NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 22, 2026 — Heartwood Partners is pleased to announce that, on May 29, 2026, in partnership with the management team who will continue to lead the Company, it made a growth investment in The Xtreme Group (“TXG” or the “Company”).

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, TXG has built a leading independent, full-service aviation MRO platform with capabilities spanning airframe heavy maintenance, engine MRO, line maintenance, aircraft on ground (AOG) services, and the sale and lease of aircraft and engines, serving primarily cargo and commercial operators. The Company serves a marquee customer base from its headquarters in Miami, Florida, with line maintenance stations across major U.S. airports.

“We are delighted to partner with Carlos and the entire TXG team as they enter this exciting next chapter of growth,” said Ed Tan, Managing Partner, Heartwood Partners. “We first met Carlos at the annual MRO show, and we are proud to have fostered that relationship into today’s partnership. TXG has built an exceptional reputation in aviation MRO through over a decade of consistent, high-quality execution for some of the industry’s most demanding cargo and commercial operators. Heartwood’s growth-oriented, low-leverage approach is well-suited to support TXG’s expansion into new geographies, service lines, and additional capacity, and we look forward to partnering with Carlos and the team to accelerate that trajectory.”

“The Xtreme Group exemplifies the type of founder-led, operationally excellent business that Heartwood is built to back,” said James Jang, Managing Director, Heartwood Partners. “Carlos and the TXG team have created a differentiated platform in a large and growing MRO market, and we see significant opportunity to build on that foundation — both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions. We are excited to bring Heartwood’s full resources to bear in support of that vision.”

“Since founding Xtreme Aviation in 2013, our singular focus has been on delivering the highest-quality MRO services to our customers — on time, on budget, and to the safety standards they demand,” said Carlos Cock, Chief Executive Officer, The Xtreme Group. “Partnering with Heartwood marks an exciting new chapter for TXG. Their growth-oriented investment approach and in-house value creation capabilities give us the resources to expand our capacity, broaden our service lines, and extend our geographic reach — all while maintaining the quality and customer relationships that define who we are. We look forward to what we will build together.”

About Heartwood Partners
Heartwood Partners, a middle market private equity firm, is differentiated by a unique lower-leverage, current cash yield approach designed to create partnership with continuing management. Our approach combines a conservative capital structure with strategic execution to support long-term growth, including organic and acquisition-driven expansion into new products, services, and end markets. In addition, we support each management team with our in-house Value Creation team who provide deep, subject-matter experience in strategic areas such as eCommerce and digital marketing, human capital and organizational design, IT improvement, and acquisition integration. We manage over $1.4 billion (as of 12/31/25) in investments and commitments, and our principals have invested in more than 100 platform and add-on acquisitions. Heartwood is currently investing from Heartwood Partners IV, LP, and is focused on founder, family and management-held businesses serving the building products, commercial and industrial services, distribution, environmental services, niche manufacturing, packaging, specialty chemicals/materials, food/agriculture/nutrition markets. For additional information about Heartwood, please visit www.heartwoodpartners.com.

About The Xtreme Group
The Xtreme Group (TXG) is a leading independent, full-service aviation MRO platform headquartered in Miami, Florida. Founded in 2013, TXG operates through three primary subsidiaries: Xtreme Aviation LLC, an FAA Part 145 certificated MRO provider delivering airframe maintenance, repair, modification, and line maintenance services across major U.S. airports; Ignite Aero Engines, specializing in CFM56 and CFM34 turbine engine MRO and overhaul services; and Aventus Air Leasing II, focused on the acquisition, refurbishment, and sale and leasing of aircraft and engines. TXG serves a global customer base of cargo, commercial, and charter operators. With a track record built on safety, quality, and on-time performance, TXG provides its airline and cargo customers with a comprehensive, single-source MRO solution. For more information, please visit www.txg.aero.

SOURCE Heartwood Partners

GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 22, 2026 — Hunt Scanlon Ventures, a leading M&A advisory firm focused on the human capital markets, announced today that it has completed an investment in millionways, a New York-headquartered frontier lab building a behavioral intelligence layer of AI.

millionways pioneered the development of a proprietary Large Psychology Model, Thorsten-4, designed to understand human signals, motives, communication patterns, and behavior. The platform has applications across AI governance, executive hiring, talent management, leadership assessment, and enterprise environments. The company is led by co-founders Martin Cordsmeier and Max Weidemann.

“millionways is a trailblazer in behavioral intelligence,” said Scott A. Scanlon, CEO and co-founder of Hunt Scanlon Ventures. “As investors, we see behavioral intelligence as a new layer of AI infrastructure, giving artificial intelligence a missing layer—the ability to interpret the human dynamics behind communication and decision-making.”

“The next leap in AI isn’t another model that knows more. It’s AI that understands people better,” said Max Weidemann, co-founder and CTO of millionways. “We built millionways to give AI that missing layer: a scientifically grounded, explainable understanding of human motives, behavior and context. Hunt Scanlon immediately understood why that becomes critical as humans and AI agents increasingly work together.”

The investment comes as artificial intelligence moves deeper into environments where decision quality, leadership, trust, and human interaction matter as much as workflow efficiency. For Hunt Scanlon Ventures, behavioral intelligence represents an opportunity to bring greater structure and intelligence to decisions that have historically depended heavily on observation, experience, and intuition.

Underlying Thorsten-4 is more than a decade of proprietary psychological research and development and 35 million tagged words of behavioral data. That scientific and data foundation supports millionways’ ability to identify behavioral patterns and translate human interactions into structured, explainable intelligence.

The technology is already proven and validated in the human capital sector, with applications spanning executive hiring, leadership assessment, succession planning, talent management, and organizational decision-making. As humans increasingly work alongside intelligent agents, Hunt Scanlon believes the ability to understand motives, communication patterns, and behavioral context will become increasingly important to both talent decisions and broader enterprise performance.

“We see the ability to translate human behavior into actionable business intelligence as increasingly important across the human capital markets,” said Mr. Scanlon. “Those are not small efficiency gains. Those are enterprise value levers.”

For Hunt Scanlon Ventures, the investment also reflects a broader strategy of backing data-driven and AI-powered platforms positioned to reshape how organizations assess talent, evaluate leadership, and make critical business decisions.

“As foundational AI models become increasingly commoditized, the ability to understand the human context behind an interaction becomes more valuable, not less,” said Mr. Scanlon. “Behavioral intelligence—and millionways’ approach to the category—represents an important step in that evolution.”

To learn more about millionways and its behavioral intelligence platform, visit millionways.ai.

About Hunt Scanlon Ventures

Hunt Scanlon Ventures is a leading M&A advisory firm focused exclusively on the global human capital market. The firm represents both buy-side and sell-side clients across a wide range of human capital verticals, including executive search, culture and leadership consulting, interim and on-demand talent solutions, RPO, HR technology, and executive coaching.

Hunt Scanlon Ventures advises strategic acquirers and private equity sponsors on their acquisition strategies while supporting founders and leadership teams seeking to exit, scale, or recapitalize. In addition to advisory services, Hunt Scanlon Ventures invests in top-tier talent platforms as a limited partner, often co-investing alongside venture capital managers in the sector.

Contact:
Drew Seaman
Managing Director
(602) 622-1392
[email protected] 

SOURCE Hunt Scanlon Ventures

As Venture Partner, Paul will support founders, convene strategic partners, and bring perspective and relationships that help portfolio companies expand their reach and impact. The role builds on his longstanding focus on mentorship, leadership development, and expanding opportunity across communities, while deepening his work with founders and businesses beyond sports.

With more than $2.2 billion in committed capital, three global offices, and over 100 investments, Owl Ventures backs companies helping people learn, prepare for work, advance in their careers, and build skills throughout life. Owl’s portfolio companies collectively reach more than 700 million users globally.

“Education is where real change starts,” said Chris Paul. “That can happen in a classroom, through a trade, with a mentor, or through the lessons you learn from family and community. My upbringing was rooted in placing value on work ethic, ownership, and opportunity and how access to those things can change a person’s life. Owl shares that same belief in helping build companies that can have real impact and give more people access to the tools and opportunities they need to move forward.”

As president of the National Basketball Players Association for eight years, Paul represented players through major business and labor issues, built consensus across the league, and helped advance player empowerment and economic opportunity. That experience directly informs the perspective he brings to founders at Owl.

“Chris Paul has spent his career doing what great point guards do: seeing the floor, recognizing potential, and helping others succeed,” said Ian Chiu, Managing Partner of Owl Ventures. “That instinct has always extended beyond basketball. As a leader, entrepreneur, and community builder, Chris has used his platform to expand opportunity and help people move forward. We are thrilled to welcome him to Owl as Venture Partner as we continue backing companies that help people learn, build skills, and reach their potential.”

As AI reshapes how people learn, work, and build careers, lifelong learning and the ability to turn new skills into opportunity are becoming essential. We believe the companies defining this next era will pair technology with an even greater emphasis on real-world context, trusted relationships, and human insight.

“From the beginning, Owl Ventures has been built around a simple belief: learning is one of the most powerful drivers of human potential and economic progress,” said Tom Costin, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Owl Ventures. “Our approach has always been to bring more than capital to the founders building transformative companies in education and workforce innovation. In a rapidly changing landscape, deep sector insight, relationships, and practical support in reaching the people they serve matter more than ever. Chris adds a powerful new dimension to that work.”

About Owl Ventures

Owl Ventures is the world’s largest venture capital firm focused on education and workforce innovation. With more than $2.2 billion in committed capital, the firm partners with transformative companies helping people learn, prepare for work, advance in their careers, and build skills throughout life. Owl Ventures leverages its global network, sector expertise, and strategic relationships to help founders scale category-defining companies that expand access, improve outcomes, and create economic opportunity. Owl’s portfolio companies collectively serve more than 700 million users worldwide. Learn more at www.owlvc.com.

About Chris Paul

Chris Paul is an NBA legend, entrepreneur, investor, and community leader whose impact extends well beyond basketball. He served eight years as president of the National Basketball Players Association, representing players through major business, labor, and organizational issues during a transformative period for the league. Off the court, Paul has built and invested in businesses across sports, media, and consumer products. For more than two decades, Paul and his family have created opportunities for young people through the Chris Paul Family Foundation. His education work includes establishing the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports course at several HBCUs with Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse and creating Club 61, a youth leadership program focused on financial literacy, education and technology, civic responsibility, and leadership development.

Media Contact:
Malvika Bhagwat
[email protected]

SOURCE Owl Ventures

The award-winning design and innovation studio’s hardware accelerator returns with its latest class of early-stage founders, culminating in an invite-only Demo Day this December.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2026 — Whipsaw, the award-winning design and innovation firm behind products including Tonal, Owala, and Brita, this week announced the launch of the newest cohort of The Workshop, its accelerator program built specifically for early-stage hardware founders. The 10-week cohort kicked off earlier this month, bringing together a new class of startups developing bold products across health, wellness, and home.

Investors, operators, and partners interested in attending this December’s invite-only Demo Day (or founders interested in applying to an upcoming cohort) can visit www.whipsaw.com/the-workshop-hardware-startup-accelerator or request details by emailing [email protected].

Since launching in 2025, The Workshop has taken a different approach from a typical accelerator. Rather than a lecture-and-pitch model, it is built around direct, hands-on collaboration with Whipsaw’s multidisciplinary team of industrial designers, experience designers, engineers, strategists, and brand experts. Founders get access to the same product development expertise behind some of the world’s most recognizable consumer products, helping them move from product vision to investor-ready reality with clarity, momentum, and design leadership.

Over the 10-week program, founders get hands-on support across:

• Weekly cohort seminars and pitch practice
• 1:1 design sessions with the Whipsaw team
• Leadership, fundraising, and communication coaching led by Whipsaw Principal Advisor Cristina Georgoulakis
• Access to Whipsaw’s trusted engineering and go-to-market networks
• A growing alumni community of hardware founders

The curriculum is structured to deliver an aligned product concept, brand story, and investor-ready pitch deck by the end of the program. The 10-week program culminates in Demo Day, an invite-only showcase at Whipsaw’s San Francisco studio in December 2026, where each founder presents their product to a curated audience of early-stage hardware investors, operators, and partners.

Founders describe that momentum firsthand. “The speed of this 10-week program is moving us further than a year of working alone,” Founder, Workshop Fall 2025.

The Workshop’s operating team spans Whipsaw’s leadership across industrial design, experience design, strategy, brand, and business development:

• Dan Harden — CEO, Principal Designer
• Walker Harden — Director of Experience Design
• Cole Derby — VP Industrial Design
• Anne Van Itallie — VP Client Relations & Growth
• Laura Ogle — Lead Strategist
• Cristina Georgoulakis — Principal Advisor, Growth and Capital Strategy

Additional advisors and mentors bring depth in fundraising, storytelling, and hardware go-to-market execution.

Whipsaw runs The Workshop several times per year. To apply or express interest in an upcoming cohort, visit www.whipsaw.com/the-workshop-hardware-startup-accelerator. To request a Demo Day invitation or for media inquiries, contact [email protected].

About Whipsaw

Whipsaw is an award-winning design and innovation firm that partners with companies to imagine, design, and build category-defining products. Its work spans industrial design, experience design, engineering, brand, and go-to-market strategy, behind products including Tonal, Owala, and Brita. Through The Workshop, Whipsaw extends that expertise to early-stage hardware founders. Learn more at www.whipsaw.com.

Media Contact:

Anne Van Itallie

VP of Client Relations & Growth

Whipsaw

[email protected]

(408) 297-9771

SOURCE Whipsaw, Inc.

Publicly playable at mora.fun, Mora combines coding agents, 3D generation and real-time video; Meshy also introduces finer geometric detail with Meshy 7.1

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 21, 2026 — Meshy, the AI-powered 3D generation platform, recently detailed Mora (Multimodal Open-world Real-time Architecture), its answer to one of the most ambitious goals in AI: generating complete worlds that people can explore, play and interact with in real time. Mora 1, an early demonstration available at mora.fun, features playable experiences ranging from spatial puzzles and multiplayer platforming to building, racing and sports, with switchable visual styles.

Much of the industry has approached this goal by asking a single video model to simulate an entire world end to end — an approach that continues to struggle with consistent spaces and complex interaction. Mora is built on a different conviction: a world should be constructed, and only then rendered. The architecture assigns each part of world generation to the layer best equipped for it: coding agents write the logic and mechanics that make a world run; Meshy’s 3D generation builds its spatial structure and assets; and a real-time video model turns that structure into final imagery and audio.

The result is a foundation on which game rules hold, spaces persist, and visual quality rises with every generation of video models. Because the layers advance independently, progress anywhere in AI — stronger coding agents, richer 3D generation, faster video models — compounds inside Mora.

For creators, the longer-term opportunity is to bring the elements of an interactive world into a more connected creative process. A change to how a game works could be developed alongside changes to how it looks, with agents helping to build and refine both. Because Mora separates these functions, advances in coding agents, 3D generation and video models can contribute to the architecture’s development individually.

Mora 1 is an early research demonstration focused on validating this architecture. Its public demos let visitors experience the approach through gameplay; a general-purpose world creation tool is a longer-term goal. Development of Mora 2 is underway as Meshy continues its research into richer AI-generated interactive experiences.

Meshy 7.1: the first generative 3D model to reach 4096³ geometric resolution

Alongside its research into interactive worlds, Meshy continues to advance the 3D generation models at the core of its platform. On September 16, the company launched Meshy 7.1, the new version of its flagship image-to-3D model, now available to all registered users. Meshy 7.1 introduces two high-detail generation modes, Ultra 2K and Ultra 4K.

At its Ultra 4K setting, Meshy 7.1 generates geometry at 4096³ voxel resolution, with raw meshes reaching up to 80 million triangles before simplification. This makes Meshy 7.1 the first generative 3D model to reach 4096³ geometric resolution. Fine features such as stitching, woven fabric and individual scales can be generated as part of the mesh itself. These geometric details matter in workflows such as 3D printing and digital sculpting, where surface structure must be carried by the model.

In internal evaluations using Meshy’s newly developed Detail Richness Benchmark, Meshy 7.1 ranked first among five tested image-to-3D models across all three evaluated rendering resolutions. The benchmark measures geometric surface detail, providing a focused assessment of this aspect of model quality. Methodology and results are available in Meshy’s technical report, and the company plans to release the benchmark as a standalone tool.

Ultra 2K and Ultra 4K modes, along with downloads of models generated by Meshy 7.1, require a paid subscription. Ultra 2K supports single-view and multi-view generation; Ultra 4K currently supports single-view generation.

FAQ:

• What is Mora?

Mora (Multimodal Open-world Real-time Architecture) is a research architecture developed by Meshy for creating AI-generated interactive worlds that people can explore, play and interact with in real time. Mora 1 is an early, publicly playable research demonstration, while a general-purpose world creation tool remains a longer-term goal. Development of Mora 2 is underway as Meshy continues its research into richer AI-generated interactive experiences.

• How does Mora generate interactive worlds?

Mora assigns different parts of world generation to specialized layers. Coding agents generate game logic and mechanics, Meshy’s 3D generation provides assets and spatial structure, and a real-time video model generates the final imagery and audio.

• What is the purpose of Mora’s layered architecture?

The architecture gives game rules and spatial relationships an explicit foundation in code and 3D graphics, allowing the video model to focus on visual presentation. The approach is designed to address challenges in maintaining consistent spaces and supporting complex interactions.

• Where is Mora 1 available?

Mora 1’s playable research demonstrations are available at mora.fun. Current experiences include spatial puzzles, multiplayer platforming, building, racing and sports, with switchable visual styles.

• What is Ultra 4K?

Ultra 4K is one of two high-detail generation modes introduced in Meshy 7.1, alongside Ultra 2K. It generates geometry at 4096³ voxel resolution, the highest setting available, so fine features such as stitching, woven fabric and individual scales are built into the mesh itself rather than painted on as textures. Ultra 4K currently supports single-view generation and requires a paid subscription.
 

About Meshy

Meshy builds foundation models for AI-powered 3D generation, helping people turn text and images into 3D assets for games, film, design and 3D printing. Founded by Ethan Hu, who holds a Ph.D. from MIT, Meshy serves more than 12 million registered users worldwide. In July 2026, the company announced nearly $400 million in Series B funding at a $1.5 billion valuation. Learn more at meshy.ai.

SOURCE Meshy

Working-capital facility supports extended payment terms and continued growth in warehouse automation demand.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Sept. 21, 2026 — Gateway Commercial Finance, LLC, a nationwide provider of invoice factoring and asset-based lending solutions, announced today that it has provided a $1.25 million invoice factoring facility to AGV America, a Texas-based provider of autonomous robotics and warehouse automation solutions.

Founded in 2020, AGV America has experienced rapid growth as manufacturers and distributors increasingly invest in automation to improve efficiency, productivity and labor utilization. The company is technology-agnostic and has extensive experience integrating equipment from many of the industry’s leading manufacturers. Its capabilities include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), automated storage and retrieval systems, collaborative robots, picking and sorting technology, conveyor systems, cranes and goods-to-person solutions.

“We made a strategic decision not to be captive to a single equipment manufacturer,” said Michael Jones, President of AGV America. “That independence allows us to recommend and integrate the technology best suited to each customer’s operation. As a result, we have become a one-stop automation resource for manufacturers and distributors throughout our region.”

Gateway’s factoring facility replaced a traditional line of credit from a local bank that provided limited borrowing availability against invoices carrying payment terms of up to 90 days. Although AGV America serves several large, creditworthy companies, the extended payment cycle created a working-capital gap as the company continued to grow.

“Many of our customers are Fortune 500 companies, but the strength of those customers did not materially increase the availability under our bank line,” Jones said. “Gateway understood our business model and recognized the value of our receivables.”

“This transaction demonstrates how invoice factoring can supplement or replace an inadequate bank credit line and provide meaningful additional liquidity to a growing company,” said Marc J. Marin, Managing Director of Gateway Commercial Finance. “By providing funding availability on eligible invoices with payment terms of up to 90 days, we were able to unlock working capital that had previously been unavailable. The new facility will help AGV America maintain consistent day-to-day cash flow while continuing to pursue larger opportunities.”

For additional information, visit www.gatewaycfs.com.

SOURCE Gateway Commercial Finance, LLC

WHEATON, Ill., Sept. 21, 2026 — T2 Capital Management, a fully integrated private equity real estate investment firm with $1.6 billion+ in AUM, today announced the launch of Base Living, the firm’s wholly-owned, tech-enabled property management company. At launch, Base Living manages more than 850 multifamily units across three properties, as well as a 1 million-square foot-industrial property within T2’s portfolio. Moving forward, Base Living will systematically expand operations across T2’s entire portfolio including student housing, building on T2’s proven track record and expertise in the sector.

With the launch of Base Living, T2 welcomes Tyler Yates as Director of Property Management, where he is responsible for operational and financial performance of T2’s property portfolio, ensuring high standards of service and maximizing returns. Tyler manages Base Living’s 24 new team members across Illinois, Indiana, and Florida, and is supported by eight members of T2’s corporate team. He reports to Aaron Tink, Principal of T2, who oversees the firm’s asset management division and leads Base Living. Tyler brings more than a decade of residential operating experience across student housing and multifamily. He most recently served as Vice President of Central Operations and Asset Management at Kairos Living, where he oversaw a national portfolio of 5,000+ homes, 125+ full-time employees, and more than 350 vendors.

“Tyler’s deep industry experience and proven track record make him the right leader to drive this venture forward,” said Aaron Tink. “Base Living brings institutional expertise, technology-enabled execution and hands-on decision-making to every aspect of property management, strengthening T2’s fully integrated real estate platform from ownership through operations.”

Base Living utilizes Entrata as its core property management platform, providing one integrated system for leasing, communications, payments, maintenance, accounting, renewals, and reporting in order to eliminate duplications and disconnected handoffs. The firm also utilizes best in class artificial intelligence platforms spanning the full resident journey from prospect engagement and tour scheduling to maintenance coordination and lease renewals.

“At T2, we have always believed that successful real estate ownership requires a deep understanding of the assets and communities we serve”, said Jeff Brown, CEO and Co-Founder at T2 Capital Management. “Base Living serves as a direct bridge between our ownership strategy and daily, on the ground execution. By leveraging real time information and company wide accountability, Base Living enables us to optimize the resident experience while maximizing value creation across our portfolio.”

Base Living is headquartered at 100 N. Main Street, Wheaton, Illinois, alongside T2’s office.

ABOUT T2 CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois with a second location in Nashville, T2 was founded in 2011. As a fully integrated real estate investment firm, T2 provides multiple investment strategies that cover each aspect of the capital stack within commercial real estate. T2 actively pursues acquisition and development opportunities in the student housing, multifamily, and build-to-rent space within select domestic growth markets. Through a separate business line, the firm also acts as a balance sheet lender having capitalized hundreds of projects totaling over $1.5 billion nationwide.

SOURCE T2 Holdings, LLC

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Generate Capital (“Generate”), a leading investor, owner and operator of critical infrastructure today announced the 100% sale of Generate Upcycle “Upcycle“, its global anaerobic digestion platform, through two separate transactions in North America and the UK.

Pinta Energy, a UK-based renewable energy platform and part of the ABIO Group of companies, a leading pan-European biogas platform backed by Asterion Industrial Partners, has acquired Upcycle’s seven UK facilities.

Vanguard Renewables, a leading U.S. environmental services platform and producer of biomethane from organic waste, has signed an agreement to acquire Upcycle’s five North American facilities in Ontario, Canada and upstate New York. The transaction is expected to close on October 1, 2026.

The transactions position the businesses with strategic operators to support their next phase of growth.

“We have spent the past decade building Upcycle into a scaled organic waste platform with strong businesses across three countries,” said David Crane, CEO of Generate Capital. “Pinta Energy and Vanguard Renewables bring the experience and capabilities to support these businesses as they continue to grow. For Generate, the transactions allow us to recycle capital toward our strategy of delivering reliable power to large energy users in an increasingly constrained grid.”

Upcycle is a renewable natural gas and electricity production platform that provides integrated organic waste solutions to public and private-sector partners across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2025, Upcycle processed more than 871,000 tons of food and agricultural waste, and generated more than 365,000 MWh of renewable energy, including 1.1 billion cubic feet of renewable nature gas. As a result, the company avoided 609,739 MTCO2e tons of harmful emissions from escaping into the atmosphere, the equivalent of taking approximately 132,552 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for a year.

Generate has invested in anaerobic digestion since 2016, building Upcycle into one of the largest pure-play organic waste platforms, with 12 facilities across three countries. Through sustained investment in the platform, its management team and operations, Generate helped build businesses with strong operating track records that are well positioned for continued growth in their respective markets.

About Generate Capital

Generate Capital is an investor and operator providing reliable and affordable energy solutions to customers for over a decade. Founded in 2014, Generate focuses on accelerating the energy transition by helping large energy users access power and connection faster in a grid constrained world. The firm supports data centers and other power-intensive facilities with multi-technology scalable energy infrastructure solutions, combining deep investment expertise with hands-on operating capabilities. Since inception, Generate has raised more than $16 bn in capital and built a proven track record across critical infrastructure assets. 

For more information, visit www.generatecapital.com.

About Vanguard Renewables

Vanguard Renewables is a leading U.S. environmental services company and producer of biomethane from organic waste. Headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts, the company builds, owns, and operates on-farm anaerobic digesters that convert food, beverage, and agricultural waste into pipeline-ready renewable natural gas. Vanguard Renewables is rapidly scaling its footprint, operating sites across the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast while developing additional facilities nationwide. By diverting organic waste streams from landfills, the company is reducing greenhouse gas emissions at scale while supporting critical domestic energy infrastructure and regenerative agriculture for America’s farms. Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of BlackRock.

Learn more at www.vanguardrenewables.com

SOURCE Generate Capital

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2026 — Lazard, Inc. (NYSE: LAZ) announced today that Matt Spence joined the firm as Head of Defense Technology and Emerging Technology in the Technology Group, based in San Francisco.

Matt will advise defense, security, and other cutting-edge technology companies on M&A transactions as well as financings. He joins Lazard with a blend of government service, venture investing, and banking leadership.

“Few bankers can speak to defense and dual-use technology from multiple angles the way Matt can,” said Mark Dolins, Head of the Technology Group at Lazard.  “His arrival at the firm strengthens the coverage we can offer across defense and emerging technology and gives our clients a partner who deeply understands the industry.”

Most recently, Matt was Managing Director and Global Head of Venture Capital Banking at Barclays, where he built and led the firm’s defense-tech and dual-use technology investment banking franchise. He previously held senior roles at Guggenheim Partners and as a Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and spent seven years in senior national security positions within the U.S. government, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy and on the White House National Security Council.

“Defense and dual-use technology are being reshaped by capital, policy, geopolitical forces, and innovation all at once, and Lazard’s platform is uniquely built to advise companies through that shift,” said Matt Spence. “I’m thrilled to join a firm with this level of expertise and relationships, and I look forward to helping clients across the full lifecycle of defense and emerging technology transactions.”

Matt holds a Doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and a B.A. and M.A. in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. Matt is a cofounder of The Truman National Security Project and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Founded in 1848, Lazard is the preeminent financial advisory and asset management firm, with operations in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Lazard provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and capital solutions, restructuring and liability management, geopolitics, and other strategic matters, as well as asset management and investment solutions to institutions, corporations, governments, partnerships, family offices, and high net worth individuals. Lazard is listed on the New York Stock Exchange as Lazard, Inc. under the ticker LAZ. For more information, please visit Lazard.com and follow Lazard on LinkedIn.

Media Contacts

Shannon Houston, +1 212-632-6880
[email protected]

Jessica Francisco, +1 212-632-6571
[email protected]

Investor Contact        

William Murdock, +1 212-632-1564
[email protected] 

SOURCE Lazard