Investment in Alfred marks venture fund’s entry into Norway and deepens focus on next-generation AI platforms.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 — SeaX Ventures, a global deep tech venture capital fund, today announced its investment in Alfred, an Oslo-based AI startup redefining how enterprises scale sales productivity. This marks SeaX’s first investment in Scandinavia and underscores the firm’s growing commitment to next-generation AI platforms transforming global industries.

The investment marks a significant milestone in SeaX’s global expansion and underscores the firm’s commitment to advancing the next wave of AI innovation across continents. Operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence, deep tech, and enterprise transformation, SeaX has built a global portfolio spanning the U.S., Asia, and Europe, with a focus on technologies that drive measurable impact across industries.

“Entering the Nordics represents an exciting step in our mission to connect innovation ecosystems around the world,” said Dr. Kid Parchariyanon, Founder and Managing Partner of SeaX Ventures. “Our mission has always been to bridge innovation ecosystems globally and back founders who use AI to fundamentally reshape how industries operate. Alfred exemplifies this vision — transforming sales from process-driven to intelligence-driven.”

Founded by serial entrepreneur Edwin Fjeldtvedt, previously the founder of Favrit (formerly Ordr), alongside Espen Sjaavik, Alexandra Leisse, and Amr Abdelwahab, Alfred is building an AI-powered knowledge and learning platform designed to help enterprises scale sales the right way. It combines the expertise and best practices of top-performing sales organizations with intelligent automation.

Alfred’s platform uses multiple AI agents to act as a world-class revenue team, embedding the intuition, playbooks, and preparation of elite sellers directly into enterprise workflows. The result is sales teams that learn continuously, stay one step ahead, and focus on high-value human relationships.

“Most technology today focuses on efficiency,” said Edwin Fjeldtvedt, Co-Founder and CEO of Alfred. “But efficiency without effectiveness just means doing the wrong things faster. Alfred helps organizations sell the right way, combining proven methods, structured learning, and AI-driven preparation to drive sustainable growth.”

As SeaX continues to expand across the globe, its investment in Alfred highlights a growing emphasis on Europe’s emerging AI ecosystem, and reinforces the firm’s long-term vision to empower founders building the technologies that will define the future economy.

About SeaX Ventures
SeaX Ventures  is a global venture capital firm dedicated to investing in deep-tech startups that are shaping the future through groundbreaking innovations. With a mission to empower entrepreneurs building exponential technologies, SeaX Ventures focuses on sectors with high potential to drive 1% GDP growth and reduce 1% of Global Carbon Emissions within the next decade. SeaX delivers unique access to a highly selective group of innovative companies from around the globe. SeaX leverages its relationship with over 500+ listed companies, MNCs, and huge family businesses in Southeast Asia to explore business opportunities together with portfolio companies. For more information, visit https://seaxventures.vc

About Alfred
Alfred is a Knowledge and Learning Management platform (LMS) that delivers contextual enablement to help companies scale sales productivity through the knowledge and processes of the best. The platform is powered by multiple AI agents, designed to operate as a world-class revenue team with a mentor who not only prepares and completes the “homework,” but also helps sellers learn ahead of the moments that matter. The result: sales teams stay one step ahead, always equipped with the right keys at the right time – rather than being ghosted or deprioritized at the end of a process. Inspired by Batman’s butler, Alfred is the wise, trusted mentor who ensures the hero is always prepared and ready to perform when it counts.

Media Contact:
Matt Costantini
[email protected]
[email protected]

SOURCE SeaX Ventures

Purpose-built for the unique needs of the industrial sector, Corbel deploys AI agents which seamlessly power sales, customer service, and parts operations. By delivering unparalleled personalization and efficiency across the customer lifecycle, Corbel is setting a new standard for an industry long overlooked by digital transformation

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 — Corbel, an AI-powered operating system for industrial equipment manufacturers, today announced it has secured $6.7 million in Seed funding to revolutionize the sales experience. The round was led by Ibex Investors, with participation from Joule Ventures, Restive Ventures, and Selah Ventures.

Set to surpass a trillion dollars in market value by 2030, industrial equipment is a cornerstone of the global economy. More than half of procurement leaders see AI as transformational – especially in areas like sourcing and supplier risk management. Yet 70% of manufacturers are still inputting data manually, while many sales teams continue to rely on legacy tools, static PDFs, and manual quoting processes to sell increasingly sophisticated machines. This gap slows down deals, limits growth, and makes it harder to compete. By transforming messy, but mission-critical, product data into AI-native intelligence, Corbel delivers a new way to guide buyers from exploration to purchase.

“We’re building the infrastructure which underpins how industrial equipment gets sold: AI-powered, data-driven, and designed to deliver personalized solutions at scale. The future of this industry isn’t reps buried in busywork, it’s sales teams doing what they do best – building relationships, applying expertise, and closing,” said Le’ora Lichtenstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Corbel. “Corbel incorporates detailed product intelligence at every step of the sale – from discovery to quote to financing – giving teams the modern digital firepower they need to win more business.”

Corbel’s operating system is rooted in deep product intelligence. Its AI agents are trained on each manufacturer’s proprietary machine data, including product catalogs, technical specs, pricing sheets, and the human expertise embedded in videos, sales transcripts, and email interactions. By sifting through reams of unstructured information, Corbel builds a robust sales intelligence layer that powers smarter selling and a seamless buyer experience, helping sales teams guide customers to the right machine, surface relevant upsells, and present tailored financing options. This drives measurable impact for manufacturers, accelerating sales cycles, boosting conversion rates, and unlocking greater deal value.

Aaron Rinberg, Partner at Ibex Investors added: “Corbel has built a highly proficient, AI-powered CPQ platform that brings much-needed innovation to industrial manufacturing, a legacy industry long overdue for disruption. By integrating seamlessly into existing sales workflows and embedding flexible installment payments, Corbel is reinventing the quoting and purchasing experience for both buyers and sales teams. We’ve been incredibly impressed by Corbel’s impact and we’re thrilled to partner with them together on this journey.”

Corbel’s solution is already powering configuration, quoting and financing for eight manufacturers, across verticals including metalworking, woodworking, and additive manufacturing machinery. In just six months since launching its broader sales platform, Corbel has processed over $60 million in quoting volume. To date, it has facilitated over $1.7 million in financing across 41 transactions, with industry-leading approvals rates exceeding 90% on customer applications.

Scott Donahy, VP of Sales Marketing from Piranha Fabrication commented: “While reps are often experts in some machines, they rarely have the tools to extend that knowledge across every product — or to buyers exploring on the website. Corbel’s platform empowers our team with instant, data-backed recommendations; pouring over in seconds tens of thousands of data points that would take a human months to process. With Corbel behind it, our sales team zeroes in on the right equipment for each customer. It has strengthened how we sell, enabling our reps to focus on the conversations and nurtured relationships that close deals.”

With this funding, Corbel will expand its engineering and go-to-market teams, deepen its AI capabilities, and scale deployments with leading OEM partners across North America.

About Corbel

Corbel is an AI-powered operating sytem designed to transform the industrial equipment industry through a revolutionary Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) system with embedded finance to help facilitate the sale of high-ticket items. Founded in 2022 by Le’ora Lichtenstein, after many years in private equity where she led structured credit investments across real estate, venture, and equipment finance, and Dor Litay, an expert in building complex systems at scale for under-digitised environments, Corbel’s platform leverages artificial intelligence to automate and streamline the quoting and sales process for equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers. By improving speed, precision, and efficiency, Corbel’s platform helps industrial equipment sales teams close more deals and increase revenue without disrupting existing sales operations. For more information visit: https://corbelpay.com/

Media Contact

Gavin Horwich, Headline Media

[email protected] 

SOURCE Corbel

Woz combines AI efficiency. speed with human expertise, moving beyond prototypes to deliver production-ready products at the level of the world’s top tech companies.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 — Woz today announced it raised $6 million in seed funding for its groundbreaking platform that is the first to combine AI with expert human oversight to build business-ready mobile apps. The funding round was led by Cervin Ventures, with participation from Burst Capital, Y Combinator, Untapped Ventures, MGV, and the Lacob Family, co-owners of the Golden State Warriors.

Vibe-coding tools can create shortcuts and vulnerabilities, which may work for prototypes, but fall short for reliable business applications. Woz takes an anti-vibe coding approach: rather than giving AI unlimited freedom, Woz sets clear tasks, processes, and guardrails. When the AI hits a snag, humans step in to correct it, and every app undergoes a thorough quality review by a human engineering expert. The result: robust, scalable, and secure applications that businesses can confidently deliver to their customers.

“Woz can be replicated across many product categories and specialized for many verticals,” explains Co–Founder and CEO Ben Collins. “Today, we’re building mobile apps. Tomorrow it will be web apps, TV apps, IoT software, and AR/VR, as well as specialized software for regulated sectors like healthcare and insurance. It’s a new approach to product building similar to an ‘AI App Factory’. Just as the physical factory powered the industrial revolution, Woz unlocks the next great leap in how the world builds.”

Unleashing the Potential of AI & Expert Human Engineering

Woz combines agentic AI, manufacturing principles, and human engineering to produce business-grade mobile apps at scale. By breaking complex processes into discrete steps and assigning each AI agent a specialized role, this assembly-line model ensures consistency, quality, and scalability. It is the first system of its kind, designed for seamless AI and human collaboration. The codebases Woz generates are not the messy “spaghetti code” typical of other app builders. Instead, they are clean, well-structured, secure, and human-readable – a reliable foundation for building powerful, future-ready applications.

Today, Woz can produce thousands of high quality apps in parallel; giving entrepreneurs, SMBs, and established non-tech enterprises, access to the same caliber of engineering once reserved for elite tech companies. “Global brands can’t compromise on quality. Like in sports, many of these organizations don’t have robust engineering teams. By combining access to expert product building with AI, Woz unlocks enormous value,” said Kirk Lacob, Woz investor & Executive Vice President Golden State Warriors.

The Fading Promise of Vibe-Coding

The AI app builder landscape has exploded, with dozens of platforms promising users the ability to go from prompt to web app in record time. But these tools come with trade-offs: code quality and depth are often sacrificed for speed and breadth, leaving developers to rebuild much of this throwaway code before it can be deployed in production. While these platforms claim to make everyone a software developer, their technology is not yet mature enough to deliver reliable, production-ready applications.

As the initial AI excitement fades and limitations become apparent, leading AI app builders are seeing sharp declines in traffic. Analysis from Barclays shows that as of September, site visits to Lovable dropped 40% from their peak in June, while competitors Bolt.new and Vercel’s v0 fell 27% and 64%, respectively.

Injil Muhammad, CEO and cofounder of Buddle, a learning and development platform for Gen-Z talent and a Woz customer, observed this firsthand: “Vibe-coding tools are great for quickly testing ideas, but moving toward sustainable, production-ready applications requires technical expertise that is not easy to find.”

“It’s clear that vibe-coding is not the end game,” added Taylor Oliver, Partner at Cervin Ventures and Woz board member. “The real breakthrough comes when AI-generated apps produce scalable, secure code that serves as the foundation for lasting businesses. Woz’s approach uniquely positions them to lead this shift.”

The new funding will fuel product development and hiring to meet growing demand, while maintaining the company’s commitment to uncompromising quality. The Woz platform is available today at www.withwoz.com.

About Woz

Woz is the first platform that applies AI with expert human oversight to build business-ready apps. Unlike tools that churn out disposable prototypes, Woz builds robust, scalable, and secure products that meet the strictest business requirements. From startups launching their first product to enterprises modernizing legacy solutions, Woz makes it possible to build, scale, and run world-class products with the power of AI. Founded by MIT engineers Ben Collins and Brad Eckert, the company has raised $6 million from Cervin Ventures, Y Combinator, and other leading investors. Woz is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Learn more at www.withwoz.com.

SOURCE Woz

CHICAGO, Oct. 15, 2025 — Moderne Ventures is pleased to announce its Fall2025 Passport Class. Moderne Ventures is a multi-stage VC firm investing in transformative technologies like AI, SaaS, robotics, sustainability and digital transactions that are shaping our future – including how we do business across trillion-dollar, antiquated industries like real estate, finance, insurance and beyond. The Moderne Passport Program is an intensive six-month industry immersion program providing its participants with education, exposure, insight, and relationships to drive customer growth.

“Moderne is a generalist investor with vertical expertise. We are intentionally looking for breakthrough technologies that can transform our core industries and expand beyond them to capture larger venture returns,” said Constance Freedman, Founder and Managing Partner of Moderne Ventures. “This latest Passport cohort brings innovations that include advanced risk assessment platforms, efficiency boosting AI assistants, and customer retention tools.”

We are pleased to announce the six new companies joining Moderne Passport:

• Algoma (algoma.co)  – (New York, NY): Hyperefficient market analysis and feasibility
• BrokerBot (brokerbot.ai)  – (Lakeway, TX): Omnichannel AI-powered assistant automating admin and compliance 
• ElectroTempo (electrotempo.com)  – (Arlington, VA): AI geospatial intelligence and optimization platform turning investment risk into ROI
• Optera (opteraclimate.com) – (Boulder, CO):  Enterprise software enabling enterprises to manage and reduce emissions across their value chain
• Renew  (heyrenew.com)  – (Brooklyn, NY): An automated proactive customer retention platform
• Virtuo (virtuo.com) – (Calgary, Alberta, CA): Connected experience platform behind better service, smoother operations, and happier customers

“We’re proud to welcome our 23rd Passport cohort, having supported over 150 companies through the program. Moderne helps companies break into complex industries by providing targeted access to potential customers, strategic capital and real-time feedback from our network of leading operators. By tapping into our deep relationships with industry partners, we help companies unlock new distribution channels and accelerate meaningful growth,” said Carolyn Kwon, Head of Platform at Moderne Ventures.

Moderne Ventures accepts Passport applications on a rolling basis with the next class launching in December 2025.

Moderne Ventures Overview

Moderne Ventures  is a multi-stage VC firm with a 17-year track record, generating top tier returns across five funds. Moderne manages over $600M AUM to invest in transformative technologies like AI, SaaS, robotics, sustainability, and digital transactions that our shaping our future including how we do business across trillion-dollar industries like real estate, finance, insurance and beyond. Moderne’s unfair advantage: its network of 1,500+ execs and corporates we activate through our proprietary Moderne Passport Program to help portfolio companies drive explosive growth. The Moderne Platform de-risks venture – producing top tier Venture returns while maintaining a PE/Buyout risk profile.

Moderne has invested in more than 50 companies with additional equity in over 150 Moderne Passport companies across five funds. The firm has built a stellar track record as a lead investor in companies like DocuSign, ICON, Proof, Caribou, Porch, and Xeal.

CONTACT: Carolyn Kwon, [email protected]

SOURCE Moderne Ventures

• USD $11M raised to help the company meet its goal of revitalizing local manufacturing industries
• Investors include Lavrock Ventures, Squadra Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Cox Exponential, Ericsson Ventures and the Scottish National Investment Bank

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. and EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 15, 2025 — Launchpad, the AI-first robotics company powering real-world assembly automation, today announced that it had successfully concluded a Series A funding round raising a total of USD $11 million.

The funds will be used to accelerate the development of Launchpad’s innovative technology whilst meeting demand from existing and new customers in the US, UK and Europe.  The round was co-led by Lavrock Ventures and Squadra Ventures, with participation from strategic and financial investors including Ericsson Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Cox Exponential and the Scottish National Investment Bank.  This is in addition to the USD 2.5 million in grant funding awarded to Launchpad by Scottish Enterprise.

Launchpad’s technology is reimagining the manufacturing industry with AI and advanced robotics to power firms’ critical automation strategies.  This is a sector experiencing significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent.  According to Deloitte, the US manufacturing industry could have up to 1.9 million unfilled positions by 2033.

While robotics have the potential to address this workforce challenge, the expense of traditional systems remains a barrier to adoption, particularly for small- to medium-sized firms.  Recent figures from the International Federation of robotics show a 9% drop in robot installations in the US over 2024.  Launchpad, which has a new R&D center in Edinburgh, Scotland, has invested in advanced AI tools which the company estimates halve the time and cost of delivering automation solutions.

Jon Quick, CEO of Launchpad, said, “Launchpad has built a technology that is helping manufacturers manage the optimal integration of humans and robots. We see AI tools, such as those being pioneered by Launchpad, as reimagining the manufacturing industry and revitalizing local economies.”

Steve Smoot, Managing Partner at Lavrock Investors, said, “We are proud to invest our capital and time in support of Launchpad’s quest for a more innovative, automated, resilient future in advanced manufacturing.  The company has an impressive track record, proven management team, and clear vision of what it will take to make a lasting impact in this dynamic and extremely important industry.”

Guy Filippelli, Managing Partner at Squadra Ventures, said, “Since 2020, America has lost more than a quarter of its manufacturing jobs. The message is clear: cost matters. With Launchpad, we’re rewriting that story – using AI to build a new era of globally competitive domestic manufacturing that can win and lead the future.”

Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Enterprise, said, “With its R&D center in Edinburgh, Launchpad is able to draw on Scotland’s long-standing academic, technical and entrepreneurial strengths.  The company has quickly become an influential part of the Scottish innovation community, and we look forward to supporting its next growth phase.”

About Launchpad

Launchpad, founded in 2020, was created to reimagine manufacturing and revitalize local economies.  The company addresses labor shortages and improves competitiveness by combining proprietary AI-first technology with advanced robotics to help firms manage the optimal integration of humans and robots.  It estimates its systems halve the time and cost of delivering automation solutions.  With offices in Los Angeles, CA, and Edinburgh, UK, Launchpad’s technology is already deployed in factories across the US and Europe.

For more information, please contact:
Dan Bradley, Communications Director, Launchpad
[email protected]
+44 (0)7816 829166

SOURCE Launchpad Build, Inc

Portable, AI-enhanced Radar Products for Counter UAS

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 15, 2025 — MatrixSpace, a leader in portable AI-enhanced radar counter drone sensing technology, announces the completion of its $20 million Series B funding round. This raise represents a significant valuation increase over the Series A of May 2023 and brings MatrixSpace’s total funding to date to $58 million. The completion of this round also introduces meaningful new investors, including L3Harris, to the MatrixSpace team.

The round was co-led by The Raptor Group and OTB Ventures. The Raptor Group is a Boston-based venture and growth fund investing in deep technology across a variety of industries. OTB Ventures is a leading European investor focused on dual-use defense and enterprise technology, with deep ties to both European industry and NATO.  

“We’re proud to welcome new investors OTB Ventures and industry powerhouse L3 Harris to MatrixSpace, along with the robust engagement of our existing investors. This new capital and industry partnerships position us extremely well for our next chapter of growth and cements our leadership in portable CUAS, or counter drone systems,” comments Gregory Waters, co-founder and CEO of MatrixSpace.

“By combining advanced radar and AI at the edge, MatrixSpace sets a new standard for edge sensing, redefining situational awareness for both civil and defense applications. We’re proud to back the team shaping how autonomous systems will perceive the world,” comments Marcin Hejka, the co-founder and General Partner of OTB Ventures.

MatrixSpace Radar delivers affordable, AI-powered situational awareness in all conditions, including low-light and low-visibility. With leadership AI Edge and Cloud software for real-time classification, history, and predication capabilities organizations can create safe airspace rapidly and robustly. 

About MatrixSpace
MatrixSpace delivers advanced AI-enabled portable CUAS (counter drone) solutions that operate anywhere and can be rapidly moved. Its compact, ultra-low power radar systems provide persistent detection and classification for airspace, perimeter, and object monitoring in dynamic outdoor environments. www.matrixspace.com.

Contact:

MatrixSpace
[email protected]

LinkedIn @MatrixSpaceAI
Twitter @MatrixSpaceAI
BlueSky @matrixspace.bsky.social

SOURCE MatrixSpace

Protego Ventures leads oversubscribed round alongside strategic energy investors Adara Ventures and a Leading Latin America Transmission Operator

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 15, 2025 — Prisma Photonics, a deep-tech company transforming existing optical fiber into the world’s most advanced infrastructure monitoring platform, announced today the closing of an oversubscribed $30M growth round, bringing its total capital raised to $80 million. The round was led by Protego Ventures, with participation of Adara Ventures and the investment arm of a leading Latin America Transmission operator, alongside continued support from Insight Partners, Chione Switzerland, and SE Ventures (Schneider Electric’s venture arm).

Prisma Photonics’ AI-driven Hyper-Scan Fiber-Sensing^™ platform has already been deployed across thousands of kilometers of critical infrastructure worldwide, among them are 15 Tier-1 Transmission System Operators in the U.S. and Europe. By converting existing optical fibers into massive, real-time sensor networks, Prisma Photonics combines advanced optical fiber sensing with proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) to detect, classify, and localize events with meter-level accuracy across hundreds of kilometers—whether it’s an intrusion at a secured perimeter, a congested power grid, a wildfire threat along a high-voltage power line, or protecting long remote boundaries. As the system processes more data from diverse deployments, its AI models continuously improve, creating a powerful network effect and long-term technology moat.

“Prisma Photonics has demonstrated exceptional innovation in transforming existing fiber infrastructure into powerful monitoring systems,” said Lee Moser, Managing Partner at Protego Ventures. “Their proven technology platform addresses critical needs across multiple infrastructure sectors, from physical security to grid resilience. We’re excited to support their expansion as they protect increasingly vital infrastructure worldwide.”

The raise will accelerate Prisma Photonics’ scale-up journey and growth in the U.S. and Europe and fuel its expansion into Latin America, where utilities are racing to integrate renewable energy while addressing aging transmission systems.

“Prisma Photonics has already proven its value to U.S. and European utilities,” said Alberto Echeverri, Partner at Adara Ventures. “Now it’s poised to support operators in emerging markets where there is tremendous potential for advanced grid technologies. We are proud to support the team as they work to unlock new capacity, reduce risks, and drive the energy transition forward.”

“Critical infrastructure everywhere is under strain—whether from security threats, extreme weather, or the energy transition,” said Dr. Eran Inbar, CEO of Prisma Photonics. “Our AI capabilities allow us to translate raw optical fiber signals into actionable intelligence in real time. That means our technology can protect a military installation one day, and optimize renewable energy integration the next. This funding accelerates our mission to make the world’s infrastructure safer, smarter, and more resilient.”

About Prisma Photonics
Prisma Photonics revolutionizes infrastructure monitoring by using optical fibers to monitor critical infrastructure like power grids, oil & gas pipelines, secured compounds, and military perimeters across thousands of kilometers—eliminating the need for traditional sensors. Its Hyper-Scan Fiber-Sensing^™ technology, powered by advanced AI and machine learning, enables operators to detect, classify, and respond to threats with unprecedented accuracy and speed. With every new deployment, Prisma Photonics’ AI models learns and improve, creating a compounding advantage and defensible data moat. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in the United States and Europe, Prisma Photonics is led by an expert team with a proven track record in building and scaling deep-tech companies.

About Protego Ventures
Protego Ventures, founded by Lital Leshem and Lee Moser, is an Israel-based venture capital fund dedicated to addressing today’s most urgent defense and security challenges. Against the backdrop of growing geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the global defense landscape has shifted dramatically, creating an urgent demand for innovative solutions. As a pioneering fund in this sector, Protego Ventures invests in early-growth companies developing breakthrough technologies across key areas, including aerial defense, AI and machine learning, critical infrastructure, advanced sensors, drones, UAVs, and USVs. For more information, visit: https://www.protego.vc/

About Adara Ventures
Adara Ventures is a leading European venture capital firm specializing in deep tech investments. Founded in 2005, the firm manages over €350 million in assets and has a track record of helping high-potential innovators achieve global success. Adara’s portfolio focuses on innovative companies in areas such as cybersecurity, data applications and infrastructure, hardware components, digital health, space tech, and energy transition technologies. For more information, visit www.adara.vc.

Media Contact:
Sarah McAllister
[email protected]
Mahoney Communications Group
212-220-6045

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796219/prisma_logo.jpg

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 — Intelo.ai, the company building the future of retail through its Collaborative Intelligence platform, today announced the closing of a $2 million financing round. The round was led by Illuminate Ventures, a premier venture capital firm focused on B2B enterprise software.

This capital infusion will accelerate the development and deployment of Intelo.ai’s innovative platform for merchandising and planning. The company is pioneering the use of specialized AI agents that work alongside retail teams, augmenting their skills to dramatically improve forecasting, assortment planning, and inventory management. This funding will be used to expand the product and engineering teams and accelerate the company’s go-to-market strategy as it builds towards the future of retail.

“Intelo was born from a deep respect for the art and science of retail. I’ve seen firsthand how pivotal merchants, planners, and buyers are, and our passion is to build the technology they truly deserve. Our vision for Agentic AI is to elevate these roles, transforming them from data analysts into strategic visionaries. We’re giving every retail leader a powerful AI partner to handle the ‘how,’ so they can reclaim their time to focus on the ‘what’,” said Roopesh Nair, Co-CEO of Intelo.ai

“Retail merchandising and planning have been underserved by true innovation for too long. We are grateful for the confidence that Illuminate Ventures and our investors have placed in us to change that,” said Jeff Fish, Co-CEO of Intelo.ai. “This partnership validates our vision for a future where human expertise is amplified by powerful AI agents, working in concert to make smarter, faster, and more profitable decisions. This funding allows us to accelerate our mission to move Intelo.ai forward and deliver a new era of collaborative intelligence to the retail industry.”

Illuminate Ventures, known for backing transformative enterprise technologies, recognized the significant market opportunity and the unique approach Intelo.ai is taking to solve longstanding challenges in retail.

“Intelo represents exactly the kind of further along company Illuminate looks for; experienced founders with deep domain expertise, solving a problem that offers near instant ROI,” said Cindy Padnos, Managing Partner of Illuminate Ventures. “Their deep expertise in both retail and technology gives them a unique insight into the industry’s pain points. The concept of AI agents that collaborate with planners and merchandisers is a game-changer. Intelo.ai is not just building another analytics tool; they are creating a true system of intelligence that will transform core retail operations. We are thrilled to partner with them to help build a category-defining company.”

Intelo.ai’s platform moves beyond static dashboards and traditional analytics by introducing AI agents that can reason, recommend, and automate complex workflows. This “Collaborative Intelligence” approach empowers retail teams to navigate volatile market trends, reduce waste, and optimize margins with unprecedented agility and precision.

About Intelo.ai

Intelo.ai is building the future of retail with its Collaborative Intelligence platform for Merchandising & Planning. The company’s innovative AI agents work alongside human teams, augmenting their capabilities to master the complexity of modern retail. By unifying data and empowering collaboration between humans and AI, Intelo.ai helps retailers optimize assortments, improve forecasts, and drive profitable growth.

About Illuminate Ventures

With offices in Oakland, CA, and Seattle, WA, Illuminate Ventures (www.illuminate.com) invests at the Seed stage across the trillion-dollar B2B AI software market. Since 2010, the firm has led early investments in market leaders such as Xactly, BrightEdge, Contentstack, and Arkestro, gaining two IPOs and nearly a dozen M&A exits. Illuminate backs “further-along” founders who combine deep domain expertise with early market traction. Led by experienced operators and investors, the firm is often the first institutional partner—providing capital, networks, and hands-on expertise to help founders accelerate growth and build category-defining companies.

Media Contact:

Intelo Labs, LLC
[email protected]
intelo.ai 

SOURCE Intelo.ai

Expanded Leadership Team Announced

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 — Town Hall Ventures announced today that it is beginning the investment program for its fourth fund, with approximately $440 million of capital commitments. The new fund will further the firm’s vision of leveraging the power of AI and other innovations to transform healthcare delivery for underserved communities in the U.S..

Since its founding in 2018, Town Hall Ventures has invested in 42 companies across launch, venture and growth stages. This portfolio now reaches across 1 in 5 Americans, bringing the latest innovations and most comprehensive care models to individuals and communities often left behind by the healthcare system. Town Hall and its network of partners will deploy Fund IV to help healthcare companies bring new technologies to the communities facing the biggest roadblocks to care first.

“With Fund IV, we will accelerate our mission by backing founders and technologists who are using AI as a core capability to lower costs, improve outcomes, and expand access to high-quality care for tens of millions of people underserved by the healthcare system,” said Meera Mani, MD, PhD, General Partner of Town Hall Ventures. 

Investors have recognized the importance of this mission. “The obsession that the Town Hall team has with turning mission into business alpha has made it easy for me to join them in all four of their funds”, said Limited Partner John Doerr, “Population need and big business opportunities aren’t the same thing. It takes a special group of people to see that intersection and turn it into reality.”

Leadership Team Expansion

With current partners Andy Slavitt, David Whelan, Meera Mani and Anna Fagin, Town Hall Ventures has announced key leadership team additions alongside Fund IV:

• Catherine Olexa-Meadors has joined as Head of Partnerships and Growth. Drawing on healthcare startup and scaling experiences with Aledade and Remedy Partners (now Signify Health), she will focus on accelerating portfolio company success and deepening engagement across our network.
• Will Stokes, Co-Founder of Strive Health, has rejoined Town Hall to lead Hatch, the firm’s company-creation studio, which builds transformational healthcare businesses in collaboration with the Town Hall network.

With Fund IV, Town Hall is positioned with both the resources and leadership strength to back the next generation of industry-defining healthcare companies.

About Town Hall Ventures

Town Hall Ventures is a venture capital firm with $1.4 billion AUM that invests in cutting edge care models and technologies to transform healthcare for underserved communities. The firm partners with and supports visionary entrepreneurs who are redesigning care delivery, harnessing technology, AI and data, to create scalable solutions that improve health outcomes while lowering costs. Town Hall equips founders with the insight and relationships needed to scale — combining deep policy expertise with decades of operating experience and trusted access to health systems, payors, and partners who accelerate adoption. Notable investments have included Thyme Care, Strive Health, Marble Health, Arine, Qualified Health, Ambience Healthcare, Habitat Health and Cityblock Health. For more information, visit https://www.townhallventures.com/.

SOURCE Town Hall Ventures