NEW YORK, July 17, 2025 — Oh Norman!, the pet wellness brand co-founded by actress and animal advocate Kaley Cuoco, announced today that it has raised $2.08 million in its latest round of funding, bringing the brand’s total funding to over $5 million.

Originally targeting $1.5 million, the raise was oversubscribed by 39%, attracting notable backers across consumer wellness, pet care, venture capital, and entertainment.

New investors include Brown University, Mars Petcare’s Leap Venture Studio, Incuvate/NQV8, Golden Seeds, and1731 MGMT. Notable individuals such as Oh! Norman co-founders Kaley Cuoco and Katie Hunt, as well as Tractive founder Michael Hurnaus and returning institutional investors also participated in the round.

“At 1731 MGMT, we believe the best brands are built by passionate founders who are driven to make a positive impact,” said Dace Graham, Managing Partner of 1731 MGMT. “Oh Norman! embodies that spirit with a strong commitment to the well-being of pets and their owners. We’re excited to partner with Oh Norman! as they continue to innovate and elevate the pet wellness industry.”

Launched in 2023 with a mission to modernize how pet parents support their dogs’ emotional and physical health, Oh Norman! quickly gained traction with its best-selling calming supplement, Calm the Eff Down! The brand’s rapid rise reflected a growing demand for effective, approachable pet wellness solutions. In April of 2025, the company announced a partnership with Chewy, to increase product accessibility and expand their reach to a broader customer base.

“With support from our most recent investors, we’re well-positioned to accelerate our mission of delivering science-backed pet wellness products while championing ethical and eco-conscious practices. Together, we’ll further improve the lives of the animals we love while giving back to the ones in need,” said Hunt.

“We started Oh Norman! because of one simple truth – I just love dogs and believe they deserve to live the healthiest life possible,” said Cuoco. “My goal was to create high-quality products that dogs and their people would love. Everyone on the Oh Norman! team, including our investors, share that same passion, and it drives everything we do. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far and how we’ve been able to make a difference in the lives of dogs and their owners!”

The six-person, all-female team includes Chief Operating Officer Danielle Birkenfeld, former director of operations for Coach, Vice President of Product Kate Onorato, an early employee of Bark Box and the former head of product for Wild One and Vice President of Creative Nat Girsberger, a published author and artist who has grown Oh Norman’s social media following to over 250K followers. CEO and Co-founder Katie Hunt was also the third employee of Warby Parker and the Chief Brand Officer of the dating app Hinge.

Oh Norman! is part of a fast-growing movement that blends high-quality ingredients and data-driven outcomes to meet the demands of a new generation of pet parents – one that wants transparency, efficacy, and personality in equal measure. Now, with this latest funding, Oh Norman! will continue to revolutionize the pet wellness industry and drive business growth.

About Oh Norman!
Co-founded by Kaley Cuoco, Oh Norman! is a pet care brand on a mission to make joyful, cutting-edge products that improve the lives of the animals we love. The brand is a trusted place for pet parents, offering healthy, well-designed products for pets and the people who effing love them. To learn more about Oh Norman! visit at ohnorman.com or follow on Instagram at @ohnorman.

Media contact: [email protected] 

SOURCE Oh Norman!

First-of-its-kind platform untangles marketing measurement chaos, unlocks clarity and high-ROI marketing spend for brands

CHICAGO, July 17, 2025 — Bonsai, the first-party marketing intelligence platform that automates profitable growth, today announced an investment of $1.8 million to accelerate go-to-market efforts and further development of the company’s platform. The investment was made by Mairs & Power Venture Capital, TAWANI Ventures, Bridge Venture Fund, Chicago Early, and Service Provider Capital alongside individual investors Daren Cotter and Sheetal Jain.

“Consumer-facing brands waste billions of dollars each year because they make decisions with inaccurate, biased marketing conversion data,” said Matt Butler, CEO and co-founder at Bonsai. “Our platform ingests and analyzes a brand’s first-party data to give them extreme clarity on their marketing spend, allowing them to focus on high-ROI marketing efforts and truly grow.”

Bonsai is already trusted by established brands — including 1-800-Flowers, Aspen Dental, Camping World, JSX, Gabb Wireless, and others — looking to optimize the ROI on their marketing spend in an increasingly challenging omnichannel marketing environment.

“Bonsai has been instrumental in refining JSX’s data analytics, transforming how we measure marketing impact and optimize strategy,” said Ariana Diaz, senior director of marketing at JSX. “We can now assess marketing effectiveness with precision, ensuring every investment is strategically aligned with growth objectives.”

Bonsai integrates with more than 80 platforms, allowing brands to onboard their entire business and marketing tech stack in minutes without requiring data engineering or the installation of tracking cookies, pixels, or custom code.

Bonsai combines business reporting, multi-touch attribution, marketing mix modeling, incrementality testing, budget forecasting, automated buying algorithms, and audience analytics into one seamless platform, giving brands a highly-accurate view of their marketing efforts and complete control to automate incremental, profitable growth.

To learn more, visit www.bonsaidata.io.

About Bonsai
Bonsai is the first-party marketing intelligence platform that automates profitable growth. Our first-of-its-kind platform provides modern brands with extreme clarity on their marketing spend ROI without requiring data engineering or the installation of tracking cookies, pixels, or custom code. Learn more at www.bonsaidata.io.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these statements due to various factors beyond our control. Bonsai undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact
Matt Lush
Marketing
Bonsai
[email protected]
775-204-2877

SOURCE Bonsai

NextLadder Ventures launches with over $1 billion to empower low-income Americans through personalized, tech-driven solutions

NEW YORK, July 17, 2025 — Today, a coalition of foundations and philanthropists — Ballmer Group, Gates Foundation, Stand Together, Valhalla Foundation and John Overdeck — announced NextLadder Ventures. This over $1 billion initiative is grounded in the belief that every American has the potential to achieve economic prosperity and focuses on fostering technology and tools to expand economic opportunity for low-income Americans.

Over the next 15 years, NextLadder Ventures will invest in entrepreneurs who are developing personalized solutions that help individuals and families navigate critical moments — like job loss, housing instability or health crises. These approaches will be designed with and for the people who need them most. The initiative will offer a mix of grants, equity and revenue-based financing to back both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Anthropic joins as the inaugural AI partner, providing expertise and technology to support the organizations that NextLadder Ventures will fund.

NextLadder Ventures addresses a major national challenge: While innovative ideas exist to help low-income Americans overcome obstacles and pursue prosperity, there is insufficient capital available to those serving these populations. The founding group is combining efforts to catalyze a thriving market that can attract ongoing investment in tools that ensure that life’s pivotal moments don’t become permanent barriers to upward mobility. This work will stand alongside, support and extend the reach of many who are already devoting their careers and resources to dramatically increasing opportunity in the U.S.

“The future depends on empowering every person to realize their potential. But today, millions of Americans face barriers to economic opportunity,” said Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together. “We believe the best solutions come alongside people and empower them to pursue the paths to success that are right for them as they build the futures they want for themselves and their families. New technology lets us do that.”

NextLadder Ventures is focused on the more than 90 million people in the U.S. striving to get ahead but facing barriers as well as the more than 1.6 million helpers like social workers, legal aid attorneys and other frontline professionals who guide people through critical life moments. By equipping these professionals, many of whom are managing caseloads significantly above capacity, with scalable tools, this initiative will help them reach more people, reduce administrative burdens and provide more personalized support.

“Technology can be an accelerator of tremendous social progress when harnessed for good, but right now that market is undercapitalized,” said Kevin Bromer, executive director, head of data & tech strategy at Ballmer Group. “This initiative is designed to catalyze existing great work and ideas as well as support an emerging generation of entrepreneurs, ensuring they have the resources necessary to create, innovate, and iterate on tools that can make a real difference in more people’s lives.”

NextLadder Ventures makes it possible for entrepreneurs to build tools designed with safety, privacy and community input at the center — ensuring that the people who need these tools most have a voice in shaping them. Success will be measured by how much people’s lives improve — higher incomes, stronger support systems, greater opportunity and the dignity that comes with achieving success.

“In the U.S., the Gates Foundation is focused on lifting millions of people out of poverty and onto a path to prosperity. With rapid advancements in technology, especially in artificial intelligence, we have incredible opportunities to help people live healthier, more prosperous lives,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation. “NextLadder Ventures brings together the vision, resources and community connections needed to create solutions for millions of Americans and the frontline workers who serve them, opening up more paths to economic opportunity and making upward mobility more possible.”

“NextLadder Ventures will back leaders building practical solutions that work on the ground to help low-income Americans grow their incomes and achieve greater well-being — which can compound into lasting gains for millions of children,” said Sara Allan, president of Valhalla Foundation. 

To lead this effort, Ryan Rippel — whose career has focused on addressing poverty in America and whose values were shaped by being raised by a single mother in central Missouri — will serve as CEO of NextLadder Ventures. “For too long, we have relied on a one-size-fits-all approach to support people facing economic challenges,” said Rippel. “To better serve those in need, we need new, practical pathways to opportunity that help the helpers and the people they serve. Technology alone isn’t the answer. But when it’s built with the needs of people facing economic challenges in mind and paired with the extraordinary work of philanthropists strengthening communities and scaling promising strategies, it becomes a powerful force for change.” 

John Overdeck, philanthropist and business leader, has also pledged significant funding support to NextLadder Ventures. Overdeck’s commitment stems from his strong belief in the importance of social mobility and the transformative potential of new technologies.

As part of this partnership, Anthropic will provide comprehensive support to NextLadder grantees. “Core to our mission is helping AI benefit humanity,” said Elizabeth Kelly, head of beneficial deployments at Anthropic. “As the inaugural AI partner, we’re providing Claude credits and hours of time with our in-house Claude experts. This is exactly the kind of real-world impact we want to see — AI making essential services work better for the people who need them most.”

NextLadder Ventures envisions a future where everyone has the opportunity and community support needed to thrive.

About NextLadder Ventures
NextLadder Ventures backs people with bold ideas for removing barriers to economic opportunity. This over $1 billion initiative brings together leading philanthropic funders to invest in entrepreneurs and emerging technologies that help individuals and families in the U.S. turn everyday challenges into personal pathways to success. By supporting personalized, tech-enabled solutions, NextLadder Ventures aims to make it easier for Americans to chart their own paths to prosperity.

About the Ballmer Group
Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States by funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. The group’s grants focus on direct services that strengthen communities for today and levers of change that transform systems for tomorrow. Learn more at ballmergroup.org.

About the Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the foundation works with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, it aims to ensure that everyone — especially those with the fewest resources — has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman under the direction of Bill Gates and the governing board. Learn more at gatesfoundation.org.

About Stand Together
Stand Together is a philanthropic community that tackles the root causes of our country’s biggest problems. It partners with the country’s boldest change-makers to drive solutions that help define the American Dream with a focus on education, economic opportunity, strong and safe communities, bridging divides and other pressing issues. Learn more at standtogether.org.

About the Valhalla Foundation
Valhalla Foundation aims to drive measurable and meaningful improvement in the lives of children and families and the health of our planet through investments in six program areas: Early Childhood Development, K-12 Education, Data Science Education, Medical Research & Talent, Environmental Innovation and Collaborative Philanthropy. The foundation invests in ideas backed by robust evidence of impact and rooted in deep understanding of the needs of the communities it seeks to serve. Across its program areas, the foundation prioritizes working collaboratively with other funders to expand available resources for compelling ideas, build strong evidence of impact and improve the effectiveness of philanthropy. Learn more at valhalla.org.

About John Overdeck
John Overdeck is president of Overdeck Family Foundation and executive manager and co-chair of Two Sigma, a financial sciences firm. He is chair of the Institute for Advanced Study and the National Museum of Mathematics, and he serves as a trustee of the Robin Hood Foundation.

About Anthropic
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that creates reliable, interpretable and steerable AI systems. Anthropic’s flagship product is Claude, a large language model trusted by millions of users worldwide. Learn more about Anthropic and Claude at anthropic.com.

SOURCE NextLadder Ventures

NEW YORK, July 17, 2025 — When traditional assets become volatile or uncertain, the world’s wealthiest investors quietly turn to something surprisingly simple — high-end liquor. From whiskies to wines and collectible baijiu, these seemingly everyday goods are proving to be some of the most resilient and rewarding long-term stores of wealth.

But why liquor? According to AIFIAN, a global retail platform for real asset ownership, the answer lies in a mix of transparency, accessibility, and consistent global demand.

When it comes to investing in tangible assets, not all options offer the same level of accessibility, transparency, or stability. Real estate often requires significant upfront capital and comes with low liquidity and exposure to market cycles. Fine art can be difficult to appraise, with opaque pricing and high transaction fees limiting its appeal beyond elite collectors. Gold and other precious metals, while widely traded, are heavily influenced by monetary policy and can be subject to short-term volatility. In contrast, liquor — including everyday categories such as baijiu, whisky, and wine — presents a compelling alternative: it benefits from transparent market pricing, low holding costs, consistent global demand, and an active resale ecosystem. These features make liquor a practical, inflation-resistant asset that everyday investors can understand, access, and rely on.

Recent data from Sotheby’s and Christie’s shows that the global market for liquor and wine has consistently outperformed traditional asset classes like gold and fine art over the past decade.

Over the last ten years, liquor has delivered annual returns of 12% to 15%, making it one of the most reliable categories of physical asset appreciation. Many high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are now allocating between 5% and 10% of their portfolios to collectible spirits and vintage wines — not only as inflation hedges, but as assets with strong resale value.

Bottles of everyday liquor are regularly setting new benchmarks at auctions around the world — reinforcing liquor’s position as a credible, appreciating asset that combines accessibility, cultural relevance, and strong financial performance.

Historically, investing in liquor required deep expertise, significant capital, and access to exclusive networks — often making it inaccessible to the average investor. AIFIAN is transforming this landscape by offering a fully digital platform that simplifies and democratizes liquor investment. Through AIFIAN, users can purchase bottles individually with no minimum buy-in, eliminating traditional barriers to entry. The platform partners with trusted logistics providers to ensure climate-controlled, professional storage that preserves both product quality and long-term value. Most importantly, AIFIAN offers a built-in resale marketplace that allows users to hold or exit their positions with ease, making liquor not just a passive asset, but a liquid and dynamic one.

Once seen purely as a symbol of status and refinement, liquor is now emerging as a legitimate asset class — measurable, tradeable, and resilient against inflation. This shift reflects a broader transformation in how people think about wealth: from abstract numbers to tangible, culturally resonant value.

“At AIFIAN, we believe true assets shouldn’t just belong to the elite. Anyone should be able to access and benefit from real-world value,” said Yen Chang, Director of Public Relations, Asia-Pacific at AIFIAN.

While traditional physical assets like real estate and art remain out of reach for many, platforms like AIFIAN are democratizing access to tangible investments. By lowering entry barriers and digitizing the process, AIFIAN allows users — often starting with just a few dozen dollars and a smartphone — to invest in real goods with real utility.

About AIFIAN

AIFIAN is a U.S.-based retail platform helping over 800,000 users worldwide purchase, store, and manage essential physical goods—such as alcohol, agricultural commodities, and long-term consumables—from trusted sources in primary industries. AIFIAN aims to redefine asset ownership by making tangible investment easy, secure, and inclusive.

SOURCE AIFIAN LIMITED

HONG KONG, July 17, 2025 — KUN, Asia’s leading stablecoin-based payment and embedded finance platform, has successfully completed its Series A funding round with significant oversubscription. Existing investors BAI Capital and GSR Ventures doubled down on their commitments, and two new strategic investors— a Hong Kong-listed conglomerate and Eternium Global—joined the round. Since its inception 20 months ago, KUN has raised over USD 50 million in total, reinforcing its early-mover advantage and leadership position in the industry.

This financing marks a key milestone in KUN’s ongoing efforts to build a global infrastructure for stablecoin cross-border payments and financial services, while empowering real economies’ international expansion with compliant, secure, and efficient solutions.

Through its compliance-first approach and tech-driven solutions, KUN has sustained hypergrowth with a 200% MoM transaction surge over the past 12 months, serving thousands of enterprise and institutional clients. With its strong security, reliability, and seamless transaction experience, KUN has become the go-to stablecoin payment and settlement platform for cross-border businesses.

Meanwhile, KUN is making steady progress in expanding its ecosystem. In June 2025, KUN signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with TradeGo, a digital services platform for global commodity trade. The partnership will focus on integrating blockchain-based electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) technology, cross-border compliance capabilities, and stablecoin settlement infrastructure to jointly deliver a “three -in-one” solution—uniting logistics, information, and capital—to enhance the efficiency and compliance of large-scale trade transactions.

Eternium Global, with diversified assets across logistics, insurance, commodities, energy, and healthcare, will partner with KUN to build a Web3-powered payment ecosystem for cross-sector global applications.

Kent Cai, CEO and CIO of Eternium Global, commented:
“We look forward to unlocking synergistic flywheel effects through this collaboration with KUN. We will bring stablecoin-based payment solutions that are more efficient, transparent, and compliant to our existing global business network, especially in markets with explosive growth potential (Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa). We believe that cross-border payments is the current killer application of Web3 and blockchain technology. We are fully onboard with KUN’s long-term vision and are excited to build a sustainable Web3 ecosystem together.”

William Zhao, Partner at BAI Capital, remarked:
“What we predicted last year—the transition from SWIFT to stablecoin-based cross-border transfers powered by real-time blockchain clearing—is becoming reality. As the first-mover advantage of licensed stablecoin issuers gradually diminishes, the real opportunity lies in building decentralized financial infrastructure and digital FX circulation networks. KUN is leading the way in Asia, innovating at the intersection of blockchain settlement, e-BL, and stablecoin payments for commodity trade. This will fundamentally reshape the future of global trade and payments.”

Jefferson, Partner at GSR Ventures, emphasized:
“KUN’s foresight in compliance and its obsessive focus on product experience are redefining how stablecoins can be used in cross-border transactions. We believe KUN has the potential to become Asia’s Bridge—a foundational layer in the global stablecoin settlement and payment network.”

Chen Yu, Co-Founder of YeePay and Chief Advisor of KUN, stated:
“KUN is building next-generation digital financial infrastructure anchored in stablecoins. By reconstructing the cross-border payment stack and trust mechanism, KUN is paving the way for emerging markets and global enterprises to scale. This funding marks another milestone in KUN’s journey toward globally compliant, intelligent, and unified financial solutions..”

Louis Liu, Founder and CEO of KUN, said:
“KUN will leverage the proceeds from this round to deepen R&D investments in cross-border transaction security, underlying blockchain infrastructure, and wallet technologies, while accelerating upgrades of AI-driven intelligent risk control systems and compliance stacks (KYC/AML/KYT). 

Simultaneously, we will synergize our existing Hong Kong and Singapore licensing frameworks with global regulatory applications and institution network expansions. By collaborating with ecosystem partners worldwide, KUN aims to build a seamless Web2-Web3 hybrid digital payment network, strengthening its global operational foundation. We will also continue expanding our team globally to support this ambitious growth.”

About KUN

KUN is an innovative technology company focused on stablecoin-based payments and financial services. Built on a compliance system with licenses in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Europe, KUN primarily serves emerging markets, including the Greater Bay Area, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

KUN has established three core business lines — Payments, Asset Management, and Card Issuing — offering a comprehensive range of products, including enterprise accounts, asset management, on/off-ramp solutions, and card issuing solutions. It provides secure, convenient, and efficient one-stop cross-border payment, remittance, and financial services for B2B cross-border e-commerce, commodity trade, entertainment, advertising, Web3 enterprises. KUN is building the next-generation global digital payment network to accelerate cross-border transactions.

Learn more at: https://www.kun.global/

SOURCE KUN

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 16, 2025 — Kilsar, a dual-use AI software company specializing in tribal knowledge capture and maintenance training, today announced the close of a $3.7 million Seed round led by Lightbank and Cotulla Capital, with participation from Techstars and Scalewolf. The company also unveiled a new strategic partnership with the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) to help address the growing crisis in aviation maintenance training and workforce readiness.

The aviation maintenance industry—and the broader skilled trades sector—is in urgent need of revitalization. With experienced technicians aging out of the workforce and student interest in trades declining, technical schools and MROs face unprecedented knowledge loss. Across the country, organizations are seeing their most valuable asset—tribal knowledge—retire without a replacement.

Kilsar’s AI-powered Orion platform helps bridge that gap by capturing expert insights from veteran technicians and transforming complex maintenance procedures into interactive, step-by-step digital workflows. The platform empowers both new learners and active maintainers to upskill faster, reduce time-to-diagnose, and operate with greater confidence and precision.

“Our mission is to preserve and scale what’s been traditionally trapped in the heads of retiring maintainers,” said Brendan Lawlor, CEO of Kilsar. “We’re proud to partner with AIM, one of the nation’s largest aviation training institutions, to modernize the training pipeline and ensure the next generation of technicians is prepared for the evolving demands of the industry.”

The funding will be used to expand Kilsar’s engineering and deployment teams, accelerate onboarding across defense and commercial maintenance organizations, and further develop Orion’s real-time AI assistant that replaces static manuals with searchable, enriched content—from videos to pro-tips to annotated diagrams.

With mounting demand across defense, aerospace, infrastructure, and industrial sectors, Kilsar is positioning itself as a critical enabler of workforce transformation. The company’s unique approach integrates legacy data, technician wisdom, and next-generation AI to deliver tools that scale with both complexity and need.

www.kilsar.com

Contact:
Brendan Lawlor
[email protected]

SOURCE Kilsar, Inc.

Backed by Markd, Loro offers the only no-code platform with a free tier for up to $100K in GWP annually—empowering a new generation of insurance builders

DOVER, Del., July 16, 2025 — Loro, the modern platform powering specialty insurance distribution, today announced the successful close of its $1.1 million seed funding round. The round was led by Markd, a prominent insurtech-focused investor, with participation from strategic angels across the insurance ecosystem.

Loro enables carriers, MGAs, and program managers to build and distribute insurance products at unprecedented speed, while maintaining full underwriting control and unlimited distribution flexibility. The platform is also the only insurtech solution that offers a completely free tier for up to $100,000 in gross written premium (GWP) annually, with no minimum commitment. This bold move removes the traditional financial barriers that prevent new entrants from launching and scaling insurance programs.

“This investment is a vote of confidence in our mission to unlock a better future for insurance builders,” said Peter Tilbrook, CEO and Co-Founder of Loro. “We’ve grown to over 25 clients globally, connected more than 600 brokers, and powered meaningful premium volume, all without compromising on speed, affordability, or flexibility. This new capital allows us to double down on building the infrastructure the specialty market has been waiting for.”

Loro’s no-code product builder lets users replicate their existing underwriting rules, logic, and pricing models– whether from spreadsheets or APIs– without needing to overhaul what works. Users can configure dynamic forms, set up complex document generation logic, and automate rating, invoicing, tax, and renewal flows in days. Built-in integrations with Stripe, ePayPolicy, DocuSign, Turris,  and other tools allow for seamless quote-to-bind workflows.

Unlike legacy systems, Loro is designed for multi-layered distribution, enabling users to assign and manage downstream brokers, retail agents, and partners in a fully digital environment. Every participant gets access to quoting, portals and performance insights, while the owner retains control of pricing, rules, and brand experience.

“Loro is doing something few others dare to do: empowering the people closest to risk to move faster, yet without them sacrificing any control,” said Parker Beauchamp, of Markd. “The team understands the nuances of specialty insurance and is building with deep empathy for MGAs and carriers. We’re proud to back them as they shape another chapter of insurance distribution.”

Loro’s “speed to data” advantage provides real-time visibility into every quote, bind, and payment across the network. Clients can generate custom bordereaux, track commissions, automate Lloyd’s reporting, and integrate all data points via API enabling true operational intelligence without delay.

With this funding, Loro will accelerate its product roadmap, grow its global team, and invest further in connectivity, ensuring carriers, MGAs, brokers, and agents can work together on one unified, modern infrastructure.

About Loro
Loro is a no-code, multilingual platform purpose-built for specialty insurance. Designed to launch and distribute products in weeks, not months, Loro gives users full underwriting control, multi-level distribution, and real-time data access, all from a single interface. Loro is the only insurtech solution that’s free up to $100K in GWP annually, with no minimum commitment.

About Markd
Markd is a venture capital company focused on funding and partnering with transformative insurtechs. It pays homage to the insurance industry’s legacy while helping design its future. Markd’s mission is to power substantial work and continually inspire more ideas to prevent hurt and loss.

SOURCE Loro Insurtech Inc.

Investment positions Nuqleous to accelerate growth and further expand leadership position in the retail analytics software market

BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 16, 2025 — Nuqleous, a provider of space planning and retail analytics software solutions, announced that it has secured a strategic majority investment from Rubicon Technology Partners (“Rubicon”) designed to accelerate product innovation and support the company’s long-term growth objectives. In conjunction, Nuqleous has appointed Ben Cronin, a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the retail and supply chain software sector, as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Founded initially as Rock Solid Retail, Nuqleous provides enterprise solutions to transform retail data into actionable insights that enable intelligent decision-making for leading consumer packaged goods companies. Nuqleous’ market position is based on its data accuracy, ability to normalize multiple sources of complex data streams, and a comprehensive suite of tools for data discovery and business intelligence serving category managers, retail sales, and supply chain teams.

Garrett Levey and Bill Kloza, who served as co-CEOs of Nuqleous since 2023, said “This investment marks a powerful endorsement of the platform, people, and purpose we’ve built together. We couldn’t be prouder of our team — their relentless focus on customer success and innovation has brought us to this milestone. With Rubicon’s partnership and Ben’s leadership, we’re poised to scale our impact and deliver even greater value to the brands and retailers we serve.” Levey and Kloza will both continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

Ben Cronin joins Nuqleous with a distinguished track record of scaling enterprise software businesses and partnering with major retailers, including prior experience as SVP of CPG at e2open. He added “I am incredibly excited to lead Nuqleous through the next phase of its growth journey as we continue to build on the market-leading platform that Bill, Garrett, and our talented team has developed. Our goal remains to deliver powerful, innovative tools that enable our customers to harness retail data and drive smarter, faster insights as a strategic partner to drive their growth objectives.”

“Our investment in Nuqleous represents the continuation of Rubicon’s long-standing commitment to backing innovative technologies and support CPG brands and retailers,” said Evan Howell, Principal at Rubicon Technology Partners. “We’ve had the opportunity to get to know Ben Cronin and deeply respect the leadership, experience, and strategic vision he brings to Nuqleous. We have a strong conviction in what we can accomplish together as we embark on this next chapter of growth.”

Raymond James served as the exclusive financial advisor to Nuqleous.

About Nuqleous

Nuqleous provides mission-critical data analytics and space planning automation software for over 180 consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands globally. With deep expertise in retail data systems, Nuqleous’ suite of applications – including Shelf IQ, Retail Analytics, and Presentation Builder – enables sales, category management, replenishment, logistics, and enterprise IT teams to derive insights faster and more efficiently, optimize retail execution, and accelerate growth. To learn more about Nuqleous, please visit www.nuqleous.com.

About Rubicon Technology Partners

Rubicon Technology Partners is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in enterprise software companies with innovative products and talented management teams to help grow and scale their businesses. Rubicon utilizes a collaborative approach to enable companies to adapt to the changing requirements of their businesses as they grow and scale using a set of proprietary processes, best practices and a portfolio-wide engagement model. Rubicon has over $4 billion in assets under management and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with additional offices in New Haven, Connecticut and San Mateo, California. To learn more about Rubicon, please visit www.rubicontp.com.

Media Contact: [email protected] | (833) 687-5368

SOURCE Nuqleous

HOUSTON, July 16, 2025 — Amperon, a leading provider of AI-powered energy forecasting and analytics solutions, today announced a strategic investment from Acario, the corporate venture capital and innovation division of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (“Tokyo Gas”). This additional backing reflects continued investor confidence in Amperon’s technology and vision and will support the company’s continued customer growth and strategic initiatives across North America, Europe, and beyond.

Amperon’s AI-powered forecasting solutions now support customers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and across 15 countries in Europe. The company has seen rapid international growth since its 2024 expansion into markets such as the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. Through continuous advancements in machine learning, physics-based modeling, and weather ensemble features, Amperon continues to raise the bar in forecasting performance and reliability for energy market participants worldwide.

“Bringing Tokyo Gas and Acario on board as investors is a meaningful step in Amperon’s global trajectory,” said Sean Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Amperon. “Their strategic focus on decarbonization and innovation aligns with our mission to modernize energy forecasting worldwide. This investment strengthens our position as we scale internationally while continuing to build from our base in Houston.”

Tokyo Gas is Japan’s largest gas utility, typically meeting one third of the country’s total demand every year. Its innovative history includes becoming the first company in Japan to import LNG and it was the first company in the Japanese energy industry to announce its intent to achieve net zero by 2050. Acario accordingly focuses on supporting forward-looking technology companies making a high impact on the energy industry and its future. In addition to decarbonization, optimization and resilience, this includes diversification into new services and solutions.

Tokyo Gas and Acario have been steadily expanding a global portfolio of partners through strategic collaborations and investments aligned with this long-term vision. A recent example of these efforts includes a 2019 investment in Octopus Energy which led to the creation of a joint venture to operate the brand locally in Japan, where Tokyo Gas has also become a major electricity provider serving over 3.8 million customers.

“As global energy systems evolve, the imperative for precise, real-time insights has never been clearer,” said Kenji Maeda, CEO of Acario. “Amperon’s AI-powered forecasting technology is unique in its accuracy and scalability. We see it playing a vital role in helping both utilities and a diverse set of stakeholders navigate the energy transition with greater stability. This investment reflects our commitment to supporting new solutions that enable smarter, more sophisticated energy trading worldwide.”

Amperon’s AI models—which combine real-time weather, consumption, and market data—have consistently outperformed traditional forecast providers, and the company has established itself as a trusted partner for energy retailers, utilities, and independent power producers, such as Ørsted, Axpo, AES, and Rhythm Energy, delivering AI-powered forecasts that enable real-time, data-driven decision-making.

This strategic investment from Acario follows a March 2025 investment from National Grid Partners, underscoring continued momentum and global confidence in Amperon’s technology and market strategy. By providing precise insights, Amperon helps its customers manage resources more effectively and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Learn more in Amperon’s first annual Impact Report.

About Amperon

Amperon is the leading energy forecasting company, positioned at the intersection of energy data and AI. Founded in 2018, Amperon has become a trusted partner to power and utility companies, delivering demand, renewable generation, and price forecasts. With cutting-edge predictive analytics, seamless data integrations, and premium customer support, Amperon enables customers to enhance grid reliability and optimize asset performance. Committed to grid modernization, Amperon is the forecasting company of the energy transition.

For more information about Amperon, visit www.amperon.co.

About Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1885, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. is Japan’s largest provider of city gas primarily in the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding Kanto region. Since the liberalization of Japan’s electricity market, it has also been providing electricity in the same area. As of its group’s management vision “Compass2030,” Tokyo Gas promotes the challenge of achieving “Net-Zero CO₂” and will lead the transition to a decarbonized society.

For more information about Tokyo Gas, visit www.tokyo-gas.co.jp.

About Acario Innovation LLC.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, Acario Innovation LLC is the corporate venture capital and open innovation division of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. The name “Acario” comes from the word “Akari,” which means “light” in Japanese. Acario is focused on funding market leading companies in the new energy economy, sustainability and digital transformation sectors, including mobility, energy storage, and next-generation customer and energy services. As a dedicated subsidiary of Tokyo Gas, Acario plays a key role on the path to Compass 2030, as outlined by Tokyo Gas.

For more information about Acario, visit www.acarioinnovation.com

SOURCE Amperon