• ABB invests in Gridcog which provides a digital platform for next-generation modeling of complex microgrids, distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy-as-a-service solutions for utilities, independent power producers and commercial & industrial customers
• Partnership helps customers adopt energy efficient solutions by designing, comparing and validating complex energy projects faster, with clear visibility on both financial performance and carbon impact
• Gridcog’s software combined with ABB’s advisory and engineering services will accelerate the shift toward integrated, service-led energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers

ZURICH, July 14, 2026 — ABB has made a strategic minority investment in UK-based startup Gridcog to accelerate advanced modelling capabilities supporting the deployment of renewable generation and storage, industrial microgrids, distributed energy resources (DERs), alternative energy procurement strategies and energy-as-a-service solutions.

This partnership will help ABB’s customers design, compare and validate complex energy projects with clear visibility on both cost and carbon impact from the earliest stages. The financial terms have not been disclosed.

As electrification accelerates and renewables pass one-third of global power generation, energy systems are becoming more complex, driving demand for flexible, decentralized energy resources that require deeper technical, financial and environmental analysis.

Gridcog’s software platform enables rapid scenario modelling, design and simulation to support more consistent and transparent business cases for renewable and energy transition projects across different geographies, energy markets and asset types. The platform helps quantify both financial performance and carbon emissions impact, supporting commercial and industrial customers in building credible and data-driven net-zero roadmaps.

Stuart Thompson, President of ABB’s Electrification Service division, said: “By combining Gridcog’s modeling capabilities with our energy advisory and microgrid engineering expertise, we can help customers move faster from concept to implementation, as they adopt innovative technologies and business models to support their energy management goals. Together, ABB and Gridcog will focus on helping customers navigate an increasingly complex and constantly evolving energy landscape, reduce emissions and unlock more value from distributed energy resources, while supporting ABB’s growth in digital, energy advisory and service-led business models.”

As the latest addition to ABB’s growing innovation ecosystem, the collaboration with Gridcog strengthens ABB’s ability to connect software, hardware and services into more integrated as-a-service offerings. It is targeted at commercial and industrial customers seeking alternative technology solutions that deliver both economic and sustainability benefits.

Fabian Le Gay Brereton, Gridcog’s CEO, said: “ABB’s investment is a strong signal of how critical advanced modelling has become in managing the dynamic nature of the energy ecosystem. At Gridcog, we are focused on giving customers the clarity they need to make confident decisions about complex energy systems. Together with ABB, we can help businesses move faster from idea to implementation, with a clear view of both the financial case and the carbon impact.”

ABB is leading this funding round and is joined by AXPO, DNV and Verbund Ventures. At the same time, Albion and Clean Energy Finance Corporation maintain their presence as key shareholders.

This investment through ABB Electrification Ventures, the venture capital arm of ABB’s Electrification business area, is a key addition to ABB’s venture capital investments, reflecting the company’s commitment to building an ecosystem of innovative partners developing solutions that support productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. With this latest partnership, ABB Electrification Ventures has invested more than $110 million in 16 startups since 2021. ABB Electrification Ventures is part of the group-wide venture capital investment framework, ABB Ventures. Since its formation in 2010, ABB’s venture capital unit, ABB Ventures, has invested around $500 million into startups that are aligned with its electrification, automation and motion portfolio.

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com

About Gridcog

Gridcog is the trusted platform for modelling energy flexibility. It gives energy professionals developing, investing in and operating the projects driving the energy transition one complete and transparent platform to model generation, storage, flexible load, grid constraints, network tariffs and market participation across the full project lifecycle. Originally founded in Australia and now with offices in London, Berlin, Madrid, Perth and Melbourne, Gridcog supports project developers, investors, utilities, energy majors and consultants worldwide. www.gridcog.com

For more information, please contact: 

Media Relations
Phone: +41 43 317 71 11
Email: [email protected]

Investor Relations
Phone: +41 43 317 71 11
Email: [email protected]

ABB Ltd
Affolternstrasse 44
8050 Zurich 
Switzerland

SOURCE ABB

Free, pay-what-you-want membership funds new features while keeping the app 100% free for everyone

LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2026 — Peptide Tracker, the free iOS app helping users track peptide protocols, injection sites, and dosing schedules, today announced the launch of its Founding Member program, a Wikipedia-style, pay-what-you-want membership designed to fund the app’s continued development without introducing a paywall or restricting any features.

Since launching, Peptide Tracker has grown to more than 25,000 downloads, with users relying on the app daily to track adherence, manage vial inventory and reconstitution, log weight, and rotate injection sites. As the user base grew, so did requests from users asking for a way to support the app financially.

“So many people have emailed us asking if there’s a way to help fund what we’re building. That request stuck with me. It’s one of the nicest things a user can ask,” said Kevin, co-founder and CEO of Peptide Tracker. “We wanted to build something that honored that without ever compromising the promise we made when we started: this app is free, and it stays free.”

With the new Founding Member program, users choose their own contribution amount on an annual basis. There is no minimum, no suggested tier, and no feature gated behind payment. Every contribution goes directly toward funding new features, product improvements, and ongoing development.

Founding Members will also receive recognition for their early support as the program evolves, with additional member benefits planned for future releases.

“This isn’t about changing what Peptide Tracker is,” said Kevin. “It’s about giving the people who’ve been here from the start a way to help us build faster, for them and for everyone who downloads the app next.”

The Founding Member program is available now within the Peptide Tracker app.

About Peptide Tracker: Peptide Tracker is a free iOS app that helps users track peptide protocols, including dosing schedules, injection site rotation, vial inventory, and reconstitution. Built by people who use peptides themselves, the app is designed to make protocol management simple, private, and judgment-free. Peptide Tracker is co-founded by Kevin and JP Sio.

Media Contact

Kevin Miller

[email protected]

peptidetracker.ai

SOURCE Peptide Tracker

Led by the International Finance Corporation, the round brings Quadric’s Series C to $46 million, with total capital raised reaching $90 million. The capital will expand Quadric’s support and go-to-market teams for existing customers in automotive, AI PCs, and enterprise, and incoming customers in humanoid robotics, wearables, and networking.

Existing investors increased their investment in this close: Pear VC, which led Quadric’s seed round; Uncork Capital; and BEENEXT, which led the round’s first close. Offline Ventures, co-founded by Facebook Platform creator Dave Morin and former Apple executive James Higa, joined as a new investor. The first close of Series C, announced in January 2026, followed a year in which Quadric product revenues more than tripled and the company reached profitability.

IFC has committed more than $3 billion to technology ventures in emerging markets. “Quadric addresses one of the most important structural gaps in the AI ecosystem today,” said Mohamed Eissa, Chief Investment Officer at IFC. “Powerful AI cannot remain the exclusive domain of hyperscalers if emerging markets are going to close the digital divide. Quadric’s programmable architecture fundamentally changes the economics: SMEs in emerging markets can now deploy AI on devices they own, without the per-token cloud bills that price them out. That productivity gain directly levels the playing field between small businesses in emerging and developed markets. And critically, building this class of efficient, programmable chips creates exactly the kind of high-value semiconductor and AI engineering talent that emerging markets like India need to compete globally.”

“A chip feature set is locked years before it ships, and AI models change every few months, so an operator-centric, fixed-function NPU arrives behind the models and only falls further back,” said Veerbhan Kheterpal, CEO and co-founder of Quadric. “Quadric is a living platform: because the stack is software, the same chip runs new models and gets faster long after it ships. That’s the difference between silicon that depreciates and silicon that compounds. Ask our customers.“

“Every NPU gets judged the day a new model drops,” said Daniel Firu, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Quadric. “We port new models to Chimera cores and our customers take them as a software update, no silicon change. That porting machine is the product: the same core runs models published years after the silicon was designed.”

“We’re excited to keep backing Quadric as it pursues a massive opportunity. AI is moving outside the datacenter, and chip companies need silicon that can run tomorrow’s models, not just today’s. Quadric is solving that, and the design wins are proving it out. We led Quadric’s seed round and doubled down in this round because, from day one, we’ve seen firsthand how innovative this team is, and how strong they are in both the technology and the execution it takes to win,” said Mar Hershenson, Founding Managing Partner of Pear VC, which led Quadric’s seed round.

Chimera Processors Surpass Conventional NPUs
The Chimera GPNPU scales from 1 to over 3200 TOPS in multi-chiplet configurations and supports an endless array of AI models, both convolutional and transformer-based, ranging from traditional computer vision to on-device LLM inference and emerging VLA world models. Chimera processors deliver a single programmable architecture that chip designers deploy once and adapt as AI model requirements evolve. Quadric’s software toolchain converts AI models into C++, as well as enabling SoC design teams to write code in Python or C++.

About Quadric
Quadric Inc. is the leading licensor of fully programmable general-purpose AI inference processor IP that runs both AI inference workloads and classic DSP and control algorithms. Quadric’s Chimera GPNPU architecture is optimized for on-device AI/ML inference, including automotive-grade safety enhanced versions. Quadric is headquartered in Burlingame, California. Learn more at www.quadric.ai.

SOURCE Quadric, Inc.

Investment will support continued innovation in rare disease care and help PANTHERx serve more patients while preserving its independent, patient-first model

NEW YORK and PITTSBURGH, July 13, 2026 — Warburg Pincus, the pioneer of global growth investing, today announced that a Warburg Pincus-led investor group has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in PANTHERx Rare, the leading independent rare pharmacy in the United States, from Nautic Partners, General Atlantic, and The Vistria Group. Nautic Partners and PANTHERx management will remain significant shareholders. The investment will support PANTHERx as a category-defining rare disease care platform while preserving its patient-first and manufacturer-aligned model.

PANTHERx pioneered the rare pharmacy model and serves as a trusted partner across the rare disease community. Through deep therapy expertise, meaningful relationships, and a commitment to removing barriers to care, PANTHERx helps patients access and stay on therapy while delivering the high-touch support, reliability, and collaboration that patients and partners depend on.

“PANTHERx was built to help patients navigate complex rare therapy journeys with urgency and precision. We are grateful for the partnership and support from Nautic Partners, General Atlantic, and The Vistria Group, whose investment helped expand our impact for patients and shape the company we are today,” said Bansi Nagji, Chief Executive Officer of PANTHERx. “We are excited to begin this next chapter with Warburg Pincus and Nautic Partners. This partnership reinforces our position as an independent, rare-focused pharmacy and supports continued investment in people, capabilities, and technology to help us serve more rare disease patients with the expertise and compassion that define PANTHERx.”

“PANTHERx is a standout healthcare platform with an exceptional management team, proven execution, and deep specialization in one of the most important and fastest-growing areas of healthcare,” said T.J. Carella, Managing Director, Head of Healthcare, Warburg Pincus. “The Company combines deep clinical specialization, high-touch service, and strong manufacturer partnerships. We look forward to partnering with Bansi and the PANTHERx team to support the Company’s continued growth and expand access to life-changing therapies for patients with rare diseases across the United States,” added Adam Krainson, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus.

“Since our initial investment, we have had the privilege of working alongside Bansi and the exceptional team at PANTHERx as they made a meaningful difference in the lives of rare disease patients and families,” said Chris Corey and Joe Anderson, Managing Directors, Nautic Partners. “We are excited to continue this journey alongside Warburg Pincus and support the next chapter of PANTHERx.”

“PANTHERx is defined by its steadfast commitment to an underserved patient population,” said Justin Sunshine, Managing Director and John LaDien, Principal at General Atlantic. “We are proud to have supported Bansi and the team in broadening access to critical therapies through greater scale, sustained innovation, and clinical rigor. We look forward to following the company’s continued impact in the years ahead.”

“When we invested in PANTHERx, we saw a company with the unique potential to redefine the specialty pharmacy model for rare diseases,” said Mo Yang, Partner at The Vistria Group. “We are proud of what the team has built over the last four years, and we thank the management team and employees for their unwavering commitment to putting patients first and making a profound impact in the lives of those they serve.”

The companies expect to close the transaction in the coming months following customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as financial advisor to Warburg Pincus. Centerview Partners and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as financial advisors to PANTHERx. Cleary Gottlieb served as legal counsel to Warburg Pincus. Ropes & Gray served as legal counsel to PANTHERx.

About Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus LLC is the pioneer of global growth investing. A private partnership since 1966, the firm has the flexibility and experience to focus on helping investors and management teams achieve enduring success across market cycles. Today, the firm has more than $105 billion in assets under management, and more than 225 companies in its active portfolio, diversified across stages, sectors, and geographies. Warburg Pincus has invested in more than 1,100 companies across its private equity, real estate, and capital solutions strategies. Since inception, Warburg Pincus has invested over $20 billion in more than 190 innovative healthcare companies around the world, including The START Center for Cancer Research, Summit Health/CityMD, Simtra BioPharma Solutions, Polyplus, Modernizing Medicine, GHX, and Ensemble Healthcare Partners.

The firm is headquartered in New York with more than 15 offices globally. For more information, please visit www.warburgpincus.com or follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Nautic Partners
Nautic Partners, LLC is a middle-market private equity firm based in Providence, Rhode Island, that focuses on investments in three sectors: healthcare, industrials, and services. Nautic has completed over 165+ platform transactions over its 40-year history. The firm employs a proactive, thematic investment strategy and partners with strong management teams to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies through strategic add-on acquisitions, targeted operational initiatives, and deep sector expertise. For more information, please visit www.nautic.com.

About PANTHERx Rare
PANTHERx Rare makes rare disease care more hyper-personalized and less overwhelming by focusing relentlessly on each patient and each therapy. PANTHERx experts develop deep personal relationships with patients, prescribers, and pharmaceutical partners, serving as trusted advocates to ensure seamless collaboration and exceptional care. Since its founding in a garage in Pittsburgh, PA in 2011, PANTHERx has grown into the largest independent rare pharmacy in the U.S., leveraging established-company resources while maintaining small-company responsiveness, innovation, and attention to detail.

PANTHERx is licensed in all 50 states and was the first national pharmacy to achieve dual accreditations in rare disease from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) and Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC). PANTHERx is also a nine-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award for patient satisfaction, including the 2026 honor.

For more information, please email [email protected] or visit www.pantherxrare.com.

Contacts

Warburg Pincus

Sarah Bloom, Director, Communications
[email protected]

Nautic Partners

Allan Petersen, Managing Director and COO
[email protected]

PANTHERx Rare

Giancarlo Brutocao, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Marketing
[email protected]

SOURCE Warburg Pincus LLC

Former Google and Shape Security leaders reveal breakthrough on-device AI security platform, and its first platform app: a radically better way to fight AI scams, fraud, and deepfakes

SAN FRANCISCO, July 13, 2026 — Reken, an AI cybersecurity company, today announced its emergence from stealth, introducing a new on-device AI security software platform and the first product built on that platform, to address the worldwide problem of safety and trust in online communications.

Studies show that most people don’t know if what they see on the Internet is real anymore. A 2026 RBC poll found that 83% of people now assume any online message is a scam or fraud unless proven otherwise. The FBI reported $20.9B in cybercrime losses in 2025 (a 26% jump in one year) and, for the first time, added AI crime as a category, with over 22,000 AI-related complaints. New AI models like Anthropic’s Claude Mythos have made these problems even more dangerous.

“The Internet is not safe, and is getting less safe every day because of AI,” said Shuman Ghosemajumder, Reken CEO, who previously founded Google’s Trust & Safety product group and was Head of AI at F5. “Traditional cybersecurity has failed to solve these problems, and increasing scams, fraud, and cybercriminal use of AI have accelerated this erosion of trust. We need a new architecture to prevent our critical online channels from becoming overwhelmed.”

Breakthrough architecture: the Reken Private Core and the Reken Network

To solve this, Reken was founded and raised $10M in 2024, and spent two years in stealth R&D to design and build a new technology platform to address these persistent issues. The result is the Reken Private Core, a breakthrough on-device AI security system introduced today.

The Reken Private Core protects communications sent to and from each device, account, and user. Products built on the Reken Private Core use high-performance, proprietary AI models to identify incoming threats, as well as next-generation telemetry sensors to detect AI bots and automation on compromised channels, while keeping all communication data private and on-device. These technologies are able to protect against advanced attacks that no other system can detect, while dealing with traditional attacks more effectively. The Reken Private Core is designed to work on commodity hardware without GPUs and with no additional AI token costs.

Products built on the Reken Private Core platform self-assemble into the Reken Network, an advanced trust layer for the Internet. Organizations within the Reken Network can communicate with greater security and confidence, and incoming communications from outside the network are automatically analyzed for malicious behavior and deceptive content.

“There is nothing like this available to CISOs,” said Jim Routh, the former Chief Information Security Officer of American Express, DTCC, Aetna/CVS Health and MassMutual. “This will enable companies and their supply chains to significantly improve the level of safety they can expect in their communications.”

The first product: Reken Northstar, just-in-time AI to eliminate the need for phishing training

The first product built on the Reken Private Core platform is Northstar, a pro-worker AI application that helps employees by removing the burden of constantly looking for security threats like social engineering, deepfakes, business email compromise, and other AI-enabled fraud.

“Companies spend millions of human hours per day and billions of dollars on security training that simply doesn’t work,” said Ghosemajumder. “We shouldn’t be forcing employees to become forensic digital investigators. We need just-in-time AI that detects the threats the human eye cannot see. That’s what Northstar does.”

Northstar is available today under an Early Access Program. Interested organizations can apply at reken.ai.

About Reken

Reken is building An Internet Safe for Humans. It was founded by Shuman Ghosemajumder and Rich Griffiths, who helped build Shape Security into the leading AI bot defense, which was acquired by F5 in 2020 for $1B. Shuman previously founded Google’s Trust & Safety product group, protecting 1B+ users and advertisers, and helped launch Gmail. Reken has raised $10M in a round led by Greycroft and FPV Ventures, and including Firebolt Ventures, Fika Ventures, Omega Venture Partners, Homebrew, and JAZZ Venture Partners. Reken’s backers include top funds led by many early Google employees and Google-connected investors, including Wesley Chan (FPV), Hunter Walk & Satya Patel (Homebrew), Eva Ho (Fika), and Gokul Rajaram. Google DeepMind executive Jon Steinback (Sequoia Capital Scout Fund) and Vishal Vasishth (co-founder, Obvious Ventures) are also investors. Greycroft partner and Bay Area head, Marcie Vu, who helped lead Google’s IPO, serves on the Reken board.

Contact
Sam Decker
+1-650-705-8439
[email protected]

SOURCE Reken Corporation

ATLANTA, July 13, 2026 — ECI Group (ECI), a leading multifamily real estate firm, announces that veteran Atlanta commercial real estate executive Thomas Rowe has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Rowe brings more than 30 years of financial leadership experience spanning real estate development, construction, and public-sector finance to ECI’s executive team as the company continues its growth throughout the US. Rowe steps into the role as current CFO Ben Engel retires from the position after guiding ECI’s robust growth and expansion over the past 10 years.

“Thomas is a proven financial strategist who has helped build one of the most respected development platforms in the Southeast, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the ECI team”, said ECI Group CEO, Seth R. Greenberg. “His track record structuring billions of dollars in capital, scaling high-performing finance organizations, and partnering with executive leadership to drive growth makes him the right leader for ECI as we continue to build on our momentum in the multifamily industry.”

“I have long admired ECI Group’s reputation for disciplined growth and its commitment to building high-quality communities throughout the US,” said Rowe. “I am excited to join Seth and the entire ECI team and look forward to helping the company strengthen its capital strategy and financing infrastructure as it enters its next chapter of growth.” 

Rowe joins ECI after serving more than a decade as Chief Financial Officer at SJC Ventures, one of the nation’s largest developers of Whole Foods Market-anchored projects. At SJC, he directed financial strategies for more than $1.4 billion in ground-up development spanning over 3.1 million square feet of retail, multifamily, and mixed-use developments. Prior to SJC Ventures, Rowe spent five years as the Deputy CFO at Invest Atlanta/The Atlanta Development Authority. After graduating from the University of Richmond, Rowe started his professional path in public accounting and has served in various other senior finance positions over the course of his career.

About ECI Group
For more than 50 years, ECI Group has been one of the most highly regarded, privately owned real estate organizations in the United States. The firm is fully integrated, with development, construction, investment, and property management groups that have garnered national recognition for innovation and performance in the multifamily industry. With a portfolio of more than 7,500 units located throughout the Southeast and Texas, ECI is strategically positioned to continue to be a leader in the multifamily industry. For more information, visit www.ecigroups.com.

Media Contact:
Karen Widmayer
KW Communications, LLC
[email protected]
301.661.1448

SOURCE ECI Group

GIS teams can now find, buy, and stream SkyFi imagery in ESRI ArcGIS, without downloading or converting files.

AUSTIN, Texas, July 13, 2026 — SkyFi, the leading Earth Intelligence platform, today released two capabilities that simplify the process of ordering and overlaying satellite imagery over ArcGIS maps.

Built with input from commercial enterprise users, SkyFi for ArcGIS includes the SkyFi ArcGIS Widget which lets GIS analysts seamlessly search, preview, and order open and commercial satellite imagery inside ArcGIS. WMTS streaming lets them view ordered imagery as a live map layer in ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Enterprise, both are available now.

Together the two capabilities connect the full path from finding imagery to leveraging it. An analyst can search for archive imagery or task a satellite directly in ArcGIS, then view it beside their other geospatial data minutes later.

Search and order without leaving ArcGIS

The SkyFi ArcGIS Widget runs inside ArcGIS Enterprise. A user can search SkyFi’s imagery archive or task a new satellite capture by setting an area of interest on the map or uploading a shapefile. Ordering happens in the same window. The widget also handles the tasking of new satellite captures from across SkyFi’s partner ecosystem. 

Stream ordered satellite imagery as a live layer

WMTS streaming delivers imagery through a standards-based Web Map Tile Service. A customer copies a WMTS link from their order’s download menu, adds it once in their GIS tool, and the imagery loads as tiles while they pan and zoom. There is no need for file download or format conversion. The service meets the OGC WMTS 1.0.0 standard and runs in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, and QGIS. In meeting these standards, SkyFi imagery now qualifies for enterprise and government workflows that require OGC-compliant delivery.

“ArcGIS users shouldn’t have to leave their maps to get the right satellite imagery, so we brought SkyFi to them,” said Andrew Canales, chief revenue officer at SkyFi. “With SkyFi for ArcGIS, you can order existing imagery from SkyFi’s deep archive or task a new collection, all without switching tools, and WMTS streams every delivered image straight into your map as a live layer. No more downloading, converting, and re-uploading files just to see your image on a map. We built it side by side with enterprise customers, and it’s available today to every SkyFi Pro and Enterprise user, whether you’re a team of one or a global organization.”

SkyFi is a member of the Esri Startup Program and continues to deepen its work across the ArcGIS ecosystem, which commercial enterprise, government, and defense organizations rely on worldwide.

Availability

The SkyFi ArcGIS Widget and WMTS streaming are available now to SkyFi Pro and Enterprise customers. Setup guides for ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Enterprise can be found at SkyFi for ArcGIS.

About SkyFi

SkyFi is a self-service Earth Intelligence Platform that allows users to run built-in geospatial analytics, task satellites, and access archived imagery. The dual-use platform supports both civilian and defense use cases, with flexible ordering options, transparent pricing, and API access for large-scale workflows.

Customers can use SkyFi’s web platform, mobile app, or developer APIs to manage Earth observation projects without needing contracts or in-house GIS teams. Learn more at www.skyfi.com

SOURCE SkyFi

Venture arms of Chevron, ExxonMobil and Equinor join Halliburton Labs, Good Growth Capital, Ridgeline and other investors for pre-matched founder meetings this fall in Little Rock; applications are open to startups nationwide through Aug. 24

BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 13, 2026 — The investors funding the physical economy will head to Arkansas this fall to meet the next generation of companies reshaping how the world is powered, moved and secured.

Onward FX, the Heartland’s premier founder-funder exchange, opened applications today for its first sector-focused cycle, inviting founders building across energy, defense and dual-use, industrial technology and aerospace to apply for curated meetings with investors and corporate partners Oct. 26-27 in Little Rock.

The fall investor lineup includes Chevron Technology Ventures, ExxonMobil Technology Ventures and Equinor Ventures, along with Halliburton Labs, Good Growth Capital, Ridgeline and others backing companies across deep technology industries. Applications are open nationwide through Aug. 24 at onward.nwacouncil.org/fx.

Every application is reviewed against investor mandates, and every private meeting is pre-matched by sector, stage and company needs. The format compresses months of outreach into focused conversations with venture investors and corporate partners prepared to engage early-stage companies. For founders, the approach creates direct access to the people who can both fund the work and test it in the market in real time.

The confirmed firms reflect a broader shift in capital toward deep technology across the physical economy. Their investment areas span robotics, grid technology, battery materials, critical minerals, autonomy, satellite systems, advanced air mobility and similar technologies. The fall lineup pairs corporate venture arms with independent funds, positioning founders to pursue and potentially secure capital and commercial relationships through the same process.

“Capital is only one part of how these companies scale,” said Serafina Lalany, executive director of StartupNWA, the Northwest Arkansas Council’s entrepreneurship initiative. “The larger question is who can help prove the technology works and move it into the market. Onward FX creates those relationships earlier, when they can change the trajectory of a company.”

For companies building complex engineered systems, corporate relationships often determine whether a technology moves from prototype to deployed product. Recent deal data reinforces the point. In an analysis of disclosed U.S. acquisitions and corporate-strategic investments in 2026, Lalany found a market shaped by eight- and nine-figure outcomes as much as billion-dollar headlines. The median disclosed deal value was about $70 million, with 7 in 10 deals closing at or below $150 million. For companies building hardware, industrial technology and manufacturing systems, the median acquisition was closer to $100 million.

Those outcomes place a premium on early relationships with corporate partners and strategic buyers, especially for companies whose paths to scale require pilots, deployment, regulatory navigation, procurement and operational trust. The Heartland’s concentration of manufacturing, energy, logistics and defense infrastructure puts it in direct proximity to the industries these startups supply. Little Rock anchors the fall cycle near the lithium-rich Smackover Formation, which has drawn significant energy investment to Arkansas and strengthened the state’s position in battery materials and critical mineral extraction.

“Across our state, entrepreneurs and company founders are developing solutions that can reshape industry and address critical needs in our modern economy,” said Esperanza Massana Crane, director of AEDC’s Small Business and Economic Development Commission. “With the latest cycle of the Onward FX program, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to connect with investors and corporate partners to collaborate and gain access to capital that enables significant growth.”

Since the Northwest Arkansas Council launched Onward FX in 2024, the program has facilitated more than 800 curated founder-funder meetings and helped startups secure millions in venture capital investments nationwide. Through its partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Onward FX expanded statewide in October 2025, giving more Arkansas founders direct access to national capital while elevating investment opportunities across the Natural State.

How to apply and attend

Startups across the U.S. building in energy, defense and dual-use, industrial technology and aerospace are invited to apply through Aug. 24 at onward.nwacouncil.org/fx.

Relevant technologies include robotics, automation, manufacturing intelligence, energy storage, grid technology, battery materials, critical minerals, autonomy, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, satellite systems, advanced air mobility, rocketry and similar work.

Selected founders will be matched for curated meetings based on investor interest, company stage and sector fit. All applicants are added to a venture deal database shared with more than 200 institutional investors nationwide, extending the value of participation beyond the event itself.

Onward FX also includes networking opportunities designed to build lasting relationships among founders, investors, corporate partners and ecosystem leaders. Registration for the Oct. 26-27 program is available at luma.com/onwardfx.

About the Northwest Arkansas Council

Founded in 1990 by Sam Walton, J.B. Hunt, Don Tyson and other business leaders, the Northwest Arkansas Council serves as a regional convener for economic and community initiatives. The Council works to advance quality of life, attract talent, improve the workforce, create job opportunities and upgrade infrastructure across the region.

StartupNWA, an initiative of the Council, strengthens the region’s startup ecosystem by expanding access to capital, mentorship and networks. Building on the Council’s longstanding commitment to entrepreneurship, StartupNWA connects founders with education, resources and community to help them build and scale their companies in Arkansas and contribute to a more dynamic innovation economy.

Signature programs include Onward FX, the Heartland’s premier founder-funder exchange, designed to accelerate venture capital activity across high-growth markets nationwide. Since launching in 2024, the program has facilitated more than 800 curated founder-funder meetings and helped startups secure millions in venture capital investments nationwide. In partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Onward FX has expanded statewide, providing founders across Arkansas direct access to national investors. To understand more about Onward FX and its impact, watch this video.

StartupNWA is supported by the Walton Family Foundation. The foundation’s funding supports education and resource offerings for entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas, helping ensure founders have the tools, guidance and connections needed to build scalable, high-growth companies.

About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission

At AEDC, we know economic advancement does not happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. AEDC is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. To learn more, visit ArkansasEDC.com.

Link to logos and High Resolution Images

Contact:
Amanda Horn
Senior Communications Advisor
Northwest Arkansas Council
[email protected]
775-636-2567

SOURCE Northwest Arkansas Council

New platform will create unique and creative sports events to connect business leaders, brands, technology innovators, and community leaders from multicultural communities together, building strategic partnerships, business development opportunities and cultural engagement.

NEW YORK, July 10, 2026 — PRAVAAH today announced its official launch, introducing a new platform dedicated to accelerating business growth and community engagement across the global South Asian diaspora and South Asian audiences throughout North America.

Derived from the Sanskrit word for “flow,” PRAVAAH is built on the belief that sports has the power to create meaningful connections across cultures: businesses, brands, investors, technology leaders, cultures, fans, and media. The organization will work with sports rightsholders, properties, and investors to create meaningful business relationships with South Asian audiences through creative experiential programming, strategic advisory, and partnerships.

PRAVAAH aims to serve as a trusted bridge between the sports industry and the South Asian audience, one of North America’s fastest-growing multicultural communities.

PRAVAAH is a joint venture between Ocgrow Ventures and Tulsea Sports Marketing, giving the organization the ability to leverage their extensive networks of relationships across professional sports, business, government, community organizations, celebrities and influencers, and ethnic media.

“PRAVAAH is far more than a sports platform. It’s a global movement built on the belief that sport has the power to unite people, ideas, cultures, and opportunity. Across North America and around the world, South Asian entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and innovators are helping shape the future of the global economy.

Our vision is to build the world’s leading network where sports, business, technology, investment, and culture converge. By creating meaningful connections and authentic partnerships, PRAVAAH will unlock new opportunities for business leaders, brands, and sports organizations while inspiring the next generation of global leaders. This is only the beginning.” , quoted Harish Consul, Co-Founder of PRAVAAH & Founder/CEO of Ocgrow Ventures.

The company’s initial areas of focus will be on connecting sports rightsholders with business leaders and founders from multicultural communities through creative experiential programming, using sports as a platform to support and amplify the South Asian business community.

During its first year, PRAVAAH anticipates launching initiatives in several key South Asian population hubs in North America, including Calgary, Toronto, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Vancouver, and New York, with additional markets expected to be announced throughout the year, together with our global expansion in 2027 ahead.

“Sports has a unique ability to unite people across generations, cultures, and industries,” said Sreesha Vaman, Co-Founder of PRAVAAH and Partner/Co-Founder of Tulsea Sports Marketing. “PRAVAAH harnesses that power to bring together South Asian business leaders with the communities they serve, creating authentic connections that strengthen relationships and unlock new opportunities.”

With multicultural populations representing one of the fastest growing segments of sports fans and consumers across North America, PRAVAAH is positioned to help organizations move beyond one-time campaigns toward sustained, authentic engagement.

For more information, visit pravaahsports.com.

About PRAVAAH

PRAVAAH is a multicultural sports business platform that connects sports, business, and culture through experiential programming, strategic partnerships, and community engagement. Working with sports rightsholders, brands, investors, technology leaders, and community organizations, PRAVAAH helps organizations unlock growth opportunities by building meaningful relationships with fast-growing South Asian audiences across North America.

www.pravaahsports.com

About Ocgrow Ventures

Ocgrow Ventures is a leading global venture capital fund based in Canada. Founded by Harish Consul (www.harishconsul.com), Ocgrow Ventures (www.ocgrowgroup.com) is focused on investments with exceptional global founders to help build exponential growth companies, with AI First focus in multiple verticals globally. Ocgrow Ventures has been an early investor in Amazon, Shopify, Garuda Aerospace, Bloom Energy, Fizz Social and many more.

About Tulsea Sports Marketing

Tulsea Sports Marketing advises sports rightsholders on their multicultural marketing efforts, with a unique focus on South Asians. TSM brings a unique, holistic approach to our clients, including trusted strategic advisory, deep connectivity to the global community, world-class expertise in messaging and communications, and extensive experience in implementation. TSM’s mission is to amplify the global commercial presence of South Asians in the sports industry. TSM has offices in New York and Los Angeles.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/3005470/Pravaah_Logo.jpg

SOURCE PRAVAAH