First cohort of emerging managers joining Recast Accelerate includes 36 women-led funds

NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2023 — Recast Capital, a platform dedicated to investing in and supporting emerging managers in venture, today announced the first cohort of Recast Accelerate, a catalytic program designed to drive the success of women and nonbinary-led, early stage US funds in venture capital.

The review process was supported by a selection committee of limited partners with experience working with emerging managers in venture, including Ashlie Tyler of Bank of America, Geoff Abrahams of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Katie Fackler of a private family office, Lisa Cawley of Screen Door, Angela Outlaw-Matheny of Crewcial Partners, Margot Kane of Spring Point Partners, and Matt Rho of Avivar Capital.

The Fall 2023 cohort is composed of 36 funds, 25% of which include at least one GP that is Black, 17% Latinx, 39% Asian, 8% from the LGBTQIA+ community, and 36% are first-generation U.S. citizens. The funds are headquartered all across the US, covering 13 states. Over 83% of the funds involved are raising Fund 1 and 53% are a solo GP. Some of the top sectors of focus include health and wellness, consumer technology and climate technology. The original goal was to select 30 funds for the inaugural cohort; however, the strength of the applicant pool coupled with the particularly challenging fundraising environment for underrepresented GPs today motivated Recast to work to increase the size of the group and support more managers.

The Recast Accelerate inaugural cohort includes:

• Chi Achebe, Achebe Capital
• Annie Luchsinger, Breakers VC
• Pamela York, Kathy Tune, Capita3 Ventures
• Tessa Flippin, Capitalize VC
• Sally Zheng, Centenarian Fund
• Jennifer Kan, Michael Luciani, Climate Capital
• Rebecca Gevalt, Meg Vorland, Meagan Metzger, Dcode Capital
• Megan Maloney, Dria Ventures
• Mahrinah Shije, Endemic Venture Capital
• Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures
• Connie Bowen, Farmhand Ventures
• Jenny Barba, Jeff Chu, Features Capital
• Kathryn Finney, Genius Guild Greenhouse Fund
• Jennifer Keiser Neundorfer, Maren Thomas Bannon, January Ventures
• Helene Servillon, JourneyOne Ventures
• Ariane Tom, Kaleida Capital
• Madeline Darcy, Kaya Ventures
• Rohini Chakravarthy, Chad Bailey, NewBuild Venture Capital
• Batchimeg Ganbaatar, Tem Tumurbat, Nomadic Venture Partners
• Kimberley Nixon, Open Venture Capital
• Erica Wenger, Park Rangers Capital
• Jenny He, Position Ventures
• Rachel ten Brink, Herman Goihman, Red Bike Capital
• Lisa Morales-Hellebo, Brian Laung Aoaeh, REFASHIOND Ventures
• Tahira Dosani, Vikas Raj, ResilienceVC
• Tara Tan, Strange VC
• Sonam Velani, Laura Fox, Streetlife Ventures
• Noramay Cadena, Shayna Harris,  Supply Change Capital
• Sydney Thomas, Symphonic Capital
• Stephanie Campell, Leslie Goldman, Diana Murakhovskaya, The Artemis Fund
• Himalaya Rao-Potlapally, The BFM Fund
• Amber Illig, The Council Fund
• Allison Barr Allen, Trail Run Capital
• Danielle Steer, Amanda Heyman, Adam Choe, Tundra Ventures
• Brita Rosenheim, Beatriz Franco, Vita Vera Ventures
• Gale Wilkinson, Caroline Casson, VITALIZE Venture Capital

“I’m thrilled to welcome Recast Accelerate’s first cohort, a group of high caliber and well-deserving managers. We’re excited to work with this talented group of GPs,” says Sara Zulkosky, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Recast Capital. “We look forward to supporting their firms’ evolution as they leverage the program’s various resources. The fundraising landscape has been particularly challenging for emerging managers, and we hope that having access to the networking opportunities, educational components, and additional capital through the program will help them expedite their success in market. We are looking forward to the impact that they can have on the broader venture ecosystem.”

Recast Accelerate launched in early 2023 with the intent to help more diverse managers successfully raise and run institutional-quality funds over time. Accelerate began by focusing on women and nonbinary-led emerging venture managers, and provides access to Recast’s established Enablement Program, including key educational content, professional development and community-building resources, complimentary executive coaching, and $100k to be leveraged in support of each fund’s backend operations. The program is rooted in the hypothesis that by increasing the number of emerging GPs that identify as women or non-binary, particularly those focused on investing at the earliest stages of company development, you will also increase the percentage of VC funding to founders from underrepresented backgrounds. The only requirement is each manager agrees to report on the demographics of the founders they back and the findings will be publicly released.

“We are passionate about helping to increase the number of underrepresented emerging managers because they are bringing innovation to an industry long overdue for change,” said Courtney McCrea, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Recast Capital. “Accelerate is one of the first programs of its kind to fully support women and non-binary emerging managers with no strings attached. We are grateful for the trust that these managers and funds have placed in Recast to join along on this exciting journey to change the face of venture capital.” 

Early support for Accelerate comes from Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company. Recast is looking to bring additional funders on board to broaden the program’s reach, include more managers in future cohorts and provide more funding to the managers. In addition to this cohort, the Accelerate program will announce two additional cohorts over the next two years. Recast Accelerate is a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

To learn more about Recast Accelerate visit: https://recastcapital.com/accelerate/ or or email [email protected].

About Recast
Recast Capital is a 100% women-owned venture capital platform that invests in and supports top-tier emerging fund managers, with a focus on diverse partnerships. The platform was built to drive returns and create substantive change in the venture industry.

Founded by seasoned, institutionally-trained fund investors Courtney McCrea and Sara Zulkosky, Recast Capital leverages its deep network and exceptional track record to provide its limited partners diversified exposure to top-performing emerging managers, as well as access to a pipeline of the future’s industry-leading franchises.

Recast also launched the Enablement and Accelerate Programs as powerful complements to its fund investment strategy; the programs provide learning and development opportunities for emerging managers in venture, allowing Recast to support more of the community than just those it can invest in via their fund investment strategies.

Learn more at www.recastcapital.com.

Media Contact
Gabby Champion
760-636-3490
364697@email4pr.com

SOURCE Recast Capital

Topgolf Callaway Brands Joins as Partner Dedicated to Driving Innovation in Golf 

NEW YORK and FRISCO, Texas, Aug. 31, 2023 — Today, EP Golf Ventures, LLC (“EP Golf Ventures”), a strategic investment partnership between Elysian Park Ventures and the PGA of America designed to support innovation in the golf industry, announces the completion of the first closing of its first investment fund, EP Golf Ventures Fund I (the “Fund”). 

EP Golf Ventures invests in areas that add strategic value across the $102 billion golf industry, supporting organizations that seek to improve coaching, education and training; health, wellness and performance science; hospitality and facility management; retail; and agriculture. Selected investors in EP Golf Ventures Fund I include Topgolf Callaway Brands (NYSE: MODG) the unrivaled tech-enabled modern golf and active lifestyle company with a portfolio of global brands including Topgolf, Callaway Golf, TravisMathew, Toptracer, Odyssey, OGIO, Jack Wolfskin, and World Golf Tour (“WGT”); Gametime Capital, the family office of Richard Fairbank; and several other institutions, individuals and investors across the sports, technology and media ecosystem. 

Both Elysian Park Ventures and the PGA of America have directly committed capital to the Fund. EP Golf Ventures expects to complete a second close of the Fund later this year. 

“EP Golf Ventures has a strong investment thesis that is strategically aligned with our mission to drive innovation, new personality, trends and attitudes in golf,” commented Chip Brewer, President & Chief Executive Officer of Topgolf Callaway Brands. “Elysian Park’s institutional knowledge and network combined with the PGA of America’s golf industry expertise offers an unparalleled platform to identify promising entrepreneurs and organizations that will capture the market opportunity in this rapidly changing and growing sport, and usher in the next generation for the game we all love.” 

EP Golf Ventures has already made four investments in technologies that are poised to change the golf industry – Sportsbox AI, an AI-powered technology company that develops coaching applications through markerless 3D motion capture; Dryvebox, an organization working to increase golf access to all through a mobile golf simulator that offers lessons, practice sessions, virtual golf and private events; Sensible Weather, a climate technology company helping consumers understand climate and de-risk adventures against the weather; and Repurpose, a plant-based compostable tableware company. EP Golf Ventures expects to build a portfolio of approximately 15 companies over time.

“Golf is one of the world’s fastest growing sports, and there is an enormous opportunity to drive innovation across all facets of the game,” said Jay Adya, Managing Partner of Elysian Park Ventures. “We started EP Golf Ventures with the PGA of America to partner with standout entrepreneurs that have the ability to create real change within the golf industry and beyond. Completing this first close further validates our approach, and we look forward to growing our portfolio with support from our new investors and partners.”

“The PGA of America is committed to growing the game and advancing the industry through the PGA Professional,” said Arjun Chowdri, Chief Innovation Officer at the PGA of America. “With the backing of our new partners, along with our continued partnership with Elysian Park Ventures, we look forward to supporting businesses that have the vision to drive innovation in the golf industry and create opportunities for the PGA Professional.”

About EP Golf Ventures
EP Golf Ventures is a strategic investment partnership between the PGA of America and Elysian Park Ventures designed to support innovation in the golf industry and create opportunities for the PGA Professional. EP Golf Ventures invests in businesses and entrepreneurs focused on coaching and training; health, wellness and performance science; hospitality; facility management; retail and agriculture. 

About Elysian Park Ventures
Elysian Park is a global investment platform dedicated to building the future of sports. Created by the ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Elysian Park invests at the intersection of sports, health, culture, commerce, and technology. Elysian Park works with companies across stages from seed to growth to provide perspective, relationships, capital and exclusive strategic resources including the Trailblazer Venture Studio, Global Sports Venture Studio, Robin, Fitt Insider, and EP Golf Ventures in partnership with PGA of America, among others. Learn more at elysianpark.ventures.

About the PGA of America
PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

SOURCE EP Golf Ventures

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Aug. 31, 2023 — BioInnovation Institute (BII), an international non-profit foundation incubating and accelerating world-class life science research, today announces that eight new companies have entered its Venture Lab acceleration program for early-stage companies. The cohort is strategically aligned with BII’s focus on supporting innovative early-stage start-ups within human and planetary health. 

The 12-month Venture Lab program is designed to support start-up companies with business acceleration, scientific, and team development, and provides a founder-friendly convertible loan of EUR 500,000 (approximately 4M DKK) plus access to labs and offices at the BII in Copenhagen. In becoming a part of the Venture Lab program, the early-stage companies also get an exclusive opportunity to apply for EUR 1.3M in follow-up funding through BII’s Venture House program.

Bobby Soni, Chief Business Officer at BioInnovation Institute, said: “These eight early-stage companies are a fantastic addition to BII’s Venture Lab. The start-ups have been selected as they demonstrate great potential to drive the innovation of solutions to current challenges in human and planetary health. We once again look forward to supporting these start-ups by providing our knowledge, network, funding, and infrastructure to build successful companies.”

Each start-up will be supported in undertaking the necessary steps to reach initial proof-of-concept, to make a business plan and to set up a team. Assisted by a dedicated scientific advisor, a leadership coach and a BII business development expert, the new ventures will be guided in developing a detailed milestone plan and will be assisted in overcoming the challenges of growing a business allowing them to progress rapidly towards the market.

The new companies BII has accepted into the Venture Lab acceleration program are:

• Loma Therapeutics is developing targeted immunotherapy for efficient and safe treatment of patients with HPV infection, dysplasia, and cancer.
• metaLead is developing revolutionary therapies to treat metal-related diseases, currently focused on Wilson disease, lead poisoning, and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation.
• Leopard Biosciences is democratizing diagnostics by bringing the power of molecular testing to where it’s needed most: in the hands of doctors and patients at the point of care.
• Novozymes’ Venture (Corporate Sponsored Project) is exploring how to play a key role to develop and produce at scale cell culture media ingredients for the cultivated meat industry.
• Amalus Therapeutics is on a mission to profoundly reshape the lives of people affected by cancer and fibrotic diseases.
• BioHalo is revolutionizing the halogenated chemicals industry by starting with the production of more sustainable and bio-based fluorinated polymers and high-performance materials.
• Visibuilt is developing an innovative solution for road construction that replaces fossil ingredients in asphalt and reduces energy consumption during production.
• Rapidemic is developing a molecular point-of-care test for fast and accurate diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections.

Since its inception in 2018, BII has supported 87 start-ups and projects with EUR 77 million alongside the venture capital, industry and business expertise it provides to help them accelerate to the next level.  In total, BII’s start-ups have raised over EUR 424 million in external funding from both local and international investors.  Recent company successes include Embark Laboratories, Adcendo, Stipe Therapeutics, Twelve Bio, Octarine Bio, and Cirqle Biomedical.

Read more about the Venture Lab program 

About the BioInnovation Institute Foundation:
At BioInnovation Institute (BII), we accelerate world-class life science start-up innovation for the benefit of people and society. As a non-profit institute, BII operates the company creation programs, Bio Studio, Venture Lab and Venture House, to support life science start-ups with knowledge, network, infrastructure and funding of up to 3M EUR per projects and 1,8 M EUR per start-up. With our expertise, network, funding, and infrastructure, we empower startups to succeed and believe in the transformative power of life science innovation. Read more on www.bioinnovationinstitute.com 

SOURCE BioInnovation Institute

Funding Sets Stage to Build Industry-Leading Sorting and Processing Facilities Across North America to Serve the $10 Billion Mixed Aluminum Scrap Market

MARKLE, Ind., Aug. 30, 2023 — Sortera Technologies, Inc., an innovative material sorting company with a recycling platform powered by artificial intelligence, data analytics, and advanced sensors, today announced the close of a $30.5 million Series C funding round led by RA Capital Management-Planetary Health with participation from certain funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., the Mineral Resources Group, which is a part of Mitsubishi Corporation’s Business Incubation Unit, and Macquarie GIG Energy Transition Solutions (“MGETS”). Additional existing investors include Assembly Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Chrysalix. This funding will fuel Sortera’s growth as a major player in the domestic upcycling space. Additionally, it will help to affirm the company’s commitment to solutions that create new upcycling streams, enable a circular economy, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

In just two and a half years of operations, Sortera has demonstrated that its technology platform can accurately and rapidly handle complex sorting of pre-production aluminum and end-of-life mixed metals. Sortera’s first full-scale facility, located in Markle, Indiana, is currently being commissioned to sort up to 220 million pounds of mixed metals per year. By sorting mixed metals into single alloy streams, Sortera enables greater use of recycled material in manufacturing, lowers the costs of metals production, increases the availability of metals for domestic manufacturers, and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with virgin metals production. The resulting high-quality upcycled materials from Sortera’s operation will be put back into the U.S. market, representing a significant contribution to the circular economy movement and to the security of domestic resources. The Series C funds will be used to expand Sortera’s operations in North America and accelerate the company’s growth in the more than $1 trillion metals and recycling markets.

Sortera recently established an R&D facility in Austin, Texas, to focus on advancing its already robust sorting platform that uses advanced sensors and artificial intelligence. The company aims to transform the recycling industry by driving innovation and focusing on sustainability in the upcycling sector to build a network of world-class sorting and processing facilities. Sortera’s technology allows it to capitalize on domestic feedstocks that have traditionally been sent overseas to be recycled into lower-grade materials. Sortera will continue to expand its capabilities in metals and other recyclable materials that are critical to future growth of the economy.

“To have secured interest and commitments from globally recognized high caliber investors such as RA Capital Management, T. Rowe Price, Mitsubishi Corporation, and MGETS, along with our existing investors Assembly Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Chrysalix, who understood the level of sophistication, effectiveness, and potential of our technology platform from the earliest stages, not only validates the importance of our technology for the domestic U.S. recycling market but its potential on a global scale,” said Michael Siemer, CEO, Sortera Technologies. “This funding round affirms our contributions towards global sustainable efforts and will be used to scale our operations to commercialization, grow our team, and, most importantly, continue to provide high-quality upcycled metal materials to our customer base.”  

By using the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, Sortera is bringing lightning-speed changes to a centuries old industry and is creating a sustainable, efficient, and automated recycling process.

“Sortera’s technology advances the goals of a healthy environment and a healthy economy, and does so in a critically important sector,” said Kyle Teamey, managing partner, Planetary Health at RA Capital Management. “Non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum and copper, are essential to the ongoing massive growth in renewable energy and electric vehicles that are at the core of the energy transition. Sortera enables the transition to a cleaner, more productive economy while also providing an economic boon to metal producers.”

Mr. Siemer concluded, “We are perfectly situated to seize the momentum and success of our technology platform and talented research team to expand our recycling capabilities into additional key materials and industrial applications. This will both expand Sortera’s reach as a key player in the mixed alloy industry, as well as establish our leadership role in the global circular economy movement. Perhaps equally as important is showcasing the sophistication, innovation, world-class execution, and dedicated focus of sustainability solutions that are coming out of the nation’s heartland.”

The company’s Markle, Indiana plant is expected to be fully operational in 2023. Once up and running, the Markle facility will increase Sortera’s overall processing capacity to 220 million lbs. of mixed aluminum scrap annually, which would otherwise be sent overseas along with an estimated 4 billion lbs. of scrap aluminum that has been traditionally shipped abroad annually for processing. Sortera is focused on advancing the recyclability of a variety of other materials, which will contribute to the reduction of overall CO₂ emissions and advance customers’ sustainability goals. Sortera is committed to leading the charge in revolutionizing the recycling industry and creating a more sustainable future for all. Recently, the Company changed its name from Sortera Alloys to Sortera Technologies to reflect its intentions to work with upcyclable materials beyond just metal alloys.

About Sortera Technologies, Inc.
Sortera Technologies, Inc. brings state-of-the-art artificial intelligence data analytics to the recycling industry. This disruptive technology drives new paradigms by generating new upcycled products through advanced sortation methods. Creating novel recycled metal fractions from existing scrap recycling streams enables the domestic production of metals for manufacturing, boosting the strength of the circular economy. Sortera is led by a team of seasoned innovators in the fields of advanced materials, electronic instrumentation, and equipment development. For more information visit: www.sorteratech.com.

About RA Capital Management
RA Capital Management is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing. The flexibility of its strategy allows RA Capital Management to provide seed funding to startups and to lead private, IPO, and follow-on financings for its portfolio companies, both facilitating the crossover process and allowing management teams to drive value creation from inception through commercialization. Planetary Health focuses on creating and funding companies that develop and commercialize cost-effective solutions to reduce emissions, increase resource availability, and restore environmental quality. 

Media Contact
Chris Allieri
[email protected] 

SOURCE Sortera Technologies, Inc.

Capital being directed to the advance and scale up of proprietary technologies in battery metals recovery from spent batteries, lithium battery fire mitigation products and the manufacture of battery storage systems from spent lithium batteries

SYDNEY, Aug. 30, 2023 — It has been a busy past few months for Australian battery recycling technology startup Battery Pollution Technologies.

Today the following positive advances are announced:

Pre Seed Capital Raising Closed
A heavily oversubscribed pre seed capital raising has been closed which has brought in a select number of senior industry executives as shareholders of the Company. The new shareholders bring relevant business networks to the Battery Pollution Technologies corporate mission – including with deep connections to heavy industry, the mining & infrastructure, energy transition and foreign markets – in particular Indonesia.

The capital is being dedicated directly to the advancing of the Company’s proprietary technologies including in the areas of black mass separation & metals recovery, communications smart transportation units and fire event suppressants aimed at mitigating the impact and risk of Lithium Battery fires.

The work with the University of Newcastle continues to progress smoothly and satisfactorily in these areas with the suppressant and risk mitigation products now being developed under the X-Li™ brand – an acronym for extinguish Lithium and the cobalt/lithium/nickel/graphite recovery process under a proprietary approach which is referred to as LiRxR™ technology.

Scale up of senior resource has also commenced with a senior commercial role having been filled and to be announced in the next few days. No fees or other professional costs were incurred in executing the capital raising.

2nd Life Battery Brand Revealed
The Company’s ambitions and strategy in the development of 2^nd life battery storage systems from spent batteries continues to advance. This initiative will be developed under the Daintree Batteries™ brand family.

The Daintree Rainforest in North Queensland is an inspirational case study in nature’s circular economy. All organic matter is efficiently recycled and repurposed. Daintree Batteries™ is driven not only to maximise the opportunity of spent lithium cell reuse, but also to incorporate recycled materials in the battery production process – in particular waste PET bottles and other plastic pollutants.

Company Name Evolved
We have also reflected on the progress of initiatives and the core mission of the Company. More than a standard recycling operation the focus remains on both the development of recycling sector technologies and the mechanical recycling process. To this end the Company’s name has been slightly modified with the inclusion of the word Technologies.

Our mission on finding unique, commercially affordable technologies which minimises the impact of battery related pollution on the planet continues.

Association for the Battery Recycling Industry Appointment
The Company is also pleased to announce that its Founder & CEO, Nicholas Assef, has been appointed President of the Association for The Battery Recycling Industry.

To learn more on the Association visit: www.batteryrecycling.org.au

Daintree Life Support
Battery Pollution Technologies is also pleased to announce that it has signed on as a Silver Sponsor of the Daintree Life charitable initiative which is a boutique initiative aimed at replanting areas of the Daintree Rainforest.

Our Silver Sponsorship will mean that over 150 new trees will be planted in land within the wider Daintree Rainforest region in the first year of our support. All key staff and stakeholders of Battery Pollution Technologies have also signed on as individual members of Daintree Life – having a tree planted in each of their names as a result.

Daintree Life’s mission statement reads:

Promoting positive outcomes in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest via education and a goal of planting 500,000 trees globally by 2030.

Whilst Battery Pollution Technologies is in its early stages of development it is still important that we align with charitable initiatives that are pure to our cause.

Daintree Life is a catalyst for the preservation of our precious rainforests and we would encourage the wider community to both learn more on their mission and to support their work. More can be learned at : www.daintreelife.com.au

Nicholas Assef, Battery Pollution Technologies Founder & CEO commented on the positive developments: “Things are progressing smoothly and quietly with the Company’s operational focus on all initiatives remaining the highest priority. The potential for commercial success is incredible but we need to continue with our sense of urgency to deliver relevant cost-effective commercial technology”.

Contact:
Public Relations
***@batterypollution.com

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/12981696

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Battery Pollution Technologies

jbrds reimagines kid’s footwear with stylish, physician-designed shoes engineered for their feet.

BALTIMORE, Md., Aug. 30, 2023 — jbrds, a new children’s footwear brand anatomically designed to support foot structure and activity requirements at four distinct stages of a child’s physical development, successfully subscribed a modest seed round establishing a $5,000,000 valuation.

The successfully completed seed funding round comes on the heels of launching its first product line of Stand2Walk shoes for sale in July of 2022. Bringing a first-of-its-kind model to the market, jbrds offers a kid’s shoe designed for a kid’s foot that seamlessly blends function and style to match parents’ active lifestyles.

Co-founded by leading podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Jay LeBow; former sports industry veteran at Mizuno and Adidas Mike Gugat; and top sporting goods merchant David Hirshfeld, jbrds reimagines children’s footwear for children and babies.

Its Stand2Walk patent-pending design uniquely supports the young wearer’s lateral column and developing cuboid bone while stabilizing the heel. This combination of support and stability promotes the healthy development of a child’s foot.

“After reviewing hundreds of X-rays and evaluating the current offering of generic kids’ footwear, it was clear there was a need in the footwear industry jbrds could fill,” said Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Dr. Jay LeBow. “Now, every child can start on the right foot with shoes designed for their developmental needs and crafted with clinical expertise.”

jbrds’ created Stand2Walk anatomically designed footwear for children with the following features that make it easier for babies to stand, balance and walk:

• Injection-molded support cage — a patent pending design to promote the healthy development of feet.
• Velcro strap — easy for parents to slip on, hard for baby to take off.
• Sock-like upper — instant comfort, socks optional
• Suede outsole — just enough grip so baby won’t trip.
• 0-drop outsole — promotes the development of healthy tendons to limit future foot and ankle problems

“We’re here to finally put an end to outfitting babies and young children with adult shoes shrunk down to fit kids’ feet,” said CEO and co-founder Mike Gugat. “Our mission is to start kids off on the right foot, and jbrds is leaving the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to children’s footwear behind. We’re meeting kids’ needs from cradle to eight years old to avoid possible problems later in life from wearing ill-fitting, or simply the wrong shoes as a child.“

Customers can purchase jbrds’ Stand2Walk shoes with free two-day shipping directly from www.jbrds.com.

Access photos, video and the full press kit here.

About jbrds:
jbrds is a Baltimore-based footwear startup for infants, toddlers and kids. Its mission is to start kids off on the right foot for a life filled with physical activity. jbrds is creating innovative footwear with its introductory shoe, the Stand2Walk, designed to uniquely support the lateral column and developing cuboid bone while stabilizing a child’s heel. Following its first product line, Stand2Walk (ages 9-18 months), the company will introduce ranges for all developmental phases of kids’ lives — Walk2Run (ages 18 months to 3 years), Run2Play (ages 3-5 years) and GoPlay (ages 5-8 years). Purchase jbrds at www.jbrds.com.

Contact:
Brian Principato, PR Consultant for jbrds
e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE jbrds

Parker’s appointment is a significant milestone as Kanarys strives to help organizations integrate their DEIB efforts into sustainable, impactful business practices. 

DALLAS, Aug. 30, 2023 — Kanarys, Inc., a leading diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) technology company focused on providing the tools organizations need to create long-term systemic change around DEIB challenges, announces today the appointment of Melonie D. Parker, chief diversity officer at Google, Inc., to its Board of Directors.

Parker is an award-winning C-suite leader who brings more than three decades of experience delivering measurable impact and equitable outcomes for communities across the globe. As a dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion in corporate environments, she has been the driver of Google’s commitment to addressing the tech industry’s talent pipeline in its workforce as well as fostering diversity amongst emerging entrepreneurs. Prior to Google, Parker was the first Black woman to serve as the Vice President of Human Resources and Communications at Sandia National Laboratories, and she held a variety of progressive leadership roles over a 17-year period at Lockheed Martin.

“As someone who has dedicated my career to fostering inclusion and empowering workplaces, I look forward to working with Kanarys to drive DEIB impact across industries on a global scale,” said Melonie Parker, chief diversity officer at Google, Inc. and member of the board of directors at Kanarys. “With data being key to sustaining DEIB progress and commitment, Kanarys has set the standard in creating measurable DEIB solutions, by harnessing its data-driven approach to building a more equitable future for all workplaces.”

“At Kanarys, our work is centered around the significance of a data-driven DEIB strategy because it enables organizations to identify and address systemic inequities, foster inclusive workplace environments, and drive meaningful change,” said Mandy Price, co-founder and CEO at Kanarys. “With her expertise in leveraging data to propel Google’s employee engagement strategy within DEIB, Melonie Parker brings invaluable experience and knowledge to our team. Under her expert guidance, we will further Kanarys’ innovative data-driven platform and provide the framework that companies need to deliver comprehensive DEIB strategies that truly cultivate inclusive workplaces.”

In just five years, Kanarys has grown from an idea to a category industry leader in DEIB used by notable companies such as Yum! Brands, Silicon Labs, the Chuck E. Cheese Corporation, 7-Eleven, Neiman Marcus, and several other Fortune 500 companies. The organization has also established strategic partnerships with leading national advocacy groups including INROADS, Prospanica, and the National Urban League. Despite Black women receiving, less than 1% of venture capital funding, Price has raised more than $10.5M in venture capital funding to help companies advance and measure DEIB within their organizations. With their Series A round closing in February 2023, she joined less than 20 Black female founders who have raised more than $10M.

“Kanarys remains at the forefront of providing data-driven DEIB solutions for companies around the world,” stated George Spencer III, senior managing director of Seyen Capital, the lead investor in Kanarys’ Series A financing round. “As companies adapt to increased regulations and reporting standards around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) on a global scale, it’s more critical than ever that companies have the necessary DEIB data to effectively support and retain their employees. With Melonie’s impressive three decades of experience in leading DEIB initiatives, Kanarys is well-positioned to advance their data-driven solutions and provide the data that organizations need to comply with required ESG and DEIB disclosures.”

“Kanarys’ innovative data-driven approach to DEIB has fueled its impressive growth,” said Chuck Stormon, managing partner for StartFast Ventures and Kanarys investor. “Adding Melonie to Kanarys’ Board of Directors will propel the company forward in its mission to create more inclusive and accessible companies where everyone belongs. Her extensive experience and outstanding track record across multiple industries will play a crucial role in providing the necessary guidance to drive Kanarys forward.” 

About Kanarys
Kanarys is a technology company focused on providing the tools organizations need to create long-term systemic change around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) challenges. Working alongside mid-size enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, Kanarys transforms DEIB work with data by providing the framework, benchmarking, and data companies need to incorporate best-in-class DEIB into every area of the organization. Like a canary in the coal mine, Kanarys helps organizations ensure healthy work environments by revealing DEIB blindspots before they become a problem. For more information on Kanarys, visit www.kanarys.com.

SOURCE Kanarys, Inc.

Startup Showcase Live Pitch Competition Offers $500k Investment Prize;
Robert Herjavec of “Shark Tank” Delivers Conference Keynote Address

ATLANTA, Aug. 30, 2023 — Venture Atlanta, one of the nation’s most prestigious venture capital conferences, today announced the innovative companies to be featured at its 16^th annual event taking place September 27-28 at The Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Symphony Hall. To view the list of 83 companies, go here.

With the theme of IGNITE INNOVATION, Venture Atlanta 2023 will host its first-ever pitch competitions between selected companies—including a “Startup Showcase Live” pitch event for pre-seed and seed-stage that will conclude the conference with the winner receiving a $500,000 investment.

“Venture Atlanta 2023 continues to bring attendees all the events they love, including informative panels, big-name keynotes, and networking opportunities—only this year, we’re also adding high-stakes pitch competitions for early-stage, growth, and pre-seed/seed-stage companies,” said Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman. “We’ve reimagined our schedule to give even more stage time to promising tech companies and centered more of our programming around fostering connections.”

Eman added that this year’s Venture Atlanta has broken another record with 550 presenter applications—a 15 percent increase over last year and the most applicants ever. Also this year, a significant portion—more than 60 percent—of companies that applied are based outside of Georgia, reflecting the growing awareness and pull of Venture Atlanta.

Selected companies for this year’s Venture Atlanta represent the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Twenty-eight percent of the companies are led by women founders and 39 percent are led by diverse founders.   

Chief among the innovations represented by this year’s companies are Agtech, B2B & B2C Marketplaces, Blockchain/Crypto, Consumer, Cybersecurity, Digital Health, Digital Media, Enterprise/B2B Software, Fintech, Gaming Tech, Real Estate & Property Tech, and Supply Chain & Logistics.

To date, Venture Atlanta has helped to launch 760 companies and raise $7.5 billion in funding, also spinning out $17 billion in successful exits. The conference boasts successful alumni that include Bitcoin Depot, CallRail, Car360, Clearleap, Flock Safety, Florence Healthcare, Kabbage, ParkMobile, Pindrop Security, Salesforce Pardot, Salesloft, SingleOps, Stax, and Terminus. 

All-New Pitch Competitions Ignite Excitement at Venture Atlanta
This year, Venture Atlanta will host pitch competitions for early-stage and growth companies—as well as a “Startup Showcase Live” competition for pre-seed and seed-stage companies, with the winner of the latter receiving a $500,000 investment prize.

The $500,000 prize is being funded by BIP Ventures, Catalyst by Wellstar, Florida Funders, and Knoll Ventures.

The first round of pitches will be voted on by the Venture Atlanta audience, who will determine the companies that move on to be judged by an all-star panel of investors. To view the list of judges, go here.

“Even in the currently challenging fundraising environment, Venture Atlanta has amassed its most impressive roster of presenting companies yet and is on track for another sold-out event,” said Nick Foreste, Partner at Morris, Manning & Martin and Co-Chair of Venture Atlanta’s Recruiting and Screening Committee. “We take pride in our ability to curate an increasingly impressive lineup of innovative companies from the Southeast to showcase to high-profile investors, tech leaders, and visionaries from across the country.” 

Robert Herjavec of “Shark Tank” Delivers This Year’s Keynote Address
Globally recognized businessman and investor Robert Herjavec of “Shark Tank” will deliver Venture Atlanta 2023’s day two keynote address on September 28. Herjavec is the third “Shark” to speak at Venture Atlanta, with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner delivering keynote addresses at past conferences.

“For 16 years, Venture Atlanta has been selecting the most promising tech companies and drawing in top investment firms from across the nation,” said Emery Waddell, Principal, Vocap Investment Partners and Venture Atlanta Board Member. “This year, we’re turning up the excitement even more with Robert Herjavec of ‘Shark Tank’ fame delivering the keynote—and by putting our selected companies in direct competition on stage. As always, our mission is to provide unparalleled access to connections and capital to catalyze the next wave of groundbreaking innovations.”

Venture Atlanta 2023 Is Presented by Invesco
Venture Atlanta is the premier must-attend technology event due in part to the generous support of its sponsors. Invesco is once again the conference’s Title Sponsor, with J.P. Morgan as Hall of Fame Sponsor and Headline Sponsors including Bank of America, Cherry Bekaert, ExtensisHR, Marketwake, and Morris, Manning & Martin.

There are more than 90 sponsors of Venture Atlanta 2023. For a complete list of this year’s sponsors, go here.

Register to Attend Venture Atlanta—Before Last-Call Pricing Begins
Taking place September 27-28, Venture Atlanta 2023 is anticipated to be a sold-out event with over 1,400 entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and business leaders expected to be in attendance. It will again be held at The Woodruff Arts Center at 1280 Peachtree Street with keynotes, panels, and pitches in the beautiful Atlanta Symphony Hall that is part of the Woodruff campus.

For the full Venture Atlanta conference schedule, go here.

To register for the 16^th annual Venture Atlanta before last-call pricing goes into effect on September 5 or passes are sold out, go here. 

About Venture Atlanta
Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country’s top-tier investors. As the Southeast’s largest investor showcase helping launch more than 760 companies and raise $7.5 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region’s top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit our blog.

SOURCE Venture Atlanta

BENGALURU, India, Aug. 30, 2023 — SatSure, a global leader in satellite Earth observation data and analytics, has closed a Series A round of $15 million in equity capital and venture debt. The round has been led by Baring Private Equity Partners (BPEP), India and Promus Ventures, with participation from Omidyar Network India, and xto10X. With this investment, SatSure’s plans of launching a fleet of four high resolution optical and multispectral satellites continues to be on track for Q4, 2025. 

Founded in 2017, SatSure leverages satellite imagery and AI to deliver decision intelligence from space, translating to valuable insights for various industries, including agriculture, banking, and critical infrastructure. The fresh round of financing will also be used by the company to accelerate product innovation and expand its operations across the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. 

Along with the lead investors, this round also saw the participation of existing investors Force Ventures, Luckbox Ventures, and IndigoEdge Advisors. The closure of this round follows the strategic investments which SatSure received from the top private sector Indian banks, announced earlier in February, 2023. SatSure’s decision analytics are powering greater profitability, improved operational efficiency, and effective policy decision making for its customers, with the convergence of satellite data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Current use cases which the firm caters to are spread across enabling farmer financial inclusion, improved debt service management in the rural areas, mortgage loan monitoring, enabling agrichemicals hyperlocal sales intelligence and distribution strategy, aeronautical data management, vegetation monitoring for utilities, construction change detection, and commodities procurement intelligence, to name a few. 

SatSure expressed enthusiasm about the investment closure, with Prateep Basu, Founder & CEO stating, “We are thrilled to have such a great group of investors, who are supporting us in the journey towards becoming a full stack Earth observation data player. We are committed to expand our outreach, invest in Low-earth orbit satellite assets, and continue developing innovative products that signifies the rise of the India private space sector and its deep rooted alignment to our national space program.” 

“SatSure is building deep technology expertise and solving tough problems. Our continued confidence in the company’s vision is built on the global customer traction, a very talented team, and the large markets they are opening up through their product and business innovation,” said Arul Mehra, Partner at BPEP, India, which had also led SatSure’s pre-series A round in October, 2021. 

Promus Ventures, a leading venture capital firm investing in DeepTech and based in Chicago, San Francisco and Luxembourg, is known for its investments in DeepTech early-stage companies, including Space and AI. Pierre Festal, Partner at Promus Ventures said, “Promus Ventures’ investment in SatSure is a testament to our confidence in the company’s capabilities and the tremendous potential of geospatial analytics for scaling globally. We are excited to partner with SatSure and support their expansion into new markets while fostering innovation in the space industry.”

About SatSure:

SatSure is a DeepTech, Decision Intelligence company headquartered in Bangalore, India. Leveraging satellite imagery and AI, SatSure provides valuable insights to industries such as agriculture, insurance, and infrastructure. Their solutions empower clients to make data-driven decisions and drive sustainable development. For more information, visit here.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2162476/Satsure_Logo.jpg 

SOURCE SatSure