Rain has experienced 10x growth in 2025 and now powers service to 1.5B+ people through a single integration

NEW YORK, Aug. 28, 2025 — Rain, the enterprise-grade infrastructure for stablecoin-powered payments, today announced a $58 million Series B funding round led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Dragonfly, Galaxy Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, Samsung Next, Lightspeed, and Norwest. The raise brings Rain’s total funding to $88.5M and comes just five months after the company’s Series A — cementing Rain’s role as the single integration global fintechs, banks, and marketplaces use to launch compliant stablecoin-powered cards, wallets, and payment programs.

Enterprise interest in stablecoins has surged following the GENIUS Act in the U.S. and the MiCA framework in Europe, which have created a clear regulatory path for adoption. Rain’s vertically integrated platform enables partners to embed stablecoins into products and operations — covering money-in, storage, spending, and money-out — all through one API. Partners can compliantly launch programs to over 1.5 billion people today, with expansion underway into Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Rain has pioneered making stablecoins instantly usable anywhere Visa is accepted through its physical and virtual card programs, processing millions of transactions across 150+ countries. The company’s transaction volume has grown 10x since January 2025, with portfolio partners — including Nuvei, Avalanche, Dakota, and Nomad — using Rain’s infrastructure for merchant payouts, everyday consumer purchases, B2B spend, and cross-border payroll.

“Stablecoins are shifting to the backbone of global commerce,” said Farooq Malik, CEO and Co-founder of Rain. “In its earliest form, money moved instantly. We’ve spent centuries slowing it down. Rain is bringing that simplicity back to billions of people, but now it works across any border, any platform, and any currency.”

Rain is a Visa Principal Member and uniquely settles 100% of card payment volume directly in stablecoins on the Visa network. The platform is built natively for stablecoins, not retrofitted from fiat rails, and meets enterprise compliance standards including PCI DSS, SOC 2, and audited smart contracts.

“Stablecoins have scaled to hundreds of billions in circulation, but until now, they couldn’t be easily spent. Rain is working to fix that by connecting stablecoins to Visa’s global network, turning them into money you can actually use for everyday commerce. We’re proud to partner with Farooq, Charles, and the Rain team as they redefine the future of payments,” said Jai Das, President and Partner at Sapphire Ventures, as well as Rain’s newest Board Director.

The new funding will be used to expand Rain’s platform and services to give global institutions the most flexible, modular, and compliant stablecoin infrastructure available. The company is also investing in hiring across engineering, commercial, and compliance teams; helping existing partners scale programs; and entering into new markets where enterprises are embracing stablecoin-based payment workflows.

About Rain: Rain is the global stablecoin infrastructure platform for enterprises, neobanks, platforms, and developers. Our technology allows partners to move, store, and use stablecoins instantly and compliantly through global payment cards, on/off-ramps, wallets, and cross-border rails. As a Visa Principal Member, Rain issues cards that work anywhere Visa is accepted, powering millions of purchases in over 150 countries. Built natively for stablecoins and trusted by more than 100 organizations worldwide, Rain delivers secure, scalable infrastructure that makes money move freely and instantly around the world. Learn more at https://www.rain.xyz/.

About Sapphire Ventures: Sapphire is a global software venture capital firm with over $11 billion in AUM and team members across Austin, London, Menlo Park and San Francisco. For more than two decades, Sapphire has partnered with visionary management teams and venture funds to back companies of consequence. Since its founding, Sapphire has invested in more than 170 companies globally resulting in more than 30 Public Listings and 45 acquisitions. The firm’s investment strategies — Sapphire Ventures, Sapphire Partners and Sapphire Sport — are focused on scaling companies and venture funds, elevating them to become category leaders. Sapphire’s Portfolio Growth team of experienced operators delivers a strategic blend of value-add services, tools and resources designed to support portfolio company leaders as they scale.

Media Contact:
Lucas Piazza
Marketing Lead, Rain
[email protected] 

SOURCE Rain

HONG KONG, Aug. 28, 2025 — FinChain, a Web3 brand incubated by Fosun Wealth Holdings, officially launched and announced that it has signed agreements with a group of investors in connection with its first round of external financing, for an investment of several million U.S. dollars. On the same day, Fosun Wealth Holdings and FinChain also partnered with seven leading Web3 institutions to create a new ecosystem for crypto finance. These milestones not only underscore FinChain’s active role in developing Web3.0 infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region but also mark a significant expansion of Fosun Wealth Holdings’ strategic footprint in the Real World Asset (RWA) sector.

On the same day, “Stablecoin & RWA Innovation Forum” was held in Hong Kong, co-hosted by FinChain, Vaulta (formerly EOS Network), a globally renowned Web3 public blockchain, and Feixiaohao, a prominent blockchain rating agency. The event brought together over 200 financial executives, scholars, and entrepreneurs from organizations including Fosun Wealth Holdings, Solana, OSL, CipherBC, Matrixport, Animoca Brands, RD Technologies, Standard Chartered, Circle, BOCOM International, BNY Mellon, Bank of China (Hong Kong), SoftBank Asia, ICBC Asia, BITFUFU, and other major crypto infrastructure institutions.

Building a Blockchain Compliance Layer to Enhance Asset Liquidity

FinChain positions itself as a financial infrastructure platform that enables compliant on-chain circulation of real world assets. It is dedicated to improving the efficiency of on-chain and off-chain investment and financing, as well as asset transparency, by establishing a blockchain compliance layer and trust mechanisms. FinChain will also enhance global liquidity for compliant digital assets, serving as the “first stop for customer acquisition” for compliant assets like stablecoins. Compliant users can benefit from a seamless “one-time KYC, accessibility” service. FinChain prioritizes compliance requirements at the technical level to deliver efficient and secure services for users.

Cheng Kang, CEO of Fosun Wealth Holdings and Chairman of FinChain, said, “Fosun Wealth Holdings is fully committed to building an AI-driven, one-stop global Web5 (“Web2+Web3″) wealth management platform, creating a seamless ecosystem that integrates digital assets with real-world value. As a pioneer in this vision, FinChain is designed to develop a physical finance blockchain ecosystem for global users, focused on constructing on-chain compliant financial infrastructure. Our goal is to enhance the flow of assets and capital between on-chain and off-chain systems, drive a paradigm shift in investment and financing models, and co-build an open, interconnected, and trusted Web5 ecosystem with the global community.” Zhao Chen, CEO of FinChain, said, “FinChain’s mission is to create a global blockchain compliance layer, fostering a compliant blockchain ecosystem that brings real-world assets into DeFi, unlocking their immense value potential.”

On the same day, FinChain announced that it has signed agreements with a group of investors in connection with its first round of external financing, for an investment of several million U.S. dollars. The strategic investors include the Solana Foundation, Vaulta Foundation, Sonic Labs, Animoca Brands, Unified Ventures, and Tengyun Capital, among other leading Web3 companies and renowned venture capital firms. The funds will support FinChain’s global strategic expansion and business development through technological collaboration and ecosystem partnerships.

Partnering with Seven Leading Institutions to Build a New Crypto Finance Ecosystem

During the forum, Fosun Wealth Holdings and FinChain signed strategic cooperation agreements with Feixiaohao, Animoca Brands, Matrixport, CipherBC, FomoGroup, MetaComp, and Vaulta. Feixiaohao is a key Asian media platform; Animoca Brands is a top-tier investment firm; Matrixport is a leading crypto asset management group; CipherBC is a technology-driven crypto security provider; FomoGroup is one of the largest fintech groups in the Asia-Pacific; MetaComp is a licensed compliant exchange in Singapore; and Vaulta (formerly EOS Network) is the first on-chain bank providing full-chain services. These strategic partnerships will integrate efforts across brand building, asset management, technological infrastructure, and Asian payment channels, creating a new ecosystem for crypto finance that supports real-world assets within a compliant framework.

Vaulta, one of the forum’s co-organizers, also announced its deep collaboration with FinChain in the RWA and stablecoin sectors, marking a milestone in introducing traditional financial tools to blockchain infrastructure. Vaulta’s CBO, Sistine, highlighted at the forum that Vaulta aims to provide a one-stop solution for wealth management, trading, and payment services under a unified account, realizing the vision of a true Web3 bank. Feixiaohao, another co-organizer and a leading blockchain rating agency, released the “Asia RWA Rankings” and announced its global compliance strategy.

About FinChain

FinChain is a Web3 brand incubated by Fosun Wealth Holdings, dedicated to building a global real world asset (RWA) financial blockchain network for users. At its core, FinChain is developing a compliant layer for the blockchain ecosystem offering users a unified on chain identity system, and a developer-friendly hub for compliant resource distribution. This infrastructure empowers builders to rapidly launch and scale in both the DeFi space and traditional finance sectors.

SOURCE Finchain Hong Kong Limited

Series A round, led by Canary and Indicator Capital with participation of Zentynel, marks one of the largest early-stage health sector fundings in Brazil

SÃO PAULO, Aug. 27, 2025 — Axenya, a health tech company specializing in the intelligent orchestration of corporate healthcare, has announced a Series A funding round of US$12 million (approximately BRL 65 million), led by Canary, co-led by Indicator Capital, and joined by Zentynel. The investment will drive the company’s commercial expansion and advance its technology platform, with a focus on artificial intelligence, data interoperability, and connected biomarkers.

Unlike traditional brokers that merely mediate health plans, Axenya takes an integrated approach: it connects companies, employees, insurers, and healthcare professionals through advanced technological infrastructure and data intelligence. Its solution is built on two main pillars: LifeVault, an interoperable data lake that organizes clinical, operational, and administrative information; and Axenya IQ, a predictive engine powered by AI and GenAI, capable of anticipating risks, suggesting interventions, and optimizing care journeys.

For Mariano Garcia-Valiño, founder and CEO of Axenya, the company’s true differentiator lies in the combination of cutting-edge technology and a business model capable of structurally transforming the system. “In healthcare, having a great product isn’t enough—you need a business model that can reshape the system. That’s what sets Axenya apart.”

Among the results reported by clients are: medical inflation up to 50% below market average, loss ratios 1,500 basis points lower than the national average, a 22% reduction in total healthcare costs year-over-year, a 40% drop in expenses for high-risk patients, and a 50% lower cost per procedure or consultation—even with a 13% increase in the number of appointments during the same period.

Kristian Huber, General Partner at Canary, emphasizes that Axenya’s ability to deliver measurable impact was key to the investment: “Axenya impressed us with its innovative approach and proven results in reducing steep annual health plan cost increases for companies and their employees, while improving care for patients with critical conditions.”

Thomas Bittar, co-founder of the leading deep tech fund in Latin America, highlights: “We believe Axenya is building the technological infrastructure needed to revolutionize corporate health management in Brazil. Indicator’s role is to accelerate this transformation by integrating data, devices, and predictive intelligence—key elements to reshape population health in one of the country’s most challenging and underserved markets.”

Founded in 2020, Axenya had previously raised US$ 6.8 million in earlier rounds, with participation from Patria High Growth, Big_Bets, Zentynel, and others. The new funding will be primarily allocated to commercial expansion, consolidation of growth channels, and advancement of the technology roadmap.

SOURCE Axenya

Dominant in Florida and Texas, Heave delivers multi-brand fixes in under a day and boosts mechanic earnings up to 6×; round led by Outsiders Fund brings total funding to $13M

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 27, 2025 — Heave, the platform connecting construction companies with on-demand heavy equipment mechanics, today announced a $7 million Series A round led by Outsiders Fund, with continued support from FJ Labs, Long Journey Ventures, and Slow Ventures. The new capital brings Heave’s total funding to $13 million and will be used to fuel market expansion, customer acquisition, and team growth.

Operating like “Uber for heavy equipment repair,” Heave is solving one of the most frustrating and costly issues in construction: equipment downtime. By offering companies access to certified, vetted mobile mechanics, Heave helps keep machines running and projects on schedule. The company currently services 600+ machines per month and has over 300 active mechanics in its network out of a total pool of 850 nationwide.

Founded by Alex Kraft, a former dealership executive who saw firsthand how slow and expensive traditional service models could be, Heave was built to be faster, more affordable, and built around the needs of job sites. The company is already a dominant player in Florida and Texas, and is expanding quickly across Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville regions with high-density construction and equipment usage.

“Heavy equipment is the lifeblood of the American construction economy, and downtime is a $1,000-per-hour problem for these businesses,” said Alex Kraft, founder and CEO of Heave. “This funding gives us the fuel to expand faster and deliver even more value to contractors who rely on us to keep their projects moving. We’re not just speeding up repairs, we’re redefining how this entire industry operates.”

The company’s 21-person team supports a fully 1099 mechanic model, offering flexible work for experienced technicians while meeting the urgent needs of contractors and site operators.

On one side, customers are getting technicians on-site in less than 24 hours, versus waiting days or weeks. Plus, Heave’s brand agnosticism allows them to address multiple brands at a time. On the technician side, Heave offers life-changing earning potential, with some technicians seeing up to a 600% increase in earnings. The demand is clear, and Heave is helping to meet it.

“Alex and the team at Heave are seeing incredible early success in a highly complicated and fragmented market,” said George Easley, Partner at Outsiders Fund. “Their thoughtful approach to solving the logistical and monetary pain of heavy equipment dealer service is positioning them to be a category-defining leader in construction tech.”

About Heave
Heave is the on-demand platform for heavy equipment repair. Built for the construction industry, Heave connects companies with qualified mechanics who can service machinery on-site. Founded in Tampa, Heave is modernizing one of the last offline corners of construction and keeping America’s job sites moving. Learn more at www.heaveapp.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Osborne
Kamel PR
[email protected] 
607-434-2065

SOURCE Heave Inc.

YC-backed Central enters the payroll wars, processing $75M+ with hundreds of customers taking on Gusto, Rippling & Deel.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27, 2025 — Central, the first autonomous back-office platform built for startups, today announced $8.6M in seed funding led by First Round Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Ritual Capital, Multimodal Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Surgepoint Capital, and several prominent founders, including Kulveer Taggar (Co-Founder & CEO at Zeus), JJ Fliegelman (Co-Founder & CTO at WayUp), and Richard Aberman (Co-Founder and CPO at WePay).

Designed for the next generation of companies that prefer to build rather than perform back-office tasks, Central utilizes AI to fully automate payroll, benefits, state registrations, HR, accounting, taxes, government filings, and more. Unlike traditional HR/finance tools, Central acts like a teammate in Slack, handling operations behind the scenes and eliminating the need for founders to learn complex systems or manage to-do lists. 

“Founders don’t start companies to get buried in payroll forms or state compliance filings,” said Josh Wymer, co-founder and CEO of Central. “This funding allows us to scale what’s working, as hundreds of startups already rely on Central as their AI-powered back office. We’re growing fast because founders want to focus on building, not bureaucracy. Central gives them the operational leverage of a full HR and finance team, without having to hire one.”

Central competes with decacorn and centicorn companies in this space, such as Rippling ($16B), Deel ($12B), Gusto ($10B), ADP ($122B), and Workday ($60B). Its AI-first platform offers a modern and compliant alternative to the fragmented back-office stack, automating everything from state registrations and tax filings to payroll, benefits, and employee onboarding. Purpose-built for high-growth companies, it eliminates operational drag, helps avoid costly compliance mistakes, and frees teams to scale faster. Customers simply message Central in Slack when they need help, and the system handles the rest.

Central is rapidly becoming the back-office platform of choice for hundreds of high-growth companies like Wordware, Wyndly, Poseidon Aerospace, Bitesight, Abel Police, Ulysses, Deepnight, Blaxel, and Diode. To date, it’s processed over $75 million in payroll, with nearly one-third of customers switching from legacy providers such as Rippling, Gusto, and Deel, underscoring demand for a truly modern, AI-native alternative.

“Every founder hits a moment where back-office operations start getting in the way of building the business,” said Meka Asonye, Partner at First Round Capital. “Central is the first solution we’ve seen that doesn’t just streamline the work, it eliminates it. The team possesses a rare combination of firsthand experience, technical expertise, and a profound understanding of what startups truly need. We’re proud to back Central as they redefine what modern, AI-powered operations should look like.”

With this new round of funding, Central plans to scale its platform, expand its expert support team, and continue building features & integrations that eliminate friction from the startup back office.

About Central
Central is the first autonomous back-office platform purpose-built for startups. Designed for founders who use Slack and want to stay focused on building and not bureaucracy. Central automates payroll, benefits, compliance, accounting, taxes, and more through a simple Slack interface.

SOURCE Central

Ohio Fund Brings Together Network of Nearly 50 Angel Investors to Fill Critical Funding Gap for Enterprise Software and Advanced Technology Companies

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 27, 2025 — Today, 71/70 Angels, the Ohio angel fund that invests in enterprise software and advanced technology startups nationwide, is announcing the close of Fund I. The inaugural fund brings together an expansive network of nearly 50 angel investors, including seasoned as well as first-time investors who bring new capital and fresh perspectives into early-stage investing. 71/70 Angels is filling critical funding gaps in the Midwest startup ecosystem, delivering support for early-stage companies with high-growth potential. The fund has come out of the gate strong, by already funding two local companies.

“71/70 Angels is built with a founder-first ethos, blending a streamlined process with Midwest grit and values,” said Melinda Gloriosa, Managing Director at 71/70 Angels and Rev1 Ventures. “With this first fund closed and our early investments underway, we’re taking action—backing startups with capital, along with an active network of operators, funders, and functional leaders who know how to build scalable companies.”

Despite economic headwinds in 2025, investor activity remains strong. According to the Angel Investment Network, 40% of angels plan to invest more this year than last. And startups backed by angel investors show a 58% higher five-year survival rate. 71/70 Angels is tapping this momentum to strengthen the Midwest’s innovation economy and open new pathways for both founders and investors.

In the first 90 days since its close, 71/70 Angels Fund I has already made two investments in high-growth companies including Ohio-based AI-driven marketing intelligence company, Nichefire, and a developer of next-generation technology for data privacy.

“I see angel investing as a powerful way to give back and help diverse entrepreneurs get the funding, mentorship, and networks they need to succeed,” said Laura MacDonald, 71/70 Angel Fund investor. “71/70 is already energizing the angel investor community in Central Ohio and I know it will have a significant impact on startups nationwide.”

“This is about growing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, while giving angel investors a strong connection to the next wave of transformative tech companies. Both new and experienced investors are directly supporting innovators, fueling job creation, economic growth, and stronger deal flow across the region,” added Michael Error, 71/70 Angel Fund investor.

71/70 Angels backs seed and early-stage companies developing high-impact solutions for large and growing markets. Powered by a dedicated network of individual angel investors and supported by Rev1 Ventures, the fund is designed to streamline the funding process and accelerate growth opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. For more about 71/70 Angels, visit www.7170angels.com.

About 71/70 Angels
71/70 Angels is an Ohio angel fund that invests in seed-stage software companies nationwide. Based in an important tech hub, 71/70 is expanding the angel community to help more entrepreneurs close critical funding rounds. Powered by Rev1 Ventures’ decades of investment expertise, 71/70 ignites a dedicated and growing group of investors committed to supporting startup success. 71/70 combines a transparent funding process and formalized due diligence to improve outcomes for both startups and investors.

SOURCE 71/70 Angels

Vertical AI platform deploys domain-trained agents, called InstaWorkers™ to automate sales, service, and operations across industries that rely on complex distribution.

NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2025 — InstaLILY AI, the maker of AI Teammates for the world’s most operationally intensive industries, today announced a $25 million Series A funding round led by global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from Perceptive Ventures and Marvin Ventures.

InstaLILY is pioneering a new way to bring AI into the enterprise: instead of stitching together tools or building automation flows, companies can now hire vertical-specific AI Teammates—called InstaWorkers™—that execute actual work inside legacy systems of records like ERPs, CRMs or any existing software tools.

Purpose-Built for Execution, not just Automation

The platform is purpose-built for distribution-heavy verticals where automation has historically failed. These industries—from physical goods like industrial parts to services like insurance and healthcare—depend on large catalogs, specialized knowledge and fragmented tools, creating high-volume, multi-step work that consumes expert human time. InstaWorkers™ solve this by being trained on the domain-specific processes unique to these industries, navigating their complex software environments without rip-and-replace, and executing full workflows autonomously.

Here’s how InstaWorkers™ get the job done:

• Understand Your Business: They are trained on the domain-specific processes, documentation, and systems unique to your industry.
• Work Across Your Tools: They navigate fragmented software environments (CRMs, ERPs, ticketing platforms) without requiring costly rip-and-replace projects.
• Execute, Not Just Advise: They autonomously complete full workflows, with options for human-in-the-loop oversight, moving beyond simple suggestions to take decisive action.

“We kept hearing the same thing: AI copilots are useful, but they don’t do the work,” said Amit Shah, Founder and CEO of InstaLILY. “InstaWorkers™ are different. They’re AI Teammates—built to execute, not just suggest next steps. That’s the promise of Code-as-Work: AI that radically expands human capacity, not replaces it.”

InstaWorkers™ on the Job

Customers are already deploying teams of InstaWorkers™ to augment their sales, service, and operations staff—with many seeing immediate results:

• A $10B+ construction-supply distributor is empowering its 1,500+ managers with an AI Sales support team. The InstaWorkers™ turn sales data into actionable follow-ups, allowing managers to spend more time on strategic account growth and coaching their teams.
• One of the largest global OEM equipment platforms deploys AI service specialists to support its field technicians. These InstaWorkers™ analyze complex fault descriptions and predict the most likely replacement part from thousands of SKUs, empowering technicians to focus on high-stakes repairs and customer service.
• A PE-backed insurance and healthcare services provider staffed an AI claims operations team to handle high-volume denials. The InstaWorkers™ extract policy and claim data, evaluate it against coverage rules, flag appealable cases, and generate compliant responses — reducing manual review time by 70% and accelerating resolution cycles.

Real Execution, Not Just Assistance

InstaLILY doesn’t just assist — it executes. While horizontal AI platforms focus on summarization, chat, task routing, or surface-level automation, InstaLILY delivers deep, decision-oriented execution. InstaWorkers™ take ownership of the high-stakes, high-variation workflows that drive revenue and service outcomes, such as quoting, issue triage, part validation, and exception handling. This isn’t robotic process automation; it’s domain-trained intelligence built to operate across legacy systems, tribal processes, and real-world complexity.

“These aren’t chatbots,” said Sumantro Das, Co-founder and COO of InstaLILY. “They’re AI Teammates who are embedded in the team and doing the work, not floating around it.”

Investor Perspective

“Hiring a domain-trained AI Teammate is one of those rare ideas that’s both intuitive and built to scale,” said Crissy Costa Behrens, Principal at Insight Partners. “InstaLILY is executing where horizontal AI tools stall—delivering vertical AI that doesn’t just assist but actually owns outcomes. With InstaWorkers™, InstaLILY is helping build a better future of work: grounded in actions, not suggestions.”

What’s Next

With this Series A funding, InstaLILY will expand its catalog of pre-trained InstaWorkers™ across new verticals, deepen integration support for common enterprise systems, and accelerate adoption across sales, service, and operations teams to help customers scale AI Teammate deployments without disrupting their existing workflows. The team is now extending multimodal capabilities even further, enabling agents to process voice and video inputs—unlocking new use cases in field service, contact centers, and human-agent-robot collaboration.

About InstaLILY

InstaLILY is the platform for hiring AI Teammates who already know your industry vertical. Its domain-trained AI agents—called InstaWorkers™—execute the core sales, service, and operations workflows of distribution-heavy and regulated businesses. Built for execution and immediate impact, InstaWorkers™ plug into your existing tools to deliver value from day one. Learn more at www.instalily.ai

About Insight Partners

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

SOURCE InstaLILY

First investment in biotech innovator Gameto underscores multi-billion-dollar market potential

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27, 2025 — Today, Portfolia , the premier investing fund designed for the world’s most powerful community of women investors, announced the launch of Women’s Health Fund IV, its most focused and forward -looking strategy yet in women’s health innovation. 

Fund IV’s debut investment is in Gameto, a clinical-stage biotechnology company reprogramming female cells to transform fertility and hormonal care. Portfolia’s investment is part of Gameto’s recently announced $44 million Series C financing, bringing its total raised capital to $127 million, one of the largest investments in the U.S. biopharma sector focused on reproductive health to date. Gameto’s lead program, Fertilo, uses engineered ovarian support cells to mature eggs outside the body, reducing the standard two-week IVF hormone protocol to just 2–3 days. The company has begun enrolling patients in its pivotal Phase 3 trial in the U.S., building on its clinical use in Australia and Latin America, with five babies born and over 20 pregnancies recorded so far.

Women’s Health Fund IV builds on Portfolia’s position as the first venture capital fund focused on women’s health in the US, and one of the most active women’s health investors in the U.S., with 46 health investments across fertility, childbirth, menopause, autoimmune disease, oncology, cardiovascular health, mental health, nutrition, longevity, and more. Previous funds have backed breakout companies such as  Maven Clinic , the first U.S. unicorn in women’s health, as well as HeraBiotech , Inherent Biosciences , Mirvie , OsteoBoost , FEMDx , and unicorn, EverlyHealth .

The women’s health market is currently estimated at $600B+ globally, spanning high-growth sub-sectors like menopause ($20B), fertility ($50B+), and female-focused longevity therapeutics ($20B). These categories are often undervalued or overlooked by traditional venture capital.

Today, women’s health receives just 2% of health-related venture capital funding. McKinsey & Company has projected that closing the gender health gap could yield up to $1 trillion in annual economic benefits by 2040, with significant market opportunities in specific conditions. For example, endometriosis alone represents an estimated $180–$250 billion market, on par with diabetes, according to the NIH and McKinsey.

“At Portfolia, we activate women to invest in the health solutions that will enhance our lives,” said Trish Costello, Founder & CEO of Portfolia. “Women’s health is compromised daily when investment dollars are not available to fuel new women’s health innovations. Women now control nearly $25 trillion of wealth in the U.S., yet we are rarely at the table as early investors, making those decisions that will bring us returns and impact. Our investments bring new solutions to the marketplace from fertility to autoimmune disease to menopause and beyond. Women’s Health Fund IV gives all investors access and influence to create this change.”

Despite making 80% of healthcare decisions, women face persistent gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and quality of care. Women’s Health Fund IV targets three major categories: women-specific conditions such as fertility, menopause, maternal health, gynecology, and women’s oncology; conditions that affect women differently, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease; and conditions that disproportionately affect women, such as autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression, lung cancer, and eating disorders.

By aggregating the capital, networks, and expertise of its members, Portfolia invests in early- to growth-stage companies with strong potential for both impact and returns. Women’s Health

Fund IV Partners Nola Masterson ; Faz K. Bashi, MD ; Sonia Arrison ; Jennifer Fried ; Delphine O’Rourke , and Trish Costello are seasoned leaders in biotech, venture capital, longevity, healthcare law, and operations, bringing an average of 15+ years of investing experience and deep sector networks.

Women’s Health Fund IV is now open to accredited investors, qualified purchasers, and family offices. To learn more or make your investment, visit https://www.portfolia.co/womens-health-iv .

About Portfolia 

Portfolia is the world’s most powerful investing community, designed for women but open to all. With nearly 2,000 investing members in 20 countries and 50 states, Portfolia’s 15 funds have made over 165+ investments in Pre-Seed to Pre-IPO companies. Portfolia venture funds aggregate assets for change. Learn more about Portfolia’s investment model or our open funds, by visiting our website at http://portfolia.com/ or email [email protected].

SOURCE Portfolia

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 27, 2025 — Guild, a new platform designed to return ownership to artists and creators, is launching in public beta with $2M in pre-token financing. Unlike traditional platforms, Guild gives music creators a direct stake in their work, the network they grow, and the AI it powers.

Tech companies are racing to train AI music models, and labels are suing in their best interest alone. Once again, creators are being left out of the upside. While investors and executives get equity, those generating the IP and culture are scraping by.

Guild turns everyday creative activity into ownership. Whether it’s uploading music, engaging fans, or contributing data, artists earn “Note” tokens that give them a stake in the platform itself. Not play-to-earn, it’s create-to-own.

Music has always driven technology – from vinyl and MP3s to TikTok. But while platforms and labels capture most of the value, the creators fueling it have seen little ownership and even less control. Now, as AI and blockchain become infrastructure, the stakes are higher than ever.

“Labels often own the rights. Tech founders and employees get stock,” said Guild Founder Phillip Rather. “Guild is giving artists what no one else will: rights and ownership.” According to Spotify and Linktree respectively, only 1.7% of Artists make more than $10,000/yr, and less than 4% of creators earn a sustainable income.

Guild combines the tools creators need into a single platform:

• Smart Contracts – for on-chain provenance, IP protection, royalty splits, and gated access.
• AI Agents – to help ideate, design, post, distribute, and analyze across platforms.
• Spaces – immersive locations for rare content, community, and rewards.
• Remuneration – for artists who opt in to AI training, with on-chain attribution and fair payouts.

Importantly, Guild has pledged to:

• Restrict early token holders with cliffs and vesting – avoiding dumping and rugpulls.
• Preserve governance for contributors, not short-term speculators.

“We needed early capital to build,” said Rather. “But creators should hold the lionshare. We’ve designed a buyback and token model to make that possible.”

Guild introduces a dual-token model:

• “Note” Tokens – a fungible token earned through platform use, supporting rewards, payouts, and commerce. Over 1/3 is allocated to the community, and real accrual is visible in the dashboard.
• Access Passes – unique tokens granting lifetime access, tools, early Note allocations, IRL events, and exclusive Spaces.

This isn’t a meme economy. It’s an ownership and community layer for artists building lasting careers – forget chasing trends, signing away rights, and watching others profit from your work.

Recent moves by major platforms show licensing artist catalogs to train AI, or burying opt-outs to exploit IP without consent. Creators aren’t consulted – and rarely compensated.

Guild flips the model. Artists can opt in to contribute to training and be rewarded as a community. Attribution is on-chain. Usage is transparent. Revenue sharing is viable.

“AI isn’t going away,” said Rather. “But it doesn’t have to be extractive. With Guild, artists can help build the next generation of tools – and own the rights and the data that power them. They don’t need another app – they need a new model.”

Over 2,500 artists have helped shape Guild’s development – from early product testing to dataset curation. Goldman Sachs projects the global creator economy to surpass $480 billion by 2027.

Backers include Capital Factory, Polygon, and ex-Meta leaders. Rather left Meta as a SMB platform exec to build for the fastest growing segment today – creators. Bruce Kalmick, the Austin based Founder and CEO of WHY&HOW management and Wyatt Road Records, has boarded as an advisor.

Media Contact:
Phillip Rather
512-589-9437
[email protected] 

SOURCE Guild