Foundation Capital leitet die Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde, an der sich Citi und HSBC beteiligen

NEW YORK und SINGAPUR, 24. September 2026 — IPID, das Zahlungsdaten-Unternehmen, das Institutionen dabei unterstützt, zu erkennen, an wen sie Zahlungen leisten, gab eine Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 16 Millionen US-Dollar bekannt, die von Foundation Capital angeführt wird und an der sich die strategischen Investoren Citi und HSBC beteiligen. An der Runde sind auch die bestehenden Investoren QED Investors, Monk’s Hill Ventures und Quona Capital beteiligt.

Digitale Zahlungen sind schneller und nahtloser geworden, doch die zu ihrer Bewertung erforderlichen Informationen haben nicht immer Schritt gehalten. Finanzinstitute wissen nach wie vor nicht immer, wer eine Zahlung erhält, oder verfügen nicht über ausreichende Informationen, um das Risiko vor der Überweisung einzuschätzen. Oft liegt es in der Verantwortung des Absenders, den Empfänger zu bestätigen – selbst wenn dieser Absender möglicherweise das Ziel eines Betrugs ist. Laut LSEG werden allein durch Betrug bei autorisierten Push-Zahlungen bis 2027 weltweit Verluste in Höhe von 331 Milliarden US-Dollar erwartet.

IPID ist ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Bankkontenverifizierung und unterstützt große Finanzinstitute in mehr als 50 Ländern. Das Unternehmen wird seine Plattform in Kürze erweitern, indem es sein Fachwissen über fragmentierte Zahlungsmärkte auf den US-Zahlungsverkehr und digitale Vermögenswerte anwendet und Institutionen so die notwendigen Informationen an die Hand gibt, um die richtige Entscheidung zu treffen, bevor Gelder transferiert werden.

„Jede Zahlung beginnt mit einer Entscheidung, doch Institutionen treffen diese Entscheidung oft auf der Grundlage unvollständiger Informationen”, sagte Damien Dugauquier, Mitbegründer und CEO von IPID. „Wir haben damit begonnen, die Bankkontenüberprüfung weltweit zu lösen. Nun bauen wir die umfassendere Entscheidungsintelligenz auf, die Institutionen benötigen, bevor Gelder transferiert werden – über Länder, Zahlungswege und Wertformen hinweg. Die Zukunft des Zahlungsverkehrs wird nicht einfach dadurch bestimmt, dass Geld schneller bewegt wird. Sie wird dadurch bestimmt, dass bessere Entscheidungen getroffen werden, bevor Geld bewegt wird.”

„IPID hat sich rasch zum globalen Standard für die Verifizierung von Bankkonten und die damit verbundene Informationsgewinnung entwickelt. Es ist eine beachtliche Leistung, dass sich so etwas außerhalb eines Bankenkonsortiums entwickelt hat, und verschafft IPID eine einzigartige Position, um Finanzinstituten und Zahlern weltweit dabei zu helfen, Betrug zu bekämpfen und Zahlungsabläufe zu optimieren”, sagte Zach Noorani, Partner bei Foundation Capital.

Zahlungen werden immer schneller und automatisierter, da Echtzeit-Zahlungen an Bedeutung gewinnen, neue Zahlungswege entstehen und KI-Agenten beginnen, Transaktionen zu initiieren. Doch die Informationen, die Finanzinstitute vor der Ausführung einer Zahlung benötigen, sind nach wie vor über Märkte, Anbieter und Zahlungswege hinweg fragmentiert. IPID schließt diese Lücke, indem es Finanzinstituten hilft, noch vor der endgültigen Ausführung einer Zahlung zu erkennen, wer hinter dem Empfängerkonto steht.

„In einer zunehmend digitalen und vernetzten Finanzlandschaft ist eine sofortige und hochsichere Zahlungsvalidierung von entscheidender Bedeutung. Unsere strategische Ausrichtung auf IPID wird durch unsere Beteiligung an deren Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde weiter vertieft. Wir sind begeistert von der Fähigkeit von IPID, ein weltweit einheitliches, leistungsstarkes Erlebnis zu bieten, das unseren Kunden hilft, ihre internationalen Abläufe weiterhin mit Zuversicht zu optimieren”, sagte Bis Chatterjee, Global Head, Partnerships and Innovation bei Citi Services.

Tom Simpson, Global Head of Currency Clearing und Regionalleiter für grenzüberschreitende Zahlungen in Nordamerika bei Global Payment Solutions der HSBC, sagte: „Die Vereinbarung der HSBC mit IPID hilft uns, die Begünstigtenprüfung über die lokalen Anforderungen der Zahlungssysteme hinaus auszuweiten und unseren Kunden bei der Durchführung von Zahlungen mehr Informationen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Dies kann dazu beitragen, die Effizienz und Sicherheit in einem zunehmend dynamischen Zahlungsökosystem zu verbessern.”

IPID wird die Mittel dazu nutzen, sein globales Netzwerk für Zahlungsinformationen auszubauen, das Wachstum in den Vereinigten Staaten und Europa zu beschleunigen und neue Funktionen zu entwickeln, die es Instituten ermöglichen, fundiertere Entscheidungen zu treffen und Zahlungsabläufe zu optimieren, bevor Gelder über US-amerikanische Zahlungssysteme, Stablecoins und digitale Vermögenswerte transferiert werden.

Informationen zu IPID

IPID bietet Entscheidungsunterstützung für Banken, Zahlungsdienstleister (PSPs), Plattformen und Unternehmen, die Geldtransfers abwickeln. Über den gesamten Zahlungslebenszyklus hinweg unterstützt IPID sie dabei, Zahlungsempfänger zu verifizieren und Betrugsrisiken einzuschätzen, regulatorische Verpflichtungen zu erfüllen, Risiken zu bewerten, Zahlungen zu monetarisieren und Zahlungsdaten anzureichern. Dies verschafft ihnen Sicherheit, Kontrolle und Schutz – verbunden mit weniger Betrugsfällen, geringeren Betriebskosten und einem besseren Kundenerlebnis.  www.ipid.tech  

Backed by Eclipse and 8VC, the company is building a new approach to natural disaster response, integrating AI, software, hardware, and operations into mission-critical systems, beginning with wildfire suppression.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 — Prime Minute, the first company to build a global resilience prime, emerged from stealth today with $15 million in pre-seed funding led by Eclipse, with participation from 8VC. The company’s first offering addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing emergency responders today: rapid initial attack against wildfires, in all conditions, before they escalate out of control.

Natural disasters are becoming more frequent, costly, and operationally complex, placing increasing strain on the systems responsible for protecting our communities and critical infrastructure. Wildfires alone contribute an estimated $424 billion in annual damages across the United States, and the earliest moments of an incident often determine whether a fire is quickly contained or grows into a major disaster. Yet, critical gaps remain in integrating detection, coordination, and wildfire suppression capabilities.

Drawing on technologies and operational approaches historically reserved for national security missions, Prime Minute’s system combines real-time intelligence, AI-assisted mission analysis, and precision aerial suppression capabilities to help responders assess conditions, coordinate resources, and take action earlier, no matter the condition. The technology is designed to enable response when traditional suppression methods are unavailable: During high winds, nighttime incidents, degraded visual environments, and when ground crews cannot access the scene.

“Natural disasters are among the most urgent national security challenges we face today,” said Gabe Sganga, Chief Growth Officer and Prime Minute co-founder. “Yet, we still mobilize most resources after the damage is done. The first hour of an incident often determines its ultimate impact. Prime Minute was built to close that gap, giving responders the tools to detect threats sooner, assess them faster, and act when every second counts.”

Founded by leaders with experience across public service, aerospace, and national security, the team includes former operators and technology leaders from organizations including Palantir, Forterra, and Datorios. Their experience building and deploying systems in complex operational environments requiring rapid decision-making, coordination, and execution shaped Prime Minute’s approach to disaster response. The company focuses on identifying critical operational gaps, building technologies around real-world mission capability gaps, and helping responders act more effectively when minutes determine outcomes.

“Natural disasters are among the greatest threats to our communities, economy, and critical infrastructure,” said Lior Susan, founder and CEO of Eclipse. “Meeting that challenge requires more than another point solution. Prime Minute is building an end-to-end system that brings together technology and operations to help responders act faster and more effectively. Starting with wildfire response, the team is laying the foundation for the future of infrastructure resilience.”

The funding will support continued technology development, building out local manufacturing, team expansion, testing and validation activities, and the advancement of Prime Minute’s broader resilience efforts. The company is working with the State of Colorado to deploy prototypes for field evaluation of its wildfire suppression capability later this year.

To learn more about Prime Minute, visit www.prime-minute.com.

About Prime Minute
Prime Minute is a team of operators and engineers on a mission to help protect humanity by building the global Prime for Public Resilience. We draw from decades of collective experience across science, technology, logistics and defense to deliver creative solutions for complex problems with immediate, real-world consequences. We identify systemic failure points, orchestrate the ecosystem, and deliver uncompromising solutions. Because Public Resilience is a matter of national security.

About Eclipse
With over $12 billion in regulatory assets under management, Eclipse invests in entrepreneurs building the next generation of companies in the physical economy. With deep operating experience across company-building at every stage from idea to growth, Eclipse partners closely with founders to build and scale enduring companies in the industries that drive resilience, competitiveness, and security. For more information, visit www.eclipse.capital.

Press Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE Prime Minute

New five‑year investment expands copper and fiber manufacturing capacity 

News Summary

• Leviton’s Network Solutions business announces new $100 million, five-year global capital investment to expand manufacturing capacity for copper and fiber networking systems.
• The investment boosts production of Category 6A cabling, connectors and fiber optic assemblies across multiple global facilities to meet surging demand for smart building and AI network infrastructure.
• This investment builds on Leviton’s previous $80 million five-year initiative.

BOTHELL, Wash., Sept. 24, 2026 — Leviton, a global leader in electrical, lighting and networking systems, today announced a $100 million global capital investment in its Network Solutions business. This initiative builds on the success of Leviton’s previous five‑year $80M capital program completed in 2025. In response to record demand for Network Solutions products, this five-year investment reinforces the company’s long‑term commitment to global manufacturing for scale, speed, agility and assurance as demand for AI‑driven and smart building network infrastructure accelerates worldwide.

“For 120 years, Leviton has remained relevant by looking beyond today’s demands and investing in what comes next,” said Daryoush Larizadeh, President and CEO of Leviton. “This $100 million commitment to our Network Solutions business underscores our determination to lead through innovation, manufacturing excellence and customer partnership.”

Leviton’s initiative includes significant investments across all Network Solutions factories for fiber optic and copper end-to-end systems. As a result, Category 6A cabling and connector capacity expands significantly to support rising demand for smart building infrastructure. Fiber optic cabling and connectivity manufacturing capacity also expands to support rapidly increasing enterprise and data center bandwidth requirements and accelerating project deployment timelines.

“While many organizations remain cautious amid volatile raw material and energy costs, Leviton believes this is the right time to invest,” said Ross Goldman, COO of Leviton Network Solutions. “The expansion of AI, smart buildings and high-performance networks is happening at an unprecedented pace. With this five-year investment, we’re ensuring our customers have access to the capacity, quality and global scale they need, when they need it most.”

This new investment follows strong results from Leviton’s previous capital program, which expanded global production capacity, doubled the size of its Fuquay-Varina, N.C. facility, strengthened end‑to‑end copper and fiber capabilities and enabled the company to meet extraordinary demand across data center and smart building network applications. This next phase further positions Leviton as a trusted global partner for customers navigating the rapid evolution of intelligent, connected environments.

“Capital investments like these are not just about adding capacity,” Goldman said. “They are about building long‑term capability and service. Our customers are planning infrastructure for decades of AI‑driven growth. We’re matching that vision with the foresight to invest in world‑class manufacturing, even in challenging market conditions.”

As organizations worldwide race to modernize networks to support AI, automation and smarter buildings, Leviton’s continued investment underscores a clear message: strategic growth, global resilience and customer readiness are built by acting early, not waiting for uncertainty to pass.

For more information, visit https://leviton.com/ns/about-ns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much is Leviton investing, and over what time period?
A: Leviton is investing $100 million globally in its Network Solutions business over five years, from 2026 through 2030. This builds off an $80 million investment made in the business in 2023.

Q: Which Leviton facilities will receive this investment?
A: Investments span all of Leviton Network Solutions’ global factories, expanding both copper and fiber manufacturing capabilities. With the largest investment at key US factories.

Q: What is Category 6A (Cat 6A) cable used for?
A: Category 6A (Cat 6A) cable is designed to support high-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet data networks at frequencies up to 500 MHz. Leviton Network Solutions provides complete Cat 6A end-to-end infrastructure solutions, such as MILLENNIUM™ Global systems, for a variety of smart buildings.

About Leviton Network Solutions
Leviton Network Solutions is a single-source, carbon neutral manufacturer of global end-to-end copper and fiber cabling systems. Deployed in data centers, smart buildings, and harsh environments around the world, our global systems are engineered to exacting standards and are available globally through our extensive distribution network. Leviton Network Solutions delivers value by providing speedy service, scalable solutions, assured performance, and an agile collaborative process. Leviton was established in 1906 and continues to invest in and grow our business. Together, let’s build what’s next for your network. Learn more at leviton.com/ns or linkedin.com/showcase/levitonns. European customers can visit leviton.com/ns/emea or linkedin.com/company/Leviton-ns-eu.

About Leviton
Every day, Leviton builds what’s next to light, power, and connect everyday spaces to meet the needs of its residential, commercial, and industrial customers globally. From controls, to lighting, to electrical, to networking, Leviton’s relentless innovation for more than a century enables our customers’ lives to be easier, safer, more efficient, productive and sustainable. Driven by its commitment to its customers, the ingenuity of its employees, and the safety and quality of its products and solutions, with Leviton, the FUTURE IS ON. For more information, visit leviton.com, facebook.com/leviton, www.x.com/leviton, or www.youtube.com/leviton.

PR Contact:
Jenni Chambers
[email protected]

SOURCE Leviton

Models provide curated crypto access for the hundreds of wealth firms on Vise’s autonomous investing platform, which currently holds more than $140 billion in platform assets.  

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2026 — Bitwise Asset Management, the global crypto asset manager with more than $9 billion in client assets, and Vise, the technology platform designed to build and manage personalized portfolios for all investors, announced today the rollout of diversified crypto model portfolios to the hundreds of wealth firms and 135,000+ accounts on the Vise platform. For Vise’s deep network of RIAs and wealth management firms, with $140B+ in platform assets, the new offering provides a curated framework for accessing the $2.5 trillion digital asset class.

“Crypto only works in a portfolio if it’s treated like a real allocation—sized to the client’s risk, monitored, and brought back to target when it drifts,” said Runik Mehrotra, Co-Founder and Co-Head of Vise. “Bitwise brings the research to decide what belongs in the allocation, and Vise handles everything after that. Advisors shouldn’t have to run crypto as a separate book.”

Crypto has largely reached advisor portfolios as a standalone allocation, managed apart from everything else a client owns. On Vise, the Bitwise models sit inside the same portfolio as the client’s equities, fixed income, and alternatives, allocated according to the household’s goals and risk profile, rebalanced on the same schedule, and subject to the same tax-management discipline Vise applies across the rest of the account.

The rollout marks the latest milestone in Bitwise’s entrance into the model portfolio space. Model portfolios have become an increasingly important tool for financial advisors looking to capitalize on third-party expertise in developing client allocations, providing a seamless and scalable way to invest in emerging themes. From 2023 to 2026, assets tracking third-party model portfolios grew from $400 billion to more than $930 billion, a 135% increase.¹ 

Bitwise’s model portfolios leverage the firm’s research and specialist expertise to select crypto-themed ETPs for different investor profiles and risk preferences. “Core” models offer broad exposure to the crypto ecosystem, while “Thematic” portfolios give investors the ability to fine-tune their positioning by emphasizing specific themes, such as risk-managed exposure or crypto assets beyond bitcoin. The models are monitored and rebalanced systematically to mitigate target portfolio asset-allocation drift.

“Any great new technology, whether autonomous cars or blockchains or AI, should ultimately be about broadening access and opportunity,” said Bitwise Senior Investment Strategist Juan Leon. “It’s been a central principle in crypto from the beginning, and it’s also why Vise’s mission really resonated with us. Bringing cutting-edge personalized investing tools to every investor is what meaningful financial innovation is all about. With the full force of Bitwise’s team of over 150 professionals devoted to the opportunities in crypto, we’re excited to help Vise and their clients gain exposure to one of the most compelling asset classes in a smart, thoughtful way.”

To learn about Bitwise Model Portfolios, visit https://bitwiseinvestments.com/models or contact Jim Machuga, Bitwise’s Head of National Accounts, at [email protected].

About Vise
Vise Technologies, Inc. is a registered investment advisor and technology platform that delivers personalized portfolios at scale across nearly every asset class and strategy. The firm’s mission is to enable financial advisors to deliver better investment outcomes to their clients while scaling their firms to their maximum potential. Leveraged by leading wealth firms, Vise empowers advisors to provide better investment outcomes while saving advisors’ time, reducing costs, and enabling better client relationships. Vise is headquartered in New York. To learn more about how Vise aims to revolutionize the future of wealth management visit www.vise.com.

About Bitwise
Bitwise Asset Management is a global crypto-focused asset manager with $9 billion in client assets and a suite of over 70 investment products spanning ETFs, separately managed accounts, private funds, hedge fund strategies, and staking. The firm has a nine-year track record and today serves more than 5,500 private wealth teams, RIAs, family offices, and institutional investors, as well as 21 banks and broker-dealers. The Bitwise team of technology and investment professionals is backed by leading institutional investors and has offices in San Francisco, New York, and London.

RISKS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Prior to making any investment decision, each investor must undertake its own independent examination and investigation, including of the merits and risks involved in an investment, and must base its investment decision, including a determination whether it would be a suitable investment for the investor, on such examination and investigation. Prospective investors must not construe the contents of this Presentation as legal, tax, investment, or other advice. Each prospective investor is urged to consult with its own advisors with respect to legal, tax, regulatory, financial, accounting, and similar consequence of any investment, the suitability of the investment for such investor, and other relevant matters concerning an investment. Do not place undue reliance on this Presentation.

Nothing contained herein is intended to predict the performance of any investment. There can be no assurance that actual outcomes will match the assumptions or that actual returns will match any expected returns. Historical performance of sample portfolios has been generated and maximized with the benefit of hindsight. The returns do not represent the returns of an actual account and do not include the fees and expenses charged by funds. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The opinions expressed herein are intended to provide insight or education and are not intended as individual investment advice. Bitwise does not represent that this information is accurate and complete and should not be relied upon as such. Any use of this Presentation is on an “as is” and “as available” basis and is at the user’s sole risk. The information in this material is for discussion purposes only and no representations or warranties are given or implied. The information contained in this Presentation is subject to further discussion, completion, and amendment. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding the funds or any security in particular. All of the information presented herein is subject to change without notice.

Certain of the Bitwise investment products may be subject to the risks associated with investing in crypto assets, including cryptocurrencies and crypto tokens. Because crypto assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history, they are a highly speculative asset. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use a crypto asset. The price of a crypto asset may be impacted by the transactions of a small number of holders of such crypto asset. Crypto assets may decline in popularity, acceptance or use, which may impact their price. The technology relating to crypto assets and blockchain is new and developing. Currently there are a limited number of publicly listed or quoted companies for which crypto assets and blockchain technology represent an attributable and significant revenue stream.

¹ Source: Morningstar, “2026 U.S. Model Portfolio Landscape.”

SOURCE Bitwise Asset Management

Foundation Capital leads the Series A, with participation from Citi and HSBC

NEW YORK and SINGAPORE, Sept. 24, 2026 — IPID, the payment intelligence company helping institutions know who they are paying, announced a $16 million Series A led by Foundation Capital, with participation from strategic investors Citi and HSBC. The round also includes existing investors QED Investors, Monk’s Hill Ventures and Quona Capital.

Digital payments have become faster and more seamless, but the information needed to evaluate them has not always kept pace. Institutions still do not always know who is receiving a payment or have enough information to assess risk before it is sent. The burden often falls on the sender to confirm the recipient, even when that sender may be the target of a scam. According to LSEG, Authorized Push Payment fraud alone is projected to cause $331 billion in global losses by 2027.

IPID is a leading global provider of bank account verification, supporting major financial institutions across more than 50 countries. It will soon expand its platform by applying its expertise in fragmented payment markets to U.S. payments and digital assets, giving institutions the intelligence to make the right decision before funds move.

“Every payment starts with a decision, but institutions are often making that decision with incomplete information,” said Damien Dugauquier, co-founder and CEO of IPID. “We started by solving bank account verification globally. We are now building the broader decision intelligence that institutions need before funds move – across countries, payment rails and forms of value. The future of payments will not be defined simply by moving money faster. It will be defined by making better decisions before money moves.”

“IPID has rapidly become the global standard for bank account verification and intelligence. It’s quite a feat for something like this to develop outside of a bank consortium and makes IPID uniquely well-positioned to help financial institutions and payors globally fight fraud and streamline payment operations,” said Zach Noorani, Partner at Foundation Capital.

Payments are becoming faster and more automated as real-time payments scale, new rails emerge and AI agents begin to initiate transactions. But the information institutions need before executing a payment remains fragmented across markets, providers and rails. IPID is tackling that blind spot by helping institutions know who is behind the receiving account before a payment becomes final.

“In an increasingly digital and interconnected financial landscape, it is critical to have payment validation that is instantaneous and highly secure. Our strategic alignment with IPID  is further deepened through our participation in their Series A raise. We are excited at IPID’s ability to deliver a globally consistent, high-performance experience that helps our clients continue to optimize their international operations with confidence,” said Bis Chatterjee, Global Head, Partnerships and Innovation for Citi‘s Services.

Tom Simpson, Global Head of Currency Clearing & North America Regional Head of Cross Border Payments, Global Payment Solutions, HSBC, said: “HSBC’s arrangement with IPID helps us extend beneficiary validation beyond local scheme requirements and provide clients with more information when making payments. This can help improve efficiency and certainty in an increasingly dynamic payments ecosystem.”

IPID will use the funding to deepen its global payment intelligence network, accelerate growth in the United States and Europe, and develop new capabilities that help institutions make more informed decisions and streamline payment operations before funds move across U.S. payment rails, stablecoins and digital assets.

About IPID

IPID provides decision intelligence for banks, PSPs, platforms and corporates moving money. Across the payment lifecycle, IPID helps them verify payees and assess fraud risk, meet regulatory obligations, assess risk, monetise payments and enrich payment data. This gives them certainty, control and safety with reduced fraud, lower operational costs and a better customer experience follows. www.ipid.tech  

SOURCE INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS IDENTITY (IPID) PTE. LTD.

Richmond based investment bank’s new name reflects its emphasis on guiding founders through the full arc of a transaction — including what happens after the deal closes.

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 24, 2026 — Transact Capital, a licensed investment bank and member of FINRA and SIPC specializing in mergers and acquisitions for founder-led, lower-middle-market businesses, today announced it has rebranded as Sequel Advisors. The change reflects the firm’s approach to M&A advisory: helping founders navigate not just the transaction itself, but the outcome that follows it.

Founded in 2003 and based in Richmond, Virginia, Sequel Advisors is a boutique firm advising founders primarily on sell-side M&A transactions, with a core focus on business services and growing practice areas in technology, healthcare, industrials, and adjacent sectors. Many of the firm’s team members are former founders and operators themselves.

“Why rebrand? The firm we’ve become deserves a name that actually describes it, and because the founders we serve deserve to know exactly what they’re getting before they ever pick up the phone. Our name now matches the way we’ve always done the work ” said Patrick Morin, Managing Partner at Sequel Advisors.

The rebrand includes a new visual identity and a redesigned website, sequeladvisors.com, featuring an expanded collection of client case studies detailing founders’ experiences working with the firm from engagement through post-close. The firm’s leadership, team, and day-to-day operations remain unchanged. Learn more about the team here.

About Sequel Advisors
Sequel Advisors is a licensed investment bank and member of FINRA and SIPC advising founder-led businesses globally across business services, technology, healthcare and industrials through mergers, acquisitions, and recapitalizations. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the firm works with founders on transactions typically ranging from $20 million to $250 million in enterprise value. Learn more at sequeladvisors.com.

Media Contact
Susan Clark
Director of Operations
Sequel Advisors
[email protected]
804-612-7108

SOURCE Sequel Advisors, LLC

Samantha Moore, Jessica Merriam and Nicole Gibson to lead customer-focused business groups

RESTON, Va., Sept. 24, 2026 — Quantum Sky today announced the appointment of three executive vice presidents to lead its newly aligned customer-focused business groups: Department of War, Intel & Space and Federal Civilian. The appointments are part of a broader operating structure designed to strengthen alignment across Growth, Technology and Operations and better position the company to serve customers across its core federal markets.

Samantha Moore will serve as executive vice president of the Department of War Business Group, Jessica Merriam as executive vice president of the Intel & Space Business Group and Nicole Gibson as executive vice president of the Federal Civilian Business Group.

“As Quantum Sky continues to grow, we have an opportunity to align our people, technology and operations even more closely around our customers and their missions,” said Andrew Boyd, CEO of Quantum Sky. “Samantha, Jessica and Nicole bring deep market expertise, strong operational leadership and proven track records of leading organizations that deliver mission outcomes. This structure gives us greater focus as we bring the full breadth of Quantum Sky’s capabilities to our customers.”

Moore leads the Department of War Business Group. She brings more than 20 years of experience across defense, intelligence and cloud markets, most recently serving as vice president, Department of War, at SMX. She previously held senior leadership roles at Amazon Web Services and spent more than a decade with Peraton and predecessor company Solers supporting space, intelligence and defense missions.

Merriam leads Quantum Sky’s Intel & Space Business Group. She joined the company from SilverEdge Government Solutions’ Intelligence Solutions Group, later acquired by SAIC, where she led an intelligence business supporting Intelligence Community customers, DIA, and SOCOM. She previously served as executive director of Intelligence Community programs at CACI and completed a military career spanning more than 20 years as an intelligence officer, including assignments within Joint Special Operations Command and the National Security Council.

Gibson leads Quantum Sky’s Federal Civilian Business Group and brings more than 25 years of experience in enterprise transformation, operational excellence and business growth. She most recently worked with Guidehouse’s senior leadership team on enterprise transformation and previously spent 10 years as a partner at PwC and Guidehouse, where she led Intelligence Community and Office of the Secretary of War portfolios.

“Quantum Sky is entering an important next phase of growth, and this leadership structure is built to support that momentum,” said Michael Lustbader, a Managing Partner at Arlington Capital Partners. “Together, Arlington and Quantum Sky are investing in quantum computing and other differentiated technologies to support the company’s expansion across key federal markets and deliver enduring value for its customers and their missions.”

About Quantum Sky

Quantum Sky, formerly Tyto Athene, is a mission technology company that builds secure, AI-enabled and quantum-ready capabilities for defense, intelligence and federal civilian agencies. By combining trusted government delivery with applied AI, post-quantum readiness and emerging quantum research, Quantum Sky helps customers modernize critical systems, secure mission data and operate with greater speed, resilience and confidence.

At the core of its model is Project 137, an applied innovation and intellectual property engine that turns emerging technology into fielded mission advantage. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Quantum Sky engineers practical advantage for high-consequence missions. For more information, visit quantumsky.com.

About Arlington Capital Partners

Arlington Capital Partners is a Washington, D.C.-area private investment firm specializing in government-regulated industries. Focused on the aerospace and defense, government services and technology, and healthcare sectors, the firm partners with founders and entrepreneurs to build platforms of strategic importance to national priorities.

Operating in markets with high barriers to entry, Arlington looks to partner with organizations within these industries that save lives, improve effectiveness and reduce costs. Since inception in 1999, Arlington has invested in over 200 companies, raised over $14 billion in committed capital, and is currently investing out of its $6 billion Fund VII.

SOURCE Quantum Sky

Investment for a 4.9% minority stake implies an approximately $1 billion post-money valuation for the Slovenian technology company.

HONG KONG and LJUBLJANA, Slovenia, Sept. 24, 2026 — Windsor Capital today announced the completion of a $50 million strategic investment in Space Labs d.o.o., a Slovenian technology company developing proprietary protocols, blockchain infrastructure and digital economic systems for real-world applications.

The investment was made for a 4.9% minority interest in Space Labs, implying a post-money valuation of approximately $1.02 billion.

The transaction concludes a process spanning more than two years, including completion of contractual milestones and financial, technical and legal due diligence.

The $50 million in primary capital will support Space Labs’ international expansion and accelerate development of its technology infrastructure and real-world applications.

At the center of Space Labs’ technology is the RWD Protocol – Real World Digitalization Protocol, designed to connect real-world projects and businesses with capital and global communities through blockchain, smart contracts and transparent digital processes. Rather than simply tokenizing assets, RWD is designed to digitalize participation itself.

As an initial commercial collaboration, Space Labs and Windsor Capital are developing a vehicle distribution channel through Windsor’s international automotive and industrial network, with phased distribution across multiple international markets.

“This partnership is about much more than capital. The $50 million investment gives Space Labs financial strength, while Windsor brings global relationships and real-world opportunities into the technology infrastructure we have built,” said Igor Šinkovec, Founder and CEO of Space Labs.

“Space Labs has built technology addressing a global opportunity. Combined with Windsor’s international network, we believe this partnership can create something significantly larger than either side could build independently,” said John M. Probandt, Chairman, Founder and CEO of Windsor Capital.

About Space Labs

Space Labs d.o.o. is a Slovenian technology company developing proprietary protocols, blockchain infrastructure, smart contracts and digital economic systems for real-world applications, including the RWD Protocol and SpaceM technology ecosystem.

spacelabs.si

About Windsor Capital

Windsor Capital is a Hong Kong-headquartered diversified group with interests across automotive, advanced manufacturing, biotech and international supply chains.

windsorcapital.net 
windsor.business
www.windsorprestigecoltd.com

Forward-Looking Statements 

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Miami-headquartered company brings its American and British operations under one brand and one proprietary platform, following 1,000% application volume growth in its US Instant funding product and ahead of new products planned for 2027.

MIAMI, Sept. 24, 2026 — Cashera today announced its arrival as a unified global funder serving small businesses, independent contractors, e-commerce sellers and established businesses across the United States and the United Kingdom, consolidating operations previously conducted as Cashera Capital in the US and Cashera in the UK under a single brand, a single leadership team and a shared technology strategy. The company also launched its new corporate site at Cashera.com.

The consolidation follows a period of rapid growth in the company’s US business. Cashera Instant application volume has grown by 1,000% since January 2026. Instant provides automated cash flow financing to independent contractors and micro-business operators. The application takes approximately five minutes, and decisions are returned in minutes, around the clock.

The name is new. The team is not. Cashera’s executives have worked together for over a decade in small business finance. In the past eighteen months alone, that same group built the proprietary systems and automated underwriting behind Cashera Instant in the United States while standing up the company’s United Kingdom operation in parallel.

“We are building Cashera as a technology company first,” said Mark Allayev, Founder and CEO of Cashera. “We have invested heavily in our technology team and proprietary infrastructure with one goal: to make access to capital faster, simpler and ultimately seamless and instant. Cashera Instant is already live in the US, and in 2027 we plan to bring that technology and instant decisioning experience into the UK. At the same time, we are developing Cashera Flow to provide instant approval for flexible lines of capital, together with a mobile experience that makes accessing and managing capital as seamless as possible. Bringing everything under one brand gives us the platform to continue building financial products around how businesses actually operate today.”

One technology platform, two markets

Cashera’s platform is built around Apolo, its proprietary underwriting and decisioning engine. Apolo spans the infrastructure behind Cashera’s products, from data analysis and risk assessment through to approval. Today, it powers the automated decisioning behind Cashera Instant in the United States.

At the core of Apolo is Cashera’s own scoring model, which evaluates transaction-level data together with multiple additional data points through internally developed algorithms and machine-learning models. Rather than relying primarily on traditional credit history, Apolo is designed to build a more current and dynamic view of an applicant’s financial activity, cash flow and overall profile, helping Cashera make faster and more consistent funding decisions.

The platform is designed to become increasingly automated as Cashera expands its products, allowing applications to move from data analysis and scoring through decisioning and approval with significantly less manual intervention.

Growth through partners

Cashera distributes its products almost entirely through referral partners rather than a direct sales force. Every partner receives a dedicated dashboard and co-branded, UTM-tagged links so traffic, applications, offers and funded deals are attributed to the originating partner and visible in real time.

“My background is on the broker marketplace side, so I knew exactly what partners never get, which is visibility,” said Mike Assim, Head of Partnerships at Cashera. “Working with our product team, we pushed the real-time partner dashboard forward fast. Transparency compounds. It is why this channel grew without a sales floor.”

Prospective partners can register at Cashera.com/partners or contact [email protected].

Products across both markets

In the United Kingdom, Cashera’s Growth product currently provides unsecured business loans from £5,000 to £300,000 to established companies across retail, hospitality, motor trade, beauty, e-commerce and healthcare, supported by a dedicated London team.

Cashera plans in the near term to expand Growth to provide funding of up to £500,000 per deal.

In 2027, Cashera plans to bring the automated technology behind Cashera Instant into the UK. The UK Instant product is expected to provide funding of up to £10,000, with plans to provide returning customers with access to up to £20,000.

Building the next generation of Cashera products

Cashera also confirmed that Cashera Flow, a product offering a flexible line of capital, is in development for a 2027 launch in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Cashera Flow is being designed around Cashera’s proprietary platform to provide instant approval for flexible lines of capital, extending automated decisioning beyond individual funding transactions into an ongoing capital product.

As part of the Flow launch, Cashera is developing dedicated iOS and Android applications designed to provide a seamless user experience for customers accessing and managing their lines of capital.

Alongside the expansion of Cashera Instant into the UK, the company’s 2027 roadmap is designed to extend its proprietary scoring, machine learning and automated decisioning capability across a broader range of products and customers in both markets.

Expanding the leadership team

Cashera’s engineering is led by Chief Technology Officer Apolo Doca, who oversees the company’s platform and the continued development of its proprietary decisioning infrastructure.

Cashera recently appointed Aravind Muralidharan as Head of Risk. He brings experience from Kabbage, American Express and Zip, a global buy-now-pay-later provider. His background will support the continued development and refinement of Cashera’s credit models, risk strategy and automated decisioning capabilities as the company expands its products across the US and UK.

Cashera also appointed Roman Sukharenko as Head of Marketing. He brings 16 years of experience and a background working with Fortune 500 brands internationally.

Leadership

Cashera is led by Founder and CEO Mark Allayev, Chief Operating Officer Paul Vega, Chief Financial Officer Matt Schulman and Chief Technology Officer Apolo Doca.

United Kingdom commercial operations are led by Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy Crinall and Head of Business Development Stephen Yearwood.

About Cashera

Cashera is a technology company and funder serving small businesses, independent contractors, e-commerce sellers and established businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom. Cashera is headquartered in Miami, with UK operations in London. Learn more at Cashera.com.

Partner With Cashera

Cashera is expanding its US referral partner network across ISOs, brokers, lead generation platforms, gig economy marketplaces and 1099 workforce apps. Become a Partner

Media and Partner Contact

Mike Assim
Head of Partnerships
Cashera
[email protected]
Cashera.com/Partners

SOURCE Cashera