Rally Venture Partner and Former Google CIO Ben Fried will join Captur’s Board of Directors.

NEW YORK, March 10, 2026 — Captur, AI infrastructure for enterprise mobile-apps that instantly verifies user-submitted photos for quality and accuracy, today announced a $6 million US seed round led by Rally Ventures, with continued participation from existing investor SVV (Sure Valley Ventures). The technology runs directly on users’ phones, analyzing images in 30 milliseconds without requiring an internet connection or costly cloud tokens. Captur processes tens of millions of images monthly across delivery, mobility and e-commerce platforms.

When a company needs a photo as proof of something — a delivery, a parked bike, a completed inspection — they’re completely dependent on whoever took it. If the photo is bad, they lose money or lose a contract. Captur fixes that, before the photo is taken.

Existing solutions—cloud-based processing or manual review—are slow, expensive and unable to provide the real-time feedback companies and customers need. Captur runs powerful computer vision models entirely on-device, achieving human-level or better accuracy across 6,000+ mobile devices: from sub-$100 Android phones to the latest iPhones. On-device processing delivers verification instantly, scales without added infrastructure and keeps costs flat no matter how many images are processed.

“As computer vision advanced and smartphones got more powerful, we saw an opportunity to move AI processing from the cloud directly onto user devices, unlocking instant verification that wasn’t possible before,” said Charlotte Bax, Founder and CEO of Captur. “Every industry with mobile users can now deliver instant, intelligent feedback at the moment it matters most.”

The platform doesn’t just detect what’s in an image; it provides actionable feedback directly to users in real-time, enabling them to make adjustments before completing transactions. For example, when a rider photographs a parked scooter to end their trip, Captur validates parking compliance instantly while they’re still there—catching mistakes in the moment rather than discovering them hours later when city fines have already been issued.

Early customers are seeing immediate impact. “We integrated Captur’s SDK and saw disputed delivery claims drop 30% in the first week,” said Heindrik Bernabe, CTO and Co-Founder at GoBolt. “For drivers who need to move fast, cloud processing isn’t an option—uploading, processing and waiting for feedback creates unacceptable delays. Captur delivers both quality and speed, which other AI solutions in logistics just can’t do.”

“Captur is solving a hard technical problem that creates a deep competitive moat,” said Ben Fried, Venture Partner at Rally Ventures. “They’ve brought powerful AI down to the smartphone level, eliminating the need for a data center while delivering human-level accuracy at 30-millisecond speeds across thousands of device types. Achieving this type of performance on-device requires specialized expertise that’s extremely difficult to replicate.”

The company will use the funding to expand its team and accelerate product development as it scales its edge AI engine across new industries including logistics, micro-mobility and retail.

About Captur
Captur is AI infrastructure for enterprise mobile-apps that instantly verifies user-submitted photos for quality and accuracy. The company’s mobile software development kits (SDKs) bring instant image recognition and actionable feedback directly into customers’ apps, running complex machine learning models entirely on-device without cloud inference. This allows businesses to automate tasks that previously required manual review, improving efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing customer experience. For more information, visit www.captur.ai.

SOURCE Captur

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 10, 2026 — Uzum (the “Company”), Uzbekistan’s leading digital ecosystem, is pleased to announce the closing of a strategic investment exceeding $130 million, anchored by the sovereign entities of the Sultanate of Oman (the “Investor“).

The transaction combines primary equity and structured capital and establishes a $2.3 billion pre-money valuation reference point, with conversion terms linked to the Company’s next qualified financing round. The investment marks a significant step-up from Uzum’s previous funding rounds and materially strengthens the Company’s positioning ahead of its Series B.

The transaction also includes participation from existing international shareholders VR Capital, Tencent, and FinSight Ventures, underscoring strong international confidence in Uzum’s long-term growth and Uzbekistan’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

The capital will be used to accelerate Uzum’s next phase of growth across its core verticals — e-commerce, digital banking, payments, and consumer lending — with a focus on expanding product depth, strengthening infrastructure, and increasing access to digital services nationwide. Uzum has built a fully integrated ecosystem combining commerce and fintech at a national scale. Its platforms — including Uzum Market, Uzum Tezkor, Uzum Bank, and Uzum Nasiya — are used by over 20 million people, representing more than half of Uzbekistan’s population.

Global conviction in Uzbekistan’s growth story

The Investor brings long-term regional expertise and a strong focus on high-growth consumer and technology markets. The partnership reflects growing international interest in Uzbekistan as one of the most attractive emerging digital economies globally.

“This investment is a strong endorsement of both Uzum’s strategy and Uzbekistan’s digital potential,” commented Djasur Djumaev, Founder and CEO of Uzum.

“We are focused on building an infrastructure of national scale — technology-driven, inclusive, and designed for everyday use by millions of people and businesses. The support from the Investor, alongside our existing global shareholders, gives us strong momentum as we prepare for Series B and continue scaling our ecosystem.”

Uzum was advised on this transaction by DLA Piper. The Investor was advised by Greenberg Traurig.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2929184/Uzum_Holding_LTD.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2067732/5445555/Uzum_Group_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Uzum Holding LTD

Ce tour de table de série C soutient l’accélération des déploiements d’infrastructures d’IA de Nscale à l’échelle mondiale, évaluant Nscale à 14,6 milliards de dollars.

Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker et Nick Clegg rejoignent le conseil d’administration de Nscale

LONDRES, 10 mars 2026 — L’hyperscaler britannique pour l’infrastructure d’IA Nscale a annoncé aujourd’hui son financement de série C de 2 milliards de dollars, mené par Aker ASA et 8090 Industries. Ce tour de table évalue Nscale à 14,6 milliards de dollars. Le tour de table a été soutenu par Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Dell, Jane Street, Lenovo, Linden Advisors, Nokia, NVIDIA et Point72. Cette nouvelle levée de fonds permettra d’accélérer le développement mondial de Nscale en matière d’infrastructure d’IA verticalement intégrée – du calcul GPU et de la mise en réseau aux services de données et aux logiciels d’orchestration – en Europe, en Amérique du Nord et en Asie.

L’IA est en train de remodeler les industries, les économies et les stratégies nationales, et les plateformes informatiques accélérées sont le moteur de ce changement. Ce n’est pas la demande qui limite l’expansion du marché, mais la capacité à déployer la capacité et à la faire fonctionner de manière fiable en production. Nscale est spécialement conçu pour accélérer les déploiements d’IA. Ce capital renforce l’empreinte de l’infrastructure de Nscale, élargit ses équipes d’ingénierie et d’exploitation, et renforce la plateforme, permettant à Nscale de continuer à fournir des déploiements d’IA réels, de niveau de production, à très grande échelle.

« Nous vivons la quatrième révolution industrielle ; le monde évolue à un rythme rapide. Au cours des cinq prochaines années, l’intelligence artificielle sera intégrée dans tous les secteurs d’activité, tous les produits et tous les emplois. Elle permettra d’accélérer la découverte de médicaments, de prolonger la vie humaine, d’autonomiser les déplacements et la robotique, d’augmenter la productivité et de favoriser une croissance massive. Cette évolution conduit au plus grand déploiement d’infrastructure de l’histoire de l’humanité », a déclaré Josh Payne, PDG et fondateur de Nscale. « Nscale est à la tête de ce déploiement. Nous construisons les fondations sur lesquelles repose le marché, le moteur de la superintelligence ».

Renforcement du conseil d’administration de Nscale

Nscale accueille également aujourd’hui trois nouveaux directeurs. Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker et Nick Clegg rejoindront le conseil d’administration de Nscale, apportant à un groupe de chefs d’entreprise qui est déjà de classe mondiale une profondeur mondiale substantielle dans les domaines de la technologie, des politiques, des opérations et de la gouvernance.

Sheryl Sandberg – Mme Sandberg est actuellement cofondatrice de Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, qui déploie des capitaux privés pour financer l’innovation dans les domaines de la consommation, de l’entreprise, du climat et des technologies de la santé. En tant qu’ancienne directrice de l’exploitation de Meta et ancienne cadre dirigeante de Google, Mme Sandberg apporte une expérience inégalée dans le développement des entreprises technologiques les plus influentes au monde, ainsi qu’une expertise approfondie en matière d’opérations, de stratégie de croissance et de mise en place d’organisations mondiales.

Susan Decker – Susan Decker est PDG et cofondatrice de Raftr, une plateforme d’expérience communautaire pour les universités. Ancienne présidente de Yahoo, Inc., elle est actuellement membre du conseil d’administration de Costco Wholesale Corporation, Berkshire Hathaway, Vail Resorts, Chime, Vox Media et Automattic. Mme Decker apporte son sens aigu des finances, son expertise en matière de gouvernance et son leadership stratégique, acquis au cours de décennies passées à la tête d’entreprises mondiales de médias et de technologies.

Nick Clegg – Actuellement partenaire général de Hiro Capital, Nick Clegg se concentre sur la promotion de la croissance des technologies de pointe en matière d’informatique spatiale en Europe. Il est à la fois ancien vice-premier ministre britannique et ancien président des affaires mondiales chez Meta. Avant d’être élu au Parlement britannique en 2005, M. Clegg a siégé pendant cinq ans au Parlement européen. M. Clegg apporte une expertise approfondie à l’intersection de la technologie, des politiques et des affaires mondiales et a récemment été au centre des conversations extrêmement importantes sur la réglementation et la gouvernance qui déterminent l’avenir de l’IA.

Mme Sandberg, Mme Decker et M. Clegg rejoignent le conseil d’administration de Nscale, où siègent également Josh Payne, Rael Nurick, Jacob Leschly et Øyvind Eriksen.

Rationalisation de l’exécution en Norvège

Parallèlement à ce financement de série C et à ses nouveaux directeurs, Nscale a conclu un accord avec Aker pour intégrer pleinement la coentreprise Aker Nscale – annoncée en juillet 2025 – dans Nscale. À l’avenir, Aker restera l’un des principaux actionnaires de Nscale et son PDG, Øyvind Eriksen, continuera à siéger au conseil d’administration de Nscale.

Cette décision consolide la livraison et la gouvernance au sein d’une seule entité, tout en garantissant que tous les projets existants dans le cadre de la coentreprise se poursuivent et restent pleinement opérationnels en tant que partie intégrante de Nscale. Ce partenariat permanent a joué un rôle fondamental dans la croissance de Nscale et démontre sa volonté persistante de jouer un rôle positif et à long terme dans les communautés où elle est active. L’engagement ferme de Nscale en faveur de la réutilisation de la chaleur perdue, du développement des compétences locales et de l’investissement dans l’infrastructure régionale reste inchangé.

Øyvind Eriksen, président-directeur général d’Aker ASA, a déclaré : « Cette étape renforce l’exécution en plaçant la livraison et la gouvernance sous un même toit, tout en maintenant la continuité pour les personnes et les projets déjà en cours. Nous avons pleinement confiance en la capacité de Nscale à agir de manière responsable en Norvège sur le long terme, et nous pensons que cela prépare le terrain pour progresser plus rapidement et créer une valeur durable. »

Rayyan Islam, cofondateur et partenaire général de 8090 Industries, a déclaré : « Nous vivons une nouvelle ère définie par l’IA, et le facteur limitant est l’infrastructure. Les capacités de calcul, d’énergie et de déploiement à l’échelle industrielle détermineront les nations et les entreprises qui seront à la tête de la prochaine génération de progrès technologiques et économiques.

Nscale a construit une plateforme unique capable de relever ce défi en intégrant verticalement les couches critiques de l’infrastructure de l’IA – de l’énergie et des centres de données au calcul et à l’orchestration.

Chez 8090 Industries, nous investissons dans les systèmes qui permettent à des industries entières de se développer et nous sommes fiers de nous associer à Josh et à l’équipe de Nscale qui construisent l’épine dorsale de l’économie mondiale de l’IA. »

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC et J.P. Morgan ont fait office de co-agents de placement pour Nscale dans le cadre de cette levée de fonds qui comprend le SAFE pré-série C.

À propos de Nscale

Nscale est l’hyperscaler mondial conçu pour l’infrastructure de l’IA. Grâce à des solutions d’IA intégrées verticalement et à la conception modulaire de centres de données basée sur les premiers principes en Europe, en Amérique du Nord et ailleurs, Nscale fournit la base de calcul pour l’entraînement, le réglage fin et l’inférence de l’IA d’entreprise à l’échelle.

‍Contact média :
[email protected]

Contact avec les investisseurs :
[email protected]

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2928710/Nscale_Logo.jpg

• Developing housekeeping-focused robots for North American hotels, capable of ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments
• Verified market demand in the U.S. and China; restroom-cleaning prototype to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026
• Founding team brings extensive experience in computer vision, robot control, and teleoperation from Tesla, Apple, Meta, and Bear Robotics

SEONGNAM, South Korea, March 9, 2026 — NAVER D2SF, NAVER’s in-house corporate venture arm, has invested in Khameleon (CEO, Donghoon Lee), a physical AI startup tackling challenges in highly specialized, real-world environments. This pre-seed round marks Khameleon’s first funding round since its founding, with participation from NAVER D2SF, Base Ventures, Mashup Ventures, The Ventures, and Schmidt Ventures, as well as institutional investors from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Khameleon is developing robots designed for housekeeping tasks in North American hotels. The hotel industry in the region faces severe labor shortages and rising wages, creating strong demand for automation. Housekeeping in particular is affected by annual turnover rates of 70–80%, compelling hotels to raise wages significantly year over year simply to attract and retain workers. However, the complexity and high-quality standards of hotel housekeeping have proven difficult for existing commercial robot solutions to meet.

Khameleon has designed versatile hardware capable of handling everything from restroom cleaning to full-scope housekeeping, and has built an infrastructure that enables ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments. Having validated market demand in both the U.S. and China, the company has already secured a pipeline of prospective customers. A restroom-cleaning prototype is set to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026, with plans to gradually expand its capabilities to cover all housekeeping tasks.

Khameleon’s founding team, led by CEO Donghoon Lee, brings extensive expertise in computer vision, robot control, and teleoperation from Tesla, Apple, Meta, and Bear Robotics. The team has also participated in large-scale robotics projects — including the mass production of over 20,000 robots — giving them rare depth in both robotics development and commercialization.

Donghoon Lee, CEO of Khameleon, said, “Cleaning is a universal necessity, yet core tasks like restroom cleaning and housekeeping remain largely manual — and that’s exactly the problem Khameleon is here to solve. With this investment, we will accelerate our on-site testing in North American hotels, grow our team, and expand partnerships with global customers.”

Yang Sang-hwan, Head of NAVER D2SF, stated, “Khameleon combines deep technical expertise with hands-on field experience, positioning the team to solve real-world hotel challenges and demonstrate the value of physical AI.” He added, “NAVER D2SF will continue to invest in startups that leverage their unique strengths to rapidly build success and write a new playbook for physical AI.” 

About NAVER D2SF 

NAVER D2SF is NAVER’s in-house corporate venture arm, supporting sustainable growth by collaborating with startups. Founded in 1999, NAVER has maintained its position as Korea’s leading search engine for over 20 years and operates across commerce, content, fintech, and cloud services. Under the technological vision of D2 (For Developers, By Developers), NAVER is actively developing new technologies and global partnerships to grow as a leading tech company.

To learn more, visit https://d2sf.naver.com 

SOURCE NAVER

According to NIQ Byzzer, Meiji Hello Panda has seen a 34% and 59% year-over-year growth in sales and distribution respectively in the last 52 weeks, as of Jan. 17, 2026. By adding Meiji Hello Panda production to the York facility, the momentum can continue to build with trustworthy support for sales and distribution with smoother collaborations and flexibility with retailers.

Meiji Hello Panda’s popularity can be attributed to many factors, including the detailed Panda Pal athletes drawn on every cookie, the thoughtful ingredients that exclude peanuts and high fructose corn syrup, and the mess-free cookie exterior, encouraging easy on-the-go snacking. Relaunched in 2026, the “Panda-Monium” campaign celebrates how Hello Panda makes joyful everyday moments across family time, hobbies, studying, and sports even sweeter.

“Seeing Meiji Hello Panda’s growth has only continued to motivate our team here at Meiji America to keep working hard to deliver treats in the accessible and high-quality fashion we are known for,” Ron Fink, Chief Operating Officer said.

The York plant currently supports Stauffer’s^®, a Meiji America Inc. subsidiary with a rich history from 1821. Meiji Hello Panda also strives to make a positive impact on the York community by supporting local youth sports with TeamSnap, helping provide resources and support to teams and families. Now, Hello Panda’s production is expected to create new jobs and increase collaboration with local businesses, with changes expected to boost manufacturing by 50%.

“I can’t wait to see the impact this makes in the York community,” Mac Simpson, the York Plant Manager shares. “We have a lot of exciting upgrades and changes to the plant to support Meiji Hello Panda, and I know local talent will be a large part in making that happen.” Current partnerships include an engineering company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and local contractors and millwrights for equipment installation and building modifications. 

Renovations and installations will commence in 2026, with packaging beginning in 2027 and full production in 2028. 

Sources:

NIQ Byzzer, Prepackaged Cookie, latest 52 weeks, week ending Jan. 17, 2026

TeamSNAP: https://www.teamsnap.com/brands

About Meiji America Inc.

The Meiji Group, founded in Japan in 1916, provides customers of all ages, from infants to seniors, with a wide range of products to support healthy and fulfilling lives. From delicious confectioneries and wholesome dairy products to body-enhancing nutrition supplements and vital pharmaceuticals, we make people’s wellness our main mission.

Meiji America Inc., founded in 2011 as the North American division, manufactures a variety of unique confectioneries and snacks in the USA. Meiji^® is best known for its MEIJI HELLO PANDA™, YAN YAN™ and CHOCOROOMS^® brands in the USA and Canada. These fun, interactive snacks can be found in grocery, club, specialty, or convenience stores.

For more information, please follow Meiji America Inc. on Instagram, Facebook, or visit our website.

SOURCE Meiji America Inc.

STOCKHOLM, March 9, 2026 — Between 4 March 2026 and 6 March 2026 EQT AB (LEI code 213800U7P9GOIRKCTB34) (“EQT”) has repurchased in total 207,024 own ordinary shares (ISIN: SE0012853455).

The repurchases form part of the repurchase program of a maximum of 3,005,071 own ordinary shares for a total maximum amount of SEK 2,500,000,000 that EQT announced on 4 March 2026. The repurchase program, which runs between 4 March 2026 and 8 May 2026, is being carried out in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1052.

EQT ordinary shares have been repurchased as follows:

All acquisitions have been carried out on Nasdaq Stockholm by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB on behalf of EQT.

Following the above acquisitions and as of 6 March 2026, the number of shares in EQT, including EQT’s holding of own shares is set out in the table below.

1) Total number of shares in EQT AB, i.e. including the number of shares owned by EQT AB
2) EQT AB shares owned by EQT AB are not entitled to dividends or carry votes at shareholders’ meetings

A full breakdown of the transactions is attached to this announcement.

Contact
Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, +46 72 989 09 15
EQT Press Office, [email protected], +46 8 506 55 334

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/repurchases-of-shares-by-eqt-ab-during-week-10–2026,c4318814

The following files are available for download:

Diese Serie-C-Finanzierungsrunde unterstützt Nscale bei der Beschleunigung der weltweiten Einführung von KI-Infrastrukturen und bewertet Nscale mit 14,6 Milliarden US-Dollar

Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker und Nick Clegg werden Mitglieder des Vorstands von Nscale

LONDON, 9. März 2026 — Der britische KI-Infrastruktur-Hyperscaler Nscale gab heute seine Serie-C-Finanzierung in Höhe von 2 Milliarden US-Dollar bekannt, angeführt von Aker ASA und 8090 Industries. In dieser Runde wird der Wert von Nscale auf 14,6 Milliarden Dollar geschätzt. Die Finanzierungsrunde wurde von Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Dell, Jane Street, Lenovo, Linden Advisors, Nokia, NVIDIA und Point72 unterstützt. Diese neue Finanzierungsrunde wird die globale Entwicklung der vertikal integrierten KI-Infrastruktur von Nscale – von GPU-Computing und Netzwerken bis hin zu Datendiensten und Orchestrierungssoftware – in Europa, Nordamerika und Asien weiter beschleunigen.

KI verändert Branchen, Volkswirtschaften und nationale Strategien, und beschleunigte Computing-Plattformen sind der Motor, der diesen Wandel vorantreibt. Die Einschränkung für die Marktskalierung ist nicht die Nachfrage, sondern die Fähigkeit, Kapazitäten bereitzustellen und diese zuverlässig in der Produktion einzusetzen. Nscale wurde speziell entwickelt, um KI-Implementierungen zu beschleunigen. Dieses Kapital vertieft die Infrastrukturpräsenz von Nscale, erweitert seine Engineering- und Betriebsteams und stärkt die Plattform, sodass Nscale weiterhin echte, produktionsreife KI-Implementierungen in großem Maßstab liefern kann.

„Dies ist die vierte industrielle Revolution; die Welt verändert sich rasant. In den nächsten fünf Jahren wird künstliche Intelligenz in jede Branche, jedes Produkt und jeden Arbeitsplatz integriert werden. Sie beschleunigt die Arzneimittelentwicklung, verlängert das menschliche Leben, automatisiert Reisen und Robotik, steigert die Produktivität und treibt massives Wachstum voran. Dies führt zum größten Infrastrukturausbau in der Geschichte der Menschheit”, sagte Josh Payne, CEO und Gründer von Nscale. „Nscale ist führend bei diesem Ausbau. Wir schaffen die Grundlage, auf der der Markt basiert, den Motor der Superintelligenz.”

Stärkung des Vorstands von Nscale

Nscale begrüßt heute auch drei neue Vorstandsmitglieder. Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker und Nick Clegg werden dem Vorstand von Nscale beitreten und damit einer bereits weltklasse Gruppe von Führungskräften aus der Wirtschaft umfangreiche globale Erfahrung in den Bereichen Technologie, Politik, Betrieb und Unternehmensführung hinzufügen.

Sheryl Sandberg – Sandberg ist derzeit Mitbegründerin von Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, das privates Kapital einsetzt, um Innovationen in den Bereichen Verbraucher-, Unternehmens-, Klima- und Gesundheitstechnologie zu finanzieren. Als ehemaliger Chief Operating Officer von Meta und frühe Führungskraft bei Google bringt Sandberg unübertroffene Erfahrung in der Skalierung der weltweit einflussreichsten Technologieunternehmen sowie fundiertes Fachwissen in den Bereichen Betrieb, Wachstumsstrategie und Aufbau globaler Organisationen mit.

Susan Decker – Decker ist CEO und Mitbegründerin von Raftr, einer Community-Experience-Plattform für Universitäten. Sie ist ehemalige Präsidentin von Yahoo, Inc. und derzeit Vorstandsmitglied bei Costco Wholesale Corporation, Berkshire Hathaway, Vail Resorts, Chime, Vox Media und Automattic. Decker bringt scharfsinniges Finanzwissen, Governance-Expertise und strategische Führungsqualitäten mit, die sie über Jahrzehnte an der Spitze globaler Medien- und Technologieunternehmen entwickelt hat.

Nick Clegg – Als derzeitiger General Partner bei Hiro Capital konzentriert sich Clegg auf die Förderung des Wachstums führender räumlicher Computertechnologien in Europa. Er ist sowohl ehemaliger stellvertretender Premierminister des Vereinigten Königreichs als auch ehemaliger Präsident für globale Angelegenheiten bei Meta. Bevor er 2005 ins britische Parlament gewählt wurde, war Clegg fünf Jahre lang Mitglied des Europäischen Parlaments. Clegg bringt fundierte Fachkenntnisse an der Schnittstelle von Technologie, Politik und globalen Angelegenheiten mit und stand zuletzt im Mittelpunkt der wichtigsten Regulierungs- und Governance-Diskussionen, die die Zukunft der KI prägen.

Sandberg, Decker und Clegg treten dem bestehenden Vorstand von Nscale bei, dem Josh Payne, Rael Nurick, Jacob Leschly und Øyvind Eriksen angehören.

Optimierung der Umsetzung in Norwegen

Neben dieser Serie-C-Finanzierung und den neuen Vorstandsmitgliedern hat Nscale eine Vereinbarung mit Aker getroffen, das im Juli 2025 angekündigte Joint Venture Aker Nscale vollständig in Nscale zu integrieren. Auch in Zukunft wird Aker ein führender Anteilseigner von Nscale bleiben, und sein CEO Øyvind Eriksen wird weiterhin im Vorstand von Nscale tätig sein.

Diese Entscheidung konsolidiert die Umsetzung und Governance unter einem Dach und stellt gleichzeitig sicher, dass alle bestehenden Projekte des Joint Ventures als Teil von Nscale fortgesetzt werden und voll funktionsfähig bleiben. Diese fortlaufende Partnerschaft war grundlegend für das Wachstum von Nscale und zeigt das anhaltende Engagement des Unternehmens, eine positive, langfristige Rolle in den Gemeinden zu spielen, in denen es tätig ist. Das feste Bekenntnis von Nscale zur Wiederverwendung von Abwärme, zur Entwicklung lokaler Kompetenzen und zu Investitionen in die regionale Infrastruktur bleibt unverändert.

Øyvind Eriksen, Präsident und CEO von Aker ASA, sagte: „Dieser Schritt stärkt die Umsetzung, indem Lieferung und Governance unter einem Dach vereint werden, während die Kontinuität für die bereits beteiligten Personen und Projekte gewahrt bleibt. Wir haben volles Vertrauen in die Fähigkeit von Nscale, langfristig verantwortungsbewusst in Norwegen zu liefern, und wir glauben, dass dies die Arbeit für schnellere Fortschritte und eine dauerhafte Wertschöpfung positioniert.”

Rayyan Islam, Mitbegründer und General Partner von 8090 Industries, sagte: „Wir leben in einer neuen Ära, die von KI geprägt ist, und der begrenzende Faktor ist die Infrastruktur. Rechenleistung, Energie und industrielle Einsatzkapazitäten werden darüber entscheiden, welche Nationen und Unternehmen die nächste Generation des technologischen und wirtschaftlichen Fortschritts anführen werden.

Nscale hat eine Plattform geschaffen, die diese Herausforderung auf einzigartige Weise lösen kann, indem sie die kritischen Schichten der KI-Infrastruktur vertikal integriert – von Energie und Rechenzentren bis hin zu Rechenleistung und Orchestrierung.

Bei 8090 Industries investieren wir in Systeme, die es ganzen Branchen ermöglichen, zu skalieren, und wir sind stolz darauf, mit Josh und dem Nscale-Team zusammenzuarbeiten, während sie das fundamentale Rückgrat für die globale KI-Wirtschaft aufbauen.”

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC und J.P. Morgan agierte als gemeinsamer Platzierungsagent für Nscale in Verbindung mit dieser Kapitalerhöhung, die auch den Pre-Series C SAFE umfasst.

Informationen zu Nscale

Nscale ist der globale Hyperscaler, der für KI-Infrastrukturen entwickelt wurde. Durch vertikal integrierte KI-Lösungen und modulares, auf Grundprinzipien basierendes Rechenzentrumsdesign in Europa, Nordamerika und darüber hinaus liefert Nscale die Rechenbasis für KI-Training, Feinabstimmung und Inferenz in großem Maßstab in Unternehmen.

‍Medienkontakt:
[email protected]

Kontakt für Investoren:
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NEW YORK, March 9, 2026 — KAST, a global financial platform built on stablecoin rails founded by former Circle Executive Raagulan Pathy, has raised $80 million in a Series A funding round co-led by QED Investors and Left Lane Capital and including participation from returning investors Peak XV Partners, HSG and DST Global Partners, as investors increasingly back stablecoins as a foundational layer for modern financial services. 

The funding comes as stablecoin usage accelerates globally, particularly across emerging markets and internationally mobile workforces, where demand for fast, dollar-denominated money movement is outpacing traditional correspondent banking infrastructure. KAST will use the capital to expand across Latin America, North America and the Middle East, as well as accelerating licensing, compliance, product development and headcount growth.

Founded in July 2024, KAST provides USD-denominated accounts, global pay-ins and payouts to more than 190 countries, and a growing suite of consumer and business financial tools built on stablecoin rails rather than legacy settlement networks. 

Since launch, KAST has scaled to more than one million users and is processing nearly $5 billion in annualized transaction volume, reflecting the growing adoption of stablecoin-based financial services beyond trading and crypto-native use cases. The company expects revenue to reach $100 million annual run rate in 2026, with both users and revenue currently growing approximately 15-20% month-on-month. KAST’s revenue has doubled since the end of September 2025.

According to Artemis Analytics, global stablecoin transaction volume grew 72% last year to more than $33 trillion, exceeding the combined on-chain settlement volumes of major global card networks, a shift investors increasingly view as structural rather than cyclical. To support this growth, KAST has hired more than 250 employees across engineering, compliance and operations recruiting from firms including Stripe, Revolut, Binance, Circle, and Airwallex. 

Speaking on the investment, Raagulan Pathy, Founder and CEO of KAST, said: “The latest funding, raised less than 18 months from launch, reflects the confidence of leading investors in the stablecoin neobank thesis – and in Kast’s ability to execute it at global scale. 

KAST’s mission is to build the future of finance, powered by stablecoins and designed for the founders, creators and forward thinkers left behind by the traditional banking system. The platform is built for the global ambitions of individuals, not simply finance around processes and platforms, so they can get to wherever they want in life.

Our end game is clear, to be the leading neobank for the stablecoin world, both for consumers and businesses. The pace at which we move, the team, and the world-class talent we’re attracting will play out further in 2026 and beyond.

Nigel Morris, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at QED Investors, said: “Stablecoin technology holds the potential to reshape the future of finance. We are thrilled to lead this round at KAST, and I am particularly pleased that Sandeep Patil will be joining the board to support them in scaling with the discipline of a true financial institution. KAST has a clear ambition and strong execution, and we look forward to being part of their growth journey.”

Sandeep Patil, Partner at QED Investors, said: “Fintech is a trust business disguised as software, and stablecoins are rapidly becoming the always-on dollar layer for moving and holding value across borders and assets. KAST is building on this layer with a clear wedge and already showing strong customer traction. I am excited to partner with Raags and the team as they scale KAST into a stablecoin-native financial institution.”  

Matthew Miller, Managing Partner at Left Lane Capital, said: “Over the past several years, we’ve seen stablecoins emerge as critical infrastructure within the global financial system. We believe 2026 could represent a meaningful inflection point as consumer-facing platforms begin bringing that infrastructure to the mainstream. Individuals and businesses operating across borders deserve a seamless way to bank, spend, and save – without hidden fees, friction, or exposure to currency depreciation. KAST combines a forward-looking regulatory posture, a compelling product and brand, and an exceptional executive team to capitalize on this generational opportunity. We’re proud to partner with Raags and the entire KAST team as they enter this next phase of growth.”

Cypherpunk expands its holdings with new $5M investment in Zcash company, ZODL, alongside key investors including a16z, Winklevoss Capital, Coinbase, Paradigm, Chapter One, David Friedberg, Balaji Srinivasan, and others

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 9, 2026 — Cypherpunk Technologies Inc., (Nasdaq: CYPH) today announced the company has invested $5M into Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL) marking its first technology investment outside of ZEC. ZODL was founded and is led by former Electric Coin Company (ECC) CEO Josh Swihart.

At ECC, Josh and his team, who have joined him at ZODL, launched the top Zcash wallet, Zashi, now rebranded to Zodl. Zashi was arguably the single biggest factor responsible for putting Zcash back on the map last year. In particular, its simple UX allowed for the Orchard shielded pool to grow from ~1M ZEC to ~4M ZEC during the span of 2025.

ZODL, which now houses the Zashi wallet technology and related intellectual property, aims to make Zcash easier to use with continued development of the wallet, as well as supporting Zcash at the protocol level.

The new investment strongly aligns with Cypherpunk’s mission of advancing technologies that guarantee privacy for all humans on the internet and gives its shareholders exposure to a private company building critical privacy infrastructure on the frontier.

“True to their name, Cypherpunk is backing the builders who will put shielded ZEC in the hands of billions. We’re grateful for their support and proud to partner with them in bringing private digital money to the global mainstream.” – Josh Swihart, CEO of ZODL

The investment in ZODL is highly synergistic with Cypherpunk’s ZEC treasury.

“As ZODL makes Zcash easier to use, we expect adoption of the protocol to grow alongside demand for ZEC.” – Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss

Swihart joined Cypherpunk in December as a strategic advisor. Cypherpunk’s current total ZEC holdings stand at 294,743.10, at an average price of $335.89, bringing the company’s total network ownership to ~1.78%.

“ZODL and Cypherpunk are the two most important companies in privacy. We’re excited to embark together on this mission of accelerating technology that defends self-sovereignty and secures human freedom.” – Will McEvoy, Chief Investment Officer of Cypherpunk

About Cypherpunk

Cypherpunk Technologies Inc. is a privacy technology company implementing a digital asset treasury strategy anchored by Zcash and, through its subsidiary Leap Therapeutics, Inc., is developing novel therapies for patients with cancer. The Company is aiming to build long-term shareholder value by acquiring ZEC, participating in the development of privacy technologies and Zcash, and continuing the development of sirexatamab and FL-501 to treat patients with cancer. For more information about the Company, visit our websites at http://www.cypherpunk.com and http://www.leaptx.com or view our public filings with the SEC that are available via EDGAR athttp://www.sec.gov or via https://investors.leaptx.com/.

About Winklevoss Capital

Winklevoss Capital is an investment firm founded in 2012 by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss that invests in frontier technologies.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “goal,” “project,” and other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements address various matters including statements relating to the investment in Zcash Open Development Lab (“ZODL”), ZEC, or digital assets held or to be held by the Company, the expected future market, price and liquidity of ZEC or other digital assets the Company acquires, the macro and political conditions surrounding Zcash or digital assets, the Company’s plan for value creation and strategic advantages, market size and growth opportunities, regulatory conditions, competitive position and the interest of other corporations in similar business strategies, technological and market trends, and future financial condition and performance. Risks and uncertainties of the digital asset treasury strategy include, among others: (a) the risk that the Company will fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the investment in ZODL and the digital asset treasury strategy; (b) changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions; (c) risks relating to the Company’s operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the price of cryptocurrencies, including ZEC; (d) the risk that the price of the Company’s Common Stock may be highly correlated to the price of ZEC or other digital assets that it holds; (e) risks related to increased competition in the industries in which the Company does and will operate; (f) risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding digital assets generally; and (g) risks relating to the treatment of crypto assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve the forecasts disclosed in such forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, or as may be included in other reports or information we file with the SEC, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, advisors or representatives, undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

CONTACT:

Douglas E. Onsi
President & Chief Executive Officer
Cypherpunk Technologies Inc.
617-714-0360
[email protected] 

For Media:
Jacqueline Ortiz Ramsay
It Factor Strategies
954-294-3249
[email protected] 

For Investors:
Matthew DeYoung
Investor Relations
Argot Partners
212-600-1902
[email protected]

SOURCE Cypherpunk Technologies Inc.