SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 17, 2026 — Dataro, an AI-driven fundraising intelligence platform, today announced a $14.28 million Series A round led by Blueprint Equity. The funding will support growth in the United States. Dataro will continue to serve charities in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other international markets as teams move faster from data to decisions. It supports a shift away from managing tools and workflows toward managing impact and donor relationships, with AI handling more of the execution behind the scenes.

Charities collect vast amounts of donor data through established CRMs, but much of that value remains locked behind manual segmentation and backward-looking reporting. Dataro turns donor data into forward-looking predictions and, increasingly, guided actions. This gives nonprofit teams the same level of focus and decision-making rigor that commercial organizations have long applied to customer engagement.

Instead of asking fundraising teams to “do more,” Dataro helps them execute smarter. At Save the Children, for example, Dataro’s AI donor targeting improved appeal performance by replacing broad outreach with precisely ranked supporter segments most likely to convert.

“Fundraisers should be spending their time on impact and donor relationships, not managing tools and spreadsheets,” said CEO Tim Paris. “Charities already have the data. Dataro brings AI into the workflow so teams can focus on the right supporters, take the right next steps, and consistently improve fundraising outcomes.”

“Fundraising teams are at an inflection point,” said Francis Donohue, Principal at Blueprint Equity. “Dataro is building an AI-native foundation that helps charities turn data into better decisions, better stewardship, and better results at scale. That conviction is why we’ve made a significant investment in the company.”

The Series A funding will support expansion across product, customer success, sales, and marketing. Dataro will continue investing in AI-native workflows that remove administrative burden from fundraising teams and help close the gap between what the world needs and what charities are able to deliver.

Dataro is led by co-founders Tim Paris (CEO), David Lyndon (CTO), and Chris Paver (COO). The company recently appointed Salvatore Salpietro as Chief Growth Officer and will make further key go-to-market appointments to support its next phase of growth.

About Dataro

Dataro is an AI fundraising system that helps nonprofits turn existing donor data into consistent, day-to-day action. The platform supports acquisition, retention, and stewardship by identifying high-leverage opportunities, prioritizing the right supporters, and guiding teams toward clear next steps.

Working with more than 300 organizations worldwide, Dataro helps nonprofits raise more money with less outreach and improve the donor experience. Customers include World Central Kitchen, Stand Up To Cancer, Amnesty International, and Save the Children across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Dataro is backed by Blueprint Equity, Save the Children, Basis Set, and more. Learn more at dataro.io.

Media Contact
Nic Miller
Head of Marketing
[email protected]
(415) 851-5816

SOURCE Dataro Inc.

BASEL, Switzerland and NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb. 17, 2026 — Axmed, a health technology company headquartered in Switzerland with regional headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, today announced it has been awarded $6 million in non-dilutive grant funding from the Gates Foundation to expand access to high-quality, affordable medicines across low- and middle-income countries through its B2B procurement and integrated logistics platform.

The grant builds on the Foundation’s prior $5 million support and reflects continued conviction in Axmed’s execution and operating model. With additional backing from Founderful Ventures, the company has now raised a total of $13 million in capital to date.

The new funding will accelerate Axmed’s expansion across Africa and support procurement programs spanning multiple therapeutic areas, including family planning and malaria products serving mothers, children, and underserved patient populations across LMICs over the next 12 to 18 months.

Since launch, Axmed has developed a geo-agnostic pooled procurement and logistics platform purpose-built for fragmented and supply-constrained healthcare markets. In 2025 alone, the platform delivered more than 1,800 metric tonnes of healthcare products and reached over 4.2 million patients, up from approximately 750,000 in 2024. Over the same period, Axmed recorded 12x year-on-year revenue growth and maintained an average 70 percent repeat purchase rate, demonstrating strong adoption and sustained buyer trust.

Through demand aggregation, price transparency, and coordinated international logistics, the platform consistently generates 30 to 35 percent cost savings for customers. These efficiencies directly expand patient reach, improve medicine availability, and shorten delivery timelines across complex operating environments.

“Although Axmed is a young organization, their model of leveraging a technology-enabled marketplace to improve access to essential medicines in emerging markets is both innovative and essential,” said Denise Tuiime Mutambi, Director of Planning and Procurement at Joint Medical Stores. “They have demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate global healthcare supply chain complexity and translate strategy into measurable and sustainable impact.

Axmed plans to operate in more than 20 countries by the end of 2026, with a target of reaching 50 million patients within three years and over 100 million within five years, positioning the platform as a core infrastructure layer for medicines procurement in underserved markets.

“This funding allows us to scale what already works while we bring in aligned long-term capital,” said Emmanuel Akpakwu, Founder and CEO of Axmed. “With the continued support of the Gates Foundation, our focus is disciplined execution at scale: strengthening procurement systems, improving affordability, and ensuring high-quality medicines reliably reach the people who depend on them.”

About Axmed

Axmed is a technology-enabled B2B marketplace and logistics platform that connects buyers, manufacturers, and distributors to streamline procurement and delivery of essential medicines across low- and middle-income countries. By combining pooled demand, data-driven sourcing, and integrated international logistics, Axmed reduces costs, increases supply reliability, and expands patient access to quality-assured healthcare products. Learn more at www.axmed.com.

Media Enquiries
Nanayaa Appenteng, Director, Strategic Communications & External Affairs
[email protected]

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2905108/Axmed_Logistics.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2905109/Axmed.jpg

SOURCE Axmed

— Proceeds to support advancement of lead cell therapy program for Geographic Atrophy and next-generation hydrogel regenerative therapy platform —

— Partnership with global pharmaceutical company will leverage GelMEDIX regenerative medicine technology to develop stem cell-derived cell therapies —

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 17, 2026 — GelMEDIX, Inc., a biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies to restore vision, announced today the completion of a $13 million seed financing led by Safar Partners, with participation from HTL Biotechnology, Beacon Angels, TiE Boston Angels, Boston Harbor Angels, and other investors. GelMEDIX will apply the proceeds to advance the company’s lead program, GMX-101, a retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell therapy to treat late-stage Geographic Atrophy (GA). GA is a progressive, advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD) that causes permanent, irreversible central vision loss. The financing will also support the continued development and validation of GelMEDIX’s proprietary injectable hydrogel scaffold platform, which is engineered to optimize the delivery, efficacy, and safety of cell and gene therapies. Michael J. Cima, PhD, David H. Koch Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Parinaz Motamedy, MBA, Partner, Safar Partners, were appointed to the GelMEDIX Board of Directors in connection with the financing.

Along with the financing, GelMEDIX announced its first strategic collaboration agreement with a global pharmaceutical company. Under the terms of the agreement, GelMEDIX will provide its hydrogel scaffold technology, which the partner will use in combination with several of its own cell lines to develop stem cell-derived cell therapies. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are deeply grateful to our investors for recognizing the transformative potential of GelMEDIX’s regenerative therapy approach, and we’re thrilled to welcome our first strategic partner, further validating our breakthrough technology,” said Max Cotler, PhD, CEO of GelMEDIX. “Geographic Atrophy is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in adults over the age of 60, with no treatments available that can restore vision. While RPE therapies have shown promise, they often provide only moderate vision improvement in a subset of patients and present fundamental limitations that reduce efficacy, including poor cell survival and poor integration of transplanted cells, as well as increased safety risks that can lead to further vision loss. With the support of our investors and partners, GelMEDIX is positioned to innovate vision-restoring therapies that overcome these barriers.”

GelMEDIX regenerative therapies are based on the company’s proprietary next-generation hydrogel scaffold technology, which is engineered to improve the functional replacement and integration of therapeutic cells and the delivery of gene therapies. The platform uses chemically modified natural polymers to create a hydrogel that mimics the material properties of natural human tissue, providing a scaffold for cell adhesion, growth, and tissue engineering. The hydrogel is initially injected in liquid form and then light-activated to form a solid, biocompatible, and biodegradable scaffold at the target site. The technology protects cells during injection, localizes them to the target site, and provides a structure that promotes tissue regeneration while improving cell therapeutic function. The hydrogel is engineered to degrade naturally over time as it is replaced by the body’s newly formed tissue.

GelMEDIX’s lead program, GMX-101, is engineered to restore vision and stop disease progression in patients with late-stage GA by replacing damaged or dysfunctional RPE cells in the retina. The process involves injecting the liquid hydrogel containing healthy iPSC-derived RPE cells into the subretinal space and then activating it with white light to create a scaffold that mimics the natural environment of RPE cells in the eye. The scaffold protects the transplanted cells during injection and supports their survival and integration in the retina. In multiple preclinical studies, GMX-101 has demonstrated potential to overcome cell delivery challenges and regenerate the retina by improving cell survival and engraftment, leading to significant vision preservation while also eliminating the risks associated with other RPE cell therapies.

“We are excited to have been part of GelMEDIX’s mission from the start,” said Parinaz Motamedy. “GelMEDIX’s groundbreaking technology platform and approach to treating late-stage Geographic Atrophy sets it apart from other cell therapy approaches, and the impressive results from preclinical studies highlight the significant promise the company’s approach holds. We’re impressed by GelMEDIX’s scientific depth and leadership, and we’re confident it has the potential to restore vision and redefine the future for patients with GA.”

GelMEDIX was co-founded by leading experts in biomaterials, ophthalmology, and regenerative medicine, including:

• Reza Dana, MD, MPH, MSc: Claes H. Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Harvard-Vision Clinical Scientist Development Program; and Director, Laboratory of Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Massachusetts Eye and Ear
• Nasim Annabi, PhD:  Associate Professor, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering

About Geographic Atrophy
Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD) that causes progressive, irreversible central vision loss driven by the death of retinal cells. GA is the leading cause of permanent blindness in older adults, affecting millions globally, 47% of whom suffer from severe vision loss and have difficulty with daily living activities such as driving, reading, and maintaining independence. Currently available treatment options for GA are limited to frequent intraocular injections that provide minimal improvement in patient vision.

About GelMEDIX
GelMEDIX is a biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies that restore vision by regenerating damaged retinal cells and preserving the essential structures required for sight. GelMEDIX programs are based on the company’s proprietary injectable hydrogel scaffold technology platform, which is engineered to optimize the delivery, efficacy, and safety of cell and gene therapies. The company is focusing this platform on eye diseases that lack effective treatment options, with an initial focus on late-stage Geographic Atrophy (GA). In addition to developing a pipeline of next-generation regenerative therapies for ophthalmic diseases, GelMEDIX aims to optimize the potential of its regenerative medicine technology platform by forging partnerships to optimize cell and gene therapies for other degenerative disorders. GelMEDIX is based in the Kendall Square district of Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.gelmedix.com.

About Safar Partners
Safar Partners is a seed- to growth-stage investment platform and invests in technology companies primarily originating from MIT and Harvard.  As board members, trustees, and partners of these three institutions, Safar’s principals have had a long and successful history of investing in innovative entrepreneurs and tech startups, an approach that they have now institutionalized at Safar. Founded in 2018, Safar has invested in over 80 portfolio companies and has over $1B under management.

Contact:
Mary Moynihan
M2Friend Biocommunications
+1 (802) 951-9600
[email protected]

SOURCE GelMEDIX

CVS Health Ventures–led round accelerates national adoption of Point Zero Payment Integrity, a cost prevention model that shifts intervention upstream before claims are created

DULUTH, Ga., Feb. 17, 2026 — Codoxo, the leading provider of AI and generative AI-powered healthcare payment integrity solutions, today announced a year of record momentum marked by rapid customer expansion, national payer adoption of its Point Zero Payment Integrity solutions, and significant investment to support continued growth. As healthcare payers, government agencies, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) face mounting administrative waste, rising claims volumes, and growing provider abrasion, Codoxo is the leader in prevention-first payment integrity.

By intervening earlier than any traditional prepay or postpay solution, Codoxo is gaining rapid traction as a more sustainable path to healthcare cost containment—one that reduces downstream denials, appeals, and administrative friction while strengthening payer-provider relationships.

Momentum Highlights from the Past 12 Months

Accelerated National Scale and Category Leadership through Series C Funding

Codoxo’s $35 million oversubscribed Series C investment reinforces the company’s position as a leader in pre-claim payment integrity—a category-defining approach that moves intervention to the earliest possible point in the healthcare payment lifecycle. Led by CVS Health Ventures, with participation from Echo Health Ventures and continued support from existing strategic and financial investors, the funding enables Codoxo to accelerate growth and its speed of innovation across its GenAI-powered payment integrity solutions.

Established New Category of Payment Integrity Intervention: Point Zero

Codoxo introduced a new healthcare payment model called Point Zero that fundamentally shifts  how the industry approaches cost containment—intervening before claims exist through proactive, AI-driven provider education. By addressing payment accuracy at the earliest possible stage, Codoxo is helping payers realize $12–$16 PMPY in savings, reduce overpayments by up to 40%, and dramatically improve operational efficiency.

Continued Revenue Growth and Scaled Financial Impact

Over the past year, Codoxo achieved strong year-over-year revenue growth and expanded its customer base, with its Unified Cost Containment Platform now supporting payment integrity operations across more than 80 million covered lives. In 2025, the company achieved 100% customer retention and 125% net revenue retention, reflecting expanded adoption among existing customers. Customer implementations are delivering up to $66 PMPY in cost reduction across the payment spectrum—while reducing downstream denials, appeals, and provider friction.

Accelerated GenAI Category Leadership with Breakthrough Innovation and Enterprise-Grade Security

Codoxo expanded Point Zero Payment Integrity, its proactive, pre-claim intervention category designed to identify and address payment inaccuracies earlier in the claims lifecycle. The company also launched the Data Health Integrity (DHI) Agent, enabling payers to share high-fidelity claims data without costly delays or operational friction. Codoxo also unveiled a Policy-to-Code capability that uses generative AI to transform complex payer policy language into executable code, reducing configuration time and improving consistency across implementations. To combat rapidly evolving fraud threats, Codoxo also introduced Deepfake Detection to identify synthetic medical documents and manipulated images with AI-driven precision. These capabilities were delivered alongside continued enterprise-grade security, achieving NIST 800-53 Revision 5 compliance for the second consecutive year, maintaining HITRUST r2 certification, and advancing toward FedRAMP readiness.

Earning Industry Recognition and Expanding the Ecosystem

Codoxo’s impact was recognized with multiple industry honors, including:

• Inclusion on the 2025 Inc. National Fastest Growing Private Companies list for the third consecutive year
• Inclusion in Everest Group’s 2025 PEAK Matrix for Payment Integrity solutions
• Recognition by Black Book Research for AI-powered fraud and claims integrity solutions
• 2025 A.I. Awards finalist for Most Innovative AI Technology and Best Use of AI for Healthcare

The company also expanded strategic partnerships, including collaboration with HealthEdge to integrate advanced payment integrity capabilities directly into core payer platforms.

Strengthening Leadership and Industry Community Influence

To support continued growth, Codoxo welcomed several senior leaders, including Dr. Riccardo “Ric” Baron VP of AI and Jim Brady, VP of Growth.

Codoxo also expanded its leadership role in healthcare AI through industry education and community building. The company grew its AI for Payment Integrity (AI for PI) community and hosted its Second Annual AI for Payment Integrity Summit, convening payer leaders around early intervention and prevention-first cost containment strategies. Codoxo experts also shared insights at major industry forums, including NHCAA, NAMPI, and HPRI, and hosted its annual invite-only Xcelerate Conference for customers and innovators.

“This past year marked a defining moment for Codoxo, driven by the rapid adoption of Point Zero Payment Integrity,” said Musheer Ahmed, PhD, Founder and CEO of Codoxo. “Codoxo is at the forefront of reimagining healthcare cost containment by moving payment integrity to the earliest possible point in the payment lifecycle—before claims are ever created. By combining generative AI with proactive provider education, we’re proving that prevention-first payment integrity can deliver measurable savings while strengthening payer-provider relationships. This investment allows us to scale that impact nationally and build on the momentum we’ve created.”

For more information about Codoxo and its AI-powered payment integrity solutions, visit www.codoxo.com. To learn more about career opportunities supporting Codoxo’s continued growth, visit www.codoxo.com/careers.

About Codoxo

Codoxo empowers healthcare payers with its Generative AI-driven Unified Cost Containment Platform, delivering intelligent, end-to-end payment integrity and fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) solutions—from pre-claim to prepay and postpay. At the earliest intervention point, Codoxo’s Point Zero Payment Integrity solutions identify and prevent payment errors before claims are even submitted, stopping issues at their source. The platform’s comprehensive AI capabilities span across provider education, data mining, clinical chart and medical record reviews, no-code concept ideation, fraud detection, audit workflow and case management and provider contract and medical policy compliance. These help payers achieve unmatched accuracy across the entire claim lifecycle. Codoxo’s platform transforms payment integrity by shifting payers from reactive detection to proactive prevention—reducing costs and improving provider relationships. Codoxo has been recognized with a Fierce Healthcare Innovation Award and named to the Inc. 5000 list for its rapid growth. All Codoxo solutions operate in a HITRUST-certified environment. For more information, visit www.codoxo.com.

SOURCE Codoxo

Simform announces a $3 million strategic investment to expand its Microsoft Cloud & AI practice, strengthening Azure engineering depth, accelerating IP-led delivery, and scaling co-sell collaboration across key global regions.

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 17, 2026 — Simform has strengthened its Microsoft partnership with a $3 million strategic investment aimed at scaling Cloud & AI engineering, accelerating time-to-value through IP & accelerators, and deepening collaboration, co-selling and GTM programs. The initiative builds on Simform’s growing momentum as a multi-specialised Microsoft Solutions Partner with 9 Advanced Specialisations and over 325 certifications, with a goal to double that by the end of the next fiscal year.

“This investment is about scaling what we know works: Engineering DNA, focused solution plays and repeatable motions”, said Prayaag Kasundra, CEO of Simform. “Microsoft Azure has a clear edge for IaaS/PaaS offering for deploying AI apps, Data Platform and Security. We are pairing our Microsoft Cloud & AI expertise on Azure with our product & platform engineering strength to deliver excellence for ISVs, digital natives and highly tech-powered mid-market enterprises”.

Cloud & AI excellence driven by Engineering DNA and repeatable accelerators

Simform has built a formidable reputation as a leading digital engineering company specializing in product and platform engineering with its deeply ingrained Engineering DNA and values like agility, drive, and foresight. With investments into the Microsoft partnership, Simform is looking to bring the same Engineering DNA to Microsoft solutioning.

According to Hiren Dhaduk, CTO at Simform,

“The kind of Azure engineering that drives real impact is built on habits. Architecture reviews that don’t get skipped. Teams that don’t ship and vanish. Environments that don’t break under usage patterns no one planned for.

That’s the engineering maturity we’ve been building quietly at Simform. This investment helps us push it further, across every domain we work in, and every Microsoft engagement we walk into.”

The Lab and Innovation team at Simform has built solution accelerators to be able to have a clear go-to-market edge and reduce time-to-value for customers. Platform Accelerators like Neuvantage for AI-powered App modernisation and TrueMorph for AI-powered Data platform modernisation cover a wide range of scenarios. While Data360, MedNoteDx, and 10+ other accelerators address specific use-cases within Financial Services, Healthcare, Supply chain, and Retail industries.

Simform currently holds Microsoft Solutions Partner designations across four key areas – Digital & App Innovation, Data & AI, Infrastructure, and Security – and nine advanced specializations, including Building AI Apps, Migrate Enterprise Applications, and Analytics on Microsoft Azure. Simform has met all qualification requirements for Azure Expert MSP and is looking forward to attaining Azure Expert MSP designation by March 2026 by completing scheduled audit for the same.

Simform was also recently named a Microsoft Fabric Featured Partner, a recognition reserved for partners with demonstrated capability in building unified, AI-ready data estates on Fabric. It reflects Simform’s continued alignment with Microsoft’s data and AI priorities and its ability to help organizations modernize analytics with speed, scale, and governance.

Building market momentum: Simform at Microsoft Ignite 2025

Simform participated as a sponsor and exhibitor at Microsoft Ignite 2025, where Simform team held productive discussions with engineering and IT executives on how to adopt scalable AI platform practices using AI Foundry and AI-powered legacy application modernization, and building AI-ready, governed data foundations.

Across Microsoft announcement and technical sessions, Simform’s team saw a clear shift toward the “agentic” enterprise and the “Frontier Firm” operating model, with an emphasis on end-to-end AI lifecycle tooling, centralized agent management and observability, and platform capabilities that help organizations scale AI safely and repeatably. Just as importantly, Ignite underscored that security and governance are becoming foundational to AI scale, highlighting expanded Security Copilot agents and new Purview capabilities to strengthen data security and compliance for agents—reinforcing what executives repeatedly emphasized at the booth: speed-to-value matters, but only when paired with strong guardrails for identity, data, and risk.

Scaling co-sell motions and delivering outcomes

Simform’s roadmap for Microsoft FY26 reflects an ambitious push to scale the impact with Microsoft Cloud & AI solutions. Simform is looking to deliver 30+ transformations across infrastructure, applications, data, and AI and building 5+ accelerators aligned to and integrated with Microsoft solutions. Simform has built dedicated teams to scale the Microsoft GTM, including an alliance team to scale the co-sell motions in North America, the UK & Ireland, and Western Europe regions.

“We’ve built a Sales enablement program and pipeline engine aligned with how Microsoft sells,” said Hardik Shah, co-founder/CRO. “Our accelerator-driven offerings reduce the friction in the sales cycles and allow us to differentiate within the competitive partner ecosystem. While our dedicated sales/solutions team leverages the MCEM model, we work closely with Microsoft sellers to simplify value articulation and accelerate opportunities within their customer base.”

With its latest investment and continued alignment with Microsoft’s cloud and AI strategy, Simform is deepening its role as an engineering partner of choice. As enterprise teams move from experimentation to scale, Simform brings the frameworks, accelerators, and co-innovation depth to help Azure initiatives deliver measurable repeatable impact.

To learn more about our direction behind this investment, read this strategy overview published alongside this announcement.

About Simform

Simform is a digital engineering company specializing in Cloud/MACH architectures, Data, AI, ML, and Experience Engineering. With deep expertise across Microsoft Azure, Simform helps high-growth ISVs and tech-enabled enterprises build scalable, future-ready digital platforms through its co-engineering delivery model. With a rich heritage in Microsoft technologies, Simform is recognized as a Solution Partner for Digital and App Innovation, Data & AI, Infrastructure and security. Our team boasts 340+ Azure-certified engineers with specialized skills in .NET, SharePoint, and D365 platforms. With more than 15 years of experience, Simform delivers solutions for high-tech, fintech, healthcare & life sciences, supply chain & logistics, retail & ecommerce, and professional services industries.

Contact:

Prayaag Kasundra
+1-321-237-2727
[email protected]
https://www.simform.com/ 

SOURCE Simform LLC

Round13 Capital investing funds to tackle “a defining challenge of this decade”

TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2026 – Lightworks has secured up to $12 million in financing, led by Round13 Capital, to support the launch of its flagship AI services and accelerate the company’s growth. The consultancy will extend its focus on the world’s largest and most highly regulated enterprises, forging new partnerships to set the standard for managing the deployment of AI agents at scale in regulated domains.

“Round13 Capital’s investment marks a defining milestone,” said John Painter, founder and CEO of Lightworks. “For large, highly regulated enterprises to move AI initiatives from pilots to full scale deployments, they must ensure AI agents can operate safely, transparently, and in alignment with compliance and security frameworks.”

The funding will help Lightworks realize its vision of uniting some of the world’s largest regulated entities with seasoned industry leaders through a new services paradigm – working together to build with and extend industry standards that accelerate the deployment of AI agents at scale for all large enterprises.

“This investment supports Round13 Capital’s guiding mission to back founders and grow the Canadian technology and IT Services ecosystem,” said Wilson Lee, partner at Round13 Capital, a leading venture and growth equity investment firm. “Our past collaborations with John and his team give us great confidence in their ability to establish strategic partnerships and operate within highly complex enterprise environments. Lightworks is tackling a defining challenge of this decade – establishing control, compliance, and visibility for AI at enterprise scale.”

The Lightworks team brings decades of experience advising major institutions on secure and compliant technology adoption and has delivered large-scale programs in North America, Australia, and Asia. For more information, visit light.works.

About Lightworks

Lightworks is a Canadian consultancy specializing in enterprise AI control systems and infrastructure. The firm helps the world’s largest and most highly regulated organizations orchestrate, govern, and secure AI-driven systems. For more information, visit light.works.

About Round13 Capital

Founded in 2013, Round13 Capital is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm based in Toronto, Canada. The firm invests in high-potential companies across a range of sectors, with a focus on supporting their growth and development over the long term. For further information, please visit round13.com.

SOURCE Lightworks

SYDNEY, Feb. 17, 2026 — Fluent Commerce, a global provider of Order Management Systems (OMS), announces today that it has secured A$46m in new funding from Bain Capital. The investment will support continued, profitable global growth, and enable customers to scale faster with new AI-powered capabilities in Fluent Order Management. The capital will:

• Fund further “AI with ROI” investments
• Accelerate customer acquisition
• Support the roll-out of Fluent Connect (new AI integration platform)
• Continue expansion into key international markets

Fluent Commerce CEO, Graham Jackson, said:

“At Fluent Commerce, our goal is to serve our customers with real-time data to enable them to remove profit leaks and to grow. Whether it’s into a new market or launching a new brand or experience, we provide the decision-making engine for AI-ready commerce operations. This investment from Bain Capital enables us to supercharge our international growth and become the AI powerhouse for global brands.”

Fluent Commerce is dedicated to helping companies optimise inventory, move faster and deliver better customer experiences through its scalable, distributed order management platform. Customers include global brands such as Prada Group, L’Oreal, Kingfisher, LVMH and JD Sports.

In January, Fluent Commerce launched its new AI-powered integration platform, ‘Fluent Connect’, which enables retailers and brands to connect Fluent Order Management with critical third-party systems, such as payment gateways, carriers and POS systems, in a matter of hours rather than weeks. By dramatically reducing integration complexity and time-to-value, Fluent Connect allows customers to go live faster, scale more easily, and keep pace with ongoing innovation and growth.

This latest funding highlights investor confidence in Fluent’s long-term vision and continued global expansion. Bain Capital, a global private capital investment firm with over $215 billion (USD) in assets under management, continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting high-growth companies through its latest transaction with Fluent Commerce.

Paul Kennedy, Partner at Bain Capital, said, “We are excited to partner with Fluent Commerce as it accelerates its global expansion. Fluent has built a best-in-class Order Management platform guided by a proven management team, a focused customer-first strategy, and technology leadership that has earned the trust of leading global brands. Bain Capital’s conviction in Fluent is grounded in our global technology investing experience, which we will continue to apply as we support the company’s ongoing growth.”

This transaction was advised by Neu Capital.

Managing Director from Neu Capital, Cyrus Church, said, “Fluent Commerce is a fantastic Australian success story. It’s been a pleasure arranging this capital as they continue to expand worldwide. “

About Fluent Commerce
Fluent Commerce is a global software company focused on inventory availability data management at scale and distributed order management (DOM) for commerce. Fluent Order Management provides accurate, real-time inventory availability across all locations, order orchestration, fulfillment optimization, fulfillment location management, in-store pick-and-pack, customer service, and reporting.

Fluent Commerce works with organizations such as JD Sports, L’Oréal, Prada Group, ALDO Group, LVMH, Dulux and Kingfisher. For more information, visit fluentcommerce.com

About Bain Capital

Bain Capital is an international investment firm that creates a lasting impact on and for investors, teams, businesses, and communities. Since our foundation in 1984, Bain Capital has leveraged insight and experience to achieve intrinsic growth in several investment areas, including private equity, credit, public equity, venture capital, real estate, life sciences, insurance, and other strategic focus areas. We have 24 offices on 4 continents, over 1,950 employees, with approximately US$ 215 billion in assets under management.

About Neu Capital

Neu Capital is a full service independent debt advisory firm delivering tailored capital solutions to public and private mid-market companies. Neu Capital arranges billions of dollars of transactions across asset-backed securities, corporate finance and special situation structures.

Neu Capital Australia Pty Ltd. | ACN 612 662 692 | Level 4, 333 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

SOURCE Fluent Commerce

UPPSALA, Sweden, Feb. 17, 2026 — Beactica Therapeutics AB, a Swedish precision medicine company, today announced that it, together with leading glioblastoma researchers at KU Leuven, has been awarded a EUR 2.5 million grant by the European Innovation Council (EIC) to advance a precision immune therapy for glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive brain tumour which currently lacks effective treatment.

In the project GLIOBREAK, Beactica and KU Leuven are joining forces to advance BEA-17, Beactica’s wholly owned, first-in-class degrader of the epigenetic protein complex LSD1–CoREST, together with a biomarker-driven companion diagnostic developed based on research carried out by Professor Frederik De Smet and colleagues at KU Leuven. GLIOBREAK aims to progress this integrated therapeutic-diagnostic approach from a validated laboratory stage to early clinical readiness, positioning the programme at the forefront of immuno-epigenetic therapies for glioblastoma. The 30-month GLIOBREAK project builds on results from the ongoing EU-financed project GLIOMATCH and will be led and coordinated by Beactica. The project is targeting the completion of IND-enabling studies and submission of a regulatory application to either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA), positioning BEA-17 for first-in-human clinical trials.

EIC Transition is a Horizon Europe grant scheme that funds activities to mature and validate technology while in parallel developing business and market readiness. Grants of up to EUR 2.5 million are available, covering 100% of the project costs. The funding is non-dilutive to the company’s shareholders. Beactica and KU Leuven’s proposal was one of only 40 selected for financing out of a total of 611 proposals submitted in the most competitive EIC Transition calls ever.

“We are delighted to receive this prestigious EIC Transition award together with our eminent collaborators at KU Leuven. It is a significant validation of our immuno-epigenetic approach to glioblastoma, a disease with devastating outcomes where patients urgently need new therapeutic options. The partnership with KU Leuven and the recognition from the European Innovation Council position BEA-17 at the forefront of precision medicine,” said Beactica’s CEO, Dr. Per Källblad. “This funding enables us to complete our IND-enabling studies and move toward first-in-human trials, bringing this first-in-class LSD1-CoREST degrader closer to patients.”

About glioblastoma (GBM)

GBM is the most common and most aggressive brain tumour. Approximately 35,000 people in the U.S. and Europe are diagnosed with GBM each year. The median overall survival is 15 months, and the five-year overall survival is only 5%.

About BEA-17

BEA-17 is a first-in-class small-molecule targeted degrader of lysine demethylase 1 (LSD1) and its co-factor CoREST. By enhancing antigen presentation, inducing viral mimicry, and reprogramming macrophages toward a pro-inflammatory state, BEA-17 restores immune activity within the tumour microenvironment. In syngeneic animal models of cancer, the candidate drug has shown promising potentiation of immune-modulating treatments across several cancer types, including anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors in colon cancer and standard of care treatment (temozolomide and radiation) in glioblastoma. Pharmacokinetic studies of BEA-17 show good blood-brain-barrier penetration and oral availability. BEA-17 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). BEA-17 is wholly owned by Beactica Therapeutics.

About Beactica Therapeutics

Beactica Therapeutics AB is a privately held precision medicine company with a pipeline of novel small molecule therapeutics aimed at treating diseases with significant unmet medical need. Beactica’s approach is centered around the Eclipsor™ platform that enables the efficient development of allosteric modulators and targeted protein degraders. Beactica deliver value to patients and shareholders by advancing its programmes to clinical proof of concept. For more information, please visit www.beactica.com.

About KU Leuven

Three KU Leuven research teams, led by Prof. Frederik De Smet, Prof. An Coosemans and Prof. Thierry Voet, are collaborating to lay the groundwork for future clinical testing of BEA-17. Prof. De Smet’s team focuses on brain tumor biology and (spatial) single-cell profiling of GBM patient samples and coordinates the GLIOMATCH project, translating patient-derived insights into clinically relevant hypotheses. All single-cell and spatial profiling is embedded within the KU Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), where Prof. Voet contributes leading expertise in advanced (spatial) single-cell technologies. As part of the KU Leuven Cancer Institute, these molecular insights are functionally tested by Prof. Coosemans’ team using state-of-the-art GBM mouse models and drug profiling platforms, providing a critical translational step toward the clinic. By integrating patient data, single-cell technologies and preclinical validation, this collaboration establishes a focused pipeline aimed at enabling the next generation of clinical testing for GBM at KU Leuven.

Beactica Therapeutics contact
Per Källblad M.Sc. Ph.D.
CEO
[email protected] 
Tel: +46 18 56 08 80

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TULSA, Okla., Feb. 12, 2026 — The University of Tulsa and Hurricane Ventures have announced an investment in BioReact, an artificial intelligence and analytics platform powering modern bioprocess development and optimization. The funding will be used to accelerate go-to-market efforts and expand BioReact’s product capabilities.

Launched in April 2023, Hurricane Ventures invests in early-stage companies with strategic connections to the university. The fund leverages the university’s knowledge network and resources; advances UTulsa’s innovation ecosystem; and drives success across its portfolio as well as economic growth across the region.

BioReact provides a unified system where teams can bring together data from multiple sources into a structured foundation. Scientists working with bioreactors – specialized containers where cells are grown to develop medicines and vaccines – typically spend four to five hours manually organizing data from devices, spreadsheets and lab notebooks before they can analyze results.

BioReact lets scientists upload data from disparate sources and automatically align datasets, visualizing results in seconds. The platform’s AI analyzes parameters like temperature, pH and nutrient concentrations to identify optimal growth conditions that improve yields, reduce costs and shorten development cycles. The platform requires no coding expertise and has applications across industries like biopharma, industrial biotech and synthetic biology.

“The support from The University of Tulsa and Hurricane Ventures allows us to accelerate development of software that genuinely serves scientists. Beyond the capital, access to UTulsa’s exceptional biotech talent gives us a unique advantage in refining the product alongside real scientific expertise, ensuring BioReact continues to deliver meaningful, practical improvements for teams running complex bioprocesses,” said Mitchell Castetter, CEO and co-founder.

Castetter has spent more than a decade in biotech sales at Beckman Coulter and Cytena. His co-founder Joanna Lipinski, Ph.D., brings over 20 years of experience spanning high-tech and biotech, with a career focused on building advanced software and data platforms that power modern scientific research.

“We are excited to support founders Mitchell and Joanna as they modernize bioprocess development and help scientists work more efficiently,” said Chris Wright, assistant vice president and leader of UTulsa’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

BioReact is the 12th company to receive support from Hurricane Ventures.

“We’re thrilled to back this team as they modernize the bioprocess workflow and ultimately help accelerate the development of pharmaceuticals and other critical products,” said Connor Sitton, director of Hurricane Ventures.

SOURCE The University of Tulsa