GHENT, Belgium , Nov. 13, 2025 — Manufacturers worldwide still rely on paper, spreadsheets, and fragmented systems to manage shop floor processes. Azumuta, the operator-centric software scale-up from Ghent, Belgium, changes this.

Azumuta raised €8 million in Series A funding to accelerate development of its platform for AI-supported digital work instructions, quality control, and workforce training. The round was led by Keen Venture Partners, with participation from Capricorn Partners and returning investors PMV, Angelwise, and Dirk Vermunicht.

The funding will support team growth, expansion into new markets, and further development to help manufacturers streamline operations, improve quality, and empower their workforce.

“Every week we meet manufacturers still running critical processes on paper,” says Batist Leman, CEO of Azumuta. “There’s no lack of ambition, just a need for technology built for real production. Azumuta bridges that gap and helps factories digitalize in a way that fits how they operate.

Digitizing Shop Floor Know-How

Founded in 2016, Azumuta began as a digital work instruction tool and has evolved into a platform used by nearly 100 manufacturers worldwide. By combining work instructions, audits, training, and quality control in one system, it gives manufacturers a central hub for operational knowledge. Users report up to a 50% reduction in administrative time and 60% fewer quality complaints.

Manufacturers like Atlas Copco, Toyota, and Sioux Technologies rely on Azumuta to keep production connected.

“Operational efficiency is one of our key priorities,” says Johan Dom, VP Engineering at Atlas Copco. “As we work toward becoming a factory of the future, digital transformation is essential. That’s where Azumuta plays a crucial role.”

“Most manufacturing software is built for the C-suite, not the people on the floor,” adds Robert Verwaayen, General Partner at Keen Venture Partners. “Azumuta starts where the real work happens, building AI-rich software operators actually want to use. That’s why it sticks.”

Recognized among Belgium’s fastest-growing tech companies, Azumuta plans to expand its reach and advancing product innovation, customer success, and industry partnerships.

About Azumuta

Azumuta helps manufacturers turn frontline know-how into connected, digital, AI-supported processes through its platform for work instructions, quality control, and training. The name echoes the Ghent dialect “ah zo moet da”, translated: “that’s how it’s done.”

-Azumuta recauda 8 millones de euros en su ronda de financiación Serie A para acelerar la digitalización y las instrucciones de trabajo asistidas por IA en la fabricación

GHENT, Bélgica, 13 de noviembre de 2025 — Los fabricantes de todo el mundo aún dependen del papel, las hojas de cálculo y los sistemas fragmentados para gestionar los procesos de producción. Azumuta, la empresa de software centrada en el operario con sede en Gante, Bélgica, está cambiando esta situación.

Azumuta recaudó 8 millones de euros en su ronda de financiación Serie A para acelerar el desarrollo de su plataforma de instrucciones de trabajo digitales con apoyo de IA, control de calidad y formación del personal. La ronda fue liderada por Keen Venture Partners, con la participación de Capricorn Partners y los inversores recurrentes PMV, Angelwise y Dirk Vermunicht.

La financiación impulsará el crecimiento del equipo, la expansión a nuevos mercados y el desarrollo de soluciones para ayudar a los fabricantes a optimizar sus operaciones, mejorar la calidad y potenciar a su personal.

“Cada semana nos encontramos con fabricantes que aún gestionan procesos críticos en papel”, afirmó Batist Leman, consejero delegado de Azumuta. “No les falta ambición, sino una necesidad de tecnología diseñada para la producción real. Azumuta cubre esta brecha y ayuda a las fábricas a digitalizarse de una forma que se adapta a su funcionamiento”.

Digitalización del conocimiento en planta

Fundada en 2016, Azumuta comenzó como una herramienta digital de instrucciones de trabajo y ha evolucionado hasta convertirse en una plataforma utilizada por casi 100 fabricantes en todo el mundo. Al combinar instrucciones de trabajo, auditorías, formación y control de calidad en un solo sistema, ofrece a los fabricantes un centro integral de conocimiento operativo. Los usuarios reportan una reducción de hasta el 50 % en el tiempo administrativo y un 60 % menos de quejas de calidad.

Fabricantes como Atlas Copco, Toyota y Sioux Technologies confían en Azumuta para mantener la producción conectada.

“La eficiencia operativa es una de nuestras principales prioridades”, afirmó Johan Dom, vicepresidente de Ingeniería de Atlas Copco. “En nuestro camino para convertirnos en la fábrica del futuro, la transformación digital es esencial. Ahí es donde Azumuta desempeña un papel crucial”.

“La mayoría del software para la industria manufacturera está diseñado para la alta dirección, no para los operarios”, añadió Robert Verwaayen, socio general de Keen Venture Partners. “Azumuta se centra en lo que realmente importa: desarrollar software con inteligencia artificial que los operarios realmente quieren usar. Por eso tiene tanto éxito”.

Reconocida como una de las empresas tecnológicas de mayor crecimiento en Bélgica, Azumuta planea expandir su alcance e impulsar la innovación de productos, el éxito de sus clientes y las alianzas con la industria.

Acerca de Azumuta 

Azumuta ayuda a los fabricantes a transformar el conocimiento práctico de sus operarios en procesos conectados, digitales y con soporte de IA mediante su plataforma para instrucciones de trabajo, control de calidad y formación. El nombre evoca la expresión del dialecto de Gante ‘ah zo moet da’, que significa ‘así se hace’.

GHENT, Belgique, 13 novembre 2025 — Les fabricants du monde entier s’appuient encore sur le papier, les feuilles de calcul et les systèmes fragmentés pour gérer les processus opérationnels en production. Azumuta, l’entreprise de Gand (Belgique) spécialisée dans les logiciels centrés sur l’opérateur change la donne.

Azumuta a levé un financement de 8 millions d’euros de série A pour accélérer le développement de sa plateforme d’instructions de travail numériques assistées par l’IA, de contrôle de la qualité et de formation de la main-d’œuvre. L’opération a été menée par Keen Venture Partners, avec la participation de Capricorn Partners et des investisseurs historiques PMV, Angelwise et Dirk Vermunicht.

Le financement soutiendra la croissance de l’équipe, l’expansion sur de nouveaux marchés et la poursuite du développement afin d’aider les fabricants à rationaliser leurs opérations, à améliorer la qualité et à fournir plus de moyens à leur main-d’œuvre.

« Chaque semaine, nous rencontrons des fabricants qui exécutent encore des processus essentiels sur papier », déclare Batist Leman, PDG d’Azumuta. « Il n’y a pas de manque d’ambition, mais simplement un besoin de technologie conçue pour la production réelle. Azumuta facilite la transition numérique des usines et les aide d’une manière adaptée à leurs méthodes de travail.

Numérisation du savoir-faire de l’atelier

Fondé en 2016, Azumuta a commencé comme un outil numérique d’instruction de travail et a évolué en une plateforme utilisée par près de 100 fabricants dans le monde entier. En regroupant les instructions de travail, les audits, la formation et le contrôle qualité dans un système unique, il offre aux fabricants une plateforme centrale pour les connaissances opérationnelles. Les utilisateurs signalent jusqu’à 50 % de réduction du temps administratif et une diminution 60 % des plaintes relatives à la qualité.

Des fabricants tels qu’Atlas Copco, Toyota et Sioux Technologies s’appuient sur Azumuta pour maintenir la production connectée.

« L’efficacité opérationnelle constitue l’une de nos principales priorités », déclare Johan Dom, vice-président de l’ingénierie chez Atlas Copco. « Alors que nous nous efforçons de devenir une usine du futur, la transformation numérique est essentielle. C’est là qu’Azumuta joue un rôle crucial ».

« La plupart des logiciels de fabrication sont conçus pour les dirigeants et non pour les équipes de production », ajoute Robert Verwaayen, associé général chez Keen Venture Partners. « Azumuta commence là où se déroule le travail réel, développant des solutions logicielles intégrant l’IA que les opérateurs souhaitent réellement adopter. C’est ce qui fait toute la différence ».

Reconnu comme l’une des entreprises technologiques à la croissance la plus rapide en Belgique, Azumuta prévoit d’étendre sa portée et de faire progresser l’innovation des produits, la réussite des clients et les partenariats industriels.

À propos d’Azumuta

Azumuta permet aux industriels de convertir l’expertise du personnel opérationnel en processus connectés, numériques et enrichis par l’IA, couvrant instructions de travail, qualité et formation. Le nom fait écho au dialecte gantois « ah zo moet da », traduit par « voilà la manière de procéder. »

BOSTON, Nov. 12, 2025 — Code Metal today announced it has closed $36.5 million of funding for its Series A round to advance its goal of accelerating mission-critical industries with provably correct AI code translation. The round was led by venture capital firm Accel and values the company at $250 million.

The raise marks a new phase of growth for Code Metal, which has deployed its platform across the defense, automotive, and semiconductor industries, and is already on contract to deliver eight figures in revenue this year. Code Metal’s platform is used in industries with strict safety and regulatory requirements for rapid feature development, code portability, and code modernization. Before Code Metal, these industries could not leverage AI for their software development tasks due to accuracy and other fundamental limitations of AI.

In addition to Accel, Code Metal is proud to welcome new investors including RTX Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Smith Point Capital, Overmatch VC, and AE Ventures. The round also includes participation from distinguished individuals such as John Tenet CEO of Chaos Industries, philanthropist and serial biomedical entrepreneur Paul Schimmel, GovForce CEO Kendall Collins, telecommunications pioneer Robert Cohn, and defense investor Chris Heinz. Code Metal also secured additional commitments from existing investors Shield Capital and J2 Ventures, with continued support from Fulcrum Venture Group.

“Vibe coding helps software teams build MVPs fast. But it doesn’t address our customers’ needs: writing zero-error production code onto hardware,” said Peter Morales, founder and CEO of Code Metal. “Helping industries like auto and defense not get left behind by AI: that isn’t purely an AI problem. It’s where multiple disciplines meet, and that’s where Code Metal operates. Revisiting the industries where I began, and demonstrating real impact in production, has been a full-circle moment. The momentum we’re seeing speaks for itself.”

“In sectors like healthcare, finance, and defense, precision isn’t a luxury, it’s required,” said Steve Loughlin, Partner at Accel. “Code Metal understands that the next generation of AI infrastructure will depend on language and hardware working in sync. Their approach combines deep technical rigor with a practical understanding of how real industries operate.”

“We see Code Metal as a transformative enabler for the next generation of intelligent, connected systems. Code Metal’s AI-driven approach to code translation and deployment at the edge directly supports Bosch Ventures’ vision of bringing greater automation, reliability and scalability to industrial and mobility applications,” said Adam Jackson, Partner at Bosch Ventures.

“Shield Capital’s additional commitments reflect our continued enthusiasm for both Code Metal’s AI-enabled code translation technology, which has immense value for defense and commercial customers; and the company’s already-established track record of delivering results, such as speeding code translation from weeks to days for L3Harris across several projects,” said Michael Brown, Partner at Shield Capital.

Code Metal’s automated code translation solutions combine formal methods with AI to ensure every line of code is tested, robust, optimized, and compliant. Its ability to verify and guarantee that code will meet stringent safety and regulatory checks is enabling it to break into otherwise AI-skeptical industries. The company is in the process of closing additional major contracts that will be announced in the coming weeks.

“It’s rare to see a company of this technical complexity get adopted this quickly in enterprise. The round was well timed, because there is a huge amount of demand for Code Metal’s technology,” remarked Alexander Harstrick, co-founder of J2 Ventures, which led Code Metal’s pre-seed round. “We have a lot more to share with the world very soon.”

About Code Metal

Code Metal’s mission is to accelerate mission-critical industries with provably correct, automated code translation and optimization for any environment. Adopted across the defense, automotive, and semiconductor industries – and wherever compliance, safety, and precision are required – Code Metal’s platform combines formal methods with AI to enable customers to develop features rapidly, break vendor lock-in by moving code between chips, and modernize code. Learn more at http://www.codemetal.ai/.

SOURCE Code Metal

20 additional pioneering companies unite to invest in ecosystem restoration and resilience beyond their own supply chains.

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 12, 2025 — Mad Agriculture has surpassed its $1 million fundraising goal to launch their Wilding Pilot: a three-year initiative that will restore over 1,000 acres of marginal cropland in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area into thriving native ecosystems. In collaboration with Whole Foods Market, the pilot will restore wildlife habitat in ways that support farmers and strengthen the resiliency of America’s farmland.

The pilot represents the first phase of the Wild Grid, a 50-year regenerative agriculture strategy to restore biodiversity and increase climate resilience across 65 million acres of U.S. farmland. Fueled by Whole Foods Market’s $500,000 matching grant, 20 leading food and beverage brands and a leading food distributor joined forces to make the vision a reality, marking an unprecedented coalition of companies investing in biodiversity restoration beyond their own supply chains.

“It’s so exciting and heartening to see food companies recognizing biodiversity as the foundation of a resilient food future,” said Elizabeth Candelario, Chief Strategy Officer at Mad Agriculture. “This partnership reflects the kind of bold action Wilding is designed to inspire: one that invests not in isolated fixes, but in the living systems that make healthy food possible.”

WHY THIS MATTERS

Scientists say we need to keep about 20 to 25 percent of farmland as natural habitat [1]. Doing so builds biodiversity, which also helps farmers enhance productivity and ecosystem health. Without it, we lose crucial benefits nature provides, like bees pollinating crops, beneficial insects eating pests, and plants holding soil in place so it doesn’t wash away.

There’s another problem: our parks and nature reserves are too spread out. When animals and plants need to relocate due to shifting weather patterns, they cannot reach the next safe habitat, effectively stranding them. This disrupts ecological flows by blocking seed dispersal, animal migration, and water movement. This doesn’t just hurt individual areas, it damages wildlife, biodiversity, and water quality across entire regions.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

That’s where Wilding comes in. Instead of setting aside big chunks of land for conservation, the initiative connects habitats by transforming the marginal edges of farms—the rocky corners, flood-prone strips, and low-producing, less profitable areas. These become bridges between larger wildlife habitat areas. Unlike traditional conservation, Wilding doesn’t separate nature from farming. It weaves them together so both can thrive.

STARTING IN WISCONSIN

The three-year pilot focuses on Wisconsin’s Driftless Area—a region of rolling hills and valleys in the southwest where some rare native prairie still survives. The plan is to begin transforming over 1,000 acres of underperforming cropland into thriving native grasslands and pastures. By planting prairie, adding rotational grazing, and connecting private farms with public lands and utility corridors, the initiative aims to restore the natural systems that support healthy soil, pollinators, clean water, and wildlife. Wilding is good for the land and the ledger, as it has the potential to open new income streams for farmers.

This pilot is just the beginning. The long-term vision includes 20% of all U.S. cropland converted into connected corridors where nature and agriculture thrive together.

“We’re designing landscapes where biodiversity isn’t an afterthought—it’s an asset,” said Omar de Kok-Mercado, Director of Wilding at Mad Agriculture. “We’re beginning to rebuild the connective tissue of the continent by creating corridors of life that support farmers and inspire innovation. This could be the beginning of America’s next great infrastructure project, built through collaboration with those who work the land and care for its future.”

WHO’S INVOLVED

Whole Foods Market kicked things off with a $500,000 matching challenge. Then 20 companies stepped up: Adams Group, Ancient Nutrition,Applegate, Bel Brands USA, Bob’s Red Mill, KIND, Little Sesame, Mariannes,MegaFood,New Belgium Brewing, Oatly, OLIPOP, Patagonia Provisions,The Campbell’s Company,TreeHouse Foods,UNFI, UNFI Foundation, west~bourne, Yerba MadreandYogi Tea. Together, they unlocked and surpassed the full match.

The technical partners — including Meadowlark Organics Community Mill, Southern Driftless Grasslands, Wild Farm Alliance, Savanna Institute, and Adaptive Restoration — are providing region-specific expertise in perennial agriculture, habitat design, restoration ecology, and farm-based implementation. They support planning, ecological assessments, seeding and planting strategies, and long-term monitoring to ensure successful integration of perennials into working landscapes.

The Wilding pilot builds on commitments outlined in Whole Foods Market’s 2024 Impact Report, where it’s featured as a key part of the company’s climate and nature strategy. Together with Mad Agriculture, Whole Foods Market is creating a blueprint that could be scaled across the entire country.

“At Whole Foods Market, we believe the future of food depends on healthy, functioning ecosystems. Wilding represents a fundamental shift in how we think about food system resilience by focusing on restoring full ecosystems that strengthen all of agriculture,” said Caitlin Leibert, Vice President of Sustainability at Whole Foods Market. “We’re proud to pioneer this coalition and demonstrate what’s possible when the industry comes together.”

ABOUT MAD AGRICULTURE

Mad Agriculture  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 with the mission to create a regenerative revolution in agriculture and works toward a vision of an Earth where land, sea, and people thrive together forever. We work from heart to head, poetry to science, financing to markets, and soil to shelf, taking a holistic and collaborative approach to supporting farmers and ranchers. Along with our sister companies Mad Capital and Mad Markets, we meet producers where they are on their journey. Alongside our on-the-ground land and business support, we amplify stories from the field and food system with the goal of building a cultural movement.

SOURCE Mad Agriculture

Die Übernahme von Forge Global im Wert von 660 Millionen USD und die geplante Notierung von Animoca Brands an der Nasdaq stellen entscheidende Momente für die True Global Ventures Funds 4 und 5 dar.

SINGAPUR, 12. November 2025 — True Global Ventures (TGV), die globale Risikokapitalgesellschaft, die in Unternehmen im Bereich KI und Blockchain-Technologie investiert, feiert eine bedeutende Woche in den USA.

Zwei der wichtigsten Investitionen von TGV – Forge Global Holdings (NYSE: FRGE) und Animoca Brands Corporation Limited – haben jeweils transformative Meilensteine erreicht, die das langfristige Engagement des Fonds für die Unterstützung visionärer Unternehmer unterstreichen, die die Zukunft des Finanzwesens und der digitalen Vermögenswerte gestalten.

FORGE GLOBAL WIRD VON CHARLES SCHWAB FÜR 660 MILLIONEN USD ERWORBEN

Die Charles Schwab Corporation hat zugestimmt, Forge Global für rund 660 Millionen USD zu erwerben, was einer Bewertung des Unternehmens von etwa 45 USD pro Aktie entspricht.

Forge Global hat eine digitale Infrastruktur entwickelt, die Liquidität im Bereich Private Equity und Risikokapital ermöglicht und Investoren, Aktionäre und Privatunternehmen in einem der weltweit größten und am schnellsten wachsenden Sekundärmarkt-Ökosysteme miteinander verbindet.

„Momente wie diese erinnern uns daran, warum wir langfristig investieren“, sagte Dušan Stojanović, Gründer von True Global Ventures, einem Visionär, der außergewöhnliche Unternehmer unterstützt. „Forge Global hat neu definiert, wie Liquidität in privaten Märkten geschaffen und verwaltet wird. Die Übernahme durch Charles Schwab spiegelt die zunehmende Konvergenz zwischen traditioneller Finanzwirtschaft und privater Marktwirtschaft wider – einem Bereich, in den TGV seit seiner Gründung investiert hat. Wir sind davon überzeugt, dass Forge Global weiterhin Innovationen in Bereichen wie der Tokenisierung von Aktien privater Unternehmen und Fonds vorantreiben wird!“

Kelly Rodrigues, CEO von Forge Global, fügte hinzu: „Diese Partnerschaft mit Charles Schwab stellt einen Wendepunkt für private Märkte dar. Forge wurde gegründet, um den Zugang zu Investitionen in private Unternehmen zu demokratisieren, und die Zusammenarbeit mit einem der weltweit renommiertesten Finanzinstitute wird diese Mission erheblich beschleunigen. Wir sind sehr stolz darauf, langjährige Partner wie TGV zu haben, die von Anfang an an diese Vision geglaubt haben.”

ANIMOCA BRANDS STREBT NASDAQ-NOTIERUNG ÜBER CURRENC GROUP INC. AN

Animoca Brands hat eine Fusion mit Currenc Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CURR) vorgeschlagen, durch die die Aktionäre von Animoca etwa 95 % des fusionierten Unternehmens besitzen würden. Die Fusion soll voraussichtlich im zweiten Halbjahr 2026 abgeschlossen sein und zu einem an der Nasdaq notierten Unternehmen führen.

Animoca Brands entwickelt die grundlegende Ebene für digitale Eigentumsrechte. Die Partnerschaft mit Currenc schafft bedeutende potenzielle Synergien in den Bereichen grenzüberschreitende Zahlungen, Stablecoins und tokenisierte digitale Vermögenswerte – und verbindet damit Web3-Innovation mit einer Finanzinfrastruktur der nächsten Generation.

Yat Siu, Mitbegründer und Executive Chairman von Animoca Brands, kommentierte: „Die Notierung an der Nasdaq über Currenc stellt einen bedeutenden Schritt in Richtung der allgemeinen Akzeptanz digitaler Vermögenswerte und Tokenisierung dar. Dadurch können wir die Vorteile digitaler Eigentumsrechte – von Gaming und Bildung bis hin zu Finanzen und darüber hinaus – einem noch breiteren Publikum zugänglich machen.”

Er fuhr fort: „Unsere Zusammenarbeit mit Currenc spiegelt unsere gemeinsamen Werte wider – beide Unternehmen gestalten die Art und Weise, wie Werte global transferiert werden, neu. Gemeinsam wollen wir den Übergang zu einer offenen, interoperablen digitalen Wirtschaft beschleunigen. True Global Ventures hat von Anfang an fest an diese Vision geglaubt.”

Dušan Stojanović, kommentierte: „Yat Siu ist einer der visionärsten Unternehmer unserer Zeit. Seine Führung bei Animoca Brands prägt weiterhin die Zukunft der digitalen Eigentumsrechte. Unsere Partnerschaft besteht seit über einem Jahrzehnt, und zu beobachten, wie Animoca sich auf die Notierung an der Nasdaq vorbereitet, ist nicht nur ein Beweis für seine Vision, sondern auch für die Kraft der Beharrlichkeit, Innovation und globalen Zusammenarbeit. Wir sind stolz darauf, von Anfang an an diese Mission geglaubt zu haben.”

EINE ENTSCHEIDENDE WOCHE FÜR TRUE GLOBAL VENTURES

Diese beiden Meilensteine – einer im Bereich der Liquidität privater Märkte, der andere im Bereich der Infrastruktur für digitale Vermögenswerte – verkörpern die Anlagephilosophie von TGV: Unterstützung visionärer Gründer, Beschleunigung der Expansion in den USA und weltweit, Verbindung traditioneller Finanzdienstleistungen mit Innovationen im Bereich KI und Blockchain.

Einige Monate nachdem True Global Ventures von der Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) als License Fund Management Company (LFMC) mit einer Capital Markets Services (CMS)-Lizenz zugelassen wurde, feiert das Unternehmen nun zwei bedeutende Erfolge in den USA und positioniert sich damit unter den weltweit leistungsstärksten Risikokapitalfonds.

INFORMATIONEN ZU TRUE GLOBAL VENTURES
True Global Ventures (TGV) ist eine globale Risikokapitalgesellschaft, die in Unternehmen investiert, die sich mit KI- und Blockchain-Technologie befassen und sich in der Wachstums- oder Spätphase befinden. Das Portfolio von TGV umfasst Animoca Brands, Forge Global, Ledger, The Sandbox, Prezent, Coding Giants, Obligo, COVU, Validation Cloud, SATO, Chromaway, Jus Mundi, BookitnGo, GCEX, Coinhouse und viele weitere Unternehmen. Nahezu alle Portfoliounternehmen sind in den USA ansässig oder expandieren in die USA. Mit Niederlassungen in San Francisco, New York, Paris, London, Stockholm, Dubai, Singapur und Hongkong unterstützt TGV visionäre Gründer beim Aufbau der nächsten Generation transformativer Technologieunternehmen.

Weitere Informationen: https://www.tgv4plus.com/

Kontaktieren Sie True Global Ventures: [email protected]

Foto – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2819352/Image.jpg

• Expands retail partnerships into outdoor and sporting goods, advancing its mission to deliver savings and sustainability across more retail sectors
• Series B—completed less than a year after Series A—underscores accelerating retailer adoption and consumer demand for REBEL’s returns recommerce solution and marketplace

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., Nov. 12, 2025 — REBEL, the largest B-Corp certified returns recommerce marketplace for open-box and overstock goods across North America, announces it has closed a $25 million oversubscribed Series B funding round led by MarcyPen Capital Partners (“MarcyPen”). The round comes under a year after REBEL closed its Series A, which was led by Maveron Ventures with participation from MarcyPen. The round signals significant investor confidence in the returns economy and cements REBEL as a market leader building one of the first industry-wide technology solutions transforming how retailers handle returned goods at scale.

U.S. retail returns are at an all-time high, surging to $890 billion or 17% of all sales, according to the National Retail Federation. Returns have become an industry-wide crisis of lost revenue and waste, with 8.4 billion pounds of perfectly good products ending up in landfills every year due to cost and regulatory complexities. Leveraging its proprietary technology to process, quality-check, and sell simply returned, never-used products quickly and at scale, REBEL’s model helps retailers recover revenue, giving consumers affordable access to everyday essentials with up to 70% off retail prices, and keeping returned products out of landfills.

The round enables REBEL’s next phase of growth, expanding into new verticals like outdoor and sporting goods with longtime retail partners, following its successful expansion beyond baby and into home earlier this year. The new verticals include seasonal and year-round categories such as water and winter sports, camping, outdoor toys, and athletic gear.

“This expansion is just the beginning of what’s ahead with even more vertical launches on the near horizon as we scale our returns recommerce technology into every corner of retail,” said Emily Hosie, REBEL founder and CEO. “Sports and outdoor goods are higher-ticket items–items consumers often need but that come with a premium price tag. Through our strong retail partnerships, we’re able to make perfectly good returns from desirable brands accessible and affordable while reducing retail waste. MarcyPen has played a pivotal role in our journey, and we look forward to building on this partnership as we accelerate our mission in this next phase of growth.”

As demand from both retailers and consumers accelerates, REBEL’s rapid growth demonstrates how quickly returns recommerce is becoming an essential part of the retail economy. In August 2025, the Company surpassed one million products processed, delivering 2,640% growth in just three years. Over the past year, the Company added a significant number of new popular brands to its network while also doubling its contribution to environmental sustainability. REBEL is also on track to divert over 25 million pounds of returns from landfills by the end of 2025.

“REBEL is leading the returns recommerce revolution,” adds Hosie. “We’ve built the technology and infrastructure for what’s next in retail where returns create value, sustainability drives growth, and circular retail becomes the standard. At the same time, we’re helping families stretch their budgets further, giving them access to the brands they love at unbeatable prices.”

As retailers face mounting pressure from economic uncertainty, REBEL has emerged as the scalable solution to drive circular retail forward—helping brands recover value from domestic inventory, meet sustainability goals, and deliver everyday affordability to consumers.

About REBEL

REBEL is the ultimate destination to Shop Smarter™. By offering unbeatable savings of up to 70% off on open-box and overstock products, REBEL makes it simple to shop with purpose every day. REBEL partners with the most popular brands to bring the very best assortment of open-box and overstock products right to their customers’ doorsteps. As the only certified B-Corp in returns recommerce, REBEL keeps more than 25 million pounds of product out of landfills annually.

About MarcyPen Capital Partners

MarcyPen Capital Partners (“MarcyPen”) is a next generation investment platform that provides strategic capital to early and growth stage consumer businesses that create, move, and lead culture. The firm provides solutions-oriented capital to leading consumer businesses positioned to meet the needs and expectations of the everchanging consumer, prioritizing strong engagement and collaboration with the companies in which it invests. Leveraging its proprietary and global ecosystem of relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders of industry, MarcyPen provides strategic insights and guidance seeking to help business builders scale. The firm pursues investments across subsectors that include beauty & personal care, consumer products, fashion & lifestyle, food & beverage, health & wellness, marketplaces, PR & creative, and tech-enabled services.

Contact:

Christina Sfeir
347-970-6487
[email protected]

SOURCE REBEL

Kleiner Perkins leads the Series A round alongside new investor NVentures and previous investors Coatue, Latitude Capital, Madrona, GTM Capital, Menlo Ventures, and U First Capital

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 12, 2025 — WisdomAI, the company behind the most accurate AI Data Analyst for trusted business insights in the enterprise, today announced a $50 million Series A financing. Kleiner Perkins led the funding round, with participation from new investor NVentures (NVIDIA’s venture capital arm) and existing investors Coatue, Latitude Capital, Madrona, GTM Capital, Menlo Ventures, and U First Capital. The round brings the company’s total capital raised to $73 million, just under a year after its launch.

The Series A funding will enable WisdomAI to expand its engineering team, accelerate product development, and scale its go-to-market operations for WisdomAI’s AI Data Analyst, a new class of analytics that enables enterprises to move beyond static dashboards and reactive BI to build autonomous, conversational, and proactive AI agents powered by WisdomAI’s Enterprise Context Layer. WisdomAI’s Data Analyst enables data teams to deliver accurate and trusted insights in real time, from structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data across work surfaces, proactively.

Overcoming the Limitations of Traditional BI

For decades, traditional business intelligence (BI) has relied on rigid dashboards, manual queries, and fragmented reporting pipelines that can take weeks to deliver new insights. As data volume and data variety increase exponentially, this model has become a critical bottleneck to business agility. Executives often find themselves drowning in data but starving for insights—operating on outdated information while teams scramble to update reports and KPIs.

WisdomAI addresses these challenges by replacing passive dashboards with an AI Data Analyst — a combination of conversational and proactive AI agents that reason across structured and unstructured data, learn from institutional knowledge, and proactively surface the insights that matter most. Each agent is powered by a persistent Enterprise Context Layer, which retains corporate, team, and user context to deliver relevant insights wherever work happens — whether in Slack, Salesforce, or email. This represents a new category of agentic analytics that finally delivers on the long-promised vision of true self-service analytics.

Empowering Every Employee to Become Data-Driven with AI

“We’re entering a new era where every employee can reason with data through AI,” said Soham Mazumdar, CEO and Co-Founder of WisdomAI. “Our mission is to build the world’s most trusted AI Data Analyst—one that understands business context, maintains enterprise-grade accuracy, and proactively surfaces insights that drive decisions. This round enables us to accelerate our investments in R&D and go-to-market expansion.”

Built for enterprise-scale deployments, WisdomAI eliminates the reporting bottlenecks that hold enterprises back. Instead of relying on static dashboards and manual queries, the platform continuously synthesizes data across systems, detects shifts and anomalies, and delivers insights in real-time. By turning fragmented data into a single source of insight, WisdomAI enables organizations to act faster, anticipate change, and make informed, data-driven decisions. WisdomAI is already powering analytics transformation at Fortune 500 companies across various industries, including technology, healthcare, financial services, energy, and manufacturing.

Eliminating Bottlenecks and Empowering Data Teams

Beyond transforming how business users interact with data, WisdomAI empowers data teams to work smarter, not harder. By automating repetitive tasks, report generation, and ad hoc analyses, WisdomAI eliminates long-standing bottlenecks that hinder decision-making. Data teams can focus on higher-value work— governance, modeling, and strategic analysis—while business users gain instant, self-service access to trusted insights through natural language. The result is an enterprise where data fluency is democratized, analytics cycles are accelerated, and decision-making becomes a shared capability across every function.

“For years, enterprises have been trapped in a cycle of building more dashboards while getting less insight; drowning in data but starving for intelligence needed to make fast, confident decisions,” said Aditya Naganath, Principal at Kleiner Perkins. “WisdomAI breaks this cycle by truly democratizing access to insights and freeing data teams from an endless queue of requests. Its AI data analysts move beyond static dashboards to deliver fluid, conversational, and proactive analytics, surfacing what truly matters. With a relentless focus on accuracy and trust, WisdomAI is defining how enterprises will work with data in the era of AI.”

With this investment, WisdomAI is redefining the future of analytics itself—moving the industry beyond static dashboards to an era of autonomous, explainable, and trusted AI decision-making. As enterprises demand faster, smarter, and more accurate insights, WisdomAI stands at the forefront of this transformation, defining the new standard for AI-powered business intelligence and shaping how the world’s leading enterprises reason with data.

About WisdomAI

WisdomAI is the leader in a new generation of AI analytics and business intelligence, building the first AI Data Analyst that delivers trusted, accurate, and proactive insights for the enterprise. Founded in 2023, WisdomAI’s platform empowers organizations to reason across their structured and unstructured data in natural language, automate analysis, and deploy autonomous agents that continuously identify opportunities, risks, and trends.

Learn more at www.wisdom.ai and request a free trial at www.wisdom.ai/free-trial.

SOURCE WisdomAI

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2025 — Seasats, a leader in autonomous maritime systems, has signed a formal agreement to make Australian defense technology company Elysium EPL the exclusive reseller for Seasats platforms in Australia and New Zealand. The partnership builds on Seasats’ proven record in long-endurance autonomous systems, including its recent USD $89 million contract with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and on Elysium EPL’s successful efforts to get the Lightfish AMSA-certified Lightfish in Australian waters.

“Formalizing this partnership is an exciting step forward,” said Michael Mitchell, Director at Elysium EPL. “Seasats has been at the forefront of autonomous surface technology, and together we can expand access to these capabilities across Australia and New Zealand.”

To achieve AMSA certification, Elysium EPL provided regional operational expertise while Seasats contributed platform and technology leadership. This certification is a significant milestone as most uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) operate either uncertified or under defense exemptions. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has taken a leading, risk-based approach to regulating autonomous vessels, balancing innovation and safety, to enable commercial USV operations at scale. 

Under the agreement, Elysium EPL will provide regional sales, integration, and front-line support for Seasats’ Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs). Seasats platforms deliver greater endurance, security, agility, and lower lifecycle cost than traditional crewed and existing uncrewed systems and are already proven in national security and industry operations.

Mike Flanigan, CEO of Seasats, added: “This collaboration combines our operational experience with Elysium EPL’s regional expertise, enabling faster delivery and support for customers seeking persistent, autonomous maritime capabilities. The AMSA certification positions Australia as a leader for practical, forward-thinking maritime autonomy governance, setting an example for other nations pursuing similarly effective regulatory frameworks.”

The partnership agreement signing took place during the Indo-Pacific 2025 International Maritime Exposition in Sydney. 

The partnership lays the groundwork for future local sustainment and integration of Seasats platforms within Australia’s defense industry base, supporting AUKUS Pillar II priorities in autonomous systems, AI, and undersea technologies. At a time when strong allied maritime integrations are key in the Indo-Pacific, this partnership advances international collaboration backed by secure sovereign capabilities.

For more information on Seasats, visit www.seasats.com.

For more information on Elysium EPL, visit https://www.elysiumepl.com.au/.

About Elysium 

Elysium EPL is an Australian veteran-owned professional services firm delivering comprehensive solutions and enduring value to government, industry and academia. We have a strong maritime heritage and now operate Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) in support of Defence, national security and commercial marine outcomes with a purpose of enhancing maritime domain awareness and delivering innovative solutions for complex environments.

Our diverse experts bring decades of experience, key relationships and a deep understanding of government and the current strategic environment to empower clients to achieve long-term success. We have a proven track record of helping clients realise ambitious outcomes and transformation through trusted advice, collaborative strategy and enduring solutions, building their capability in the process. We match our specialists to the problem, taking a multidisciplinary approach to ensure solutions endure and drawing on our team’s rich experience in Defence, national security and intelligence, industry and government.

About Seasats

Seasats builds reliable autonomous ocean drones that use advanced AI to gather critical intelligence across vast maritime regions. Trusted by the U.S. Navy and international partners, Seasats’ fleets deliver persistent, scalable maritime dominance. The company’s flagship Lightfish enables multi-month endurance missions for defense, research, and commercial operations, while the high-speed Quickfish interceptor provides rapid-response capability for time-sensitive security and defense scenarios. Backed by L3Harris and Shield Capital, Seasats systems are deployed worldwide to extend maritime domain awareness with minimal logistics and maximum flexibility. Learn more at www.seasats.com

Media Contact: Kelsey McGrew
[email protected]

SOURCE Seasats