QuickFund helps eligible traders pursue funded proprietary trading accounts, providing an alternative path to participating in the markets without relying solely on personal trading capital.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 20, 2026 — The growth of proprietary trading firms has created additional options for traders seeking access to larger trading accounts without committing substantial amounts of their own capital. QuickFund AI is helping traders navigate this model by providing a streamlined pathway to funded proprietary trading accounts through compatible third-party firms.
Unlike a traditional brokerage account, where the trader deposits and trades personal funds, proprietary trading firms provide eligible traders with access to firm-provided capital after specific requirements are met. This model allows traders to pursue funded trading capital while limiting the amount of personal capital they need to commit directly to a trading account.
QuickFund AI is designed to simplify the process of pursuing these funded accounts. The service works with compatible proprietary trading firms and assists traders through the account funding process, reducing some of the complexity that can come with navigating different firms, account structures, and requirements independently.
For traders using compatible TruTrade technology, funded accounts can also be paired with AI-driven trading software designed to automate trade execution and position management. This combination gives traders the ability to use funded trading capital alongside automated technology while maintaining control over their software settings and risk parameters.
Funded trading does not eliminate risk, and proprietary trading firms maintain their own rules, evaluation requirements, account parameters, and funding criteria. QuickFund AI operates independently of these firms and does not make funding or account approval decisions. Those decisions remain solely with the selected proprietary trading firm and are subject to its individual terms and requirements.
As traders consider different ways to participate in the financial markets, funded proprietary trading accounts provide another option alongside traditional self-funded brokerage accounts. QuickFund‘s role is to make that option easier to navigate by connecting eligible traders with compatible funded account opportunities and providing ongoing support throughout the process.
By combining access to funded trading capital with compatible AI-driven trading technology, QuickFund AI provides traders with another way to structure their trading experience without relying exclusively on substantial personal capital.
New Zealand-based deep tech marine company backed by Blackbird VC announces FlyTahoe as its first U.S. customer, marking a broader U.S. expansion that includes showcases in New York City, Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard, and Lake Tahoe
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Aug. 20, 2026 — Vessev, a deep tech marine company changing the way the world moves on water, today announced $19 million in Series A and follow-on financing, its first U.S. commercial customer, FlyTahoe, an emerging sustainable water transit network operator in Lake Tahoe, CA, and a series of high-profile U.S. activations across, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Lake Tahoe that mark the company’s entry into the U.S. market.
Vessev co-founder and CEO, Eric Laakmann, aboard Vessev’s VS–9 electric hydrofoiling passenger vessel. Photo credit: Derek Henderson.
A render of FlyTahoe’s VS–9, the electric hydrofoiling vessel set to operate on Lake Tahoe. Image courtesy of Vessev.
Together, these milestones establish Vessev’s commercial, governmental, and industry presence as it enters the United States, showcasing its electric hydrofoiling technology to customers, policymakers, investors, media and maritime leaders.
The funding was led by Blackbird Ventures, an early backer of Canva and one of Australia’s leading venture firms. New investors GD1 and Rypples joined the round alongside existing investors K1W1 (early investor in Rocket Lab), Icehouse Ventures (early investor in Halter), Shasta Ventures, NZVC, and existing angel investors. The capital will accelerate in-house serial production of Vessev’s VS–9 vessel line, expand the company’s global go-to-market team, advance development of its onboard software and telemetry platform, accelerate the development of larger vessels, and support plans to manufacture in the United States.
“Hydrofoiling doesn’t just make boats better, it redefines what’s possible on water,” said Eric Laakmann, co-founder and CEO of Vessev. “By combining electric propulsion, advanced foiling systems, and software, we’re making vessels significantly more efficient, better for passengers and more scalable for operators. Lake Tahoe is an ideal place to demonstrate our technology and we’re excited to work with our first U.S. customer, FlyTahoe, to help communities rethink mobility on the lake, offering a faster, more reliable alternative.”
Lake Tahoe welcomes more than 15 million visitors annually, yet congestion around the lake has become a persistent challenge for residents and visitors alike, with up to 20,000 vehicle trips a day between North and South Shore. FlyTahoe wants to offer a faster, more reliable alternative by moving people over water instead of around it.
“This technology unlocks an entirely new era of sustainable water transit – offering a faster alternative to Tahoe’s infamous traffic while helping preserve the lake’s famous clarity,” said Ryan Meinzer, Founder & CEO of FlyTahoe. “We’re proud to be Vessev’s first U.S. customer and to add the VS–9 to our growing fleet of electric hydrofoiling vessels.”
Vessev’s first stop and debut in the U.S. will be in New York City just ahead of New York Climate Week, with demonstrations continuing throughout the week, showcasing its technology in a city where waterways have long been central to moving people. As New York looks to expand sustainable transportation options and reduce pressure on its streets, electric hydrofoiling offers a new model for faster, quieter, and more efficient ferry services that could serve as a blueprint for cities across the United States and around the world.
Timed with America’s 250th anniversary, Vessev’s next U.S. stop will be the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard on the historic Potomac River in late September. In collaboration with the DC Mobility Innovation District, the company will host a series of on-water demonstrations for government leaders, media, investors, and industry partners.
The U.S. debut will also include on-water demonstrations at Lake Tahoe, showcasing the VS–9 in one of the country’s most iconic waterways. Together, the Washington, New York and Lake Tahoe initiatives form Vessev’s U.S. go-to-market strategy, bringing electric hydrofoiling directly to the policymakers, operators, investors and industry leaders shaping the future of transportation while showcasing real-world commercial demand.
Vessev’s electric hydrofoiling technology allows vessels to lift above the water, eliminating hull drag and producing virtually no wake. The foil systems, inspired by America’s Cup racing designs, dynamically adjust to changing conditions up to 100 times per second, delivering a smooth, stable ride that is three times more efficient than conventional vessels. Powered by advanced sensing and telemetry, Vessev’s technology unlocks entirely new transportation applications.
As it expands in the U.S., Vessev plans to work with U.S.-based shipbuilders while continuing to design, engineer and build its core technology in-house, including foils, hardware, and flight control systems, maintaining a tightly integrated technology stack that enables high performance and full quality control across all areas.
FlyTahoe selected the VS–9 for its purpose-built commercial design and premium passenger experience, with panoramic glass windows, connecting passengers to Lake Tahoe’s scenery. Its efficiency in both size and charging requirements makes it easy to integrate with existing marina infrastructure, and well suited for FlyTahoe’s planned operations.
FlyTahoe’s proposed sustainable water transit network is highlighted in the Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and remains subject to Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) permits and approvals that FlyTahoe is actively working to obtain.
A foundational technology
Electric hydrofoiling is emerging as a foundational technology for maritime transport. By unlocking battery electric propulsion with greater range and simpler charging, it enables smaller, more agile vessels and a superior onboard experience. No equivalent technology exists in aviation or automotive that can deliver this level of performance gain.
“Vessev is bringing world-class engineering from Apple, Tesla, the America’s Cup and Rocket Lab to a massive, long-stagnant industry,” said Phoebe Harrop Meadows, Partner at Blackbird. “Its combination of foiling technology and software unlocks lower operating costs while improving the passenger experience, and shows how waterways can function as near-zero-emission transit networks, the U.S. and beyond.”
With more than 11,000 nautical miles logged, the VS–9 is a commercially certified vessel already operating in commercial service in New Zealand, with demand now spanning five continents. The 10-passenger, battery-electric vessel has a range of up to 40 nautical miles with a full load, and 50 nautical miles with a light load. Larger platforms are in development.
The combination of commercial certification, passenger comfort, and operating efficiency explains why Vessev is now working with cities and operators globally, including projects underway in Northern Ireland, Sydney and Hobart, to activate underutilized waterways as scalable transit networks.
Vessev builds electric hydrofoiling technology that is designed to change how the world moves on the water. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the company develops all of its core technology in-house, from the hull and foils through to the hardware and flight control systems. The team draws experience from the America’s Cup, Rocket Lab, Apple and Tesla to deliver vessels that are purpose-built for global commercial operations. Vessels are commercially certified and in service across New Zealand, with orders globally. Learn more at www.vessev.com.
About FlyTahoe
Featuring America’s first electric flying ferry, FlyTahoe is developing a sustainable water transit network on Lake Tahoe. Our vision is to cut travel time in half for the 20,000 daily drivers traveling between North and South Tahoe while preserving the lake’s clarity by eliminating road sediment and emissions. With 10x operational efficiency gains from electric hydrofoil technology, our model will unlock profitability while making flying across Lake Tahoe cheaper than driving around it. FlyTahoe is highlighted in the Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan. Learn more at flytahoe.com.
BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2026 — Math Magic, an AI creation company, today announced it has closed its Series A+ round, bringing total funding across two rounds in six months to nearly $50 million. Both rounds were led by BAI Capital and HyT Capital, with participation from V Fund and existing investors including HSG, IDG Capital, Long-Z Investments, Crystal Stream and Jinqiu Capital.
Yesterday, its all-in-one AI 3D creation platform Hi3D launched Hi3D V3.0, the AI 3D model with the highest precision and fidelity. Builda, Math Magic’s AI-powered creative community for personalized physical products, is preparing for global expansion. Builda also recently launched Builda Camera, an app that allows users to upload a photo, generate a personalized figurine, and have it delivered in just a few taps.
The new capital will fund continued investment in Math Magic’s core AI 3D technology, product development, and the manufacturing and fulfillment infrastructure needed to scale its “generation-to-delivery” model globally.
The Only Company Combining High-Precision AI 3D Model Technology With Physical Production
Most AI 3D companies focus narrowly on model capability itself. Math Magic stands apart by leading on both ends of the equation: pushing AI 3D model technology to the highest level in the industry, while building the deep supply-chain capabilities to bring those advances all the way to finished physical products.
One Foundation, Multiple Product Layers
Hi3D V3.0 raises geometric reconstruction to 2048³ voxel resolution, reducing the time artists spend on early-stage modeling. By handling more work around form, proportion and fine detail, Hi3D shifts their focus away from repetitive modeling and repair toward higher-level judgment and creative work. The same gains extend to industries such as 3D printing, jewelry design and cultural heritage restoration.
In addition to the highlights mentioned above, Hi3D also offers:
3D Model Maker: A high-precision, all-in-one AI 3D creation platform that brings image-to-3D generation, AI texturing, model splitting and multi-format export together in one seamless workspace.
Image to 3D Model: Turn a 2D reference image into a clean, detailed, and structured 3D model for games, design, art, or 3D printing.
AI Texturing: Automatically generate detailed, production-ready textures that bring untextured 3D models to life.
Split for 3D Printing: Automatically split complete models into printable parts and add connectors for easier printing and assembly.
Multicolor 3D Printing: Convert textured models into clearly separated color regions and prepare them for compatible multicolor printing workflows.
Hi3D will also soon introduce a one-click customization and delivery service, letting anyone create and order a personalized physical product without 3D modeling experience required.
Builda is Math Magic’s creator community, bringing creation, sharing and commercialization into one place. Builda Camera makes this experience more accessible, giving a wider users a simple way to turn digital creations into physical products.
Together, Hi3D, Builda and Builda Camera build on the same core technology and supply-chain capabilities, serving users with different levels of experience and needs.
Why Math Magic, Why Now
Will Wang, Senior Partner at BAI Capital, said: “Continued advances in AI 3D models are unlocking a growing range of real-world creative and industrial applications. From day one, Math Magic has pursued a differentiated path with substantial long-term potential. On one side, it continues to advance Hi3D’s high-precision modeling capabilities; on the other, it brings together intelligent part splitting, multicolor printing, flexible manufacturing, and fulfillment, enabling digital ideas to become physical products that can be reliably delivered to users. What is even rarer is the team’s ability to operate across both worlds: it understands users and e-commerce growth, while also having the capability to go deep into the most complex aspects of manufacturing and supply chains, integrating these elements into an end-to-end capability that can be scaled and replicated. We look forward to leveraging BAI Capital’s global network to support Math Magic as it brings this capability to more markets.”
Yelin Sun and Kun Wang from HyT Capital said : “We believe AI is changing how products are created, making it possible for production to start with individual demand. Math Magic has built a complete path from AI 3D generation to production and fulfillment, turning personalized creativity into a scalable business. We believe the company has the potential to build a new generation of platforms where ideas become products.”
About Math Magic
Founded in 2024, Math Magic is an AI creation company with the vision “Bring Magic to Life.” Focused on AI-powered manufacturing, AI commerce and creative product communities, Math Magic brings digital ideas into the physical world.
Cerebro delivers the first-ever true context and semantic layer for Claude Enterprise, letting organizations embed complex business context in days rather than months.
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 20, 2026 — Cyberhill Partners, Inc., a leader in building advanced enterprise AI solutions, today announced that its proprietary Cerebro now delivers the first-ever true context and semantic layer for Anthropic’s Claude Enterprise, giving the model a structured understanding of an organization’s data, relationships and business logic while leaving that data in place.
This represents a fundamental shift in enterprise AI architecture: from retrieving information to understanding context. Traditional Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) helps AI find information. Cerebro helps AI understand how that information connects.
Cerebro provides Claude Enterprise with a structured semantic understanding of an organization’s proprietary information, including its data, entities, relationships, business rules and institutional knowledge. Rather than simply retrieving fragments of information and placing them into a model’s context window, Cerebro gives the model a logical map of the enterprise and the pathways connecting its knowledge. This creates an entirely new layer in the enterprise AI stack: the Context and Semantic Layer.
“Enterprises have struggled with the ‘last mile’ of secure, enterprise AI implementations, the ability to ground models in their own unique, evolving business context,” said Jake McAndrew, Chief Operating Officer at Cyberhill. “With Cerebro, we have removed the friction of architectural complexity. Our clients can now deploy Claude Enterprise against their own business context in days, with the accuracy and traceability high-stakes work demands.”
Key capabilities of Cerebro for Claude Enterprise include:
Rapid Deployment: Enterprises can transition from concept to production-ready, context-aware AI in days by implementing Cerebro, connected to Claude Enterprise.
Traceability: Cerebro measures each hop and provides a reasoning path, showing all of its work for traceability and auditability, something RAG alone cannot do.
Reduced LLM Tokenization: By utilizing Cerebro alongside Claude, enterprises now have a logical map and pathway for the model to use, saving firms potentially millions in token costs.
Context-First Intelligence: Ensures models are deeply aligned with specific enterprise data and business logic, improving relevance and reducing hallucinations. Born from the US Intelligence Community, Cerebro delivers answers that are accurate and defensible.
Model-Agnostic Foundation: Cerebro operates across frontier models and existing data stacks, so organizations standardizing on Claude Enterprise today are not locked out of future architecture decisions.
As enterprises pursue competitive advantage through AI, Cerebro by Cyberhill provides the critical link between powerful base models and the specific, proprietary knowledge that high-stakes applications require.
Cerebro’s context and semantic layer extends to other frontier models, with connections for the enterprise versions of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok expected in the coming weeks.
About Cyberhill Cyberhill is a professional services firm that delivers advanced enterprise AI solutions for Fortune 500 organizations and U.S. government agencies. The firm has completed more than 1,000 enterprise software implementations and brings over a decade of AI experience with the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Cyberhill serves organizations across industries seeking a faster, lower-risk path to production AI. Headquartered in Austin, TX.
MIT spinoff and Y Combinator-backed company is building the next generation of pressurized water reactors. Substantially oversubscribed seed round accelerates testing, manufacturing and regulator commercial approval.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 20, 2026 — Apollo Atomics, an MIT spinoff building the next generation of pressurized water reactors (PWRs), today announced $31 million in seed financing to commercialize a nuclear platform designed to be manufactured at scale rather than constructed as a one-off megaproject. The Y Combinator-backed company will use the capital to expand demonstration and long-duration reliability testing, build manufacturing capacity and advance its regulatory work with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The round was oversubscribed and led by FCVC. Participants included Y Combinator, Telesoft Partners, Alumni Ventures, Robinhood Ventures, Nucleation Capital, Pelion VC, and Duke Capital Partners. Notable individual investors included Evan Meagher, Paul Graham, Philip Johnston, Matteo Franceschetti and Ray Rothrock.
The defining constraint of the next industrial era may not be compute or manufacturing capacity. It is the ability to reliably and timely power its infrastructure. Data centers, manufacturers and utilities are planning around electricity needs that today’s grid and project timelines are not built to meet. Nuclear power can provide around-the-clock carbon-free energy, but conventional plants are typically delivered as bespoke construction projects with long delivery timelines.
Rather than replace the light water, commercial-grade low-enriched uranium fuel and established supply chains that underpin decades of reliable and safe PWR operating experience, Apollo redesigned the largest and most complex component in the nuclear steam system: the steam generator. The company’s proprietary compact steam system is designed to deliver an order of magnitude higher power density than conventional designs. Apollo says that advancement can reduce the overall reactor footprint by roughly 40 times, enabling its high power output design to be factory-built, transported by truck and deployed in less than 24 months.
Apollo was founded by Assil Halimi, an MIT Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. with extensive experience in reactor operations and advanced PWR design, and Drew Walker, a hard-tech founder and former White House director. The company has built and tested a working reactor-system demonstrator within MIT’s Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering to expand experimental validation of its hardware under prototypic commercial reactor conditions.
Apollo is also advancing its commercial regulatory pathway. The company submitted a regulatory engagement plan to the NRC earlier this year and is seeking NRC authorization by the end of 2026 for commercial use of the fuel configuration selected for its reactor, which has already achieved criticality at full power. By using commercially available fuel, established suppliers and familiar PWR materials and operating principles, Apollo aims to reduce the technology, supply-chain and licensing risk that has slowed many advanced-reactor programs.
Apollo is developing three reactor systems: the 10-megawatt electric A-10, the 50-megawatt A-50 and the 300-megawatt A-300. The portfolio is designed to serve data centers, industrial facilities, utilities and other large energy users. Apollo reports more than 20 gigawatts of signed letters of intent in its commercial pipeline.
The financing will support construction of Apollo’s next demonstration facility, the A-1 (a 1-megawatt commercial demonstrator); long-duration reliability testing; vertical integration of key manufacturing processes; expansion of engineering and operations capabilities; and continued engagement with the NRC. Apollo’s advisory board includes former NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson, investor Ray Rothrock, MIT professor Koroush Shirvan, utility leader Mike Rencheck, and other senior utility executives.
About Apollo Atomics
Apollo Atomics is an advanced reactor company developing compact pressurized water reactors designed to accelerate nuclear deployment. Built on more than 15 years of MIT research and testing, the company’s core breakthrough is a proprietary compact steam supply system that delivers approximately an order of magnitude higher power density than conventional designs, allowing Apollo to dramatically shrink the reactor while maintaining the same power output. The resulting reactor platforms are designed to be factory-built, transported by truck, and deployed in less than two years using commercially available fuel, established supply chains, and existing regulatory pathways. Apollo is developing 10 MW, 50 MW, and 300 MW electric reactor platforms for data centers, industrial facilities, utilities, and other large energy users. Learn more at https://www.apolloatomics.com/.
European Capital Solutions Fund II Exceeds Predecessor by Nearly 75% and Demonstrates Strong Demand for Crestline’s Flexible, Partnership-Driven Approach to Value Creation
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 20, 2026 — Crestline Management, L.P. (“Crestline”), a global alternative investment management firm, today announced the final close of Crestline European Capital Solutions Fund II (“ECSFII” or the “Fund”) with $625 million in capital commitments, nearly 75 percent larger than Fund I. The Fund received strong support from both existing Crestline clients and new investor relationships globally, including a diverse group of public and private pension plans, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional investors.
Consistent with the European Capital Solutions Strategy Crestline has employed since 2015, ECSFII originates, structures and finances tailored capital solutions – ranging from senior debt to structured equity – for asset-backed and lower-middle-market businesses across North and Western Europe. The strategy targets situations underpinned by tangible collateral, including hard assets such as real estate, infrastructure and transportation, financial and esoteric assets such as music royalties and litigation finance, as well as asset-heavy, often entrepreneur-led or family-owned companies seeking transitional capital. It is managed by Crestline’s European Capital Solutions team, whose senior leadership has worked together for more than 20 years and has deployed approximately $2.0 billion across 45 transactions in Europe. Since launching in 2025, ECSFII has demonstrated strong early momentum, establishing a diversified portfolio with approximately 35 percent of the fund committed and a significant realization completed as of Q2’26.
“The successful close of ECSFII reflects the trust our investors have placed in us, and we are deeply grateful for their continued partnership and support,” said Michael Guy, Executive Managing Director and Head of European Credit. “The European lower-middle-market continues to face a significant and persistent funding gap—one that requires creativity, speed and deep asset-level underwriting expertise. ECSFII was designed to address this opportunity. The Fund’s early momentum reflects the experience, capabilities and relationships our team has developed over more than a decade, and we look forward to continuing to deliver for our investors.”
“Crestline has spent well over a decade building relationships and a proprietary sourcing network in this market, which lets us access bilateral opportunities that are often difficult to replicate,” said Keith Williams, Executive Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Crestline. “The financing needs of lower-middle-market European businesses continue to grow, and our hands-on approach to structuring is purpose-built to meet them. We are grateful for the support behind ECSFII, and we look forward to putting this capital to work and continuing to grow our European platform.”
About Crestline Management, L.P.
Crestline is a global alternative investment management firm founded in 1997 and based in Fort Worth, Texas, with affiliate offices in London, New York, Tokyo, and Toronto. The firm has approximately $18 billion of credit assets under management (as of March 31, 2026) including its capital solutions, direct lending, and portfolio finance platforms. Crestline operates as part of Rithm Capital Corp. (NYSE: RITM), a global alternative asset manager with significant experience managing credit and real estate assets and an integrated platform that spans asset-based finance, residential and commercial real estate lending, mortgage servicing rights, and structured credit. For more information, visit www.crestlineinvestors.com.
Contact Sam Cohen/Jonathan Warren Gasthalter & Co. 212-257-4170 [email protected]
The one-day fast-pitch event at Indiana University offers startups millions in non-dilutive funding and exclusive access to top VC firms to scale the next generation of game-changing technologies.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Aug. 20, 2026 — The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) today announced the launch of the Horizon Manufacturing Cup, a fast-pitch competition awarding a total of $3 million in funding, including a $1 million grand prize, to five manufacturing startups along with fostering connectivity with the Venture Capital community. The competition will be held on Indiana University’s campus in Bloomington, Indiana, on October 20, 2026. Interested companies should submit their proposals here.
“The Horizon Manufacturing Cup will further solidify Indiana’s role as the heart of America’s defense industrial base,” said Senator Jim Banks. “It will help identify manufacturing startups vital to designing, building, and scaling the technologies our warfighters need. I am proud of ACMI’s continued investments in Indiana and partnerships with IU.”
The Horizon Manufacturing Cup aims to identify and accelerate the scaling of critical hardware, materials, manufacturing technologies across several sectors. Winning companies will also gain access to advanced manufacturing prototyping equipment, industrial infrastructure, technical resources, supply chains, scaling space, and talent networks at ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub.
“To secure our nation’s industrial capacity, we must fund innovation and provide the physical infrastructure required to scale production,” said Senator Todd Young. “ACMI’s Horizon Manufacturing Cup bridges the gap between disruptive technology concepts and real-world industrial output, anchoring critical capabilities right here in Indiana.”
Designed to strengthen the domestic industrial base and accelerate advanced manufacturing technology, the competition invites startups, spin-outs, and emerging technology firms to present their capabilities for a chance to secure both non-dilutive awards and additional investment from leading Venture Capital firms.
“America is going through a manufacturing renaissance, and we need to tap into our best and brightest minds to scale their impact,” said John Burer, Founder and CEO of ACMI. “We are proud to work with our partners to invest at the crossroads of America and build the American industrial base in our heartland.”
Presentations will be evaluated by a panel of judges on technical merit, innovation, prototype readiness, industrial impact, commercialization potential, and readiness.
ACMI bridges commercial markets and national security interests, increasing economic resilience, diversifying the American industrial capabilities, and ensuring a robust defense industrial base. The Horizon Manufacturing Cup is designed to support companies scaling prototypes into production and the defense manufacturing supply chain.
About the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) is an industrial group focused on revitalizing the United States’ manufacturing base by building essential infrastructure and providing the strategic investment and support modern manufacturers need to scale. Operating through its affiliates—ACMI Federal, ACMI Capital, and ACMI Properties—ACMI aligns public and private capital, specialized resources, and technical expertise to bridge critical gaps in domestic production. By partnering with emerging and established companies across vital industrial sectors, ACMI is expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity, strengthening supply chains, accelerating innovation, and increasing economic resilience across the American industrial base.
Joseph Beyene awarded an O’Shaughnessy Fellowship to advance a skin treatment that blocks the biological process ticks rely on to feed on skin
GREENWICH, Conn., Aug. 20, 2026 — O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (OSV), an investment firm that empowers creators, has awarded an O’Shaughnessy Fellowship to Joseph Beyene, a scientist and entrepreneur based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Joseph Beyene, scientist, entrepreneur and 2026 O’Shaughnessy Fellow, is developing a skin treatment designed to prevent tick bites by targeting the biological process ticks rely on to feed.
Beyene will use the fellowship to advance a skin treatment designed to prevent tick bites, a growing public health threat as tick-borne diseases spread into new regions. Most repellents are designed for insects like mosquitoes and stop working once a tick reaches skin. Other pesticides lose effectiveness as ticks develop resistance to them. Beyene’s treatment instead targets a biological process specific to how ticks feed, an approach no current product addresses directly. Over the next 12 months, he plans to complete independent field trials of the lead formulation and build early commercial traction.
Beyene earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in cell and molecular biology from San Francisco State University. He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where his doctoral research contributed to the foundational science behind Vesigen Therapeutics, a Harvard spinout that raised a $28.5 million Series A round. Today, Beyene is adjunct faculty in Northeastern University’s Graduate Biotechnology Program, where he teaches drug development and scientific communication.
OSV’s founder and CEO, Jim O’Shaughnessy, commented, “Joseph’s resilience, experience and ambition made awarding him a fellowship an extremely easy decision. We’re honored to be backing him.”
“I envision a world where people and animals can live safely, protected from tick-borne diseases,” said Beyene. “I am deeply grateful to OSV for believing in this vision.”
About the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships Program
Launched in 2023, the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships program discovers and empowers the world’s boldest creatives, builders and researchers. Fellows receive a grant of up to $100,000 and gain access to OSV’s network of founders, investors and experts. OSV will award up to 20 fellowships in 2026.
Beyene is the nineteenth fellow announced in 2026. More information about previous fellows is available at OSV’s website.
Applications for the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships are now closed and will reopen on Jan. 1, 2027. Individuals interested in applying can do so via OSV’s website.
About O’Shaughnessy Ventures
OSV is a creative investment firm that empowers creators to bring their ideas to life. Founded by Jim O’Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of five books, OSV aims to provide financial support and to partner in growing the next life-changing creative ideas.
OSV combines Jim’s deeply rooted interest in all things art, science, investing and technology with his long-held desire to establish scenarios designed to help promising creators and their inspiring ideas succeed, regardless of age, location, job history or level of education. For more information, visit OSV’s website.
Media Contact: Ena Gong O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (917) 355-7420 [email protected]
Backed by gaming industry leaders and a newly completed Series A, the company is building the next generation of safe online experiences for Gen Alpha
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 20, 2026 — Magic Potion Games, the studio behind Imagine Island, today announced a major milestone for the company after Imagine Island welcomed more than one million players during beta through entirely organic growth. Backed by a newly completed Series A, Magic Potion is entering its next chapter as it builds the next generation of safe online environments for Gen Alpha.
Imagine Island is a safe social online world for Gen Alpha, combining creative gameplay and shared experiences with live moderation and age-appropriate safety features.
Founded by industry veterans behind iconic gaming experiences including Club Penguin, Electronic Arts, Disney Online, and Epic Games, and backed by an experienced group of gaming founders, operators, and investors including Square Enix, 1AM Gaming, 1Up Ventures, and Konvoy, Magic Potion is reimagining what online games can be for Gen Alpha by putting creativity, community, and most importantly, child safety at the heart of every experience.
“We believe play has the power to inspire, connect, and create lasting memories,” said Hideaki Uehara, General Manager of the Investment and Business Development Department and Head of Square Enix Collective at Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. “What impressed us about Imagine Island is its commitment to building a safe and welcoming virtual world for children while encouraging creativity and self-expression. Combined with the experience and passion of the Magic Potion team, we are excited about the future they are creating.”
As children spend more time socializing, creating and expressing themselves online, many parents feel they’re choosing between platforms that prioritize engagement and monetization over child wellbeing, or limiting online play altogether. Imagine Island was built to offer a different path: an online world designed from the ground up to encourage creativity, self-expression and positive social experiences in an environment parents can trust. Designed specifically for children ages 6–13, Imagine Island combines live moderation, COPPA-compliant privacy protections, and age-appropriate social features to create a trusted online environment for kids and families.
“As both game developers and parents, we’ve always believed Gen Alpha shouldn’t have to choose between fun and safety online,” said Stephen MacDonald, Founder and CEO of Magic Potion Games. “Reaching one million players organically tells us that vision is resonating with families around the world. We’re just getting started, and we’re excited to continue expanding Imagine Island while staying true to the values that brought us here.”
The Series A financing welcomes Gregory Milken, Founder and Managing Partner of 1AM Gaming, who shares the same vision for children’s online experiences, to Magic Potion’s Board of Directors alongside Josh Chapman, General Partner at Konvoy. Magic Potion has been supported by industry veterans, Alex Seropian, founder of Bungie the studio behind Halo, and Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin, who have helped guide the company’s growth as members of its advisory team.
“Magic Potion is building something that addresses a real need for Gen Alpha and their families, and the early response demonstrates there’s significant demand for online worlds that combine creativity, community and trust,” said Alex Seropian. “The team behind Imagine Island understands what makes online worlds meaningful while recognizing the expectations families have today, and I’m simply thrilled to help shape a platform built specifically for them.”
Following the beta, Magic Potion is preparing a significant expansion of Imagine Island. Later this year, the company will launch several major new entertainment partnerships that will bring some of the world’s largest children’s franchises to the platform, alongside new gameplay experiences, creator tools, community events, and a parent-friendly membership model designed to provide clear value without relying on aggressive monetization.
With more than one million players already experiencing Imagine Island during beta, no paid marketing, and a nomination for Best Web Game of the Year in the 2026 Pocketgamer Awards, Magic Potion enters its next chapter focused on expanding the platform while remaining committed to creating one of the one of the most trusted online platforms for children and families.
Magic Potion Games is a game studio building the next generation of safe online experiences for Gen Alpha. Its flagship platform, Imagine Island, combines creativity, community and play in an online world designed specifically for children and families. Founded by veterans from Club Penguin, Electronic Arts, The Walt Disney Company, and Epic Games, and backed by investors including Square Enix, 1AM Gaming, 1Up Ventures, and Konvoy, the company is creating an environment where children can safely explore, create and connect while giving parents confidence in their online experiences.
