With over 1 million registered users, Khyaal is the leader in India’s AgeTech landscape

MUMBAI, India, Feb. 12, 2024 — Khyaal, India’s number one app for senior citizens, has raised USD 4.2 million in a seed funding round. The round was co-led by 62Ventures, SVQuad, and Inventus Capital. Glen Tullman, Kanwal Rekhi, Raju Reddy, and Raj-Ann Gill, were among the distinguished entrepreneurs and investors who participated in this round. Notable existing investors, including Everywhere Ventures, Supermorpheus, and Unpopular Ventures also invested in this round, bolstering their support to Khyaal. The freshly raised funds will be instrumental in furthering Khyaal’s mission of empowering seniors and expanding its reach across India. With the closure of its seed round, Khyaal has so far raised a total of $5.4 Million in funding.

Founded in 2020 by Hemanshu Jain and Pritish Nelleri, Khyaal is a revolutionary app designed for senior citizens and their family members. The app goes beyond conventional offerings, aiming to create a community that fosters physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being for the elderly. Among its key benefits are digital literacy training, empowering seniors to confidently navigate the digital world. To alleviate loneliness, Khyaal offers engaging entertainment content and games. Additionally, the platform extends financial services tailored specifically for seniors, including India’s first smart payment card for seniors, Khyaal Card, equipped with cybersecurity protection. Every transaction made using the Khyaal Card earns seniors Khyaal Coins, which can be used to claim exciting rewards within the Khyaal App. An invaluable feature of the app is its on-demand assistance service, enabling seniors to effortlessly request for services such as booking cabs, travel arrangements, medical services, and bill payments – all from the comfort of their homes through the Khyaal app. The app also provides curated travel plans to unique destinations that are not only premium but also budget-friendly, allowing seniors to explore their wanderlust and create cherished memories, new relationships, and friendships through hassle-free, carefully curated, and safe travel experiences. Additionally, the app also has an interesting feature, Memory Lane, which leverages the power of AI to infuse vibrant colours into the nostalgic black-and-white photos of seniors.

Commenting on the Company’s vision and fundraise, Hemanshu Jain, Founder & CEO, Khyaal, said, “We are grateful for the support of our investors who share our mission and believe in the potential of Khyaal. With the infusion of funds, we are positioned to accelerate innovation, extend our reach, and create an even more profound impact in the lives of seniors.”

Speaking on their investment in Khyaal, Glen Tullman, CEO of Transcarent, Co-Founder of 7wireVentures, and Principal at 62Ventures, said, “As populations around the world and in India age, and the next generation becomes more mobile, it’s important to provide strong communities that allow our senior populations to not simply survive but thrive in the next phase of their lives.  Khyaal provides a comprehensive approach so that India’s elderly population has one place to go for everything they need to prosper.”

Further commenting on their investment in Khyaal, Kanwal Rekhi, Managing Director of Inventus Capital Partners and Managing Partner at SVQuad, said, “Khyaal’s phenomenal growth in such a short period of time strongly validates its product market fit. We are excited to back a brand that is poised to engage, educate, and empower seniors. We look forward to being a part of Khyaal’s journey as it continues to redefine the agetech landscape, creating meaningful connections and enhancing the quality of life for the senior citizens.”

Since its inception, the Khyaal app has effectively welcomed and engaged with a user base exceeding one million seniors. The expansion strategy of Khyaal revolves around strengthening its presence in current regions and strategically venturing into new markets. The startup aims not only for quantitative growth but also to create meaningful connections and enhance the quality of life for senior citizens across diverse communities.

To learn more about Khyaal, please visit www.khyaal.com  

Media Contact: 
Yash Shivhare
[email protected]   

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2338550/Khyaal.jpg

SOURCE Khyaal

Dit stelt Bitcoin houders in staat om de waarde van hun laag 1 Bitcoin te gebruiken voor het genereren van rendement.

MIAMI, 9 februari 2024 — Omega heeft een financieringsronde van $ 6 miljoen afgesloten, wat een belangrijke mijlpaal is in zijn streven om Bitcoin in het gedecentraliseerde financiële landschap (DeFi) te integreren. Deze omvangrijke financiële injectie kwam tot stand in drie investeringsrondes, met bijdragen van een indrukwekkend aantal deelnemers, waaronder Lightspeed Faction, Borderless Capital, Wormhole Cross-Chain Ecosystem Fund (beheerd door Borderless Capital), Bankless Ventures, Wave Digital, Blockchain.com, Blockchain Founders Fund, Kronos Ventures, XTBO Humla, Cadenza, Psalion Ventures, AlphaLab Capital, Side Door Ventures en MH Ventures.

Deze fondsen zijn bestemd voor de ontwikkeling en lancering van een baanbrekend gedecentraliseerd platform, ontwikkeld om Bitcoin-eigenaren in staat te stellen het opbrengstpotentieel van hun laag 1 Bitcoin-activa te ontsluiten. Er zijn plannen om de publieke bèta in de komende 60 dagen te onthullen. Omega is hard op weg om het nut van Bitcoin binnen het DeFi-ecosysteem opnieuw te definiëren en biedt ongekende mogelijkheden voor het genereren van opbrengsten.

We zijn erg blij met de steun van onze gerespecteerde investeringspartners,” aldus Wes Cowan, medeoprichter en CEO van Omega. “Dankzij deze financiële en adviserende steun kunnen we verder bouwen aan onze zoektocht naar een bredere horizon voor Bitcoin DeFi.”

“We zijn opgetogen om samen met Omega het pad vrij te maken om het ware potentieel van Bitcoin in DeFi  te ontsluiten. Deze investering onderstreept ons geloof in het team van Omega en hun visie om een radicale verandering in te zetten in het genereren van opbrengsten voor Bitcoin-houders. We kijken met spanning uit naar de impact van hun werk op de toekomst van gedecentraliseerde financiën,” aldus Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner bij Blockchain Founders Fund.

Eric Ryklin, medeoprichter en COO van Omega, liet zien dat hij zeer trots is op de standvastige toewijding en creatieve innovatie van het team. “Dit financieringsresultaat bevestigt onze missie om het DeFi-domein te revolutioneren,” merkte hij op. “We zijn nu klaar om onze publieke bèta te starten. Dit is een belangrijke stap om Bitcoin-beleggers meer mogelijkheden te geven en belangrijke vooruitgang te boeken in de Bitcoin DeFi arena.”

Omega wil de volgende golf van ontwikkelingen in Bitcoin DeFi stimuleren. Met deze financieringsmijlpaal is het project klaar om in de komende maanden een significante overstap te maken.

Over Omega

OMEGA.xyz  is een aanbieder van Web3-infrastructuur die de collateralisatie van inactieve bitcoin mogelijk maakt voor het genereren van rendement in DeFi.

neem contact op met Jonathan Duran op (310) 260-7901 of [email protected]

Foto – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2337172/Omega_Omega_Secures__6_Million_in_Funding_to_Help_Users_Leverage.jpg

Consentire ai titolari di Bitcoin di utilizzare il valore dei loro Bitcoin Layer 1 per la generazione di rendimento.

MIAMI, 9 febbraio 2024 — Omega ha chiuso un round di finanziamento da 6 milioni di dollari, segnando una pietra miliare nel suo tentativo di integrare Bitcoin nativo nel settore della finanza decentralizzata (DeFi). Questa sostanziale infusione finanziaria è avvenuta attraverso tre round di investimento, con il contributo di uno straordinario elenco di partecipanti, tra cui Lightspeed Faction, Borderless Capital, Wormhole Cross-Chain Ecosystem Fund (gestito da Borderless Capital), Bankless Ventures, Wave Digital, Blockchain.com, Blockchain Founders Fund, Kronos Ventures, XTBO Humla, Cadenza, Psalion Ventures, AlphaLab Capital, Side Door Ventures e MH Ventures.

Questi fondi sono destinati allo sviluppo e al lancio di una piattaforma decentralizzata pionieristica, progettata per consentire ai proprietari di Bitcoin di sbloccare il potenziale di generazione di rendimento dei loro asset Bitcoin Layer 1. Con l’intenzione di svelare la sua beta pubblica nei prossimi 60 giorni, Omega è sulla buona strada per ridefinire l’utilità di Bitcoin all’interno dell’ecosistema DeFi, offrendo opportunità senza precedenti per la generazione di rendimento.

“Siamo soddisfatti di avere il sostegno dei nostri rispettati partner di investimento”, ha commentato Wes Cowan, cofondatore e CEO di Omega.  “Questo supporto finanziario e di consulenza ci consente di portare avanti la nostra ricerca per espandere gli orizzonti di Bitcoin DeFi”.

“Siamo molto lieti di far parte del cammino di Omega mentre apre la strada per sbloccare il vero potenziale di Bitcoin nella DeFi. Questo investimento sottolinea la nostra fiducia nel team di Omega e nella sua visione di rivoluzionare la generazione di rendimento per i titolari di Bitcoin, e guardiamo con fiducia all’impatto del loro lavoro sul futuro della finanza decentralizzata”, ha aggiunto Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner di Blockchain Founders Fund.

Eric Ryklin, cofondatore e COO di Omega, ha espresso profondo orgoglio per l’impegno costante e l’innovazione creativa del team. “Questo risultato finanziario conferma la nostra missione di rivoluzionare il dominio DeFi”, ha osservato. “Siamo ora pronti a lanciare la nostra beta pubblica, un passo importante per dare più autonomia agli investitori in  Bitcoin e promuovere progressi significativi nel settore DeFi Bitcoin”.

Omega è impegnata a guidare la prossima ondata di progressi nella DeFi Bitcoin e questo traguardo nel finanziamento posiziona il progetto per un’adozione significativa nei prossimi mesi.

Informazioni su Omega

OMEGA.xyz  sviluppa infrastrutture Web3 che consentono la collateralizzazione di bitcoin inattivi per la generazione di rendimento nella DeFi.

Contattare Jonathan Duran al numero (310) 260-7901 o inviando un’e-mail a [email protected]

Foto – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2337172/Omega_Omega_Secures__6_Million_in_Funding_to_Help_Users_Leverage.jpg 

Enabling Bitcoin holders to utilize the value of their Layer 1 Bitcoin for yield generation.

MIAMI, Feb. 8, 2024 – Omega has closed a $6 million funding round, marking a significant milestone in its quest to integrate native Bitcoin into the decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape. This substantial financial infusion came across three investment rounds, featuring contributions from an impressive roster of participants including Lightspeed Faction, Borderless Capital, Wormhole Cross-Chain Ecosystem Fund (operated by Borderless Capital), Bankless Ventures, Wave Digital, Blockchain.com, Blockchain Founders Fund, Kronos Ventures, XTBO Humla, Cadenza, Psalion Ventures, AlphaLab Capital, Side Door Ventures, and MH Ventures, among others.

These funds are earmarked for the development and launch of a pioneering decentralized platform, designed to empower Bitcoin owners to unlock the yield-generating potential of their Layer 1 Bitcoin assets. With plans to unveil its public beta in the upcoming 60 days, Omega is on track to redefine the utility of Bitcoin within the DeFi ecosystem, offering unprecedented opportunities for yield generation.

‘We’re thrilled to have the backing of our respected investment partners,” shared Wes Cowan, Co-Founder and CEO of Omega. “This financial and adviosry support enables us to further our quest in expanding the horizons of Bitcoin DeFi.”

“We are delighted to be part of Omega’s journey as they pave the way for unlocking the true potential of Bitcoin in DeFi. This investment underlines our belief in Omega’s team and their vision to revolutionize yield generation for Bitcoin holders, and we eagerly anticipate the impact of their work on the future of decentralized finance,” shared Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund.

Eric Ryklin, Co-Founder and COO of Omega, expressed profound pride in the team’s steadfast commitment and creative innovation. “This funding achievement affirms our mission to revolutionize the DeFi domain,” he remarked. “We’re now poised to launch our public beta, an important step toward empowering Bitcoin investors and driving significant advancements in the Bitcoin DeFi arena.”

Omega is committed to driving the next wave of advancements in Bitcoin DeFi, and this funding milestone positions the project for significant adoption in the coming months.

About Omega

OMEGA.xyz is a Web3 infrastructure provider enabling the collateralization of idle bitcoin for yield generation in DeFi.

SOURCE Omega

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2024 — Sweetn, a revolutionary new mental wellness company focused on dating, is releasing data showing alarming levels of stress and anxiety among single women. Of nearly 5,000 women ages 25 to 40 surveyed, Sweetn found: 

• 75% feel hopeless about finding the right partner
• 73% can’t remember the last time they had a decent relationship
• 67% feel panicked about running out of time to find a partner
• 62% worry that their dating struggles are a reflection of their worth or attractiveness
• 58% don’t trust dating apps
• 40% stay in bad or toxic relationships to avoid being single

“Everyone knows dating is broken,” says Harleen Kahlon, Sweetn’s founder. “Millions of people are suffering from swipe fatigue, option overload, anxiety and loneliness but no one is talking about what that means or giving them the support they need—until now.”

Kahlon, a serial founder who spent years navigating the battlefield of dating in New York City, recently launched Sweetn to help people tackle the challenges of modern dating. The company’s mission:

To insulate the half a billion people on dating apps from the negative side effects of swipe culture so they stay in a confident and empowered headspace, make better dating decisions, and choose better partners.

“There are hundreds of dating apps with fancy robot-designed algorithms but people are still lonely,” said Kahlon. “That’s because finding love doesn’t start with a swipe or even a match—it starts with your mindset.”

The company’s subscription-based offering, which is available at a discount during its beta, includes:

• Research-backed quizzes that reveal users’ limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging patterns
• Comprehensive personalized plans that shift users’ mindsets and help them reach their dating goals
• Proprietary audio tracks & daily messages that keep them in a positive and empowered headspace
• IRL/zoom events and trainings (launching 2Q24)
• AI-powered chat for 24/7 support (launching 3Q24)
• 1:1 human-led coaching (launching 4Q24)

Kahlon conceived of the idea for Sweetn while managing Bolde, the wildly popular dating advice site she founded when she was single: “Dating through my 30s was a dumpster fire of promising connections that either fizzled out or went up in flames. The grind wore down my confidence. I needed a major mental reset.”

Sweetn’s proprietary framework and user-friendly tools provide that reset—and a lot more.

“The stories we tell ourselves are powerful,” explained Kahlon. “But the stories most people tell themselves about their circumstances, worth, and potential, make it harder for them to create the lives they want. Sweetn helps them change those stories, focus on what they can control, and rediscover their power.”

The Sweetn Method is rooted in principles from performance coaching and cognitive behavioral therapy and is the result of extensive research & development, including testing with Bolde’s audience of millions.

The founding team, in collaboration with psychologists, dating experts, statisticians, and data scientists, spent 5+ years digging into the thought and behavioral patterns of singles and couples. The powerful insights they discovered are baked into users’ personalized journeys along with actionable advice and game-changing tools.

“There’s a mindset associated with being successful in dating and relationships,” explains Kahlon, who lives in NYC with her partner and daughter. “But that mindset is hard to cultivate and sustain, especially for women. They’re constantly pestered by creeps, love-bombed by narcissists, or ghosted by emotionally unavailable men who are everywhere on apps.”

Sweetn, which initially targets women who like men, helps women get—and stay—in the right headspace, no matter what happens in their love lives. Sweetn’s tools are so powerful that customer retention metrics are 20x that of other mental wellness apps.

“Women’s stress levels are high because the playing field isn’t level,” explained Kahlon. “We know from our research and independent studies that men start feeling old in their 50s—but women start feeling old in their 20s. So men have no urgency at a time when women are panicking. By the time men do feel old, they’re often looking for much younger partners. It’s not their fault but it’s a brutal reality that takes a massive but invisible mental toll on women.”

One of Sweetn’s biggest goals is to spark more conversation about the challenges of dating on all sides with the hope of creating a healthier dating landscape for everyone. To that end, Sweetn will expand its offerings to men (as well as the LGBTQ+ community) later this year because, as Kahlon says, “We’re all on the same team and need each other to feel whole, healthy, and happy.”

About Sweetn

Sweetn is the first mental wellness company focused on dating and relationships. Sweetn’s proprietary, research-backed approach helps people tweak their mindsets and transform their love lives. The company is privately funded and based in New York City. For more information, please visit https://sweetn.com/

SOURCE Sweetn

Leading Math-Only Supplemental Education Franchise Positioned for Substantial Growth in Booming Education Sector

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2024 — Mathnasium Learning Centers has announced that its largest multi-unit franchisee, Mo Khalil, has received a strategic investment from Snapdragon Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm that partners with the founders and executives of high growth consumer companies.

Through the investment, Khalil and Snapdragon will sign a development plan to open 25 additional Mathnasium centers over the next five years.

Khalil comes from humble beginnings as an immigrant from Egypt who experienced homelessness at a young age, but has now grown to become a successful entrepreneur – and has been a top-performing franchisee for nine consecutive years in the Mathnasium network. Khalil established Khalil Ventures in 2010, and what began as one center in Central Florida has now grown to a portfolio of nearly 55 centers throughout the United States. With the brand’s established curriculum and teaching methods, combined with its proven business model, Khalil has built a multi-unit empire. He’s also been recognized by Mathnasium for “Best Turnaround of a Resale” and “Top Multi-Unit Operator by AUV.”

With the global education market expected to reach $8 trillion in value by 2030, prospects or prospective franchisees are looking to stake their claim in Mathnasium’s franchise opportunity.

“I am extremely excited to begin working with Snapdragon to add to Mathnasium’s next chapter of growth,” said Khalil. “When I first immigrated to the United States, learning English and assimilating into New York City’s Bronx County was challenging. But with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion to achieve the American dream, I was able to open my first Mathnasium and do what I love most – teach math. This signed development plan will be monumental not only for me, but also for the entire brand. We look forward to bringing Mathnasium to new markets and helping even more students.”

Snapdragon is a trusted partner for growth companies seeking to achieve their full potential. Having been primarily focused on health and wellness brands, this alignment also serves as a milestone for Snapdragon as it marks the brand’s entrance into the education industry. Through this partnership, Mathnasium is groomed to provide additional resources to support its fast-growing franchise network.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Mo and his talented team,” said Mark Grabowski, Managing Partner of Snapdragon. “He has built an incredible portfolio and has an unparalleled track record of success. We look forward to entering the education sector and supporting the next stage of growth for Mo and Mathnasium.”  

Mathnasium Learning Centers specializes in math-only tutoring and is committed to providing the world’s best instruction. The goal: teach children math in a way that makes sense to them. For decades the Mathnasium Method™ has transformed the way kids learn math — building students’ understanding of math concepts through personalized instruction and a customized learning plan — all while producing tremendous results and helping students achieve their full potential in math and in life.

“The partnership between Mo and Snapdragon showcases Mathnasium’s healthy franchise model, strong AUV, and new center growth potential in the industry,” said Mike Davis, CEO of Mathnasium. “The investment by Snapdragon is a signal to existing franchisees of the value of their center/portfolio and speaks volumes about the strength of the network at a center level, as well as territory expansion opportunities. The best upside with the deal is that 25 new communities will get a Mathnasium, and many more kids and families will change their lives through math.”

With prime territories available, Mathnasium provides franchisees with comprehensive training and support, including an initial training program, ongoing training, a balanced approach between corporate and locally driven marketing to capture the addressable market, and access to proprietary software tools and resources. Company leadership has identified California, Illinois, New York, and International as prime regions for growth, and is actively seeking both single and multi-unit operators looking to stake their claim in the growing education sector.

For information about Mathnasium’s franchise opportunities, visit — https://mathnasiumfranchise.com/.

For more information on Mathnasium, visit https://www.mathnasium.com/, or visit their social pages on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About Mathnasium
Mathnasium Learning Centers is North America’s leading math-only supplemental education franchise. Since 2002, the Mathnasium Method™ — the result of decades of hands-on instruction and development — has been transforming the lives of children in grades K-12 by offering comprehensive assessments, fully individualized learning plans, and teaching true math comprehension. With more than 1,100 learning centers worldwide in 10 countries, Mathnasium has been ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of top 500 franchises 16 times since 2004. For more information about Mathnasium franchise opportunities, visit https://mathnasiumfranchise.com/.

About Snapdragon Capital Partners
Snapdragon is a private equity investment firm that partners with the founders and executives of high growth consumer companies to become category leaders. The principals of Snapdragon have a long history of scaling multi-unit businesses, including Xponential Fitness, the largest franchisor of boutique fitness studios globally; Spartan Fitness Holdings, the largest Club Pilates franchisee, Corepower Yoga, the largest operator of yoga studios; ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, the largest nationwide network of dental implant centers; MACS, the largest operator of convenience stores in the mid-Atlantic; and First Watch Restaurant Group, the largest breakfast/lunch restaurant chain nationally. Learn more about Snapdragon here: https://snapdragoncap.com/.

Media Contact: Paige Stark, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected]  

SOURCE Mathnasium

Led by Sands Capital, new round supercharges ability to correct modern security problems

COVINA, Calif., Feb. 8, 2024 — LimaCharlie, the creator of the first-ever Security Operations (SecOps) Cloud Platform, today celebrates a $10.2 million Series A investment round led by Sands Capital with follow-on from new and previous investors, including CoFound Partners, Long Journey Ventures, Lytical Ventures, Myriad Venture Partners, StoneMill Ventures, and Strategic Cyber Ventures. As the demand for a flexible, scalable approach to security grows, the funding will accelerate team expansion and introduce new capabilities to the SecOps Cloud Platform.

Transforming cybersecurity by redefining SecOps
“The SecOps Cloud Platform is transforming cybersecurity from disjointed tools to integrated solutions tailored to each organization’s needs. LimaCharlie’s vision is to make security operations as flexible as the cloud made IT operations—reducing inefficiencies, security gaps, and extreme costs,” said Maxime Lamothe-Brassard, Founder and CEO of LimaCharlie. “This investment allows us to continue leading the paradigm shift toward the public cloud model for cybersecurity. Companies are embracing our vision for flexible, on demand security infrastructure they can leverage to consolidate tools and customize defense.”

Unlike traditional vendors, LimaCharlie allows organizations to tailor their security stack to fit their unique needs via an open API. Because it’s delivered as flexible infrastructure, integrations are simplified and security teams gain complete control and visibility into their environments.

Financial momentum underscores demand for new approach
Despite challenging conditions for cybersecurity startups, LimaCharlie continues to expand upon its hundreds of customers in enterprise security, managed service providers, and cybersecurity vendors. The company has experienced significant YoY growth, showcasing the transformational potential of a public cloud model for security operations.

“The technology that our businesses and lives depend upon is changing really fast. To secure it, we need to rethink cybersecurity and deploy infrastructure capabilities like LimaCharlie’s that can be easily built upon and adapted over time. The age of black boxes is over,” said Mark McGovern, Venture Partner at Sands Capital. “LimaCharlie’s customers are building amazing capabilities and redefining how cybersecurity is deployed and managed. We’re excited to be a part of the solution that’s modernizing security.”

LimaCharlie’s SecOps Cloud Platform is already empowering some of the top technological leaders in information security. One of LimaCharlie’s customers, a managed detection and response provider, achieved annual cost savings of $100,000, improved their average detection and response times by 98%, and laid the groundwork for long-term growth after implementing the platform.

“With rapidly evolving threats and technologies, companies are in need of solutions that provide flexibility and future-proof their security posture,” said Dean Mai, Co-founder and Partner at Myriad Venture Partners. “At Myriad, we back visionary companies that are strategically positioned to lead their markets. Maxime and the LimaCharlie team embody this ideal. By delivering the agility, extensibility and scalability necessary to stay ahead of escalating security threats and IT complexity, we firmly believe that LimaCharlie has the right platform and talent to redefine the future of cloud-based security operations.”

“LimaCharlie has a truly unique vision on where the security market is going,” said Lucas Nelson, Partner at Lytical Ventures. “We are excited to be backing an audacious team that is going to fundamentally change, and improve, the security industry.”

To learn more about how LimaCharlie is transforming security through SecOps, please visit: https://limacharlie.io/.

About LimaCharlie
LimaCharlie was founded in 2018. The company provides critical cybersecurity capabilities and infrastructure ondemand, API-first, in a way that is built for massive scale. This approach marks a change in the way that cybersecurity is practiced, and brings it in line with modern IT, DevOps, and software engineering principles. LimaCharlie is democratizing access to security infrastructure by allowing any security team, regardless of size or budget, to get started with powerful tools and infrastructure. https://limacharlie.io/

About Sands Capital
Sands Capital is an active, long-term investor in leading innovative businesses globally. Our approach combines analytical rigor and creative thinking to identify high-quality growth businesses that are creating the future. Through an integrated investment platform spanning venture capital, private growth equity and public growth equity, we provide growth capital solutions to institutions and fund sponsors in more than 40 countries. Sands Capital is an independent, staff-owned firm founded in 1992 with offices in the Washington, D.C. area, San Francisco, and Singapore. www.sandscapital.com

SOURCE LimaCharlie

Headlight, formerly Sokya Health, will focus on expanding its provider-led approach to mental health care delivery and commitment to helping patients find their best therapist fit

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 8, 2024 — Headlight, a tech-forward mental health practice committed to offering patients convenience and a simplified care journey, today announced $18 million in new venture funding, led by Matrix and EPIC Ventures. Funding will help the company expand into additional states and add hundreds of new licensed therapists to their team by 2025. Prior to the transaction, Headlight added new executive leadership including Chief Executive Officer Geoff Swindle, former Chief Business Officer of PillPack and Amazon Pharmacy. In this role, Swindle led teams that developed thriving relationships with payers and built an acclaimed customer care function. With new venture backing and a refreshed brand, Headlight is creating a dynamic model that makes it radically easy for clinicians to practice and for patients to access the individualized care they deserve.

“Despite a proliferation of virtual services, 60% of adults in the U.S. who have sought mental health services still struggle to meet the most basic need^[1]: a qualified clinician who accepts their insurance and understands their unique situation,” said Geoff Swindle, CEO. “Headlight focuses on helping patients get from initial interest in counseling to a well-aligned therapist and prescriber match faster and with less friction than existing options.”

Founded by Drs. Manish Sheth and Shashita Inamdar, both MD-PhD’s, Headlight’s philosophy is to prioritize and optimize the clinicians’ experience, not just the patient experience. The current venture funding will allow the company to prioritize efficiency through technology, simplify workflows and enable clinicians to focus on delivering top-quality care to their patients. The company’s organizational structure fosters collaboration among clinical staff and actively involves them in key company decisions. Clinicians are all W-2 employees, creating a connected culture that prioritizes community between practitioners and ongoing training and credentialing. This model allows clinicians the time to stay current with the issues facing their patients. Reflecting their provider-led values, Headlight also has significant flexibility within the full-time employee model, which empowers clinicians to manage their work life balance.

In addition to being clinician-centric, Headlight is designing a patient experience that is simple, accessible, affordable, and delivers exceptional outcomes. For example, Headlight recognizes that the onboarding experience for many mental health services is often, in itself, traumatic. Patients must complete multiple pages of health information and revisit their reasons for seeking support. In response, Headlight is leveraging the team’s deep pharmacy experience to launch secure onboarding flows that streamline and simplify the process. By importing and aggregating the patient’s readily available medical and prescription history data Headlight will provide more holistic care of the patient and make clinical progress faster. Similar data-driven approaches will support the therapeutic alliance by better matching a patient’s requirements with the clinician that best meets their needs.

Patients can seek care via telehealth or in-person and Headlight works to make the insurance cost as transparent as possible. Headlight is currently in-network and has dedicated credentialing with most payers in the states that they serve (Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas, and Washington).

Manish Sheth, MD, PhD, Headlight’s Chief Clinical Officer and co-Founder commented, “As an actively practicing Clinical Psychiatrist, I know patients want to connect with their clinicians and feel understood on a personal level. Our goal at Headlight is to make it as simple as possible for both clinicians and patients to form those connections.”

About Headlight

Headlight is a mental health company dedicated to transforming the way mental health services are delivered. With a clinician-centered model, innovative technology, and a commitment to accessibility and affordability, Headlight is redefining mental health care. To learn more visit www.headlight.health.

Contact

Jacquelyn Miller

[email protected]

‪(617) 468-8243

^[1] source

SOURCE Headlight Health

BENGALURU, India, Feb. 8, 2024 — River, a Bengaluru-based startup building multi-utility electric scooters, has announced a $40 million (335 INR Crores) Series B led by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. The round also saw participation from existing investors Al-Futtaim Group, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Maniv Mobility.

River started selling its first product Indie, the SUV of scooters in October-2023. Indie was fully designed and developed at the River R&D facility in Bengaluru and manufactured in the River Factory at Hoskote in the outskirts of Bengaluru. The first River store opened in Bangalore in January 2024.

“We are impressed by the progress that River has achieved in such a short span of time, especially with the strong focus on design and technology. We are excited about the conviction that Aravind and Vipin have for River and how Yamaha can support the company to achieve this,” says Hajime “Jim” Aota, Chief General Manager of New Business Development Centre, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

This round takes the cumulative fund raised by the company to $68 Million (565 INR Crores) since its inception in March 2021. With this funding, the company plans to scale the distribution and service network across the country and invest further in R&D for future lineup of products.

River is the first Indian investment of all its investors – Tel Aviv based Maniv Mobility, San Francisco based Trucks VC, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Dubai based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Automotive.

“The investment is a significant boost for our plan to build a Billion dollar global utility-lifestyle brand by 2030. We have built a great base in R&D and manufacturing over the last two years and now, it’s time to grow,” said Aravind Mani, Co-founder and CEO of River.

“The collaboration with Yamaha will help us leverage the design and technology capability that we have built at River,” said Vipin George, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at River. “I learned to ride on a Yamaha motorcycle and have been amazed by the highest levels of performance that they stand for. And now, Yamaha investing in River is quite a surreal feeling. I’m excited about what the partnership can achieve.”

About River:
Website: https://www.rideriver.com/
LinkedIn: @rideriver | YouTube: @rideriver

Media Contact:
Srishti Singh | [email protected] | +919611157696

Logo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2337239/River_Logo.jpg

SOURCE River