Buildstock is building the future of construction – faster, more transparent and powered by innovation.

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2024 — Buildstock, the B2B marketplace and fintech platform for construction materials, secures $1.6M in pre-seed funding from Precursor, MGV, XFactor, RefashionD and visionary angels, including Osuke Honda (DCM), Nihal Mehta (Eniac), Shruti Gandhi (Array Ventures), Tom Peterson (Rally Ventures), Yun-Fang Juan, and Mark G (m]x[v Capital). The platform empowers builders and suppliers by streamlining sales and procurement, driving savings of money and time. This funding enables Buildstock to scale, expand third-party FinTech, AI and logistics integrations and bring more participants into the marketplace.

Late payments cost the $1.4 trillion construction materials industry over $208B in 2022, up 53% from 2021. Buildstock’s marketplace and Fintech solutions solve this by creating unprecedented procurement efficiency. With Buildstock, builders enjoy AI-driven product discovery, as well as substantial cost savings—as high as 40%—on materials and 5x faster lead times. Additionally, they get transparency into lead times and tracking information to plan around deliveries of supplies. Buildstock even offers a feature that takes blueprint files and uses AI to generate a list of needed supplies, further streamlining the procurement process.

“Buildstock is spearheading a digital revolution in the construction sector, breaking through the old, fragmented, and relationship-dependent procurement models with a modern, user-friendly digital marketplace and flexible financing options,” said Jim Barrett, Chief Innovation Officer at Turner Construction. “The construction industry stands at the cusp of a significant transformation, with the supply chain procurement process ripe for disruption. We need innovative solutions like Buildstock to streamline material sourcing, offer cost efficiencies, and also inject unprecedented transparency into project management through real time life-cycle tracking of materials procurement from order to delivery.”

For suppliers, Buildstock offers fast, predictable payments, instead of the standard 90 to 120 days that suppliers normally wait to get paid (if they get paid the full amount). Buildstock uses factoring and pays suppliers within 5 days of delivery. This is part of their cash flow innovation in the industry, which significantly improves their suppliers’ unit economics, manufacturing capacities, overhead and insurances.

“The construction industry is ripe for innovation and is one of the last industries to adopt technology. As a builder of $1B+ high-rise projects, I know what matters: time and money. Buildstock isn’t another complex software pitch; it’s a promise,” said Kathryn Thiele AIA, Founder and CEO of Buildstock. “Buildstock is about completing projects faster, more cost-effectively, with unprecedented transparency. This is how technology reshapes the industry.”

Buildstock has quickly gained traction in the New York tri-state area, handling multiple orders daily, and is poised for expansion across the United States. A certified minority & women-owned business (M/WBE), it’s positioned to be a key player as New York is required to allocate $60 billion of contracts to M/WBE enterprises for public projects including airports, housing and infrastructure. The largest private builders, including AECOM/Tishman, Turner Construction, Hunter Roberts, and Holt, also have ambitious goals to make a quarter or more of their contracts be with M/WBE businesses.

“Digital disruption has been the story of our generation and construction is one of the last holdouts for this type of innovation. There are enormous efficiencies to be unlocked in the massive construction industry and Buildstock is at the forefront of bringing these to life,” said Charles Hudson, Founder & Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures. “We’re extremely proud of the team at Buildstock for the value they’ve been able to bring to market.”

Construction is ramping up everywhere and there is a need for both construction companies and suppliers to have a centralized marketplace. For builders, Buildstock offers a quick and convenient way to find the local and national suppliers that can help them save big on materials, streamline procurement, easily manage orders and save time to complete projects faster. On the supplier side, Buildstock offers increased product visibility and order flow, better payment terms and inventory management.

About Buildstock

Buildstock is the centralized marketplace that brings discovery, transparency and payments to the construction materials industry. Using Buildstock, buyers can compare vendors, get clarity on pricing and lead times and finance payments instantly. Materials suppliers get increased volume and industry-leading payment timelines. Instead of waiting 30, 60 or even 90 days, suppliers can receive payments in as little as 5 days. Using Buildstock, builders save time and money on materials, and suppliers get more business and paid faster. To learn more about what Buildstock can do, visit www.buildstock.com.

Press Contact
Mike West
[email protected]
(415) 689-8574

SOURCE Buildstock

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2024 — LO3 Capital, a private investment firm providing transformative capital to lower-middle market companies, announced today a debt and equity investment in Diamond Builders, Inc. (“DBI”) alongside private equity firm Tamarix Equity Partners, a trusted partner to family and founder-owned businesses across North America.

DBI manufactures prefabricated modular buildings that serve a variety of government and commercial end markets, including education, industrial, natural disaster relief, healthcare, and military. Founded in 2002 in Douglas, GA, DBI has developed a reputation for quality and reliability over its 20+ year operating history.

Modular buildings have seen steady adoption over the last two decades as their suitability to various end markets and myriad benefits versus traditional construction have been increasingly recognized. DBI’s wide array of high-quality and customizable modular structures provide long and short-term solutions to a diverse set of end users with a fast, cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and reliable product.

“Diamond Builders has carved a fantastic position within the growing modular segment. We look forward to working with DBI and its founding family to build upon this stellar foundation and to continue delivering industry leading solutions” said Mark Hauser, Managing Partner at Tamarix.

Wesley Roberts, Partner at LO3 Capital, said, “DBI provides a first-class product to their customers. We are excited to partner with Tamarix and DBI during this next phase of growth.”

About LO3 Capital
LO3 Capital is a minority owned private investment firm committed to helping lower-middle market companies grow. The firm has offices in Nashville, New York and Dallas and targets business with over $3 million of EBITDA across a variety of industries. LO3 Capital partners with management teams, business owners, and private equity firms to finance organic growth, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and ownership transitions. LO3 Capital was previously a division of Live Oak Growth Capital and continues to manage the Live Oak Growth Capital funds. For more information, please visit lo3capital.com.

About Tamarix Equity Partners
Tamarix Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm based in New York City, invests in founder and family-owned companies at an inflection point in their growth, providing capital, resources and expertise to support long term, sustainable returns for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit tamarixequity.com

SOURCE LO3 Capital LLC

Second Venture Vanguard Class to be Honored on May 2 at 2024 NVCA Leadership Gala

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2024 — The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) is thrilled to unveil the prestigious 2024 Venture Vanguard class. Recognized for their exceptional contributions to the venture ecosystem, these individuals have fueled innovation, transformed industries, and driven economic growth across America.

The Venture Vanguard Award, initiated by the NVCA board of directors last year in celebration of the association’s 50th anniversary, recognizes exceptional individuals, including distinguished board alumni, members, or friends of NVCA, who have made significant contributions to transforming the VC landscape and turbocharging America’s growth and success. Eligible candidates’ accomplishments may include building successful VC firms and portfolio companies to support the creation of new industries and transform existing ones, investing in life-changing technologies, elevating industry visibility to policymakers, exhibiting leadership through philanthropic activities, or committing time and resources to NVCA efforts that benefit the entire industry.

This year’s honorees exemplify the spirit of entrepreneurship, leadership, and philanthropy, embodying the values that propel our industry forward, NVCA President and CEO Bobby Franklin, announced today.

“Aileen Lee, Geoff Yang, and Terry McGuire stand out as visionary architects of our industry’s future, boldly reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship,” said Franklin. “Their profound societal impact extends well beyond boardroom walls, paving the way for forthcoming innovators and disruptors.”

ABOUT THE INDUCTEES:

• Aileen Lee – As the founder of Cowboy Ventures, Alieen is a transformative force in venture capital, known for coining the term “unicorn” to describe hypergrowth software companies with valuations surpassing $1 billion. With a keen eye for promising startups, Aileen partners with early-stage teams to build companies that redefine industries. Her advocacy for diversity and inclusion, coupled with her role as a co-founder of All Raise, underscores her commitment to fostering a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Geoff Yang – Geoff’s impact on technology and media is unparalleled. As a co-founder of Redpoint Ventures, he has championed numerous successful companies from inception to IPO, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. His dedication to sports and philanthropy through his leadership with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Foundation and the Advisory Board for the PGA of America exemplifies the ethos of the Venture Vanguard Award, recognizing excellence in both business and community engagement.
• Terry McGuire – With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Terry has been a driving force for innovation, touching more than 60 million patients and saving over 400,000 lives by spearheading progress in healthcare and beyond. A former NVCA Board Chair, Terry founded Polaris Partners in 1996. He boldly testified before Congress on behalf of the industry during Dodd-Frank and he created (and continues to lead) the Global Venture Capital Congress, uniting venture capital association leaders worldwide and showcasing his unwavering commitment to global cooperation.

NVCA will officially honor the second class, presented by platinum sponsors EY Private and SVB, a division of First Citizens Bank at the 2024 NVCA Leadership Gala.

The event will take place on May 2, 2024, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. Registration is required.

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) empowers the next generation of American companies that will fuel the economy of tomorrow. As the voice of the U.S. venture capital and startup community, NVCA advocates for public policy that supports the American entrepreneurial ecosystem. Serving the venture community as the preeminent trade association, NVCA arms the venture community for success, serving as the leading resource for venture capital data, practical education, peer-led initiatives, and networking. For more information about the NVCA, please visit www.nvca.org.

SOURCE National Venture Capital Association

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 22, 2024 — S32, a leading venture capital firm founded by Bill Maris after building Google Ventures, today proudly announced the appointment of Dr. Andy Conrad, a leader in the application of technology and advanced data science, as General Partner. Dr. Conrad previously held numerous senior roles at Google, having most recently founded and served as the CEO and Executive Chairman of Verily Life Sciences (previously “Google Life Sciences”). He has held positions at GV (“Google Ventures”) and X (“GoogleX”), and, during his tenure, worked with DeepMind, Google Cloud, Google AI and other technical and business teams across the Alphabet ecosystem. He continues to serve as an advisor to Google.

Before joining Google, Dr. Conrad was the Chief Scientific Officer of Laboratory Corporation of America (“LabCorp”), one of the largest clinical laboratory companies in the world. He previously co-founded the National Genetics Institute, which grew rapidly before being acquired by LabCorp. Dr. Conrad earned a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles.

S32’s appointment of Dr. Conrad adds to the deep Google lineage of the firm’s investment and leadership team, which includes S32 Founder Bill Maris, who previously founded and served as CEO of Google Ventures and was Vice President of Special Projects at Google and Alphabet, and S32 CEO Andy Harrison, who previously served as leadership at Google X and was an executive and the Global Head of Business and Corporate Development of Verily Life Sciences. Dr. Conrad’s body of work at the intersection of enterprise software, AI, health technology and computational biology aligns well with S32’s mandate to invest at the frontiers of technology across key segments of the economy.

“I have known the S32 team for many years. Joining a group of individuals I respect and trust made this decision clear,” said Dr. Conrad. “S32 has an extraordinary platform, and I am excited to join the team and work with entrepreneurs growing businesses aimed at improving the human condition.”

Since its founding in 2017, S32 has invested in numerous successful companies including Coinbase, Crowdstrike, Thrive, Relay, Cue and Auris, as well as more recent early investments in leading software and AI companies, including Cohere, Inceptive, Deel, Inworld, Gusto, Phaidra and BigHat.

“For the more than 25 years I have known Andy, he has always been an incredibly creative, interesting and effective leader – this is why I was delighted to recruit him to join Google and why I am delighted once again to work with him at S32,” said Bill Maris, Founder of S32. “I look forward to where his creativity and insights will take us.”

“Andy is precisely who we want on our side working on behalf of our entrepreneurs and investors,” said Andy Harrison, CEO and General Partner of S32. “He not only dreams big, he’s a world-class founder and business builder. Andy adds tremendous firepower to our firm.”

Andy’s appointment builds upon a strong year for S32, having closed Fund 5, an oversubscribed $525 million fund, and growing its total assets under management to $2 billion.

About S32 

S32 is a venture capital firm investing at the frontiers of technology. Founded by Bill Maris, the team has vast experience building iconic companies. S32’s goal is to accelerate the discovery, development, and distribution of revolutionary technologies that improve the human condition. The firm invests across the entirety of technology. This includes artificial intelligence, enterprise software, cybersecurity, fintech, quantum computing, computational biology, and biotechnology.

Contact

Kara Curtis
Prosek Partners
Vice President
[email protected] 

SOURCE S32

• Commitment to make life-saving products to treat life-threatening hypovolemia due to sepsis and blood loss available in Sub-Saharan Africa where there is outsized demand.
• Targeted $20M Series B Round to include Sub-Saharan Africa in product development.
• Partnering with Propelevate to drive Sub-Saharan Africa strategy.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 22, 2024 — Life sciences company Vivacelle Bio today announced Sub-Saharan Africa as a priority region for its life-saving alternative to fluid resuscitation to treat hypovolemia caused by severe sepsis, septic shock, or blood loss.  Vivacelle Bio’s lifesaving cardiovascular support fluids (VBI-S and VBI-1), both comprised of phospholipid nanoparticles, can be used to treat the refractory hypovolemia and hypotension that occur in severe sepsis and septic shock, and used instead of blood to correct hypovolemia from blood loss such as after major vehicle collisions and postpartum hemorrhage.  Vivacelle Bio is partnering with Propelevate to drive the Sub-Saharan Africa strategy, which is fully integrated into its Series B financing round.

Globally, sepsis kills ~11M people each year. Young children in Sub-Saharan Africa have outsized rates of sepsis death from neonatal sepsis, and sepsis caused by respiratory infection, diarrheal disease, and malaria. A child born in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly 8 times more likely to die in the first month of life than a child born in the US. Likewise, seventy percent of pregnancy-related deaths globally occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Annually more than 75,000 women in the region die from postpartum hemorrhage or maternal sepsis.

Vivacelle Bio’s use of phospholipid nanoparticles to raise the blood pressure in patients with life-threatening hypovolemia due to blood loss, sepsis and septic shock is unprecedented. A successful phase 2a clinical trial of VBI-S, the formulation designed for treating hypovolemia due to septic shock, was recently completed. The fluid restores intravascular volume and absorbs nitric oxide, a gas made by the body that is largely responsible for the drop in blood pressure that is not responsive to current therapy. The evidence from the clinical trial showed that VBI-S is safe for patients while it increases blood pressure and reverses organ failure even when standard therapy has failed.  This is the first-time in 20 years that a phase 2 or phase 3 trial in septic shock has succeeded in meeting all of its efficacy endpoints. 

VBI-1, designed for blood loss, also absorbs nitric oxide, and protects vital organs from reperfusion injury. Pre-clinical studies show that VBI-1 has greater efficacy than blood or standard of care fluids in raising blood pressure after severe hemorrhagic shock. Blood and other fluids promote reperfusion injury to vital organs while VBI-1 prevents this organ damage.

The current $20M Series B round includes funding for a Global Pediatric Phase III trial for VBI-S, and two Phase IIA trials for VBI-1, which will integrate sites in Sub-Saharan Africa to ensure the efficacy of both products in diverse contexts.

Vivacelle Bio Co-Founder Dr. Cuthbert Simpkins, MD, Chief Innovation Officer of Vivacelle Bio and Sosland Missouri Endowed Chair in Trauma Services at the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine, says “VBI-S and VBI-1 can be used in any context where there is a health worker able to administer IV fluids. VBI-S has shown to be more effective than vasopressors at addressing septic shock, without the side effects such as gangrene of fingers and toes. Moreover, VBI-S carries oxygen and is shown to improve lung oxygenation, and reverse elevated creatinine in septic patients. Both VBI-S and VBI-1 are shelf stable for at least a year at room temperature with VBI-S currently having more than 2 years stability at room temperature.  VBI-1 circumvents many of the challenges of blood transfusions: the challenges of securing blood donors, the need to type, to maintain cold chain, the short shelf-life, and the risk of disease transmission.”

Harven DeShield, JD, PhD, the CEO of Vivacelle Bio commented, “Being born in Liberia, and raised in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania, the critical value proposition of VBI-S and VBI-1 being readily affordable and available in Africa is not only of immense personal importance, but also provides a holistic, strategic vehicle to address persistent health inequities in Africa related to treatment of shock and trauma.”

Dr. Angela James, Senior Advisor for 2Flo Ventures, a Chicago-based startup studio and venture capital firm, and investor in Vivacelle Bio, echoed the importance of the impact of addressing the global unmet need for people with sepsis and septic shock having equitable access to safe and effective treatments.  “Vivacelle Bio is poised to bring life-changing drugs to patients and their families in a region which has not been given equitable access to effective therapies is a great opportunity from both a healthcare and business perspective.”  

Through partnership with Propelevate, Vivacelle Bio will engage global health funders and stakeholders during final stages of product development, and Propelevate will drive Vivacelle Bio’s go-to-market strategy for African markets upon regulatory approval. “We are excited to partner with Vivacelle Bio because of their commitment to Sub-Saharan Africa. Life sciences companies typically think about the region as an afterthought. Vivacelle Bio is already taking specific needs in the region into account in product development and laying the groundwork for eventual local manufacturing to ensure wide availability of its life-saving products,” said Propelevate’s Managing Director Krisila Benson.

This work was supported by the Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC) – Naval Advanced Medical Development (NAMD) Program under MTEC award 20-02-NavyMultiTopic-002.

About MTEC

The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) is a 501(c)(3) biomedical technology consortium collaborating under an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) that serves those who serve our nation. For more information about MTEC, visit mtec-sc.org.

About Vivacelle Bio: Vivacelle Bio (www.vivacellebio.com) is a life sciences company that utilizes patented phospholipid nanoparticle technology to design products that increase the survivability of critically-ill patients. In addition to VBI-S and VBI-1, Vivacelle Bio has a pipeline of products at various stages of development applicable to a range of health areas including reperfusion injury, organ preservation and transplantation, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and hyperprocalcitonemia. Vivacelle Bio has raised approximately $10.9M in seed and Series A1-A3 funding, including from the US Department of Defense, the US National Institutes of Health, and 2Flo Ventures.  

About Propelevate: Propelevate (www.propelevate.global) is a consulting firm working at the intersection of the private sector and social impact. Propelevate has experience bringing new health products to market in Africa and Asia, raising tens of millions of dollars in global health financing, and brokering successful partnerships between commercial and development actors.

SOURCE Vivacelle Bio

CLOSTER, N.J., Feb. 22, 2024 — ChemoMouthpiece, LLC. announces the FDA 510(k) Marketing Clearance for their device, The Chemo Mouthpiece™.  The Chemo Mouthpiece™ is intended to be used to cool the oral mucosa to reduce the incidence and severity of chemotherapy induced oral mucositis in adult patients, a very debilitating side effect of chemotherapy.

In other most notable news, ChemoMouthpiece, LLC. has just closed on their Private Placement Round of $10 million in upfront capital with a full commitment for the second tranche of additional funds in excess of $10 million. “Our funding partners in this round not only provide the necessary working capital but also provide insights and valuable experiences in the adjacent business sectors,” said David Yoskowitz, President, and CEO of ChemoMouthpiece.

“Chemo Mouthpiece™ is fully stocked, as we will begin shipping across the US within the next quarter now that we have FDA Marketing Clearance.  We are currently executing multi-pronged objectives including the initiation and implementation of a dedicated sales force with our commercialization partner, EVERSANA, along with important marketing strategies aimed at raising awareness of oral mucositis and the availability of The Chemo Mouthpiece™. Our clinical advancement program under the guidance of Dr. Steve Sonis, one of the foremost thought leaders in the oral mucositis arena, is progressing nicely as we have just completed our pivotal clinical trial. A manuscript for publication is being drafted and numerous presentations are planned for the coming months at the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) meeting, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) meeting as well as attendance at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, to name a few. That said, our main initiative is to increase patient access to this vital product and give patients relief from the pain and worries of oral mucositis while they fight their battle with cancer.  We are excited having achieved these recent milestones and look forward to bringing the Chemo Mouthpiece™ to the hundreds of thousands of patients who may otherwise suffer from the painful and disruptive side effect of oral mucositis,” stated Frank Jacobucci, Chief Commercial Officer of ChemoMouthpiece, LLC.

ChemoMouthpiece, LLC is a privately held medical device company that develops and commercializes propriety oral cryotherapy products for cancer patients.

The Chemo Mouthpiece™ device was developed based on the personal experience of inventor, founder and CEO, David Yoskowitz, who when diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, experienced oral mucositis firsthand. His treatment options included ice chips to mitigate and minimize the pain. Yet this caused nausea, was difficult to maintain in his mouth, and did not effectively cool the entire oral cavity which led him to search for a better option.

An engineer by trade, he made it his mission to find a better way for cancer patients to cope with oral mucositis during treatment. He created a simple, effective, easy-to-use device to be used during chemotherapy treatments at home or in a hospital. The Chemo Mouthpiece™ efficiently cools the entire oral cavity. Patients can freeze the device at home and take it with them to be used during treatment, creating a simple solution for an unmet patient’s need.

Up to 80% of all patients receiving stem cell transplant and approximately 40% of all chemotherapy patients develop oral mucositis. The market for the management of oral mucositis is estimated to be in excess of several billion dollars world-wide with several million patients being affected. The Chemo Mouthpiece™ cools down the entire oral cavity, causing vasoconstriction, which in effect slows and reduces the flow of chemotherapy in the oral cavity, thus greatly reducing the risk of developing oral mucositis. The cryotherapy approach has been positively studied for decades and the Chemo Mouthpiece™ has significant and improved advantages over conventional cryotherapy interventions.

For more information on ChemoMouthpiece, LLC, please visit our website at www.chemomouthpiece.com or contact; Scott Narins, Director of Investor Relations/Investment Banking at [email protected] or Bonni Tattoli, VP, Commercial Operations at [email protected] 

Media Contact:
Frank Jacobucci, Chief Commercial Officer
609.330.4949
[email protected]

SOURCE ChemoMouthpiece, LLC

BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 22, 2024 — With the annual vector season coming up, University Products recently underscored the critical importance of early vaccination against bovine anaplasmosis to reduce herd losses. Offering a sensible and budget-friendly solution for cattle farmers nationwide, the University Products Anaplasmosis Vaccine has been field-tested for over 20 years and provides superior protection against this devastating endemic disease.

“Anaplasmosis remains a longstanding challenge for the cattle industry,” said Gene Luther, Director of University Products. “It significantly impacts the health and productivity of herds every single year and it hits hard in the spring, summer and fall especially, when insects like ticks and biting flies begin to flourish, spreading disease. So you don’t want to wait until your herd is already infected before you start thinking about preventive measures. Start now. Especially since the FDA has imposed stricter rules for antibiotic use.”

University Products’ vaccine stands out for its affordability, with per-dose costs nearly half that of diagnostic lab testing, and also for its effectiveness in reducing clinical symptoms associated with anaplasmosis.

Getting Ahead of Vector Season: Navigating Regulatory Changes

The importance of timely and effective disease management strategies is highlighted by recent draft guidance from the Food and Drug Administration concerning antimicrobial drugs given to food -producing animals. Those drugs, previously much easier to get, now require veterinarian approval and administration.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) also weighed in on the potential challenges of implementing new FDA guidelines, which now also require duration labeling for products treating anaplasmosis. NCBA Chief Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Simmons warned that such labeling was problematic at best, stating: “Some of these diseases that are vector borne see variations in the vector season based on the climate that you’re raising cattle. They may not be able to give a specific duration. They may have to publish a maximum duration and that won’t be easy either.”

Of this specific concern, Gene Luther from University Products said, “This just underscores the many challenges our industry faces when dealing with bovine disease. But fortunately, our vaccine is already a straightforward, reliable solution. Our vaccine can be used in any climate, during any season.”

Some General Spring Calving Vector Recommendations:

• Vaccinate herds for anaplasmosis, if not previously done.
• Continue other vector measures for the herd like fly and tick control programs.
• Check spraying equipment, dust bags, and oilers, and obtain needed chemicals or tags for fly and tick control.
• Consider professional controlled-burns and/or chemical sprays to keep excessive weeds and brush in check. Always contact professionals for these mitigation measures.

The Bottom Line: Economic Benefits of Vaccines

“Our vaccine’s affordability enables more small and mid-sized cattle farmers to protect their herds too,” said Gene Luther. “While minimizing financial strain. That’s who we try to reach first – who we try to help the most: farmers who do not have enormous corporate budgets to work with. These folks need help that is immediate and cost effective.”

The University Products vaccine does not prevent infection, but when properly used, significantly reduces clinical signs in at-risk animals. The vaccine requires only two doses in the first year, with one annual booster each year thereafter, and is safe to use in any stage of bovine pregnancy.

A detailed description of the vaccine and its method of administration is publicly available for PDF download. For more information on vaccine availability for ranchers and veterinarians, please contact University Products directly.

About University Products LLC

Based in Louisiana, University Products specializes in USDA approved (for experimental use) bovine vaccines. Their anaplasmosis vaccine minimizes clinical signs in at-risk animals, is safe during pregnancy, and requires two initial doses plus annual boosters. The company is also researching vaccines for bovine babesiosis and theileriosis. Veterinarians can inquire about availability by emailing directly at [email protected].

Certain facts, quotes, and guidelines sourced from:

Media Contact:

Gene Luther, Director
1-225-334-0851
[email protected]

SOURCE University Products LLC

Wunderkind Harvard Dropout Steven Wang Brings Creator Economy to Investing

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2024 — dub, the first copy-trading platform in the U.S., today announced a $17 million funding round from a group of venture capital firms and individual investors including the CEO of Uber and Co-founder of Robinhood.

dub allows everyday investors to replicate the portfolios of emerging investment managers, famed hedge funds, or elected officials with a single tap. dub’s affiliated broker-dealer, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and member FINRA, helps facilitate copy-trading, a fast-emerging investment practice suited to today’s investor.

Tusk Venture Partners led the seed round, which also included investment from Robinhood co-founder Nathan Rodland, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Apex Fintech Solutions CEO Bill Capuzzi, former Federal Reserve Board of Governors vice chair and TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson, Jr., OneRepublic Front man Ryan Tedder, and an array of notable venture capital and individual investors listed below. The funding also includes a $2 million venture debt facility provided by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank.

dub translates the powerful benefits of the social-media-driven creator economy to investing. Individuals gain access to a wide variety of minds in asset management and bespoke investment strategies. With the simple-to-use dub app, everyday investors can choose to copy portfolios with the same ease of buying a single stock. The same investors, or any individual on dub, can also avail their own investment portfolios to be copied. dub’s launch offerings include several proprietary investments strategies built by former hedge fund managers from firms like Millennium, and others shared by Financial Influencers with varying backgrounds and experiences. See the dub app for more details on our early portfolios and their creators.

“A decade from now, instead of picking stocks, we’ll be picking people to invest in,” said Steven Wang, the 22-year-old founder and CEO of dub. “It’s already how my generation is investing, with the rise of social media and commission-free investing. Humans are narrative- and fear-driven creatures. Digitally-native creators have mastered the art of storytelling and are building fervent communities that leverage social accreditation to guide their investment decisions. With dub, we’re building the creator economy for finance.”

At 17, Wang left high school to found and ultimately sell a VR company, after which, at 18, he joined Apple working on projects including the Apple Watch. He was then admitted to Harvard, where he spent most of his time on the other side of the table, investing in early-stage startups as a Partner at Dorm Room Fund, only to leave school again to found dub.

Steven began dabbling with investing as a second grader, when his immigrant parents loaned him $200 to invest as an education in building wealth. Trading from that point through the meme stock era, he saw how retail investors like him changed how they invest. These insights gave Wang enough conviction to drop out of Harvard and pursue dub full-time. Since then, he’s hired a veteran executive team hailing from companies like Affirm, Millennium, Goldman Sachs, Meta and iCapital with decades of experience building and operating licensed financial companies.

“dub’s copy-trading platform opens a new frontier in retail investing. As the first broker dealer to offer copy-trading, they are in a position to offer a truly unique product to investors,” said Robinhood co-founder Nathan Rodland.

“Steven and the dub team have created a platform where financial creators can share their ideas, demonstrate their investment strategies, and provide retail investors with the information they need to take more agency over their investment decisions,” said Jordan Nof, co-founder and managing partner at Tusk Venture Partners.

Seed Investors
Tusk Venture Partners
Slow Ventures
Neo
Scribble Ventures
Alumni Ventures
K5 Global
Graph Ventures
Dorm Room Fund

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber
Nathan Rodland, co-founder of Robinhood
Bill Capuzzi, CEO of Apex Fintech Solutions
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., former CEO of TIAA and Chair Vice Federal Reserve
Charlie Johnston, former president of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Alex Rampell, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and co-founder of Affirm
Stephanie Zhan, general partner at Sequoia Capital
Co-Founder of Rocket Mortgage Dan Gilbert’s Detroit Venture Partners
Ryan Tedder, music producer and lead vocalist for OneRepublic
Kathryn Haun, CEO and founder of Haun Ventures
Emilie Choi, COO of Coinbase
Lachy Groom, Founder of LFG Capital
Michael Acheson, Founder of Interlaken Capital
Shiva Rajaraman, Chief Business Officer of OpenSea
Ryan Sarver, former general partner at Redpoint Ventures
Dan Nathan, CEO of RiskReversal and CNBC Panelist
Anthony Kontoleon, Partner at Azura
Reza Behforooz, Vice President of Engineering at Google
Steve Nadel, Partner at Seward & Kissel

About dub

DASTA Incorporated (“dub”) is the first copy-trading platform in the United States that lets users copy the portfolios of other investors with a single tap. dub’s innovative platform gives industry experts, financial influencers, and retail associates with a knack for trading, the ability to share their insights and investment portfolios— all through an easy-to-use mobile platform. Advisory services are provided by DASTA Investment LLC (“DASTA Investments”), an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage services provided by DASTA Financial, LLC (“DASTA Financial”), an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”).

SOURCE dub

As one of the largest fertility venture investments to date, the capital will fuel the growth of a clinic network committed to lowering the cost of and expanding access to top-tier IVF services in the U.S.

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 22, 2024 — Pozitivf, a rapidly expanding fertility clinic network making industry-leading fertility treatment more accessible to all, announced today that it raised $20 million in growth funding. The capital raise, one of the most significant awarded in the space, was led by MonCap. MonCap’s investment was made out of its dedicated fertility fund which represents one of the market’s largest and most strategic pools of capital specifically committed to expanding access to fertility-related care.

Currently, a single IVF cycle can range from $15,000 to $30,000, rendering the procedure inaccessible for the vast majority of the population. As one of the fastest-growing fertility providers in the U.S., Pozitivf’s board-certified physicians offer IVF services starting at $7,995 while upholding the industry’s highest safety and success standards. Leveraging decades of experience, Pozitivf employs lean management principles with an extreme focus on treatment details and process workflows to eliminate variability and overhead. The end result is industry-leading treatments and success outcomes, only at half the cost to the patient.

Pozitivf’s founding team has a wealth of experience launching and operating successful fertility clinics. Notably, Dr. Francisco (Paco) Arredondo founded RMA of TX and Smart IVF, which merged with the Inception/Aspire Fertility network in 2018. Post exit, he served as the Chief Medical Officer of Inception/Aspire Fertility and the Prelude Network, which manages over 90 clinics across North America. Having received a Master’s degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and completing his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Arredondo is one of the most experienced thought leaders within fertility. He even served as a member of the team that performed the first IVF procedure in Mexico in 1989. Dr. Arredondo is joined by his Co-founder Dr. Tony Anderson, who boasts over 20 years of experience and 10,000 IVF cycles performed. Dr. Anderson has played a pivotal role in building, designing and training embryology personnel for the highest-quality fertility centers in the country. Together, the team brings an unwavering commitment to reproductive justice and a belief in the fundamental human right to parenthood. The company aims to democratize fertility care by embodying simplicity, transparency, and affordability.  The recent investment will accelerate the clinic’s efforts to make top-tier fertility care accessible to a broader audience as it expands both within its current market of Texas and beyond.

“We are delighted to partner with MonCap on Pozitivf’s next chapter of growth,” said Dr Arredondo, Pozitivf’s Co-founder & CEO. “MonCap has a proven track record of adding value, and their expertise will help us further our mission to simplify fertility care and make it accessible to a wider spectrum of individuals and families. This collaboration is a testament to our shared vision of revolutionizing the fertility landscape and achieving the goal that having a healthy child is a universal human right.”

“We will make fertility care accessible to the vast majority of families across the globe,” said Jonathan Sockol, Managing Partner of MonCap. “We have known Pozitivf’s founding team for over two decades and are confident in their ability to bring this shared vision one step closer to a reality.”

About Pozitivf
Pozitivf is committed to simplifying fertility care to make it more accessible to individuals and families across all demographics. As one of the fastest-growing fertility clinics in the Southern United States, Pozitivf has redefined industry norms by optimizing operational efficiency without compromising the quality of care. By implementing lean management tools and strategically focusing on procedures that constitute a significant portion of industry volumes, Pozitivf has substantially reduced infrastructure costs and delivered a distinctive blend of affordability and exceptional success rates. Visit www.pozitivf.com/ for more information.

About MonCap
MonCap is a growth-based investment firm backed by some of the world’s largest family offices and institutions. The firm is currently investing out of its dedicated fertility fund, one of the market’s largest and most strategic pools of capital dedicated to expanding access to and lowering the cost of fertility-related care. Visit www.moncap.vc for more information.

Media Contact
Briana Chester
MATTIO Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Pozitivf Fertility