MIAMI, Oct. 22, 2025 — Civaris Capital Management, LP (“Civaris”), a private investment firm specializing in optimizing human capital assets, today announced its official launch. The firm is led by Jordan Earnheardt and Patrick Danvers, experienced private equity professionals with deep expertise in lower-middle-market, asset-lite services businesses.

Civaris partners with subject matter experts, founders, and leadership teams across businesses where human capital is the company’s primary asset. The firm’s differentiated approach reorients organizations around talent assessment, acquisition, development, and delivery, while creating cultures of excellence through a data-driven framework. Civaris expects to focus on companies generating $3 million to $12+ millionof EBITDA, prioritizing GDP-plus growth sectors, mission-critical offerings, talent-constrained markets, and cultures of performance, collaboration, and accountability.

“Civaris was founded on the belief that modern businesses are defined by their human capital,” said Jordan Earnheardt, Managing Partner. “Our mission is to create best-in-class companies by prioritizing, defining, and measuring the impact of talent. In many businesses, the people aren’t just the most important asset, they’re the only one, and Civaris’s philosophy recognizes that.”

“We built Civaris to be the kind of partner we always wished existed for founders and investors alike,” added Patrick Danvers, Partner. “We view performance and alignment through a cultural lens, and our responsibility is to build environments that attract exceptional people and organize them to perform at their highest potential.”

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Civaris is currently completing its organizational phase and preparing for fund formation and regulatory registration. In keeping with its focus on talent as the defining differentiator, the firm is expanding its team and operational infrastructure to support its next phase of growth.

The name Civaris, derived from Civitas (community, organization) and Aristos (excellence), reflects the firm’s defining philosophy: “The Best People, Organized.”

For more information, visit www.civaris.com or contact [email protected].

About Civaris
Civaris is a private investment firm focused on building and scaling human-capital-intensive businesses in the United States. The firm’s approach recognizes human capital as a core driver of value creation, partnering with experts, founders, and management teams to develop scalable, enduring organizations across service-based sectors.

Headquarters: Miami, FL
Website:www.civaris.com

Disclaimer:
This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. Civaris is in its organizational and pre-registration phase and is not currently managing client or investor capital.

SOURCE Civaris Capital Management, LP

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2025 — CurbWaste, the operating system for independent waste haulers, today announced a $28 million Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to $50 million. The round was led by Socium Ventures, a venture and growth investment firm backed by Cox Enterprises, with participation from Flourish Ventures, TTV Capital, B Capital Group, as well as its new quantitative investor, Squarepoint.

Independent waste haulers are often family-run businesses and are the backbone of the American economy, keeping cities and communities running day in and day out. Yet many still rely on outdated or paper-based systems to manage their business. CurbWaste was founded to change that, giving these operators a voice and empowering them to create a shared vision to solve their day-to-day operational pain points. Beyond operational gains, the platform delivers meaningful quality-of-life improvements for business owners and their teams. One particular customer, Melissa Polutta, owner of Trashgurl, previously had to arrive at the office by 3 a.m. every day to dispatch trucks in person. Today, she can work remotely, spend more time with her family, and even take vacations, all while running a more streamlined and profitable operation. CurbWaste now supports 150 haulers across the U.S., from small family businesses to large regional operators.

“We built CurbWaste to level the playing field for haulers, giving them the modern tools they’ve long deserved to run more efficiently and compete under challenging conditions,” said Mike Marmo, CEO and Founder of CurbWaste. “These are family businesses at the heart of their communities. We know they have been outspoken with their waste hauler software wants and needs, and we must continue to listen. With this funding, we can move even faster to build that shared vision of growing their revenue, eliminating cost centers, and focusing on what they do best, servicing their customers.”

“CurbWaste is transforming an essential industry that impacts every community in America,” said David Yang, Partner at Socium Ventures. “The team is empowering waste haulers with modern, intuitive solutions that make their lives easier, which keep all of our cities cleaner and more efficient.”

The waste industry is undergoing a major shift as more haulers move away from paper and outdated systems. The U.S. waste management software market alone was valued at $4.3 billion in 2023 and is expected to nearly double by 2030, with North America leading global adoption. For many independent haulers, these tools are no longer a nice-to-have; they’re becoming essential for winning contracts, staying compliant, and delivering the level of service customers expect. CurbWaste’s customers, who’ve modernized, are seeing real benefits like time savings, lower costs, and a stronger competitive position against larger players.

“As one of CurbWaste’s earliest customers, it’s been incredible to see how far the platform has come,” said Sean Bartam, CEO of ADM Waste. “From day one, they’ve been a true partner, constantly evolving the product to meet our needs and saving us hours of manual work. It’s made us inherently better at our business and delivering best-in-class service to customers.”

“As a family business, we wanted a partner who understood our world,” added Tim Kraemer, President at Tom Kraemer Inc. “CurbWaste doesn’t just sell software; they deeply understand our needs and bring an exciting product vision that will uniquely position us to be more strategic in our decision making and scalable in our growth.”

The new funding will fuel team growth, go-to-market expansion, and product innovation with a focus on AI tools that tackle real industry challenges. “Our goal is to leverage AI and machine learning to provide the most innovative solutions for our customers, and with this investment, we’re poised to develop state-of-the-art machine learning tools specifically designed to address the unique complexities of the waste management industry.”

About CurbWaste

CurbWaste is the first end-to-end waste management platform built specifically for independent haulers. Founded by industry veterans, CurbWaste helps operators modernize their businesses, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional service to their customers. With a focus on empowering family-run haulers — the backbone of America’s waste management industry — CurbWaste is bringing modern technology to one of the country’s most essential sectors. For more information, visit www.curbwaste.com.

SOURCE CurbWaste

Funding includes participation from prior investors, joining Engage, and fueling the company’s mission to automate and scale cybersecurity operations through AI agents.

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 22, 2025 — Bricklayer AI, the agentic cybersecurity platform empowering Security Operations Centers (SOCs) with AI agents, today announced a $5 million Series Seed round led by Tech Square Ventures. The round was oversubscribed, with participation from returning investors Sovereign’s Capital, Dreamit Ventures, and BlueWing Ventures. The company also joined Engage’s F500 enterprise platform as part of Cohort 15.

The company will use the funds to accelerate product development, expand go-to-market operations, invest in customer experience, and meet growing enterprise demand for AI-driven security automation. Bricklayer AI enables security teams to build, manage, and orchestrate specialized AI agents that handle investigations, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, and reporting—delivering scalable, auditable results with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Bricklayer AI has seen accelerating growth throughout 2025, expanding monthly recurring revenue more than 14x year-to-date and more than doubling in the most recent quarter. Its agentic AI platform is now deployed across Fortune 500 enterprises and managed security providers, driving measurable efficiency gains and reinforcing its position among the fastest-scaling companies in AI-driven security operations.

Security operations today are strained by the convergence of rising threat volumes, complex tool ecosystems, and chronic staffing shortages. Bricklayer AI addresses this challenge with a first-of-its-kind agentic platform that enables security teams to build and coordinate specialized AI agents that are not only capable of completing multi-step operational tasks—such as threat triage, vulnerability management, and reporting—with speed, consistency, and full auditability, but are also able to communicate and solve problems together as a cohesive AI agent team.

The company’s customers include large enterprises, managed security providers, and security operations teams that are using Bricklayer to automate thousands of analyst hours each month while maintaining human-level context.

“Bricklayer is tackling one of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity today: scaling the expert decision-making of today’s cyber professionals to meet the exponentially growing threat landscape,” said Scott Lopano, Partner at Tech Square Ventures. “Adam and his team have built an intelligent foundation for how security operations will be run in the era of AI—context-aware, open, collaborative, and built for the enterprise.”

Bricklayer AI is also part of Engage, an Atlanta-based innovation and corporate venture platform that connects startups with 16 Fortune 500 partners, including Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company, UPS, Goldman Sachs, and Georgia-Pacific. Engage helps high-growth companies like Bricklayer accelerate enterprise adoption through direct engagement with major corporate stakeholders and academic collaboration with Georgia Tech.

“Security teams are reaching a breaking point. Legacy automation can only move so fast, but AI agents can move with both speed and understanding,” said Adam Vincent, Founder and CEO of Bricklayer AI. “This investment allows us to scale that vision—empowering organizations to build their own teams of AI agents that work like analysts, learn like analysts, and deliver consistency that humans alone can’t sustain. It’s the next step toward an AI-native security operations model.”

About Bricklayer AI

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, Bricklayer AI empowers Security Operations Centers to scale with AI agents. Its agentic cybersecurity platform lets organizations build and orchestrate teams of AI agents that work like security analysts, automating everything from alert triage to incident response and working together to solve problems with human-like context awareness. Bricklayer serves a broad range of customers, from Fortune 500 enterprises to leading security service providers.

About Tech Square Ventures

Tech Square Ventures is an Atlanta-based early-stage venture capital firm providing entrepreneurs with capital, connections and collaboration.

About Engage

Engage is an enterprise Go-to-Market program managed by Tech Square Ventures that deploys both capital and enterprise expertise to help startups break through corporate barriers and operate at full speed. Partners include Chick-fil-A, The Coca-Cola Company, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Georgia-Pacific, Georgia Power Foundation, Georgia Tech, Goldman Sachs, The Home Depot, Honeywell Connected Enterprise, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Inspire Brands, Invesco, Invest Georgia, Tech Square Ventures, UPS, and Wellstar Health System.

SOURCE Bricklayer AI

Minority investment to accelerate growth in BPaaS and SAP S/4 finance practice

SAN FRANCISCO and NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 22, 2025 — Carrick Capital Partners, a growth-oriented investment firm focused on software and software-enabled businesses, today announced a minority investment in Veritas Prime, a leading provider of SAP SuccessFactors and payroll technology solutions.

Veritas Prime is a leading partner to the SAP SuccessFactors and Payroll suite, and the only partner that offers E2E implementation, license, support, and managed payroll/tax services as one bundled offering, delivered through a technology platform.

“Veritas Prime has a phenomenal track record as the leading boutique implementation and managed services partner and is highly regarded in the SAP ecosystem,” said Rob Delaney, Managing Director of Carrick Capital Partners. “We see a unique opportunity to create value for customers through end-to-end HR and payroll technology solutions wrapped around the powerful SAP suite. With its exceptional blend of payroll/HR expertise, delivery capabilities, and technology assets, Veritas Prime is poised to maximize that opportunity,” added Delaney.

“This investment is a pivotal milestone for Veritas Prime. Carrick’s backing and expertise in the payroll and BPaaS sector, extensive and current payroll investment experience, and operational history pioneering technology-based HCM/payroll outsourcing further validates our vision and will help drive momentum in the BPaaS space,” said Mike Pappis, CEO of Veritas Prime. “As organizations increasingly look to optimize business outcomes through scalable, cloud-based services, Veritas Prime is uniquely positioned to deliver integrated SAP solutions that bridge technology, process, and people.”

Veritas Prime will apply these resources to further invest in technology and talent that accelerate the expansion of its Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) offerings and strengthen its SAP S/4 Finance practice.

About Veritas Prime
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Veritas Prime is a global SAP technology services firm specializing in SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Payroll, and SAP S/4HANA solutions. With a commitment to innovation, quality, and client success, Veritas Prime helps organizations transform HR and finance operations through integrated technology and managed services.

About Carrick Capital Partners
Headquartered in San Francisco and Newport Beach, Carrick Capital Partners is a growth-oriented investment firm that utilizes ABV (Approach to Building Value) to operationally scale fast-growing, software-enabled businesses. Carrick adds value by taking a concentrated approach and dedicating significant resources post-investment. Leveraging decades of experience, Carrick helps scale great companies to maximize returns for investors, stimulate economic growth, and positively impact the industry landscape. Working directly with CEOs and entrepreneurs, Carrick addresses a vital need for investment capital and growth expertise. For more information, please visit www.carrickcapitalpartners.com.

Contact: Machie Madden
[email protected]
917.868.2358

SOURCE Carrick Capital Partners

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 22, 2025 — Peregrine Energy Solutions (Peregrine), a leading developer and operator of utility-scale battery storage, today announced it has successfully raised an additional $130 million in new capital from a consortium of investors, including the Ministry of Environment of South Korea, IMM Investment, Woori Private Equity Asset Management and funds managed by AB CarVal. This funding will be used to accelerate the development of its growing portfolio of projects across the U.S.

The capital will enable Peregrine to advance its development pipeline, with a primary focus on battery storage technology. This technology is crucial for enhancing the stability and resilience of the U.S. power grid and transmission system, which are facing increasing strain from rising power demands.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our investors, who share our vision for a stronger and more reliable energy future,” said Hagen Lee, CEO of Peregrine. “This new capital will be instrumental in allowing us to scale our efforts, bring more projects online, and strengthen grid stability to meet growing U.S. power needs.”

“South Korea views the United States as a critical partner in strengthening energy infrastructure necessary for the energy transition,” said Jongseo An, deputy director of the Ministry of Environment for South Korea. “This investment reflects our shared commitment to ensuring reliable, affordable power and building a resilient and sustainable energy system. We are confident these projects will play a key role in supporting U.S. power needs and enhancing grid stability for the future.”

Jongseo An added, “The Korea-U.S alliance, which spans over a hundred years, continues to make the U.S. a preferred destination for strategic investment. This enduring relationship provides the long-term vision needed for transformative energy projects.”

The Ministry of Environment of South Korea also praised Peregrine’s standout capabilities, noting: “The best management team, best quality assets in the category created based on intense fundamental analysis, and strong focus on execution made Peregrine a singular opportunity that rose above all other platforms.”

Kustin Lee, CIO of IMM Investment’s overseas business, commented, “We believe Peregrine is at the forefront of the energy storage market. Their proven expertise in developing and operating high-impact projects gives us great confidence in their ability to deliver essential grid services and meet the urgent need for a modernized grid. We are excited to extend our partnership with them as they continue to expand their footprint.”

“We are delighted to invest in Peregrine, a top-tier ESS developer leading energy transition in the U.S. We see tremendous growth potential in Peregrine within the U.S. energy storage market and are excited to be part of this journey alongside an industry leader,” said Shinkook Kang, CEO of Woori Private Equity Asset Management.

“AB CarVal has had a multi-year relationship with Peregrine to accelerate its pipeline of high quality storage and energy projects,” said Xiaoyu Gu, managing director with AB CarVal. “As the energy transition charges forward, we continue to value Peregrine’s industry relationships and expertise to deliver in high-demand markets.”

Peregrine currently has a robust portfolio, including two key projects in ERCOT slated to go online later this year and early next year. The new funding will support the company’s strategic expansion of its presence in key markets throughout the nation.

About Peregrine: Peregrine Energy Solutions is an integrated energy platform with a focus on utility-scale energy storage and grid solutions. Established in 2022 through a partnership between Peregrine Energy Management and a global alternative investment manager with approximately $20 billion in assets, Peregrine is committed to delivering projects that enhance grid reliability and meet growing U.S. power demands. Peregrine Energy Solutions is a limited liability company formed in Delaware and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Additional information is available at http://www.peregrineenergysolutions.com.

Media contact: Anna Lovely, [email protected]

SOURCE Peregrine Energy Solutions LLC

New Initiative – Set to Leverage Data from Human Phenotype Project – Aims to Bring Life Sciences Products to Market with Focus on Enhancing Overall Human Wellbeing

MILL VALLEY, Calif., TOKYO and HERZLIYA, Israel, Oct. 22, 2025 — Corundum Neuroscience (CNS), the neuroscience venture builder and fund, and Corundum Systems Biology (CSB), a leading investor in life-changing systems biology solutions for human health, announced today they will form a new venture creation initiative in collaboration with Offline Studio, a venture studio revolutionizing technological product creation. Offline Studio is the incubation arm of Offline Ventures, the firm’s in-house engine for creating and launching new companies across AI, hard tech, health, and consumer sectors.

Projects funded through the initiative will leverage data from the Human Phenotype Project (HPP) to develop and bring to market new life sciences products that will enhance overall human wellbeing. HPP is a large-scale deep-phenotyping project leveraging AI to derive critical insights from human health data across diverse global populations.

“This new venture initiative offers an exciting opportunity for Corundum to play a key role in shaping the future of life sciences and discover new ways to improve global human health,” said Yasushi Yamamoto, CEO and Founder of Corundum Corp. “We are looking forward to bringing our neuroscience and systems biology expertise to this partnership, helping the next generation of entrepreneurs to impact human wellbeing.”

Corundum and Offline will each initially commit one million dollars, with both partners reserving an additional $1.5 million to be invested at later stages. Both organizations will have the option to invest in the new companies through staged investments, maintaining ownership stakes across each growth phase, while inviting new investors as the companies grow.

Alongside its financial commitment, Offline will provide strategic guidance to the ventures, while CNS and CSB will actively participate in ideation and early-stage project development. Offline Studio will play the leading role in the venture creation process, sourcing projects, conducting early-stage validation and overseeing the incorporation of new companies.

“Offline Studio is committed to creating and growing ventures that solve major global health challenges,” said Jordan Hoffner, Head of Business Development at Offline Studio. “We are thrilled to partner with Corundum for this initiative. By rapidly sourcing and validating projects that translate HPP data into real-world products, we can set a new standard for bringing impactful solutions to market.”

The venture process will follow four stages. Initially, Offline Studio will identify potential projects with input from CNS and CSB. Chosen ventures will then develop prototypes and conduct early-stage validation. Offline will then help establish the ventures as new companies, with Corundum and Offline providing funding through staged SAFE investments. The expectation is that these NewCos will scale their products with additional funding provided as the companies meet defined milestones.

About Corundum Neuroscience 

Corundum Neuroscience is a venture builder and fund advancing transformative neuroscience solutions from lab-to-life. The Corundum Neuroscience team combines deep domain expertise with a track-record of venture-building success to accelerate neuroscience solutions across the entire innovation lifecycle. Taking a long-term investment approach, Corundum Neuroscience helps researchers, entrepreneurs and startups develop life-changing solutions that target specific disease areas and outcomes to enhance people’s health, longevity and quality of life. Founded by former Joy Ventures executives, Corundum Neuroscience launched in September 2023, and is headquartered in Herzliya, Israel.

For company updates and information, follow Corundum Neuroscience on LinkedIn or visit: https://cnsfund.com. 

About Corundum Systems Biology

Corundum Systems Biology (CSB) is dedicated to advancing breakthroughs in human health and well-being by supporting groundbreaking companies in the field of systems biology. Committed to the long-term success and impact of its portfolio companies, Corundum Systems Biology offers deep domain expertise, connections to a broad network of industry and scientific leaders, and access to unique sources of health data.

For company updates and information, follow Corundum Systems Biology on LinkedIn or visit https://www.csb.co.jp/.

Media Contact:
Danny Sudwarts
FINN Partners for Corundum
[email protected] 

SOURCE Corundum Neuroscience

Investment from Avenir, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures will accelerate product development for the new brand operating system founded on taste and discovery

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2025 — Shop My Shelf, Inc. dba ShopMy, the curated commerce infrastructure company today announced it has raised $70M in funding at a $1.5 billion valuation. The round was led by Avenir, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures. The round is also supported by several strategic individuals and firms including Sofia Richie, Gregg Renfrew, Raissa Gerona, Alex Mondre of AGM Ventures, and Aimee Song and Jacopo Moschin. ShopMy operates the only integrated marketing system serving premium brands, culture-driving tastemakers, and discerning consumers through technology built for lasting businesses rather than quick marketing campaigns. ShopMy began by serving creators, then brought brands into the ecosystem, and is now directly serving consumers.

“ShopMy is fundamentally a bet on authenticity and that lasting brand value comes through curation and taste over ads and algorithmic recommendations, enabling consumers to discover and buy the world’s best products,” said Harry Rein, CEO of ShopMy.

ShopMy has demonstrated significant growth across recent key metrics:

• Over $1B in annual platform sales through curators sharing recommendations
• 185,000+ hand-picked tastemakers focused on quality over volume
• 1,200+ premium brand partners building lasting relevance
• 30,000+ Circles and 150,000+ wishlisted products since the consumer platform launch in August. Circles curates personalized shopping feeds from multiple trusted creators, replacing algorithmic recommendations with human curation.
• 200% revenue growth year over year
• Sustained profitability since 2024

“Word of mouth has always been the most powerful force in commerce, and we’re building the infrastructure to make it scalable,” said Tiffany Lopinsky, President of ShopMy. “We have deep conviction that curators are the future of brand distribution for the next generation of enduring companies. This investment lets us transform personal enthusiasm into measurable results at scale.”

“ShopMy has cracked the code on making creator commerce work for elevated brands without diluting their positioning,” said Andrew Sugrue, Founder at Avenir. “When we evaluated the opportunity, the explosive growth was undeniable—they’ve created a complete solution that’s taken off in 2025, representing a fundamentally better version of how commerce should work.”

Founded in 2020 by Harry Rein (CEO), Tiffany Lopinsky (President), and Chris Tinsley (CBDO), ShopMy has evolved from individual creator storefronts to a multi-curator approach and facilitates over a $1B in annual sales for brands building lasting cultural relevance through authentic recommendations rather than traditional advertising. ShopMy integrates the complete commerce ecosystem, from brand partnerships to consumer discovery, in one professional system designed to surface the world’s best products.

About ShopMy ShopMy builds creator commerce infrastructure that connects premium brands, curators, and consumers through taste and trust. With professional tools, performance data, and a network of 185,000+ curated tastemakers, ShopMy helps brands like Rhode, Kallmeyer, Net-a-Porter, Gucci, West Elm, and Therabody drive measurable results while building enduring cultural relevance through authenticity over advertising. Based in NYC with a new Gramercy office space, the team of 140+ continues to scale the platform that’s redefining creator commerce in more than 130 countries .

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Shop My Shelf, INC.

• Electra Therapeutics is a late-stage biotechnology company developing new medicines for people with serious immunological and cancer-related diseases
• Financing was co-led by EQT Life Sciences and Nextech, with participation from Sanofi, HBM Healthcare Investments, Mubadala Capital, and all existing investors
• Proceeds will fund the registrational Phase 2/3 clinical study of the lead program in secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), a life-threatening hyperinflammatory disease with no approved therapies
• Funding will also support expanding the lead program into hematologic cancers and establishing clinical proof-of-mechanism for a second program, with broad potential across immunology and inflammation

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 22, 2025 — EQT Life Sciences is pleased to announce that its LSP 7 fund has invested in Electra Therapeutics, a late-stage US biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for immune-mediated diseases and cancer. Electra is advancing a new class of precision medicines designed to selectively target overactive immune cells that drive disease, while preserving normal immune function. This differentiated approach has the potential to deliver more effective and durable therapies for patients affected by serious immune-mediated and inflammatory conditions.

The USD 183 million Series C will fund the global registrational Phase 2/3 clinical study of the lead program (ELA026) in secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) and establish clinical proof-of-mechanism for Electra’s second program (ELA822) that has broad potential across immunology. The round was co-led by EQT Life Sciences and Nextech, with participation from new investors Sanofi, HBM Healthcare Investments, and Mubadala Capital, alongside all existing investors.

sHLH is a severe and life-threatening inflammatory condition triggered by underlying diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, or serious infections. It causes the immune system to go into overdrive, leading to widespread inflammation and organ failure. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for sHLH broadly, and in cancer-associated sHLH, survival at 8 weeks is only about 50 percent with existing options. Electra’s ELA026 is an antibody targeting Signal Regulatory Proteins (SIRP), cell surface receptors found on immune cells that become overexpressed in inflammatory diseases. By precisely removing these harmful cells while sparing normal immune function, ELA026 is designed to stop the inflammatory process at its source. This approach represents a novel way to rebalance the immune system and could have broader applications across multiple immune-mediated diseases.

Early clinical data are highly encouraging. In a Phase 1b study in sHLH, ELA026 achieved 100 percent survival at 8 weeks in frontline-treated patients. While preliminary, these results support the premise that precisely depleting SIRP-expressing immune cells can rapidly restore immune balance and may represent a meaningful advance for patients with this devastating condition. ELA026 has received FDA Breakthrough Therapy and EMA Priority Medicines designations for sHLH.

“We are pleased to have the support of a distinguished group of investors who share our vision to deliver life-changing treatments for patients with underserved diseases,” said Kathy Dong, PharmD, MBA, President and CEO of Electra Therapeutics. “Our team has a proven record of translating novel biology into first-in-class breakthrough therapies, as exemplified by ELA026. With strong momentum, we are driving the pivotal study of ELA026 in sHLH forward and accelerating our second SIRP-targeted program into the clinic.”

“The Electra team has demonstrated exceptional scientific and clinical execution in advancing a first-in-class therapy for patients with no approved treatment options,” said Christoph Broja, Partner in EQT Life Sciences, who will join Electra’s board as observer. “We are impressed by the clarity of Electra’s approach and the quality of its early data, and we look forward to supporting the team as it drives its pivotal program forward and explores the broader potential of SIRP-targeted therapies to bring real innovation to patients.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, [email protected]

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

https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-life-sciences-co-leads-usd-183-million-series-c-financing-in-electra-therapeutics,c4253937

The following files are available for download:

Series A Positions Innovative New Fintech to Launch First-Of-Its-Kind, Second-Look Private Student Lending Program for Spring 2026 Semester

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 22, 2025 — GradBridge, a newly launched fintech focused exclusively on second-look private student lending, today announced the closing of a $20 million Series A funding round led by Acorn Investment Partners, a portfolio company of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management L.P. (“Oaktree”). The equity investment will support GradBridge’s upcoming launch of a first-of-its-kind private student loan product exclusively designed for students who have exhausted federal and private options and are still committed to completing their education.

“Acorn’s principals have a long history of partnering with strong entrepreneurial businesses, and through this investment support expanded access to higher education for deserving students, while delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns,” said Yadin Rozov, CIO of Acorn Investment Partners. “GradBridge’s approach addresses a real market gap for students who are performing academically but fall just outside of traditional credit underwriting models. We are proud to lead this round and support their launch.”

Founded by former Sallie Mae executive Jen O’Donald, GradBridge is led by a seasoned team of financial services and student lending veterans with decades of experience in consumer credit, operations, and customer experience. Key leadership includes CFO Brian Carp, COO Lisa Kaplan, and support from a network of advisors that includes Paul Thome, former President of Sallie Mae Bank and Dan Hill, former Chief Credit Officer of Sallie Mae.

To ensure operational excellence and regulatory compliance from the outset, GradBridge has partnered with established industry leaders including CampusDoor, Nelnet, Gestalt, and Maquette Advisors, who together provide the origination technology, servicing, and analytics needed to scale responsibly.

“College completion is one of the most powerful drivers of lifetime earnings and financial independence, yet every year, more than a million students are denied private loans—many by just a narrow margin. Changes to the federal student loan program will only exacerbate this reality,” said Jen O’Donald, CEO of GradBridge. “We see an unserved, addressable market for our innovative product: academically strong students who fall outside traditional student loan underwriting criteria and risk not completing their degree. With the backing of Acorn Investment Partners, we now have the resources needed to give these underserved students a second look – and a second chance to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity.”

GradBridge is poised to address one of higher education’s most pressing challenges: helping students stay in school and graduate when traditional financing falls short. Today more than half of undergraduates at four-year schools drop out, and financial struggles top the list of reasons why. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, college dropouts earn 30% less than college graduates and are 50% more likely to be unemployed.

Ultimately, GradBridge aims to help students everywhere achieve their academic and financial goals. 

For more information, visit gradbridge.com, or to schedule an interview, contact [email protected].

About GradBridge
GradBridge is a fintech company focused exclusively on second-look private student lending designed to transform how students access the funding they need to graduate. Founded by veteran student loan executives, GradBridge provides a first-of-its-kind, student lending approach for upperclassmen and graduate students who are making academic progress but narrowly miss approval from traditional lenders. With a mission to close the gap between ambition and opportunity, GradBridge transforms loan denials into graduation success stories, unlocking long-term financial independence and brighter futures. Learn more at www.gradbridge.com.

Media Contacts
ShinePR for GradBridge
[email protected]

About Acorn Investment Partners
Acorn Investment Partners is a specialized investment firm focused on insurance asset management, specialty finance investments, and off-the-run special situations. The firm is led by experienced professionals with decades of combined experience across a variety of asset classes and investment types, including structured finance, insurance solutions, and growth equity. Founded in 2025, Acorn Investment Partners, a portfolio company of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., takes a modern and proprietary approach to asset management. 

SOURCE GradBridge