With celebrity-led brands hitting record valuations worldwide, A.R.I. supports OVO’s global expansion

TORONTO, NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 13, 2026 — Applied Real Intelligence (“A.R.I.”), a U.S.-based investment firm specializing in growth financing for category-defining, innovative companies, announced a growth capital investment in October’s Very Own (OVO), the globally recognized lifestyle brand founded by Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Oliver El-Khatib, and Noah “40” Shebib.

“There is extraordinary global demand for culturally authentic brands right now and the timing couldn’t be better for OVO,” said Dr. Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA, A.R.I.’s Founder and Managing General Partner. “Recently, Human Made, the streetwear brand partially owned by Pharrell Williams, went public at nearly $500 million and was reportedly 60 times oversubscribed. It’s a clear signal that investors see tremendous value in brands that blend creativity, community, and cultural credibility. OVO is uniquely positioned within that movement, combining global influence across fashion, music, sports, and a cultural and lifestyle presence that sets it apart.”

Celebrating Canadian Creativity on the Global Stage

Founded in Toronto in 2008, October’s Very Own has become one of Canada’s most successful cultural exports. What began as a music collective has evolved into a vertically integrated lifestyle company with flagship retail stores across Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary, and British Columbia, along with locations in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and London.

Under the leadership of CEO Derek “Drex” Jancar — recipient of Billboard Canada’s 2025 Impact Award — OVO continues to scale its global e-commerce business, expand premier partnerships, and grow its physical retail footprint, building on the creative foundation established by Drake, Oliver El-Khatib, and Noah “40” Shebib.

“OVO represents the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurship,” said Ellison. “Drake, Oliver, and 40 created something culturally unparalleled, and Drex is now scaling that vision with remarkable discipline and strategic clarity. It’s a rare combination, and one that A.R.I. is proud to support.”

Defining the Celebrity-Led Brand Category

OVO’s growth places it among the most influential celebrity-led brands in the world, a select category that includes SKIMS (Kim Kardashian), Fenty (Rihanna), and Rhode (Hailey Bieber). These companies represent a powerful new generation of consumer brands where cultural credibility, celebrity influence, and disciplined execution converge to produce outsized results.

Recent market activity — including SKIMS’ $5 billion valuation in a Goldman Sachs–led round joined by BDT & MSD Partners, and e.l.f. Beauty’s $1 billion acquisition of Rhode at five times trailing revenue — shows the surging demand for authentic, celebrity-led brands.

“A critical part of A.R.I.’s investment process is evaluating staying power,” Ellison said. “OVO isn’t a moment; it’s a long-term movement. Very few brands have sustained OVO’s level of credibility and consistency across both creative and commercial dimensions. It is extraordinary and it’s exactly the profile we seek in our investments.”

Partnered with the World’s Best and Canada’s Own

OVO’s cultural capital is underscored by an unmatched history of collaborations that bridge fashion, sports, and entertainment – including Nike (Jordan Brand), Timberland, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Fanatics, Disney, Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes), and The Simpsons, among others.

In Canada, the brand’s influence runs deep. Its partnership with the Toronto Raptors led to the renaming of the team’s practice facility as the OVO Athletic Centre. Drake, OVO, and the Raptors also joined forces to launch the Welcome Toronto initiative, which donated millions to refurbish community basketball courts across the city and to support Canada Basketball.

OVO’s Canadian collaborations – with the Toronto Blue Jays, Canadian Football League (CFL), Canada Skateboard, Canada Goose, Roots, Wayne Gretzky, William Nylander, and Georges St-Pierre, among others – underscore its homegrown authenticity and national pride while driving international appeal.

Recent partnerships with PlayStation, Chelsea Football Club, Red Bull Racing, Callaway, and Vessel Golf Bags showcase OVO’s continued expansion into sport, lifestyle, and performance categories.

OVO’s Distinct Place in Global Streetwear

Within the broader streetwear landscape, OVO is often compared to brands such as Supreme, KITH, Stüssy, Off-White, Human Made, and BAPE – companies known for combining exclusivity, artistry, and cultural credibility.
“OVO has become a symbol of Canadian creativity and excellence,” said Ellison. “Just as Drake elevated the visibility of Canadian music worldwide, OVO is elevating Canadian culture in global streetwear.”

Ellison added: “Having worked at premier Canadian institutions including Thomson Reuters, Scotiabank, and Sun Life Financial, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the professionalism, creativity, and integrity that define Canadian business culture. I’ve come to feel like an honorary Canadian, and it’s deeply gratifying to support OVO as it brings Canadian excellence to a global audience.”

Information is solely from public sources. Trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for identification only, without implying endorsement.

About October’s Very Own (OVO)

October’s Very Own (OVO) is a Canadian lifestyle brand led by CEO Drex Jancar and founded by Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Oliver El-Khatib, and Noah “40” Shebib. OVO offers premium apparel and accessories and is known for its distinctive owl logo and black-and-gold aesthetic. The brand has grown into a globally recognized enterprise with 12 flagship stores and a worldwide e-commerce presence.

About Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.)

Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.) is a U.S.-based investment manager providing growth capital to innovation-driven companies in sectors including AI, software, technology, clean energy, consumer brands, sports, media, and entertainment. A.R.I.’s disciplined, safety-first approach helps companies scale efficiently while protecting investor capital. Learn more at www.arivc.com

Dr. Zack Ellison, MBA, MS, CFA, CAIA, Founder & Managing General Partner of A.R.I., has over 20 years of cross-border credit and investment experience at firms such as Thomson Reuters, Scotiabank, Deutsche Bank, and Sun Life Financial. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MS in Risk Management from NYU Stern, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Media Contact:
Investor and Media Relations
310-881-3893
Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.)
[email protected]

SOURCE A.R.I.

$12.8 Million in New Capital Will Accelerate Product Development, Expand Strategic Partnerships and Scale WeatherPromise’s Platform Across Consumer Categories

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2026 — WeatherPromise, the technology company driving demand for travel, event and recreation companies and redefining how consumers think about weather, today announced the close of its $12.8 million Series A financing, bringing total investment in the company to more than $22 million.

The round was led by Maveron, the consumer-focused venture capital firm co-founded by Starbucks chairman emeritus Howard Schultz and Dan Levitan. 1Sharpe, Lerer Hippeau, Clocktower Ventures, Commerce Ventures, MS Transverse, Start Ventures, 1Flourish and Mark Okerstrom, former CEO of Expedia Group, all participated in the round.

WeatherPromise is the leading provider of weather guarantees, refunding consumers the cost of their trip if the weather is worse than promised. Top travel companies including Marriott, Expedia, JetBlue, Invia and HomeToGo already trust WeatherPromise to drive consumer demand by giving guests the confidence to book year-round. In 2025, WeatherPromise guaranteed the weather for trips to 95 countries on six continents.

WeatherPromise is becoming indispensable for travel and event companies, reshaping the way the world plans, books and experiences travel, concerts, sporting events, golf and other outdoor activities.

Through its proprietary AI engine, WeatherPromise provides customized and personalized offers for each individual event or trip and automatically issues a refund if the weather isn’t what was promised.

“Weather is the most important factor determining when and where we travel. We all remember a vacation, concert or game when rain ruined our plans. That’s why we found a way to remove that anxiety, drive bookings and redefine how we think about our vacations and activities,” remarked Daniel Price, Co-Founder of WeatherPromise.

WeatherPromises’ Series A was more than three times oversubscribed, reflecting the strong investor conviction in the company’s mission, momentum and market opportunity. As part of Maveron’s investment, Dan Levitan, co-founder and general partner of Maveron, will join the company’s board of directors.

“WeatherPromise solves a problem that touches nearly every consumer experience, yet has been fundamentally broken for decades,” Levitan said. “The team has built an elegant, consumer-first solution with massive potential to change how people plan, purchase and protect their most important travel moments. We’re thrilled to partner with WeatherPromise and support their next phase of growth.”

The new capital will be used to accelerate product development, expand strategic partnerships and scale WeatherPromise’s platform to meet growing demand across key consumer categories.

“This Series A positions us for long-term growth. Thanks to our investors’ faith in our vision and our team, we’re now able to offer WeatherPromise to millions more travelers around the world,” said WeatherPromise Co-Founder, David Klemm.

About WeatherPromise
WeatherPromise guarantees the weather for vacations as well as outdoor activities, experiences, and events. The company gives everyone the confidence to travel without worrying about the weather. With a global team and offices in the United States and Germany, WeatherPromise partners with the world’s leading travel and experience companies to open up more destinations, more seasons, and more opportunities for its partners and their guests. For more information, visit www.weatherpromise.com.

About Maveron
Maveron is a consumer-focused venture capital firm investing in technology that entrenches in consumers’ everyday lives. For more than two decades and with more than $1 billion AUM, the firm has applied a deep study of consumer behavior to invest with conviction before consensus. Maveron’s past investments include Lovevery, Pacaso, Allbirds, Rebel, Trupanion, Zulily, and eBay. For more information, visit www.maveron.com.

SOURCE WeatherPromise

Nature and technology fund backed by leading investors aims to redefine how capital advances biodiversity

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2026 — Superorganism, the first venture capital firm investing in technology-driven solutions for biodiversity, announced the close of its debut fund with $25.9 million in commitments. Investor participation includes AMB Holdings, Builders Vision, Cisco Foundation, Stray, Understorey Ventures, and Wedgetail, as well as mission-aligned individuals like Jeff Jordan, Sven and Kristin Lindblad, and Mark Tercek.

Superorganism’s flagship fund is led by experienced investors and entrepreneurs Kevin Webb and Tom Quigley. Kevin, co-founder and managing director, has over 15 years of venture and angel investing experience, including early investments in unicorn startups Ironclad, Turo, and Verkada. Tom, co-founder and managing director, is a conservation technologist and startup operator who has spent more than a decade working at the intersection of technology and nature, including leadership roles at Real Vision and Conservation X Labs.

Superorganism invests in ambitious early-stage companies pursuing transformative impact across three core global themes that bridge venture capital and nature:

• Extinction Drivers: Accelerating the nature-positive transition for industries with the highest biodiversity impact, such as agriculture and forestry.
• Climate × Biodiversity: Tech-driven approaches that deliver wins for both climate and nature, such as robotics for seagrass restoration.
• Enabling Tech: Next-generation breakthroughs in remote sensing, genomics, AI, and other technologies that supercharge conservationists’ work.

“The idea that nature and economic progress must always conflict is outdated,” said Kevin Webb, co-founder and managing director of Superorganism. “Nature already underpins our global economy, from supply chains, to food systems, to the air we breathe. We’re backing entrepreneurs who understand this, and are reshaping industries to work better for humans and ecosystems alike.”

As other venture sectors become increasingly crowded, biodiversity represents a growing frontier in venture capital. Over $58 trillion (55%) of global GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature, according to a PwC report. These tangible nature-based risks are driving companies worldwide to transform their supply chains, business strategies, and product development, independent of policy mandates. As a result, there is urgent demand for technological solutions that can scale rapidly: biodiversity-focused “nature tech” companies received $2.1 billion in funding in 2024, twice as much as 2019 and growing, according to a report by Nature4Climate.

“When built for the right industries and customers, technology-driven solutions can help slow and reverse biodiversity loss,” said Tom Quigley, co-founder and managing director of Superorganism. “By backing founders at the earliest stages and connecting them with the right expertise, capital, and partnerships, we’re accelerating the emergence of an entirely new category of nature-first companies.”

Superorganism has already deployed into 20 startups which have gone on to raise over $100M in follow-on capital. Portfolio companies include Cecil (nature data), Funga (carbon and forestry), Inversa (invasive species management), and Ulysses (ocean robotics).

Superorganism has pledged 10% of the firm’s profits to future conservation efforts, cementing its commitment to supporting nature beyond its investment activities.

“Builders Vision is proud to invest in Superorganism as they redefine what’s possible in nature-focused innovation,” said James Lindsay, director of investments at Builders Vision. “The opportunity ahead is immense. Technologies that restore ecosystems are rapidly becoming competitive advantages for businesses across sectors. Superorganism is helping entrepreneurs capture this momentum and create solutions that can deliver regenerative outcomes and long-term economic value.”

The fund is supported by an extensive network of mentors spanning conservation and entrepreneurship, providing portfolio founders with on-demand access to expertise in conservation science, product strategy, and corporate sustainability, amongst other fields. The firm seeks to be the most helpful partner on the cap table for founders aiming for transformative impact.

About Superorganism
Superorganism is the first venture capital firm dedicated to biodiversity. The firm backs early-stage startups building technology solutions that benefit both humans and nature, with an investment focus that spans extinction drivers, climate & biodiversity solutions, and technologies that enable conservation. Learn more at www.superorganism.com.

SOURCE Superorganism

The AI drug discovery sector has seen unprecedented momentum since Google’s AlphaFold developers won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry a year ago, with billions in venture capital pouring into the space. In October, Eli Lilly and Nvidia partnered to build the pharmaceutical industry’s most powerful AI supercomputer for drug discovery. Last month, Eli Lilly became the first pharma company to reach a $1 trillion market cap.

Despite the momentum, there’s still a significant gap between AI promise and reality in drug discovery. “The conversation needs to shift from models to AI systems,” said Dov Gertz, CEO and co-founder of Converge Bio. “Unlike ChatGPT, you can’t simply prompt a model and get useful results. There’s a long road from a model that performs well on benchmarks to an AI system a biologist can actually use. It requires high-quality data, the right architectures for the domain, and a tight experimental validation loop. That’s why the vast majority of drug development is still done the old way: through trial and error, taking years and costing hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Converge’s platform combines multiple proprietary models into an end-to-end system that plugs directly into existing drug development workflows. Biologists use the platform to get actionable outputs, like novel drug targets, optimized antibody candidates, or protein sequences optimized for increased yield, without needing to write code or build infrastructure. The company’s models are experimentally validated and trained on Converge’s large scale datasets, obtained from their high throughput screening, acquisition of data at scale and rigorous curation of public data. Customers can also use their own proprietary data to create private, fine-tuned instances of Converge’s models while retaining full ownership.

The approach is already delivering results across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. In the past year, Converge completed over 40 programs with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. These efforts have enabled partners to discover novel antibodies with strong (single-digit nanomolar) binding affinities, consistently improve protein manufacturing yields by 4 to 7x, and identify novel molecular biomarkers to optimize patient response.

“The AI drug discovery revolution is here,” said Gertz. “Our goal is simple: make every biotech and pharma company an AI company. We make it easy for scientists to identify where AI can deliver real results for them today, and provide them with our validated tools to get there.”

“Converge has something rare in this space: real commercial traction and strong scientific results,” said Andrew Hedin, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “The team has built validated solutions that are already delivering results for paying customers. As one of the most results-driven players in the field, we believe Converge is well positioned to be the de facto generative AI lab for the life sciences industry.”

About Converge Bio
Converge Bio is an AI platform that enables biotech and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate drug discovery and development. Founded in 2024, Converge’s 40-person team has deep expertise in machine learning, computational biology, and drug development; about half hold advanced degrees in related fields. CEO Dov Gertz developed a machine-learning method for discovering novel CRISPR systems, leading to a U.S.-licensed patent and a scientific publication in collaboration with Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna. CSO Iddo Weiner holds a PhD in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, and has led the development of two drug programs through positive Phase 2 clinical readouts. CTO Oded Kalev previously led cybersecurity AI teams and has advised U.S. government agencies on large-scale generative AI applications.

Media Contact
Lazer Cohen
[email protected]
347-753-8256

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2860529/Converge_Bio_Team.jpg

SOURCE Converge Bio

Financing Round Led by B Capital to Accelerate Development of Demonstrator Prototype To Achieve First Flight in 2027

LONG BEACH, Calif., Jan. 13, 2026 — JetZero, the U.S.-based start-up airplane maker designing the world’s first commercial all-wing airplane, announces it has raised approximately $175 million in its Series B financing, led by B Capital, a global multi-stage investment firm. United Airlines Ventures, Northrop Grumman, 3M Ventures and RTX Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of RTX, among others, also participated in the round. To date, JetZero has raised and secured commitments of more than $1.0 billion, including government grants, incentives and commercial commitments.

The new capital will accelerate the development of JetZero’s full-size Demonstrator, a prototype designed to achieve at least 30% improved aerodynamics compared to traditional tube and wing aircraft. The Demonstrator is on track for its first flight in 2027.

“The strength and diversity of our investor base reflects the momentum behind JetZero and the industry’s readiness to reshape the future of aviation,” said Tom O’Leary, JetZero co-founder and CEO. “This round brings together key strategic partners across the value chain from demand to supply to implementation, including United Airlines Ventures and RTX Ventures, as well as longtime supporters of JetZero from our Series A financing and a new, lead investor in B Capital, focused on innovative, resilient technology. Together, we are delivering an efficient aircraft that elevates the passenger experience, drives American leadership in advanced manufacturing and exports, and strengthens the aviation supply chain.”

“JetZero is redefining aviation with its all-wing aircraft, setting a new benchmark for efficiency, cost, and the passenger experience,” said Jeff Johnson, General Partner at B Capital. “As aviation faces rising emissions and fuel costs, the need for a step change in efficiency has never been greater. JetZero is positioned to reshape the industry, and we’re proud to partner with the team as they advance this groundbreaking technology.”

About JetZero
JetZero, co-founded in 2020 by start-up veteran Tom O’Leary and aerospace legend Mark Page, is developing the world’s first commercial all-wing airplane. With up to 50% better fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions compared to existing commercial airliners, JetZero’s Z4 will offer the aviation industry a clear path to achieving its 2050 net-zero goals while also elevating the passenger experience. Working alongside the US Air Force, NASA, and the FAA, and backed by decades of investment and research into blended wing technology. JetZero looks to enter commercial service in the early 2030s.

JetZero Press Contact
Jenny Dervin
[email protected]
+1 (347) 419-1185

B Capital
Kate Thompson / Madeline Jones / Kate Kelley
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449

SOURCE JetZero

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2026 — NGP VAN, the leading technology provider for Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations, today announced the creation of its first-ever API and Data Products Team, alongside a seven-figure investment to modernize and expand the NGP VAN’s APIs. This new team will focus exclusively on strengthening the infrastructure that powers integrations across the progressive technology ecosystem.

This team – comprised entirely of union roles – will be dedicated to expanding API capabilities and delivering new data products in direct response to feedback from customers and integration partners, who increasingly rely on NGP VAN’s APIs as foundational scaffolding for building powerful tools and workflows.

“Our customers and partners have been clear: NGP VAN’s APIs are mission critical to modern organizing,” said Chelsea Peterson Thompson, General Manager of NGP VAN. “This investment reflects our responsibility to the ecosystem: focused teams, faster shipping, and an API engineered to scale with the future of campaigns and advocacy.” 

These new investments underscore the organization’s expanding role not only in supporting campaigns, parties, PACs, and progressive organizations directly, but also the wide range of third-party tools they rely on, including mobile messaging, digital advertising, analytics, and insights platforms.

The new API and Data Products Team also builds directly on NGP VAN’s Partner Program, by investing in dedicated API development, NGP VAN aims to deepen collaboration with partners and deliver world-class, reliable integrations that help Democratic and progressive campaigns move faster and smarter.

The announcement follows investments made in 2024 to expand API rate limits for all customers and vendors, enabling faster data synchronization while maintaining platform integrity.

Most recently, NGP VAN shipped several API enhancements to its Membership endpoints, including the ability to:

• Expose Membership Type via the Bulk Import method
• Support Member Type and Affiliates Custom Fields through Bulk Import
• Rename Custom Field values via a PUT method
• Expose the Apply Contributions mapping type

These updates reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to making its APIs more flexible, powerful, and responsive to real-world cases.

NGP VAN will be hiring three software engineers to form the core of the API and Data Products Team. As with all NGP VAN roles, those with experience building and scaling APIs are encouraged to apply at ngpvan.com/careers/. This team will be supported by continued investment in third-party platform modernization partners, as well as NGP VAN’s broader engineering organization, which has recently completed several API-focused initiatives. NGP VAN is a unionized employer.

About NGP VAN
NGP VAN is the winningest technology platform in the history of democratic and progressive causes, working tirelessly to innovate and advance the technology our clients rely on to bolster our democracy. We help power the trailblazers, campaigners, and advocates fighting up and down the ticket for equality, racial justice, reproductive freedom, democracy, climate reform, and more— including the national Democratic committees and progressive organizations, thousands of Democratic campaigns, hundreds of labor unions, advocacy organizations, progressive and non-partisan PACs, and other organizations.

Press Contact:
Simone Hassan-Bey
NGP VAN
[email protected]

SOURCE NGP VAN

LONDON, Jan. 13, 2026 — Dirk-Jan Vorgers and Ekaterina Kupriyanova, who formerly led the European office of Harvey & Company, have launched Aquisor, a European M&A buy-side advisory firm, focused on partnering with private equity firms to accelerate portfolio growth through platform and add-on acquisitions. Aquisor is backed by an experienced group of entrepreneurs and private equity professionals who have prior experience in the field.

Aquisor offers a fully dedicated service of pre-deal market mapping and buy-side deal origination, combining research-led target identification with direct outreach and structured project management to help clients generate more acquisition opportunities and better deals. Built on deep M&A and private equity experience, Aquisor leverages tech-enabled research and localised outreach in native languages with a disciplined workflow, designed to progress opportunities from initial engagement to closing of the deal.

Ekaterina Kupriyanova, COO at Aquisor, said: “Great M&A sourcing is, above all, building trust with business owners. We earn it through a thoughtful, owner-first approach: understanding the market and their operations, testing strategic fit with our client’s thesis, and managing a well-run process. With proprietary research tools and our multilingual team, we are establishing Aquisor as the leading European buy-side partner our clients can rely on.”

Dirk-Jan Vorgers, CEO, added: “Unlike traditional M&A sourcing firms, Aquisor operates as an extension of its clients’ M&A capabilities, enabling them to focus on what creates most value for them and remaining engaged throughout the entire process..”

Media Enquiries: 
Please contact: [email protected]

About Aquisor
Aquisor is a European M&A buy-side advisory firm focused on pre-deal market mapping and buy-side deal origination for private equity firms. Combining technology-enabled research, multilingual direct outreach, and deep transaction experience, Aquisor delivers high-quality acquisition opportunities and accelerates portfolio growth through platform and add-on acquisitions.

For more information, visit: Aquisor.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2858390/Aquisor_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Aquisor

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 13, 2026 — BookAI, the pioneer in cross-language Knowledge Computing, announced today the official opening of its Seed Round financing via SAFE notes. The announcement comes immediately after a breakthrough showcase at CES 2026, where BookAI validated its B2B2C model through strategic integrations with AIoT hardware, moving beyond concepts to commercial scalability.

From “Concept” to “Contract”: The Commercial Moat

Unlike many early-stage GenAI startups, BookAI demonstrated market-ready infrastructure capable of handling complex copyright compliance—a critical demand from global IP holders.

“We proved at CES that BookAI is not just a tool, but the ‘Intel Inside’ for the global knowledge economy,” said Kun-Lin Hsieh, Founder and CEO of BookAI. “By embedding our Nabu and Miva engines into third-party devices—like our new partnership with Korean smart lamp maker CN Inc.—we have unlocked a scalable path to transform static content into IntelliBooks and monetize them across borders instantly.”

Dual-Engine Growth Validation:

• The Hardware Engine (CES 2026): Confirmed B2B2C traction. BookAI’s technology successfully powered the DAL:BIT smart lamp, allowing English speakers to interact with Traditional Chinese content in real-time. This “Knowledge-as-a-Service” model attracted immediate inquiries from Japanese venture capital (focused on IP expansion) and Silicon Valley investors (focused on scalable AI infra).
• The Content Engine (Frankfurt Book Fair): Confirmed B2B demand. The Nabu platform was adopted by over 230 publishers from 15 countries, with 62% of traction coming from Western markets, proving a solved pain point in the $600B copyright trading market.

Investment Opportunity: The Seed Round

To capitalize on this global momentum, BookAI has initiated its Seed Round. The raise is structured via SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) to efficiently onboard strategic partners who align with BookAI’s vision of a borderless knowledge ecosystem.

About BookAI

BookAI is an AI Knowledge Computing Platform transforming how the world accesses information. Backed by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), BookAI connects global publishers with AIoT devices, turning static text into IntelliBooks—liquid, interactive, and tradable assets.

Media & Investor Contact: BookAI PR Team Email: [email protected], LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bookai2024

SOURCE BookAI

SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 12, 2026 — X Square Robot, a pioneer in general purpose embodied AI, announced on January 12 the completion of its Series A++ funding round, raising about US$140 million (RMB 1 billion). The funding attracted world-class investors, including ByteDance and HongShan, along with several other strategic Chinese partners.

With leading tech companies such as Alibaba Group and Meituan already backing it from previous rounds, X Square Robot has demonstrated compelling model capabilities and product potential that continue to attract investor confidence.

“We’re honored to have the strong endorsement of our world-class strategic investors,” said WANG Qian, founder and CEO of X Square Robot. “At X Square, we believe the key to enabling robots to truly master real-world tasks lies in the ‘robot brain’—a foundation model for the physical world that parallels virtual LLMs to shatter generalization bottlenecks. This investment underscores shared confidence in our role as a catalyst for technological progress and will accelerate our expansion into high-value applications.”

WALL-A: Integrating VLA with World Models for Continuous Real-World Evolution

Founded in December 2023, X Square Robot is a trailblazer in developing general-purpose end-to-end embodied AI foundation models in China. The company’s in-house developed VLA model, WALL-A, pioneered a system paradigm that deeply integrates VLA with World Models, ranking among the world’s most advanced systems. By using World Models to predict actions and causal inference to understand feedback, the model significantly enhances the zero-shot generalization capabilities of robots performing mobile manipulation tasks in unstructured environments.

Simultaneously, large-scale real-robot reinforcement learning (RL) allows the foundation model to learn through physical interaction. This data-driven approach enables the robot to autonomously refine its skills and perform complex tasks in real-world environments.

Alongside the development of WALL‑A, X  Square Robot introduced WALL‑OSS in September 2025, an open‑source version of its model family designed to democratize embodied intelligence and accelerate community‑driven innovation.

“The next phase of competition in embodied intelligence is essentially a battle of foundation models built on data closed-loops and their capacity for model evolution,” noted Mr. Wang.

To win this race, X Square Robot is also adhering to a closed-loop iteration of hardware, data, and models. As the first company in China to scale up real-world data resources, it has developed advanced data capture tools—including teleoperation, exoskeletons, and Universal Manipulation Interface (UMI). The company has also established a model-driven data pipeline that generates high-quality data at scale. By using the foundation model to provide feedback on hardware design and data processing, X Square Robot is improving acquisition efficiency and model performance, creating a self-reinforcing “flywheel”.

A First in Robotics: Fully Autonomous Food Delivery Using Foundation Models

This end-to-end adaptability is proof that embodied AI has moved into practical, real-world deployment. A landmark breakthrough was recently demonstrated in autonomous food delivery, powered by Wall-A, where the Quanta X1, X Square Robot’s wheeled bimanual robot, successfully navigated indoor and outdoor tasks to complete a delivery in an open environment.

During the mission, Quanta X1 handled challenges such as strong winds, deformed packaging, and visual occlusions. Much like a human, the robot used the model’s causal inference to “fill in the blanks” when objects were partially hidden. When encountering operational stalls or friction, the robot autonomously self-corrects and completes the task loop without any human intervention.

This capacity is also demonstrated in complex logistics; facing piles of parcels, the robot utilizes zero-shot generalization to identify irregular items. Notably, the model’s evolution has unlocked the potential of high DoF (degree of freedom) dexterous hands, mastering human-like skills from tool use to precise card dealing—successfully conquering the “last centimeter” of precision manipulation.

From Full-Stack R&D to Multi-Scenario Deployment

Driven by model and data requirements, X Square Robot has deeply defined its hardware architecture, releasing two high-performance robots: Quanta X1 and the Quanta X2, a wheeled humanoid robot. Meanwhile, X Square Robot also uses in-house developed core components—including robotic arms, joint modules, and controllers—establishing a solid foundation for mass production and commercial scale.

“X Square Robot continues to iterate across our three core pillars: models, data pipelines, and hardware,” said Wang. “By leveraging our technical depth and full-stack R&D, we consistently push the boundaries of robot performance.”

Today, X Square Robot’s solutions are driving “a new era where embodied intelligence powers every layer of productivity.” Its technologies are increasingly deployed across key industry verticals—from advanced manufacturing and autonomous logistics to senior healthcare services.

Email: [email protected] 

SOURCE X Square Robot