Elly Adapts to Your Recruiting Workflow, Bringing Clarity and Focus in High-Volume Hiring

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2026 — Elly today announced the launch of its AI-native hiring platform along with $8 million in funding led by Sorenson Capital, with participation from Atomic and Next Wave Capital. Rob Rueckert, partner at Sorenson Capital’s venture and growth funds, will join Elly’s board of directors.

Today, recruiting teams are caught between legacy applicant tracking software that demands constant manual updates and a growing stack of AI tools that don’t share information or work together. Teams often juggle five or more disconnected platforms, forcing candidates to repeat themselves, interviewers to work without complete information, and recruiters to spend critical time coordinating logistics instead of evaluating talent.

At the same time, hiring choices don’t happen all at once. They develop gradually across sourcing conversations, interviews, and internal discussions. Most platforms track static states or force recruiters to reconstruct judgment calls after the fact, often from scattered notes and incomplete information.

A Platform That Works the Way You Actually Hire
Elly takes a fundamentally different approach. Rather than stitching together standalone tools or asking recruiters to maintain rigid workflows, Elly is built with AI at its core, spanning sourcing, interviewing, and applicant tracking as one unified platform. It captures what’s happening as hiring unfolds and surfaces what teams need to know next, without manual data entry or constant upkeep.

Historically, interviews and screenings have been some of the most time-intensive and information-rich parts of hiring—yet the insight from those conversations is rarely captured or reused. Because Elly is AI-native, it can interpret unstructured conversations and evolving feedback as they happen, rather than relying on fields, forms, or manual input. Elly treats interviews as an asset rather than a sunk cost. Each screening, interview, and discussion becomes structured, searchable signal that compounds over time, giving teams a clearer picture of candidates and improving hiring quality as volume grows.

Instead of requiring recruiters to push updates into the software, Elly understands what’s happening automatically:

• Interviewers see what candidates have already shared—no starting from scratch
• Feedback carries forward as the hiring process evolves
• Next steps stay clear as opinions evolve across the team

The result: recruiters spend less time maintaining tools and more time applying judgment where it matters most.

“Recruiting teams are overwhelmed by software that was never designed to reflect how hiring actually works,” said Kristen Habacht, CEO of Elly. “Elly flips that model by understanding the reasoning behind choices as they form. When the platform knows what’s happening, recruiters can focus on evaluating candidates instead of administering technology.”

Momentum Across Industries
Early customers are already using Elly to manage active pipelines across technology, construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality, with teams reporting measurable time savings, including:

• Up to 1 hour and 45 minutes saved per candidate on interview write-ups and documentation
• 3 to 5 hours saved per week by reducing manual note-taking and follow-ups
• 5 to 10 hours saved per week by replacing live screening calls with short, targeted interview reviews

The $8 million round reflects growing demand for technology that reduces complexity rather than adding to it.

“We’ve backed Kristen before and seen firsthand how she builds products that actually fit how people work,” said Rob Rueckert, Partner at Sorenson Capital. “Elly understands hiring judgment as it forms, not after the fact. That fundamentally changes how recruiting teams operate—they stop managing software and start making better hires.”

Created as part of Atomic, a venture studio with a track record of launching successful companies, Elly was purpose-built for today’s recruiting landscape. The new capital will support continued product development, customer growth, and advancement of Elly’s AI capabilities and sales and marketing efforts.

For more information, visit Elly.ai.

About Elly
Elly is the AI-powered hiring platform built around how talent teams actually work, helping them understand who to focus on and what to do next. Designed to reduce administrative burden and improve the candidate experience, Elly helps organizations hire faster and make better choices without unnecessary complexity. For more information, visit Elly.ai.

Media Contact
ROAM Communications for Elly
[email protected] 

SOURCE Recruit Tech Labs dba Elly

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25, 2026 — Chariot Defense, a defense technology company pioneering next-generation battlefield power systems, today announced it has raised $34 million in Series A funding, bringing total funding to $41 million. The round was led by new investor Andreessen Horowitz, and with new participation from DCVC, LMNT, Marlinspike, Overmatch, Shield Capital, Ensemble, and Trenches Capital. Existing investors General Catalyst and XYZ also participated.

Power is becoming the critical constraint across military operations. To solve this pressing challenge, Chariot Defense has built a deployable, software-defined power layer that senses, prioritizes, and routes power across mission-critical systems in real time, enabling warfighters to operate without interruption, detectable signature, or wasted capacity.

“We’re on a mission to ensure power is never the limiting factor in modern warfare,” said Adam Warmoth, Chariot Defense Founder and CEO. “Power on the battlefield is less about how much energy you carry; it is more about how intelligently you control and distribute it. Chariot’s Amphora systems act as a combat multiplier in the field, enabling soldiers to operate with greater freedom. We enhance their ability to see, sense, strike, and survive in contested environments. The speed with which warfighters have adopted our systems is a testament to our technology and our incredible team. We’re already turning this capital into capabilities as we scale to meet the growing demand.”

The funding comes on the heels of new sales and contracts with the U.S. Army, DIU Project GI, and commercial customers.

“Incredible breakthroughs in power are happening in the commercial world, from advanced batteries, to next-generation microcontrollers and power electronics, while much of defense still relies on legacy systems,” said Erin Price-Wright, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. “Chariot is bringing that innovation directly into national security and building the software-defined power backbone our modern military systems demand. The future of defense will be shaped by energy, speed, and adaptability, and Chariot is leading that shift.”

Investing to Meet Urgent Demand
The raise will accelerate production of Chariot’s agile power system products and support the development of an operating system for the command, control, and distribution of electric power on the battlefield. The funding will also enable Chariot to significantly expand its engineering team to meet surging demand. This news comes just six months after the company launched out of stealth in July 2025.

“We are excited to back Chariot again, as they have operationalized the Anduril-style playbook of defense problem solving and productization by driving systems to the field early and iterating essential features quickly to get them deployed.” says Ross Fubini, Managing Partner at XYZ Venture Capital. “Demand for rapid fielding has never been stronger, and Chariot is a prime example of transformation in contact.”

Leading with the Amphora Product
Modern operations are failing from lack of power. Chariot’s universal and agile Amphora hybrid power systems enhance warfighter lethality and survivability by tightly integrating energy storage, conversion, and distribution capabilities to deliver power when, where, and how it is needed. These systems are already being adopted by units to extend operational independence and better adapt during distributed, expeditionary missions via ubiquitous, dependable power. Chariot has directly sold Amphora systems to customers following recent exercises, including to commercial customers who recognize the importance of power to accelerate their own innovation and to create resilience in their existing deployments.

Building for Scale
Warmoth concluded: “Chariot went from seed round to air-assaulting equipment into force-on-force exercises within six months and we generated revenue within twelve months. That kind of traction is exactly why we’re rapidly expanding.”

The company is actively recruiting mechanical, electrical, and software engineers with expertise in high-voltage energy storage, power electronics, and distributed systems to build the power infrastructure that will define modern military operations.

About Chariot Defense:
Chariot Defense is a defense technology company pioneering next-generation power distribution systems built for the demands of modern warfare. Its Amphora platform provides modular voltage and low-signature power at the tactical edge—powering everything from radios and drones to sensors and directed energy systems. Founded in 2024, Chariot is backed by leading national security investors and led by a team with deep experience across defense, technology, and government.

Learn more at https://www.chariotdefense.com/.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Chariot Defense

Financing will accelerate the development of proprietary portable diagnostic platform, CoagCare™, to enhance patient care for bleeding disorders & critical care medicine

MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 25, 2026 — Abram Scientific, a medical device company focused on advancing next-generation coagulation diagnostics, today announced the closing of a $11.75 million Series A financing round. The round was led by global pharmaceutical leader Octapharma AG, with additional participation from existing and new investors affiliated with University of Colorado Anschutz.

This funding will accelerate the development of Abram Scientific’s proprietary portable platform, CoagCare™, for aiding the evaluation of blood clotting disorders and to assist in determining appropriate transfusions and therapy for patients undergoing trauma and surgical procedures. The capital will also support advancement of the CoagCare system towards achieving clinical milestones and securing U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance.

Abram’s CoagCare System is a novel diagnostic platform for diagnosis and characterization of coagulation-related disorders, delivering rapid hemostasis information to improve clinical outcomes. The CoagCare system is designed as a point-of-care (POC) meter employing a single-use diagnostic test card. The platform utilizes proprietary technology for fast and highly accurate measurement of blood viscoelasticity and density, characterizing the entire blood coagulation cascade from blood clot formation to fibrinolysis in under 10 minutes, enabling the detection of blood clotting or bleeding disorders and guiding the use of therapy for optimal coagulation management.¹

The CoagCare System offers significant advancement over current global coagulation diagnostic platforms, such as thromboelastography (TEG^®) and thromboelastometry (ROTEM^®), that typically require 30 to 60 minutes for a complete measurement including fibrinolysis.^{2, 3, 4, 5} In sharp contrast, the CoagCare system provides a complete and rapid assessment of the blood coagulation process, delivering results in under 10 minutes from a single drop of blood. Designed as a portable, vibration-insensitive solution, CoagCare holds promise for applications in remote or pre-hospital settings such as MEDEVAC helicopters and ambulances where stable, laboratory-grade conditions aren’t always available and the speed of adjudicating and delivering the right transfusion becomes a matter of life or death.

“Our mission is to enable CoagCare to help adjudicate life-saving therapies and transfusions, so that the right therapy is provided to the patient at the right time and at the right dosage,” said Abhishek Ramkumar, CEO, Founder, Abram Scientific. “Our collaboration with Octapharma and the University of Colorado provides both funding and strategic expertise, enabling us to move faster and smarter, and positioning CoagCare to revolutionize the current clinical paradigm.”

Octapharma ensures timely access to the leading critical care therapies with a product portfolio focused on improving patient outcomes. Octapharma has made significant contributions to improving standards of critical care and developing new treatments for coagulation management. The Octapharma investment signifies its interest in emerging platforms that address unmet clinical needs in the hematology and critical care space, and represents its first major investment in the diagnostics sector. This new direction is poised to broaden the Octapharma products’ applications across the entire continuum of care for the patients it serves.

“We are excited to partner with Abram Scientific in this phase of next-generation technology development,” said Flemming Nielsen, President, Octapharma USA, Inc. “Abram has a unique approach with real potential to reshape patient outcomes, and we are proud to accelerate their next stage of development. Abram’s CoagCare can empower clinicians to deliver goal-oriented therapy with greater accuracy, ensuring the right intervention, at the right time, in the right amount. This represents an important step forward in patient care and can help shape clinical guidelines nationally and globally.”

“Uncontrolled hemorrhage remains one of the leading—and most preventable—causes of early trauma death,” said Dr. Vik Bebarta, Endowed Chair in Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz and Founding Director of The Center for COMBAT Research. “We are excited to partner with Abram Scientific to develop CoagCare to give surgeons and emergency physicians the critical information they need sooner to guide life-saving therapy decisions.”

About Abram Scientific
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Abram Scientific was founded by Dr. Abhishek Ramkumar, CEO, and inventor of the CoagCare platform technology. The technology is protected by 17 U.S. and internationally granted patents with multiple patent applications currently under prosecution. Abram’s CoagCare System is not yet cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing in the United States.

About Octapharma
Octapharma is one of the world’s largest human protein manufacturers, developing and producing therapies from human plasma and human cell lines. Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma has over 11,000 employees and serves patients in 120 countries across Immunotherapy, Hematology, and Critical Care.

With seven R&D sites, five manufacturing facilities in Europe, and more than 195 plasma donation centers in the U.S. and Europe, Octapharma has delivered trusted therapies for over 40 years. The company is committed to improving lives through innovation, quality, and a deep focus on patient care and clinical partnership. To learn more please visit www.octapharma.com.

About University of Colorado Anschutz
The University of Colorado Anschutz is a world-class academic medical campus at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes and two nationally ranked independent hospitals – UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado – which see more than two million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, CU Anschutz delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $910 million in annual research funding, including $757 million in sponsored awards and $153 million in philanthropic gifts. It is also home to the CU Center of COMBAT Research, a primary collaborator with Abram Scientific and a national leader in military medical and trauma research.

REFERENCES

1. Ramkumar A, et al. A novel, point-of-care (POC) portable meter & disposable card, viscoelastic coagulation diagnostic platform for hemostasis management with complete results including fibrinolysis in under 10 minutes. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2024;8(Suppl 2):PB0094. https://www.rpthjournal.org/article/S2475-0379(24)00199-7/fulltext.
2. Hemostasis Management, Haemonetics Corporation website: https://hospital.haemonetics.com/hemostasis-management
3. Optimal Patient Blood Management and efficiency, Werfen website: https://www.werfen.com/na/en/coagulation-testing-rotem-delta
4. Fully automated viscoelastic testing at the POC, Werfen website: https://www.werfen.com/na/en/coagulation-testing-rotem-sigma
5. Hartmann J, Hermelin D, Levy JH. Viscoelastic testing: an illustrated review of technology and clinical applications. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2023;7(1):100031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpth.2022.100031

SOURCE Abram Scientific

Global ecosystem alliances position YVL as an AI-native venture platform launching category-defining companies from the UAE to the world

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 25, 2026 — YVL Capital Partners, an AI-native venture capital firm and studio, today announced its official launch following a series of high-profile ecosystem partnerships and international engagements across the Middle East and global innovation hubs. YVL operates a hybrid venture fund and studio model, combining early-stage investment with hands-on venture building and shared AI-native execution infrastructure. The firm focuses on pre-seed to Series A companies across AI-enabled infrastructure, autonomous systems, and mission-critical industries.

“YVL Capital Partners was built on the belief that early-stage founders need more than capital — they need execution, operators, and infrastructure from day one,” said Matthew Buckingham, CEO & Managing Partner of YVL Capital Partners. “What we’ve achieved before our official launch reflects the kind of hands-on, ecosystem-driven platform we are building.”

Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Engagement

YVL established early momentum through strategic collaborations and on-the-ground participation at major global and regional innovation events, underscoring its ambition to build and back AI-native, operator-led companies across MENA and beyond.

• Ignyte by DIFC, The global start-up ecosystem, established a new collaboration with YVL on 19 January during Ignyte Demo Day. Building on that engagement, YVL hosted a full-day mentorship and training programme and will continue working with Ignyte on additional founder-focused initiatives in the months ahead, to develop the next generation of UAE start-ups and leaders, directly supporting the nation’s vision of building a knowledge-based economy and fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• World Economic Forum: YVL’s founders made an on-site impact in Davos, engaging with global investors, operators, and policymakers to position MENA-based AI ventures within the international innovation ecosystem.
• STEP Dubai: YVL showcased its vision at one of MENA’s largest tech and start-up festivals, where the team engaged with founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
• Regional Hyperscaler Partnership: YVL has entered into an agreement with a leading regional hyperscale cloud provider to anchor our UAE venture studio, including a minimum $100,000 allocation in cloud credits to support each studio company’s core infrastructure and AI-ready workloads. This partnership is designed to give portfolio and studio ventures access to enterprise-grade cloud tooling, scalable compute, and technical enablement from day one.

AI-Native Execution Through a 24/7 AI Workforce

At the core of YVL’s model is an AI-native operating layer powered by Nexa Staff, which provides portfolio and studio companies with access to a 24/7 AI workforce supporting growth, operations, and product development.

This shared execution infrastructure allows YVL-backed companies to operate with the output of significantly larger teams while reducing early-stage operational burn by 40–50%, extending runway and accelerating time-to-market.

Click here for to download high resolution images

About YVL Capital Partners

YVL Capital Partners is an AI-native venture capital firm and studio focused on building and backing early-stage, operator-led companies. By combining capital, hands-on operators, and a shared AI operating system, YVL helps founders build faster, more capital-efficient businesses with global ambition. Headquartered in Dubai, YVL operates across MENA, Europe, and North America, leveraging the region’s growing role as a global hub for AI innovation.

For more information, visit www.yvlcapital.com

Media Contact: Cristelle Basmaji, YVL Capital Partners, [email protected]

“Generative AI has changed how people consume information, and monetization must evolve alongside it,” said Nic Baird, Koah’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Subscriptions models alone don’t scale given high inference costs, and legacy ad models erode user experience. At Koah, we’re designing monetization infrastructure specifically for AI that’s additive for end users and revenue-driving for developers.”

Koah’s lightweight SDK installs in minutes, enabling native monetization directly inside generative AI experiences. Serving performant advertising from premium brands, Koah has already driven monetization for high-engagement AI apps such as Liner, Viro, and Sup AI.

“We’re seeing users research, compare, and form brand preferences directly inside AI tools,” said Luke Kim, CEO of Liner, the AI search app used by more than 10 million students, academics, and researchers globally. “Koah lets developers monetize those moments responsibly—without compromising trust.”

Over the past 12 months, Koah’s ecosystem has scaled to more than 2 million monthly active users engaging with conversational AI 3x per day. Koah has already served more than 35 million native ad impressions across 175 million queries.

“Koah found a way to deliver AI-native ads that our user community actively welcomes,” said Nick Arbuckle, Founder of the sustainability-focused AI App Viro.

For advertisers, Koah unlocks a new advertising channel offering rich intent. Advertisers engage users through real-time conversational context, aligning their products and expertise with what people are actively researching and deciding.

“AI apps represent a new interface layer for the internet, and they require monetization infrastructure designed for that reality,” said Tomasz Tunguz, GP at Theory Ventures. “We partnered with Koah because of their team and how they’re building that layer to align incentives across developers, advertisers, and users.”

Koah is introducing analytics tools to track user engagement and ad performance inside AI search and chat, alongside new context-rich ad formats built specifically for generative environments. The new capital brings Koah’s total funding to more than $26 million and will accelerate engineering hiring and go-to-market expansion as the company builds out its full technology stack for AI monetization.

To learn more about Koah and request access, please visit:
koahlabs.com/theory-ventures-partnership.

About Koah

Koah is the native monetization platform for generative AI. The “AdSense for AI,” Koah helps developers monetize high-intent conversations using native, contextual advertising embedded directly within AI chat experiences. Backed by Theory Ventures, Forerunner, and South Park Commons, Koah works with leading AI apps and global advertisers to power monetization that preserves user experience and delivers performance.

Media Contact:
Cameron Ruby
[email protected] 

SOURCE Koah

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24, 2026 — Kris@Work, the AI-native Go-To-Market (GTM) execution platform for enterprise revenue teams, has raised $3.0 Million in seed funding led by Infoedge Ventures, with participation from JN Capital & Growth Advisory (Singapore) and several angel investors.

Kris@Work is a new system of work and system of insights for revenue teams. Designed as a work companion that reduces dependency on multiple point tools across sales, customer success, services, support, and revenue operations. Founded by experienced SaaS professionals, Kris@Work was conceived as a single unified platform for GTM teams. The founding team includes co-founders Arun Singh and Ramakrishna Mallya, with product leadership from Ananta Joshi (Chief Product Officer).

The company moved from the first line of code to its first enterprise contract in under seven months, signalling demand for AI-native execution platforms. Kris@Work operates in a rapidly evolving category of enterprise AI platforms for GTM and revenue execution, alongside a new generation of global players rethinking how sales, marketing, and customer success teams operate in an AI-first world.

The company plans to use the capital to expand its enterprise customer base, strengthen go-to-market partnerships, and complete development across four phases of the platform, prioritising deeper automation, multi-agent orchestration, and enterprise-scale deployments.

“Over the past few years, the challenges of managing multiple disjointed SaaS tools have become evident. Removing this fragmentation needs a new system-of-work and system-of-insights for teams to move faster. Today, it’s possible to run operations on agentic architecture, solving for siloed data. We’ve seen first-hand the impact on business performance and team productivity. SaaS is converging, and a work companion is the right solution,” said Arun Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, Kris@Work.

“Sales and Revenue teams today are overwhelmed by a proliferation of disconnected point solutions, leading to legacy SaaS fatigue and a measurable decline in productivity,” said Kitty Agarwal, Partner at InfoEdge Ventures. “As large language models mature, we believe the market is at an inflection point where unified, intelligent platforms with AI co-pilots can replace fragmented workflows. Kris@Work’s vision of becoming a one-stop operating system for Revenue teams, automating repetitive work and enabling teams to focus on higher-value, creative outcomes, is the need of the hour. The team’s strong AI-first product approach positions them well to lead the next generation of integrated AI-first platforms for enterprises” 

“SaaS is at a new inflection point. Agentic architectures and context-aware AI are making platforms smarter and more unified. What once required multiple tools can now be achieved through a single platform, faster and with better results,” said Ramakrishna Mallya, CTO & Co-Founder, Kris@Work.

“A single platform is only half the solution. True outcomes come from pairing it with an intuitive user experience and real-time AI intelligence. Converging everything at work into a single intelligent window is how we see the future of work,” said Ananta Joshi, Chief Product Officer, Kris@Work.

Powered by a combination of agentic architecture and contextual AI, Kris delivers a single platform for GTM teams, unifying lead identification to deal close to account expansion with contextual AI that drives real-time insights & guidance, automating every step, while keeping governance tight. Over the next three years, Kris@Work plans to expand this execution layer to additional enterprise functions using the same AI-native framework. The platform is currently being adopted across Technology, Financial Services, Telecom, and Automotive.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2919203/Kris_Work_Team.jpg

SOURCE Kris@Work

AMHERST, Mass., Feb. 24, 2026 — Myrias Optics, a world leader in wafer-level metaoptics and diffractive optical technologies, today announced the closing of a $2.1 million Seed 1 financing round in January 2026. The round was led by MassVentures, with participation from existing investors Hoss Investment Inc., Maroon Venture Partners, and Tenon Venture Partners, as well as new investors Mill Town Capital, TiE Boston Angels, and Doug Crane.

This financing builds on the company’s previously announced $3.3 million seed round completed in December 2023, led by Asia Optical, and complements a $1.5 million National Science Foundation Direct-to-Phase II award. With $6.9 million secured to date, Myrias is advancing commercialization of its proprietary all-inorganic additive nanoimprint platform and expanding production capacity to meet growing customer demand. The company serves customers in augmented reality, AI data centers, consumer electronics, industrial, and medical markets—applications that require durable, high-performance optical components manufactured with precision, repeatability, and cost efficiency.

Across these markets, system designers face a common bottleneck: producing advanced optical components that combine high optical performance, environmental stability, and scalable manufacturing economics. Myrias addresses this challenge through a wafer-level additive nanoimprinting approach that enables thermally stable, all-inorganic optical components produced with high repeatability and significantly lower cost than conventional semiconductor-based processing. In augmented reality systems, for example, the company’s industry-leading refractive index for imprinted waveguides enables higher view angles while maintaining manufacturability at scale. In AI data center environments, similar material and manufacturing advantages support improved optical coupling efficiency, alignment tolerance, and thermal robustness for high-speed optical interconnects. These performance and scalability benefits extend across consumer, industrial, and medical imaging platforms, positioning Myrias as a foundational infrastructure supplier for next-generation optical systems.

Proceeds from the Seed 1 round will support manufacturing scale-up, expansion of pilot production lines, and continued execution of active customer programs. Myrias is currently engaged with strategic partners and Tier 1 supply chain participants to integrate its waveguide and metaoptic solutions into commercial AR, AI photonics, and advanced imaging platforms.

“This round reflects validation of both our technology and our execution roadmap,” said John Fijol, CEO of Myrias Optics. “Our focus is on delivering production-ready inorganic metaoptics that solve real manufacturing bottlenecks across multiple optical markets. We are seeing strong engagement from customers seeking scalable, cost-effective solutions capable of meeting next-generation performance requirements.”

“Traditional polymer-based optical manufacturing presents limitations in durability, thermal stability, and long-term reliability,” added Myrias Optics Founder Jim Watkins, professor of Polymer Science and Engineering at University of Massachusetts Amherst. “By combining advanced metasurface design with robust inorganic materials and additive wafer-level processing, we are enabling optical components that meet the performance and supply chain demands of emerging AR, AI, and advanced imaging markets.”

“Myrias Optics has the potential to become a category-defining technology platform for the next generation of optical devices. Its ability to manufacture high-performance, high-value components through an exceptionally efficient and cost-effective process — rooted in discoveries from Dr. Watkins’ lab at UMass — strongly aligns with MassVentures’ mission to support high-potential academic spinouts throughout the Commonwealth,” said Myron Kassaraba, Vice President at MassVentures, who led the investment and will join the company’s Board of Directors.

Myrias Optics focuses on metaoptics, diffractive optics, and AR waveguides, delivering wafer-level optical solutions that integrate advanced nanostructures with cost-efficient, high-throughput manufacturing. The company’s proprietary all-inorganic nanoimprinting technology enables precision optical components with industry-leading material performance, strong yield characteristics, and a clear path to production-scale deployment.

For more information: https://myriasoptics.com/
Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Myrias Optics

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2026 — Updata Partners (“Updata”), a Washington, D.C.–based growth equity investment firm focused on capital-efficient B2B software companies, today announced the final close of Updata Partners VIII, L.P. (“Updata VIII”), with aggregate capital commitments of $875 million. The fund exceeded the target and was meaningfully oversubscribed, reaching the hard cap in just six months and reflecting strong demand from both longstanding and new limited partners. Updata VIII represents the largest fund raised by the firm to date, and together with prior funds and co-investments, Updata has raised more than $3.0 billion in capital commitments.

Founded by operators from the software industry, Updata brings decades of operating and investment experience to portfolio companies. The firm’s hands-on approach will continue with Updata VIII as the team partners with high-performing, capital-efficient software businesses. Updata’s growing Value Creation team works shoulder-to-shoulder with founders and leadership teams, focusing on repeatable portfolio services such as team buildout, product and technology leadership, and go-to-market execution.

“We are incredibly grateful for the strong support from our limited partners,” said Carter Griffin, General Partner. “The pace and outcome of this fundraise reflect the trust built over many years. We look forward to partnering with both longstanding investors and new LPs in Updata VIII.”

“With Updata VIII, we remain focused on backing software companies with strong fundamentals and dynamic growth profiles,” said Jon Seeber, General Partner. “AI is accelerating the formation of high-growth, lightly capitalized businesses, and we are excited to support the entrepreneurs building the next generation of market leaders.”

Updata makes both majority and minority investments, committing between $20 and $200 million per company. The firm seeks to serve as the first institutional capital investor and focuses on high-growth opportunities outside Silicon Valley.

Gunderson Dettmer served as legal counsel, and UBS Private Funds Group acted as placement agent.

About Updata Partners

Updata Partners is a leading technology-focused growth equity firm in Washington D.C. with over $3.0 billion in committed capital. Led by an investment team averaging more than 25 years of technology experience, Updata invests in high-growth B2B software and software-driven businesses where the combination of capital and operating experience will help accelerate success. For more information, visit www.updata.com.

SOURCE Updata Partners

Targeting $10M in Revenue Per Employee

BOSTON, Feb. 24, 2026 —  Most startups raise capital to hire. Swan just raised $6 million to prove it doesn’t need to.

The round, led by Link Ventures with participation from Fresh Fund, Collider and Gandel Invest, backs a simple thesis: modern companies don’t need more headcount, they need to redesign where execution lives.

Just as Lovable and Base44 democratized software engineering for non-developers, Swan is democratizing GTM engineering for revenue teams. The approach: apply coding agent technology to go-to-market systems, removing the technical burden that has quietly turned revenue leaders into accidental engineers.

“We don’t think the next competitive edge is hiring faster,” said Amos Bar-Joseph, Swan’s co-founder and CEO. “It’s relocating engineering burden into systems. Swan is built to scale with intelligence, not headcount.”

Boaz Fachler, Partner at Link Ventures: “Swan isn’t layering automation on top of traditional structures, they’re rethinking company architecture itself.”

0 to 200 Customers with Three Employees

Swan grew from zero to more than 200 customers in 2025 with a three-person team. While most AI companies expand rapidly post-funding, Swan is deliberately constraining hiring.

The company believes revenue per employee, not valuation, will define AI-era companies.

The AI GTM Engineer

Most AI tools try to replace human sellers. Swan focuses on something else: the engineering work that’s turned revenue teams into engineers.

Swan separates human execution (judgment, prioritization, accountability) from engineering burden (maintenance, orchestration, technical upkeep). Its AI GTM Engineer carries the latter.

The Bigger Bet

Swan sees go-to-market as the first proving ground. If systems can carry execution reliably, hiring becomes a strategic choice, not a structural necessity.

“The question isn’t whether AI can do more,” Bar-Joseph said. “It’s whether you’re building a company that needs less.”

About Swan

Swan is building the first autonomous business. Its AI GTM Engineer absorbs technical complexity so revenue teams can focus on strategy and decisions.

More information: getswan.com

SOURCE Swan AI, Inc