New five‑year investment expands copper and fiber manufacturing capacity 

News Summary

• Leviton’s Network Solutions business announces new $100 million, five-year global capital investment to expand manufacturing capacity for copper and fiber networking systems.
• The investment boosts production of Category 6A cabling, connectors and fiber optic assemblies across multiple global facilities to meet surging demand for smart building and AI network infrastructure.
• This investment builds on Leviton’s previous $80 million five-year initiative.

BOTHELL, Wash., Sept. 24, 2026 — Leviton, a global leader in electrical, lighting and networking systems, today announced a $100 million global capital investment in its Network Solutions business. This initiative builds on the success of Leviton’s previous five‑year $80M capital program completed in 2025. In response to record demand for Network Solutions products, this five-year investment reinforces the company’s long‑term commitment to global manufacturing for scale, speed, agility and assurance as demand for AI‑driven and smart building network infrastructure accelerates worldwide.

“For 120 years, Leviton has remained relevant by looking beyond today’s demands and investing in what comes next,” said Daryoush Larizadeh, President and CEO of Leviton. “This $100 million commitment to our Network Solutions business underscores our determination to lead through innovation, manufacturing excellence and customer partnership.”

Leviton’s initiative includes significant investments across all Network Solutions factories for fiber optic and copper end-to-end systems. As a result, Category 6A cabling and connector capacity expands significantly to support rising demand for smart building infrastructure. Fiber optic cabling and connectivity manufacturing capacity also expands to support rapidly increasing enterprise and data center bandwidth requirements and accelerating project deployment timelines.

“While many organizations remain cautious amid volatile raw material and energy costs, Leviton believes this is the right time to invest,” said Ross Goldman, COO of Leviton Network Solutions. “The expansion of AI, smart buildings and high-performance networks is happening at an unprecedented pace. With this five-year investment, we’re ensuring our customers have access to the capacity, quality and global scale they need, when they need it most.”

This new investment follows strong results from Leviton’s previous capital program, which expanded global production capacity, doubled the size of its Fuquay-Varina, N.C. facility, strengthened end‑to‑end copper and fiber capabilities and enabled the company to meet extraordinary demand across data center and smart building network applications. This next phase further positions Leviton as a trusted global partner for customers navigating the rapid evolution of intelligent, connected environments.

“Capital investments like these are not just about adding capacity,” Goldman said. “They are about building long‑term capability and service. Our customers are planning infrastructure for decades of AI‑driven growth. We’re matching that vision with the foresight to invest in world‑class manufacturing, even in challenging market conditions.”

As organizations worldwide race to modernize networks to support AI, automation and smarter buildings, Leviton’s continued investment underscores a clear message: strategic growth, global resilience and customer readiness are built by acting early, not waiting for uncertainty to pass.

For more information, visit https://leviton.com/ns/about-ns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much is Leviton investing, and over what time period?
A: Leviton is investing $100 million globally in its Network Solutions business over five years, from 2026 through 2030. This builds off an $80 million investment made in the business in 2023.

Q: Which Leviton facilities will receive this investment?
A: Investments span all of Leviton Network Solutions’ global factories, expanding both copper and fiber manufacturing capabilities. With the largest investment at key US factories.

Q: What is Category 6A (Cat 6A) cable used for?
A: Category 6A (Cat 6A) cable is designed to support high-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet data networks at frequencies up to 500 MHz. Leviton Network Solutions provides complete Cat 6A end-to-end infrastructure solutions, such as MILLENNIUM™ Global systems, for a variety of smart buildings.

About Leviton Network Solutions
Leviton Network Solutions is a single-source, carbon neutral manufacturer of global end-to-end copper and fiber cabling systems. Deployed in data centers, smart buildings, and harsh environments around the world, our global systems are engineered to exacting standards and are available globally through our extensive distribution network. Leviton Network Solutions delivers value by providing speedy service, scalable solutions, assured performance, and an agile collaborative process. Leviton was established in 1906 and continues to invest in and grow our business. Together, let’s build what’s next for your network. Learn more at leviton.com/ns or linkedin.com/showcase/levitonns. European customers can visit leviton.com/ns/emea or linkedin.com/company/Leviton-ns-eu.

About Leviton
Every day, Leviton builds what’s next to light, power, and connect everyday spaces to meet the needs of its residential, commercial, and industrial customers globally. From controls, to lighting, to electrical, to networking, Leviton’s relentless innovation for more than a century enables our customers’ lives to be easier, safer, more efficient, productive and sustainable. Driven by its commitment to its customers, the ingenuity of its employees, and the safety and quality of its products and solutions, with Leviton, the FUTURE IS ON. For more information, visit leviton.com, facebook.com/leviton, www.x.com/leviton, or www.youtube.com/leviton.

PR Contact:
Jenni Chambers
[email protected]

SOURCE Leviton

Backed by Eclipse and 8VC, the company is building a new approach to natural disaster response, integrating AI, software, hardware, and operations into mission-critical systems, beginning with wildfire suppression.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 — Prime Minute, the first company to build a global resilience prime, emerged from stealth today with $15 million in pre-seed funding led by Eclipse, with participation from 8VC. The company’s first offering addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing emergency responders today: rapid initial attack against wildfires, in all conditions, before they escalate out of control.

Natural disasters are becoming more frequent, costly, and operationally complex, placing increasing strain on the systems responsible for protecting our communities and critical infrastructure. Wildfires alone contribute an estimated $424 billion in annual damages across the United States, and the earliest moments of an incident often determine whether a fire is quickly contained or grows into a major disaster. Yet, critical gaps remain in integrating detection, coordination, and wildfire suppression capabilities.

Drawing on technologies and operational approaches historically reserved for national security missions, Prime Minute’s system combines real-time intelligence, AI-assisted mission analysis, and precision aerial suppression capabilities to help responders assess conditions, coordinate resources, and take action earlier, no matter the condition. The technology is designed to enable response when traditional suppression methods are unavailable: During high winds, nighttime incidents, degraded visual environments, and when ground crews cannot access the scene.

“Natural disasters are among the most urgent national security challenges we face today,” said Gabe Sganga, Chief Growth Officer and Prime Minute co-founder. “Yet, we still mobilize most resources after the damage is done. The first hour of an incident often determines its ultimate impact. Prime Minute was built to close that gap, giving responders the tools to detect threats sooner, assess them faster, and act when every second counts.”

Founded by leaders with experience across public service, aerospace, and national security, the team includes former operators and technology leaders from organizations including Palantir, Forterra, and Datorios. Their experience building and deploying systems in complex operational environments requiring rapid decision-making, coordination, and execution shaped Prime Minute’s approach to disaster response. The company focuses on identifying critical operational gaps, building technologies around real-world mission capability gaps, and helping responders act more effectively when minutes determine outcomes.

“Natural disasters are among the greatest threats to our communities, economy, and critical infrastructure,” said Lior Susan, founder and CEO of Eclipse. “Meeting that challenge requires more than another point solution. Prime Minute is building an end-to-end system that brings together technology and operations to help responders act faster and more effectively. Starting with wildfire response, the team is laying the foundation for the future of infrastructure resilience.”

The funding will support continued technology development, building out local manufacturing, team expansion, testing and validation activities, and the advancement of Prime Minute’s broader resilience efforts. The company is working with the State of Colorado to deploy prototypes for field evaluation of its wildfire suppression capability later this year.

To learn more about Prime Minute, visit www.prime-minute.com.

About Prime Minute
Prime Minute is a team of operators and engineers on a mission to help protect humanity by building the global Prime for Public Resilience. We draw from decades of collective experience across science, technology, logistics and defense to deliver creative solutions for complex problems with immediate, real-world consequences. We identify systemic failure points, orchestrate the ecosystem, and deliver uncompromising solutions. Because Public Resilience is a matter of national security.

About Eclipse
With over $12 billion in regulatory assets under management, Eclipse invests in entrepreneurs building the next generation of companies in the physical economy. With deep operating experience across company-building at every stage from idea to growth, Eclipse partners closely with founders to build and scale enduring companies in the industries that drive resilience, competitiveness, and security. For more information, visit www.eclipse.capital.

Press Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE Prime Minute

Foundation Capital leitet die Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde, an der sich Citi und HSBC beteiligen

NEW YORK und SINGAPUR, 24. September 2026 — IPID, das Zahlungsdaten-Unternehmen, das Institutionen dabei unterstützt, zu erkennen, an wen sie Zahlungen leisten, gab eine Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 16 Millionen US-Dollar bekannt, die von Foundation Capital angeführt wird und an der sich die strategischen Investoren Citi und HSBC beteiligen. An der Runde sind auch die bestehenden Investoren QED Investors, Monk’s Hill Ventures und Quona Capital beteiligt.

Digitale Zahlungen sind schneller und nahtloser geworden, doch die zu ihrer Bewertung erforderlichen Informationen haben nicht immer Schritt gehalten. Finanzinstitute wissen nach wie vor nicht immer, wer eine Zahlung erhält, oder verfügen nicht über ausreichende Informationen, um das Risiko vor der Überweisung einzuschätzen. Oft liegt es in der Verantwortung des Absenders, den Empfänger zu bestätigen – selbst wenn dieser Absender möglicherweise das Ziel eines Betrugs ist. Laut LSEG werden allein durch Betrug bei autorisierten Push-Zahlungen bis 2027 weltweit Verluste in Höhe von 331 Milliarden US-Dollar erwartet.

IPID ist ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Bankkontenverifizierung und unterstützt große Finanzinstitute in mehr als 50 Ländern. Das Unternehmen wird seine Plattform in Kürze erweitern, indem es sein Fachwissen über fragmentierte Zahlungsmärkte auf den US-Zahlungsverkehr und digitale Vermögenswerte anwendet und Institutionen so die notwendigen Informationen an die Hand gibt, um die richtige Entscheidung zu treffen, bevor Gelder transferiert werden.

„Jede Zahlung beginnt mit einer Entscheidung, doch Institutionen treffen diese Entscheidung oft auf der Grundlage unvollständiger Informationen”, sagte Damien Dugauquier, Mitbegründer und CEO von IPID. „Wir haben damit begonnen, die Bankkontenüberprüfung weltweit zu lösen. Nun bauen wir die umfassendere Entscheidungsintelligenz auf, die Institutionen benötigen, bevor Gelder transferiert werden – über Länder, Zahlungswege und Wertformen hinweg. Die Zukunft des Zahlungsverkehrs wird nicht einfach dadurch bestimmt, dass Geld schneller bewegt wird. Sie wird dadurch bestimmt, dass bessere Entscheidungen getroffen werden, bevor Geld bewegt wird.”

„IPID hat sich rasch zum globalen Standard für die Verifizierung von Bankkonten und die damit verbundene Informationsgewinnung entwickelt. Es ist eine beachtliche Leistung, dass sich so etwas außerhalb eines Bankenkonsortiums entwickelt hat, und verschafft IPID eine einzigartige Position, um Finanzinstituten und Zahlern weltweit dabei zu helfen, Betrug zu bekämpfen und Zahlungsabläufe zu optimieren”, sagte Zach Noorani, Partner bei Foundation Capital.

Zahlungen werden immer schneller und automatisierter, da Echtzeit-Zahlungen an Bedeutung gewinnen, neue Zahlungswege entstehen und KI-Agenten beginnen, Transaktionen zu initiieren. Doch die Informationen, die Finanzinstitute vor der Ausführung einer Zahlung benötigen, sind nach wie vor über Märkte, Anbieter und Zahlungswege hinweg fragmentiert. IPID schließt diese Lücke, indem es Finanzinstituten hilft, noch vor der endgültigen Ausführung einer Zahlung zu erkennen, wer hinter dem Empfängerkonto steht.

„In einer zunehmend digitalen und vernetzten Finanzlandschaft ist eine sofortige und hochsichere Zahlungsvalidierung von entscheidender Bedeutung. Unsere strategische Ausrichtung auf IPID wird durch unsere Beteiligung an deren Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde weiter vertieft. Wir sind begeistert von der Fähigkeit von IPID, ein weltweit einheitliches, leistungsstarkes Erlebnis zu bieten, das unseren Kunden hilft, ihre internationalen Abläufe weiterhin mit Zuversicht zu optimieren”, sagte Bis Chatterjee, Global Head, Partnerships and Innovation bei Citi Services.

Tom Simpson, Global Head of Currency Clearing und Regionalleiter für grenzüberschreitende Zahlungen in Nordamerika bei Global Payment Solutions der HSBC, sagte: „Die Vereinbarung der HSBC mit IPID hilft uns, die Begünstigtenprüfung über die lokalen Anforderungen der Zahlungssysteme hinaus auszuweiten und unseren Kunden bei der Durchführung von Zahlungen mehr Informationen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Dies kann dazu beitragen, die Effizienz und Sicherheit in einem zunehmend dynamischen Zahlungsökosystem zu verbessern.”

IPID wird die Mittel dazu nutzen, sein globales Netzwerk für Zahlungsinformationen auszubauen, das Wachstum in den Vereinigten Staaten und Europa zu beschleunigen und neue Funktionen zu entwickeln, die es Instituten ermöglichen, fundiertere Entscheidungen zu treffen und Zahlungsabläufe zu optimieren, bevor Gelder über US-amerikanische Zahlungssysteme, Stablecoins und digitale Vermögenswerte transferiert werden.

Informationen zu IPID

IPID bietet Entscheidungsunterstützung für Banken, Zahlungsdienstleister (PSPs), Plattformen und Unternehmen, die Geldtransfers abwickeln. Über den gesamten Zahlungslebenszyklus hinweg unterstützt IPID sie dabei, Zahlungsempfänger zu verifizieren und Betrugsrisiken einzuschätzen, regulatorische Verpflichtungen zu erfüllen, Risiken zu bewerten, Zahlungen zu monetarisieren und Zahlungsdaten anzureichern. Dies verschafft ihnen Sicherheit, Kontrolle und Schutz – verbunden mit weniger Betrugsfällen, geringeren Betriebskosten und einem besseren Kundenerlebnis.  www.ipid.tech  

ARK’s Venture Strategy Goes Onchain, Bringing Investors Exposure to Leading Private and Public Tech Companies and Advancing ARK Invest’s Partnership with Securitize

MIAMI, Sept. 24, 2026 — “ARK Invest, the disruptive innovation-focused investment manager founded by Cathie Wood, and Securitize Corp. (NYSE: SECZ), the world’s leader in tokenized assets, announce the tokenization of the ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) through Securitize.”

This launch brings one of ARK’s flagship investment strategies onchain and marks the next phase of a relationship built around a shared conviction that tokenization can modernize how investment products are accessed, owned, and managed.

The ARK Venture Fund is an actively managed closed-end interval fund that seeks long-term growth of capital by investing across private and public companies aligned with disruptive innovation. Its portfolio includes investments in leading technology and innovation companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks, among others. Through the tokenization of ARKVX, eligible investors accessing the Fund through Securitize can gain exposure to this actively managed portfolio through blockchain-based infrastructure. Fund holdings are subject to change.

“Tokenizing the ARK Venture Fund puts our conviction in the evolution, if not revolution, of capital markets into practice,” said Cathie Wood, Founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest. “Based on our research, tokenization has the potential to reshape fundamentally the way that investors access and participate in both private and public financial markets. Making the ARK Venture Fund available onchain is a natural extension of our mission to democratize access to technologically enabled disruptive innovation. Because it has built the regulated infrastructure to help make that vision a reality, we are excited to partner with Securitize in taking this important step forward.”

Upon release, tokenized ARKVX will be available on Ethereum, with Securitize providing the infrastructure supporting its onchain issuance and investor experience.

“ARK has built its business around identifying transformative technologies early and then acting with conviction,” said Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize. “ARK’s strategic investment in Securitize reflected a shared belief in the potential for tokenization to transform capital markets, and today we are putting that conviction into practice. Bringing ARKVX onchain demonstrates how leading asset managers can use tokenization to move established investment products onto modern capital markets infrastructure.”

ARK Invest’s strategic investment in Securitize, announced in October 2025, laid the groundwork for this expanded collaboration. Through that investment, they committed to advancing institutional adoption of tokenized securities, broadening access to regulated investment products, and strengthening capital markets infrastructure.

Eligible investors can learn more about ARKVX and its availability through Securitize by visiting securitize.io/arkvx.

About ARK Invest
ARK Investment Management LLC is a federally registered investment adviser and privately held firm headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. Founded by Cathie Wood in 2014, ARK focuses solely on disruptive innovation, aiming to identify large-scale investment opportunities across artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, multiomic sequencing, blockchain technology, and beyond. 

For more information regarding ARK’s research and advisor services, please visit ark-invest.com. For more information about the ARK Venture Fund, visit ark-funds.com/funds/arkvx. 

About Securitiz
Securitize (NYSE: SECZ), the leading platform for tokenized assets with approximately $5B in AUM (as of August 2026), is bringing the world onchain through tokenized funds in partnership with top-tier asset managers such as Apollo, BlackRock, BNY, Hamilton Lane, KKR, VanEck and others. It is the only company operating regulated digital-securities infrastructure in both the U.S. and EU, and has been named to the Forbes 2026 Fintech 50 and CNBC World’s Top Fintech Companies 2026 lists.

For more information, please visit:

Website | X/Twitter | LinkedIn

Contacts

Tom Murphy
[email protected]

Sam Ross
[email protected]

Disclosures:
The ARK Venture Fund is a non-diversified closed-end interval fund. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including possible loss of principal. The Fund’s shares are not listed on a securities exchange, no secondary market is expected to develop, and shareholders may not be able to sell shares when desired. Liquidity is limited to periodic repurchase offers, which may be oversubscribed. Investors should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information is contained in the Fund’s prospectus, available at assets.ark-funds.com which should be read carefully before investing. Eligibility and other restrictions apply.

SOURCE Securitize

Direct-to-Phase II award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences will fund development of automated, plate-based, next-generation EV isolation technology for clinical-scale plasma biomarker studies

WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 24, 2026 — Everest Biolabs, a pioneering life sciences company dedicated to elevating extracellular vesicle (EV) research, today announced that it has been awarded a $2.1 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Direct-to-Phase II award, an NIH mechanism for small businesses that have already demonstrated the feasibility of their technology, will support the development of next-generation, automated, plate-based EV isolation technology, aimed at a central problem in clinical proteomics: the proteins that carry the most diagnostic information in blood are buried beneath those that carry the least.

Protein concentrations in blood span more than 12 orders of magnitude, and a few dozen proteins account for most of the protein mass. Mass spectrometers therefore spend most of their measurement capacity on proteins that say little about disease, while the tissue-derived proteins that would signal what is happening in the brain, the heart, or a tumor sit at or below the limit of detection. EVs, nano-sized vesicles released by all cells, offer a way past this. They carry membrane and cytosolic proteins from the tissue that produced them, and because they are particles rather than free protein, they can be physically separated from the abundant plasma proteins that mask those signals. The barrier to EV-based biomarker discovery is the ability to isolate EVs cleanly and identically across the hundreds or thousands of samples that discovery and validation studies require.

The NIGMS-funded project will address this barrier on two fronts. Everest Biolabs will advance its automated, plate-based platform so that laboratories can process large sample cohorts in parallel with minimal hands-on time and the reproducibility required for clinical translation. At the same time, the company will develop next-generation Apex columns engineered to deliver higher-purity EVs from complex biofluids such as plasma, specifically addressing challenges in plasma-based deep proteomic and transcriptomic studies.

“The proteins that tell us the most about disease are the hardest to see in blood, and EVs are how we get to them,” said Tal Gilboa, co-founder and Head of Research at Everest Biolabs and Principal Investigator on the award. “This award lets us take the plate-based approach our team first developed at the Wyss Institute and turn it into a platform any laboratory can run: high-purity EVs from hundreds of plasma samples a day, isolated the same way every time.”

“Being selected for a Direct-to-Phase II award is a strong validation of our technology and the team we have built,” said George Daaboul, CEO and co-founder of Everest Biolabs. “Scalable, standardized EV isolation is the foundation for everything downstream, from biomarker discovery to diagnostics and therapeutics. This funding accelerates our mission to remove the bottlenecks that stand between EV research and the clinic.”

Since coming out of stealth in November 2024, Everest Biolabs has launched the Ascent and Summit instruments for automated EV isolation, the Apex family of SEC columns, and the Atlas ELISA kits for EV quantification and purity assessment. The company continues to equip researchers with precise, scalable, and reliable tools at every step, from foundational isolation to advanced analytics.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R44GM165165. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About Everest Biolabs

Everest Biolabs, founded on technology from David Walt’s laboratory at the Wyss Institute, is dedicated to excellence in EV research through a relentless focus on high-quality, easy-to-use tools for EV isolation and analytics. Our solutions enhance workflows, from foundational EV isolation to advanced analytics, enabling groundbreaking discoveries. With a vision to unlock the potential of EVs in clinical applications, we keep “science first” while fostering innovation and integrity in everything we do. Based near Boston, MA, we’re here to elevate exosome research at every step.

Media Contact

David Freedman
[email protected]
everestbiolabs.com

SOURCE Everest Biolabs, Inc.

Led by Relevance Ventures, the funding will support the completion of Aqua Medical’s ongoing U.S. RESTORE-1 pilot study evaluating its investigational PIMA procedure for Type 2 diabetes while funding operational preparations to initiate a planned U.S. pivotal trial.

PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 — Aqua Medical, Inc., a clinical-stage medical technology company advancing Endoscopic Metabolic Restoration for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, today announced the closing of a Series B financing led by Nashville, TN-based Relevance Ventures. Capital from the financing will support the completion of Aqua Medical’s ongoing U.S. RESTORE-1 pilot study and fund operational preparations to initiate a planned U.S. pivotal trial evaluating its investigational Proximal Intestinal Mucosal Ablation (PIMA) procedure for Type 2 diabetes, subject to regulatory authorization.

For decades, Type 2 diabetes care has centered almost exclusively on daily pharmaceutical management and invasive surgery. However, with diabetes affecting 589 million people globally and driving over $1 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures, including $327 billion in the United States alone, the mounting clinical and financial burden is driving demand for new therapeutic approaches. Endoscopic Metabolic Restoration has emerged to fill this critical gap, offering a minimally invasive, through-the-working-channel-of-the-endoscope alternative designed to target metabolic pathways directly.

The Aqua Medical Radiofrequency Vapor Ablation System is FDA-cleared for ablation in the gastrointestinal tract, including Barrett’s esophagus. The PIMA procedure for type 2 diabetes is investigational and is currently being evaluated under an FDA-approved IDE clinical study. PIMA is delivered seamlessly through the working channel of a standard endoscope to treat targeted mucosa in the proximal small intestine. Aqua Medical is now actively working to advance this technology to benefit patients with Type 2 diabetes. Outside the U.S., Aqua Medical has already treated 66 patients, with prior studies showing that patients may become insulin-free following PIMA treatment. Building on this international success, four patients have already undergone the procedure under an active FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) in the U.S., and this Series B funding will support operationalization and patient recruitment for the company’s larger U.S. RESTORE-1 clinical trial.

“We are pleased to welcome Relevance Ventures as the lead investor in this financing and Dean Newton to our Board of Directors,” said Bob Haggerty, President and CEO of Aqua Medical. “This support will help advance our U.S. clinical program and build the evidence needed for the next stage of Endoscopic Metabolic Restoration for Type 2 Diabetes.”

“Type 2 diabetes remains a massive global health challenge,” said Dean Newton, Chairman, General Partner, and General Counsel of Relevance Ventures. “We are pleased to support Aqua Medical as it evaluates an investigational endoscopic approach that has the potential to transform how this disease is treated.”

With enrollment actively advancing across all trial sites, Aqua Medical remains focused on generating robust clinical data to support its next regulatory milestones. By advancing PIMA through rigorous U.S. trials, the company aims to validate its platform and establish Endoscopic Metabolic Restoration as a practical, scalable option within interdisciplinary diabetes care.

About Aqua Medical

Aqua Medical is a clinical-stage medical technology company advancing a minimally invasive, through-the-working-channel-of-the-scope technology to address Type 2 diabetes. Using its proprietary radiofrequency vapor ablation (RFVA) system for the Proximal Intestinal Mucosal Ablation (PIMA) procedure, the company aims to deliver a scalable, device-based approach intended to address mechanisms associated with Type 2 diabetes and potentially improve metabolic outcomes.

The RFVA system is FDA-cleared for marketing for its indicated use in the gastrointestinal tract. Use of the RFVA system for the PIMA procedure is investigational. The safety and effectiveness of the RFVA system for the PIMA procedure have not yet been established.

Patients interested in learning more about Aqua Medical’s technology and ongoing clinical efforts are encouraged to reach out to the company or consult with their physicians.

About Relevance Ventures

Relevance Ventures is the nation’s first independently owned Native American venture capital firm, based in Nashville, TN. Operating with a prevention-first investment strategy, the firm targets early-growth stage companies across digital health, personal health, community health, and financial health, as well as scalable technologies that address systemic challenges. For more information, visit www.relevanceventures.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Aqua Medical’s investigational technology, clinical development activities, and future expectations. Actual results may differ materially.

Media Contact: 

Dr. Aradhana Mariam Philips
[email protected]

SOURCE Aqua Medical Inc.

Richmond based investment bank’s new name reflects its emphasis on guiding founders through the full arc of a transaction — including what happens after the deal closes.

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 24, 2026 — Transact Capital, a licensed investment bank and member of FINRA and SIPC specializing in mergers and acquisitions for founder-led, lower-middle-market businesses, today announced it has rebranded as Sequel Advisors. The change reflects the firm’s approach to M&A advisory: helping founders navigate not just the transaction itself, but the outcome that follows it.

Founded in 2003 and based in Richmond, Virginia, Sequel Advisors is a boutique firm advising founders primarily on sell-side M&A transactions, with a core focus on business services and growing practice areas in technology, healthcare, industrials, and adjacent sectors. Many of the firm’s team members are former founders and operators themselves.

“Why rebrand? The firm we’ve become deserves a name that actually describes it, and because the founders we serve deserve to know exactly what they’re getting before they ever pick up the phone. Our name now matches the way we’ve always done the work ” said Patrick Morin, Managing Partner at Sequel Advisors.

The rebrand includes a new visual identity and a redesigned website, sequeladvisors.com, featuring an expanded collection of client case studies detailing founders’ experiences working with the firm from engagement through post-close. The firm’s leadership, team, and day-to-day operations remain unchanged. Learn more about the team here.

About Sequel Advisors
Sequel Advisors is a licensed investment bank and member of FINRA and SIPC advising founder-led businesses globally across business services, technology, healthcare and industrials through mergers, acquisitions, and recapitalizations. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the firm works with founders on transactions typically ranging from $20 million to $250 million in enterprise value. Learn more at sequeladvisors.com.

Media Contact
Susan Clark
Director of Operations
Sequel Advisors
[email protected]
804-612-7108

SOURCE Sequel Advisors, LLC

Samantha Moore, Jessica Merriam and Nicole Gibson to lead customer-focused business groups

RESTON, Va., Sept. 24, 2026 — Quantum Sky today announced the appointment of three executive vice presidents to lead its newly aligned customer-focused business groups: Department of War, Intel & Space and Federal Civilian. The appointments are part of a broader operating structure designed to strengthen alignment across Growth, Technology and Operations and better position the company to serve customers across its core federal markets.

Samantha Moore will serve as executive vice president of the Department of War Business Group, Jessica Merriam as executive vice president of the Intel & Space Business Group and Nicole Gibson as executive vice president of the Federal Civilian Business Group.

“As Quantum Sky continues to grow, we have an opportunity to align our people, technology and operations even more closely around our customers and their missions,” said Andrew Boyd, CEO of Quantum Sky. “Samantha, Jessica and Nicole bring deep market expertise, strong operational leadership and proven track records of leading organizations that deliver mission outcomes. This structure gives us greater focus as we bring the full breadth of Quantum Sky’s capabilities to our customers.”

Moore leads the Department of War Business Group. She brings more than 20 years of experience across defense, intelligence and cloud markets, most recently serving as vice president, Department of War, at SMX. She previously held senior leadership roles at Amazon Web Services and spent more than a decade with Peraton and predecessor company Solers supporting space, intelligence and defense missions.

Merriam leads Quantum Sky’s Intel & Space Business Group. She joined the company from SilverEdge Government Solutions’ Intelligence Solutions Group, later acquired by SAIC, where she led an intelligence business supporting Intelligence Community customers, DIA, and SOCOM. She previously served as executive director of Intelligence Community programs at CACI and completed a military career spanning more than 20 years as an intelligence officer, including assignments within Joint Special Operations Command and the National Security Council.

Gibson leads Quantum Sky’s Federal Civilian Business Group and brings more than 25 years of experience in enterprise transformation, operational excellence and business growth. She most recently worked with Guidehouse’s senior leadership team on enterprise transformation and previously spent 10 years as a partner at PwC and Guidehouse, where she led Intelligence Community and Office of the Secretary of War portfolios.

“Quantum Sky is entering an important next phase of growth, and this leadership structure is built to support that momentum,” said Michael Lustbader, a Managing Partner at Arlington Capital Partners. “Together, Arlington and Quantum Sky are investing in quantum computing and other differentiated technologies to support the company’s expansion across key federal markets and deliver enduring value for its customers and their missions.”

About Quantum Sky

Quantum Sky, formerly Tyto Athene, is a mission technology company that builds secure, AI-enabled and quantum-ready capabilities for defense, intelligence and federal civilian agencies. By combining trusted government delivery with applied AI, post-quantum readiness and emerging quantum research, Quantum Sky helps customers modernize critical systems, secure mission data and operate with greater speed, resilience and confidence.

At the core of its model is Project 137, an applied innovation and intellectual property engine that turns emerging technology into fielded mission advantage. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Quantum Sky engineers practical advantage for high-consequence missions. For more information, visit quantumsky.com.

About Arlington Capital Partners

Arlington Capital Partners is a Washington, D.C.-area private investment firm specializing in government-regulated industries. Focused on the aerospace and defense, government services and technology, and healthcare sectors, the firm partners with founders and entrepreneurs to build platforms of strategic importance to national priorities.

Operating in markets with high barriers to entry, Arlington looks to partner with organizations within these industries that save lives, improve effectiveness and reduce costs. Since inception in 1999, Arlington has invested in over 200 companies, raised over $14 billion in committed capital, and is currently investing out of its $6 billion Fund VII.

SOURCE Quantum Sky

Investment for a 4.9% minority stake implies an approximately $1 billion post-money valuation for the Slovenian technology company.

HONG KONG and LJUBLJANA, Slovenia, Sept. 24, 2026 — Windsor Capital today announced the completion of a $50 million strategic investment in Space Labs d.o.o., a Slovenian technology company developing proprietary protocols, blockchain infrastructure and digital economic systems for real-world applications.

The investment was made for a 4.9% minority interest in Space Labs, implying a post-money valuation of approximately $1.02 billion.

The transaction concludes a process spanning more than two years, including completion of contractual milestones and financial, technical and legal due diligence.

The $50 million in primary capital will support Space Labs’ international expansion and accelerate development of its technology infrastructure and real-world applications.

At the center of Space Labs’ technology is the RWD Protocol – Real World Digitalization Protocol, designed to connect real-world projects and businesses with capital and global communities through blockchain, smart contracts and transparent digital processes. Rather than simply tokenizing assets, RWD is designed to digitalize participation itself.

As an initial commercial collaboration, Space Labs and Windsor Capital are developing a vehicle distribution channel through Windsor’s international automotive and industrial network, with phased distribution across multiple international markets.

“This partnership is about much more than capital. The $50 million investment gives Space Labs financial strength, while Windsor brings global relationships and real-world opportunities into the technology infrastructure we have built,” said Igor Šinkovec, Founder and CEO of Space Labs.

“Space Labs has built technology addressing a global opportunity. Combined with Windsor’s international network, we believe this partnership can create something significantly larger than either side could build independently,” said John M. Probandt, Chairman, Founder and CEO of Windsor Capital.

About Space Labs

Space Labs d.o.o. is a Slovenian technology company developing proprietary protocols, blockchain infrastructure, smart contracts and digital economic systems for real-world applications, including the RWD Protocol and SpaceM technology ecosystem.

spacelabs.si

About Windsor Capital

Windsor Capital is a Hong Kong-headquartered diversified group with interests across automotive, advanced manufacturing, biotech and international supply chains.

windsorcapital.net 
windsor.business
www.windsorprestigecoltd.com

Forward-Looking Statements 

This release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations. Nothing herein constitutes an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security or financial instrument.

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