STOCKHOLM und SANTA CLARA, Kalifornien, 3. Dezember 2025 — Ericsson, ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Telekommunikationslösungen, gab heute den Abschluss einer Kapitalbeteiligung an LotusFlare bekannt, einem Anbieter einer Cloud-nativen Plattform für digitalen Handel und Monetarisierung für Kommunikationsdienstleister (CSPs). Die Investition ergänzt die umfassenden End-to-End-Lösungen von Ericsson für CSPs zur Bereitstellung und Monetarisierung von Netzwerk-APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) und stärkt die globale Reichweite und Markteinführungskapazitäten von LotusFlare. Kickstart Ventures, der Venture-Arm von Globe Telecom, hat sich ebenfalls an der Investitionsrunde beteiligt.

Diese strategische Partnerschaft basiert auf der gemeinsamen Vision, die Entwicklung und kommerzielle Einführung von KI-gestützten Softwarelösungen in der Telekommunikationsbranche zu beschleunigen, um ein globales Netzwerk-API-Ökosystem zu schaffen. Die Investition von Ericsson in eine Minderheitsbeteiligung an LotusFlare ist eine Bestätigung für das DNO-Cloud-Angebot von LotusFlare, das Netzwerkabstraktion und externe Netzwerkexposition, einschließlich Einwilligungsmanagement, für Netzwerk-APIs bereitstellen wird. Diese Zusammenarbeit stellt einen bedeutenden Meilenstein in der Entwicklung von LotusFlare dar, da das Unternehmen sich auf seine nächste Wachstums- und Expansionsphase vorbereitet.

Die differenzierte Marktposition von LotusFlare wird durch zwei hochintegrierte Produktlinien untermauert, die darauf ausgelegt sind, das Umsatzwachstum, die betriebliche Effizienz und die skalierbare Monetarisierung für CSPs zu fördern:

• LotusFlare Digital Network Operator® (DNO™) Cloudist eine KI-gestützte Plattform für digitalen Handel und Monetarisierung, die CSPs in den Bereichen Verbraucher, Unternehmen und Großhandel wertvolle Geschäftsergebnisse liefert. Heute unterstützt DNO API-Marktplätze, Mobilfunk-, Breitband- und konvergente Marken sowie MVNE/O-Plattformen für führende globale Betreiber.
• Nomad eSIM ist ein innovatives Produkt für globale Konnektivität, das Reisenden bequeme, zuverlässige und erschwingliche Datentarife an über 200 Reisezielen weltweit bietet.

Niklas Heuveldop, Senior Vice President, Head of Business Area Global Communications Platform und CEO von Vonage, erklärt: „Wir freuen uns sehr über den Aufbau dieser strategischen Partnerschaft mit LotusFlare. Die Kombination aus den leistungsstarken, programmierbaren Netzwerken von Ericsson, den Netzwerkabstraktionsfunktionen von LotusFlare, den globalen Netzwerk-API-Aggregationsfunktionen von Aduna und den netzwerkgestützten Unternehmenslösungen von Vonage wird die Fähigkeit von CSPs beschleunigen, neue Netzwerkfunktionen zu erschließen und eine der wichtigsten Wertschöpfungsmöglichkeiten für die Branche zu nutzen. Durch die weitere Stärkung des Branchenökosystems beschleunigt Ericsson die Möglichkeiten für CSPs, Unternehmen und Entwickler, zusammenzuarbeiten und Innovationen im Hyperscale-Bereich voranzutreiben, wobei das volle Potenzial von 5G und KI ausgeschöpft wird.”

„Wir freuen uns sehr, Ericsson als Investor bei LotusFlare begrüßen zu dürfen”, erklärt Sam Gadodia, CEO und Mitbegründer von LotusFlare. „Seit unserer Gründung ist es unsere Mission, Technologie und Kundenerfahrung zu vereinfachen. Mit unseren beiden Geschäftsbereichen DNO Cloud und Nomad eSIM haben wir erhebliche Fortschritte in Richtung dieses Ziels gemacht. Die Investition von Ericsson stellt eine bedeutende Bestätigung unserer Produktinnovation und Marktpräsenz dar. Wir sind zuversichtlich, dass diese Partnerschaft neue Marktchancen eröffnen und die Entwicklung wichtiger Funktionen zur Monetarisierung von Netzwerkressourcen für CSPs weltweit beschleunigen wird.”

„LotusFlare hat wiederholt bewiesen, dass es in der Lage ist, erstklassige Produkte zu entwickeln und einzusetzen, die für Mobilfunkbetreiber wie unseren LP Globe Telecom einen entscheidenden Unterschied machen können. Unsere Investition spiegelt unsere Überzeugung wider, dass das Unternehmen eine starke Performance und anhaltende strategische Relevanz aufweisen wird. Wir sind der Ansicht, dass diese jüngste Finanzierungsrunde unter der Leitung von Ericsson die Chancen für uns noch attraktiver macht und LotusFlare für ein erfolgreiches nächstes Kapitel positioniert”, erklärt Dan Siazon, geschäftsführender Gesellschafter und Mitbegründer von Kickstart Ventures.     

Die beiden Unternehmen beabsichtigen, Möglichkeiten im Zusammenhang mit der Monetarisierung von Netzwerkressourcen und der Bereitstellung von APIs zu untersuchen. Mit dieser Investition wird LotusFlare seine globale Präsenz ausbauen, die Entwicklung von KI-fähigen Lösungen beschleunigen, die Kosten und Komplexität reduzieren, und branchenführende Plattformen für CSPs bereitstellen.

Gunderson Dettmer hat LotusFlare unter der Leitung von Partner Bennett Yee rechtlich beraten.

Informationen zu LotusFlare 

Die Mission von LotusFlare besteht darin, eine Cloud-native Handels- und Monetarisierungsplattform namens DNO Cloud zu entwickeln, aufzubauen und kontinuierlich weiterzuentwickeln, die Technologie und Kundenerfahrung vereinfacht, um Unternehmen wertvolle Ergebnisse zu liefern. LotusFlare ist Eigentümer und Betreiber von Nomad eSIM, einem Unternehmen, das die globale Konnektivität revolutioniert, indem es Reisenden in über 200 Reisezielen bequeme, zuverlässige und erschwingliche Datentarife anbietet.

Informationen zu Ericsson

Die leistungsstarken Netze von Ericsson bieten täglich Milliarden von Menschen Konnektivität. Seit fast 150 Jahren sind wir Pioniere in der Entwicklung von Kommunikationstechnologie. Wir bieten mobile Kommunikations- und Konnektivitätslösungen für Dienstanbieter und Unternehmen. Gemeinsam mit unseren Kunden und Partnern lassen wir die digitale Welt von morgen Wirklichkeit werden. www.ericsson.com

Informationen zu Kickstart Ventures

Angetrieben von der Vision, eine bessere Zukunft zu gestalten, investiert Kickstart Ventures in Technologie-Startups, die durch nachhaltige und ganzheitliche Innovationen reale Probleme lösen. Kickstart Ventures, die Risikokapitalgesellschaft der führenden Unternehmen der Philippinen, verfügt über 71 Investitionen weltweit, die von mehr als 140 Gründern geleitet werden.

Ericsson Kontakt

Ralf Bagner, Head of Media Relations
Telefon: +46 76 128 47 89
E-Mail: [email protected] 

https://x.com/ericsson
https://www.facebook.com/ericsson
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ericsson

LotusFlare-Kontaktperson

Eric Morhenn
Chief Commercial Officer
E-Mail-Adresse: [email protected]
LotusFlare News: https://lotusflare.com/news/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lotusflare

Kickstart Ventures Kontakt

Celina Durante
Head of Communications
E-Mail-Adresse: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kickstart-ventures-inc-

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STOCKHOLM and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 3, 2025 — Ericsson, a global leader in telecommunications solutions, today announced the closing of an equity investment in LotusFlare, a provider of a cloud-native digital commerce and monetization platform for communications service providers (CSPs). The investment will complement Ericsson’s broad end-to-end solutions to CSPs to expose and monetize network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and enhance LotusFlare’s global scale and go-to-market capabilities. Kickstart Ventures, the venture arm of Globe Telecom, also participated in the investment round.

This strategic partnership is built on the shared vision of accelerating the development and commercial deployment of AI-powered software solutions in the telecommunications industry, to create a global network API ecosystem. Ericsson’s investment for a minority stake in LotusFlare is a validation of LotusFlare’s DNO Cloud offering that will provide network abstraction and external network exposure, including consent management, for network APIs. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in LotusFlare’s journey as it prepares for its next phase of growth and expansion.

LotusFlare’s differentiated market position is underpinned by two highly integrated product lines designed to drive revenue growth, operational efficiency, and scalable monetization for CSPs:

• LotusFlare Digital Network Operator® (DNO™) Cloud, an AI-powered digital commerce and monetization platform that delivers valuable business outcomes to CSPs across consumer, enterprise and wholesale lines of business. Today, DNO powers API marketplaces, mobile, broadband and converged brands, as well as MVNE/O platforms for leading global operators.
• Nomad eSIM, a game-changing global connectivity product that provides travelers with convenient, reliable, and affordable data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide.

Niklas Heuveldop, Senior Vice President, Head of Business Area Global Communications Platform and CEO of Vonage, says: “We are delighted to establish this strategic partnership with LotusFlare. The combination of Ericsson’s high-performance, programmable networks with LotusFlare’s Network Abstraction capabilities, Aduna’s global network API aggregation capabilities, and Vonage’s network powered enterprise solutions will accelerate CSPs ability to unlock new network capabilities and take advantage of one of the most important value creation opportunities for the industry. By further strengthening the industry ecosystem, Ericsson is accelerating the opportunity for CSPs, enterprises, and developers to collaborate and innovate at hyperscale, leveraging the full potential of 5G and AI.”

“We are delighted to welcome Ericsson as an investor in LotusFlare,” says Sam Gadodia, CEO and Co-Founder of LotusFlare. “Since our founding, our mission has been to simplify technology and customer experience. We have made significant progress towards this goal through both our DNO Cloud and Nomad eSIM businesses. Ericsson’s investment represents a powerful validation of our product innovation and market impact. We are confident this partnership will unlock new market opportunities and accelerate the development of critical network asset monetization capabilities for CSPs globally.”

“LotusFlare has consistently shown that it can build and deploy world-class products in ways that can move the needle for mobile operators like our LP, Globe Telecom. Our investment reflects our conviction in their strong performance and continuous strategic relevance. We believe this latest round led by Ericsson makes the opportunity even more compelling for us and positions LotusFlare for a strong next chapter,” says Kickstart Ventures Managing Partner and Co-founder Dan Siazon.     

The two companies plan to explore opportunities related to network asset monetization and API exposure. With this investment, LotusFlare will expand its global presence, accelerate development of AI-ready solutions that reduce cost and complexity, and deliver industry-leading platforms for CSPs.

Gunderson Dettmer served as legal counsel to LotusFlare led by partner Bennett Yee.

About LotusFlare 

LotusFlare’s mission is to design, build, and continuously advance a cloud-native commerce and monetization platform, DNO Cloud, that simplifies technology and customer experience to deliver valuable outcomes to enterprises. LotusFlare owns and operates Nomad eSIM, which is transforming global connectivity by providing travelers with convenient, reliable, and affordable data plans in over 200 destinations.

About Ericsson

Ericsson’s high-performing networks provide connectivity for billions of people every day. For nearly 150 years, we’ve been pioneers in creating technology for communication. We offer mobile communication and connectivity solutions for service providers and enterprises. Together with our customers and partners, we make the digital world of tomorrow a reality. www.ericsson.com

About Kickstart Ventures

Driven by its vision to shape a better future, Kickstart Ventures invests in tech startups that solve real-world problems through sustainable and holistic innovation. The corporate venture capital firm of the Philippines’ leading corporations, Kickstart Ventures has 71 investments globally led by 140+ founders.

Ericsson Contact

Ralf Bagner, Head of Media Relations
Phone: +46 76 128 47 89
E-mail: [email protected] 

https://x.com/ericsson
https://www.facebook.com/ericsson
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ericsson

LotusFlare Contact

Eric Morhenn
Chief Commercial Officer
Email Address: [email protected]
LotusFlare News: https://lotusflare.com/news/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lotusflare

Kickstart Ventures Contact

Celina Durante
Head of Communications
Email Address: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kickstart-ventures-inc-

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SOURCE LotusFlare

A unique investment from the quant trading giant signals a shift in how complex systems will be tested.

TYSONS CORNER, Va., Dec. 3, 2025 — Antithesis today announced a $105 million Series A round led by Jane Street, the global technology-driven quantitative trading firm known for building some of the world’s most advanced software systems. The investment underscores Antithesis’s emergence as critical infrastructure for enterprises operating complex, distributed systems. Jane Street is both an Antithesis investor and customer.

Additional investors include Amplify Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Tamarack Global, First In Ventures, Teamworthy Ventures, Hyperion Capital, and individuals including Patrick Collison, Dwarkesh Patel, and Sholto Douglas, alongside other new and returning investors. The capital will be used to accelerate Antithesis’s product innovation and scale its go-to-market operations across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Software systems have grown more complex, and as AI accelerates the volume of code being produced, traditional testing cannot keep pace. Today, most organizations still rely on example-based tests (whether written by engineers or by AI). These methods catch surface-level issues but cannot reliably expose the deep, emergent behaviors that cause outages, data corruption, and cascading system failures.

Antithesis replaces this with deterministic simulation testing: running a fully automated, massively parallel simulation of the system being validated that compresses months of production behavior into hours. The platform explores edge cases, injects common faults, validates correctness, and perfectly reproduces any failure so engineers can fix issues with unprecedented speed and confidence.

“Software now underpins everything, and as systems become more complex and distributed, the world needs a new testing model that guarantees correctness,” said Will Wilson, CEO of Antithesis. “With this funding, we’re expanding the infrastructure that makes reliability not just achievable, but expected, just as we expect traffic lights to work every time. Our customers are already proving that deterministically validated systems ship faster, without breaking, and earn deeper trust.”

“Jane Street runs some of the most demanding distributed systems in the world, and Antithesis has helped us uncover issues that no other testing method could find,” said Doug Patti, Engineer at Jane Street. “We hold a very high bar for the technology we rely on, and an even higher bar for the companies we choose to invest in. While leading an early round is rare for us, Antithesis is years ahead, and we believe deterministic simulation testing will become foundational across industries.”

Customer impact across finance, AI, blockchain, and data infrastructure
Antithesis is already used by organizations whose systems cannot fail:

• Jane Street depends on Antithesis to validate complex distributed systems critical to the operation of its global trading business.
• Ethereum used Antithesis to simulate its global network under extreme conditions ahead of The Merge, uncovering critical issues that could have jeopardized the historic Proof-of-Stake transition.
• MongoDB uses Antithesis to rigorously test core components of its database platform, helping engineers catch subtle issues before they reach customers.

These examples reflect a rapidly expanding customer base across finance, infrastructure platforms, and organizations building advanced AI systems. Antithesis has increased revenue by over 12x over the last two years and continues to grow rapidly.

Use of proceeds
With the new funding, Antithesis will:

• Expand engineering teams to strengthen its deterministic simulation engine
• Advance platform intelligence and autonomy
• Build a world-class sales and marketing organization
• Scale GTM operations across North America, Europe, and Asia
• Deepen availability through cloud channels, including AWS Marketplace

About Antithesis
Antithesis is a fundamentally new way to validate that software works correctly before it is released. It conducts a fully deterministic, massively parallel simulation that tests years of real-world production in a few hours. Antithesis intelligently explores the far corners of your codebase, strategically injecting common faults to ensure the system always behaves as intended. The platform perfectly reproduces any bug it finds in its one-of-a-kind environment for rapid debugging. The company is based in Northern Virginia, was founded in 2018, and launched out of stealth in 2024. For more information, visit https://antithesis.com/.

About Jane Street
Jane Street is a global technology-driven trading and investment firm. Founded in 2000, the firm brings a research-driven approach and quantitative expertise to markets worldwide, with over 3,000 employees across offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.janestreet.com.

SOURCE Antithesis

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 2, 2025 — Axiado Corporation, a leading provider of security and management solutions for modern digital infrastructure, today announced it successfully raised $100+ million in an oversubscribed Series C+ funding round, led by Maverick Silicon with participation from Prosperity7 Ventures, Orbit Venture Partners, Crosslink Capital, Nosterra Ventures and others. This investment will fuel the company’s rapid growth and continued innovation in AI-driven, hardware-anchored products and solutions that are redefining platform security, system management, and energy efficiency for AI data centers, networking, telecom and the edge.

Axiado’s Trusted Control/Compute Unit (TCU) is redefining data center management control with security for the age of agentic AI. Axiado’s TCU brings intelligence and trust to the platform level, combining secure control, compute, and AI-driven monitoring within a single chip. The TCU’s continuous sensing, processing, and autonomous action capabilities provide the foundation required for intelligent, secure, resilient, and efficient self-managing systems in next generation cloud and data center infrastructures.

“The strong response to our Series C+ round is a clear validation from our customers and partners that AI-driven, hardware-anchored security is now a foundational requirement for today’s data centers,” said Gopi Sirineni, Founder, President and CEO of Axiado. 

Proceeds from the oversubscribed Series C+ funding will be used to expand sales, marketing, and support teams, as well as to invest in the development of next-generation platforms. The funding will also fuel continued innovation, strengthen strategic partnerships with industry leaders, and accelerate go-to-market initiatives with OEM and ODM partners to bring Axiado solutions into more data centers worldwide. Recent milestones include doubling headcount in Taiwan and India, growing the overall team by 40% and opening a new office in India, positioning the company for continued global expansion in 2026 and beyond.

“As AI workloads continue to transform and push the limits of data center infrastructure, the need for hardware-anchored security has never been greater,” said Andrew Homan, Managing Partner at Maverick Silicon. “Axiado’s TCU not only protects infrastructure from threats in real time but also helps optimize power and cooling. We’re proud to support their mission to build secure, intelligent, and sustainable, AI-ready computing environments.”

“At Prosperity, we invest in technologies that create the foundation for safe and responsible AI,” said Abishek Shukla, Managing Director at Prosperity7 Ventures US. “Axiado’s AI-driven TCU architecture and its innovations in secure, energy-aware system management perfectly align with that vision. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous and compute-intensive, Axiado’s ability to blend silicon-level trust with intelligent power optimization and system management positions it at the forefront of a more secure and sustainable digital future.”

About Axiado
Axiado is an AI-first company redefining platform security and system management at the silicon level. Based in San Jose, Axiado partners with leading OEMs, ODMs, and CSPs worldwide. For more information, go to axiado.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Maverick Silicon
Maverick Silicon is a division of Maverick Capital focused exclusively on the semiconductor and computing infrastructure sector. Maverick Capital is an investment adviser founded by Lee S. Ainslie III with over thirty years of operating history.

Media Contacts:

Jeremy Hyatt
Green Flash Media
[email protected]

Mrudhvika Sirineni
Axiado
[email protected]

SOURCE Axiado

SINGAPORE, Dec. 2, 2025 — Blockchain Founders Fund (BFF), a leading venture capital firm backing pre-seed and seed Web3 startups globally, today announced it has been named Venture Capital Firm of the Year 2025 in APAC Insider’s business awards.

This distinction sees BFF joining the ranks of heavyweight honorees, including Singtel, Trust Bank Singapore, Avis Budget Group, YouTrip, and Antler, celebrating organizations that drive exceptional innovation across the region.

The award comes at a critical inflection point for the industry, as the Asia-Pacific region increasingly attracts institutional-scale Web3 development. BFF was selected for its high-touch, operator-led model, which bridges the gap between technical prototyping and commercial scalability.

“Recognition like this belongs to the founders we back and the team that supports them,” said Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund. “Every portfolio founder teaches us something new, and this award is validation not of the fund, but of the builders who execute relentlessly and keep pushing the boundaries of what Web3 can achieve.”

Unlike traditional passive capital, BFF utilizes a hands-on venture program focused on business model design, market positioning, and go-to-market execution. This founder-centric philosophy was cited as a key differentiator in the selection process.

“The most rewarding part of early-stage investing is watching founders go from idea to traction,” said Mansoor Madhavji, Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund. “Success at the earliest stage isn’t about perfect decks or big rounds. It’s about iteration, resilience, and surrounding founders with people who know how to scale companies.”

BFF’s team leverages its operating experience to help founders navigate early milestones with clarity, setting the foundation for future growth.

About Blockchain Founders Fund

Blockchain Founders Fund is a leading early-stage (seed and pre-seed), Web3 Venture Capital fund that invests in top-tier founders globally. Backed by a strategic mix of leading firms across crypto and traditional finance, BFF pairs capital with hands-on company building, curating partnerships, hiring talent, accelerating growth, and helping ensure portfolio founders are well capitalized. The team is comprised of builders and operators who have scaled many of the leading blockchain startups.

Press Contact
Mansoor Madhavji, Partner
Blockchain Founders Fund
60178799291
[email protected]

SOURCE Blockchain Founders Fund

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 2, 2025 — UpTerra, a company redefining how water performs in agriculture, announced two updates today. Stephen Birch has been appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Big Idea Ventures’ Generation Food Rural Partners Fund has made a strategic investment in the company.

Birch has been leading UpTerra’s commercial push, including recent deployments highlighted in Texas and multi-state acreage growth to +40,000 noted in prior company updates. As CEO, he will focus on scaling UpTerra market penetration across core crops and regions, building out regional teams, and strengthening grower and channel partnerships. Recent releases cite installations across thousands of acres and growing state coverage.

“Farmers are seeking solutions that deliver real results. Our goal is simple, to apply the UpTerra proven successes to every irrigated farm in the United States. We will do this by providing value field by field, helping farmers deliver higher yields, and making farm agronomics work better,” said Stephen Birch, CEO, UpTerra. “With GFRP’s support and our demonstrated momentum this year, we can help more farms turn irrigated water into rain water.”

The investment comes from the Generation Food Rural Partners Fund, part of Big Idea Ventures, which backs technologies in food, ag, and materials. The fund is led by Chief Investment Officer Tom Mastrobuoni. Prior GFRP announcements describe its mandate to commercialize innovations that matter for agriculture and rural economies.

“Big Idea Ventures, through its Generation Food Rural Partners fund, in partnership with the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, are proud to join the existing investors in UpTerra,” shared Tom Mastrobuoni, Chief Investment Officer at Big Idea Ventures. “This fund invests in breakthrough technologies that drive rural economic development, and UpTerra’s traction with growers shows why we are excited to support the next phase.”

About UpTerra
UpTerra is a revolutionary farm performance technology company that applies advanced physics inside existing irrigation systems to restructure and enhance water. This improves infiltration, uniformity, and nutrient transport so growers see measurable efficiency and yield gains. UpTerra is installed on more than 40,000 acres nationwide across 300 farms, spanning row crops, orchards and specialty crops.

About Generation Food Rural Partners Fund
Generation Food Rural Partners is part of Big Idea Ventures, a multi-stage platform investing in technologies that will transform the global food system. The fund focuses on commercializing innovations with impact across food, agriculture, and materials.

For more information, visit upterra.co.

SOURCE UpTerra

DALLAS, Dec. 2, 2025 — GetChkd Inc. announces it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract in the amount of $1.9MM focused on Blockchain Infrastructure to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and on September 27, 2025, GetChkd Inc. started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

“The opportunity to extend the use of our Blockchain Infrastructure Platform, while also accelerating commercialization in the private sector, is a significant milestone for GetChkd,” said Michael Caplovitz, Founder and CEO of GetChkd. “We are honored to collaborate with SpaceWERX to advance this technology.”

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.

About GetChkd Inc.
GetChkd’s state-of-the-art blockchain infrastructure platform revolutionizes system connectivity, enforces user-specific mappings, and ensures immutable audit trails for every action. This guarantees unparalleled security, accountability, and reliability for a connected system of systems across various domains and classifications. GetChkd: The Foundation of Trust in a Connected World.

About SpaceWERX 
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has awarded over 1,470 contracts worth more than $1.46 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: spacewerx.us.information, visit: spacewerx.us.

About AFRL  
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit: afresearchlab.com. 

About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $1.4 billion annual budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com. 

Company Press Contact:
Michael Caplovitz
Founder and CEO, GetChkd Inc.
[email protected]
833-405-3335

SOURCE GetChkd Inc.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 2, 2025 — Ripple Foods, the leader in high-protein, allergen-free plant-based milks, today announced $17M in new funding. The round includes new investments from Material Impact, and Rich Products Ventures, the Corporate Ventures arm for Rich Products Corporation, alongside continued support from existing investors S2G Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Fall Line Capital, Euclidean Capital, Tao Capital Partners, and Tim Koogle.

Each serving of Ripple milks and shakes delivers up to 20 grams of plant-based protein—more than any other leading non-dairy milk—while containing 50% more calcium than dairy milk, with less sugar, fewer calories, no common allergens like nuts, soy, or lactose, and is pediatrician recommended. Ripple is the only plant-based milk free from both dairy and nuts that has a nutritional profile better than dairy milk, making it a go-to for families managing dietary sensitivities.

The market for alternative protein ingredients is valued at $23B in 2024 and projected to more than double by 2030 reflecting the strong momentum behind the broader novel ingredients sector. Ripple has a successful track record of capitalizing on this consumer momentum and driving consistent, double-digit top line growth.

The new funding comes as Ripple also welcomes longtime board member and seasoned industry leader Becky O’Grady as Chief Executive Officer. O’Grady brings more than 30 years of experience building and scaling iconic food and consumer brands. She spent over two decades at General Mills, where she most recently served as President of Global Häagen-Dazs and Chief Marketing Officer for International, overseeing global marketing strategy, e-commerce, and consumer insights. She previously served as President of Yoplait USA, helping to lead the turnaround and growth of the brand within the highly competitive yogurt category.

O’Grady has served on Ripple’s Board of Directors for the past five years, bringing a deep understanding of the brand’s values, mission, and market opportunity. As CEO, she will lead Ripple’s next chapter of growth—expanding access to clean-label, allergen-free plant-based nutrition for today’s consumers while continuing to build a healthier and more sustainable food system.

“This is a pivotal moment for Ripple,” said O’Grady. “Harnessing the power of our brand and the strength of our team, we are poised to unlock our full potential. We are launching innovative new products, driving consumer penetration and customer expansion, and opening new growth horizons through transformative partnerships and capabilities.”

Ripple’s new funding will fuel several strategic initiatives:

• New Product Launches: Ripple will introduce a new line of organic plant-based milks in Q1 2026 at a time when consumers seek nutrient-dense, plant-based protein options over ultra processed alternatives. 
• Consumer and Customer Expansion: Ripple will accelerate growth on its high protein kid and core milk offerings by increasing brand differentiation and visibility while driving expanded retail distribution.
• New Partners and Channels: Ripple is expanding into foodservice channels while continuing to build on its strong momentum with major retail partners such as Target, Whole Foods and Walmart, where it has already established a loyal customer base.

“We couldn’t imagine a more exciting time to invest in Ripple Foods. With Becky at the helm and a sharp focus on growing top-line revenue and achieving profitability, the company is poised to deliver strong results in the plant-based protein market. On a human note, Ripple’s products provide a wonderful solution for the millions of families struggling to find a nutritious, tasty, and clean alternative to dairy,” said Melissa Fensterstock of Material Impact.

Ripple’s products are available nationwide in leading retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, and Walmart, as well as online at www.ripplefoods.com

About Ripple:
Berkeley-based Ripple Foods is a leader in developing innovative and delicious dairy-free products. Using protein from yellow peas, Ripple Foods creates creamy and protein-filled products like Plant-Based Milk, Protein Shakes, and Half & Half. Sustainably produced and using significantly less water than dairy and other dairy alternatives, Ripple is a Certified Benefit Corporation, proudly built on transparency that even the smallest actions can have far-reaching impacts. Ripple products are gluten-free, 100% vegan, certified non-GMO and made without nuts, lactose and soy. For more information visit: www.ripplefoods.com and join the plant-based conversation with @ripplefoods on Instagram and Facebook.

About Material Impact:
Material Impact is a champion of the bravest ideas for the future, building deep tech companies powered by material science that solve enduring, large-scale, real-world problems. Learn more at http://www.materialimpact.com. 

SOURCE Ripple Foods

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C., Dec. 1, 2025 – Hydron Energy Inc. announced today that it has received funding from NGIF Accelerator to support demonstration of its INTRUPTor™ solution for single stage low-cost landfill biogas upgrading at the Bailey Landfill in Chilliwack, B.C., Canada. The project is being carried out in collaboration with FortisBC and the City of Chilliwack.

“Hydron’s demonstration project at the Bailey Landfill is a critical step in showcasing the INTRUPTor™ system’s ability to efficiently remove nitrogen as well as carbon dioxide and upgrade biogas to renewable natural gas (RNG) in a single stage at a significantly reduced cost,” said Soheil Khiavi, CEO of Hydron Energy. “Our technology is the only landfill biogas upgrading system capable of achieving price parity with fossil fuels. The continued support from NGIF Accelerator has been instrumental in our commercialization journey—this marks the second project they’ve helped fund. Our solution will lower emissions, create jobs across Canada, and accelerate the clean energy transition. We’re deeply grateful for NGIF Accelerator’s commitment to supporting innovative Canadian companies like ours.”

“Hydron Energy’s INTRUPTor™ technology represents an exciting step forward in landfill biogas upgrading and renewable natural gas production. This funding commitment reflects our confidence in their innovative approach and the significant potential their technology holds to advance the energy sector,” said John Adams, President and CEO, NGIF Accelerator. “Our Industry Grants program and its focus on de-risking technologies through field trials and pilots are part of NGIF’s integrated model of industry validation, customer creation, and technology commercialization.”

Hydron Energy’s Intensified Regenerative Upgrading Platform Technology (INTRUPTor™) represents a breakthrough in gas separation and upgrading. At its core, the INTRUPTor utilizes a novel biomimicry-based metal organic framework (MOF) that upgrades raw biogas into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas. This breakthrough system operates under ambient conditions, dramatically simplifying plant design and fabrication. This innovative approach enables cost reductions of up to 50% and delivers 80% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional commercial technologies. Hydron has commercialized this platform to produce RNG from anaerobic digesters, wastewater treatment facilities, and landfills.

About Hydron Energy Inc.

Hydron Energy is a British Columbia (B.C.) based company that was formed in 2020 and is providing novel clean energy solutions for various applications at lower cost and less carbon emissions. To learn more, visit https://hydron.ca/.

SOURCE Hydron Energy Inc.