• $15M Series A led by Insight Partners (Anthropic, Shopify, Twitter, Wiz)
• 13x revenue growth in a year, profitable, with a team of 15
• Powers creator-led growth across 20+ B2B verticals – financial services, coding, marketing, design – for the most forward-leaning companies, including ElevenLabs, Figma, Replit, Framer and Gamma
• Co-founder and CEO Jen Phan relocating to New York to open NY office
• Expanding talent base across US and Europe

NEW YORK and BERLIN, July 22, 2026 — Passionfroot, the platform for B2B creator-led growth, today announced a $15M Series A led by Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors Creandum, Supernode Global, and s16vc. Passionfroot is the first AI-native platform for B2B creator-led growth, built for a moment when traditional channels are losing effectiveness and buyers increasingly discover software through independent voices they already trust. The company handles everything from creator discovery to contract, campaign execution to global payment, with AI unifying the process from end-to-end.

Zest, Passionfroot’s AI agent, executes creator campaigns from brief to payment. It’s powered by the Creator Graph, a proprietary dataset of B2B creator pricing and performance built from thousands of campaigns. Global payouts flow through the Passionfroot Wallet, giving brands visibility into creator spend that the category has historically lacked.

Built for B2B, not B2C

Passionfroot isn’t built for lifestyle creators or consumer ad buys; it’s for the hardest customers in software. The fastest-scaling, most demanding companies facing the defining question of the AI era: when anyone can build the product, how do you cut through and win mindshare? In that world, distribution matters more than ever, and those are exactly the companies Passionfroot is built for.

That extends to how Passionfroot is built. It’s AI-native in its operations, not just its product, which is how 15 people deliver at this scale.

Profitable hypergrowth

Over the past year Passionfroot grew revenue 13x while staying profitable with a team of 15. The customer list is the tell: ElevenLabs, Figma, Replit, Framer and Gamma, a roster heavy with AI-native companies that treat creators as core go-to-market from day one. Passionfroot’s creator platform spans thousands of independent voices across software, AI, developer tools and enterprise productivity, sectors that account for the majority of the company’s customer base.

“With Passionfroot, we’ve been able to build and scale our creator program in a way that wasn’t possible before. In the age of AI, you need to reach your buyers through voices they already trust – and Passionfroot makes that scalable. What used to take weeks now happens in days. It’s become a core part of how we reach our community and tell better stories faster across channels.” (Alex Lin, Growth Marketing at Replit)

Why Insight backed it

Insight Partners, roughly $90B under management, backing Anthropic, Shopify, Twitter, Linktree, Wiz.

“AI-native companies are bringing a consumer playbook to B2B go-to-market. More and more, they’re scaling through creators their audiences already trust, and as generative engines reshape search, authentic user-generated content is becoming increasingly valuable. Passionfroot built the infrastructure for this shift: a platform that runs the entire creator campaign workflow end-to-end, with a data layer that gets smarter with every campaign. We’re thrilled to partner with Passionfroot as they define the category,” said Rebecca Liu-Doyle, Managing Director at Insight Partners.

What’s next

The funding will go toward making their AI Agent Zest run more of every campaign, deepening the Creator Graph, and scaling GTM in the US. Co-founder and CEO Jen Phan is relocating to New York to lead that expansion, while product and engineering stay anchored in Berlin and the company will be opening a third office in São Paulo for customer success and engineering. Passionfroot is hiring across all three.

“We’re entering the era of the B2B creator economy, and it’s moving faster than anyone expected,” said Jen Phan, Co-founder and CEO of Passionfroot. “The more AI floods the world with content, the more the trusted human voices – the domain experts and tastemakers people actually listen to – matter. Our job is to make reaching them as measurable and scalable as paid search became fifteen years ago.

About Passionfroot

Passionfroot is the AI-native platform for B2B creator-led growth. Its agent, Zest, runs creator campaigns end to end, powered by the proprietary Creator Graph and the Passionfroot Wallet for global payouts and attribution. The company works with 150+ B2B brands – including ElevenLabs, Figma, Replit, Framer and Gamma – and thousands of the world’s most influential creators. Founded in 2022 by Jen Phan and Lorenzo De Nobili and backed by Insight Partners, Creandum, Supernode Global, and s16vc. www.passionfroot.me

About Insight Partners

Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2025, the firm has over $90B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 900 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has a global presence with leadership in London, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on X @insightpartners.

SOURCE Passionfroot

Award highlights company’s leadership in real estate financing

ATLANTA, July 22, 2026 — Groundfloor, the award-winning private market investing and lending platform, today announced it has been named one of CNBC and Statista’s World’s Top Fintech Companies, in the Alternative Financing category.

Now in its fourth year, the World’s Top Fintech Companies ranking recognizes 500 companies across eight market segments that are shaping the future of financial services through innovation and technology. Developed by CNBC and Statista, the ranking is based on a rigorous methodology that evaluates companies using a combination of key performance indicators.

“This recognition reflects our commitment to transforming how real estate entrepreneurs access capital,” said Brian Dally, co-founder and CEO of Groundfloor. “We’ve built a lending platform designed to deliver the speed, transparency, and reliability today’s investors need to compete in a fast-moving market. We’re proud that our approach to financing real estate projects is being recognized alongside the world’s most innovative fintech companies.”

Groundfloor Lending was recognized in the Alternative Financing category, which includes companies providing technology-driven, bank-independent financing solutions for individuals and businesses. Since 2013, Groundfloor Lending has loaned over $2.2 billion to real estate borrowers through its fix-and-flip, new construction, bridge, and DSCR products. Groundfloor Lending remains the only real estate lender to offer a truly deferred loan offering to qualified borrowers, allowing them to focus more on their renovation instead of monthly payments.

The recognition adds to a growing list of honors for Groundfloor, including being named to the Forbes Fintech 50, Benzinga’s Best Alternative Investment Platform, and the Inc. 5000 for six consecutive years. Earlier this year, Groundfloor Lending was also named a finalist in the IMN SFR Awards’ Best Fix-and-Flip Lender of the Year category, recognizing its leadership in financing residential real estate investors nationwide.

For more information about Groundfloor Lending and its financing solutions for real estate investors, visit groundfloorlending.com.

About Groundfloor
Groundfloor is an award-winning investing and lending company that unlocks institutional-grade private markets for investors and borrowers. Founded in 2013, the company pioneered retail access to private real estate debt. Today, Groundfloor continues to offer first-to-market real estate products such as Notes while expanding into a growing range of private markets, including consumer credit, small business finance, and music royalties. Recognized by Forbes Fintech 50 and the Inc. 5000 for six consecutive years, Groundfloor has facilitated more than $2.2 billion in investments across its private market offerings. Start investing or lending at Groundfloor.com.

Media Contact:
Hela Sheth
[email protected] 

SOURCE Groundfloor Finance Inc.

• Nth Cycle will become a publicly traded company through a business combination with Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI (NYSE: KCAC), with the combined company expected to trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “NTH”.
• Nth Cycle fills one of the largest gaps in the critical mineral supply chain, onshoring the refining capability needed to curb Western dependence on China.
• Nth Cycle’s proprietary electroextraction platform was built for Western markets, replacing the expense, build-out, and waste of traditional refineries with a faster, cheaper, and cleaner alternative.
• Nth Cycle processes rare earth elements, copper, and battery materials—a trillion-dollar market driven by electrification, defense and AI infrastructure.
• Proposed transaction implies a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $585 million.

BURLINGTON, Mass. and WESTBURY, N.Y., July 22, 2026 — Nth Cycle Inc. (“Nth Cycle” or the “Company”), a pure-play critical mineral refiner, and Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI (“Kensington”) (NYSE: KCAC), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced a definitive business combination that will result in Nth Cycle becoming a publicly traded company. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Nth Cycle Holdings, Inc., and its common stock is expected to trade on the NYSE under the new ticker symbol “NTH”.

Founded in 2017, Nth Cycle is building the refining capacity needed to secure Western critical mineral supply chains. Its OYSTER system converts the rare earth elements, copper, and battery metals found in mined and recycled materials into industrial-grade inputs for some of the world’s most strategic industries.

Nth Cycle’s Co-founder and CEO Dr. Megan O’Connor, commented: “Critical minerals are abundant across the West — but they have little to no commercial value until refined. That single chokepoint has left the United States, Europe, and allied nations entirely dependent on China, which has a tighter grip on these essential resources than OPEC ever had on oil. We’ve changed that with our modular refining system and are excited to partner with Kensington to scale our platform at the cost, speed, and efficiency Western markets demand.”

Kensington’s Chairman and CEO, Justin Mirro, added: “Kensington seeks partners who don’t just innovate — they redefine what’s possible for America’s future. Nth Cycle’s breakthrough OYSTER system is exactly that kind of transformative technology: a powerful, scalable solution that will secure our domestic critical minerals supply chain for the next century. We’ve spent years scaling companies in automotive and advanced manufacturing, so we know what it takes to move from breakthrough technology to large-scale commercial production. We’re really excited to partner with Megan and her outstanding team. Together, we’re going to help secure America’s critical minerals future and power the next generation of electrification, defense, and AI.”

Positioned for the Next Industrial Era, Aligned with Government Policy and Private Sector Demand

Critical minerals are one of the defining resources of the new industrial era, and like oil, they have no commercial value unless they are refined for end-use. China currently controls that purification for approximately 85% of the world’s mineral-rich materials, including those from the United States, Europe and allied nations. This bottleneck has become a national priority across the West, establishing refining capacity as a significant bridge to onshoring one of the most consequential supply chains of the next century.

Nth Cycle is currently focused on three fast-growing metal markets driven by federal policy and private sector demand: rare earths, the essential materials enabling military systems and advanced electronics; copper, irreplaceable for transmitting electricity, data and industrial power; and battery materials, which power energy storage, transportation, and electrification.

Nth Cycle’s commercial momentum includes operating the first U.S. refinery to produce high-purity nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide product from recycled battery feedstock, a 10-year off-take term sheet with Trafigura valued at approximately $1.1 billion, and strategic development agreements with leading rare earth companies.

Transaction Overview

The business combination values Nth Cycle at an implied enterprise value of $585 million, assuming no redemptions by Kensington’s stockholders in connection with closing and the payment of estimated transaction expenses.

The board of directors of both Kensington and Nth Cycle have approved the proposed transaction, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and stockholder approvals.

Transaction proceeds to the combined company are expected to consist of up to $230 million in Kensington’s trust, subject to redemptions, and a common stock PIPE of up to $100 million, of which $40 million has to date been committed by new and existing investors. Additional information about the proposed transaction, including a copy of the Business Combination Agreement and investor presentation, will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Kensington with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available at www.sec.gov.

Advisors

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP is serving as legal counsel to Kensington. Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, and Drexel Hamilton, LLC are acting as placement agents for Kensington. Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal counsel and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is acting as an exclusive financial advisor to Nth Cycle. Gateway Group is serving as investor relations and public relations advisor for the transaction.

About Nth Cycle Inc.

Nth Cycle is a critical minerals midstream refining company building the technology and infrastructure needed for Western supply chains. The company addresses the structural bottleneck of foreign dependence to process domestic critical mineral resources with its modular OYSTER system and proprietary electroextraction platform. Combined, they dramatically lower capital intensity, deployment time and emissions to convert industrial scrap, black mass and primary feeds into intermediate and refined products within the nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth value chains. These advancements enable the domestic production and allied partnerships vital to industrial competitiveness, economic growth, and national security.

About Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI

Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI (NYSE: KCAC) is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Justin Mirro, Vice Chairman and President, Dieter Zetsche, Chief Operating Officer, Robert Remenar, Chief Technology Officer, Simon Boag and Chief Financial Officer, Daniel Huber. Kensington’s independent directors are William Kassling, Anders Pettersson, Mitchell Quain, Donald Runkle and Matthew Simoncini.

For more information about Kensington, please visit www.autospac.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that are not historical facts but may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology or expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events, the business combination, the estimated or anticipated future results and benefits of the combined company (“New Nth Cycle”) following the business combination (the “Business Combination”), including the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the Business Combination, future opportunities for New Nth Cycle and other statements that are not historical facts.

These statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Kensington and/or Nth Cycle and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Kensington and Nth Cycle. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Nth Cycle’s business and the Business Combination, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general economic, political and business conditions; the inability of the parties to consummate the Business Combination or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”); the number of redemption requests made by shareholders of Kensington in connection with the Business Combination; the ultimate size of the PIPE conducted in connection with the Business Combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties following the announcement of the Business Combination; the risk that the approval of the shareholders of Nth Cycle or Kensington for the Business Combination is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction; the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; the risks related to the rollout of the business of Nth Cycle and the timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on Nth Cycle’s business; the ability of New Nth Cycle to execute its growth strategy and secure sufficient capital to execute its growth strategy, manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; the ability of New Nth Cycle to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on a U.S. national securities exchange following the Business Combination; costs related to the Business Combination; and other risks that will be detailed from time to time in filings with the SEC. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. There may be additional risks that Kensington and Nth Cycle presently do not know or that Kensington and Nth Cycle currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide Kensington’s and Nth Cycle’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Kensington and Nth Cycle anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause their assessments to change. However, while Kensington and Nth Cycle may elect to update these forward-looking statements in the future, Kensington and Nth Cycle specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Kensington’s or Nth Cycle’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Nothing herein should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. This press release contains preliminary information only, is subject to change at any time, and is not, and should not be assumed to be, complete or constitute all of the information necessary to adequately make an informed decision regarding any potential investment in connection with the Business Combination.

Important Information for Investors and Shareholders

The Business Combination will be submitted to shareholders of Kensington for their consideration. In connection with the Business Combination, Kensington intends to file a Registration Statement with the SEC (the “Registration Statement”), which will include a proxy statement/prospectus and certain other related documents, which will serve as both the proxy statement to be distributed to shareholders of Kensington in connection with its solicitation for proxies for the vote by its shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and other matters to be described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the securities to be issued to securityholders of Kensington and securityholders of Nth Cycle in connection with the completion of the Business Combination. After the Registration Statement is declared effective, Kensington will mail a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to its shareholders as of the record date established for voting on the Business Combination. This press release is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Kensington will send to its shareholders in connection with the Business Combination.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES TO THE BUSINESS COMBINATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge at www.sec.gov. The definitive proxy statement/final prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of Kensington as of a record date to be established for voting on the Business Combination. Shareholders of Kensington will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus without charge, once available, by directing a request to: Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301, Westbury, NY 11590.

Participants in the Solicitation

Kensington and its directors, executive officers, and other members of management, and consultants, under SEC rules, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Kensington’s shareholders with respect to the Business Combination. Information about the directors and executive officers of Kensington is set forth in its Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the Registration Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the Business Combination and related transactions when they become available. Stockholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the Registration Statement carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. When available, these documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

Nth Cycle, its directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Kensington’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the Business Combination will be included in the Registration Statement when available.

No Offer or Solicitation

This document shall not constitute a “solicitation” as defined in Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, the solicitation of an offer to buy or a recommendation to purchase, any securities, or a solicitation of any vote, consent or approval, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale may be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. No offering of securities in the Proposed Business Combination shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.

Investor Relations Contact:
Gateway Group
Georg Venturatos, Patrick Hall
949-574-3860
[email protected] 

Media Relations Contact:
Gateway Group
Zach Kadletz
949-574-3860
[email protected] 

Kensington:
Dan Huber
Chief Financial Officer
703-674-6514
[email protected] 

SOURCE Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI

Financing led by Frazier Life Sciences with participation from Wellington Management, HBM Healthcare Investments, Soleus Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, Trails Edge Capital Partners, Pivotal bioVenture Partners and KCap Biotechnology Fund and all existing investors

Proceeds to support ongoing late-stage global clinical development and commercialization preparation of dotinurad, a next-generation, once daily, oral URAT1 inhibitor with the potential to deliver best-in-class safety and efficacy for the treatment of gout 

SAN DIEGO, July 22, 2026 — Crystalys Therapeutics Inc. (‘Crystalys’ or ‘the Company’), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company addressing the significant unmet medical needs of people living with gout, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $130 million Series B financing to support the late-stage global clinical development and commercialization preparation of dotinurad, a next-generation, once daily, oral URAT1 inhibitor with the potential to deliver best-in-class safety and efficacy for the treatment of gout. The financing was led by Frazier Life Sciences with participation from Wellington Management, HBM Healthcare Investments, Soleus Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, Trails Edge Capital Partners, Pivotal bioVenture Partners and KCap Biotechnology Fund and all existing investors – Novo Holdings, SR One, Catalys Pacific, Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Funds, Lightstone Ventures, AN Venture Partners, funds managed by abrdn Inc., KB Investments, Pontifax, Longwood Fund, Alexandria Venture Investments, Wedbush Healthcare Partners and Prebys Ventures Fund. 

Dotinurad’s clinical development program includes two ongoing Phase 3 registration-directed trials, RUBY and TOPAZ, as well as the ongoing Phase 2 AMETHYST study, collectively designed to evaluate dotinurad across a broad spectrum of patients with gout, including those with limited treatment options. The proceeds from the financing are expected to support ongoing clinical development of dotinurad, commercialization preparation activities and provide operational runway through multiple anticipated clinical and regulatory milestones.

“We are delighted to have the support of this strong syndicate of new investors and all our existing investors as we advance dotinurad through late-stage clinical development and into commercialization preparation,” said James Mackay, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Crystalys Therapeutics. “This financing strengthens our ability to advance our RUBY, TOPAZ and AMETHYST studies and positions Crystalys to achieve multiple important clinical and regulatory milestones and commercial readiness as we work to bring a potentially best-in-class treatment option to patients living with gout. “

“We are pleased to support Crystalys at this important stage of growth as the company continues to advance dotinurad,” said Kevin Li, Partner, Frazier Life Sciences. “The company has built a strong foundation around a late-stage asset with the potential to address significant unmet needs in gout, supported by an experienced leadership team. We believe Crystalys is well positioned to potentially create meaningful impact for patients and also believe in the company’s ability to work towards commercialization.”

About Gout

Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. It is a condition that is very debilitating for patients and characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints. This disease arises from excess uric acid in the body, known as ‘hyperuricemia,’ which causes buildup of uric acid crystals and inflammation, which can lead to tophaceous gout in people with chronic or undertreated disease. Despite available therapies that aim to reduce uric acid levels below the target 6 mg/dL, a major treatment gap remains between first-line xanthine oxidase inhibitors and last-line uricase therapy. Currently, no suitable second-line options exist in the U.S. or E.U., leaving a critical unmet need for patients who fail to respond to first-line treatments.

About Crystalys Therapeutics

Crystalys Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company transforming the treatment of gout. Headquartered in San Diego, California, and co-founded by Catalys Pacific and Novo Holdings, Crystalys brings together a world-class team with deep expertise in gout drug development, dedicated to delivering more effective options for people living with gout. The company’s lead candidate, dotinurad, is a next-generation, once daily, oral, URAT1 inhibitor in clinical development as a second-line therapy aimed to reduce uric acid, gout flares and tophi. Dotinurad was invented by Fuji Yakuhin and has obtained regulatory approval in Japan, China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. With best-in-class potential for both safety and efficacy, dotinurad is supported by clinical data from multiple Asian markets where it is approved. Crystalys is conducting the JEWEL clinical research program, which includes the Phase 3 RUBY, TOPAZ studies and the Phase 2 AMETHYST study evaluating the safety and efficacy of dotinurad in patients with gout.

For more information, visit www.crystalystx.com/ and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Crystalys Therapeutics

Funding will support completion of IND-enabling activities and planned year-end IND submission for TAVST01, Tikva’s lead off-the-shelf CAR-T candidate targeting B7-H3-positive solid tumors

SINGAPORE, July 22, 2026 — Tikva Allocell Pte. Ltd. (“Tikva”), a biotechnology company developing engineered, allogeneic (donor-derived) cell therapies for adult and pediatric patients with solid tumors, today announced the closing of an $8 million Series A financing led by Kantharos Capital.

Proceeds will fund IND-enabling activities and a planned year-end 2026 Investigational New Drug (IND) submission for TAVST01, Tikva’s lead candidate for B7-H3-positive solid tumors. Subject to regulatory clearance, the company plans to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with advanced B7-H3-positive cancer at sites in Singapore and the United States.

TAVST01 targets B7-H3, a protein expressed across a broad range of difficult-to-treat solid tumors, including lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, and pediatric cancers. Unlike conventional donor-derived cell therapies, which a patient’s immune system often clears before they can work, TAVST01 is built from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T cells – immune cells the body naturally sustains – and is engineered to resist that rejection, with preclinical potential both to kill tumor cells directly and to remodel the immunosuppressive microenvironment that has limited cell therapies in solid tumors. That durability is no accident: almost everyone carries EBV from a past infection the immune system never fully clears, so the body keeps a standing population of these virus-specific T cells on patrol for years – exactly the staying power that donor-derived cell therapies have struggled to achieve.

“Cell therapy has transformed the treatment of blood cancers but has repeatedly stalled at the solid-tumor door – the donor cells either fail to persist or are eliminated by the patient’s immune system before they can act,” said Dr. Ivan Horak, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tikva Allocell. “We started from a different place: a virus-fighting T cell the body naturally sustains, armed to seek out B7-H3 and engineered to withstand the rejection that defeats most donor-derived approaches, with minimal gene editing. With this financing, we are well positioned to complete IND-enabling studies and advance TAVST01 toward its planned IND submission, bringing us closer to delivering a scalable, readily available, and potentially transformative cell therapy for patients with solid tumors.”

Tikva’s therapies are built on the ALLO SerpinB9 EBVST platform — an allogeneic, virus‑specific T‑cell technology licensed exclusively from Baylor College of Medicine and further enhanced through Tikva’s proprietary protein‑engineering strategies. These cells are equipped with a B7‑H3–targeting receptor and an optimized form of SerpinB9, a natural inhibitor of granzyme B, the enzyme immune cells use to kill their targets. Because a patient’s immune system would normally attack donor cells using granzyme B, the SerpinB9 “armor” enables Tikva’s cells to resist rejection and remain active. At the same time, the approach minimizes graft‑versus‑host disease (GvHD) with only minimal gene editing.

“Our investment reflects strong conviction in both Tikva’s science and its leadership team,” said Terence Tan, Managing Partner at Kantharos Capital. “Tikva is addressing fundamental challenges that have constrained allogeneic cell therapies, and we believe its ALLO SerpinB9 EBVST platform can extend the reach of cell therapy to solid-tumor patients who today have limited options. We look forward to supporting the company toward IND submission and clinical evaluation.”

About Tikva Allocell
Tikva Allocell Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, is a biotechnology company developing engineered, allogeneic (donor‑derived) cell therapies for solid tumors. The company’s pipeline is built on the ALLO SerpinB9 EBVST platform—an allogeneic, virus‑specific T‑cell technology licensed exclusively from Baylor College of Medicine and enhanced through Tikva’s proprietary protein‑engineering strategies. This platform integrates tumor‑targeting receptors such as B7‑H3 with an optimized form of SerpinB9 to help donor‑derived T cells resist granzyme‑B–mediated immune rejection, persist longer, and minimize graft‑versus‑host disease with minimal gene editing.

Tikva’s scientific foundation is rooted in decades of research at Baylor College of Medicine by Dr. Malcolm Brenner, Dr. Cliona Rooney, and Dr. Helen Heslop—leaders in virus‑specific T‑cell biology—who co‑founded Tikva with CEO Dr. Ivan Horak and serve as scientific advisors. The company’s lead program, TAVST01, is an off‑the‑shelf, B7‑H3‑targeted EBV‑specific T‑cell therapy in IND‑enabling development for a planned year‑end 2026 IND submission. TAVST01 is designed for patients with B7‑H3‑positive solid tumors, including lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, and pediatric cancers, and has a preclinical profile that may support lymphodepletion‑free administration, repeat dosing, and combination strategies. For more information, visit www.tikvaallocell.com.

About Kantharos Capital
Kantharos Capital is a boutique private equity firm founded by a family office with more than three decades of venture investing experience across Silicon Valley, China, and Singapore. It pairs institutional discipline with the patience and long-term perspective of family capital to help founders build enduring businesses.

Contacts
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
Investor Relations
David Irish
+1-231-632-0002
[email protected] 

Media Relations
Casey McDonald
+1-646-577-8520
[email protected] 

SOURCE Tikva Allocell

Uzum, Uzbekistan’s national digital ecosystem, has been included for the first time in the World’s Top Fintech Companies 2026, compiled by CNBC in partnership with the global market research and analytics firm Statista. Uzum was recognized in the “Neobanking” category.

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 22, 2026 — The World’s Top Fintech Companies by CNBC and Statista is one of the industry’s most respected global benchmarks. It recognizes companies shaping the future of financial services through technology, innovation and scalable digital solutions. The “Neobanking” category covers next-generation digital financial services providers that deliver banking and banking-like services primarily through digital channels, without relying on traditional branch networks.

Uzum’s inclusion among the world’s leading fintech companies reflects the growing trust millions of users place in the company’s digital financial solutions. An increasing number of people across Uzbekistan rely on digital services for everyday payments, shopping, personal finance management and access to banking services.

“This recognition is, above all, a testament to the fact that an ecosystem approach is transforming the everyday financial experience of millions of people. We are building an ecosystem that scales through a seamless user experience, where financial and everyday services are integrated into a single environment. This makes it easier for users to access the solutions they need while enabling us to continuously expand our product offering and make modern digital services available across the country. This approach has already led more than 6 million users to choose Uzum Bank cards, as the card has become a natural part of everyday interaction with the ecosystem rather than simply a payment instrument. We are creating a seamless digital experience in which financial services are embedded into daily life, allowing users to shop, pay, access installment financing, transfer money and use other services within a single ecosystem in just a few clicks.

By combining technology, convenience and an ecosystem-based model, we are able to scale our services rapidly, expand access to digital financial solutions, create new opportunities for entrepreneurs through embedded finance and contribute to the development of Uzbekistan’s digital economy,” said Djasur Djumaev, CEO and Founder of Uzum.

The list is based on Statista’s comprehensive evaluation methodology, which combines general business performance indicators with category-specific industry KPIs tailored to each fintech segment. This approach enables companies to be assessed not only by their scale, but also by their operational performance, growth trajectory and level of digital maturity.

The Apodex Frontier Program grants free access to its latest AI model, a heavy-duty solver built to accelerate deep tech — to research, solve, and discover what matters

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 21, 2026 — Apodex today announced the launch of the Apodex Frontier Program, a new initiative offering selected research institutions, academic labs, and deep-tech startups up to $100,000 in monthly compute credits, full access to Apodex’s heavy-duty solver, and dedicated engineering support.

The Apodex Frontier Program is intended for teams pursuing scientific and technological discovery who can benefit from access to compute, funding, and technical support. Selected applicants will be able to use Apodex resources for projects such as scientific discovery, validating targets, testing hypotheses, comparing technical approaches, and moving complex projects forward.

Applicants should expect to provide their team’s primary scientific or business field, research question, methodology, expected outcomes, and anticipated monthly credits. The link to apply is: https://www.apodex.com/frontier-program

Selected research partners receive:

• Up to $100,000/month compute credits, tailored to their institution’s scale and research complexity, allocated through an institutional account that enables administrators to manage usage across teams.
• Full access to Discover Mode, Apodex’s most powerful reasoning agent with 10x compute intensity for complex multi-step analysis, deep literature synthesis, or target validation.
• Dedicated Engineering Support to assist on questions about workflow integration, technical troubleshooting, scaled deployment, and a 3-hour SLA response for technical inquiries across U.S. and Singapore time zones.
• Visibility and ecosystem access to present their work at Apodex events, contribute to case studies, and join Apodex’s research and innovation community.

“Apodex 1.0 now tops the deep-research benchmarks that matter, and we want that capability working alongside the people pushing science forward,” said Apodex Founder and CEO Tianqiao Chen. “Supporting researchers, scientists, and analysts is how we accelerate discovery — and their honest feedback is how we build better systems together.”

Apodex’s Latest Deep-Research Model: Apodex-1.0-H

Apodex-1.0-H (now available as Apodex Deep Discover) is Apodex’s heavy-duty solver, built for complex research problems rather than individual queries. Apodex believes deep research agents should not only be capable of finding answers, but proving why those answers are trusted.

In heavy-duty mode, Apodex-1.0-H coordinates up to 150 sub-agents over 15,000 steps, allowing specialized agents to examine a problem, cross-check findings, and audit evidence before producing a response. By separating solving from verification, Apodex-1.0-H is designed to reduce unsupported conclusions and give research teams a clearer view of the evidence behind a result. Apodex-1.0-H’s performance speaks for itself. Across prominent benchmarks, it outperformed well-known frontier lab models across deep search, browsing, and frontier science tasks, reflecting the added value of its multi-agent verification workflow.

About Apodex

Apodex is building Discoverative AI: artificial intelligence that can make new discoveries, rather than just generate outputs from existing material. At the core is the company’s Self-Evolving Solver, a system built for open-world problems: questions with no answer in any dataset, where every reasoning step can be audited, and every improvement is earned through verified discovery. Apodex is hiring across research, engineering, and open-source contributions. Learn more at https://www.apodex.com/

Press Contact:

[email protected] 

SOURCE Apodex

HOUSTON, July 21, 2026 — TYBR Health today announced a $30 million Series A financing led by Vensana Capital and Mutual Capital Partners, with participation from Neovate Capital Partners and existing investors. The company will use the funds to expand commercial access to its FDA-cleared B3 GEL® System, broaden its product indications, and run clinical studies evaluating tissue protection during orthopedic surgery.

Orthopedic surgery is very good at what it sets out to do: restore anatomy and repair damaged structures. The operation, though, is only the start of recovery. How tissue responds over the following days and weeks shapes scarring, mobility, pain, and how much function returns, and surgeons have had few tools to influence tissue healing after the surgery.

TYBR Health builds technology for that critical healing window. The B3 GEL® System is a flowable extracellular matrix hydrogel, cleared by the FDA, designed to protect tendons, ligaments, muscles, and the surrounding soft tissue while they heal.

“Surgeons are exceptionally good at the structural repair, but the biology that follows is what determines how it heals. That part of the equation has gone largely unaddressed,” said Tim Keane, PhD, co-founder and CEO of TYBR Health. “We built TYBR Health around a simple principle: managing the healing environment should complement good surgical technique and contribute to better recovery for patients.”

“There’s a shift underway across surgical specialties, from focusing almost entirely on the mechanical repair to also weighing the biological conditions that repair needs to succeed,” Keane added. “This financing lets us reach more surgeons and generate the clinical evidence to move that shift forward.”

Since launch, the B3 GEL® System has been used in hand, wrist, shoulder, foot and ankle, and sports medicine procedures. Early adoption has come from surgeons looking for a straightforward way to manage and protect healing tissue without adding time or complexity to the case.

“B3 GEL® adheres where it’s applied, conforms to the native anatomy, and forms a protective barrier through the healing window,” said Greg Banker, Partner at Vensana Capital. “TYBR has shown real commercial traction early and built a strong team, and we’re glad to back them in this next phase.”

“TYBR Health is addressing a gap surgeons have lived with for a long time, with a product that fits the way they already work,” said Liz Todia Zambory, Principal at Mutual Capital Partners. “We’re excited to co-lead this round and support the company’s growth.”

As part of the financing, Greg Banker of Vensana Capital and Liz Todia Zambory of Mutual Capital Partners will join the TYBR Health Board of Directors, alongside independent director Aaron Smith.

About the B3 GEL® System

The B3 GEL® System is an FDA-cleared, flowable extracellular matrix hydrogel designed to protect healing tendons, ligaments, muscles, and surrounding soft tissues following orthopedic surgery. Unlike sheet-based barriers, B3 GEL® conforms to complex three-dimensional anatomy and can be rapidly applied within existing surgical workflows. By combining practical surgical handling with biologically derived extracellular matrix technology, TYBR Health is working to advance a new standard for protecting tissues during recovery from orthopedic procedures.

About TYBR Health

TYBR Health is a medical technology company developing products designed to improve healing and recovery following surgery. The company’s extracellular matrix technology platform is intended to provide surgeons with practical tools for protecting healing tissues and managing the healing environment following surgical repair. TYBR Health is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Vensana Capital
Vensana Capital is a venture capital and growth equity investment firm dedicated to partnering with entrepreneurs who seek to transform healthcare with breakthrough innovations in medical technology. Founded in 2019, Vensana has approximately $1 billion in capital under management and is actively investing in development and commercial-stage companies across the medtech sector, including medical devices, data science-oriented solutions, life science tools & diagnostics, and tech-enabled services. Vensana’s investment team has a history of successfully partnering with entrepreneurs behind industry-leading companies, including Artelon, Cameron Health, CardiAQ, Cartiva, CV Ingenuity, Epix Therapeutics, Inari Medical, Intact Vascular, Lutonix, Neuwave Medical, Personal Genome Diagnostics, Relievant Medsystems, Sequent Medical, Topera, Ulthera, Veran Medical Technologies, Vertiflex, and Vesper Medical. http://www.vensanacap.com

About Mutual Capital Partners
Mutual Capital Partners is a Cleveland, Ohio-based venture capital firm dedicated to partnering with entrepreneurs who are transforming healthcare through innovative technologies. Founded in 2005, Mutual Capital Partners invests in strong, mission-driven teams commercializing medical device and healthcare IT solutions that improve patient outcomes, with a focus on companies located outside the major coastal tech hubs. Mutual Capital Partners’ investment team has a history of successfully partnering with entrepreneurs behind industry-leading companies, including recent exits SPR Therapeutics, eBlu Solutions, as well as OrthoHelix, Cleveland Heartlab, TFX Medical, RevLocal, and Cardinal Commerce. www.mutualcapitalpartners.com 

About Neovate Capital Partners
Neovate Capital Partners is a global, surgery-focused life science investment firm backing transformational medical technology and select category-defining therapeutics at their critical pre-inflection points. Neovate’s partners are seasoned operators and sub-sector experts who work alongside founders — spending real time with CEOs, boards, and leadership teams to guide and de-risk the most meaningful milestones. Through its strategic partnership with Precision Life Science Partners, Neovate extends that hands-on model with a network of more than 70 specialists drawn from the world’s leading medtech and biopharma companies, giving every portfolio company operating depth well beyond a typical early-stage investor. Neovate’s partners have a history of backing category-defining companies, including Biorez, Avisi, Nanochon, Orthotaxy, Peca Labs, Peptilogics, Restor3D, Verademics, Ocugenix, Phoenix Kinetics, and RevMedica. www.neovate.vc

Media Contact

Tim Keane
Co-founder and CEO
TYBR Health
[email protected]

SOURCE TYBR Health

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., July 21, 2026 — Meshy, a company building foundation models for AI-powered 3D generation, today announced it has raised nearly $400 million in a Series B round at a $1.5 billion valuation. It is the largest funding round to date for a company built specifically for AI 3D. The round was backed by a group of leading global investors, with participation from all existing investors. It is also Meshy’s first publicly disclosed valuation.

Meshy has made 3D creation dramatically simpler. From a single line of text or one image, users can generate a usable 3D model in about a minute. Work that once took specialized skills, expensive software, and weeks now takes about a minute and a dollar. As of July 2026, the company’s annual recurring revenue is growing about 12x year over year, with more than 12 million registered users and over 100 million models created. In a field where most companies have yet to reach meaningful revenue, Meshy has built its lead on real commercial performance.

On the technology side, Meshy has advanced AI-generated 3D from “looking right on screen” to “ready for real production.” Its models are usable directly in games and, increasingly, printable as physical objects – the company’s core differentiator. Meshy is introducing several product updates:

• Meshy 3D Agent: The world’s first AI agent for 3D creation. Meshy 3D Agent turns a conversation, a line of text, a photo, or a sketch into a print-ready 3D model in formats including FBX, OBJ, GLB, and STL, with no prior 3D experience required. It brainstorms ideas, generates concepts in batches, turns a chosen concept into a 3D model in a single step, and answers 3D questions through built-in Q&A. For 3D printing, it achieves a slicer success rate of up to 97%; for game development, it exports models compatible with Unity, Unreal, and Blender. Meshy 3D Agent is now available to all registered users.

• Auto Split: One-click part-splitting for 3D printing. The hardest step in 3D printing is often breaking a model into parts that can be printed and reassembled. After a model is generated, Auto Split performs this step in a single click, automatically repairing surfaces and arranging parts on the print bed. Each part is a closed, watertight solid; seams are placed along concealed boundaries to preserve the model’s appearance; the parts reassemble precisely into the original; and the layout is print-ready for immediate download. Auto Split produces the most reliable, genuinely assemblable parts in the category—verified on physical 3D printers—whereas output from other tools is typically color-segmented for on-screen display and falls apart in the real world. Auto Split is now available to all registered users.

• Smart Topology: Meshy’s latest in-house model. Smart Topology generates a 3D model with native, cleanly structured geometry in about 10 seconds, with a controllable polygon count from 100 to 15,000. Compared with the previous generation, it delivers clear gains in generation speed, polygon control, and topology, making it well suited to game development, interactive web, and other real-time rendering projects. Smart Topology is now available to all registered users.

• 8K Texture: High-resolution texture generation. Meshy can now generate 8K-resolution textures with clean color reproduction and rich surface detail. Meshy’s 8K Texture is rolling out soon.

Meshy’s reach already extends to the very top of the global economy: five of the world’s ten largest technology companies by market capitalization or valuation have teams building with Meshy. Meshy is also widely used across gaming, 3D printing, design, and the cultural sector. Its customers and partners include leading game companies such as Nexon, NetEase Games, and 37 Interactive Entertainment; top 3D printing brands including Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, FlashForge, and xTool; and globally recognized names such as Hugo Boss and Sweden’s museum of art and design.

That performance did not come from technology alone. Like many companies opening a new category, Meshy initially had to find the market its technology fit. As its models generalized and its understanding of users deepened, the company opened new use cases and revenue streams, turning a research lead into a durable commercial one.

Proceeds from the round will be used primarily for R&D and global market expansion.

Over the longer term, Meshy aims to lower the barrier to creation. The desire to create is innate to everyone: from the earliest paintings on cave walls to a video shot on a phone today, that impulse has never changed, only the difficulty of acting on it. Turning imagination into something real once demanded rare skill, costly tools, and significant time, and each advance in technology has made it easier.

Meshy is dedicated to unleashing that instinct in everyone, driving the gap between imagination and reality ever closer to zero. Today, anyone can generate a single 3D object on Meshy. In time, what people create will be an experience they can be immersed in, genuinely feel, and remember afterward. 3D is the starting point, and the domain in which Meshy has already proven its technology and built a real business. Extending that path further is the company’s objective.

About Meshy

Founded by MIT PhD Ethan Hu, Meshy is on a mission to make 3D creation accessible to everyone, serving more than 12 million registered users worldwide. Learn more at meshy.ai.

SOURCE Meshy