New workflow replaces a multi-day, manual payout process with one auditable flow from funding to LP receipt
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 26, 2026 — 6lock, the Verified Money Movement™ platform purpose-built for private equity firms, today announced Same Day Distributions, a new workflow that enables private equity firms to create, fund, and complete an LP distribution in a single day. Using an existing waterfall schedule, a firm can create the distribution and, with a single wire, securely disburse funds to every limited partner – individuals and entities alike – from one place. LPs receive their funds that same day through their designated payment method.
6lock
Paying a distribution has traditionally required firms to collect updated bank details, confirm accounts by phone, verify micro-deposits, and reconcile each payment manually in a spreadsheet. It has also meant callbacks: phoning each recipient to confirm account details by voice. Callbacks are slow and costly, and voice confirmation no longer proves identity when a familiar voice can be cloned from seconds of audio. Same Day Distributions removes the callback, verifying bank accounts and approvals inside the platform, with funding and payment status tracked in one workflow.
“Private equity firms move significant amounts of money using processes that are still far too manual,” said Todd Sorrel, Co-Founder and CEO at 6lock. “Same Day Distributions gives fund teams the speed they need without sacrificing control or visibility. What once required days of coordination can now be completed through one secure, auditable workflow.”
Private equity firms need flexibility in how they fund and execute distributions. They can fund a distribution in full or in parts, send multiple payments against the same distribution as capital becomes available, or approve and stage a distribution before funding arrives. Each distribution is funded through a unique, single-use account, so there are no standing account details to intercept or reuse.
“Finance teams have always used a phone call to verify payment details. We wanted to remove that,” said Trey Anderson, Head of Product at 6lock. “Same Day Distributions verifies the account itself before money moves, so a firm can take days out of the process without compromising controls.”
Firms also require complete, real-time visibility into all aspects of their money movement. 6lock provides a live view of the total distribution amount, the amount funded and paid, each LP’s approval and bank-account status, and which recipients have received funds. The result is a clear record from initial upload through final settlement, replacing manual reconciliation and fragmented payment records.
Same Day Distributions is available now within 6lock’s existing distribution workflow. To learn more, visit https://www.6lock.com/.
About 6lock
6lock delivers Verified Money Movement™ (VMM) to lock fraud and human error out of fund flows for private markets. The platform enables identity-verified, secure, and real-time execution of capital calls, distributions, deals, and vendor payments. 6lock is SOC 2 Type II compliant and built to reduce fraud risk, operational burden, and friction across the PE ecosystem.
Hardshell Named Grand Prize Winner in National Veteran-Led Startup Event
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26, 2026 — VetsinTech, the leading national nonprofit dedicated to supporting U.S. veterans through tech-based programs and opportunities in education, employment and entrepreneurship, today announced the winners of its sixth annual Startup Pitch Contest. The event, hosted by VetsinTech with presenting sponsor J.P. Morgan, showcased five early-stage startups founded by veterans.
From a competitive field of semi-finalists, Hardshell was named the grand prize winner and awarded $25,000 during a live, in-person pitch event held at Andreessen Horowitz’s San Francisco office on August 20, 2026.
Hardshell, co-founded by Hunter Moore and Andrew Schoka, is an AI data security company that helps enterprises safely use sensitive and proprietary data with AI systems while keeping that data within their own environments. Its platform identifies and tests for data-exposure vulnerabilities, monitors how AI systems retrieve and use enterprise data, and applies protections designed to prevent leakage or unauthorized extraction without compromising AI performance.
“Winning the VetsinTech Startup Pitch Competition is meaningful validation of the problem we’re solving and the company we’re building,” said Andrew Schoka, Co-Founder and CEO of Hardshell. “As enterprises move quickly to adopt AI, protecting the sensitive data that powers those systems has become mission-critical. We’re grateful to VetsinTech and J.P. Morgan for backing veteran entrepreneurs and giving companies like ours the opportunity to turn ambitious ideas into businesses with real-world impact.”
The second place winner, Bandelier Technologies, was awarded the $10,000 prize. Bandelier Technologies is a New Mexico-based deep-tech company commercializing quantum sensing, imaging and networking technologies originating from U.S. national laboratories. Its technology is designed to deliver advanced detection, precision navigation and more resilient communications for defense, national security and commercial applications, particularly in complex or contested environments where conventional sensing systems can fall short.
Third place went to Hyperios Technologies, which was awarded $5,000. Hyperios Technologies is a defense and space technology company developing physics-aware AI and distributed sensor-fusion software for space domain awareness and missile warning. Its cloud-native platform combines data from existing, disparate sensor networks to provide earlier detection and more confident characterization of threats, including rocket launches, ballistic missiles and spacecraft re-entry events—without requiring additional sensor hardware.
Each participating startup was required to be founded by a U.S. military veteran offer a tech solution with applications in cybersecurity, AI, space, fintech or enterprise SaaS and more. A focus on volunteerism and positive community impact was also a judging criteria. Winners were selected by a panel of industry experts, investors and tech executives.
Veteran-owned businesses comprise about 5.3%–5.4% of U.S. businesses, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Every year our founders raise the bar, and this year’s winners are no exception. What struck me was the range of problems these veteran entrepreneurs are taking on, and the discipline they bring to solving them. We’re proud to give their work a national stage. And we’re most grateful to J.P. Morgan for standing with this community, year after year,” said Katherine Webster, Founder and CEO of VetsinTech.
About VetsInTech Based in San Francisco with more than 125,000 veterans and 28 chapters across the country, VetsinTech is the leading national non-profit devoted 100% to springboarding veterans into tech careers. VetsinTech harnesses the national technology ecosystem to help veterans returning from active military duty pursue new technology careers by applying their exceptional training, skills, and experience. Comprising technology industry leaders and former service members, VetsinTech is the only non-profit supporting veterans and military spouses through tech-based education, employment, and entrepreneurship programs. Learn more at www.vetsintech.co.
Press Contact: Carmen Hughes Ignite X [email protected] 650.576.6444
– Series C Fundraise Also Includes Investment from Jenny Just and Reinvestment from Carmelo Anthony, Geno Auriemma, the Berman Family, Bessemer Venture Partners, Ashton Kutcher, Alex Morgan and Trybe Ventures, Dan Rosensweig and Trae Young –
– Core to the League’s Mission, Players Remain the League’s Largest Equity Group with Player Equity Pool Now Valued at nearly $200 Million –
MIAMI, Aug. 26, 2026 — Today, Unrivaled announced its Series C fundraise led by Ten Pillars Sports Fund (backed by UC Investments) has surpassed an initial $100 million target and is now oversubscribed at a league valuation of $650 million. Founded in 2023 by women’s basketball stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled was born from a shared vision to empower athletes as real stakeholders whose voices and ownership position shape the league’s direction and capitalize on its performance.
A key element of the league’s business model is its player-first compensation structure, which provides participating players with equity opportunities in addition to competitive salaries and benefits. As Unrivaled continues to scale, so too does its investment in its athletes, who remain the league’s largest shareholder group. Since the onset, the value of the player equity pool has increased more than 550% and is now worth close to $200 million.
“This raise is fueling the next stage of Unrivaled’s growth and expanding our impact across the women’s basketball ecosystem,” said Unrivaled CEO & Co-Founder Alex Bazzell. “We’re partnering with investors who share our vision to create lasting value and greater opportunity for the best players in the world, while continuing to elevate the game for fans. Unrivaled was built by players and for players, and their ownership, leadership and ambition continue to drive the league forward and define a new model for the sport.”
Unrivaled’s latest fundraise comes on the heels of a second season marked by significant growth across the business including in ticketing, merchandise, social and fan engagement, record-setting attendances, and continued expansion of the league’s digital ecosystem.
“The moment for women’s sports is here,” said Jagdeep Singh Bachher, UC Investments’ chief investment officer. “Young people get it. We get it. Anyone who’s watched Unrivaled knows this game is every bit as thrilling as any other sport out there. We’re excited to help propel that momentum forward.”
Unrivaled’s Series C Round includes but is not limited to investment from:
Carmelo Anthony
Geno Auriemma
The Berman Family
Bessemer Venture Partners
Jenny Just
Ashton Kutcher
Alex Morgan and Trybe Ventures
Dan Rosensweig
Ten Pillars Sports Fund
Trae Young
“We work across a range of different leagues and teams, and what Unrivaled has accomplished in just two years is truly unprecedented,” said Maddie Winslow, Director, Inner Circle Sports, a William Blair Business. “Unrivaled has been innovative from day one across every part of its business model, and they’ve backed their ambition with a real track record of execution which created incredible demand for this fundraise. The raise undoubtedly marks a significant chapter in the league’s accelerated growth trajectory.”
Unrivaled’s Series C fundraise builds on earlier investor momentum generated since its announcement in May 2024, including an oversubscribed Series B investment in September 2025 that increased the league’s valuation to $340 million. Early investors in Unrivaled include a notable list of institutional investors, industry titans, and sports legends including but not limited to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Build Your Legacy Ventures, Amy Banse, Dan Benton, Stephen Curry, Moira Forbes, Coco Gauff, Linda Henry, Tyus & Tre Jones, Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, David Levy and Horizon Sports & Experiences, Next Legacy Partners, Amy Banse, Ann Sarnoff, Richard Sarnoff, John Skipper, Dawn Staley, Wanda and Alex Sykes, JuJu Watkins, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
“This raise reflects the confidence investors have in what we set out to build at Unrivaled: a league where the best players in the world have a real stake in the value they create,” said Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart. “Moving forward, this investment gives us even more resources to support our players, elevate the experience for fans, and grow a league that is shaping the future of women’s basketball.”
This milestone follows a record-setting second season for the women’s basketball league earlier this year, in which it expanded to eight clubs and 54 players ahead of schedule. Unrivaled’s sophomore season also included major attendance records as the league took its product on the road for the first – and second – time, playing in front of sold-out crowds at both Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a testament to fan excitement around the league, Philly is Unrivaled presented by Xfinity set records for the highest attended regular season professional women’s basketball game and the highest attended event of all time at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to raise the standard for what players and fans should expect from women’s basketball,” said Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier. “This investment allows Unrivaled to keep pushing that standard higher, creating the best possible environment for players to compete and thrive, while making the experience bigger and better for the fans who continue to show up for women’s basketball.”
Unrivaled was represented in this fundraise by Inner Circle Sports. Unrivaled season three tips off in January 2027 and will air nationally across TNT Sports. For more information and to stay up to date with league news, visit unrivaled.basketball and follow @UnrivaledBasketball.
About Unrivaled: Unrivaled is a professional women’s basketball league redefining the model for professional sports through athlete ownership, world-class competition and a player-first approach to building long-term enterprise value. Co-founded by basketball icons Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled provides participating players equity opportunities, aligning athletes directly with its growth and success. Since the league’s debut in 2025, Unrivaled has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing properties in sports, bringing together the world’s top women’s basketball players across eight clubs and delivering an innovative 3-on-3, compressed full-court style of play. With a rapidly expanding fan base, premier media and brand partnerships, and backing from leading institutional investors, sports legends, and business leaders, Unrivaled is building a new standard for how professional sports leagues are created, owned and scaled. To learn more, visit unrivaled.basketball or contact [email protected].
1H2026 operating margin reaches 36.3%, up 8.4 percentage points year-over-year; Q2 performance-based fees up 500.9% year-over-year
SINGAPORE, Aug. 26, 2026 — Noah Holdings Limited (“Noah” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NOAH; HKEX: 6686), a leading wealth management institution serving global Chinese families, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. The key signal this quarter: with revenue broadly stable, profit growth accelerated and operating margin expanded significantly, alongside the continued execution of an operating model that has been validated through practice — an institutional productivity system combining an AI-powered wealth management platform, locally licensed professional teams, and ecosystem partners on a single, unified operating infrastructure.
About ten months after its launch in Singapore, this model achieved its first month of profitability in July. More importantly, it is shifting the traditional wealth management growth formula away from headcount-driven relationship manager (“RM”) expansion: even as the number of international RMs declined year-over-year, Noah’s international AUM in USD terms still grew 11.7%, demonstrating the replicability and scalability of an institutionalized service model.
Jingbo Wang, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of Noah Holdings, said: “For more than two decades, Noah has walked alongside many families through complete cycles. We are increasingly convinced that what clients truly entrust to Noah is not a sum of money, but a family’s plan for its future. That is why Noah operates under license and in compliance in every market we serve, and carries our long-term responsibilities on a balance sheet with zero interest-bearing debt. Real stability never comes from any single correct judgment — it comes from systems and structure. Wealth management is something that can only be proven over a long period of time. Noah will continue to safeguard every family’s trust with prudence, discipline, and a long-term view.”
Zhe Yin, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Noah Holdings, said: “Wealth management is shifting from a service model built on individual experience to one supported jointly by platforms, professional teams, and global resources. AI amplifies the platform’s service capacity, licensed teams take on professional judgment and compliance responsibility, and ecosystem partners help us serve more clients at a lower fixed cost. Only when the three work together can clients receive consistent, professional, and dependable service across markets. Singapore’s operating performance has validated this direction, and in the next phase we will extend this model to more markets.”
In the second quarter, Noah recorded net revenues of RMB620 million; income from operations of RMB216 million, up 34.0% year-over-year, with an operating margin of 34.8%; and non-GAAP net income attributable to Noah shareholders of RMB238 million, up 25.9% year-over-year and 77.8% quarter-over-quarter. For the first half, net revenues were RMB1.246 billion, up 0.1% year-over-year; income from operations was RMB452 million, up 30.3% year-over-year; and operating margin was 36.3%, up 8.4 percentage points year-over-year. This marked Noah’s 63rd consecutive quarter of non-GAAP profitability since its listing.
Investment capability: performance fees rooted in structure, not a single deal
Total revenue in the second quarter was broadly flat year-over-year, but the underlying mix improved markedly. Returns from Noah’s investment capabilities are increasingly being realized: net performance-based fees for the first half reached RMB 238 million, up 364.0% year-over-year, while fundraising fees from investment products rose 13.4% year-over-year. Over the same period, operating costs and expenses fell 11.6% year-over-year.
Mr. Yin said: “Performance fees are not a one-time revenue item — they are a long-accumulated, systemic capability that can continue to roll forward. They stem from the position Noah has built over more than a decade in global primary markets: as a limited partner in leading global funds, we see the industry’s most forward-looking directions; as a manager of funds-of-funds, we see the collective choices of the world’s best-performing managers. These informational advantages ultimately convert into returns through investment performance.”
Noah’s global investment system is built on three layers of capability: gaining frontier industry visibility and asset information by investing as an LP in leading global funds; broadening its information base and cross-validating the shared conviction of top global investment managers through its fund-of-funds network; and converting research and information advantages into concrete opportunities through direct project investment.
Funds established in different years sit at different stages of their life cycles, with early-vintage funds continually entering their harvest period — providing a rolling basis for performance-fee realization. Noah’s Hong Kong platform has cumulatively realized USD 158 million in actual performance fees to date.
AI and institutional-grade data systems are reinforcing this structure. On the asset side, Noah cross-validates the directions in which top managers are jointly investing and continuing to add exposure. On the client side, the same data system is used to understand clients’ actual needs, risk tolerance, and existing asset structure, improving the efficiency of asset-client matching. Better matching supports stronger investment performance and greater long-term willingness among clients to allocate — forming a positive cycle among investment capability, client value, and business growth.
The Company also notes that alternative investments are inherently cyclical, performance fees will fluctuate from year to year, and it does not smooth expectations for this line; it will continue to disclose the latest progress on a quarterly basis.
A new model: from a single proof point to a system
Singapore is the first fully realized proof point for this model. Since its launch in the fourth quarter of last year, Singapore AUM has grown from under USD 100 million to more than USD 400 million in the second quarter, and the market achieved its first month of profitability in July. AI-enabled teams now handle day-to-day servicing for 92% of clients, with licensed teams responsible for compliance and professional delivery; external partners contributed 42% of net new AUM. The entire growth trajectory was achieved without expanding RM headcount.
As of June 30, 2026, Noah’s USD-denominated AUM reached USD 6.5 billion, up 11.7% year-over-year; USD-denominated AUA reached USD 9.78 billion, up 7.5% year-over-year; and the number of registered international clients reached 21,059, up 11.0% year-over-year.
Operating infrastructure
Front-end AI adoption must happen alongside back-end platform modernization. Accounts, transactions, settlement, payments, and compliance form the shared foundation on which the three pillars above stand. This quarter, the Company established a system-level partnership with Column N.A., a U.S.-licensed banking institution, to enhance account opening, multi-currency settlement, and payment processing for international clients; and ArkOS, a client-facing fintech platform, went live in July, driving online and automated account opening, remittance, and settlement. These services are available only to non-Mainland China resident clients in compliance with applicable local laws and regulations.
As of June 30, 2026, Noah’s total assets under management stood at RMB 140.9 billion, with cash and cash equivalents of RMB 4.323 billion. A resilient balance sheet will continue to support the Company’s investment in global operating infrastructure, investment research, AI capability, and client service systems, enabling Noah to provide safe, professional, and dependable long-term wealth management services to global Chinese families.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the replicability of the Company’s business model, international market expansion, and future investment. Actual results may differ materially from these statements due to macroeconomic conditions, regulatory changes, investment performance, execution risk, and other factors. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update such statements as a result of new information or future events. Historical financial data presented herein does not constitute a guarantee of future performance.
Porté par un groupe d’investisseurs comprenant entre autres Electronic Arts, Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group et Warner Music Group, le financement total atteint 232 millions de dollars sous la nouvelle direction
LOS ANGELES, 26 août 2026 — Stability AI, leader des produits d’IA spécialement conçus pour les créatifs professionnels dans les domaines de la musique, du jeu vidéo et du divertissement, a annoncé aujourd’hui une levée de fonds de série B de 76 millions de dollars. Cette annonce porte à 232 millions de dollars le financement total, incluant deux levées de fonds en capitaux propres et des obligations convertibles, obtenu sous la direction de Prem Akkaraju depuis sa nomination en juin 2024. Ces fonds permettront à l’entreprise de développer sa gamme de produits destinés à la production créative, d’approfondir ses activités de recherche appliquée et de renforcer son pôle de services professionnels.
Ce tour de table accueille un nouveau groupe d’investisseurs issus des secteurs du divertissement et des technologies, parmi lesquels figurent Electronic Arts, pionnier du divertissement interactif, ainsi que les leaders mondiaux du divertissement musical Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group et Warner Music Group, sans oublier les sociétés d’investissement AMD Ventures et Pacific Alliance Ventures.
Ces investisseurs viennent s’ajouter à la liste déjà impressionnante des poids lourds des secteurs du divertissement et des technologies qui soutiennent Stability AI : Coatue, Greycroft, Kadmos Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mantis Capital, Sound Ventures et WPP, aux côtés des investisseurs particuliers Sean Parker, Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, Kevin Mayer, Mark Burnett, Patrick Whitesell, Prem Akkaraju et Robert Nelsen.
Coatue, Greycroft, Kadmos Capital, Sean Parker et Eric Schmidt participent également à ce tour de financement de série B, investissant ainsi pour la deuxième fois consécutive sous la nouvelle direction de l’entreprise.
« Ce groupe d’investisseurs sans pareil vient confirmer notre vision, selon laquelle l’IA générative donne à chaque producteur, musicien et conteur les moyens de ses ambitions », déclare Prem Akkaraju, directeur général de Stability AI. « Stability est unique dans le domaine de l’IA, car nous sommes des créatifs qui construisons des outils pour les créatifs. Pour développer une technologie qui va révolutionner le secteur, il faut réunir une équipe composée de géants qui font vraiment la différence, et c’est exactement notre démarche ici. » M. Akkaraju ajoute : « Nos investisseurs nous ouvrent la voie de la réussite à long terme, car ils nous apportent non seulement des capitaux, mais aussi leurs compétences, leur crédibilité et un lien direct avec les artistes. »
Ce tour de table comporte des investissements de la part des partenaires stratégiques existants que sont Electronic Arts, Universal Music Group et Warner Music Group. WPP, leader mondial des services de marketing, a été un partenaire et un investisseur stratégique tout au long de la croissance de Stability AI sous sa nouvelle direction.
Cette annonce fait suite au lancement de Stable Audio 3.0, une famille de modèles musicaux à poids ouverts entraînés sur des données entièrement sous licence. Les artistes peuvent désormais intégrer Stable Audio 3.0 à leur flux de travail grâce à un nouveau module d’extension pour station de travail audio numérique (DAW), ou directement sur StableAudio.com.
Stability AI a par ailleurs annoncé que Thomas Laffont, cofondateur de Coatue, était entré au conseil d’administration.
« Alors que d’autres se consacrent au développement d’une IA générale, Stability AI met au point des outils créatifs en collaboration avec les artistes, les studios et les ayants droit qui posent par leur travail les bases de ce domaine », commente Thomas Laffont, cofondateur de Coatue. « Je suis ravi de rejoindre Prem et l’équipe. »
M. Laffont vient compléter un conseil d’administration composé notamment du réalisateur multioscarisé James Cameron, de Sean Parker, entrepreneur, philanthrope et ancien président de Facebook, de Dana Settle, cofondatrice et associée directrice de Greycroft, ainsi que de Prem Akkaraju, directeur général de Stability AI et ancien directeur général de Weta Digital. Grâce à ce nouveau financement, Stability AI pourra continuer à mettre au point des outils créatifs pour accompagner le processus artistique dans les domaines de la musique, du jeu vidéo et du divertissement.
À propos de Stability AI
Stability AI est le chef de file des produits d’IA spécialement conçus pour les professionnels de la création dans les domaines de la musique, du jeu vidéo et du divertissement.
Stability AI a déclenché la révolution de l’IA générative avec le lancement de Stable Diffusion en août 2022, mettant ainsi la technologie générative à la portée de millions de créateurs à travers le monde pour consolider sa position de leader dans ce domaine. Téléchargés depuis lors plus de 350 millions de fois, les modèles Stable Diffusion constituent la base technique de tout un écosystème de travail.
Nous concevons nos produits avant tout pour les créatifs. Notre travail ne se limite pas aux modèles eux-mêmes, mais s’étend à des produits et solutions pensés pour des processus de production spécifiques. C’est grâce à cette approche centrée sur les artistes qu’Electronic Arts, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, WPP et d’autres ont choisi de faire de nous leur partenaire stratégique.
Stability AI figure parmi les 50 innovateurs en IA sélectionnés par Fortune et parmi les entreprises les plus influentes selon TIME, tandis que Stable Audio a été retenu dans la liste des meilleures inventions de TIME. En juin 2024, Stability AI a entamé une nouvelle phase de croissance avec dans son équipe de direction le directeur général Prem Akkaraju, le président exécutif Sean Parker, ainsi que les administrateurs James Cameron, Dana Settle et Thomas Laffont.
L’entreprise bénéficie du soutien d’investisseurs de renommée mondiale, notamment le pionnier du divertissement interactif Electronic Arts ; les leaders mondiaux du divertissement musical Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group et Warner Music Group ; les sociétés d’investissement Greycroft, Coatue, WPP, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sound Ventures, AMD Ventures et Mantis Capital ; ainsi que les investisseurs particuliers Sean Parker, Eric Schmidt et James Cameron.
Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur stability.ai.
Die Gesamtfinanzierung beläuft sich unter neuer Führung auf 232 Mio. US-Dollar, wobei die Investorengruppe aus Electronic Arts, der Sony Music Group, der Universal Music Group, der Warner Music Group und weiteren besteht
LOS ANGELES, 26. August 2026 — Stability AI, der Marktführer für speziell entwickelte KI-Produkte für professionelle Kreative in den Bereichen Musik, Gaming und Unterhaltung, gab heute eine Serie-B-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 76 Mio. US-Dollar bekannt. Damit beläuft sich das Gesamtfinanzierungsvolumen unter CEO Prem Akkaraju seit seiner Ernennung im Juni 2024 auf 232 Mio. US-Dollar, einschließlich zweier Eigenkapitalrunden und Wandelanleihen. Das Kapital wird in die Weiterentwicklung der Produktpalette für die kreative Produktion, den Ausbau der angewandten Forschung sowie die Erweiterung des Bereichs für professionelle Dienstleistungen fließen.
In dieser Finanzierungsrunde stößt eine neue Gruppe von Investoren aus den Bereichen Unterhaltung und Technologie hinzu, darunter der Innovator im Bereich interaktiver Unterhaltung Electronic Arts, die weltweit führenden Unternehmen der Musikbranche Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group und Warner Music Group sowie die Investmentfirmen AMD Ventures und Pacific Alliance Ventures.
Sie ergänzen eine bereits hochkarätige Liste von Größen aus der Unterhaltungs- und Technologiebranche, die Stability AI unterstützen: Coatue, Greycroft, Kadmos Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mantis Capital, Sound Ventures und WPP sowie die Einzelinvestoren Sean Parker, Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, Kevin Mayer, Mark Burnett, Patrick Whitesell, Prem Akkaraju und Robert Nelsen.
Coatue, Greycroft, Kadmos Capital, Sean Parker und Eric Schmidt beteiligen sich ebenfalls an der Serie-B-Finanzierungsrunde und investieren damit zum zweiten Mal in Folge unter neuer Führung.
„Diese einzigartige Gruppe von Investoren ist eine Bestätigung unserer Vision, dass generative KI jeden Produzenten, Musiker und Geschichtenerzähler befähigt”, sagte Prem Akkaraju, CEO von Stability AI. „Stability ist im KI-Bereich einzigartig, weil wir kreative Menschen sind, die Werkzeuge für Kreative entwickeln. Die Entwicklung branchenprägender Technologie erfordert den Aufbau eines Teams aus branchenprägenden Größen – und genau das haben wir hier erreicht.” Akkaraju fügte hinzu: „Unsere Investoren schaffen die Voraussetzungen für unseren langfristigen Erfolg, da sie uns nicht nur Kapital, sondern auch Fachwissen, Glaubwürdigkeit und direkte Verbindungen zu Künstlern zur Verfügung stellen.”
Zu dieser Finanzierungsrunde gehören auch Investitionen von bestehenden strategischen Partnern wie Electronic Arts, Universal Music Group sowie Warner Music Group. WPP, ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Marketingdienstleistungen, ist seit Beginn des Wachstums von Stability AI unter neuer Führung ein strategischer Partner und Investor.
Die Ankündigung folgt unmittelbar auf die Einführung von Stable Audio 3.0, einer Familie von Open-Weight-Musikmodellen, die auf vollständig lizenzierten Daten trainiert wurden. Künstler können Stable Audio 3.0 nun über ein neues DAW-Plugin (Digital Audio Workstation) oder direkt auf StableAudio.com in ihren Workflow integrieren.
Darüber hinaus hat Stability AI bekannt gegeben, dass Thomas Laffont, Mitbegründer von Coatue, dem Vorstand beigetreten ist.
„Während andere an allgemeiner KI arbeiten, entwickelt Stability AI kreative Tools – und zwar gemeinsam mit den Künstlern, Studios und Rechteinhabern, deren Arbeit die Branche prägt”, sagte Thomas Laffont, Mitbegründer von Coatue. „Ich freue mich, nun mit Prem und dem Team zusammenzuarbeiten.”
Laffont vervollständigt einen Vorstand, dem der Oscar-prämierte Filmemacher James Cameron, der Unternehmer, Philanthrop und ehemalige Facebook-Präsident Sean Parker, die Mitbegründerin und geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin von Greycroft, Dana Settle, sowie der CEO von Stability AI und ehemalige CEO von Weta Digital, Prem Akkaraju, angehören. Mit dieser neuen Finanzierung wird Stability AI weiterhin kreative Werkzeuge entwickeln, die auf den Schaffensprozess der Künstler zugeschnitten sind – in den Bereichen Musik, Gaming und Unterhaltung.
Informationen zu Stability AI
Stability AI ist der Marktführer bei speziell entwickelten KI-Produkten für professionelle Kreative in den Bereichen Musik, Gaming und Unterhaltung.
Stability AI löste mit der Veröffentlichung von „Stable Diffusion” im August 2022 die Revolution der generativen KI aus, machte generative Technologie für Millionen von Kreativen weltweit zugänglich und festigte damit seine Position als Marktführer auf diesem Gebiet. Die Stable-Diffusion-Modelle wurden seitdem mehr als 350 Millionen Mal heruntergeladen und dienen als technische Grundlage für ein ganzes Ökosystem kreativer Arbeit.
Wir entwickeln in erster Linie für Kreative. Unsere Arbeit geht über die Modelle selbst hinaus und umfasst Produkte und Lösungen, die für spezifische Produktionsabläufe konzipiert sind. Dieser auf Künstler ausgerichtete Ansatz ist der Grund, warum Electronic Arts, die Universal Music Group, die Warner Music Group, WPP und andere uns als ihren strategischen Partner gewählt haben.
Stability AI zählt zu den „50 AI Innovators” des Fortune-Magazins und zu den „Most Influential Companies” des TIME-Magazins; „Stable Audio” wurde in die Liste der „Best Inventions” des TIME-Magazins aufgenommen. Im Juni 2024 trat Stability AI mit einem Führungsteam, zu dem CEO Prem Akkaraju, der Vorstandsvorsitzende Sean Parker und Vorstandsmitglied James Cameron sowie die Vorstandsmitglieder Dana Settle und Thomas Laffont gehörten, in eine neue Wachstumsphase ein.
Das Unternehmen wird von erstklassigen Investoren unterstützt, darunter der Innovator im Bereich interaktiver Unterhaltung Electronic Arts; die weltweit führenden Unternehmen der Musikbranche Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group und Warner Music Group; die Investmentfirmen Greycroft, Coatue, WPP, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sound Ventures, AMD Ventures und Mantis Capital; sowie die Privatinvestoren Sean Parker, Eric Schmidt und James Cameron.
Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter stability.ai.
SHANGHAI and CHENGDU, China, Aug. 26, 2026 — Gestala officially launched on January 1, 2026. Six months later, the company had completed two financing rounds totaling RMB 570 million, or approximately US$84 million.
The financing reflects growing investor interest in alternatives to implantable electrode-based BCIs—particularly approaches that aim to cover larger areas of the brain, reach deep neural circuits and reduce invasiveness.
Gestala’s Chengdu Headquarters and Superfactory
Neuroscience and artificial intelligence are two sides of the same coin.
Six Months at Startup Speed
Gestala was co-founded by Phoenix Peng and Tianqiao Chen, founder of Shanda Group and the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute.
Peng holds a doctorate from Fudan University’s Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence and is a Principal Investigator (PI) at Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory. Gestala is his sixth startup.
The company has moved at an unusually fast pace since its launch. In March, Gestala completed a RMB 150 million angel round. Between April and May, a former Neuralink clinical lead and senior R&D and regulatory leaders from Nano Retina, a leading visual BCI company, joined the team.
In June, Gestala’s global headquarters and the first phase of its ultrasound BCI superfactory began operations in Chengdu. In July, the company opened its Shanghai headquarters and completed a RMB 420 million Angel+ round.
The latest round included participation from HSG, Lens Technology, Sinovation Ventures and C Capital. Existing shareholders including Dalton Venture, Seas Capital, Tsing Song Capital and Gobi Partners made follow-on investments.
Gestala has done more than raise capital. Within six months, the company has simultaneously developed capabilities in fundamental research, ultrasound engineering, medical-device manufacturing, clinical trials and AI.
It has also assembled an interdisciplinary team of 29 scientists and engineers and plans to expand the team to approximately 45 by the end of the year.
That pace raises a question: Why does a company whose first product is still in development and clinical preparation need to build research, manufacturing, clinical and AI capabilities at such an early stage?
The answer lies in how Peng defines the company. In his view, Gestala is not simply developing a medical device. It aims to become a bridge between neuroscience and AI — and a “Neolab” for the life sciences.
From Electrical BCIs to Ultrasound
Peng previously co-founded NeuroXess, a BCI company pursuing an invasive approach. His move to ultrasound does not mean he dismisses the value of electrodes.
Invasive electrodes can record localized neural activity at high temporal resolution and have already demonstrated clinical potential in motor and speech decoding.
But if the goal expands from controlling a cursor or an external device to understanding higher-order functions such as memory, emotion, language and movement planning, is it enough to observe only a small number of neurons or isolated brain regions?
Higher-order brain functions generally emerge from interactions across multiple brain regions and neural circuits. Electrodes are well suited to capturing localized electrical signals. Functional magnetic resonance imaging can observe activity across broader areas of the brain, but the equipment is large and its temporal response is relatively slow.
Ultrasound offers another possibility. Functional ultrasound imaging can observe brain function through changes in cerebral blood flow associated with neural activity. Focused ultrasound, meanwhile, has the potential to act on specific brain regions, including deep neural circuits.
This also explains the name Gestala, which is derived from Gestalt psychology, a school of thought that originated in Germany and holds that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The company’s long-term goal is to build a platform with the potential for whole-brain “read and write” capabilities: decoding activity across large areas of the brain while precisely modulating selected neural circuits.
That goal, however, remains some distance from clinical reality.
Ultrasound-based readout measures hemodynamic changes associated with neural activity rather than recording neuronal firing directly. Differences in skull thickness and anatomy can also attenuate, scatter and distort acoustic waves.
AI is therefore central to whether an ultrasound-based BCI can decode and modulate the brain. Gestala plans to develop a multimodal brain foundation model that identifies relationships among neural activity, cerebral blood flow, medical imaging and observable behavior.
As foundation models continue to evolve, a growing number of researchers are recognizing that the human brain remains the only known general-intelligence system validated through natural evolution.
Understanding the brain could not only lead to new treatments for neurological disorders, but also provide new theoretical foundations and technical paradigms for the next generation of artificial intelligence.
In Peng’s view, neuroscience and artificial intelligence are two sides of the same coin. One helps us understand intelligence; the other helps us create it. Gestala aims to connect the two.
“Brain-computer interfaces, ultrasound, artificial intelligence and life sciences are all different paths toward understanding human intelligence,” Peng said. “Our true subject of study is human intelligence itself.”
The Tests That Follow the Funding
A broad technological vision still needs to begin with specific clinical problems.
Gestala has selected chronic pain as its first target indication and plans to explore other neurological and psychiatric conditions, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and stroke rehabilitation.
According to the company’s current plan, its first-generation ultrasound BCI product and brain foundation model will be unveiled by the end of 2026. The product will subsequently need to progress through clinical trials and medical-device registration.
Completing the financing therefore does not mean the technology has been proven. The real tests are only beginning.
The first is an engineering test: Can the system consistently target specific brain regions across individuals with different skull anatomies and produce reproducible readout and neuromodulation results?
The second is a clinical test: Can ultrasound neuromodulation deliver meaningful and durable benefits to patients while remaining safe over time?
The third is an AI test: Can Gestala’s brain foundation model bring electrical signals, cerebral blood flow, medical imaging and behavioral data into a unified representation? Can it establish verifiable relationships among neural activity, cognition, intention and behavior, while generalizing across individuals, tasks and diseases?
Gestala’s Chengdu headquarters is responsible for product development, engineering, manufacturing and industrial translation. Its Shanghai headquarters connects fundamental research, brain foundation model development, clinical resources and scientific collaboration.
Building on its existing dual-headquarters structure, Gestala also plans to establish an overseas headquarters in either Singapore or Hong Kong. The new location will connect the company with international research, talent and industry resources while supporting global collaboration and overseas development.
Through this structure, Gestala is building an integrated operation spanning technology development, engineering, manufacturing, clinical validation, AI models and international collaboration.
But regardless of how much capital it raises or how far its global footprint expands, Gestala’s ability to join the front ranks of the global BCI industry will depend on more than reproducible clinical data. It will also depend on whether the company can turn complex, multimodal brain data into a verifiable and generalizable brain foundation model.
The former will determine whether the technology can deliver meaningful benefits to patients. The latter will determine whether Gestala can establish a shared language through which neuroscience and artificial intelligence can explain one another.
About Gestala
Gestala is China’s first life sciences company dedicated to ultrasound-based brain-computer interface technology. Guided by the vision of “Better Brain for Better Humanity,” Gestala is committed to building an ultrasound-based BCI platform with whole-brain read and write capabilities. Beyond developing innovative therapies for a wide range of neurological disorders, the company is dedicated to decoding the brain and exploring a future in which neuroscience and artificial intelligence evolve in deep convergence. For more information, please visit
La financiación total asciende a 232 millones de dólares con la nueva gerencia y un grupo de inversores formado por Electronic Arts, Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group y otras empresas.
LOS ÁNGELES, 26 de agosto de 2026 — Stability AI, líder en productos de IA diseñados específicamente para los profesionales creativos de los sectores de la música, los videojuegos y el entretenimiento, ha anunciado hoy una ronda de financiación de la serie B por valor de 76 millones de dólares en capital nuevo. Con esta noticia, la financiación total asciende a 232 millones de dólares, con dos rondas de financiación mediante ampliación de capital y bonos convertibles, bajo la conducción del director general Prem Akkaraju desde su nombramiento en junio de 2024. Este capital impulsará el desarrollo de su gama de productos para la producción creativa, reforzará su disciplina de investigación aplicada y ampliará su división de servicios profesionales.
En esta ronda de financiación se incorporan un nuevo grupo de inversores de los sectores del entretenimiento y la tecnología, entre ellos, Electronic Arts, empresa pionera en entretenimiento interactivo; Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group y Warner Music Group, líderes mundiales en el sector del entretenimiento musical; y las sociedades de inversión AMD Ventures y Pacific Alliance Ventures.
Se suman a una lista ya de por sí impresionante de figuras destacadas de los sectores del entretenimiento y la tecnología que respaldan a Stability AI: Coatue, Greycroft, Kadmos Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mantis Capital, Sound Ventures y WPP, junto con los inversores particulares Sean Parker, Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, Kevin Mayer, Mark Burnett, Patrick Whitesell, Prem Akkaraju y Robert Nelsen.
Coatue, Greycroft, Kadmos Capital, Sean Parker y Eric Schmidt también participan en la ronda de financiación de la Serie B, invirtiendo por segunda ronda consecutiva bajo una nueva dirección.
«Este grupo de inversores sin igual es una confirmación de nuestra visión, según la cual la IA generativa potencia el trabajo de todos los productores, músicos y narradores», afirmó Prem Akkaraju, director general de Stability AI. «Stability es única en el ámbito de la inteligencia artificial porque somos personas creativas que creamos herramientas para personas creativas. Desarrollar una tecnología que marque un hito en el sector implica reunir a un equipo de titanes del sector, y eso es precisamente lo que hemos hecho aquí». Akkaraju añadió: «Nuestros inversores han sentado las bases para que nosotros podamos tener éxito a largo plazo, ya que no solo nos aportan el capital, sino también la experiencia, la credibilidad y una conexión directa con los artistas».
En esta ronda participan los socios estratégicos consolidados Electronic Arts, Universal Music Group, y Warner Music Group. WPP, líder mundial en servicios de marketing, ha sido socio estratégico e inversor a lo largo de todo el proceso de crecimiento de Stability AI bajo su nueva dirección.
El anuncio se produce inmediatamente después del lanzamiento de Stable Audio 3.0, una familia de modelos musicales de peso abierto entrenados con datos con licencia completa. Los artistas ya pueden integrar Stable Audio 3.0 en su flujo de trabajo mediante un nuevo complemento para DAW (estación de trabajo de audio digital) o directamente en StableAudio.com.
Además, Stability AI ha anunciado que Thomas Laffont, cofundador de Coatue, se ha incorporado a su Directorio.
«Mientras otros desarrollan una IA generalizada, Stability AI crea herramientas creativas y lo hace en colaboración con los artistas, los estudios y los titulares de derechos, cuyo trabajo define este ámbito», afirmó Thomas Laffont, cofundador de Coatue. «Me alegro de unirme a Prem y al equipo».
Laffont completa un consejo de administración del que forman parte el cineasta ganador de un Óscar James Cameron, el empresario, filántropo y expresidente de Facebook Sean Parker, la cofundadora y socia directora de Greycroft, Dana Settle, y el director general de Stability AI y exdirector general de Weta Digital, Prem Akkaraju. Con esta nueva ronda de financiación, Stability AI seguirá desarrollando herramientas creativas diseñadas en torno al proceso creativo de los artistas, en los ámbitos de la música, los videojuegos y el entretenimiento.
Acerca de Stability AI
Stability AI es líder en productos de IA diseñados específicamente para profesionales creativos de los sectores de la música, los videojuegos y el entretenimiento.
Stability AI desencadenó la revolución de la IA generativa con el lanzamiento de Stable Diffusion en agosto de 2022, poniendo la tecnología generativa al alcance de millones de creadores de todo el mundo y consolidando su posición como líder en este campo. Desde entonces, los modelos de Stable Diffusion se han descargado más de 350 millones de veces, lo que los ha convertido en la base técnica de todo un ecosistema de trabajo.
Desarrollamos pensando primero en los creativos. Nuestro trabajo va más allá de los propios modelos y abarca productos y soluciones diseñados para los flujos de trabajo de producción específicos. Este enfoque centrado en los artistas es la razón por la que Electronic Arts, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, WPP y otras empresas nos han elegido como socio estratégico.
Stability AI figura entre los 50 innovadores en IA de la revista Fortune y entre las empresas más influyentes de la revista TIME y su producto Stable Audio ha sido incluido en la lista de los mejores inventos de TIME. En junio de 2024, Stability AI entró en una nueva fase de crecimiento con un equipo directivo formado por el director general, Prem Akkaraju; el presidente ejecutivo, Sean Parker; y el miembro del consejo de administración, James Cameron, además de los miembros del consejo Dana Settle y Thomas Laffont.
La empresa cuenta con el respaldo de inversores de talla mundial, entre los que se incluyen Electronic Arts, empresa innovadora en el sector del entretenimiento interactivo, los líderes mundiales en el sector del entretenimiento musical Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group y Warner Music Group, las firmas de inversión Greycroft, Coatue, WPP, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sound Ventures, AMD Ventures y Mantis Capital y los inversores particulares Sean Parker, Eric Schmidt y James Cameron.
-F4GE connects Korea’s manufacturing network with global demand from defense and advanced manufacturing companies, building a programmable manufacturing network
-Standardizes data from Korea’s core manufacturing factories and converts it to meet global buyer requirements, supporting supply chain compliance for the U.S. Department of Defense
-NAVER D2SF expands investments in defense and manufacturing technology startups, aligning with TEAM NAVER’s industrial AX initiatives
SEONGNAM-SI, South Korea, Aug. 25, 2026 — NAVER D2SF, the corporate venture capital arm of NAVER, has made a new investment in F4GE (CEO, Hyukhyun Kwon), a defense and manufacturing infrastructure startup. F4GE is building infrastructure that integrates Korea’s fragmented core manufacturing factories into a unified manufacturing network and connects them with global defense and advanced hardware companies. NAVER D2SF decided to invest in the team based on its ability to identify new business opportunities for Korea’s manufacturing capabilities amid supply shortages in the global defense and manufacturing industries.
Global demand across the defense and manufacturing sectors is growing rapidly, while the manufacturing infrastructure capable of reliably meeting that demand remains limited. In defense, large-scale procurement demand is surging, yet major defense companies cannot fulfill all of it through their own production infrastructure alone. Korea, meanwhile, is home to approximately 60,000 core manufacturing factories across areas such as casting, forging, machining, and molding, with high levels of manufacturing quality and productivity. However, many of these factories have been unable to secure global sales channels due to challenges in meeting the compliance, documentation, and traceability requirements demanded by global companies.
F4GE addresses this gap by integrating Korean manufacturing factories into a “programmable manufacturing network” that can be utilized by global defense and manufacturing companies. The company deploys its proprietary software into existing factory environments to collect real-time data on equipment, processes, inspections, and workflows, then converts that data into standardized documentation and compliance systems required by global buyers. This enables Korean manufacturers to meet the requirements for entering global supply chains without large-scale system replacements, while allowing global buyers to secure verifiable manufacturing partners.
F4GE’s infrastructure consists of three key layers. First, it automatically standardizes and integrates equipment data formats and languages that vary by manufacturing site. Second, it directly learns from skilled workers’ accumulated know-how and tacit knowledge, turning it into a new database. Third, F4GE manages the full process from factory allocation and process standardization to logistics, customs, and documentation. Through this approach, the company helps maintain a consistent level of manufacturing quality while supporting compliance with supply chain management certifications such as CoC(Chain of Custody), required by the U.S. Department of Defense and other global buyers.
F4GE is currently expanding partnerships with core manufacturing factories across Korea’s southeastern manufacturing hubs, including Sacheon, Changwon, and Busan. The company is also broadening its network with demand-side companies in North America and Europe across defense, aerospace, shipbuilding, and robotics. By connecting Korea’s manufacturing infrastructure with global demand, F4GE aims to increase factory utilization in Korea while strengthening the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers across global core industry value chains. Manufacturing sites are also showing strong expectations for F4GE’s ability to create new global sales channels.
Founded in January 2026, F4GE has secured its first institutional funding through this investment round. Investors participating in the round include NAVER D2SF, KNET Investment Partners, Sazze Partners, DCAMP, 500 Global. CEO Hyukhyun Kwon brings experience serving in the Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Flotilla, founding a defense startup, and working as an investor in AI and manufacturing startups in the United States. Based on his understanding of and network across the defense and manufacturing industries in Korea and abroad, F4GE brings strong execution capabilities in connecting global demand with Korea’s manufacturing sites. With this investment, the company plans to expand hiring across manufacturing engineering, AI development, and other areas, while broadening new manufacturing partnerships.
“Defense and manufacturing are sectors where global supply chain restructuring and technological advancement are creating new opportunities at the same time,” said Sanghwan Yang, Head of NAVER D2SF. “F4GE is building a structure that connects Korea’s on-the-ground manufacturing capabilities with global demand from defense and manufacturing industries. This is meaningful because it can help Korea’s manufacturing infrastructure play a greater role in global value chains.” He added, “As TEAM NAVER is also advancing industrial AX across areas such as defense-specialized AI models, defense and manufacturing LLMs, and physical AI, NAVER D2SF will continue to discover startups that solve structural problems in defense and manufacturing through technology and create opportunities in global markets.”
NAVER D2SF has also launched an open call for startups in the defense and manufacturing sectors. It plans to discover and invest in a broad range of startups across areas including data analysis and integration, simulation and verification, physical AI, strategic and tactical AI, command-and-control and battlefield management, manufacturing and maintenance automation, cybersecurity, and dual-use infrastructure. Applications for investment review will be accepted through the NAVER D2SF website until October 25.
NAVER D2SF is NAVER’s in-house corporate venture arm, supporting sustainable growth by collaborating with startups. Founded in 1999, NAVER has maintained its position as Korea’s leading search engine for over 20 years and operates across commerce, content, fintech, and cloud services. Under the technological vision of D2SF, NAVER is actively developing new technologies and global partnerships to grow as a leading tech company. To learn more, visit https://d2sf.naver.com
