SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 10, 2026 — BotGauge AI, a US-headquartered Autonomous Quality-Assurance-as-a-Solution startup that owns software quality outcomes rather than selling tools, has raised $2 million in funding led by Surface Ventures (New York), with participation from IA Seed Ventures (Berkeley) and Saka Ventures (New York).

The company will use the capital to expand R&D, strengthen its autonomous agents, and scale across the US and other key markets.

AI-native development has accelerated software velocity, with code generated, iterated, and deployed at unprecedented speed. However, quality systems have not kept pace, creating a risk gap leading to production defects and higher post-release costs. Closing this gap requires QA to become autonomous and self-scaling, operating at the same speed as modern software development.

BotGauge AI is a managed Autonomous QA partner that takes ownership of software quality outcomes. Built on AI-powered agentic testing, its AI QA agents identify testing needs, generate and maintain comprehensive coverage, and execute tests at scale across the QA lifecycle, with validation from in-house QA domain experts. This enables engineering teams to focus on building and fixing defects while BotGauge owns quality execution, coverage, and release reliability.

BotGauge AI was founded by Pramin Pradeep, Naresh Kumar Rajendran, Vivek Nair, and Sreepad Krishnan Mavila, who bring over a decade of experience in AI-driven test automation and enterprise QA transformation. Their combined deep engineering expertise, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and product-first execution reimagine QA as core infrastructure for modern software development.

Speaking on the fundraise, Pramin Pradeep, Co-founder & CEO of BotGauge AI, said:
“We’re entering an era where AI redefines reliable, high-velocity software engineering. The real bottleneck today isn’t coding, it’s outdated QA that forces teams to trade speed for quality. Our autonomous agents own the quality lifecycle, test discovery, generation, maintenance, and execution, freeing engineers and experts to focus on innovation and customer impact. This funding accelerates our vision: making autonomous QA the unbreakable foundation for ambitious software organizations.”

A significant portion of the funding will support hiring across engineering, product, and AI to advance BotGauge from early adoption to an enterprise-ready, production-scale autonomous QA solution.

Commenting on the investment, Gyan Kapur, Co-Managing Partner at Surface Ventures, said, “Building autonomous QA for a diverse customer base requires solving complex organizational and technical problems. The BotGauge AI team has the background, intellect, and discipline to solve these problems over time. As a result, we are excited to partner with BotGauge AI as they redefine QA.”

Early deployments with customers including Sully.AI, OroLabs, Kitsa, and Ripple show 80% faster testing coverage, ~75% reduction in production bugs, and release cycles shortened by up to 50% without expanding QA teams.

Over the next 12–24 months, BotGauge AI plans to deepen engineering capabilities and expand adoption among mid-market and high-growth software companies globally. Long term, it aims to establish autonomous quality assurance as a foundational layer of modern software development, enabling faster releases with reliability and production confidence at scale.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2890728/Botgauge_Cofounders.jpg

SOURCE Botgauge AI Private Limited

Midwest-based RIA steps into growth-stage capital leadership role typically held by coastal venture firms.

CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2026 — ARENA Private Wealth, a Midwest-based registered investment advisor with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and Columbus, today announced that it played the lead role in a $230 million Series B fundraising round for Positron AI, a growth-stage technology company building energy-efficient AI inference hardware. The round values Positron at over $1 billion, achieving unicorn status, and was announced at the Web Summit Qatar.

The Series B was led by ARENA Private Wealth alongside Jump Trading and Unless, with strategic investment from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Arm Holdings, and Helena, as well as participation from existing investors. Capital raises of this size and stature are most often led by technology-focused venture capital firms based on the coasts, making ARENA’s leadership role a notable departure from the traditional Series B playbook.

Rather than operating as a traditional venture capital firm, ARENA approaches growth-stage investing as an alternative capital partner. The firm positions itself as a bridge between private wealth and founders through an integrated platform spanning Private Wealth, Alternatives, and Capital Markets.

For ARENA’s investors, this model provides access to differentiated direct investment opportunities that are typically available only through large venture funds or institutional vehicles. Through ARENA’s relationships, diligence process, and ability to structure and lead transactions, investors can participate directly in opportunities like Positron, gaining exposure at a meaningful stage while remaining aligned with a disciplined, long-term approach to risk.

“Opportunities like this are rare, and that’s exactly why they can be so meaningful for our investors,” said Ari Schottenstein, Head of Alternatives at ARENA Private Wealth. “We say no far more often than we say yes, and when we do step forward, it’s because we’ve done the work to understand the risks and believe the opportunity justifies that responsibility. Positron stood out because the leadership, market position, and timing aligned in a way that allowed us to bring something truly differentiated to our clients.”

For founders, ARENA offers capital without competing interests and a fundraising option that operates outside traditional venture networks. In addition to capital, founders gain access to a broader and less homogeneous network, a strategic perspective informed by multiple markets and asset classes, and a collaborative partner focused on execution, alignment, and long-term value creation.

“As a founder, you’re used to thinking about venture firms and strategic investors as your primary options,” said Mitesh Agrawal, CEO of Positron AI. “What stood out about working with ARENA was their ability to show up as a true capital partner, bringing collaborative strategy, access to an expansive network of relationships, and a new perspective that helped us think differently about how we scale.”

“This investment reflects how growth-stage companies are opening the door to who they want at the table,” said Schottenstein. “Positron has shipping traction today and a credible roadmap ahead, and our role was to support that vision by showing up with broader investor support and alignment around long-term value creation.”

The Positron transaction marks an inflection point in the technology capital landscape, driven by rising investor interest in alternative investments. ARENA’s role illustrates how a modern private wealth firm can lead this next chapter as a relevant capital partner, stepping forward with conviction to source and shape opportunities, expanding the network of capital and ideas that support growth-stage companies.

About ARENA Private Wealth

ARENA Private Wealth is a Midwest-based wealth management firm offering an integrated platform across Private Wealth, Alternatives, and Capital Markets. With offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and Columbus, ARENA connects clients to differentiated opportunities through deep relationships, disciplined diligence, and a coordinated approach to long-term portfolio strategy. For more information, visit ARENApw.io.

SOURCE ARENA Private Wealth

Renderings and images are available for download here.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Feb. 9, 2026 — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is reaffirming its commitment to excellence with a $50 million capital improvement plan for 2026 that is already underway. The resort will renovate more than 700 standard guest rooms, over 60 suites, and eight penthouses in the hotel’s North Tower, along with refreshing walkways and corridors. The majority of the capital improvement projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Additionally, the resort will expand its culinary landscape with several new dining concepts that include the anticipated debut of Sitar, an artfully designed East-Indian restaurant, with modern Indian cuisine, shaped by cultural influences and featuring Boardwalk views. The property will also welcome Philadelphia’s beloved Federal Donuts and Chicken, opening this Spring.

To further enhance guests’ arrival as they enter the property, upgrades are underway for new carpet installation on the casino floor and second floor corridor. Plus, the addition of 16 electric vehicle chargers have been installed at Rocktane Gas & Wash, and South Tower exterior restorations are also underway.

With a cumulative investment of nearly $700 million in the resort since 2018, Hard Rock Atlantic City has continued its ongoing commitment to guests through major capital improvements to deliver an exceptional experience. In 2023, the resort announced $50 million in capital improvements including penthouse suite renovations, the opening of a new high-limit slot parlor, a private helicopter, and a refresh of beachfront amenities.

Hard Rock Atlantic City continues to invest in its entertainment programming, reinforcing its position as the East Coast’s premier destination. The resort is proud to showcase A-list performers across its venues, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, Sound Waves, and the Vibe Stages. Exciting performances slated for 2026 include Rod Stewart, Nikki Glaser, Daniel Tosh, James Taylor, Charlie Puth, Ricardo Arjona, and many more.

“Our $50 million capital improvement plan for 2026 reflects Hard Rock Atlantic City’s unwavering commitment to reinvesting in our resort, our team members, and the Atlantic City community,” said George Goldhoff, President of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. “From redesigned guest suites and new dining concepts to world-class entertainment, and continued community engagement, these investments ensure we continue delivering an exceptional guest experience while honoring one of our four core mottos to ‘Love All, Serve All’.”

Hard Rock Atlantic City’s commitment to their team members has earned the resort a third consecutive USA Today Top Workplaces Award in 2026, solidifying its reputation as -one of the best places to work. Hard Rock Atlantic City’s steadfast commitment to community prosperity has been evident through strategic partnerships and impactful initiatives touching more than 500 local organizations since its opening in 2018. These efforts align with the company’s core motto, “Take Time To Be Kind” and focus on education, food security, youth development, and social equity, fostering economic and social growth in the region.

Hard Rock Atlantic City plans to continue executing these priorities and aligning these efforts with Atlantic City’s broader revitalization goals, further solidifying its position as a linchpin of the region’s economic and cultural resurgence.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
With the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City has become Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination. The property features an award-winning gaming floor that offers -2,296 slots, -128 table games, and a dedicated Sportsbook. Boasting more than 15 food and beverage offerings, guests are able to enjoy fine dining at Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Kuro, and Il Mulino, to casual fare at Hard Rock Cafe, YOUYU Noodle Bar, Sugar Factory, Flavor Tour food court and Fresh Harvest Buffet. The music-inspired resort offers guests a glimpse into the world’s most valuable and largest music memorabilia collection, along with services from Rock Spa® & Salon, which offers rhythm and music inspired treatments like the Soul Survivor Massage. With more than 150,000 square feet of meeting and event space, Hard Rock Atlantic City can fit any bill from intimate board meetings to large-scale conferences. For more information or to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

About Hard Rock®
Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in nearly 80 countries spanning more than 300 locations including owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops^®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia with more than 88,000 pieces displayed at locations around the globe. The Unity™ by Hard Rock global loyalty program rewards members for doing the things they love across participating properties. In addition, Hard Rock Digital spotlights the sports betting and iGaming experience with products remixed in the spirit of Hard Rock for players worldwide.

HRI has received numerous industry, destination and workplace awards across the travel, hospitality, gaming, entertainment and food & beverage sectors. HRI currently holds investment grades from primary investment-grade rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.

Media Contacts:
Lizzy Moss, Cashman and Associates
(305) 431-4935
[email protected]

Sharon Pearce, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
(609) 449-5078
[email protected]

SOURCE Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

Strategic investment accelerates Zoth’s vision to build the world’s first privacy focused stablecoin neobank for retail users and institutions

SINGAPORE, Feb. 9, 2026 — Zoth, a privacy first stablecoin neobank ecosystem building trusted, transparent & compliant financial infrastructure for the open dollar economy, today announced the completion of an undisclosed strategic round led by Taisu Ventures, with participation from Luca Netz, CEO & Owner of Pudgy Penguins, and JLabs Digital.

“Our decision to participate in the follow-on round reflects our continued confidence in Zoth’s execution since our initial investment. The team has made steady progress, with a clear emphasis on security, and we look forward to seeing how the company develops its longer-term strategy.”

– Takashi Hayashida, Managing Partner, Taisu Ventures

“Our continued investment in Zoth reflects conviction in their execution. Privacy-first stablecoin infrastructure unlocks markets traditional finance has ignored for decades. The team is building exactly that.”

– Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner, Blockchain Founders Fund

Strategic Alignment from Web3 Leaders

Joining the round, Luca Netz – CEO of Pudgy Penguins. Supports Zoth’s strategy of building a retail-ready brand anchored by its mascot, Zoctopus. With Luca’s expertise, Zoctopus is positioned to become the next rising IP, echoing the massive success of the Pudgy Penguins and building a strong community around Zoth.

JLabs Digital has joined as a key participant as it accelerates their strategic vision of building a regulated and compliant DeFi fund leveraging Zoth’s Infrastructure.

Empowering the Global South: Bringing Institutional DeFi to Everyday Finance

This strategic capital arrives as the demand for borderless, stablecoin-based financial services reaches an all-time high in emerging markets. Zoth is addressing the critical barriers to adoption, complexity, and privacy, by combining the high-yield opportunities of decentralized finance with the intuitive experience of a traditional neobank. By utilizing a “privacy-first” framework, Zoth ensures that institutional-grade security is accessible to retail users, allowing them to save, spend, and earn in a dollar-denominated economy without the volatility or technical hurdles typically associated with blockchain technology.

About Zoth

Zoth is a privacy-first stablecoin neobank ecosystem building secure financial infrastructure for the next era of global finance. By leveraging programmable money to deliver sustainable yields, seamless global payments, and frictionless everyday spending, Zoth is onboarding billions of non-crypto-native users across the Global South into a borderless dollar economy.

Media Contact:
Rushvi Sharma
[email protected]

SOURCE Zoth

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Feb. 9, 2026 — HTA and MedAxiom have opened applications for the 2026 HeartX program, a cardiovascular-focused healthcare accelerator that facilitates guaranteed hospital pilot projects and clinical trials for accomplished, early-stage companies bringing new cardiovascular innovations to market.

Applications for the 2026 HeartX cohort will be accepted until April 30, 2026, and selected companies will be announced in September 2026. The program is seeking companies in three categories: digital health and software, medical devices, and diagnostic platforms. Each selected company will receive $150,000 in investment capital and is guaranteed at least one pilot project or clinical study with cardiology practices in Arkansas and nationwide.

“The HeartX program continues to focus on what early-stage cardiovascular companies need most: meaningful access to providers and real-world clinical validation,” said Jeff Stinson, director of HTA. “By guaranteeing pilot projects and clinical studies with leading cardiology practices, we help companies move faster, generate credible data, and accelerate their path to market. We’re excited to open applications for the 2026 cohort and to continue our strong partnership with MedAxiom.”

“HeartX is designed to remove the biggest barriers facing early-stage cardiovascular innovators — access, validation, and scale,” said Joe Sasson, PhD, MedAxiom’s chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Ventures. “Through HeartX, companies gain not only capital, but direct engagement with leading cardiovascular programs that are actively seeking solutions to improve care delivery. We’re excited to see the next generation of innovators bring forward ideas that will shape the future of cardiovascular care, and we encourage visionary companies around the world to apply.”

HTA is in its ninth year of administering accelerator programs focused exclusively on provider engagement with early-stage companies and is entering its fifth year of partnership with MedAxiom to deliver HeartX as a premier cardiovascular accelerator.

More information about the program and the application process is available at HeartXaccelerator.com.

ABOUT HTA
HTA helps drive innovation for healthcare provider organizations through its accelerator programs and internal innovation initiatives. Its flagship accelerator, HeartX, recruits from around the world to support the most accomplished cardiovascular-focused startups in digital health, medical devices, and diagnostic platforms. Companies accepted into the program are guaranteed at least one pilot project or clinical trial with one of the ten largest hospitals and health systems in Arkansas. More information is available at HTA.health.

ABOUT MEDAXIOM
MedAxiom, an American College of Cardiology Company, is the cardiovascular community’s premier source for organizational performance solutions. MedAxiom is transforming cardiovascular care by combining the knowledge and power of hundreds of cardiovascular organization members, thousands of administrators, clinicians and revenue cycle experts, and dozens of industry partners. Through the delivery of proprietary tools, smart data and proven strategies, MedAxiom helps cardiovascular organizations achieve the Quadruple Aim of better outcomes, lower costs, improved patient experience and improved clinician experience. Learn more atmedaxiom.com.

For more information, contact:

Jeff Stinson
501.766.0633
[email protected]

SOURCE HeartX

CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2026 — Ziegler, a specialty investment bank is pleased to announce the successful closing of Friendship Village of Kalamazoo’s $103,585,000 Series 2026A, B-1, B-2, and B-3 Bonds issued through the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Kalamazoo (collectively referred to as the “Series 2026 Bonds”).

Lifecare, Inc., d/b/a Friendship Village Kalamazoo (“FV Kalamazoo” or “FVK”) is located on approximately 72 acres within the city limits of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The 364-unit life plan community consists of 230 independent living units (180 apartments and 50 Garden Homes), 54 assisted living units in its Woodside facility, 23 memory care units (called Special Care), and 57 skilled nursing beds (41 in the Health Center and 16 in the Rehabilitation Center). FVK is designed to serve the housing, health care, physical, emotional, recreational and social needs of senior adults. FVK is managed by Life Care Services (LCS) and engaged LCS Development (LCSD) as the development consultant for its Project, outlined below.

A portion of the Series 2026 Bonds will be used by FVK to expand and update its campus by adding new and upgraded amenities, along with adding more independent living housing, and replacing the existing skilled nursing building thereby creating the “next generation” of senior living at the community (the “Project”). For the expansion, FVK will build a new 76-unit independent living apartment building to be known as “The Atlee” on the east side of the property, a new 40-bed long-term skilled nursing center to be known as the “Markillie Care Center” that will replace the existing 41-bed Health Center, and a new maintenance building replacing the existing one.

As of December 31, 2025, approximately 81.5% (62 / 76) of the new Atlee independent living units had been presold, with pre-sales beginning in March 2025. The Project will also include renovations to the Commons’ dining area and serving kitchen, including the addition of an expo kitchen, bistro and market, and refreshment of furniture and finishings. Outside, the Project will add new pickleball courts, walking trails, infrastructure, roads, landscape, and other improvements.

Tom Meyers, Senior Managing Director in Ziegler’s Senior Living Finance Practice stated, “Friendship Village Kalamazoo has been a client of Ziegler since 1991, and this was our seventh financing for them. This was an especially meaningful financing as the Atlee apartments are helping FV Kalamazoo to extend its reach to Baby Boomers who are starting to turn to senior housing services. Further, the replacement of the skilled nursing units with the Markillie Care Center is an important enhancement to FV Kalamazoo’s continuum of care.”

Meyers continued, “LCS Development requested that the Series 2026 Bonds proceeds be available by the end of January to ensure uninterrupted construction funding from the project’s start in 2025. This timing created a unique challenge for Ziegler to bring this issue to the public, fixed interest rate bond markets in the second full week of January. Pricing bonds this early in the calendar year proved to be more challenging than expected, but Ziegler was able to develop tremendous investor interest in what was an otherwise quiet new issue environment. Ziegler and FV Kalamazoo were mutually pleased with the excellent pricing execution for this issue.”

“We’re thrilled about the upcoming expansion and renovations,” added Tim Cain, Executive Director, Friendship Village Kalamazoo. Cain continued, “These projects are thoughtfully designed with both current and future residents in mind. We’re building a brand-new, state-of-the-art skilled nursing center, investing significantly in our existing amenity spaces — including enhanced resident dining venues — updating Woodside Assisted Living, and adding 76 beautiful new independent living residences. These strategic investments will strengthen FVK’s ability to fulfill our mission of providing vibrant senior living within a life care community for many years to come.”

Ziegler is the nation’s leading underwriter of financings for not-for-profit senior living providers. Ziegler offers creative, tailored solutions to its senior living clientele, including investment banking, financial risk management, merger and acquisition services, seed capital, FHA/HUD, capital and strategic planning, as well as senior living research, education, and communication.

For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at www.ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:
Ziegler is a privately held, national boutique investment bank, capital markets, and proprietary investments firm. It has a unique focus on healthcare, senior living, and education sectors, as well as general municipal and structured finance. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory services, fixed income sales, underwriting and trading as well as Ziegler Credit, Surveillance, and Analytics. To learn more, visit www.ziegler.com.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This client’s experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

SOURCE Ziegler

Capital to accelerate customer growth, scale embedded lending, and advance AI as a foundational capability

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 6, 2026 — omnispay, a UAE-based fintech innovating SME payments, announced the closing of a $2 million Pre-Series A funding round led by Infinity Value Capital Group.

The funding accelerates omnispay’s evolution from rapid merchant settlements into an AI-native, all-in-one finance platform designed to solve persistent SME cash-flow challenges. The company gained early traction by eliminating the industry’s standard 5–7 day settlement gap with a 24-hour payout model. It is now expanding into integrated Collect, Pay, and Borrow workflows, enabling SMEs to manage liquidity and access embedded credit as they scale.

Over the past 12 months, omnispay doubled its customer base and quadrupled processing volumes. Revenue increased 5.5x while operating expenses grew only 2.2x, reflecting strong monetization and disciplined execution. This performance is supported by ARIES, omnispay’s proprietary AI risk engine, which applies real-time transaction monitoring and dynamic decisioning. The platform also reports a Net Promoter Score exceeding 60.

“This investment accelerates our transition to an AI-native SME finance platform, enabling us to re-architect how small businesses experience finance and transform cash flow from a daily struggle into a strategic advantage,” said Vimal Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of omnispay.

“We are building a system that understands business operations in real time and responds with a meaningful payments experience, insightful analytics, and tailored credit, positioning omnispay as the default financial layer for small businesses across the GCC and beyond.”

For GForm, a project management firm that partnered with omnispay in 2024, next-day settlements replaced multi-day waits, easing liquidity constraints. The firm later used omnispay-facilitated working capital to fund a physical expansion, opening a new branch and extending its service footprint.

“Seeing our merchants transition from surviving day-to-day cash flow cycles to actively funding their next physical expansion is the ultimate validation of our product vision,” said Praveen Kiran, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of omnispay.

Looking ahead, omnispay plans to expand further across the GCC, with partnerships supporting entry into Saudi Arabia.

“Every transaction on our platform strengthens the AI-first experiences we deliver,” said Simanta Das, Co-founder and COO of omnispay.

“As we enter new markets, we are deploying a scalable, intelligent operations engine that adapts to the financial pulse of each region.”

About omnispay

omnispay is a UAE-based fintech simplifying SME cash-flow management through its all-in-one Collect, Pay, and Borrow platform. By combining AI-driven technology with deep regional expertise, omnispay enables faster settlements, access to credit, and scalable growth for SMEs.

Press Contact:

Praveen Kiran
+971-56-152-9019
https://omnispay.com/

SOURCE omnispay

LONDON, 6. Februar 2026 — APEXX Global, die führende händlerorientierte Zahlungsabwicklungsplattform, gab heute eine strategische Investition von bis zu 10 Millionen US-Dollar bekannt, angeführt von Finch Capital, einem europäischen Wachstumsinvestor mit umfassender Expertise im Zahlungsverkehr und bei der internationalen Skalierung von Finanztechnologieunternehmen. 

APEXX Global ist eine mehrfach ausgezeichnete Zahlungsabwicklungsplattform, die Unternehmenshändlern die Optimierung der Zahlungsperformance in großem Maßstab über eine einzige API ermöglicht. Durch intelligentes Routing von Transaktionen im globalen Zahlungsökosystem steigert APEXX deutlich die Akzeptanzraten, senkt Verarbeitungskosten und verbessert die Unit Economics – so werden Zahlungen von einer betrieblichen Belastung zu einem messbaren Treiber für Umsatz und Marge.

Die Investition von bis zu 10 Millionen US-Dollar durch Finch Capital folgt auf eine Phase starker kommerzieller Dynamik bei APEXX Global, die gegen Ende 2025 von bedeutenden Abschlüssen mit Unternehmenshändlern geprägt war, darunter Jet2, Iglu.com und Norse Atlantic. Diese Kundenzugänge beschleunigten die Skalierung der Plattform sowie das Umsatzwachstum und brachten das Unternehmen bis kurz vor die Gewinnschwelle. Die Investition von Finch wird nun eingesetzt, um die nächste Wachstumsphase von APEXX Global voranzutreiben. Sie unterstützt die fortlaufende Produktinnovation sowie die internationale Expansion, da die Nachfrage nach intelligenter Steuerung der Zahlungsabwicklung weiter steigt.

Im Rahmen der Investition wird Radboud Vlaar, geschäftsführender Partner bei Finch Capital, dem Board von APEXX Global beitreten und die Funktion des Vorsitzenden übernehmen. Er bringt umfangreiche Erfahrung in der Unterstützung von Boards sowie von schnell wachsenden Zahlungs- und Finanztechnologieunternehmen mit.

Finch Capital verwaltet ein Vermögen von mehr als 500 Millionen Euro und hat über 50 Portfoliounternehmen in Europa sowie den USA unterstützt. Das Unternehmen verzeichnet eine starke Erfolgsbilanz beim Skalieren unternehmenskritischer Infrastrukturplattformen in komplexen, regulierten Märkten.

APEXX Global ermöglicht Händlern den Zugang zum gesamten globalen Zahlungsverkehrsökosystem über eine einzige, vertrauenswürdige API. Die intelligenten Routing- und Optimierungsfunktionen helfen Händlern, Konversionsraten zu verbessern, Verarbeitungskosten zu senken und ihre Zahlungsstrategien zukunftssicher auszurichten – ohne zusätzliche Komplexität oder betrieblichen Mehraufwand.

Radboud Vlaar, geschäftsführender Partner bei Finch Capital und Vorsitzender von APEXX Global, kommentierte:

 „APEXX Global hat eine wirklich differenzierte Zahlungsabwicklungsplattform aufgebaut, mit klarem Fokus auf messbare Ergebnisse für Händler. Der Zahlungsverkehr ist ein globales, komplexes sowie sich schnell wandelndes Feld, und die Fähigkeit von APEXX, Akzeptanz sowie Kosten im großen Maßstab intelligent zu optimieren, positioniert das Unternehmen hervorragend. Wir freuen uns auf die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Team und darauf, die nächste Phase des internationalen Wachstums im Reisebereich und darüber hinaus zu unterstützen.“

Peter Keenan, Geschäftsführer und Mitgründer von APEXX Global, sagte:

 „Finch Capital bringt genau die Kombination aus Zahlungsverkehrsexpertise, internationaler Perspektive und Wachstumserfahrung mit, die wir gesucht haben. Diese Investition ist eine starke Bestätigung, sowohl für unsere Strategie als auch für unsere Technologie, und die Ernennung von Radboud zum Vorsitzenden stärkt unsere Führungsposition, während wir weltweit expandieren. Unser Fokus bleibt klar: messbaren Mehrwert für Händler zu schaffen, indem wir Zahlungen   vereinfachen und bessere Ergebnisse erzielen.”

Informationen zu APEXX GLOBAL (www.apexx.global)

APEXX Global ist eine mehrfach ausgezeichnete globale Zahlungsabwicklungsplattform, die Händlerbanken (Acquirer), Gateways, Warenkorb-Systeme sowie alternative Zahlungsmethoden in einem einzigen Marktplatz und einer One-Stop-Lösung für Unternehmens- und Tier-1-Händler bündelt. APEXX baut einen integrierten und transparenten Dienst auf, der die Autorisierung, Verarbeitung und Optimierung von Transaktionen verwaltet.

APEXX verfolgt einen anbieterunabhängigen Ansatz bei Partnerschaften und arbeitet mit vielen verschiedenen Lösungsanbietern in der gesamten Zahlungsverkehrsbranche zusammen. Unser Ansatz schafft eine effizientere sowie kostengünstigere Lösung, reduziert die Komplexität des elektronischen Zahlungsverkehrs und löst veraltete Technologiesysteme ab. Unser Ziel ist es, Unternehmen bei ihrem Wachstum zu unterstützen, indem wir unnötige Kosten reduzieren, die Konversionsraten erhöhen sowie den Zahlungsabwicklungsprozess durch fortschrittliche Zahlungsorchestrierung vereinfachen.

Informationen zu Finch Capital (www.finchcapital.com)

Finch Capital ist ein europäischer Wachstumsinvestor, der ehrgeizige Teams unterstützt, die nächste Generation von B2B-Spezialsoftware zu entwickeln, wobei wir uns auf 9 Sektoren der Geschäfts- und Finanztechnologie konzentrieren. Finch Capital investiert in Unternehmen, die in der Regel 5 bis 15 Millionen Euro ARR erzielen, und unterstützt sie dabei, eine profitable Größe zu erreichen sowie ihr Wachstum zu beschleunigen. Finch Capital verfügt über fundierte Branchenkenntnisse und ein bewährtes praktisches Wertschöpfungskonzept. Das Unternehmen hat wachstumsstarke Unternehmen unterstützt, darunter AccountsIQ, eFlow, Fourthline, Goodlord, Lavanda, NomuPay und ZOPA.

Every knowledge worker needs a computer. Agents will need millions.

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2026 — Daytona, the infrastructure company building programmatic, composable computers for AI agents, today announced it has raised $24 million in Series A funding.

The round was led by FirstMark Capital, with participation from Pace Capital and existing investors Upfront Ventures, E2VC and Darkmode. The round also included strategic investments from Datadog and Figma Ventures. In conjunction with the financing, Matt Turck, General Partner at FirstMark, has joined the Daytona Board of Directors.

While today’s cloud infrastructure was built for stateless, immutable production workloads, it was not designed for the creative, experimental nature of agentic work. Daytona provides a “new primitive”: the sandbox. These are programmatic, composable computers where CPU, memory, storage, GPU, networking, and the operating system can be configured on demand, then started, paused, or snapshotted at any point.

“We believe the next infrastructure shift is from human-centric cloud primitives to agent-native ones,” said Matt Turck, Partner at FirstMark. “Daytona’s breakthrough is making ‘a computer for every agent’ practical: instant startup, persistent state, and the tooling agents need to write code, use Git, and execute safely at scale. That’s a foundational building block for the agentic economy, and we are thrilled to partner with Ivan, Vedran and the Daytona team.”

Daytona’s infrastructure allows an AI agent to launch a sandbox in milliseconds, explore multiple decision paths by forking into parallel branches, and snapshot mid-execution to ensure state persists across failures. This enables agents to perform complex tasks, from code execution to reinforcement learning, at a scale and speed humans never required.

The company reached a $1 million forward revenue run rate in under three months and doubled that figure six weeks later. Daytona’s customers range from early-stage Y Combinator companies to Fortune 100 enterprises, including LangChain, Turing, Writer, and SambaNova. Primary use cases span code execution, computer use, and reinforcement learning.

“We’re thrilled to double down in Daytona,” said Kevin Zhang, GP at Upfront Ventures and Daytona board member. “The team’s relentless pace and obsession over developer experience have been truly inspiring to witness, best reflected by the constant activity and customer love in the Daytona Slack and X. It is just the beginning of this new agent era infrastructure opportunity, and we cannot think of a better and more focused team than Daytona to take it on.”

Daytona’s immediate challenge is keeping up with demand. The company says it’s hardware-constrained and will use the funding to add capacity and expand into new regions. Hiring is also a priority, Daytona is a 20-person team today. The rest will go toward sales and marketing, where the company has taken an old-school approach: meetups, hackathons, and conferences in San Francisco, where most of its customers are still clustered.

About Daytona
Daytona provides the infrastructure for the agentic future through composable computers. By offering programmatic, stateful sandboxes that launch in milliseconds, Daytona enables AI agents to execute code, use computers, and perform reinforcement learning at massive scale. Based in New York, Daytona is backed by FirstMark Capital and other leaders in the dev-tool space.

SOURCE Daytona Platforms, Inc