OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 10, 2025 — Praesidian Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on the lower middle market, today announced that it has completed a strategic follow-on equity investment in Round 2, LLC, a premier designer, manufacturer, and marketer of collectible models, die-cast vehicles, hobby products and authentic farm toys.
Praesidian originally invested in Round 2 in 2021, partnering with the company to accelerate product development and broaden its reach across the enthusiast and hobbyist markets. The follow-on investment underscores Praesidian’s long-term commitment to building market-leading consumer brands with loyal fan bases.
“Round 2 has continued to outperform expectations, demonstrating the strength of its leadership team and the enduring appeal of its iconic brands,” said Jason Drattell, Founder and Managing Partner at Praesidian Capital. “Our additional investment reflects our confidence in the company’s ability to capitalize on new growth opportunities, from product line extensions to international distribution, while maintaining the authenticity and nostalgia that define the Round 2 experience.”
“Praesidian has been an exceptional partner,” said Richard Barry, Chief Executive Officer of Round 2. “Their continued support allows us to invest even more aggressively in product innovation, supply chain capabilities, and digital engagement with our collector community. This partnership positions us to scale our brands while preserving the passion and craftsmanship that make Round 2 unique.”
The follow-on investment marks the latest milestone in Praesidian’s active lower-middle-market portfolio, which spans consumer, industrial, and business-services companies.
About Round 2, LLC
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, Round 2 is a leading collectibles company that produces high-quality scale models, die-cast cars, slot cars, and pop-culture products under iconic brand names and licensed partnerships distributed through wholesale, retail and its own Direct to Consumer (DTC) business Autoworldstore.com. In addition, Round is the parent of Big Country toys which designs and manufactures authentic farms toys sold through specialty retailers and Bigcountrytoys.com. For more information, visit www.round2corp.com.
About Praesidian Capital
Praesidian Capital is a private equity firm focused on providing capital to established lower-middle-market businesses. With decades of experience, the Praesidian team partners with management to support growth, strategic acquisitions, and operational excellence. For more information, visit www.praesidian.com.
Digitail has raised $23 million USD in Series B funding led by Five Elms Capital, bringing the company’s total investment to over $37 million USD.
The financing will accelerate product innovation, including Digitail’s AI capabilities, to help veterinary teams automate routine tasks, see more patients, and improve patient experiences.
Five Elms Capital brings deep expertise in scaling category-leading software companies, and will support Digitail’s continued growth and market expansion.
TORONTO, Nov. 10, 2025 — Digitail, a leading provider of AI-powered practice management software for veterinary clinics, today announced a $23 million USD Series B investment led by Five Elms Capitalwith participation from existing investors Atomico, Partech, Byfounders, Gradient, and others. This investment will accelerate Digitail’s expansion across the veterinary industry and further advance its AI capabilities for both veterinarians and pet parents.
Digitail Series B Funding Announcement
Founded by Sebastian Gabor and Ruxandra Pui in 2018, Digitail was built on the belief that veterinary teams deserve modern, connected tools that lighten their administrative load and enable smarter and more personalized pet care. From day one, the company’s vision has been to reimagine the veterinary workday through a unified operating system that helps teams collaborate, see more patients, and deliver better care.
“Veterinary professionals are the backbone of pet care, yet they’ve long been underserved by disconnected, outdated tools,” said Sebastian Gabor, Founder & CEO of Digitail. “Our goal is to build the most comprehensive AI-native operating system to power the entire clinic, helping veterinary teams spend less time behind screens, see more patients, and get home on time. Partnering with Five Elms Capital gives us the resources and expertise to scale innovation and elevate every part of the customer experience.”
Digitail’s cloud-based, all-in-one, AI-native platform unifies scheduling, medical records, invoicing, client communications, inventory management, wellness plans, a pet-parent app, and more. Its 15+ AI workflows—including intelligent patient intake, AI dictation for SOAP notes, and automated record summaries—help clinics reduce administrative burden while enhancing accuracy and care quality from one login.
In the past 12 months, Digitail has more than doubled its customer base, now supporting 10,000 veterinarians and 3 million pet parents across independent clinics, multi-location practices, and mobile vets.
Reed Edwards, Principal at Five Elms Capital, commented on the investment: “From our first conversations with the Digitail team, it was clear we shared a belief that great software should empower people, not create more work. Digitail’s technology does exactly that for veterinarians and pet owners alike. We’re proud to back a team that’s redefining what’s possible in veterinary care and to help them accelerate their mission of giving every clinic the tools to deliver exceptional care at scale.”
The investment will enable Digitail to accelerate product development, enhance AI capabilities across its platform, and scale operations globally to further elevate the customer experience.
About Digitail
Digitail is the leading cloud-based, AI-native platform built to power every part of a veterinary clinic including scheduling & intake, medical records, invoicing, inventory management, and client communication. Trusted by over 10,000 veterinary professionals, Digitail helps teams work smarter, see up to 2× more patients per day, and finally get home on time. With a fleet of 15+ AI Agents, 30+ integrations, and a connected Pet Parent App, Digitail saves clinics 50+ hours a month in administrative work. For more information, please visit digitail.com.
About Five Elms Capital
Five Elms Capital is a growth investor in software businesses that users love, providing capital and resources to help companies accelerate growth and further cement their role as industry leaders.
With over $3 billion in assets under management and a team of over 80 professionals, Five Elms has invested in more than 70 software platforms worldwide. Beyond providing capital, Five Elms delivers strategic and operational expertise, focused on executing initiatives that move the needle on growth, retention, product, and AI to set companies up for long-term success. For more information, visit fiveelms.com.
– Aily Labs recauda 80 millones de dólares para escalar la IA que impulsa el rendimiento en empresas Fortune 500
La financiación acelera la expansión global de Aily Labs y la toma de decisiones basada en IA en todos los sectores.
NUEVA YORK, 10 de noviembre de 2025 — Aily Labs, creadora de la primera plataforma de inteligencia de decisiones nativa de IA para empresas globales, anunció hoy que ha recaudado 80 millones de dólares en financiación, liderada por FPV Ventures con la participación del inversor actual Insight Partners, J.P. Morgan y otros inversores estratégicos.
Esta financiación acelerará la expansión global de Aily, impulsará su ecosistema de agentes de IA autónomos y proporcionará un retorno de la inversión cuantificable a sus clientes de Fortune 500 desde el primer día. La IA de Aily transforma los datos en información valiosa, permitiendo a los clientes percibir un impacto empresarial tangible en menos de dos semanas en áreas como finanzas, cadena de suministro, I+D y operaciones comerciales.
El futuro de la empresa es autónomo “Las empresas ya no pueden permitirse el lujo de esperar a obtener información; necesitan IA que actúe”, afirmó Bianca Anghelina, fundadora y consejera delegada de Aily Labs. “Esta financiación nos permite ampliar nuestro máster en Superagentes e Inteligencia de Decisiones, lo que posibilita a las empresas tomar decisiones más rápidas, inteligentes y totalmente autónomas que transforman el rendimiento en todas las funciones, a escala global”.
Prioridades de crecimiento estratégico
La financiación respaldará cuatro iniciativas clave:
Expansión global: Ampliar la adopción de la aplicación móvil de inteligencia de decisiones de Aily en diversos sectores y regiones.
Autonomía de agentes: Desarrollar agentes de IA avanzados que recomienden y ejecuten decisiones de alto impacto de forma autónoma.
Desarrollo de la plataforma de aprendizaje automático (LLM) para inteligencia de decisiones: Mejorar la plataforma LLM propia de Aily con amplia experiencia y datos en la toma de decisiones empresariales.
Impulso del crecimiento a largo plazo: Fortalecer la estructura de capital para sostener la innovación, la resiliencia operativa y la escalabilidad.
Recomendaciones de inversores
“A menudo escucho a directores ejecutivos decir que invierten millones en IA, pero no logran implementarla eficazmente ni obtener un valor real para el negocio. Eso fue lo que nos impulsó a invertir en Aily Labs: su plataforma ofrece información práctica que genera un impacto tangible en los resultados”, afirmó Pegah Ebrahimi, cofundadora y socia directora de FPV Ventures. “Los directores ejecutivos nos comentan que, gracias a la IA de Aily, toman decisiones diferentes: decisiones que ahorran dinero, aumentan los ingresos y transforman la forma en que operan sus empresas. Nos enorgullece apoyar el crecimiento de Aily”.
“Estamos encantados de apoyar el continuo crecimiento de Aily como una aplicación líder de inteligencia de decisiones basada en IA, preparada para seguir generando un impacto global en todas las industrias. Es precisamente el tipo de innovación que queremos ayudar a impulsar en todo el mundo”, dijo Max Hauer, director de Economía de la Innovación DACH en J.P. Morgan.
“Como miembro de la junta directiva de varias empresas de Fortune 50, he visto cómo transformar los datos en información valiosa —y esta información en acciones concretas— puede redefinir el rendimiento empresarial”, afirmó Amy Chang, miembro de la junta directiva de Aily Labs. “Aily cierra la brecha entre los datos fragmentados y la toma de decisiones en tiempo real mediante IA con capacidad de gestión. Para los líderes, esto significa que lo que antes tardaba semanas ahora sucede en minutos —desde finanzas hasta la cadena de suministro—, lo que permite una ejecución más eficiente y un crecimiento cuantificable”.
De la inversión al impacto
Aily Labs está expandiendo su presencia en los sectores farmacéutico, minorista, de bienes de consumo y otros. Su integración en un solo día y su retorno de la inversión medible convierten a la plataforma en la opción predilecta para las empresas que buscan IA que genere conocimiento y repercuta positivamente en sus resultados financieros.
Aily Labs está dando forma a un futuro donde la autonomía de la IA sea la base de cómo operan las empresas: de forma más rápida, inteligente y segura.
Acerca de Aily Labs
Aily Labs está transformando la toma de decisiones en las empresas globales al combinar datos empresariales con IA, aprendizaje automático y grandes modelos de lenguaje en una plataforma única de Inteligencia de Decisiones que ofrece resultados de negocio tangibles y de alto impacto. Su Super Agente coordina agentes de IA autónomos que recomiendan y ejecutan decisiones, generando un retorno de la inversión medible desde el primer día.
La plataforma se integra perfectamente en los flujos de trabajo, ayudando a las empresas Fortune 500 a optimizar el rendimiento, eliminar los silos de datos y acelerar la toma de decisiones en las áreas de finanzas, cadena de suministro, I+D y operaciones comerciales.
Fundada en 2020, Aily Labs opera a nivel mundial con equipos de científicos de datos de IA, ingenieros, expertos en negocios y productos.
Finanzierung beschleunigt die globale Expansion von Aily Labs und die KI-gestützte Entscheidungsfindung in verschiedenen Branchen
NEW YORK, 10. November 2025 — Aily Labs, Entwickler der ersten KI-nativen Entscheidungsintelligenz-Plattform für globale Unternehmen, gab heute bekannt, eine Finanzierung in Höhe von 80 Millionen Dollar erhalten zu haben, angeführt von FPV Ventures mit Beteiligung des bestehenden Investors Insight Partners, J.P. Morgan sowie anderer strategischer Investoren.
Die Finanzierung wird die globale Markteinführung beschleunigen, das autonome KI-Agenten-Ökosystem von Aily weiterentwickeln und Fortune-500-Kunden vom ersten Tag an einen messbaren ROI liefern. Die KI von Aily bringt Kunden von Daten zu Erkenntnissen, sodass sie in weniger als zwei Wochen messbare Auswirkungen auf ihr Geschäft in den Bereichen Finanzen, Lieferkette, F&E und kommerzielle Abläufe feststellen können.
Die Zukunft der Unternehmen ist autonom „Unternehmen können es sich nicht mehr leisten, auf Erkenntnisse zu warten – sie brauchen KI, die handelt”, sagt Bianca Anghelina, Gründerin und Geschäftsführerin von Aily Labs. „Diese Finanzierung ermöglicht es uns, unseren „Super Agent und Decision Intelligence LLM” zu skalieren und Unternehmen in die Lage zu versetzen, schnellere, intelligentere sowie völlig autonome Entscheidungen zu treffen, welche die Leistung in jeder Funktion weltweit verbessern.”
Strategische Wachstumsprioritäten Die Finanzierung wird vier Schlüsselinitiativen unterstützen:
Globale Expansion: Skalieren Sie die Akzeptanz von Ailys mobiler Decision-Intelligence-App über Branchen und Regionen hinweg.
Agentische Autonomie: Entwicklung von KI-Agenten, die selbstständig wichtige Entscheidungen empfehlen und ausführen.
Entwicklung von Decision Intelligence LLM: Erweiterung von Ailys eigenem LLM mit tiefgreifender Expertise und Daten für Unternehmensentscheidungen.
Langfristige Förderung des Wachstums: Stärkung der Kapitalstruktur zur Förderung von Innovation, betrieblicher Widerstandsfähigkeit und Größe.
Empfehlungen von Investoren „Ich höre oft von Geschäftsführern, dass sie Millionen für KI ausgeben, aber nicht in der Lage sind, sie effektiv einzusetzen oder einen echten geschäftlichen Nutzen daraus zu ziehen. Das hat uns dazu bewogen, in Aily Labs zu investieren – ihre Plattform liefert umsetzbare Erkenntnisse, die messbare Auswirkungen auf die Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung haben”, sagt Pegah Ebrahimi, Mitbegründerin und geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin von FPV Ventures. „Geschäftsführer erzählen uns, dass sie dank der KI von Aily andere Entscheidungen treffen – Entscheidungen, die Geld sparen, den Umsatz steigern und die Arbeitsweise ihrer Unternehmen verändern. Wir sind stolz darauf, das Wachstum von Aily zu unterstützen.”
„Wir freuen uns, den weiteren Wachstumskurs von Aily als führende KI-App für Entscheidungsanalysen zu unterstützen, die auch weiterhin branchenübergreifend globale Auswirkungen haben wird. Das ist genau die Art von Innovation, die wir weltweit vorantreiben wollen”, sagte Max Hauer, Leiter der DACH Innovation Economy bei J.P. Morgan.
„Als Vorstandsmitglied in mehreren Fortune-50-Unternehmen habe ich gesehen, wie die Umwandlung von Daten in Erkenntnisse – und von Erkenntnissen in Maßnahmen – die Unternehmensleistung neu definieren kann”, sagt Amy Chang, Vorstandsmitglied bei Aily Labs. „Aily schließt die Lücke zwischen fragmentierten Daten und Echtzeit-Entscheidungen durch agentenbasierte KI. Für Führungskräfte bedeutet dies, dass das, was früher Wochen dauerte, jetzt innerhalb von Minuten geschieht – von der Finanzabteilung bis zur Lieferkette – und so eine bessere Umsetzung sowie messbares Wachstum ermöglicht.
Vom Kapital zur Wirkung Aily Labs erweitert seine Präsenz in den Bereichen Pharmazeutika, Einzelhandel, Konsumgüter und mehr. Die eintägige Integration und der messbare ROI machen die Plattform zur ersten Wahl für Unternehmen, die eine KI-Lösung suchen, die von den Erkenntnissen bis hin zu den Auswirkungen auf die Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung reicht.
Aily Labs gestaltet eine Zukunft, in der autonome KI die Grundlage dafür ist, wie Unternehmen arbeiten – schneller, intelligenter und sicherer.
Informationen zu Aily Labs Aily Labs verändert die Art und Weise, wie globale Unternehmen Entscheidungen treffen, indem es Unternehmensdaten mit KI, maschinellem Lernen und großen Sprachmodellen zu einer einzigen „Decision Intelligence”-Plattform kombiniert, welche greifbare, hochwirksame Geschäftsergebnisse liefert. Der Super Agent koordiniert autonome KI-Agenten, die sowohl Empfehlungen aussprechen als auch Entscheidungen ausführen und so vom ersten Tag an einen messbaren ROI liefern.
Die Plattform lässt sich nahtlos in Arbeitsabläufe integrieren und unterstützt Fortune-500-Unternehmen dabei, ihre Leistung zu optimieren, Datensilos aufzubrechen sowie die Entscheidungsfindung in den Bereichen Finanzen, Lieferkette, Forschung und Entwicklung sowie Handel zu beschleunigen.
Aily Labs wurde 2020 gegründet und arbeitet weltweit mit Teams aus KI-Datenwissenschaftlern, Ingenieuren, Geschäfts- und Produktexperten.
Weitere Informationen finden Sie auf ailylabs.com.
Le financement accélère l’expansion mondiale d’Aily Labs et la prise de décision assistée par l’IA dans tous les secteurs d’activité
NEW YORK, 10 novembre 2025 — Aily Labs, créateur de la première plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle native IA pour les entreprises mondiales, annonce aujourd’hui avoir levé 80 millions de dollars de financement, dirigé par FPV Ventures avec la participation de l’investisseur existant Insight Partners, J.P. Morgan, et d’autres investisseurs stratégiques.
Le financement permettra, dès le premier jour, d’accélérer l’expansion du marché mondial, de promouvoir l’écosystème d’agents IA autonomes d’Aily et d’offrir un retour sur investissement mesurable aux clients du Fortune 500. L’IA d’Aily permet aux clients de passer des données à la connaissance, de sorte qu’ils commencent à voir un impact commercial mesurable en moins de deux semaines dans les domaines de la finance, de la chaîne d’approvisionnement, de la R&D, et des opérations commerciales.
L’avenir de l’entreprise est autonome « Les entreprises ne peuvent plus se permettre d’attendre les informations, elles ont besoin d’une IA qui agit », déclare Bianca Anghelina, fondatrice et CEO d’Aily Labs. « Ce financement nous permet de développer nos solutions Super Agent et Decision Intelligence LLM, permettant ainsi aux entreprises de prendre des décisions plus rapides, plus intelligentes et entièrement autonomes qui transforment les performances dans toutes les fonctions, à l’échelle mondiale. »
Priorités stratégiques de croissance Le financement soutiendra quatre initiatives clés :
Expansion mondiale : faire évoluer l’adoption de l’application mobile d’intelligence décisionnelle d’Aily dans tous les secteurs d’activité et toutes les régions.
Autonomie agentique : promouvoir les agents d’IA qui recommandent et exécutent de manière autonome des décisions à fort impact.
Développement de Decision Intelligence LLM : optimiser le LLM propriétaire d’Aily avec une expertise et des données approfondies sur les décisions d’entreprise.
Favoriser la croissance à long terme : renforcer la structure du capital pour soutenir l’innovation, la résilience opérationnelle et l’échelle.
Soutien des investisseurs « Les CEO me disent souvent qu’ils dépensent des millions pour l’IA, mais qu’ils ne parviennent pas à la déployer efficacement ou à en tirer une véritable valeur commerciale. C’est ce qui nous a poussés à investir dans Aily Labs. Sa plateforme fournit des informations exploitables qui ont un impact mesurable sur le compte de résultat », déclare Pegah Ebrahimi, cofondateur et managing partner de FPV Ventures. « Les CEO nous disent qu’ils prennent des décisions différentes grâce à l’IA d’Aily ; des décisions qui permettent d’économiser de l’argent, d’augmenter le chiffre d’affaires et de transformer le mode de fonctionnement de leur entreprise. Nous sommes fiers de soutenir la croissance d’Aily. »
« Nous sommes ravis de soutenir la croissance continue d’Aily en tant qu’application d’intelligence décisionnelle de premier plan, prête à continuer à créer un impact mondial dans tous les secteurs d’activité. C’est précisément le type d’innovation que nous voulons aider à promouvoir dans le monde entier », déclare Max Hauer, responsable de l’économie de l’innovation dans les pays DACH chez J.P. Morgan.
« En tant que membre du conseil d’administration de plusieurs entreprises du Fortune 50, j’ai vu comment la transformation des données en informations – et des informations en actions – peut redéfinir les performances de l’entreprise », déclare Amy Chang, membre du conseil d’administration d’Aily Labs. « Aily comble le fossé entre les données fragmentées et la prise de décision en temps réel grâce à l’IA agentique. Pour les dirigeants, cela signifie que ce qui prenait autrefois des semaines se fait désormais en quelques minutes – de la finance à la chaîne d’approvisionnement – pour une exécution plus précise et une croissance mesurable ».
Du capital à l’impact Aily Labs étend sa présence aux produits pharmaceutiques, au commerce de détail, aux biens de consommation, et plus encore. Son intégration en un jour et son retour sur investissement mesurable font de la plateforme le choix privilégié des entreprises qui recherchent une IA qui passe de la connaissance à l’impact sur le compte de résultat.
Aily Labs façonne un avenir dans lequel l’autonomie de l’IA est à la base du fonctionnement des entreprises ; un avenir plus rapide, plus intelligent et plus confiant.
À propos d’Aily Labs Aily Labs transforme la façon dont les entreprises mondiales prennent des décisions en combinant les données d’entreprise avec l’IA, l’apprentissage automatique et les grands modèles de langage dans une plateforme unique d’intelligence décisionnelle qui fournit des résultats commerciaux tangibles et à fort impact. Son Super Agent orchestre des agents d’IA autonomes qui recommandent et exécutent des décisions, offrant ainsi un retour sur investissement mesurable dès le premier jour.
La plateforme s’intègre aux flux de travail et aide les entreprises du Fortune 500 à optimiser leurs performances, à décompartimenter les données et à accélérer la prise de décision dans les domaines de la finance, de la chaîne d’approvisionnement, de la recherche et du développement et des opérations commerciales.
Créé en 2020, Aily Labs opère à l’échelle mondiale avec des équipes de scientifiques des données IA, d’ingénieurs, d’experts commerciaux et de spécialistes des produits.
Pour plus d’informations, visitez le site ailylabs.com.
NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2025 — HTCO (NASDAQ: HTCO) today announced that it has entered into a financing agreement for an investment of up to US $20 million by an accredited investor, a move designed to accelerate the Company’s strategic development of investment in its AI platform to improve operational efficiency and support related digital transformation initiatives.
Under the terms of the agreement, the financing will be implemented in multiple tranches, with the first tranche of US $3 million having been successfully funded. Notably, the Company emphasized that this facility does not include any warrants, ensuring alignment with the Company’s disciplined capital structure strategy.
Pursuant to the agreement, the investor has committed to a “daily trading volume limit not exceeding 15 percent of total daily trading volume” for any subsequent share transactions related to this financing. This provision is intended to maintain market stability and safeguard the interests of existing and new shareholders.
The listing and trading of the shares issued in connection with the initial US $3 million financing are subject to the Company filing a F-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that must become effective within a 120-day period.
The Company further noted that it has not yet determined whether it will require additional financing beyond the initial US $3 million. Any decisions regarding subsequent closings will be based on the Company’s ongoing capital planning, operational needs and prevailing market conditions.
Chris Nixon Cox, Company Chairman, stated, “This strategic financing reflects strong market confidence in HTCO’s long-term vision for marine digital transformation and the Company’s ability to continue to advance technological innovation and optimize capital efficiency—all to drive sustainable value creation for our shareholders.”
About High-Trend International Group
High-Trend International Group is a global ocean technology company with core businesses in international shipping and marine carbon neutrality.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “might,” “could,” “will,” “aims,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar expressions.
These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current assumptions, expectations and beliefs, but they are accompanied by substantial risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. It should be noted that these statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance and are subject to a series of risks. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as there is no assurance that the plans, initiatives or expectations underlying these statements will be realized.
A detailed discussion of factors that could lead to such differences and other risks affecting the Company’s business is included in the filings that the Company submits to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) from time to time, including the Company’s most recent report on Form 20-F, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors.”
STARKVILLE, Miss., Nov. 7, 2025 — CampusKnot Inc., an AI-powered teaching assistant platform for higher education, announced today that it has raised $1.1 million to expand its footprint across the United States and accelerate adoption of its technology among universities.
Rahul Gopal – Co-Founder & CEO pitching at Idea Village Demo Day 2025
The investment comes from Tulane Ventures, Boot 64 Ventures, Invest Mississippi Impact Fund, Momentum Fund, and Greaux Innovation Ventures, along with several private angels from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arizona. The funding highlights the growing strength of the Mississippi and Louisiana innovation corridor, where startups combine academic expertise with emerging technology to improve education.
Helping Professors Teach, Not Just Manage
CampusKnot was built around a simple idea: enhancing student engagement begins with empowering professors. Teaching is at the heart of every learning experience, and professors play a pivotal role in shaping it. It all starts with them. They should be spending more time teaching and mentoring students, not juggling the constant demands of research, administration, and classroom management.
The platform acts as an AI teaching assistant, helping instructors generate classroom questions, track participation, automate grading and feedback, and summarize discussions while giving professors a clear view of who is engaging and who might be falling behind.
In practice, a professor using CampusKnot can upload a syllabus and course content, automatically generate activities aligned with learning objectives, deploy interactive and fun classroom activities, track attendance, manage rewards and incentives, and receive engagement analytics that tie teaching goals to measurable learning outcomes. The result is more time for meaningful conversation and mentorship, and a deeper understanding of how students are learning week by week.
“Our vision is to make teaching more effortless and fun,” said Rahul Gopal, Co-founder and CEO of CampusKnot. “Students are looking for community, quick feedback, and genuine connections with their professors. But professors often lack the time, resources, or instructional support to make that happen. CampusKnot steps in as an intelligent assistant that helps them bring those connections to life in real time. AI has changed how information is created and shared, but its real value is how it enhances the human experience of learning. We help professors address everyday classroom needs with practical, responsible, and measurable ways to use AI for teaching and engagement.”
Growth, Hiring, and Expansion
With the new funding, CampusKnot plans to scale nationwide while driving regional impact through job creation and expanded university partnerships across the Gulf South. The company will hire in sales, engineering, and customer success roles to meet increasing demand from universities and scale its partnerships with VitalSource and Follett, which provide frictionless entry into more than 1,000 campuses nationwide.
CampusKnot already has professors using the platform at 32 universities, including Mississippi State University, The University of Alabama, Texas A&M University, Tulane University, and Louisiana State University.
Ecosystem Driven Growth and Support
CampusKnot’s journey reflects the power of regional collaboration in driving innovation. The company was accelerated through the Invest Mississippi and Idea Village accelerator programs, which helped refine its business model, scale operations, and expand its reach across the Gulf South. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach at Mississippi State University also provided early support and mentorship during CampusKnot’s formative years.
“These ecosystems have been instrumental in shaping who we are today,” said Gopal. “The support we have received from both Mississippi and Louisiana partners has created a foundation for long-term growth and meaningful impact in higher education.”
What Partners and Experts Are Saying
“CampusKnot exemplifies the kind of scalable, mission-driven innovation Tulane Ventures seeks to support. By automating key teaching tasks and enhancing student engagement, the platform is transforming how faculty interact with students. With adoption and traction at over 30 universities, CampusKnot is well-positioned to expand its impact on teaching and learning across the nation. We are proud to support its continued growth in higher education.” – Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, Managing Director, Tulane Ventures
“AI in higher education should not automate learning; it should illuminate it, slow the process down, exposing the productive steps, and helping students wrestle with ambiguity. Used thoughtfully, it can open doors to perspectives students have not yet imagined, and CampusKnot helps you do that in real time.” – Dr. Alex Joubin, George Washington University
“We are excited to join the team at CampusKnot. Our belief in Rahul’s leadership and execution as CEO is strong, and we see a clear path for CampusKnot to continue gaining market share while challenging more established players in the space.” – John Roberts, Boot 64 Ventures
“Innovation Catalyst is proud to support CampusKnot as they transform the classroom experience through AI by empowering professors to drive engagement and track learning outcomes in real time.” – Bill Ellison, CEO, Innovation Catalyst Inc.
About CampusKnot
CampusKnot Inc. is an AI teaching assistant platform that enables professors to create interactive classrooms and keep students engaged throughout the semester. The platform automates hours of manual work, including content generation, grading, feedback, summarizing, and rewarding participation, while providing data-driven insights that connect classroom participation to learning outcomes.
Headquartered in Starkville, Mississippi, with operations and partnerships based in New Orleans, Louisiana, CampusKnot is redefining how higher education institutions approach teaching, learning, and engagement through the power of AI.
The investment will fuel Upward’s mission to make it radically faster and easier for businesses to launch and operate financial products — reducing the cost and complexity that have slowed innovation in financial services.
At the same time, Upward announced a strategic partnership with Mastercard to provide its embedded financial technology solutions to Upward’s customers, enabling them to launch a Mastercard-branded card program in just weeks.
“At Upward, we’re transforming the way financial products are built,” said Aaron Gregory, Co-founder & CEO of Upward. “For too long, businesses that wanted to offer a financial product have had to choose between innovation, flexibility, and speed. This investment and our Mastercard partnership will help to tear down those barriers — empowering our customers to launch and operate smarter, customer-centric financial products faster than ever.”
Building the Future of Financial Infrastructure
Upward’s platform provides turnkey embedded fintech infrastructure designed to allow companies to easily launch branded credit card, payment, and banking products without the need to navigate complex regulatory and technical integrations with multiple vendors.
By combining banking, payments, cards, and compliance capabilities in a single, developer-friendly platform, Upward aims to empower its customers — from gig economy and creator platforms — to offer financial products built for the unique needs of their end users.
“Speed and compliance don’t have to be at odds,” said Danielle Hill, Co-Founder & COO of Upward. “We’ve built the infrastructure to make financial innovation not only faster but also more flexible for our customers. This next phase is about execution – helping customers transform their innovative visions into revenue-generating products in record time.”
The $8 million round, including new capital and conversion of convertible equity, will be used to expand Upward’s infrastructure, grow its engineering and partnerships capabilities, and bring its turnkey platform to more companies across fintech, creator, and gig workforce sectors.
Strategic Partnership with Mastercard
The partnership with Mastercard intends to deepen Upward’s ability to deliver innovative financial experiences by integrating Mastercard’s network and program benefits — including Mastercard’s Easy Savings® and innovative Business Builder Program — into its financial infrastructure. This collaboration supports Upward’s customers in launching credit card programs, with a particular focus on empowering the small business and creator economy.
“We’re proud to partner with Upward to help close the financial inclusion gap and uplift the small business community,” said Ginger Siegel, North America Small Business Lead at Mastercard. “By combining Mastercard’s global payments expertise and technology with Upward’s innovative fintech infrastructure, we’re equipping creators and entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and financial access they need to grow and thrive—through solutions like Easy Savings and our Business Builder program.”
About Upward
Upward is a fintech infrastructure company that makes it turnkey easy for businesses to create, launch, and scale innovative financial products. By combining card issuance, banking, compliance, and payments into a single platform, Upward helps companies unlock new revenue streams with innovative financial products.
MoEngage recibe 100 millones de dólares para ampliar sus agentes de IA de marketing y acelerar su expansión en Norteamérica y EMEA
La inversión, liderada por Goldman Sachs Alternatives y A91 Partners, fortalecerá el liderazgo de MoEngage en Norteamérica y EMEA, en medio de una creciente demanda global de tecnología de marketing de próxima generación impulsada por IA.
LONDRES, 7 de noviembre de 2025 — MoEngage, la plataforma de interacción con el cliente impulsada por IA, ha obtenido 100 millones de dólares en una nueva ronda de financiación liderada por Goldman Sachs Alternatives y A91 Partners, lo que pone de manifiesto la creciente demanda global de tecnología de marketing de última generación. Este nuevo capital acelerará la innovación de productos de MoEngage, impulsará su expansión global y consolidará su liderazgo en Norteamérica, Europa, Oriente Medio y África (EMEA), en un contexto de creciente demanda mundial de tecnología de marketing de última generación basada en IA.
La empresa, que ayuda a las marcas de consumo a automatizar y personalizar las experiencias digitales a través de canales web, móviles, sociales, de correo electrónico y de mensajería, ha superado los 250 millones de dólares en financiación total con esta ronda, lo que la sitúa entre los principales actores en el sector de la interacción con el cliente impulsada por IA.
Los nuevos fondos se utilizarán para ampliar su suite insignia Merlin AI , una colección de agentes inteligentes diseñados específicamente para que los equipos de marketing y producto tomen decisiones basadas en datos, automaticen la gestión de campañas y aumenten las conversiones de clientes.
“Nuestro impulso global, sumado a nuestro liderazgo en Asia, confirma que las marcas están dejando atrás las plataformas de marketing tradicionales”, afirmó Raviteja Dodda, consejero delegado y cofundador de MoEngage. “Más de 300 empresas en todo el mundo han confiado en MoEngage por su agilidad y facilidad de uso basadas en IA. Esta inversión impulsará nuestra siguiente fase de crecimiento en Norteamérica y EMEA”.
La compañía cuenta entre sus clientes con más de 1.350 marcas globales, entre ellas SoundCloud, McAfee, Domino’s, Deutsche Telekom y Travelodge, llegando a más de 2.000 millones de consumidores cada mes.
“MoEngage ha sido un socio increíble en nuestro camino de crecimiento”, explicó Hope Barrett, directora sénior de Martech en SoundCloud. “Su plataforma nos permitió migrar sin problemas a más de 120 millones de usuarios en tan solo 12 semanas y aprovechar la información basada en IA para acelerar los lanzamientos de productos que han fortalecido la retención en nuestra base de usuarios de pago”.
Rajat Sood, director general de Goldman Sachs Alternatives, indicó: “Nuestra inversión en MoEngage refleja el compromiso de Goldman Sachs de respaldar plataformas tecnológicas líderes en su categoría que aprovechan la IA para brindar servicios a empresas de todo el mundo. Gracias a nuestra red global, nuestra experiencia y nuestro capital, esperamos ayudar a la empresa a acelerar su crecimiento, expandirse a nuevos mercados y ofrecer un valor duradero a sus clientes”.
Kaushik Anand, socio de A91 Partners, añadió: “Hemos conocido al equipo de MoEngage durante los últimos seis años y nos ha impresionado su capacidad para innovar constantemente y ampliar su oferta de productos. Nos entusiasma respaldar a MoEngage en su objetivo de expandir su presencia global, proporcionando a los equipos de marketing y producto tecnología de vanguardia para construir y fidelizar relaciones con los clientes”.
Fuerte impulso en todo el Reino Unido y Europa
Los mercados del Reino Unido y Europa se han convertido en una importante frontera de crecimiento para MoEngage. A medida que las economías aceleran sus agendas de transformación digital, la demanda de plataformas de datos y participación del cliente impulsadas por IA está aumentando vertiginosamente en todas las regiones.
Actualmente, la empresa cuenta con unos 800 empleados repartidos en sus 15 oficinas internacionales. Para consolidar su presencia en el mercado, MoEngage planea ampliar significativamente su plantilla, sobre todo en Norteamérica y Europa, mediante la ampliación de sus equipos de atención al cliente, soporte, ventas y marketing. Además, la empresa tiene previsto desarrollar nuevas capacidades de IA y contratar a más profesionales para respaldar estas iniciativas.
MoEngage ha expandido activamente su presencia en mercados clave de Europa, colaborando con empresas líderes de retail, comercio electrónico, servicios financieros y telecomunicaciones. Ayudamos a estas empresas a unificar y acceder a datos estructurados de clientes en tiempo real, y a ofrecer experiencias de marketing omnicanal personalizadas. Nuestro objetivo es ayudar a las empresas de la región a aprovechar la IA para mejorar la retención y fidelización de clientes en el panorama digital cada vez más competitivo del Reino Unido y Europa.
Avendus actuó como asesor financiero exclusivo de la empresa y sus accionistas.
Acerca de MoEngage
Con oficinas en Bengaluru y San Francisco, MoEngage es una plataforma de interacción con el cliente basada en análisis de datos, en la que confían más de 1.350 marcas de consumo globales, como SoundCloud, McAfee, Flipkart, Kayak, Domino’s, Deutsche Telekom, Travelodge y muchas más. MoEngage ofrece a los profesionales del marketing y a los responsables de producto información valiosa sobre el comportamiento del cliente y la capacidad de actuar en función de dicha información para interactuar con ellos a través de la web, dispositivos móviles, correo electrónico, redes sociales y mensajería. Su suite de IA Merlin, un equipo de agentes de IA, permite a los profesionales del marketing lanzar campañas con mayor rapidez y escalar las conversiones mediante la toma de decisiones basada en IA. Marcas de consumo de 75 países utilizan MoEngage para potenciar las experiencias digitales de más de 2.000 millones de personas cada mes.
MoEngage ha sido reconocida como una de las opciones preferidas por los clientes en el informe Gartner Peer Insights™ Voice of the Customer para plataformas de marketing multicanal, mayo de 2025, y nombrada como una empresa de alto rendimiento en The Forrester Wave™: Plataformas de marketing multicanal, cuarto trimestre de 2024.
