SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 5, 2025 — Lyric, a leading AI-powered platform transforming supply chain decision making, today announced it has raised $43.5 million in Series B funding. The round was led by global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from Primary Venture Partners, Permanent Capital Ventures, VMG Partners, PSP Growth and NewBuild Venture Capital.

Lyric’s momentum continues to accelerate. Revenue has grown 500% since emerging from stealth 18 months ago, with enterprise adoption now spanning Fortune 500 companies across a range of industries.

A new model for supply chain intelligence

Supply chain teams are under growing pressure to make faster, smarter decisions, but many are held back by rigid tools that simply can’t keep up. As Gartner® notes, “today, many of the activities associated with data, including preparation, transformation, pattern identification, model development and sharing insights with others, lack augmentation and automation. While demands for more analytics-enabled and near-real-time decision making remain high, technical hurdles and data quality concerns limit user adoption and opportunities to drive business outcomes from these solutions.”*

To address this challenge, Lyric built Lyric Studio, a composable platform designed from the start to give customers the power to tailor decision-making intelligence to their unique needs. With seamless data integration, a rich library of algorithms, an intuitive workflow builder, and a built-in experience layer, Lyric puts advanced science in the hands of business users faster, easier, and with precision. It helps teams move quickly and make better decisions across modeling, planning, and frontier use cases.

“We chose Lyric as our next-generation supply chain design platform after thorough assessment of multiple considerations. Within a brief period, we are already expanding our capabilities into many unique use cases with the speed and agility to meet our strategic objectives. Lyric’s algorithmic horsepower and talented technical team are exceptional,” said Natesh Rao, Supply Chain Leader at Mondelēz International.

Investing in product, intelligence, and community

The new capital will accelerate Lyric’s product roadmap, expand its library of reusable supply chain logic, and deepen its AI-driven capabilities for experimentation, simulation, and automation. The company will also invest in customer success, onboarding, and community programs as it scales platform access for global supply chain teams.

“This investment is more than a milestone; it is a signal,” said Ganesh Ramakrishna, Co-Founder and CEO of Lyric. “Supply chains today are too complex and volatile for static software. Leaders need platforms that adapt to them, not the other way around. We are proud to be building the next generation of supply chain infrastructure.”

Looking ahead to Empower 2025

Lyric will unveil new capabilities and share its forward-looking roadmap at Empower 2025, the company’s annual conference, in Chicago on August 13–14, 2025. The event will gather supply chain leaders from across industries to explore what is possible in an AI-first, composable future.

“We believe supply chain decision making is overdue for reinvention,” said Teddie Wardi, Managing Director at Insight Partners and new Lyric board member. “Lyric’s platform-first approach delivers the flexibility and intelligence companies have been seeking for years. We are excited to back the team as they scale globally.”

Learn more at lyric.tech.

*Gartner, Market Guide for Analytics and Decision-Making Platforms for Supply Chain, Christian Titze, Leonard Ammerer, David Pidsley, 14 January 2025

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About Lyric

Lyric is a leading AI powered platform that puts algorithmic decision making into the hands of supply chain builders. With Lyric Studio, enterprises design, test and deploy high performance models faster, unlocking better decisions across planning, logistics, inventory and beyond. Lyric is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

About Insight Partners

Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2024, the firm has over $90B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on X @insightpartners.  

SOURCE Lyric

Raised in Under Three Months, the Oversubscribed Fund will 
Invest in High-Growth Consumer Brands

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2025 — Prelude Growth Partners (“Prelude Growth”), a growth equity firm focused on partnering with high growth branded consumer product and service businesses, today announced the first and final close of its third fund, Prelude Growth Partners III, L.P. (“Fund III”). Fund III was significantly oversubscribed, closing in less than three months at its hard cap with $600 million in total commitments. Fund III received strong support from a broad base of prestigious institutional investors including endowments, charitable foundations, public pension funds, global financial institutions and family offices. Prelude Growth now manages $1.3 billion in assets.

Consistent with Prelude Growth’s prior funds, Fund III will continue to execute its focused investment strategy, partnering with passionate and exceptional founders and management teams across advantaged consumer products and service categories.  Fund III aims to commit between $15 million and $75 million to high-growth consumer businesses.

Neda Daneshzadeh, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Prelude Growth, said, “We are thrilled to have closed Fund III with tremendous support from both existing and select new limited partners who helped us complete a significantly oversubscribed fundraise in just two and a half months. This is a testament to how much the limited partner community values a disciplined approach.  We look forward to partnering with truly exceptional consumer entrepreneurs who are setting the pace of innovation in their categories.”

“We are here to support founders in building the iconic brands of the future” added Managing Partner and Co-Founder Alicia Sontag. “We leverage our deep consumer experience and insights with our partner brands and provide powerful expertise in building successful brands at a large scale.  We act as highly collaborative partners to our founders and management teams, enabling them to maximize the potential of their brands.”

Since Prelude Growth’s inception in 2017, the firm has become the partner of choice for branded consumer product and service businesses by providing deep strategic and operating value-add support to scale their partner brands faster.  The firm has backed leading consumer brands including Sol de Janeiro, Bachan’s, MadeGood, PHLUR, Blueland, Summer Fridays, So Good So You, Skin Pharm, and Westman Atelier. Prelude Growth’s previous fund, Prelude Growth Partners II, L.P., closed in 2021 with $250 million in committed capital.

Proskauer Rose LLP served as legal counsel for Fund III. No placement agent was used.

About Prelude Growth Partners
Prelude Growth Partners is a leading consumer-focused growth equity firm that supports brands made for the new modern consumer. By partnering with founders and CEOs, Prelude Growth Partners provides deep category experience, value-added operational support, and a broad network to power the high potential, fast-growing consumer brands of tomorrow. Prelude Growth Partners seeks to make investments of $15 million to $75 million in each company, across branded consumer categories including beauty & personal care, food & beverage, health & wellness, pet and other consumer product and service companies. Representative past and current partner investments include: Bachan’s, Banza, Blueland, dpHUE, Fly By Jing, MadeGood, So Good So You, Skin Pharm, Sol de Janeiro, Summer Fridays, The Center Brands (including Naturium and PHLUR), Tower 28, and Westman Atelier. For additional information on Prelude Growth Partners, please visit www.preludegrowth.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn.

Media Contacts
[email protected]

SOURCE Prelude Growth Partners

AI investments account for 58 cents of every VC dollar deployed in 2025

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2025 — While AI companies continue to attract significant venture capital (VC) investment, these companies are also operating with higher cash burn rates, according to the latest report from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank.  AI companies account for approximately one-third (36%) of VC deals and the majority (58%) of total VC investments, but they are also showing higher burn rates and lower profit margins, according to the report.

“AI is one of the most transformative innovations of the past two decades, driving strong potential across all sectors and industries. While increasing investment raises concerns about lofty valuations and high burn multiples, we remain optimistic that AI will help to push the innovation economy forward,” said Marc Cadieux, President of Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, and co-author of the bi-annual State of the Markets Report. “Founders and CFOs are starting to focus more on balancing growth and profitability. After being in a constant state of flux since 2019, revenue growth rates and profitability in the tech sector have stabilized over the last four quarters.”

According to SVB, 75% of all venture-backed tech companies are growing revenue, with 63% of those either profitable or improving profitability. The percentage of profitable companies studied has more than doubled since 2022.

“What you’re seeing today is the start of the institutionalization of venture. The industry is kind of like Cro-Magnon on the evolutionary scale from ape to human,” Ian Sigalow, co-founder and managing partner of Greycroft, stated in the report. “We’re somewhere in the first third of evolution. We will become an industry that looks more like private equity given the number of companies and the global scale and ambition of these businesses.”

Leveraging proprietary data and research, SVB’s bi-annual State of the Markets report provides an outlook on the innovation economy, focusing on venture capital (VC) trends, fundraising, the impact of AI, and the current state of the innovation economy market.

Key Numbers – At a Glance

• Fundraising: Fundraising by venture funds in the US is on track to hit $56B this year, a 21% drop from 2024 and the lowest level since 2017. Mega-funds are dominating, leading to larger deal sizes, especially in AI. Among conventional VC fund capital raised in the US over the last three years, more than 36% went to funds at least a billion dollars in size—up from 20% for the period ending six years ago.
• AI Burn Rate: $5 is burned by the median Series A AI company to gain $1 of new revenue. Burn multiples for AI companies are higher than other sectors, suggesting low-cost capital could be fueling inefficient growth.
• IPOs: There were 10 US VC-backed tech IPOs in the first half of 2025. With the IPO window finally cracking open, it appears pent-up demand from investors could drive continued activity through the back half of the year.
• Investors: One-third of US VC investment came from deals with the six largest funds. The increase from 10% in the period ending in November 2024 was driven almost exclusively by massive AI deals

Key Themes:

• Influence of Venture Podcasts: According to SVB’s new Podcast Sentiment Index, the first-of-its-kind index drawing from 3,200 venture podcast episodes, AI and defense are high on the list of hot topics among VC firms. Key themes in podcasts also included improving sentiment of AI after ChatGPT was released and the momentum continues. Meanwhile, defense received a huge boost in mentions following the 2024 presidential elections.
• Unicorn KPIs: While 72% of tech unicorns are achieving YOY growth, only 21% are turning a profit. While growth can naturally slow as companies scale, 91% of non-growing unicorns are burning through their once-ample cash reserves.
• Geography of Innovation: New York has become a fintech standout, with nearly 30% of local VC dollars going to the sector in 2024 — more than double the national average. Austin dominates in consumer tech, and Denver received 54% more share of VC dollars than the national average for climate tech.

Learn More
To access SVB’s 2025 State of the Markets report please visit: State of the Markets Report | Silicon Valley Bank

To share its deep industry knowledge, SVB develops various insights reports focused on sectors spanning the innovation economy. For the complete library of SVB’s signature research reports, please visit Market Research Industry Trends & Insights | Silicon Valley Bank (svb.com) 

About Silicon Valley Bank

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of some of the world’s most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial banking to companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB’s parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com

SOURCE Silicon Valley Bank

Leadership addition brings deep market expertise to accelerate VERIS growth

LANCASTER, Pa., Aug. 5, 2025 — The Benecon Group, a national leader in self-funded healthcare solutions, today announced the appointment of Michael Sullivan as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). This strategic appointment comes as the company scales its national consortium solution, VERIS, into its next phase of commercial acceleration.

A veteran healthcare executive, Sullivan brings over 25 years of experience leading complex benefit and insurance organizations, including executive leadership roles at Independence Health Group, AmeriHealth Administrators, and Highmark. Sullivan’s deep expertise in stop loss, third-party administration, product strategy and distribution partnerships, paired with his proven track record driving large-scale growth across regional and national markets, makes him uniquely positioned to lead Benecon’s commercial operations at this pivotal moment.

“VERIS resonates across the market for its employer control, risk protection, and cost predictability,” said Matthew Kirk, CEO of The Benecon Group. “Michael’s appointment ensures we build on that traction with operational precision, partner enablement and national scale. He brings a strategic lens, a commercial playbook, and the experience to scale our growth engine across the country.”

VERIS by Benecon is an independent consortium model that leverages actuarial intelligence and underwriting precision to drive sustained health plan performance. Through data-driven design and stop-loss purchasing power, VERIS is a validated platform with over a decade of proven results — and is now primed for broader reach.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Sullivan will lead Benecon’s go-to-market execution across all fronts, including advisor activation, channel strategy, regional expansion, and strategic partnerships.

“VERIS is a blueprint for scalable self-funding and has already proven its value to advisors and employers across the country,” said Sullivan. “In partnership with the expert team at Benecon, my focus is to amplify that success, deepen our partner relationships, and unlock the full market potential of this platform.”

Throughout his career, Sullivan has led multi-line commercial health insurance businesses serving hundreds of thousands of members and generating over $1 billion in annual revenue. He has grown TPA business units, launched new lines of business across multiple markets, and held a C-level role with national scope and operational responsibility across all 50 states.

“Benecon’s appointment of a Chief Commercial Officer is a clear investment in growth, discipline, and long-term category leadership,” said Jason Mironov, Managing Director at TA Associates (“TA”), Benecon’s private equity partner. “Michael brings the experience, network and commercial strategy needed to drive the next phase of VERIS expansion.”

“In the rapidly evolving self-funded healthcare market, VERIS stands apart for its actuarial strength, scalability and advisor-friendly design,” said Michael Berk, Managing Director at TA. “Michael’s leadership will help Benecon meet growing market demand with clarity and precision.”

“Employers and advisors are seeking solutions with consistency, predictability and scale,” added Michael Smith, Managing Director at Neuberger Berman Private Markets. “VERIS delivers on those expectations, and Michael’s appointment signals a strong commitment to continued expansion.”

About Benecon

VERIS by Benecon is a self-funded healthcare model built for control, capped liability, and long-term plan performance. Unlike models that work to get companies into self-funding, VERIS is built to keep them there – through actuarial design, underwriting precision, and built-in risk protections. As the only national, independent consortium, it secures the full plan – not just the 30% typically covered by stop-loss. VERIS defines total cost exposure up front and delivers guaranteed renewals, rate caps, no new lasers, and full surplus return. It’s self-funding, solved—where decisions and dollars stay where they belong – with the employer. Learn more at benecon.com.

About TA

TA is a leading global private equity firm focused on scaling growth in profitable companies. Since 1968, TA has invested in more than 560 companies across its five target industries – technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services. Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TA collaborates with management teams worldwide to help high-quality companies deliver lasting value. The firm has raised $65 billion in capital to date and has over 150 investment professionals across offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. For more information, visit: www.ta.com.

About Neuberger Berman Private Markets

Neuberger Private Markets is a division of Neuberger Berman and has been an active and successful private markets investor since 1987. Neuberger Private Markets invests across strategies, asset classes, and geographies for a large number of sophisticated and renowned institutions and individuals globally. As of March 31, 2025, Neuberger Private Markets manages over $140 billion of investor commitments across primaries, co-investments, secondaries, private credit, and specialty strategies. Neuberger Private Markets has an experienced and diverse team of over 440 professionals with a global presence in 15 offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

SOURCE Benecon

BANGALORE, India, Aug. 5, 2025 — Wyser announces Agentik^X, India’s first Agentic AI investment initiative designed to identify, develop and invest in startups disrupting the enterprise landscape. Bold and innovative founders solving customer validated problems can apply effective August 5, 2025, with top 10 startups selected for specialized 5-day Agentik^X Primer, intended to accelerate Go To Market strategy. Agentik^X Primer focuses on Enterprise Agentic AI startups validating and deepening their understanding of industry white spaces, through direct interaction with CXOs/AI Heads across India and globally.

“Wyser was born from a simple conviction: India can design and build cutting-edge Agentic AI products for the world. We back founders who are disrupting legacy systems and reimagining how enterprises operate,” says Satyakam Mohanty, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Wyser.

“We built Wyser to provide catalytic capital to founders building in Enterprise Agentic AI. Agentik^X is more than funding, it is the platform to provide foresight, friction and fuel and is a call to action for India to lead, bet early, bet bold and bet together,” says Supria Dhanda, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Wyser.

Applications to the Agentik^X Primer will close by August 15, 2025. Successful graduates will have the opportunity to pitch to Wyser for investment consideration.

About Wyser

Wyser is a VC firm that invests in Agentic AI companies poised to transform enterprises, leveraging India’s AI talent and tech startup ecosystem for global impact. Led by experienced operators Satyakam Mohanty and Supria Dhanda, Wyser focuses on pre-seed to seed-stage startups developing autonomous adaptive systems for enterprise/B2B space. With a target corpus of $25 million, the fund will focus on pre-seed to seed-stage startups developing Agentic AI solutions across various industries.

Wyser’s investment strategy targets the evolution from AI 1.0 (static) to AI 2.0 (adaptive) for enterprises transforming to enterprise 5.0. This shift represents a significant opportunity, with Agentic AI expected to contribute $17.1 trillion to the global GDP by 2030.

The firm will invest in 20-23 Enterprise Agentic AI companies, with investments ranging from $150,000 to $500,000 per startup, emphasizing a product/platform-first approach. Wyser’s portfolio already includes investments in startups like AquaAirX and Pype, with a strong pipeline that validates the groundswell of Agentic interventions coming out of the Indian startup ecosystem

Media Contact:
Supria Dhanda
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
[email protected] 

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2744327/Wyser_Launches_Agentikx.jpg

SOURCE Wyser

Expanse’s Venture Arm Launches with a Diverse Portfolio of Businesses on the Forefront of Enabling Technologies Powering the Future of Finance, Healthcare and Commerce 

CHICAGO, Aug. 5, 2025 — Expanse, an asset management firm built with a family office perspective, is announcing their $18M Inaugural Fund alongside investments in a diverse portfolio of businesses on the forefront of enabling technologies like AI and machine learning. Expanse’s newly announced venture arm is invested in companies powering the future of finance, healthcare and commerce including Hamsa, OneHealthGroup, Zocks, Release Recovery and Manual. Founded by Connor Crown, Expanse’s mission is born out of a family office ethos that spans over four generations of investment experience focused on a long-term capital deployment strategy that is built to deliver multi-generational asset appreciation in any economic environment. 

“The Expanse team is thrilled to announce this new venture fund that brings together an esteemed group of family offices ready to invest in founders that are looking for real partners, ones with the operating experience and relationships to deliver exceptional value and support their growth into profitable and sustainable businesses,” said Expanse Founder Connor Crown. 

Expanse is focused on investing in the companies and entrepreneurs best positioned to embrace the technologies of today, like GenAI and machine learning, to build the companies of the tomorrow, specifically in the Fintech, Healthtech and Insurtech industries. Expanse’s diverse portfolio includes businesses like Hamsa, OneHealthGroup, Zocks and Release Recovery, companies on the forefront of enabling technologies powering the future of finance, healthcare and commerce, reducing friction, improving the user experience and making it easier for consumers to connect with the institutions we all rely on.

“Partnering with Expanse has been a game-changer for Hamsa. Expanse understands that the best investors are not just shareholders, but team members, working side-by-side with the CEO and his/her executive team to build industry defining companies that have highly scalable, profitable business models. The Expanse team has been instrumental in building our commercial go-to-market path and connecting us with key strategic and investment partners to accelerate our growth,” said Adam Zbar, Hamsa CEO.

“The operations team at Expanse has made them an ideal partner for Zocks or any company on the forefront of building and delivering innovative new solutions to customers. We worked with them well before investing, and throughout, they demonstrated their ability to provide immediate value and a long-term mindset. It allows entrepreneurs to focus on growth and building a company with maximum value that lasts. We’ve really valued the partnership,” said Zocks CEO Mark Gilbert. 

About Expanse:

Expanse is an asset management firm built with a family office perspective. Our long-term capital deployment strategy and diversified portfolio deliver multi-generational asset appreciation in any economic environment. Founded by Connor Crown, Expanse’s mission is born out of a family office ethos that spans over four generations of investment experience where relationships and trust are valued above all else. As experienced operating partners, we offer more than just capital, aiming to deliver real value over a sustained diligence period, earning the right to invest when the time comes. Our first-fund mentality brings in best-in-class professionals in their respective fields to lead our diverse portfolio, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem for families and partners with unmatched economic incentives. Expanse also understands first-hand the complexities and nuances of financial planning for multiple generations. We lean into these important discussions with the experience and trust required for individualized, multi-generational legacy planning.

CONTACT: Tatiana Winograd, [email protected]

SOURCE Expanse

Funding to accelerate the expansion of Uzbekistan’s leading fintech platform and e-commerce ecosystem

• Uzum raises nearly $70 million in equity financing led by Tencent and VR Capital, with participation from FinSight Ventures
• Uzum’s valuation surges to ~$1.5 billion post-money, reflecting the company’s rapid growth across fintech and e-commerce
• Uzum Bank has emerged as the fastest-growing digital bank in Uzbekistan, issuing over 2 million co-branded Visa debit cards with embedded credit limits
• Fintech services deeply integrated with Uzum’s e-commerce ecosystem
• Fresh capital will be used to help drive the rollout of digital lending and deposit products, expand the Visa debit card program, and further scale financial infrastructure — with AI increasingly embedded across credit scoring, fraud prevention, and personalised user experiences

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Aug. 5, 2025 — Uzum, Uzbekistan’s leading digital ecosystem, has secured nearly $70 million in equity financing from Tencent and VR Capital, with participation from FinSight Ventures—a U.S. fund focused on AI, fintech and super-app investments, and lead investor in Uzum’s first equity round completed in March 2024.

Tencent is a world-leading internet and technology company with a diverse portfolio of innovative products and services. It is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

VR Capital is a global alternative asset management firm with over $8 billion in assets under management. The firm has managed external capital for institutional investors since 1999, with a focus on investments in emerging and developed markets. VR Capital operates via its principal offices in New York and London.

This funding marks a significant increase in Uzum’s valuation since the March 2024 fundraise, bringing the company’s post-money valuation to approximately $1.5 billion, and comes against a backdrop of strong operating and financial traction delivered across key business segments.

Fintech momentum: Uzum Bank, the company’s digital banking unit, is now the fastest-growing bank in the country. Since launching its co-branded Visa debit card with pre-approved credit limits in August 2024, Uzum has issued over 2 million cards in 1H 2025, introducing Uzbekistan’s first embedded credit limit tied to a debit instrument. At the same time, Uzum’s consumer credit business, anchored by its market-leading BNPL offering, has more than tripled its total financed volume (TFV) in the first half of 2025.

E-commerce engine: The e-commerce segment—powered by Uzum Market (the largest national marketplace) and Uzum Tezkor (Uzbekistan’s leading express delivery service)—grew gross merchandise value (GMV) ~1.5x year-over-year in H1 2025. Uzum remains the only vertically integrated platform combining commerce and financial services at a national scale.

The company’s breakthrough valuation and new investment reflect its unparalleled market position and ambition. The proceeds from this round will be used to accelerate the buildout of Uzum’s proprietary fintech infrastructure, broaden its product suite, cementing its leadership across key verticals, and capture the full potential of Uzbekistan’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

Richard Deitz, Founder and President, VR Capital:

“Uzum embodies a unique confluence of a proven business model and first-mover advantage in a structurally underserved market. We are deeply impressed by the quality of the team and the remarkable progress the Company has achieved to date. It is our privilege to support Uzum’s continued growth through our investment.”

Alexey Garyunov, Managing Partner at FinSight Ventures:

“We believe Uzum represents one of the most compelling fintech and e-commerce growth stories in Central Asia. Since our initial investment last year, the company has achieved remarkable milestones — rapidly expanding its user base, launching new products, and driving monetization. The synergy across its diverse verticals has not only improved unit economics and reduced delinquency, but also lifted customer satisfaction and retention, reflected in a rising NPS and LTV. These dynamics mirror patterns we’ve seen in other breakout super-apps globally, and they’re reinforcing Uzum’s leadership in Uzbekistan’s digital economy. We see enormous untapped potential to layer new services for both consumers and merchants on top of Uzum’s existing platform. That’s exactly why we’re excited to double down in this new round and continue supporting Uzum on its journey.”

Djasur Djumaev, Founder and CEO of Uzum:

“In just two years, Uzum has built the most comprehensive digital ecosystem in Uzbekistan. Today, we’re reshaping how people shop, pay, and manage money. This new round of funding empowers us to deepen our fintech offerings and expand our leadership in digital banking and lending. We are delighted to welcome Tencent and VR Capital as new shareholders and proud to be working with tier-1 global investors who share our vision. It’s also a vote of confidence in our strategy to integrate financial services directly within the country’s largest e-commerce infrastructure.”

About Uzum

Uzum is a digital ecosystem and the largest digital platform in Uzbekistan, providing services spanning e-commerce, express delivery, banking and fintech, and business development. The ecosystem includes Uzum Market, an online marketplace with a wide range of products and one-day delivery across the country; Uzum Tezkor, an express delivery service from restaurants and stores; Uzum Bank, a digital bank; Kapitalbank, the country’s largest privately owned bank; Uzum Nasiya, an online unsecured lending service; and Uzum Business, an app for business customers. More than 17 million people — over half of Uzbekistan’s population, use Uzum services every month. Learn more at https://uzum.com/en/.

The Company is compliant with AML/FATFA proceedings and observes international sanctions regime in terms of its business operations and incoming and outcoming investments. 

About Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous country and second-largest economy by nominal GDP, is undergoing a generational digital and financial transformation. With nearly 60% of its 37 million citizens under the age of 30, the country combines favourable demographics with strong GDP growth (6.5% in 2024) and rising consumer demand.

Despite high mobile penetration and rapidly expanding internet access (projected to exceed 87% by 2027), Uzbekistan remains significantly underbanked: over 40% of adults lack access to formal financial services, and digital lending and card issuance are still nascent. This creates a vast opportunity for fintech disruption — particularly embedded finance models integrated with commerce.

E-commerce in Uzbekistan is expected to grow at a CAGR of 40–47% to reach $2.2 billion by 2027, according to KPMG, making it the fastest-growing digital consumer market in Central Asia. With strong government backing for financial inclusion, investment in digital infrastructure, and favourable regulatory reforms, Uzbekistan has become a launchpad for scalable digital finance and technology-driven platforms.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2744235/Uzum_Market_pick_up.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2067732/5445555/Uzum_Group_Logo.jpg

Transaction consolidates the bank’s position as a recurring issuer in the Brazilian capital markets

SÃO PAULO, Aug. 4, 2025 — Agibank, a digital bank operating a unique business model through a hybrid platform that combines the efficiency and scalability of digital with the reach and personalized service of physical presence, has announced the conclusion of another strategic issuance in the corporate debt market, raising BRL 4 billion through a debenture offering. The proceeds will be used to optimize the bank’s capital structure, diversify its liabilities and sustain the expansion of its credit portfolio under competitive and efficient terms.

The transaction was executed in thirty-seven tranches, with a final maturity of 74 months, and bears interest of CDI + 1.00% per annum, with principal and interest due at the end of each respective tranche. The issuance was placed in the market through a public offering with automatic registration, combined with a private placement, both exclusively targeted at professional investors. The debentures are backed by credit operations originated by the bank, in accordance with pre-established eligibility criteria.

Proceeds will be fully allocated toward credit portfolio growth, liability profile extension and further diversification of funding sources.

“We remain committed to capital discipline, sustainable growth and returns above our cost of capital, while staying true to our purpose of building a banking experience that embraces and empowers all Brazilians,” said Marcello Dubeux, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Investor Relations at Agibank.

The issuance comes at a time when the bank is reporting solid operational performance. In Q1 2025, Agibank posted net income of BRL 350.5 million, with a return on average equity (ROAE) of 45.2%, year-over-year loan book growth of 52.4% (reaching BRL 27 billion), and a 90-day NPL ratio of 2.9%, with a coverage ratio of 226%.

In April, Moody’s Local upgraded Agibank’s rating from A+.br to AA-.br, citing the bank’s strong profitability and sustained asset quality during a period of accelerated expansion.

Agibank currently serves more than 5 million active clients and operates a network of over 1,000 proprietary Smart Hubs across Brazil.

SOURCE Agibank

Startup uses advanced AI and Computer Vision to enhance asset monitoring and operational efficiency

SÃO PAULO, Aug. 4, 2025 — Fu2re, a Brazilian startup specializing in Artificial Intelligence solutions for data and image processing, has raised BRL 12.5 million in a new funding round. The investment is led by Copel Ventures, managed by Vox Capital, with BRL 7.5 million, and Indicator Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital firm focused on deep tech, contributing up to BRL 5 million.

Fu2re combines state-of-the-art AI architecture with advanced Computer Vision to monitor physical assets with high accuracy and scalability. Its technology is widely applied in the energy sector, enabling the digitization of asset monitoring routines, automated meter readings, inventory optimization, and fraud detection—resulting in reduced operational losses and increased efficiency.

“Our solutions are already deployed at scale within the core operations of major companies, delivering measurable productivity gains and cost reductions,” says André Sih, Fu2re founder and Managing Partner. A key differentiator is the startup’s no-code platform, which allows users to develop and adapt AI applications without programming, speeding up implementation across clients and industries. The platform also includes pre-trained models and integration with enterprise systems, enabling fast onboarding.

Fu2re was the first Latin American startup accelerated by NVIDIA’s Inception Program, and it represented Brazil at GTC 2021. It has also been recognized in the 100 Startups to Watch list and ranked among the top AI startups by 100 Open Startups.

The investment supports Copel’s strategy to enhance operational efficiency and expand revenue, as outlined during Copel Day 2024. “This project helps improve our network inventory with productivity gains of around 30% and better allocation of maintenance teams,” says Daniel Slaviero, Copel CEO. Diogo Mac Cord, VP of Strategy, New Business, and Digital Transformation, adds: “It also enables preventive monitoring of infrastructure, increasing safety and system reliability.”

Fabio Iunis de Paula, Indicator Capital co-founder, highlights Fu2re’s potential to scale AI at the edge: “It brings real-time intelligence to where data is generated, enabling automation in sectors like energy and telecom.” Through its Building Value Together® program, Indicator will support Fu2re’s international growth and positioning.

The funding will help scale technologies such as SmartVision AI, expand into agribusiness and industry, and explore global opportunities. The initiative also advances UN SDGs 9.4 and 12.1, reinforcing a commitment to sustainability and innovation.

SOURCE Fu2re