Andreessen Horowitz leads the funding round which will accelerate the company’s leading
telehealth marketplace

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 22, 2025 — Truemed, the leading HSA/FSA marketplace for top preventive health products, today announced a $34 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Long Journey Ventures, BoxGroup, and Trust Ventures.

Truemed’s leading payments technology makes it simple for qualified individuals to use Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds for evidence-based lifestyle interventions. Today, they work with thousands of products from Peloton, Eight Sleep, Nike Strength, and 24 Hour Fitness. The majority of Truemed users seek support for early heart disease, mental health, chronic pain, and metabolic health conditions.

The company has experienced 3x year-over-year revenue growth for the past two years and will use the new capital to continue building out its industry-leading products and portfolio, and to grow consumer awareness about access to lifestyle interventions through HSAs and FSAs.

“HSAs and FSAs are one of the most effective tools available for addressing chronic illness and obesity, and should soon be as ubiquitous as a 401k,” said Justin Mares, founder and CEO of Truemed. “Combining the world’s top portfolio of preventive products with a tech solution for the HSA/FSA process will help us go beyond a focus on sick care to making preventive lifestyle interventions an everyday approach.”

“Truemed is transforming how Americans engage with their health by turning financial tools like HSAs and FSAs into vehicles for everyday health improvement,” said Julie Yoo, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

Daisy Wolf, a Partner at Andreessen, added, “by aligning consumer incentives with evidence-based lifestyle interventions, Truemed is helping shift our healthcare system from reactive to proactive.”

Truemed is a leader in HSA/FSA compliance, determining eligibility through a process tailored to facilitate letters of medical necessity led by clinicians experienced in functional medicine.

About Truemed

Truemed is the leading HSA/FSA marketplace for top preventive health products. Truemed enables people with qualifying medical conditions to pay for evidence-based lifestyle interventions with HSA/FSA funds. They work with thousands of merchants and services, ranging from Peloton to Eight Sleep to Nike Strength to 24 Hour Fitness. Truemed believes that these lifestyle interventions – from exercise to diet to sleep – are the easiest way to solve our chronic disease crisis. Learn more at www.truemed.com.

SOURCE Truemed

Data reveals dramatic improvements in financial and operational readiness for licensed childcare providers.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2025 — The Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC), in partnership with Stearns Bank, today announced early results from the new WBC Childcare Accelerator Award Program, revealing strong improvements in financial management, business planning, and operational readiness among licensed childcare providers across the first cohort. The program, funded by Stearns Bank’s $875,000 contribution, launched in Summer 2025 through seven Women’s Business Center hubs and is already demonstrating how targeted business support can strengthen childcare infrastructure nationwide.

Initial impact data from a sample set of 28 participants shows that 67 percent adopted new financial tracking tools or systems to better manage their business finances after completing the Accelerator. The proportion of participants with a written business plan increased from 42 percent to 85 percent, with nearly half developing or adopting a new plan during the program. Providers also reported major improvements in operational budgeting, with the share using a monthly operating budget rising from 34 percent to 84 percent and half establishing a new budgeting process. Despite these gains, the majority of participants, 84 percent, expect to need additional funding soon to support program growth, facility upgrades, or new equipment, underscoring the continued need for investment in childcare businesses nationally.

“These early results confirm what our network has long recognized: when childcare providers have access to tailored training, trusted advisors, and flexible capital, their businesses strengthen quickly and meaningfully,” said Corinne Goble, CEO of AWBC. “Stearns Bank’s investment is helping address one of the most critical gaps in the childcare ecosystem, and we’re already seeing the ripple effect across communities.” Kelly Skalicky, CEO of Stearns Bank, added, “At Stearns Bank, we understand the vital role childcare providers—of all sizes—play in strengthening and uplifting their local communities through essential family care services. We’re proud to be working alongside the AWBC to provide meaningful resources for childcare providers serving local communities across the U.S.”

Participants also shared powerful reflections on their experiences in the program. One provider noted, “The program helped me turn my small home daycare into a more organized and confident business. I learned how to manage my finances better, plan for growth, and connect with other childcare providers who inspire me every day.”

The Childcare Accelerator Program is being delivered through the Center for Rural Affairs Women’s Business Center in Nebraska; the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University in Pennsylvania; El Pájaro Women’s Business Center in California; the National Association for Family Child Care in Washington, D.C.; the North Dakota Women’s Business Center – East; Women’s Economic Ventures in California; and WomenVenture in Minnesota. Each hub provides hands-on training, personalized technical assistance, and financial guidance to help local childcare providers strengthen their businesses and expand access to high-quality childcare in their communities.

The program comes at a critical moment for the childcare sector, which continues to face staffing shortages, rising costs, thin operating margins, and limited access to capital, all of which constrain providers’ ability to meet growing demand. The Accelerator’s early impact demonstrates how targeted resources and structured business support can improve long-term sustainability and strengthen the childcare backbone that working families rely on. Participants will continue receiving technical assistance through their local Women’s Business Centers and will be reassessed in six months to evaluate progress toward the program’s ultimate goal of expanding access to high-quality childcare in their communities.

About the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)
The Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) is the leading national voice and resource for igniting the economic power of women’s entrepreneurship. AWBC advocates for and supports a network of over 150 Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) across the United States. These centers provide entrepreneurs with free coaching, networking opportunities, small business resources, training, and more. AWBC’s mission is to ensure that small business owners have the tools and support they need to succeed in business and contribute to the broader economy.

In partnership with Verizon, TikTok, and other corporate allies, AWBC expands access to digital readiness and upskilling programs, as well as national initiatives including HOPE2Women.org, VeteranStartup.org, and Biz2Grow.org.

About Stearns Bank
Stearns Bank National Association is a majority women-owned and governed financial services institution committed to empowering entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local communities to reach their full financial potential. As a privately held, employee-owned institution, Stearns Bank offers a wide array of national products and services and is regularly recognized as one of the nation’s highest-performing banks and “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Learn more at www.StearnsBank.com.

Media Contact:
Laura Henson
HVM Communications
917-539-7812
[email protected]

SOURCE The Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)

Investment to progress RheumaGen’s celiac disease program through early development as a potential transformational gene therapy

AURORA, Colo., Dec. 22, 2025 — RheumaGen, Inc., a cell and gene therapy company engineering a new class of therapeutics to cure common autoimmune diseases, today announced that Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI), the venture philanthropy program of Beyond Celiac, has made a Series A-1 preferred stock investment in RheumaGen to advance RheumaGen’s celiac disease program through early development to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept in celiac disease.

“We are incredibly excited about the work RheumaGen is doing in rheumatoid arthritis and the potential to translate that progress and its innovative HLA gene-editing platform to celiac disease,” said Jordan Dubow, M.D., leader of the BCI Investment Committee and Chief Medical Officer at Beyond Celiac. “BCI has a deep due diligence process, and RheumaGen emerged as an outstanding example of the type of company we are looking to support.”

The RheumaGen opportunity was identified through BCI’s inaugural Catalyst Program, which screens for investments in early-stage candidates with the potential for transformational efficacy in celiac disease. Potential candidates from other companies have also emerged from this process which may result in future investments.

“We are grateful to Beyond Celiac Investments for their generous support and conviction in RheumaGen’s novel drug-development approach and experienced team,” said Richard Freed, CEO & Co-Founder of RheumaGen. “Our HLA gene-editing platform has the potential to improve the lives of millions of patients by blocking autoimmune diseases at their source without broad immunosuppression. We are excited about generating proof of concept for patients with celiac disease, who have remained without a curative treatment for far too long.”

BCI has surpassed its first-year fundraising goal and is moving forward with its first investments in companies developing potential treatments for celiac disease. Through its Catalyst Program, BCI will support efforts that show strong potential to advance into clinical trials and ultimately help deliver the first treatments and a cure for celiac disease.

About RheumaGen, Inc.

RheumaGen is a private biotechnology company engineering a new class of therapeutics to cure common autoimmune diseases. RheumaGen focuses on editing the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), or “immune gene,” to develop one-time, curative cell and gene therapies. RheumaGen is headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, and partners with the ClinImmune Center for Clinical Immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for clinical development and manufacturing. For more information, please visit rheumagen.com or follow the Company on LinkedIn.

About Beyond Celiac Investments

BCI operates as the venture philanthropy arm of Beyond Celiac, the nonprofit organization leading the effort to accelerate treatments and a cure for celiac disease. For additional information or to learn more about BCI, visit https://www.beyondceliac.org/beyond-celiac-investments/

SOURCE RheumaGen, Inc.

Investment to progress RheumaGen’s celiac disease program through early development as a potential transformational gene therapy

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22, 2025 — Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI), the venture philanthropy program of Beyond Celiac, has made a Series A-1 preferred stock investment in RheumaGen, a cell and gene therapy company focused on editing the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) to develop one-time, curative cell and gene therapies for common autoimmune diseases. The investment will be used to advance their celiac disease program through early development to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept in celiac disease.

“We are incredibly excited about the work RheumaGen is doing in rheumatoid arthritis and the potential to translate that progress and its innovative HLA gene-editing platform to celiac disease,” said Jordan Dubow, M.D., leader of the BCI Investment Committee and Chief Medical Officer at Beyond Celiac. “BCI has a deep due diligence process, and RheumaGen emerged as an outstanding example of the type of company we are looking to support.”

The RheumaGen opportunity was identified through BCI’s inaugural Catalyst Program, which screens for investments in early-stage candidates with the potential for transformational efficacy in celiac disease. Potential candidates from other companies have also emerged from this process which may result in future investments.

“We are grateful to Beyond Celiac Investments for their generous support and conviction in RheumaGen’s novel drug-development approach and experienced team,” said Richard Freed, CEO & Co-Founder of RheumaGen. “Our HLA gene-editing platform has the potential to improve the lives of millions of patients by blocking autoimmune diseases at their source without broad immunosuppression. We are excited about generating proof of concept for patients with celiac disease, who have remained without a curative treatment for far too long.”

BCI has surpassed its first-year fundraising goal and is moving forward with its first investments in companies developing potential treatments for celiac disease. Through its Catalyst Program, BCI will support efforts that show strong potential to advance into clinical trials and ultimately help deliver the first treatments and a cure for celiac disease.

About Beyond Celiac Investments:
BCI operates as the venture philanthropy arm of Beyond Celiac, the nonprofit organization leading the effort to accelerate treatments and a cure for celiac disease. For additional information or to learn more about BCI, visit https://www.beyondceliac.org/beyond-celiac-investments/.

About RheumaGen, Inc.:
RheumaGen is a private biotechnology company engineering a new class of therapeutics to cure common autoimmune diseases. RheumaGen focuses on editing the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), or “immune gene,” to develop one-time, curative cell and gene therapies. RheumaGen is headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, and partners with the ClinImmune Center for Clinical Immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for clinical development and manufacturing. For more information, please visit rheumagen.com or follow the Company on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Beyond Celiac

HONGKONG, 20 december 2025 — ETHGas, een afwikkelingsinfrastructuur voor Ethereum, kondigt het debuut aan van Ethereums Blockspace Futures Market, met US $ 800 miljoen aan verbintenissen van toonaangevende bouwers in Ethereum en een seed-ronde van $ 12 miljoen onder leiding van Polychain Capital.

ETHGas is een afwikkelingsinfrastructuur die de blokruimte van Ethereum verhandelbaar maakt, waardoor gebruikers van Ethereum en gedistribueerde computertoepassingen elk kwantum van berekening en opslag op de blockchain kunnen handelen, verwerven, verkopen en hedgen.

ETHGas pakt de bewerkingsbeperkingen van Ethereum en de volatiliteit van de gasprijs aan door middel van transactiefutures (“voorbevestigingen”) in een hele reeks looptijden en nauwkeurige orderuitvoering. ETHGas stelt Ethereums groothandeldeelnemers in staat om de risico’s binnen de transactiepijplijn te verminderen, de staking-opbrengsten te verhogen en tegelijkertijd de volatiliteit van de gasprijzen voor ondernemingen te verminderen en gaskosten voor consumenten te elimineren.

ETHGas werkt nauw samen met de Ethereum Foundation en volgt Ethereum-medeoprichter Vitalik Buterins  oproep voor een gas futures-markt.

ETHGas viert de komst van Ethereums Blockspace Futures Market en vestigt blockspace als een unieke en verhandelbare activasleutel voor de levensvatbaarheid van proof-of-stake blockchains. ETHGas wordt geleid door Kevin Lepsoe, financieel ingenieur en voormalig hoofd van de afdeling gestructureerde derivaten van Morgan Stanley in Azië. Hij leidt een team van ingenieurs en kwantitatieve ontwikkelaars van Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, HKEx en Lockheed Martin.

De lancering van ETHGas gaat gepaard met de afsluiting van een seed-ronde van $ 12 miljoen onder leiding van Polychain en met opmerkelijke investeerders zoals Stake Capital, BlueYard Capital, Lafayette Macro Advisors, SIG DT en Amber Group, evenals Ethereum-validatoren, blockbouwers en relays. Samen hebben deze partijen een initiële bijdrage van US $ 800 miljoen geleverd in verbintenissen om de marktplaats en productontwikkeling van ETHGas te ondersteunen.

Over ETHGas

ETHGas is een marktplaats voor Ethereum-blockspaceverbintenissen. ETHGas transformeert de manier waarop gebruikers met Ethereum omgaan door lage latentie, afwikkelingstijden van 3 ms en een veelomvattend productpakket dat is gericht op het mogelijk maken van nauwkeurige orderuitvoering. De missie van ETHGas is om Ethereum te bevorderen in een realtime netwerk dat de volgende fase van zijn evolutie ontgrendelt. We stellen ons een toekomst voor waarin eindgebruikers zich kunnen beschermen tegen de volatiliteit van de gasprijs, kansen voor extra opbrengst kunnen ontsluiten en hun ervaring binnen het Ethereum-ecosysteem kunnen verbeteren.

Over Polychain Capital

Polychain Capital is een vooraanstaand beleggingsbedrijf dat zich richt op de blockchain- en cryptocurrencyruimte. Met een missie om de wereldwijde acceptatie van gedecentraliseerde technologieën te bevorderen, ondersteunt Polychain innovatieve projecten die financiën, technologie en betrokkenheid van de gemeenschap herdefiniëren.

Foto – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2849668/ETHGas_Seed_Fund.jpg 

HONG KONG, 20. Dezember 2025 — ETHGas, eine Abwicklungsinfrastruktur für Ethereum, kündigt den Start von Ethereums Blockspace-Terminmarkt an, mit Zusagen in Höhe von 800 Millionen US-Dollar von führenden Akteuren im Ethereum-Ökosystem sowie einer von Polychain Capital geleiteten Seed-Runde über 12 Millionen US-Dollar.

ETHGas ist eine Abwicklungsinfrastruktur, die den Ethereum-Blockspace handelbar macht und es Nutzern von Ethereum sowie verteilten Rechenanwendungen ermöglicht, beliebige Mengen an Rechenleistung und Speicherplatz auf der Blockchain zu handeln, zu erwerben, weiterzuverkaufen und abzusichern.

ETHGas begegnet den Verarbeitungsbeschränkungen von Ethereum sowie der Volatilität der Gaspreise durch Transaktionsfutures („Vorbestätigungen”) über verschiedene Laufzeiten hinweg und durch eine präzise Auftragsausführung. ETHGas hilft institutionellen Teilnehmern im Ethereum-Markt, Risiken innerhalb der Transaktionspipeline zu reduzieren, Staking-Erträge zu erhöhen, die Volatilität der Gaspreise für Unternehmen zu verringern sowie Gasgebühren für Verbraucher zu eliminieren.

ETHGas arbeitet in enger Abstimmung mit der Ethereum Foundation und folgt dem Aufruf von Ethereum-Mitbegründer Vitalik Buterin für einen Gas-Terminmarkt.

ETHGas markiert den Beginn von Ethereums Blockspace-Terminmärkten und etabliert Blockspace als einzigartigen, handelbaren Vermögenswert, der für die Lebensfähigkeit von Proof-of-Stake-Blockchains entscheidend ist. ETHGas wird von Kevin Lepsoe geleitet, einem Finanzingenieur und ehemaligen Leiter des Geschäftsbereichs strukturierte Derivate von Morgan Stanley in Asien. Er leitet ein Team von Ingenieuren sowie Quant-Entwicklern, die von Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, HKEx und Lockheed Martin kommen.

Der Start von ETHGas geht mit dem Abschluss einer Seed-Runde über 12 Millionen US-Dollar einher, die unter Führung von Polychain erfolgt und an der sich namhafte Investoren wie Stake Capital, BlueYard Capital, Lafayette Macro Advisors, SIG DT und Amber Group sowie Ethereum-Validierer, Block-Builder und Relays beteiligen. Zusammen haben diese Parteien zunächst 800 Millionen US-Dollar an Zusagen zur Unterstützung des Marktes und der Produktentwicklung von ETHGas beigesteuert.

Informationen zu ETHGas

ETHGas ist ein Marktplatz für Ethereum-Blockspace-Zusagen. ETHGas verändert die Art und Weise, wie Nutzer mit Ethereum interagieren, indem es niedrige Latenzzeiten, Abwicklungszeiten von 3 ms sowie eine umfassende Produktpalette mit Schwerpunkt auf präziser Auftragsausführung ermöglicht. ETHGas hat es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht, Ethereum zu einem Echtzeit-Netzwerk weiterzuentwickeln, das die nächste Stufe seiner Entwicklung freischaltet. Wir stellen uns eine Zukunft vor, in der Endnutzer sich vor der Volatilität der Gaspreise schützen, Möglichkeiten für zusätzliche Erträge erschließen und ihre Erfahrungen mit dem Ethereum-Ökosystem verbessern können.

Informationen zu Polychain Capital

Polychain Capital ist eine führende Investmentfirma, die sich auf den Bereich Blockchain und Kryptowährungen konzentriert. Mit dem Ziel, die weltweite Einführung dezentraler Technologien voranzutreiben, unterstützt Polychain innovative Projekte, um die Bereiche Finanzen, Technologie und gesellschaftliches Engagement neu zu definieren.

Foto – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2849668/ETHGas_Seed_Fund.jpg 

HONG KONG, 20 décembre 2025 — ETHGas, une infrastructure de règlement pour Ethereum, annonce les débuts du marché à terme de l’espace de blocage d’Ethereum, avec 800 millions de dollars d’engagements de la part des principaux constructeurs d’Ethereum et un tour d’amorçage de 12 millions de dollars mené par Polychain Capital.

ETHGas est une infrastructure de règlement qui rend l’espace de blocage d’Ethereum négociable, permettant aux utilisateurs d’Ethereum et d’applications informatiques distribuées de négocier, d’acquérir, de vendre à terme et de couvrir tout quantum informatique et de stockage sur la blockchain.

ETHGas répond aux contraintes de traitement d’Ethereum et à la volatilité des prix du gaz, grâce à des transactions à terme (“pré-confirmations”) sur une gamme d’échéances et à une exécution précise des ordres. ETHGas permet aux participants au marché de gros d’Ethereum de réduire les risques au sein du pipeline de transactions, d’améliorer les rendements de mise, tout en réduisant la volatilité des prix du gaz pour les entreprises et en éliminant les frais de gaz auprès des consommateurs.

ETHGas travaille en étroite collaboration avec la Fondation Ethereum et suit l’appel du cofondateur d’Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, , en faveur d’un marché à terme du gaz.

ETHGas marque l’avènement des marchés à terme de l’espace de blocage d’Ethereum et établit l’espace de blocage comme actif unique et négociable, essentiel à la viabilité des preuves de participation des blockchains. ETHGas est dirigée par Kevin Lepsoe, ingénieur financier et ancien responsable des activités de Morgan Stanley dans le domaine des produits dérivés structurés en Asie. Il dirige une équipe d’ingénieurs et de développeurs quantitatifs issus de  Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, HKEx et Lockheed Martin.

Le lancement d’ETHGas s’accompagne de la clôture d’un tour de table de 12 millions de dollars mené par Polychain et auquel participent des investisseurs de renom tels que Stake Capital, BlueYard Capital, Lafayette Macro Advisors, SIG DT et Amber Group, ainsi que des validateurs, des constructeurs de blocs et des relais Ethereum. Ensemble, ces parties ont pris des engagements d’un montant initial de 800 millions de dollars pour soutenir le marché d’ETHGas et le développement de ses produits.

À propos d’ETHGas

ETHGas est un marché pour les engagements de l’espace de blocage Ethereum. ETHGas transforme la façon dont les utilisateurs interagissent avec Ethereum en permettant une faible latence, des délais de règlement de 3 ms et une gamme complète de produits centrés sur l’exécution précise des ordres. La mission d’ETHGas est de faire évoluer Ethereum vers un réseau en temps réel qui entamera la prochaine étape de son évolution. Nous envisageons un avenir où les utilisateurs finaux pourront se protéger de la volatilité du prix du gaz, libérer des possibilités de rendement supplémentaire et améliorer leur expérience au sein de l’écosystème Ethereum.

À propos de Polychain Capital

Polychain Capital est une société d’investissement de premier plan axée sur la blockchain et les crypto-monnaies. Avec pour mission de faire progresser l’adoption mondiale des technologies décentralisées, Polychain soutient des projets innovants qui redéfinissent la finance, la technologie et l’engagement communautaire.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2849668/ETHGas_Seed_Fund.jpg 

BEIJING, Dec. 19, 2025 — Galbot has successfully completed a new funding round exceeding $300 million, bringing the company’s total funding to $800 million. This round once again sets new records for both the largest single-round financing and cumulative financing in the embodied AI sector, further cementing Galbot’s leadership in the rapidly evolving field of embodied AI and humanoid robotics.

The financing round attracted significant investors from China, Singapore, and the Middle East, underscoring global confidence in Galbot’s cutting-edge technology. With this investment, the company’s valuation has reached $3 billion, reflecting its strong market position and the continued faith in its growth prospects.

Leading the Charge in Embodied AI Innovation

Galbot is the world’s first company to fully achieve full-stack in-house development across hundreds-of-billion-scale high-quality datasets,  embodied foundation models, and robotic hardware. This groundbreaking approach has positioned Galbot as a global leader in the embodied intelligence field. The company’s self-developed key technologies, including its embodied intelligence large models, have pioneered global firsts in areas such as multi-task generalization, whole-body motion control, cross-embodiment autonomous navigation, and dexterous hand manipulation. These innovations have laid a solid technological foundation for the large-scale deployment of humanoid robots.

Commercializing Embodied Intelligence Across Industries

Galbot has already achieved remarkable success in deploying humanoid robots at scale across various industries:

• Industrial Manufacturing: Galbot has partnered with leading companies such as CATL, Bosch, Toyota, and Hyundai, becoming the first company globally to deploy humanoid robots for real autonomous operations on manufacturing floors. With these advancements, Galbot has secured orders for thousands of units, demonstrating the scalability and reliability of its humanoid robots in real-world industrial applications.
• Smart City Service: Galbot has launched Galbot Store, a fully autonomous retail solution powered entirely by Galbot G1 robots. Currently operational in over 30 cities nationwide, Galbot Store is revolutionizing the smart retail and city service sectors by offering customers a unique and seamless interaction experience.
• Warehouse Logistics: Galbot’s autonomous warehouse solutions are deployed in multiple locations, demonstrating stable and continuous 24/7 operations for over a year. These solutions are addressing critical operational challenges, enhancing efficiency and meeting the growing demands of the retail logistics industry.
• Healthcare: In collaboration with leading hospitals like Xuanwu Hospital, Galbot is deploying humanoid robots to assist in patient rooms, pharmacies, and hospital guidance systems. These robots are improving patient care while helping streamline hospital operations and enhance overall efficiency.

With this new investment, Galbot is positioned to accelerate its technology development, scale its deployments, and expand its global reach. The company remains committed to advancing embodied AI technology, bringing innovation to new sectors, and strengthening its position as a leader in the global robotics market.

About Galbot

Beijing Galbot AI Co., Ltd. is a global pioneer in embodied AI and general-purpose robotics. With R&D centers in Beijing, Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Hong Kong, Galbot brings together world-class scientists and engineers with decades of experience in embodied intelligence and robotics. Its flagship product, the Galbot G1, has been widely deployed in manufacturing, logistics, retail, and healthcare, achieving over one year of proven and stable real-world operations.

As an industry leader, Galbot is driving continuous innovation in embodied AI and accelerating the industrial deployment of autonomous, general-purpose humanoid robots worldwide.

SOURCE Beijing Galbot AI Co., Ltd.

STAMFORD, Conn., Dec. 19, 2025 — Steward Partners, an employee-owned independent financial services firm specializing in comprehensive wealth management solutions, today announced that it has raised $475 million in strategic capital from Ares Credit funds (“Ares”), comprising a significant expansion of its lending relationship and a non-controlling minority investment. Ares joins Steward Partners’ existing institutional partners, Cynosure Group (“Cynosure”) and The Pritzker Organization (“TPO”), in backing the firm. Strategic direction and day-to-day decision-making remain with Steward Partners’ leadership and partners.

From its humble beginnings over 12 years ago with three advisors and under $100 million in assets, Steward Partners has grown into a national powerhouse built on advisor independence, employee ownership, and a relentlessly client-focused culture. Today, with nearly $50 billion in client assets and a thriving partner-led model, the firm combines scale with the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of a boutique platform.

Underpinning this growth is the distinctive ownership model—partners who build the business have meaningful equity stakes in its success. This structure drives accountability, long-term decision-making, and deep alignment between advisors, employees, and clients, creating a firm in which those who serve clients are also invested owners building for the long term. 

“This is another defining milestone for Steward Partners,” said Jim Gold, Chief Executive Officer of Steward Partners. “This transaction is a strong affirmation of everything our partners have built over more than a decade. Our team has created meaningful value through years of deep commitment to our mission, and we are thrilled to see the commitment of our partners rewarded.”

“We weren’t looking for capital alone, we were looking for alignment, vision, and partnership,” added Hy Saporta, President & Chief Operating Officer of Steward Partners. “Ares stood out because they respect independence, understand collaboration, and support our long-term vision. This structure preserves everything that makes Steward Partners special.”

“Ares is pleased to provide flexible capital to support Steward Partners in its next phase of growth, and this transaction reflects our confidence in the company’s leadership and market position,” said Scott Rosen, Partner in Ares Credit. “We’re proud to work with a company that has deep alignment across employees, management and investors.” 

Keith Taylor, Board Chairman of Steward Partners, remarked, “Jim and Hy had a vision for creating an exceptional, employee-owned, advisory firm and, importantly, one that also distributed cash flow to the employee owners in both profit-sharing as well as Capital events. This is a terrific way to recognize and reward Partners for their contributions. Cynosure’s investment in 2019 was the first of what is now three investments that strengthen Steward and return money to employee owners. I know I speak for TPO as well when I say that the Company performance thus far has been amazing, but the best is yet to come and we are excited to remain invested for that future.”

Jason Sussman, of TPO, commented, “Steward has redefined what a partnership model can look like in wealth management, and they have sustained it at scale. We look forward to the next leg of growth.”

Saporta concluded, “We’re extremely proud of what we’ve built, we’re grateful to the partners who got us here, and we’re beyond energized by the opportunities that lay ahead as we continue building a firm that is durable, independent, and truly differentiated in the wealth management space.”

Since its launch in 2013, Steward Partners has solidified its place as one of the industry’s fastest-growing and most influential RIA firms. The firm was recently recognized with a #9 ranking on the 2025 Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms list, up from its #18 ranking in 2024. Additionally, Steward Partners was named a 2025 Thrivent Employer of Choice by InvestmentNews, reflecting the firm’s commitment to fostering a collaborative, partner-drive culture. Several Steward Partners advisors and teams were also honored on Forbes | SHOOK’s 2025 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors and Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams lists, underscoring the quality of client service delivered across the platform. Please visit Important Disclosures at www.stewardpartners.com for more information regarding these awards.

Piper Sandler & Co. served as the exclusive financial advisor to Steward Partners. Ropes & Gray LLP and Latham & Watkins served as legal counsel to Steward Partners. Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP served as legal counsel to Ares.

About Steward Partners
Representing some of the U.S.’s top advisors, Steward Partners is a full-service, employee-owned, independent financial services firm that offers wealth management solutions for families, businesses, and multigenerational investors. Established in 2013, the firm fosters a positive, transparent culture of camaraderie and excellence that has fueled its substantial growth in a highly competitive industry. Offering services such as comprehensive wealth planning, private banking, institutional consulting, and business solutions, the firm was responsible for nearly $50 billion in client assets as of December 2025.

To learn more about Steward Partners, visit www.stewardpartners.com.

About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to advance our stakeholders’ long-term goals by providing flexible capital that supports businesses and creates value for our investors and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2025, Ares Management Corporation’s global platform had over $595 billion of assets under management, with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com.

Media Contact:
Zach Allegretti
JConnelly
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SOURCE Steward Partners