Backed by $14M in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, and pre-seed funding led by General Catalyst with participation from Accel, Leona Health is building a new healthcare operating system – starting in Latin America, and building for the world – that empowers doctors with more time to deliver patient care

SAN FRANCISCO and MEXICO CITY, Dec. 16, 2025 — Today, Leona Health – the world’s first AI co-pilot for doctors built on WhatsApp – announced its launch across 14 countries and 22 specialties. Backed by $14M in seed funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from General Catalyst (pre-seed lead), Accel, Maven Clinic’s Kate Ryder, Nubank’s David Vélez, and Rappi’s Simón Borrero, Leona Health is partnering with physicians to build smarter AI-powered support.

An AI co-pilot for doctors

Leona Health’s first focus is solving one of doctors’ biggest challenges: patient communication. As a co-pilot, Leona Health leverages the latest in AI and large language models to securely integrate with a doctor’s WhatsApp. While patients continue to message their doctors on WhatsApp, doctors receive the communication in the Leona mobile app. With capabilities such as automatic categorization, suggested responses, team collaboration and admin support, doctors save hours a day with more efficient administrative support. Soon, the product will also include AI conversational scheduling and full automation for non-clinical tasks. As Leona learns from each doctor’s workflow, it becomes increasingly accurate, personal, and supportive over time.

“In Latin America’s private healthcare system, care often begins with a WhatsApp message,” said Caroline Merin, cofounder and CEO of Leona Health. “The heart of healthcare is the doctor-patient relationship, but without the right tools, that humanity comes at a cost. By automating the administrative side of medicine with an AI co-pilot for doctors, Leona Health is building the future operating system for healthcare to scale what matters most: human connection.”

Protecting patient care in a market ripe for disruption

In many countries around the world, physicians are solo entrepreneurs who run their own private-practice, often as a team of one. Without widespread adoption of electronic health record (EHR) tools – just 35% in Latin America compared to 90% in the United States – many rely on WhatsApp for patient communication and scheduling. In today’s on-demand world, where patients want access and answers 24/7, doctors in Latin America are now working double-time: treating patients in person while responding to hundreds of administrative messages on their personal phones.

“Unlike in the United States, in Mexico we don’t message patients through an EHR, but on our personal phone numbers,” said Dr. Inés Álvarez, a Mexico City-based physician who has a panel of over 1200 patients and was an early Leona Health adopter. “I get more than 100 messages a day, often between patient visits or when I’m sitting down to dinner with my kids. Leona has been transformative, giving me back 10+  hours each week to focus on my patients, not my phone.”

Designing the future of care delivery, worldwide

Leona Health is uniquely scalable. By launching first in Latin America, a region still building healthcare infrastructure from the ground up, Leona is designing a model for care that can expand globally. Leveraging WhatsApp, a platform that 95% of doctors in Latin America report using to run their practice, and 3 billion people worldwide use monthly, Leona Health turns familiar tools into intelligent workflows. Emerging from a stealth pilot, the company is already active across 14 countries with doctors from more than 22 different specialties.

“Leona Health is creating a new layer of digital infrastructure for healthcare — one that starts where people already communicate, on WhatsApp,” said Julie Yoo, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. “By leveraging ubiquitous technology and thoughtful design, Leona is showing how tech can transform access to care and re-architect the patient experience for a more connected, intelligent future.”

About Leona Health
Leona Health is the first AI co-pilot helping doctors scale the human side of healthcare through WhatsApp, the world’s most used communications platform. By turning everyday administrative messages into organized, intelligent workflows, Leona Health frees doctors to focus on patient care. Launched in Latin America – where 95% of patient-physician communication already happens on WhatsApp – Leona Health now powers better experiences for patients across 14 countries. Backed by $14M in seed funding from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), General Catalyst, and Accel, as well as Maven Clinic’s Kate Ryder, Nubank’s David Vélez, and Rappi’s Simón Borrero, Leona Health is building a new operating system for care that will scale globally.

CONTACT
Erin Fitzgerald
[email protected] 

Sue Hager
[email protected] 

SOURCE Leona Health

Despite widespread adoption of adult personal health tracking, infancy remains largely unmeasured. Today, Nanit unveils the first real-time, personalized view into a baby’s sleep, health, development, and connection, helping families and clinicians act earlier.

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2025 — Nanit, the U.S.-based technology leader trusted by over one million families for understanding their baby’s sleep, today announced a $50 million growth capital round led by Springcoast Partners with participation from Upfront Ventures and JVP. Launched in 2014, Nanit has evolved baby monitors into smart companions that track real-time health, predict development, support parent–child connection, and deliver leading sleep insights. This new round of funding will accelerate the development of Nanit’s AI-powered Parenting Intelligence System, a breakthrough product that identifies early signals in speech and language development, motor skills, cognitive patterns, and other developmental indicators. Nanit is redefining what families and clinicians can expect in a child’s earliest years by setting a new standard in how we use technology to track personal health.

The human brain is nearly fully developed by age five, and decades of research show that the quality of care during these early years shapes outcomes well into adulthood, from physical and emotional health to educational and career success. Yet despite the critical importance of this developmental window, today’s health ecosystem lacks the infrastructure to provide individualized insights and early intervention with the same rigor we provide for adults.

Nanit is the only all-in-one baby-monitoring platform that combines real-time cough detection, clinician-ready video clips, and a personalized sleep coach. Their Sleep Coach uses a single, easy-to-understand Sleep Score that delivers nightly summaries, automatic sleep and nap tracking, and age-based guidance. Through the continued development of new technologies, Nanit is evolving to consolidate all sleep insights into one unified framework designed to interpret data, identify emerging patterns, and provide straightforward recommendations for caregivers. These capabilities give families what traditional resources (including clinical visits) cannot: individualized, digestible, and actionable information about their child’s sleep, details that are difficult to capture through standard milestones or infrequent clinical visits. Between the limited cadence of pediatric visits, Nanit provides the clarity parents need to understand where their baby is today and what they may need next.

“Adults now track sleep, stress, and health patterns to spot trends and intervene early, yet babies, the group that benefits most from early insight, have no comparable system for monitoring or predictive guidance,” said Anushka Salinas, Chief Executive Officer of Nanit and mother of two.” As the technology leader in this space, expanding beyond sleep into a holistic view of early health and development was the natural next step. We envision a future where people can track and access their comprehensive health data from birth to 100 years old. That’s a powerful gift to the next generation.”

Nanit’s Parenting Intelligence System, rolling out in 2026, will track a comprehensive set of developmental and physiological indicators and integrate this data over time. It will measure:

1. Personalized sleep guidance
2. Key health metrics
3. Movement signatures and breathing patterns
4. Motor skill milestones
5. Speech and language patterns
6. Trends that may predict metabolic, emotional, or cognitive challenges

“We’ve spent years learning what a baby’s behavior and health signals are really telling us,” said Tor Ivry, Nanit Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer and father of three. “Now, we’re teaching technology to translate those signals into meaningful insights, so parents can understand and respond to their baby in real time. We’re not just building smarter monitors, we’re helping build smarter, more confident parents.”

“Nanit has consistently been at the forefront of transforming how parents understand and care for their children,” said Holger Staude, Managing Partner of Springcoast Partners. “We believe the company is uniquely positioned to leverage advances in AI to deliver not only peace of mind, but also actionable health insights that can shape development. We are proud to partner with Anushka and the Nanit team as they expand their mission to redefine parenting technology.”

Nanit’s existing technology is already showing measurable impact: babies using the current system sleep 10% longer on average, giving parents the equivalent of 36 extra nights of rest per year. Families engage with Nanit products beyond age four, demonstrating unmatched trust, personalization, and longevity in the category. Nanit is establishing a new benchmark for how we understand and support lifelong early childhood. The company continues to invest in privacy, security, and encryption, ensuring all data is protected, especially as AI-powered features are integrated. To learn more about why over one million parents trust Nanit, please visit www.nanit.com.

About Nanit
Nanit is a US-headquartered technology leader in early-childhood health intelligence, giving parents real-time insight into their baby’s sleep, behavior, and development. Powered by award-winning hardware and an advanced AI platform, Nanit provides personalized guidance trusted by more than 1 million families. Since its inception in 2014, more than 70% of Nanit’s active camera users continue to rely on the product well beyond age four, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long-term innovation in redefining the parenthood experience. Through Nanit Lab, the company operates the industry’s most advanced research engine in early-childhood sleep and development. Backed by more than 30 academic and clinical partners, Nanit Lab maintains the world’s largest dataset on infant sleep, capturing over 5 billion hours of sleep from more than one million babies across 100+ countries. The team has published 15+ peer-reviewed studies and over 50 scientific abstracts, translating this unprecedented dataset into validated insights that strengthen Nanit’s AI models and expand understanding of early-life development. This scientific foundation powers Nanit’s evolution into predictive developmental analytics, ensuring every insight is grounded in rigorous evidence and real-world data. With its upcoming Parenting Intelligence System, Nanit is expanding into predictive developmental analytics, advancing a future where families can track meaningful health metrics from birth through adulthood. Nanit believes in empowering every family, helping parents build greater confidence and create more joyful moments. The company prioritizes privacy, security, and encryption, ensuring all data is protected as it continues to innovate with AI-powered features. For more information, visit www.nanit.com and follow Nanit on Instagram @get_nanit and @getnanit on TikTok.

About Springcoast Partners
Established in 2023, Springcoast is a New York-based growth equity firm focused on partnering with market leading software and technology companies. To learn more about Springcoast, please visit www.springcoast.com.

Press Contact: Catherine Cuello-Fuente at [email protected]

SOURCE Nanit

RedotPay, a global stablecoin-based payment fintech, today announced the successful completion of its US$107 million Series B round, bringing the total capital raised in 2025 to US$194 million. This oversubscribed round is a clear signal of investor confidence in RedotPay’s strong growth momentum and its leading market position in stablecoin application. As of November 2025, RedotPay has over 6 million registered users globally in over 100 markets, with over US$10 billion annualized payment volume. RedotPay now generates over US$150 million in annualized revenue and continues to deliver profitable growth through an efficient, scalable business model.

RedotPay’s Series B brought in new investment led by Goodwater Capital, with participation from Pantera Capital, Blockchain Capital, Circle Ventures and the continued backing from HSG and others. With portfolios across consumer fintech, blockchain infrastructure, and global payments, these investors bring deep expertise aligned with RedotPay’s vision to accelerate financial access globally through the mass adoption of stablecoin-based payments, as well as its mission to make digital finance accessible, secure, and efficient for everyone.

“Our goal is to help users manage their finances with confidence through stablecoin-powered financial services. With our latest funding, we plan to accelerate product innovation and expand our global reach. Beyond capital, our investors provide the expertise and resources to enable us to scale responsibly while remaining compliance focused and delivering outstanding user experiences.” said Michael Gao, Co-Founder and CEO of RedotPay. “Goodwater invests in platform companies who are reshaping consumer experiences at global scale, and stablecoin has the potential to disrupt global money flow and strengthen financial inclusion,” said Jin Oh, Partner at Goodwater Capital. “RedotPay is improving financial access globally with remarkable traction for its stablecoin-driven solutions across major markets. We’re excited to support the company through its next phase of global growth as it expands stablecoin utility and continues to accelerate adoption and drive innovation across its payment products.”

RedotPay is building stablecoin-powered financial services that make fund movement instant, predictable, and borderless for both crypto-native and non-crypto users. It empowers global payments with stablecoins through the following:

• Stablecoin-based Card: Users can spend stablecoins and other digital assets with a secure card globally
• Global Payouts: RedotPay’s stablecoin-powered payout rails enable fast, secure global transfers
• Stablecoin Access: RedotPay connects traditional finance and digital assets for users to access, hold, and use stablecoins through its multi-currency accounts* and P2P Marketplace**

“Pantera backs companies that use blockchain to solve real world problems. RedotPay is bringing stablecoins into everyday payments at a global scale. It offers a glimpse into a future where digital assets form the foundation of faster and more inclusive financial systems.” said Ryan Barney, Partner at Pantera Capital. “We believe RedotPay will play a meaningful role in the next phase of crypto adoption, and we are excited to support a company that is pushing the crypto ecosystem forward.” “In many countries, consumers face currency risk, savings erosion due to inflation, and fragile local banking systems. Many would prefer to store value in assets they trust, such as dollars, Bitcoin, or other digital assets, and spend in their local currency. RedotPay seeks to bridge this gap by giving consumers meaningful control over their financial destiny,” said Jonah Burian at Blockchain Capital. “For millions globally, it is becoming a primary financial tool and a top-of-wallet card. RedotPay’s numbers tell the story, and we are excited to back this team.”

The new capital will fund strategic acquisitions to deepen RedotPay’s product and infrastructure capabilities; secure required licenses and expand its compliance organization to support entry into new markets; and accelerate global hiring to scale its engineering, product, and compliance teams. Looking ahead, RedotPay will continue to expand its geographic coverage, with a focus on key growth regions, and enhance its product offerings to deliver a seamless bridge between crypto and traditional payment ecosystems.

About RedotPay

RedotPay is a global stablecoin-based payment fintech that integrates blockchain solutions with traditional banking and finance infrastructures. Our intuitive platform empowers millions around the world to spend and send digital assets, ensuring faster, more accessible and inclusive financial services. RedotPay advances financial inclusion for the unbanked and supports crypto enthusiasts, driving global adoption of secure and flexible stablecoin-powered financial solutions to bring crypto to real life. For more information, visit www.redotpay.com.

About Goodwater Capital

Goodwater Capital is the world’s largest consumer tech-focused venture firm, empowering exceptional entrepreneurs everywhere to change the world for good. With a global investment approach, the firm identifies and invests in the most promising consumer technology startups worldwide. Goodwater’s deep industry expertise, extensive network, and data-driven approach allow it to provide unparalleled support to entrepreneurs, guiding them towards becoming market-leading companies. For more information, visit www.goodwatercap.com.

About Pantera Capital

Pantera Capital is the first institutional investment firm focused exclusively on bitcoin, other digital currencies, and companies in the blockchain tech ecosystem. Pantera launched the first cryptocurrency fund in the United States when bitcoin was at $65 /BTC in 2013. The firm subsequently launched the first exclusively-blockchain venture fund. In 2017, Pantera was the first firm to offer an early-stage token fund. Pantera Bitcoin Fund has returned 114,841% in twelve years and has returned billions to its investors. Pantera manages over $5 billion across three strategies – passive, hedge, and venture – exclusively focused on bitcoin, other digital currencies, and companies in the blockchain tech ecosystem.

About Blockchain Capital

Based in San Francisco and New York, Blockchain Capital is the first venture capital firm to invest exclusively in the blockchain technology sector. Founded in 2013 by Bart and Brad Stephens, Blockchain Capital has funded over 150 startups and is dedicated to working with founders on the principal mission to build world-class companies based on blockchain technology.

For media inquiries, users can contact:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected] 

[email protected] 

*RedotPay is a fintech service provider and not a bank. Our Multi-Currency Wallet is provided by appropriately licensed financial institutions and RedotPay only facilitates your use of such Multi-Currency Wallet.

**P2P crypto trading involves risks like counterparty default and market volatility. We facilitate trades but disclaim all liabilities for losses, disputes, or outcomes. Trade at your own risk, perform due diligence, and comply with laws. Available in selected regions only.

Disclaimer: This publication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, investment, or other professional advice. It does not represent an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any products, securities, or financial instruments. The information is provided on an “as is” basis as of the date indicated and is subject to change without prior notice. Rabbit7 Holding (BVI) Limited (“RedotPay”) makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of the content. RedotPay, along with its directors, officers, agents, employees and affiliates, expressly disclaims any liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive or exemplary damages, arising from the use of or reliance on this publication. Readers should seek independent professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters concerned herein. This publication is strictly confidential and may not be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without RedotPay’s prior written consent. The English version shall prevail in the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the various language versions hereof.

Contact

RedotPay
[email protected]

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846718/RedotPay.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846717/RedotPay_Logo.jpg

SOURCE RedotPay

The $35M Series A round comes just four months after Echo announced its $15 million seed round, bringing total funding to $50 million

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2025 — Echo, the leader in AI-powered secure software infrastructure, today announced it has raised $35 million in Series A funding led by N47, with participation from Notable Capital, Hyperwise Ventures, and SentinelOne’s S Ventures. Echo is already securing production workloads for enterprise customers like Varonis, EDB, and UiPath.

Nearly all modern cloud applications are built on container base images, which expose companies to significant security risks. According to Echo’s research, official Docker images like Python, Node.js, and Go each contain well over 1,000 known vulnerabilities.

“Studies consistently show that more than 90% of container vulnerabilities originate from the base image layer rather than application code,” said Eylam Milner, co-founder and CTO of Echo. “This means enterprises with thousands of cloud services inherit millions of security issues before their engineers write a single line of code.”

Echo solves this with CVE-free container base images that are built from scratch to eliminate vulnerabilities at the source. Rather than trying to fix vulnerable open-source images, Echo reconstructs them with only essential components. These hardened images are drop-in replacements for standard Docker images.

Echo uses purpose-built AI agents that autonomously create container images from scratch and maintain them as new CVEs emerge – automatically researching the vulnerability, identifying affected images, finding or developing fixes, applying patches, and creating a pull request for human review. This AI-driven approach enables Echo’s team of 35 to maintain more than 600 secure images, which would require hundreds of engineers using traditional methods.

“AI agents now write more code than humans, while bad actors use AI to compress exploit windows from weeks down to hours,” said Moshe Zilberstein, General Partner at N47. “This AI-versus-AI arms race makes manual vulnerability management obsolete. Echo is building what every Fortune 1000 company needs: an AI-native OS that’s secure-by-design.”

Echo was founded by Eilon Elhadad and Eylam Milner, vets of Israel’s elite 8200 technology unit. Their previous software supply chain security company, Argon, was acquired by Aqua Security for $100M just a year after its founding.

SOURCE Echo Software Ltd.

The environmentally focused startup will use the raise to invest in building a stock market for chips, growing the leadership team and expanding global presence

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 16, 2025 — Mobius Materials, the safe spot market for semiconductors, has closed a $3M Series Seed financing round in order to bring liquidity, quality control and price transparency to the secondary semiconductor market. Mobius’ Series Seed round was led by Spero Ventures, an early stage VC fund focused on purpose led companies. Additional investors include Outsiders Fund and RefashionD Ventures. The funds raised will make a significant investment in the platform which connects buyers and sellers, build out the Mobius leadership team and ultimately position the company for fast track growth to reach new customers and global markets.
Mobius is solving a $25B problem that is only getting worse as tariffs and geopolitics make semiconductors one of the most volatile industries in the world. Despite more than $600B of chips sold annually, there is nowhere for manufacturers to trade chips besides rigid direct, distributor purchasing or a massive gray market. As forecasts change or tariff volatility hits, manufacturers are either left with large stocks of excess chips or shortages of critical ones. Mobius is used by hundreds of contract manufacturers and OEMs to directly buy and sell excess electronic parts quickly, safely and at market prices.

For Mobius’ Founder and CEO, Margaret Upshur, the mission is not just economic, it’s environmental. A former supply chain executive at an electronics OEM, Upshur was dismayed to have to throw away hundreds of thousands of dollars of new chips that were no longer used in their products, all of which could have been sold.

“We’re building the first stock market for semiconductors so companies can finally buy and sell components the way they should: transparently, safely, and at true market prices,” says Upshur. “This raise and our partnership with Spero will help us scale our marketplace so supply-chain teams can achieve real liquidity in an industry that’s been stuck with rigid purchasing, constant supply shocks and quality risks.”
Mobius will use the new funding to accelerate development of its platform, including the upcoming launch of its e-auction platform, which allows manufacturers to reach thousands of qualified buyers, improve returns, often by up to three times traditional broker rates-and close transactions in weeks instead of months. The raise will also support continued team expansion, following recent leadership hires in engineering and customer experience, with a search underway for a Head of Operations. In addition, Mobius has filed a patent for its machine-learning–based system for authenticating the quality of electronic components.

“Chips power nearly every device we rely on, yet the secondary market remains opaque and inefficient. Mobius is building a trusted marketplace that delivers transparency, liquidity, and quality control,” said Shripriya Mahesh of Spero Ventures. “We’re proud to support Margaret and her team as they create a more resilient and sustainable future for global manufacturing.”

A robust secondary market has never been more important for the $630B semiconductor industry. Geopolitical tensions, a brittle and very long supply chain, and a robust gray market have combined to mean that the semiconductor industry is one of the most volatile in the world. Meanwhile it is incredibly crucial, not just for consumer electronics and national defense but for every sector imaginable. Chips make up 40% of the cost of a car, 66% of the cost of consumer electronics and 65% of the cost of AI development. Allowing quick, safe and floating price buys on a spot market dampens the extreme shocks of the industry and allows manufacturers to keep producing even when chips hit shortages or gluts.

As tariffs continue to rage, Mobius also helps to strategically connect buyers with sellers and reduce the impact of the tariffs. Sellers who already have imported their chips before the trade tariffs have been imposed can sell to buyers pinched by the new costs of import for example. Upshur and her team anticipate that there will continue to be changes in tariffs internationally and are ready to respond, creating a flexible source for their customers.

MOBIUS MATERIALS

Mobius Materials, the safe spot market for semiconductors, is a certified B2B marketplace bringing liquidity, quality control and price transparency to the secondary semiconductor market. Backed by rigorous testing and vetted suppliers—including OEMs and contract manufacturers—Mobius delivers 10–70% savings on parts, access to rare inventory, and fully authenticated components shipped in under two weeks. Manufacturers can recover value for their unused stock and have true inventory flexibility.

Founded in 2021, based in Virginia, with global operations spanning Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Mobius is on a mission to tackle a $25 billion problem—reducing waste and improving supply chain resiliency for industries like consumer electronics, healthcare, and industrial systems.

Through unmatched customer service, rapid lead times, and a mission-driven approach to sustainability, Mobius Materials is reinventing how chips get bought and sold.

For more information, visit mobiusmaterials.com

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Mobius Materials

New funding will accelerate the rollout of universal, intelligent, portable water-making systems built with aerospace-grade engineering

HAWTHORNE, Calif., Dec. 16, 2025 — Vital Lyfe, the company redefining water access through scalable, personal water-making technology, today announced it has raised $24 million, consisting of over $18 million in seed funding and the remainder in committed debt financing. The round, led by Interlagos and General Catalyst, with participation from Generational Partners, Cantos, Space VC, and Also Capital, will accelerate manufacturing, expand field deployments, and advance the company’s path to market ahead of its first consumer-ready products launching in 2026.

Founded by previous SpaceX engineering leadership, Vital Lyfe’s systems apply aerospace precision and systems thinking to water production, enabling users to create filtered water anywhere on Earth. Built for resilience and autonomy, the product suite is designed to operate across a wide range of environmental conditions, supporting use cases that traditional water infrastructure cannot reach – including marine environments where desalination is the hardest challenge. This foundation allows the company to address both immediate field needs and long-term global demand for decentralized, reliable water access.

“This funding is a major milestone in our mission to bring clean water directly to the people and organizations who need it most. For too long, clean water access has been constrained by outdated, centralized infrastructure. With this funding, we have the resources to accelerate our roadmap and work towards scaling a new technology – one that puts reliable, on-demand water generation in the hands of communities everywhere,” said Jon Criss, CEO and Founder of Vital Lyfe.

The limitations of existing water infrastructure present a clear need and opportunity for reinvention in the market. Vital Lyfe is meeting that moment by introducing a platform engineered to perform independently of grids and fixed systems, creating a new category of autonomous, on-demand water production. With a founding team steeped in advanced design and systems engineering built for the most rugged terrain, Vital Lyfe holds the expertise and capability to expand the water market beyond traditional architectural standards on a global scale.

“This raise gives us the momentum to transition from validated prototypes to scaled production and real-world impact,” said Andrew Harner, COO and Founder of Vital Lyfe. “We’re building technology that is resilient, adaptable, and capable of transforming how communities access water without waiting for infrastructure to catch up. Our goal is simple but ambitious: clean water on demand, anywhere.”

The company is currently expanding its early deployments, working closely with maritime groups, NGOs, and off-grid users to validate performance across diverse, high-stakes environments. These partnerships are helping refine system durability, optimize field readiness, and guide the roadmap for broader distribution.

“Jon Criss and Andrew Harner are some of the best referenced founders we’ve come across,” said Grant Gregory, General Partner at Cantos. “It’s rare to find exceptional engineers that also have so much experience scaling manufacturing and driving commercialization. We spent considerable time evaluating various companies building in this space, and as soon as we met them we knew this was the team that was going to make this happen.”

Vital Lyfe’s technology demonstrates what’s possible when best-in-class engineering meets real-world challenges. Designed with adaptability in mind, the platform hints at a broader suite of capabilities yet to come, signaling a fundamental shift in how water access will be delivered worldwide.

About Vital Lyfe
Vital Lyfe is redefining how the world thinks about water access. Founded by former SpaceX engineers Jon Criss and Andrew Harner, the company builds portable, universal water-making systems that turn virtually any naturally occurring source — including seawater — into purified water anywhere on Earth. Vital Lyfe’s mission is simple: Water Without Limits.

Visit www.vital-lyfe.com to join the mission.

Media Contact
Relativity Ventures
[email protected]

SOURCE Vital Lyfe

The fund will focus on the small and mid-market, granting investors access to top-tier GPs

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2025 — J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Private Equity Group (“PEG”) today announced the closing of its 12^th flagship fund, PEG Global Private Equity XII (“GPE XII”). GPE XII closed above its $1.25 billion target at $1.44 billion.

“We are pleased to announce the close of PEG Global Private Equity XII, reflecting strong investor demand for our flagship small and mid-market strategy,” said Ashmi Mehrotra, Global Co-Head of J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Private Equity Group. “Our team’s longstanding experience and general partner (“GP”) network allows us to continue to source compelling opportunities with strong growth potential across diverse sectors and geographies.”

The fund will be globally diversified across buyout and early-stage venture capital strategies through primary investments, secondaries, and co-investments. The Group’s prior flagship fund, PEG Global Private Equity XI, closed at $1.28 billion in 2024.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Private Equity Group is a longstanding investor with over four decades of experience, managing $36 billion in assets on behalf of global institutional and private wealth clients. The team has been an active strategic partner to a proprietary network of 250+ private equity sponsor relationships, creating a robust co-investment sourcing engine. The team offers investors various entry points to the platform, including a range of commingled strategies and customized mandates. PEG recently announced the close of its second dedicated co-investment fund, PEG Co-Investment Fund II (“COIN II”), above its $750 million target at $1 billion.

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management
J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $4 trillion as of September 30, 2025, is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s clients include institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity. For more information: www.jpmorganassetmanagement.com.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $4.6 trillion in assets and $360 billion in stockholders’ equity as of September 30, 2025. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com. 

SOURCE J.P. Morgan Asset Management

The relationship began in 2023, when Desmond, then twenty years old, and recently dropped out of college, sent the creator of Founders Row, Jamie Weeks, formerly the largest Orangetheory Fitness franchisee and the founder of Sweathouz (SWTHZ), a direct message that said: “I’m 20 years old, dropped out of college, and have listened to all your podcasts. I’ve got a small food truck business and need to be pointed in the right direction. Would you take time to listen?” Weeks agreed, took the call, and stayed connected as Desmond refined the earliest version of Hot Box Pretzels.

Hot Box Pretzels has grown into a modern pretzel brand that began with Desmond’s pretzel food truck just three years ago and has already been spotlighted on a national stage on the second season of Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars. Built on the belief that tradition and innovation can coexist, the brand honors the nostalgic pretzel while boldly reinventing it with premium ingredients, seed-oil-free recipes, and premium dips and sauces that elevate the traditional pretzel experience. Desmond’s rapid rise, paired with his mission to deliver a cleaner, better-tasting, boldly seasoned pretzel, positions Hot Box Pretzels as one of the most exciting emerging snack brands breaking into the national spotlight, now with financial backing.

Two years after that cold DM, what began as a simple message has grown into Founders Row’s first official investment and a true partnership between Desmond and Jamie Weeks. Founders Row occupies a distinct position in the consumer landscape, shaped by Weeks’ background as both a multi-unit operator and a brand builder. The firm functions as a hybrid venture studio and early-stage investment platform, developing new concepts internally while also backing founders with strong ideas or early traction who may lack the operational discipline, financial structure, and systems needed to scale. Weeks believes early-stage founders often need support more than capital, and Founders Row was built specifically to fill that gap with a hands-on partnership rather than a passive investment.

Since launching Founders Row publicly, the firm has been inundated with founders seeking an alternative to traditional private equity. Weeks expects to close six additional deals over the coming months, including two concepts he has been wanting to launch for the last few years, now finally able to come to life because the platform exists. Founders Row itself is the platform Weeks has wanted to build for more than a decade, one capable of supporting both his own ideas and those of other emerging Founders.

Hot Box Pretzels embodies that mission. Desmond had the creativity, instinct, and founder drive, but needed the structure and support required to turn Hot Box from an idea into a durable, scalable DTC Brand.

“Roman DM’d me when he freshly dropped out of college and had one food truck selling pretzels locally in Jacksonville, but he had the ambition to take this nationwide,” said Weeks. “That’s the exact kind of founder Founders Row exists to support, someone with vision and appetite who needs a platform behind them.”

Desmond added, “Jamie saying yes to that first message completely changed the trajectory of Hot Box Pretzels and me as a founder. Founders Row isn’t just an investor; it’s the partner I needed to turn an idea into a real, scalable business. What excites me most about this partnership is the opportunity to learn, absorbing as much as I can to build the strongest foundation possible for this company and for everything I create in the future. I’m not in this for quick wins. I love building, I love the process, and being the first investment in Founders Row is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

The investment in Hot Box Pretzels marks the launch of the Founders Row portfolio and signals the firm’s commitment to backing founders early, providing hands-on operational and creative partnership to help build the next generation of consumer brands.

About Founders Row
Founded by entrepreneur and operator Jamie Weeks, Founders Row is a venture studio and platform partner built for founder-led consumer businesses. The firm partners with proven operators and early-stage concepts to help them scale thoughtfully without sacrificing control, culture, or long-term value. Founders Row operates through two complementary models: launching and incubating new brands from the ground up, and partnering with existing businesses to provide platform-level support across strategy, operations, capital planning, and growth. The firm is known for founder-first structures that preserve ownership while enabling disciplined expansion and clear paths to liquidity. Headquartered in Atlanta, Founders Row is a founder-first alternative to traditional private equity, backing entrepreneurs with institutional support while allowing them to retain control and long-term upside. For more information, visit foundersrow.co.

About Hot Box Pretzels
Hot Box Pretzels is a fast-growing, founder-led food brand reimagining the classic soft pretzel. Founded by Roman Desmond in Jacksonville, Florida, the company has expanded from a single food truck into a multi-channel operation serving major festivals, large-scale catering events, and customers nationwide through its direct-to-consumer pretzel bites business. Known for fresh-baked soft pretzels and customizable pretzel bites shipped in microwave-safe packaging with seasoning packets, Hot Box delivers a premium, chef-crafted experience straight to consumers. Desmond’s national recognition as a finalist on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars accelerated the brand’s growth into e-commerce and packaged goods, and Hot Box continues to scale with a vision of bringing bold, modern pretzel experiences to fans nationwide. For more information, visit hotboxpretzels.com.

Media Contact:

Juliana Martins
Eleven11 Media Relations
[email protected]

SOURCE Founders Row

Newly raised funding allows YSE Beauty to fuel accelerating momentum at Sephora, product development and further expansion of e-commerce channel

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16, 2025 — YSE Beauty, the results-driven, clinically tested skincare brand by Molly Sims has announced the successful close of its $15 million Series A funding round led by investment partner Silas Capital, an emerging growth equity and venture capital firm focused on next-generation consumer brands, with participation from L Catterton and existing investors Willow Growth Partners and Halogen Ventures.  The new capital infusion will be allocated strategically to fuel forthcoming expansion across all Sephora doors in the US and continued exponential growth on direct e-commerce.

YSE Beauty, designed for women 35+ seeking effective solutions without complicated routines, was inspired by Molly’s own battle with hyperpigmentation and a desire to help a generation of women who felt underserved and overlooked. Sims spent over three years in research and development, testing hundreds of formulas to perfect her regimen. Clinically tested and thoughtfully formulated, YSE Beauty launched in 2023 and quickly earned acclaim for delivering real results. The brand’s award-winning lineup launched into retail in June 2025, partnering exclusively with Sephora. The brand has earned numerous accolades including a Business of Fashion Innovation Award, an Allure Best of Beauty 2025 Award and Health Magazine 2024 Skin Awards for their bestselling Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads, a 2025 Good Housekeeping Beauty Award for their Overachiever Brightening Eye Masks, a 2024 Marie Claire Skin & Hair Award and a 2024 Shape Skin Award for their Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream, a 2024 Oprah Sun O-Wards for their Skin Glow SPF 30 Primer, and were named one of InStyle’s Best Beauty Buys in 2023 and 2025.

“There is so much synergy between our brand, the brands in the Silas portfolio and L Catterton’s deep strategic knowledge of the category.  Both firms deeply understand the kind of women we speak to… what she wears, what she values and how she moves through the world. It feels like a true alignment in vision and audience, making it the perfect fit. This partnership isn’t just strategic – it’s a shared philosophy and a mutual understanding of what’s going to fuel us and where we want to take the brand next” said YSE Beauty Founder, Molly Sims.

In 2025, YSE Beauty experienced 120% revenue growth and expects to deliver more than 80% growth in 2026. The brand is anticipating to more than double its Sephora business, while continuing its momentum in e-commerce, bringing the business to nearly $30 million in revenue next year. 

“Molly’s approachable, yet authoritative voice has been a key driver in building the loyal and engaged community supporting the incredible momentum for YSE Beauty,” said Brian Thorne, Partner at Silas Capital. “Leveraging her insider network of dermatologists, estheticians, and makeup artists, she has curated a lineup of multi-functional skincare-meets-makeup essentials that cater to an underserved Gen X customer that demands results-driven beauty. We’re thrilled to partner with Molly for this next chapter, supporting both the brand’s impressive e-commerce momentum, as well as its quickly scaling wholesale expansion with Sephora.”

About YSE Beauty: YSE Beauty is a premium skincare and beauty brand founded by Molly Sims dedicated to creating clinically informed, thoughtfully formulated products designed for real-life beauty routines. Drawing on Molly’s years of industry insight and her passion for skin confidence, YSE Beauty crafts effective, high-quality skincare that addresses concerns from hyperpigmentation and uneven tone to hydration and glow. This brand was built around conversations with real women and a deep understanding of their needs and beliefs. Fueled by Molly’s own skin experiences, YSE Beauty listens closely to its consumers, gaining loyalty and gathering insights that allow the brand to address her next set of concerns. The brand evolves with the consumer and adds value every step of the way. Rooted in results and guided by integrity, YSE Beauty empowers individuals to feel their absolute best in their skin, simply in a way that’s easy to maintain. Visit ysebeauty.com for more details.

About Molly Sims: Molly Sims is an entrepreneur, actress/producer, and podcast host known for redefining beauty, wellness and reinvention in midlife. She is the founder of YSE Beauty, a high-performance skincare brand developed for women over 40.  

Sims also hosts the award-winning podcast Lipstick on the Rim, where she brings together leading voices in beauty, health, and culture for candid, expert-driven conversations. Through her banner, Something Happy Productions, Molly Sims has produced Kinda Pregnant, starring comedic powerhouses Amy Schumer and Will Forte (Netflix; co-produced with Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison), as well as the upcoming adaptation of the bestselling thriller The Last Mrs. Parrish, starring Jennifer Lopez and directed by Robert Zemeckis (Netflix). Her upcoming slate features the smash-hit bestseller The Tenant from Freida McFadden with United Artists and Amazon; Lisa Jewell’s gripping, NYT chart-topping None of This Is True at Netflix; and Desperation Wedding, a sharp, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy led by the always-fearless Nikki Glaser. Guided by a female-forward mission, Something Happy Productions champions elevated and resonant stories that amplify women’s voices on and off screen. 

A longtime philanthropist and advocate, Sims sits on the board of Jhpiego, supporting global health access for women and families, and works closely with Baby2Baby, a nonprofit providing basic essentials to children living in poverty across the U.S.

About Silas Capital: Since 2012, Silas Capital has been a go-to growth equity and venture capital investor — partnering with next generation brands to drive revenue, profitability, and brand value. The firm’s Partners bring a unique blend of startup, growth equity and operating experience, enabling them to provide hands-on support beyond capital investment. Silas actively helps consumer companies scale through e-commerce, wholesale and retail channels. Previous and current investments for Silas Capital include Bare Snacks, Bellroy, Boll & Branch, Business & Pleasure, DÔEN, Hello Cake, Herbivore, ILIA Beauty, Makeup By Mario, Oak Essentials, RŌZ, Sakara Life, Vacation, Violette_FR and Wonderbelly to name a few. Learn more at www.silascapital.com.

SOURCE YSE Beauty