SEC registration of Securitize Capital expands Securitize’s regulated platform and positions the
company to deepen its work with asset managers and institutional investors

MIAMI, July 27, 2026 — Securitize Corp. (“Securitize”) (NYSE: SECZ), the leader in tokenized assets, today announced that its subsidiary, Securitize Capital LLC (“Securitize Capital”), is now registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser.

The registration marks another expansion of Securitize’s regulated platform for onchain capital markets. Through its U.S. affiliates, Securitize now combines an SEC-registered investment adviser with an SEC-registered broker-dealer and Alternative Trading System (“ATS”), an SEC-registered transfer agent and fund administration services.

The registration provides a broader foundation for Securitize Capital’s advisory business and positions Securitize to deepen its relationships with asset managers, institutional investors and other sophisticated market participants. The timing comes as regulators consider how established investment-adviser obligations may apply to emerging onchain portfolio-management tools. In a July 22 statement, SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce noted that managing certain crypto vaults and lending strategies may implicate investment-adviser issues, depending on their structure and activities. As these models develop, Securitize Capital is positioned to work with market participants exploring onchain investment strategies within applicable regulatory frameworks, supported by Securitize’s broader capabilities across product development, distribution, ownership recordkeeping, trading and administration.

“Becoming an SEC-registered investment adviser is an important step in the continued expansion of Securitize’s platform,” said Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize. “Asset managers and institutional investors want to work with partners that understand both the opportunity of tokenization and the obligations that come with operating in regulated markets. Through Securitize Capital, we are adding another important capability to our full stack and strengthening our ability to help institutions develop and manage investment strategies built for an onchain financial system.”

Securitize Capital previously operated as an exempt reporting adviser. As an SEC-registered investment adviser, Securitize Capital is subject to additional public disclosure, compliance, recordkeeping and examination requirements under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

About Securitize

Securitize, the world’s leader in tokenizing real-world assets with $5B+ AUM (as of July 2026), is bringing the world onchain through tokenized funds in partnership with top-tier asset managers, such as Apollo, BlackRock, BNY, Hamilton Lane, KKR, VanEck and others. In the U.S., Securitize operates through its affiliates, including Securitize Markets, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC that operates an SEC-regulated Alternative Trading System (ATS); Securitize Transfer Agent, LLC, an SEC-registered transfer agent; Securitize Capital LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser; and Securitize Fund Services, LLC, which provides fund administration services. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training, nor does it constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. In Europe, Securitize operates through its affiliate Securitize Europe Brokerage and Markets, S.A., which is fully authorized as an Investment Firm and operates a Trading & Settlement System (TSS) under the EU DLT Pilot Regime, making Securitize Corp. currently the only company, based on its existing U.S. and EU regulatory authorizations, licensed to operate regulated digital-securities infrastructure across both the U.S. and EU. Securitize has also been recognized as a 2026 Forbes Top 50 Fintech company.

For more information, please visit:

Website | X/Twitter | LinkedIn

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including statements regarding Securitize Corp.’s (“Securitize”) future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: regulatory developments relating to digital assets and tokenization; market volatility; competition; and those risk factors described in the filings of Securitize Corp.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Securitize Corp. does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Contacts

SOURCE Securitize

New offering gives general partners a structured way to create liquidity for limited partners with greater transparency on buyer selection, pricing and timing

CHICAGO, July 27, 2026 — Tradable, a leading private asset marketplace, today announced the launch of its private fund secondaries offering, giving private fund managers a more structured way to provide liquidity to their investors.

Private fund investors can often wait years for their capital to be returned. Tradable’s platform gives fund managers the software tools to provide rolling liquidity to their investors and receive offers from approved buyers through a structured, permissioned process. Buyers also receive access to curated fund interests and first-party data about the fund and its underlying investments.

Tradable’s SaaS platform streamlines the process, giving users a competitive edge through a technology-enabled approach to liquidity. General partners (GPs) can integrate their funds and enable existing limited partners (LPs) to first seek liquidity from within the manager’s existing investor base, reducing the need for expensive and time consuming diligence and consents. The offering then seamlessly integrates into Tradable’s private asset marketplace. LPs can additionally access Tradable’s network of fund secondaries buyers to run broader market processes.

“Investors increasingly want a clear path to liquidity, while fund managers want to minimize operational overhead in the process and protect their investor relationships,” said Alex Cordover, CEO of Tradable. “Tradable gives managers the tools to offer structured liquidity inside their funds in a more organized and repeatable way.”

The launch builds on Tradable’s existing private asset marketplace, which has a network of more than 250 institutions and counterparties representing more than $1 trillion in assets under management.

To learn more about Tradable and its offerings for investors and fund managers, visit tradable.xyz.

Media Contact:

Bob Spoerl

414.617.1768

[email protected] 

SOURCE Tradable

Investment positions leading North American CRO to expand clinical research and regulatory capabilities.

LONDON, ON and CHICAGO, July 27, 2026 — KGK Science Inc. (“KGK”), a leading North American contract research organization specializing in clinical trials and regulatory services for the dietary supplement, nutraceutical and consumer health industries, today announced it has received a growth investment led by Maxim Partners. The transaction closed on June 30, 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 1997, KGK has completed more than 400 clinical trials across over 40 health indications and published more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications. The company provides clinical research, regulatory consulting, and claim substantiation services that help consumer health companies develop and commercialize scientifically validated products worldwide.

The investment will support expanded clinical trial capacity, continued investment in decentralized and virtual trial capabilities, growth of KGK’s regulatory services, and continued expansion of its commercial organization. Founder and CEO Najla Guthrie and the existing management team will continue to lead the business.

“For nearly three decades, KGK has been committed to helping consumer nutrition companies generate the scientific evidence needed to bring innovative products to market. This investment marks an exciting new chapter for our company. Maxim shares our long-term vision and brings the strategic resources and sector experience to help us expand our capabilities, invest in our team, and better serve our clients around the world,” said Najla Guthrie, Founder and CEO of KGK Science Inc.

“KGK has built a differentiated platform with an outstanding reputation for scientific rigor, regulatory expertise, and customer service. As demand for clinically validated consumer nutrition products continues to grow, we believe KGK is exceptionally well positioned to capitalize on those long-term industry trends. We are excited to partner with Najla and the management team to support the company’s next phase of growth,” said Gregg Wilson, Founder & Managing Partner of Maxim Partners.

MLT Aikins (www.mltaikins.com) was the legal advisor to Maxim Partners on the transaction.

About KGK Science

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in London, Ontario, KGK Science Inc. is a full-service contract research organization specializing in the nutraceutical and natural health products industry. KGK designs and conducts human clinical trials, provides regulatory and claim substantiation expertise, and supports preclinical development, giving consumer health brands the evidence they need to differentiate their products and reach global markets with confidence. For more information, visit kgkscience.com.

About Maxim Partners

Maxim Partners is a Chicago-based investment firm dedicated to backing founders and managers seeking to impact lives through nutrition, nutraceuticals, functional foods, fitness, recreation, pets, personal care, and education. Maxim helps entrepreneurial leaders accelerate growth through capital, operational support, and deep sector expertise. For more information, visit www.maximpartnersllc.com.

SOURCE Maxim Partners

The latest episode of “The Opus Open Kitchen” podcast shares capital raising best practices from one of the world’s top placement agents.

NEW YORK, July 27, 2026 — Opus Fund Services, a leading global fund administrator, announced a new episode of the “Opus Open Kitchen”, an alternative investments industry podcast focused on challenges and opportunities impacting fund managers and investors.

In the recent release, “Discovering Alpha”, host Leo LaForce sits down with the Founding Partner of Old City Investment Partners, Seth Damski, and Managing Director Avi Sage, who share valuable insights and lessons learned while placing more than $20 billion of institutional capita with clients over the past two decades, including:

• How niche strategies play an important role in investors’ portfolios
• Attributes of fund managers who differentiate during due diligence
• Advice for building meaningful long-term relationships with investors
• “Uncommon Ideas” coming out of the Alpha on the Delta 2026 conference
• What’s next in Old City Investment Partners’ continuing growth story

“We thank Seth and Avi at Old City Investment Partners, both for sharing their expertise and for being a long-time Opus administration client” said LaForce. “Our conversation together stressed the importance of integrity, alignment of interests, infrastructure quality, and listening closely to each investor’s specific priorities as key ingredients for success in today’s ultra-competitive fundraising environment.”

The Opus Open Kitchen podcast brings listeners unique perspectives from special guests at some of the world’s leading allocators, capital raisers, consultants, and managers across key themes shaping the alternative investments industry. The latest episode, “Discovering Alpha”, is available now on:

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discovering-alpha/id1872499401?i=1000778036903

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ApShDmY578qjBK3rRDbuG?si=bJVytPH5RCKCfZ9uDRzByA

About Opus Fund Services

Opus Fund Services is an award-winning independent global fund administrator currently servicing over 625+ alternative investment managers of all strategies, 1,200+ funds, and 100,000+ investors worldwide. Opus pioneered the use of intelligent automations, solving for the industry challenges and operational risks that traditional administration could not. Opus’ industry-first Digital Back Office continues to transform the controls, scale, and transparency available to support and protect fund managers and investors. For further information visit www.opusfundservices.com and follow Opus on LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Leo LaForce, Opus Fund Services: [email protected].

About Old City Investment Partners

Old City Investment Partners was founded in New York City in 2006, and during the last twenty years has been instrumental to the emergence and growth of many best-in-class private credit, private equity, real asset, and hedge fund managers. The firm has placed over $20 billion of institutional capital with its clients, and is known for consistent sourcing of differentiated investments, it’s long-standing investor relationships, and its collaborative, thoughtful approach to capital formation. For more information visit www.oldcitycapital.com and follow Old City on LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Ansley Sobel, Old City Investment Partners: [email protected]

SOURCE Opus Fund Services

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 23, 2026 — Pelico, the manufacturing orchestration platform powering factory operations for the world’s leading industrial companies, today announced a strategic investment from AE Ventures, the venture capital platform of AE Industrial Partners — a private investment firm focused on national security, aerospace and industrial services. The investment was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow; financial terms were not disclosed.

The investment goes well beyond capital. As the venture arm of the leading aerospace and defense investment platform, AE Ventures plugs Pelico directly into the sector’s core ecosystem — its OEMs, suppliers and operators — including AE Industrial’s portfolio companies and network of strategic limited partners, and accelerates Pelico’s expansion across North America. As manufacturers confront historic backlogs and multi-tier supply chain complexity, Pelico’s AI-powered platform gives factory teams a single operational picture to anticipate disruptions, prioritize what matters and act in hours instead of weeks. Manufacturers including Boeing, Safran and Daikin have deployed Pelico in as little as 12 weeks, reporting on average a 40% reduction in parts shortages, a 15% improvement in on-time delivery and a 40% reduction in cycle times.

Pelico’s momentum also extends into aerospace sustainment, where shop-floor execution directly affects fleet readiness: Boeing Global Services is already using Pelico to connect planning, supply and execution teams around a shared operational picture in complex maintenance and repair operations.

“Aerospace ramp-up is won or lost on the factory floor,” said Tarik Benabdallah, CEO and co-founder, Pelico. “Partnering with AE Ventures plugs Pelico into the heart of the aerospace and defense ecosystem and gives us the reach to scale across North America. From production to sustainment — including work already underway with Boeing Global Services — this is a partnership to help the industry deliver.”

“The bottleneck in aerospace today is execution — turning order books into deliveries,” said Tyler Rowe, Partner, AE Ventures. “Pelico has proven with the industry’s most demanding manufacturers that orchestration moves the needle where it counts. We’re backing the team and partnering to bring the platform across our network.”

About Pelico

Pelico is the manufacturing orchestration platform that empowers factory teams to anticipate disruptions, align priorities and execute at speed. Founded in Paris in 2019 by Tarik Benabdallah, Mamoun Alaoui and Jonathan Hickson, Pelico is deployed by global manufacturers including Boeing, Safran and Daikin. Learn more at www.pelico.ai.

About AE Industrial Partners

AE Ventures is the venture capital platform of AE Industrial Partners, a private investment firm with $9.0 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2026, focused on highly specialized markets including national security, aerospace and industrials. AE Ventures has completed over 50 investments in early-stage companies that benefit from the deep industry knowledge, operating experience, and network of relationships across the sectors where the firm invests.

Media Contact: Ina Foalea – Chief of Staff, Pelico — [email protected] — +1 (786) 820-2649

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/3007318/Pelico__Logo.jpg

With AI-generated email attacks up 5x in a single year and FBI-reported cybercrime losses hitting a record $20.8 billion, former Google reCAPTCHA and Safe Browsing leaders are scaling the first defense built for a world where no employee and no amount of training can spot the lure

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23, 2026 — AegisAI, the email security company building its own large language models (LLMs) to defend the inbox, today announced a $36 million Series A led by Battery Ventures, with participation from existing investors Accel and Foundation Capital, to fight the next generation of increasingly sophisticated, AI-powered email attacks, which are having devastating consequences for individuals and organizations.

The round brings the company’s total funding to $49 million, less than a year after the company emerged from stealth. AegisAI will use the funding to scale its fleet of autonomous defense agents, accelerate general availability of Vanguard, its agent that hunts threats beyond the inbox, and expand enterprise go-to-market.

AI has enabled a new form of attack dubbed AI spear phishing. These attacks use LLMs to scan the internet for information about a victim and create highly targeted personalized lures designed to trick people into sharing sensitive data, downloading malware or sending money. This risk is turbocharged by the rising use of AI by individuals and workers. More widespread use of AI agents, which do work on someone’s behalf without human involvement, creates a huge new attack surface for criminals, who may be able to operate undetected for long periods of time.

AegisAI’s technology works by leveraging intelligent language models and an orchestrated network of AI agents to analyze and act on email threats in real time, essentially fighting AI attacks with AI. The company’s adaptive platform uses sophisticated reasoning to evaluate the specific intent of suspicious emails, instead of simply looking for patterns from past scams. This enables users to more quickly detect fraud, which is critical as the volume of email phishing has increased dramatically since the launch of ChatGPT.

“The most immediate, catastrophic risk to your organization isn’t an AI agent hacking your firewall. It’s an AI model manipulating someone in your organization into handing over the keys, often through the most trusted, most vulnerable contact of the person it’s targeting,” said Cy Khormaee, co-founder and CEO of AegisAI. “You cannot patch human trust. If your security program still relies on template-based phishing tests and awareness training, you are training your people to spot last year’s threat, not a capable agent crafting a novel lure just for them. When the attack is AI, the defense has to be AI.”

The future of phishing is perfection
For decades, the real defense against targeted spear phishing was the effort it required. Researching a target, mapping their relationships, impersonating a trusted vendor and timing the lure all took a skilled human operator – a capability reserved for nation-states. Today, that capability costs about the price of a cup of coffee. Off-the-shelf AI can autonomously pull public information on a human target, map their professional relationships, identify their most trusting contact, then craft a flawless, context-aware lure, at unlimited scale.

The evidence of spear phishing’s rise is now unambiguous. AegisAI’s State of the AI Threat in Email study, presented at the 2026 M3AAWG conference and based on analysis of more than 20,000 phishing, scam and malware emails, found:

• 5x growth in one year. AI-generated spear phishing grew from 2.8% to 13.9% of all observed phishing in 2025.
• 75% more effective. AI-generated emails evade traditional filters at nearly double the rate of human-written attacks, reaching the inbox more than half the time.
• Authentication is no defense. 72.6% of successful AI attacks passed email authentication, sent from compromised legitimate accounts with established sending histories.

The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report tells the same story from the victim’s side. Reported cybercrime losses reached a record $20.8 billion last year. Phishing complaint volume stayed essentially flat – but the losses those complaints represent surged more than 200% in a single year, from roughly $70 million to more than $215 million. Precision has replaced volume. Business email compromise, payload-less attacks that exploit identity rather than software, accounted for $11.64 billion in losses, versus less than $52 million for ransomware and malware combined: a 365-to-1 ratio.

AI vs. AI
The security industry spends enormous energy debating advanced autonomous agents that chain minor technical vulnerabilities into major exploits. AegisAI argues the same capability has already arrived at the human layer and it is the more immediate threat.

AegisAI was founded in 2025 by Khormaee and Ryan Luo, veterans of Google’s core security group who helped build reCAPTCHA, Safe Browsing and Web Risk, systems that protect billions of users daily. Instead of scanning for known-bad signatures, AegisAI deploys autonomous AI agents inside the inbox that interrogate the intent and identity behind every message, catching linguistically perfect attacks that pass every technical check, while cutting false positives by up to 90% compared to traditional solutions.

With Vanguard, announced in March, those agents now extend beyond the inbox. When a message is flagged, Vanguard follows suspicious links and attachments across the open web just as a user would – defeating adversarial CAPTCHAs, cloaked pages and weaponized documents – and returns a complete threat report in minutes.

“Email is where enterprise trust lives and generative AI just broke every assumption legacy email security was built on,” said Dharmesh Thakker, general partner at Battery Ventures. “When attacks are machine-generated, personalized and indistinguishable from legitimate mail, the only viable defense is an equally capable AI operating at machine speed. Cy and Ryan spent a decade building exactly these systems at Google scale. They’re the team we’d back to win this market.”

Since its public launch in September 2025, AegisAI has deployed with dozens of customers across fintech and technology, including:

• Mesh, a crypto payments company, where AegisAI’s agents catch everything from fuzzing attempts to AI-generated spear phishing and business email compromise without the security team spending time managing rules.
• LangChain, one of the most visible companies in AI and a prime target for sophisticated, AI-generated attacks given its public-facing engineers and executives.
• Lokker, where AegisAI caught an attack that came through compromised Salesforce infrastructure. This threat had nothing to do with a bad link or attachment, just a trusted vendor’s own systems being used against them.

About AegisAI

AegisAI, the email security company building its own LLMs to defend the inbox, is headquartered in San Francisco. Founded by the team behind Google’s reCAPTCHA, Safe Browsing and Web Risk, AegisAI deploys autonomous AI agents that defend organizations against AI-crafted phishing, business email compromise (BEC) and evasive payloads that slip past traditional filters. With $49 million in capital raised to date, AegisAI is backed by Battery Ventures, Accel and Foundation Capital. Learn more at aegisai.ai.

SOURCE AegisAI

New iOS and Android app puts working capital, payoff tracking, and paperless renewals in small business owners’ pockets.

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 — Byzfunder, a nationwide alternative small business lender that has deployed more than $1.75 billion to over 30,000 businesses since 2019, today launched its native iOS and Android app — putting the full Byzfunder experience in the palm of every active customer’s hand. The app is built to close the oldest gap in small business capital: the distance between the moment an owner needs money and the moment they can act on it. What used to take a laptop, a portal login, or a call to a rep now happens right from the phone. From behind a restaurant counter, inside a truck cab, or on a job site, owners now can focus more on growing their business, rather than getting buried in paperwork, logins, and phone tag.

The Byzfunder app gives customers full control of their existing funding and renewals across both products — MCA (merchant cash advance) and ByzFlex. Active customers can track current balances, payoff schedules, and payment history on their existing advance; accept renewal offers without resubmitting bank statements; and view next-payment information in real time. ByzFlex Flexline holders can request funds anytime directly in the app, with same-day wire transfers for requests made before 4 p.m. ET. The app is free to download and available to all active Byzfunder customers.

“Small business owners don’t run their businesses from a desk. After funding more than 30,000 of them, the next move was obvious: meet them where they already are. This isn’t a feature ship — it’s a recognition that how operators run their businesses has changed, and how they reach capital has to change with it. And the app is just the beginning.”

— Ilya Fridman, CEO & Founder, Byzfunder

Future updates will extend the app well beyond capital management. Coming features include in-app access to Money Master Class — Byzfunder’s small business education series hosted by CEO & Founder, Ilya Fridman — industry-specific tips for operators across restaurants, contractors, healthcare practices, and retail, in-app customer support, and AI-generated business insights tailored to each customer’s real-time cash flow patterns. The roadmap reflects Byzfunder’s broader strategy: to be more than a capital provider for the small businesses it serves.

The Byzfunder app is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Existing Byzfunder customers can log in using their current portal credentials. Learn more at byzfunder.com/app.

About Byzfunder

Byzfunder is a tech-driven small business lender delivering fast, flexible capital to small businesses underserved by traditional finance. Founded in 2019 and incorporated in New York, Byzfunder provides working capital to small businesses nationwide through its core merchant cash advance product and ByzFlex, a revenue-based revolving capital solution. The company combines proprietary technology, data analytics, and a service-first philosophy to help business owners access the capital they need to grow. Since inception, Byzfunder has funded more than $1.75 billion to more than 30,000 businesses nationwide.

For more information, visit byzfunder.com.

Media Contact

Xin Hamilton, CMO

[email protected]

byzfunder.com

ByzFlex MCA About Byzfunder

SOURCE Byzfunder

PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, July 23, 2026 — SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness today announced a minority investment in MERIT, the US-based cosmetics brand known for its modern, minimalist approach to beauty. The investment is led by Vasiliki Petrou, Managing Partner at SEMCAP Beauty and Wellness. With more than 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, Petrou founded the Unilever Prestige division in 2014 and led the acquisition and growth of a portfolio of iconic brands including Dermalogica, Paula’s Choice, Hourglass, Tatcha and K18.

Petrou will join MERIT’s board and partner with the executive team on the ongoing growth and globalization of the brand, which remains highly profitable.

“MERIT is one of the most thoughtfully built brands in beauty, a true icon in the market. I love the timeless brand aesthetic, the simplified and edited approach to beauty, and the focus on the millennial and gen X consumer, which is a significant white space in our industry. I am thrilled to support the continued global scaling of the brand,” said Petrou.

“We are honored to have Vasiliki Petrou join the MERIT Board of Directors. MERIT has seen significant growth over the past few years, and Vasiliki’s industry-defining experience will be an invaluable asset as we continue to invest in the long-term future of the business. Her perspective on brand equity, financial performance, and operations perfectly aligns with our dedication to intentionality and excellence,” said Philippe Pinatel, CEO of MERIT

The investment in MERIT underscores SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness’ focus on partnering with innovative, category-leading brands that are poised for durable, global growth.

About MERIT

Founded in 2021, MERIT is a modern beauty brand that simplifies what it takes to get ready. Born out of an industry crowded with fleeting trends and products that demanded expert-level skills, MERIT was created as the antidote – a considered collection designed to bring ease to your everyday. With a timeless perspective on beauty and a commitment to uncompromising quality, we create beauty and lifestyle essentials that become signatures of your routine – products you’ll reach for daily and live with for years to come.

About SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness

SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness makes influential investments in high-growth, breakthrough products, services and technologies that support the modern consumer’s goals of living longer, better lives. The platform partners with exceptional beauty and wellness brands, services and technologies, backed by strategic expertise, industry relationships and operational support. SEMCAP provides access to resources and leverages industry networks, and expertise to help these businesses scale nationally and internationally. SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness is one of SEMCAP’s four platforms: AI, Health, Food & Nutrition, and Beauty & Wellness. SEMCAP is a growth equity firm committed to investing behind seminal trends in sectors that have the greatest impact on society

This release is provided for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. This material may contain estimates and forward-looking statements, which may include forecasts and do not represent a guarantee of future performance. This information is not intended to be complete or exhaustive and no representations or warranties, either express or implied, are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein. The views expressed are as of July 23, 2026 and are subject to change without notice. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Investing involves significant risks.

©2026 Seminal Capital Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. SEMCAP is a trademark of Seminal Capital Holdings, LLC.

Media contacts:

MERIT
[email protected]

SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness
Michelle Musburger
[email protected]

SOURCE SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness

—Consortium led by the Broad Institute’s Center for Therapeutic Genetics to use Apertura’s novel CNS-targeted AAV capsid, TfR1 CapX™, for base and prime gene editing programs—

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 — Apertura Gene Therapy, a biotechnology company developing next-generation AAV capsids for delivering genetic medicines, today announced participation in a consortium selected to receive funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) THRIVE program to develop gene therapies for rare childhood diseases. THRIVE is led by ARPA-H Program Manager Daria Fedyukina, Ph.D. The consortium, led by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard’s Center for Therapeutic Genetics, will use Apertura’s novel central nervous system-targeted AAV capsid, TfR1 CapX™, for base and prime gene editing programs.

Composed of academic researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and biotechnology companies, the consortium will work to create a Pediatric Epilepsies and Rare CNS (PERC) Gene Editing Platform that shares manufacturing, regulatory precedent, and clinical infrastructure across diseases. The goal of the consortium is to address a gap in development efforts and develop therapies faster than is currently possible for patients with a wide range of rare central nervous system diseases.

“More than three million children worldwide are affected by developmental and epileptic encephalopathies that are caused by mutations across more than 400 different genes, making it difficult to develop therapies for these diseases with traditional approaches,” said Andrew Steinsapir, Acting Chief Technology Officer at Apertura and Gene Therapy Program Lead at Deerfield Management. “By working directly with patient advocacy organizations and sharing drug development infrastructure across programs, the consortium is taking an innovative approach to advancing treatments for a wide range of neurogenetic disorders.”

TfR1 CapX was initially engineered by Ben Deverman, Ph.D., Senior Director, Vector Engineering and an Institute Scientist at the Broad Institute, and colleagues. The capsid is administered intravenously and designed to target human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1), cross the blood-brain barrier, and enable broad distribution to the brain and spinal cord.

TfR1 CapX will be paired with base and prime gene editing technologies developed in the lab of David Liu, Ph.D., Richard Merkin Professor and Director of the Merkin Institute for Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Core Institute Member, and Director of the Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Sciences Program at the Broad Institute.

Manufacturing support for the consortium will be provided by Viralgen, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapies. “Viralgen has extensive experience working with partners to manufacture AAV gene therapies, and we look forward to supporting the consortium as it advances therapies for rare CNS diseases,” said Andy Holt, Chief Commercial Officer at Viralgen.

This project deepens Apertura’s commitment to providing TfR1 CapX broadly across the industry. Apertura has signed multiple licensing agreements for TfR1 CapX programs, several of which are expected to enter clinical trials within the next 12 months.

About TfR1 CapX™

TfR1 CapX™ is a leading IV-administered, BBB-crossing capsid. Multiple for-profit and non-profit organizations have validated and licensed TfR1 CapX, and other groups are in discussions to license the technology. Clinical readiness has been supported by several preclinical development programs, including regulatory engagement and manufacturing by contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs). TfR1 CapX is a proprietary, second-generation capsid that demonstrates superior CNS delivery compared to Apertura’s first-generation capsid, BI-hTFR1. Research on the first-generation BI-hTFR1 capsid was published in Science.

About Apertura Gene Therapy

Apertura Gene Therapy develops genetic medicines and next-generation AAV capsids that engage human-relevant receptors, aiming to enable more effective and selective gene delivery. The company’s lead capsid, TfR1 CapX™, leverages human transferrin receptor 1 to enable intravenous delivery to the brain and spinal cord. This established transport mechanism has a strong clinical track record in pediatric and geriatric populations, expanding its potential to treat serious neurological and genetic diseases. Apertura has licensed its next-generation capsids to multiple partners, with several programs expected to enter clinical trials over the next 12 months. Founded in 2021 on technology from the Broad Institute and supported by Deerfield Management, Apertura Gene Therapy is headquartered in New York City. Learn more at aperturagtx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

For Apertura Gene Therapy
[email protected]

SOURCE Apertura Gene Therapy