment firm, backing visionary teams and industry-transforming companies. The partners have an extensive track record as founders, builders, and operators of companies including Palantir, Addepar, Resilience, and OpenGov. 8VC manages over $7 billion in committed capital, investing primarily in defense, logistics, and other sectors. 8VC’s Build program creates transformative new companies addressing critical gaps in each of the above sectors, providing seed funding, strategic guidance, and extensive operational support.

For more information, visit https://8vc.com.

About Sundt
Sundt Construction, Inc. (www.sundt.com) is one of the country’s largest and most respected general contractors. The 135-year-old firm specializes in transportation, water and wastewater, advanced facilities, heavy industrial and mining, building, concrete and renewable power work and is owned entirely by its 4,000 employees. Sundt is distinguished by its diverse capabilities and experience, unique employee-ownership culture and depth of self-perform expertise in multiple trades. Much of Sundt’s workforce is comprised of skilled craft professionals who, together with the company’s administrative employees, enable Sundt to fulfill its mission to be the most skilled builder in America. Sundt has 13 offices throughout California, Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, Utah and Florida and is currently ranked the country’s 46th largest construction company by ENR, the industry’s principal trade magazine.

Media Contact
[email protected] 

SOURCE Bedrock Robotics

Series A Financing to Support Global Expansion of Tech-Enabled HydroStations™

MIAMI, July 16, 2025 — HOPE Hydration, the company which delivers free filtered water through its digitally connected water refill HydroStations™, today announced the successful completion of a $20 million Series A funding round, led by Pentair plc, with additional participation from Burnt Island Ventures. The new capital is expected to fuel the company’s growth into additional markets, scale manufacturing, accelerate product innovation, and strengthen strategic partnerships to help expand its impact worldwide.

Founded by Forbes ’30 Under 30′ alumnus Jorge Richardson, cultural strategist Cristina Gnecco, and hardware engineer Dave Tigue, HOPE Hydration (“HOPE”) is a tech-enabled company that believes water is a human right and is focused on its mission to reduce single-use plastic waste and promote sustainable hydration.

“People are traveling and enjoying outdoor activities more than ever before, and are also more mindful of the impact they have on the world around them, but public access to water hasn’t kept up,” said Jorge Richardson, CEO and Co-Founder of HOPE Hydration. “We built HOPE to fix that. This investment will help enable us to scale a new kind of infrastructure – one that is built for health, for exploration, and for the planet.”

HOPE develops and distributes HydroStations™ utilizing Everpure filtration technology from Pentair Water Solutions to bring free, high-quality, and chilled drinking water to cities, stadiums, airports, and commercial spaces.

“Our partnership with HOPE aligns with our mission to help the world sustainably improve water, life’s most essential resource,” said Adrian Chiu, EVP and President, Pentair Water Solutions. “We are excited to contribute our filtration technology, expertise and resources to help HOPE accelerate their growth strategy, broaden their impact and ultimately help to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic water bottles.”

A Smarter Approach to Water Refill Stations
Featuring proprietary IoT technology, each HydroStation™ is able to provide real-time data updates, including the number of refills and the amount of plastic and carbon dioxide (CO2) saved, as well as monitor water output in real time to support proactive maintenance. Each station is also equipped with 55″ LED screens that display digital ads, creating a unique out-of-home (OOH) advertising experience and impactful brand partnerships that allow the company to install HydroStations™ at no cost to the venue.

Since 2023, HOPE has provided over 2 million refills and has partnered with some of the world’s most notable events and major Fortune 500 brands, as well as international airports, stadiums, and city centers. HOPE’s expansion through this financing will help the company reach its goal of 10 million refills by the end of the year.

HOPE is also backed by industry leaders including Boost VC, Spice Capital, Grayson Allen (Phoenix Suns), and more.

To find a HydroStation™ near you and learn more about the company and its mission, visit HOPEHydration.com. 

About HOPE Hydration:
HOPE Hydration (“HOPE”) is an award-winning Certified B Corporation revolutionizing how people access clean drinking water in urban environments, with a mission to make clean water more accessible and reduce single-use plastic waste. Founded on the belief that water is a human right, the company’s mission is to develop solutions to bring clean water without waste around the world through a technology solution, the HydroStation™.

Media Contact: Kacy Shaw, align Public Relations, [email protected], (805) 689-0845

SOURCE HOPE Hydration

LONDON, July 16, 2025 — Quant Insight, the breakthrough macro factor analytics company serving institutional investors globally, announced completion of its Series A funding round led by 7RIDGE.

The investment will accelerate Quant Insight’s global expansion, enhance its unique macro factor risk models, and strengthen its position as the leading provider of macro intelligence for modern investment management.

Solving the Hidden Macro Risk Challenge
Quant Insight addresses a critical gap in portfolio management: the inability to quantify macro exposures that drive over 50% of equity returns during market stress. While traditional risk models focus on equity style factors, macro risks drive returns during market volatility.

“Macro factors increasingly challenge equity investors’ ability to generate alpha, yet they remain hard to quantify,” said Mahmood Noorani, CEO of Quant Insight. “Our platform provides this critical missing piece—quantifiable macro factor intelligence that complements traditional style factor models.”

Strategic Partnership for Fintech Excellence
7RIDGE brings exceptional domain expertise with a proven track record scaling enterprise-facing technologies for trading, capital markets, and investment management. The firm’s portfolio includes Digital Asset Holdings, Trading Technologies, and Raft Technologies.

“Quant Insight represents exactly the type of transformative technology that makes the global financial system more robust and efficient,” said Carsten Kengeter, CEO of 7RIDGE. “Quant Insight’s macro risk analytics fill a genuine market need with rigorous quantitative methodology. We’re excited to leverage our capital markets expertise to help scale their platform globally.”

Proven Technology
Quant Insight’s platform provides three core solutions:

• Macro Factor Equity Risk Model (MFERM): Decomposes portfolio returns into explainable macro components and provides clarity on macro exposure
• Cross-Asset Valuation Engine: Identifies macro dislocations and fair value gaps across asset classes
• Asset Management Solutions: Construction of active ETFs and risk hedging products

The technology covers 13,000+ global assets with API integration and partnerships with leading risk platforms.

Growth and Innovation

The Series A funding will enable global expansion, enhanced platform capabilities with machine learning, scaled operations, and new applications for macro intelligence.

About Quant Insight
Quant Insight delivers analytics revealing hidden macro influences in portfolios, serving global institutional clients. Visit: www.quant-insight.com

About 7RIDGE
7RIDGE is a private markets asset manager focused on transformative financial services technology, headquartered in London. Visit: www.7ridge.com

Media Contact: Stephen Baldwin email: [email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2731592/QUANT_INSIGHT_LIMITED_Logo.jpg

SOURCE QUANT INSIGHT LIMITED

Support includes the Gates Foundation’s first investment in an Argentine startup

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, July 16, 2025 — A month ago, Puna Bio announced its Series A round, led by Corteva Catalyst and backed by other global investors focused on climate and agricultural innovation.

Today, the company announces the closing of that investment round with the participation of the Gates Foundation.

This investment—the foundation’s first in an Argentine startup—reflects a commitment to advancing locally led innovation that can strengthen sustainable food systems and help smallholder farmers access to microbial-based bioinputs in places where there is limited affordability and accessibility.

The funding will accelerate the development, production, and distribution of Puna Bio’s biofertilizers and biostimulants, which are based on extremophile bacteria. These solutions are designed to enhance crop yields even under stress, by providing crops with nutrients and this collaboration aims to bring these benefits to smallholder farmers in developing regions across Africa.

As part of this partnership, Puna Bio will work closely with the Gates Foundation to test and adapt its technologies to local conditions and co-develop new targeted solutions to support food security at a global scale.

“We believe this partnership is deeply aligned with Puna Bio’s mission of ensuring food security at a global scale. Our science-backed biological inputs, already in use in South America can boost crop yields in a reliable and cost-effective manner, even in challenging weather conditions. By expanding our efforts to Africa, we aim to scale our impact, improve lives, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of global agriculture,” explains Franco Martínez Levis, CEO and co-founder of Puna Bio.

With this new strategic investor, Puna Bio successfully closes its Series A round, alongside At One Ventures, SP Ventures, Dalus Capital, Glocal LATAM, Builders VC, and Grid Exponential.

About Puna Bio

Puna Bio is advancing agricultural resilience by harnessing extremophiles. Their innovative biological inputs help farmers boost yields, reduce fertilizer use, and grow crops on degraded soils.

With operations across USA, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, their two current commercial products – Kunza (for soybeans, cotton, and beans) and Kanzama (for wheat and barley) have already been deployed on over 800,000 acres in just three commercial seasons. Through strategic partnerships and relentless innovation, Puna Bio is shaping a more sustainable future for global agriculture.

For more information, please visit https://www.puna.bio/ or contact us at [email protected]

SOURCE Puna Bio

SAN DIEGO, July 16, 2025 — Firestorm Labs, Inc., the expeditionary manufacturing company that’s redefining distributed, point-of-need production has secured $47 million in Series A funding. The new round was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and includes participation from prominent defense-focused investors, including Lockheed Martin Ventures, Decisive Point, Washington Harbour Partners, Booz Allen Ventures, and others. The total includes $12 million in venture debt from J.P. Morgan. The new capital, rapid growth, and multiple U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracts secured by Firestorm, signal investor confidence and build upon the initial $12.5 million seed round.

These investments enable Firestorm to advance its additive-manufacturing platform, by adding engineers, opening a larger production facility, and broadening its partnership program. The new funds will also accelerate in-theater production of versatile, affordable UAS and other mission-critical platforms to meet the evolving needs of U.S. and allied defense organizations.

In alignment with Executive Order 14307, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” Firestorm will use its Series A funding to scale xCell, an expeditionary factory-in-a-box that produces modular airframes, mission-specific payloads and replacement components at the point of need. This investment fulfills the President’s directive for rapid field production and sustainment of unmanned systems.

Combat units must be able to replenish losses and adapt their drone fleets in contested environments, without returning systems to centralized facilities or waiting for spare parts. The xCell platform enables operators to produce a complete Tempest UAS on site and then reconfigure it for ISR, electronic warfare, or strike missions, thereby providing multimission readiness wherever the fight moves.

“We’re thrilled about this milestone, because it empowers Firestorm to deliver critical, battlefield-ready solutions faster and at scale,” said Dan Magy, CEO of Firestorm. “Our unique ability to 3D print modular airframes on-site dramatically reduces production timelines, costs, and logistical constraints, giving the U.S. and allied forces the adaptive technology they urgently need in complex and contested operational environments.”

Aaron Jacobson, partner at NEA, expressed the firm’s strategic commitment to Firestorm Labs stating, “Firestorm’s pioneering use of distributed, additive manufacturing for low-cost, adaptable, and open-architecture UAS solutions is critical for keeping our troops out of harm’s way and establishing the US at the forefront of unmanned systems. Their agility, unique capabilities, and focused approach align with our vision for transformative defense technologies. We are proud to be supporting them in their mission.”

In addition to NEA’s focus on technological agility, defense industry leaders reinforced the operational importance of Firestorm’s capabilities. “Our military needs technology it can trust to be ready when the circumstances demand it,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Deployable, on-site 3D drone printing is a powerful tool that further extends the warfighter’s ability to secure the battlespace, while advancing U.S. leadership on the frontiers of defense technologies.”

That focus on trusted, mission-ready capability is shared by other investors who recognize Firestorm’s role in shaping the future of autonomous systems. “Firestorm continues to deliver ground-breaking innovations, building the future of autonomous systems to meet the needs of full-spectrum combat operations,” said Thomas Hendrix, general partner at Decisive Point. “The combination of edge manufacturing, modularity in vehicles and payloads, and high-volume/low-cost production pathways has been quickly recognized as a force multiplier and operational necessity by various organizations across the DoD.”

In addition to modularity and edge production, investors underscored the importance of building industrial capacity to meet defense needs at scale. Mina Faltas, founder and chief investment officer of Washington Harbour Partners, said, “One of the most pressing constraints to our military’s readiness and operational reach is our manufacturing capacity. Firestorm is filling that void by providing critical additive manufacturing capabilities that will contribute to the entire defense ecosystem, from the front line to the industrial base. Washington Harbour Partners is proud to back Firestorm and looks forward to working together into the future to deliver for warfighters and the mission.”

This focus on strengthening America’s defense industrial base was echoed by Brian MacCarthy, managing partner of Booz Allen Ventures, “Sustaining a competitive advantage means investing boldly in technologies that match the pace and complexity of modern threats. Firestorm is delivering breakthrough technology designed for speed, scale, and survivability in the world’s most challenging environments. Their ability to move fast and solve hard operational problems is exactly what the U.S. and its allies need to stay ahead in the battlespace.”

Alongside investor perspectives, military leaders also recognize the operational impact of Firestorm’s capabilities. U.S. Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke (Ret.) recently toured Firestorm’s San Diego facilities and commended the team of innovators for easing supply-chain burdens through their determination and collaboration. He remarked, “As a former senior commander focused on supply chains and reducing long logistics tails, I know amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics. Firestorm’s innovation is really helping that logistics chain to operate more efficiently.”

Justin Krauss, Head of Applied Technology within J.P. Morgan’s Innovation Economy business said, “J.P. Morgan is thrilled to work with Firestorm as they enter their next phase of growth and work to develop affordable, modular and open-architecture drones. Our support for their company demonstrates J.P. Morgan’s commitment to supporting founders and next-generation defense companies that are actively helping to keep service members safe.”

With the funding, Firestorm will also enhance its modularity suite by uniting an onboard computer, tactical software, developer tools, and mission planning into one plug-and-play ecosystem. Unlike brittle lab prototypes, this operator-first solution is field-proven and delivers autonomy, adaptability, and control at the edge without vendor lock-in or reliance on GPS or communications.

This investment supports the prioritization by senior DoD leaders of logistics resilience including modularity, point-of-need manufacturing, and seamless planning to production workflows. This integration empowers non-technical personnel to launch complete build cycles in contested environments and shifts sustainment control back to front-line units.

This infusion of capital propels Firestorm to the front of the defense-tech pack, equipping the company to field affordable, mission-ready airpower at the speed of need while empowering a team that has lived the frustrations of legacy procurement to finally fix it at scale.

About Firestorm Labs
Firestorm Labs specializes in advanced additive manufacturing technologies, developing modular, open-architecture unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for rapid deployment in expeditionary and combat environments. By integrating Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Warfare/Signals Intelligence (EW/SI), and kinetic payload capabilities into highly customizable and cost-effective solutions, Firestorm is driving innovation to support warfighters with mission-critical tools directly on the battlefield.

Website: https://www.launchfirestorm.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firestorm-labs
X: @launchfirestorm

SOURCE Firestorm Labs, Inc