Series A round, led by Canary and Indicator Capital with participation of Zentynel, marks one of the largest early-stage health sector fundings in Brazil

SÃO PAULO, Aug. 27, 2025 — Axenya, a health tech company specializing in the intelligent orchestration of corporate healthcare, has announced a Series A funding round of US$12 million (approximately BRL 65 million), led by Canary, co-led by Indicator Capital, and joined by Zentynel. The investment will drive the company’s commercial expansion and advance its technology platform, with a focus on artificial intelligence, data interoperability, and connected biomarkers.

Unlike traditional brokers that merely mediate health plans, Axenya takes an integrated approach: it connects companies, employees, insurers, and healthcare professionals through advanced technological infrastructure and data intelligence. Its solution is built on two main pillars: LifeVault, an interoperable data lake that organizes clinical, operational, and administrative information; and Axenya IQ, a predictive engine powered by AI and GenAI, capable of anticipating risks, suggesting interventions, and optimizing care journeys.

For Mariano Garcia-Valiño, founder and CEO of Axenya, the company’s true differentiator lies in the combination of cutting-edge technology and a business model capable of structurally transforming the system. “In healthcare, having a great product isn’t enough—you need a business model that can reshape the system. That’s what sets Axenya apart.”

Among the results reported by clients are: medical inflation up to 50% below market average, loss ratios 1,500 basis points lower than the national average, a 22% reduction in total healthcare costs year-over-year, a 40% drop in expenses for high-risk patients, and a 50% lower cost per procedure or consultation—even with a 13% increase in the number of appointments during the same period.

Kristian Huber, General Partner at Canary, emphasizes that Axenya’s ability to deliver measurable impact was key to the investment: “Axenya impressed us with its innovative approach and proven results in reducing steep annual health plan cost increases for companies and their employees, while improving care for patients with critical conditions.”

Thomas Bittar, co-founder of the leading deep tech fund in Latin America, highlights: “We believe Axenya is building the technological infrastructure needed to revolutionize corporate health management in Brazil. Indicator’s role is to accelerate this transformation by integrating data, devices, and predictive intelligence—key elements to reshape population health in one of the country’s most challenging and underserved markets.”

Founded in 2020, Axenya had previously raised US$ 6.8 million in earlier rounds, with participation from Patria High Growth, Big_Bets, Zentynel, and others. The new funding will be primarily allocated to commercial expansion, consolidation of growth channels, and advancement of the technology roadmap.

SOURCE Axenya

Dominant in Florida and Texas, Heave delivers multi-brand fixes in under a day and boosts mechanic earnings up to 6×; round led by Outsiders Fund brings total funding to $13M

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 27, 2025 — Heave, the platform connecting construction companies with on-demand heavy equipment mechanics, today announced a $7 million Series A round led by Outsiders Fund, with continued support from FJ Labs, Long Journey Ventures, and Slow Ventures. The new capital brings Heave’s total funding to $13 million and will be used to fuel market expansion, customer acquisition, and team growth.

Operating like “Uber for heavy equipment repair,” Heave is solving one of the most frustrating and costly issues in construction: equipment downtime. By offering companies access to certified, vetted mobile mechanics, Heave helps keep machines running and projects on schedule. The company currently services 600+ machines per month and has over 300 active mechanics in its network out of a total pool of 850 nationwide.

Founded by Alex Kraft, a former dealership executive who saw firsthand how slow and expensive traditional service models could be, Heave was built to be faster, more affordable, and built around the needs of job sites. The company is already a dominant player in Florida and Texas, and is expanding quickly across Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville regions with high-density construction and equipment usage.

“Heavy equipment is the lifeblood of the American construction economy, and downtime is a $1,000-per-hour problem for these businesses,” said Alex Kraft, founder and CEO of Heave. “This funding gives us the fuel to expand faster and deliver even more value to contractors who rely on us to keep their projects moving. We’re not just speeding up repairs, we’re redefining how this entire industry operates.”

The company’s 21-person team supports a fully 1099 mechanic model, offering flexible work for experienced technicians while meeting the urgent needs of contractors and site operators.

On one side, customers are getting technicians on-site in less than 24 hours, versus waiting days or weeks. Plus, Heave’s brand agnosticism allows them to address multiple brands at a time. On the technician side, Heave offers life-changing earning potential, with some technicians seeing up to a 600% increase in earnings. The demand is clear, and Heave is helping to meet it.

“Alex and the team at Heave are seeing incredible early success in a highly complicated and fragmented market,” said George Easley, Partner at Outsiders Fund. “Their thoughtful approach to solving the logistical and monetary pain of heavy equipment dealer service is positioning them to be a category-defining leader in construction tech.”

About Heave
Heave is the on-demand platform for heavy equipment repair. Built for the construction industry, Heave connects companies with qualified mechanics who can service machinery on-site. Founded in Tampa, Heave is modernizing one of the last offline corners of construction and keeping America’s job sites moving. Learn more at www.heaveapp.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Osborne
Kamel PR
[email protected] 
607-434-2065

SOURCE Heave Inc.

YC-backed Central enters the payroll wars, processing $75M+ with hundreds of customers taking on Gusto, Rippling & Deel.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27, 2025 — Central, the first autonomous back-office platform built for startups, today announced $8.6M in seed funding led by First Round Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Ritual Capital, Multimodal Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Surgepoint Capital, and several prominent founders, including Kulveer Taggar (Co-Founder & CEO at Zeus), JJ Fliegelman (Co-Founder & CTO at WayUp), and Richard Aberman (Co-Founder and CPO at WePay).

Designed for the next generation of companies that prefer to build rather than perform back-office tasks, Central utilizes AI to fully automate payroll, benefits, state registrations, HR, accounting, taxes, government filings, and more. Unlike traditional HR/finance tools, Central acts like a teammate in Slack, handling operations behind the scenes and eliminating the need for founders to learn complex systems or manage to-do lists. 

“Founders don’t start companies to get buried in payroll forms or state compliance filings,” said Josh Wymer, co-founder and CEO of Central. “This funding allows us to scale what’s working, as hundreds of startups already rely on Central as their AI-powered back office. We’re growing fast because founders want to focus on building, not bureaucracy. Central gives them the operational leverage of a full HR and finance team, without having to hire one.”

Central competes with decacorn and centicorn companies in this space, such as Rippling ($16B), Deel ($12B), Gusto ($10B), ADP ($122B), and Workday ($60B). Its AI-first platform offers a modern and compliant alternative to the fragmented back-office stack, automating everything from state registrations and tax filings to payroll, benefits, and employee onboarding. Purpose-built for high-growth companies, it eliminates operational drag, helps avoid costly compliance mistakes, and frees teams to scale faster. Customers simply message Central in Slack when they need help, and the system handles the rest.

Central is rapidly becoming the back-office platform of choice for hundreds of high-growth companies like Wordware, Wyndly, Poseidon Aerospace, Bitesight, Abel Police, Ulysses, Deepnight, Blaxel, and Diode. To date, it’s processed over $75 million in payroll, with nearly one-third of customers switching from legacy providers such as Rippling, Gusto, and Deel, underscoring demand for a truly modern, AI-native alternative.

“Every founder hits a moment where back-office operations start getting in the way of building the business,” said Meka Asonye, Partner at First Round Capital. “Central is the first solution we’ve seen that doesn’t just streamline the work, it eliminates it. The team possesses a rare combination of firsthand experience, technical expertise, and a profound understanding of what startups truly need. We’re proud to back Central as they redefine what modern, AI-powered operations should look like.”

With this new round of funding, Central plans to scale its platform, expand its expert support team, and continue building features & integrations that eliminate friction from the startup back office.

About Central
Central is the first autonomous back-office platform purpose-built for startups. Designed for founders who use Slack and want to stay focused on building and not bureaucracy. Central automates payroll, benefits, compliance, accounting, taxes, and more through a simple Slack interface.

SOURCE Central

Ohio Fund Brings Together Network of Nearly 50 Angel Investors to Fill Critical Funding Gap for Enterprise Software and Advanced Technology Companies

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 27, 2025 — Today, 71/70 Angels, the Ohio angel fund that invests in enterprise software and advanced technology startups nationwide, is announcing the close of Fund I. The inaugural fund brings together an expansive network of nearly 50 angel investors, including seasoned as well as first-time investors who bring new capital and fresh perspectives into early-stage investing. 71/70 Angels is filling critical funding gaps in the Midwest startup ecosystem, delivering support for early-stage companies with high-growth potential. The fund has come out of the gate strong, by already funding two local companies.

“71/70 Angels is built with a founder-first ethos, blending a streamlined process with Midwest grit and values,” said Melinda Gloriosa, Managing Director at 71/70 Angels and Rev1 Ventures. “With this first fund closed and our early investments underway, we’re taking action—backing startups with capital, along with an active network of operators, funders, and functional leaders who know how to build scalable companies.”

Despite economic headwinds in 2025, investor activity remains strong. According to the Angel Investment Network, 40% of angels plan to invest more this year than last. And startups backed by angel investors show a 58% higher five-year survival rate. 71/70 Angels is tapping this momentum to strengthen the Midwest’s innovation economy and open new pathways for both founders and investors.

In the first 90 days since its close, 71/70 Angels Fund I has already made two investments in high-growth companies including Ohio-based AI-driven marketing intelligence company, Nichefire, and a developer of next-generation technology for data privacy.

“I see angel investing as a powerful way to give back and help diverse entrepreneurs get the funding, mentorship, and networks they need to succeed,” said Laura MacDonald, 71/70 Angel Fund investor. “71/70 is already energizing the angel investor community in Central Ohio and I know it will have a significant impact on startups nationwide.”

“This is about growing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, while giving angel investors a strong connection to the next wave of transformative tech companies. Both new and experienced investors are directly supporting innovators, fueling job creation, economic growth, and stronger deal flow across the region,” added Michael Error, 71/70 Angel Fund investor.

71/70 Angels backs seed and early-stage companies developing high-impact solutions for large and growing markets. Powered by a dedicated network of individual angel investors and supported by Rev1 Ventures, the fund is designed to streamline the funding process and accelerate growth opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. For more about 71/70 Angels, visit www.7170angels.com.

About 71/70 Angels
71/70 Angels is an Ohio angel fund that invests in seed-stage software companies nationwide. Based in an important tech hub, 71/70 is expanding the angel community to help more entrepreneurs close critical funding rounds. Powered by Rev1 Ventures’ decades of investment expertise, 71/70 ignites a dedicated and growing group of investors committed to supporting startup success. 71/70 combines a transparent funding process and formalized due diligence to improve outcomes for both startups and investors.

SOURCE 71/70 Angels

Vertical AI platform deploys domain-trained agents, called InstaWorkers™ to automate sales, service, and operations across industries that rely on complex distribution.

NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2025 — InstaLILY AI, the maker of AI Teammates for the world’s most operationally intensive industries, today announced a $25 million Series A funding round led by global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from Perceptive Ventures and Marvin Ventures.

InstaLILY is pioneering a new way to bring AI into the enterprise: instead of stitching together tools or building automation flows, companies can now hire vertical-specific AI Teammates—called InstaWorkers™—that execute actual work inside legacy systems of records like ERPs, CRMs or any existing software tools.

Purpose-Built for Execution, not just Automation

The platform is purpose-built for distribution-heavy verticals where automation has historically failed. These industries—from physical goods like industrial parts to services like insurance and healthcare—depend on large catalogs, specialized knowledge and fragmented tools, creating high-volume, multi-step work that consumes expert human time. InstaWorkers™ solve this by being trained on the domain-specific processes unique to these industries, navigating their complex software environments without rip-and-replace, and executing full workflows autonomously.

Here’s how InstaWorkers™ get the job done:

• Understand Your Business: They are trained on the domain-specific processes, documentation, and systems unique to your industry.
• Work Across Your Tools: They navigate fragmented software environments (CRMs, ERPs, ticketing platforms) without requiring costly rip-and-replace projects.
• Execute, Not Just Advise: They autonomously complete full workflows, with options for human-in-the-loop oversight, moving beyond simple suggestions to take decisive action.

“We kept hearing the same thing: AI copilots are useful, but they don’t do the work,” said Amit Shah, Founder and CEO of InstaLILY. “InstaWorkers™ are different. They’re AI Teammates—built to execute, not just suggest next steps. That’s the promise of Code-as-Work: AI that radically expands human capacity, not replaces it.”

InstaWorkers™ on the Job

Customers are already deploying teams of InstaWorkers™ to augment their sales, service, and operations staff—with many seeing immediate results:

• A $10B+ construction-supply distributor is empowering its 1,500+ managers with an AI Sales support team. The InstaWorkers™ turn sales data into actionable follow-ups, allowing managers to spend more time on strategic account growth and coaching their teams.
• One of the largest global OEM equipment platforms deploys AI service specialists to support its field technicians. These InstaWorkers™ analyze complex fault descriptions and predict the most likely replacement part from thousands of SKUs, empowering technicians to focus on high-stakes repairs and customer service.
• A PE-backed insurance and healthcare services provider staffed an AI claims operations team to handle high-volume denials. The InstaWorkers™ extract policy and claim data, evaluate it against coverage rules, flag appealable cases, and generate compliant responses — reducing manual review time by 70% and accelerating resolution cycles.

Real Execution, Not Just Assistance

InstaLILY doesn’t just assist — it executes. While horizontal AI platforms focus on summarization, chat, task routing, or surface-level automation, InstaLILY delivers deep, decision-oriented execution. InstaWorkers™ take ownership of the high-stakes, high-variation workflows that drive revenue and service outcomes, such as quoting, issue triage, part validation, and exception handling. This isn’t robotic process automation; it’s domain-trained intelligence built to operate across legacy systems, tribal processes, and real-world complexity.

“These aren’t chatbots,” said Sumantro Das, Co-founder and COO of InstaLILY. “They’re AI Teammates who are embedded in the team and doing the work, not floating around it.”

Investor Perspective

“Hiring a domain-trained AI Teammate is one of those rare ideas that’s both intuitive and built to scale,” said Crissy Costa Behrens, Principal at Insight Partners. “InstaLILY is executing where horizontal AI tools stall—delivering vertical AI that doesn’t just assist but actually owns outcomes. With InstaWorkers™, InstaLILY is helping build a better future of work: grounded in actions, not suggestions.”

What’s Next

With this Series A funding, InstaLILY will expand its catalog of pre-trained InstaWorkers™ across new verticals, deepen integration support for common enterprise systems, and accelerate adoption across sales, service, and operations teams to help customers scale AI Teammate deployments without disrupting their existing workflows. The team is now extending multimodal capabilities even further, enabling agents to process voice and video inputs—unlocking new use cases in field service, contact centers, and human-agent-robot collaboration.

About InstaLILY

InstaLILY is the platform for hiring AI Teammates who already know your industry vertical. Its domain-trained AI agents—called InstaWorkers™—execute the core sales, service, and operations workflows of distribution-heavy and regulated businesses. Built for execution and immediate impact, InstaWorkers™ plug into your existing tools to deliver value from day one. Learn more at www.instalily.ai

About Insight Partners

Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2024, the firm has over $90B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on X @insightpartners.

SOURCE InstaLILY

First investment in biotech innovator Gameto underscores multi-billion-dollar market potential

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27, 2025 — Today, Portfolia , the premier investing fund designed for the world’s most powerful community of women investors, announced the launch of Women’s Health Fund IV, its most focused and forward -looking strategy yet in women’s health innovation. 

Fund IV’s debut investment is in Gameto, a clinical-stage biotechnology company reprogramming female cells to transform fertility and hormonal care. Portfolia’s investment is part of Gameto’s recently announced $44 million Series C financing, bringing its total raised capital to $127 million, one of the largest investments in the U.S. biopharma sector focused on reproductive health to date. Gameto’s lead program, Fertilo, uses engineered ovarian support cells to mature eggs outside the body, reducing the standard two-week IVF hormone protocol to just 2–3 days. The company has begun enrolling patients in its pivotal Phase 3 trial in the U.S., building on its clinical use in Australia and Latin America, with five babies born and over 20 pregnancies recorded so far.

Women’s Health Fund IV builds on Portfolia’s position as the first venture capital fund focused on women’s health in the US, and one of the most active women’s health investors in the U.S., with 46 health investments across fertility, childbirth, menopause, autoimmune disease, oncology, cardiovascular health, mental health, nutrition, longevity, and more. Previous funds have backed breakout companies such as  Maven Clinic , the first U.S. unicorn in women’s health, as well as HeraBiotech , Inherent Biosciences , Mirvie , OsteoBoost , FEMDx , and unicorn, EverlyHealth .

The women’s health market is currently estimated at $600B+ globally, spanning high-growth sub-sectors like menopause ($20B), fertility ($50B+), and female-focused longevity therapeutics ($20B). These categories are often undervalued or overlooked by traditional venture capital.

Today, women’s health receives just 2% of health-related venture capital funding. McKinsey & Company has projected that closing the gender health gap could yield up to $1 trillion in annual economic benefits by 2040, with significant market opportunities in specific conditions. For example, endometriosis alone represents an estimated $180–$250 billion market, on par with diabetes, according to the NIH and McKinsey.

“At Portfolia, we activate women to invest in the health solutions that will enhance our lives,” said Trish Costello, Founder & CEO of Portfolia. “Women’s health is compromised daily when investment dollars are not available to fuel new women’s health innovations. Women now control nearly $25 trillion of wealth in the U.S., yet we are rarely at the table as early investors, making those decisions that will bring us returns and impact. Our investments bring new solutions to the marketplace from fertility to autoimmune disease to menopause and beyond. Women’s Health Fund IV gives all investors access and influence to create this change.”

Despite making 80% of healthcare decisions, women face persistent gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and quality of care. Women’s Health Fund IV targets three major categories: women-specific conditions such as fertility, menopause, maternal health, gynecology, and women’s oncology; conditions that affect women differently, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease; and conditions that disproportionately affect women, such as autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression, lung cancer, and eating disorders.

By aggregating the capital, networks, and expertise of its members, Portfolia invests in early- to growth-stage companies with strong potential for both impact and returns. Women’s Health

Fund IV Partners Nola Masterson ; Faz K. Bashi, MD ; Sonia Arrison ; Jennifer Fried ; Delphine O’Rourke , and Trish Costello are seasoned leaders in biotech, venture capital, longevity, healthcare law, and operations, bringing an average of 15+ years of investing experience and deep sector networks.

Women’s Health Fund IV is now open to accredited investors, qualified purchasers, and family offices. To learn more or make your investment, visit https://www.portfolia.co/womens-health-iv .

About Portfolia 

Portfolia is the world’s most powerful investing community, designed for women but open to all. With nearly 2,000 investing members in 20 countries and 50 states, Portfolia’s 15 funds have made over 165+ investments in Pre-Seed to Pre-IPO companies. Portfolia venture funds aggregate assets for change. Learn more about Portfolia’s investment model or our open funds, by visiting our website at http://portfolia.com/ or email [email protected].

SOURCE Portfolia

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 27, 2025 — Guild, a new platform designed to return ownership to artists and creators, is launching in public beta with $2M in pre-token financing. Unlike traditional platforms, Guild gives music creators a direct stake in their work, the network they grow, and the AI it powers.

Tech companies are racing to train AI music models, and labels are suing in their best interest alone. Once again, creators are being left out of the upside. While investors and executives get equity, those generating the IP and culture are scraping by.

Guild turns everyday creative activity into ownership. Whether it’s uploading music, engaging fans, or contributing data, artists earn “Note” tokens that give them a stake in the platform itself. Not play-to-earn, it’s create-to-own.

Music has always driven technology – from vinyl and MP3s to TikTok. But while platforms and labels capture most of the value, the creators fueling it have seen little ownership and even less control. Now, as AI and blockchain become infrastructure, the stakes are higher than ever.

“Labels often own the rights. Tech founders and employees get stock,” said Guild Founder Phillip Rather. “Guild is giving artists what no one else will: rights and ownership.” According to Spotify and Linktree respectively, only 1.7% of Artists make more than $10,000/yr, and less than 4% of creators earn a sustainable income.

Guild combines the tools creators need into a single platform:

• Smart Contracts – for on-chain provenance, IP protection, royalty splits, and gated access.
• AI Agents – to help ideate, design, post, distribute, and analyze across platforms.
• Spaces – immersive locations for rare content, community, and rewards.
• Remuneration – for artists who opt in to AI training, with on-chain attribution and fair payouts.

Importantly, Guild has pledged to:

• Restrict early token holders with cliffs and vesting – avoiding dumping and rugpulls.
• Preserve governance for contributors, not short-term speculators.

“We needed early capital to build,” said Rather. “But creators should hold the lionshare. We’ve designed a buyback and token model to make that possible.”

Guild introduces a dual-token model:

• “Note” Tokens – a fungible token earned through platform use, supporting rewards, payouts, and commerce. Over 1/3 is allocated to the community, and real accrual is visible in the dashboard.
• Access Passes – unique tokens granting lifetime access, tools, early Note allocations, IRL events, and exclusive Spaces.

This isn’t a meme economy. It’s an ownership and community layer for artists building lasting careers – forget chasing trends, signing away rights, and watching others profit from your work.

Recent moves by major platforms show licensing artist catalogs to train AI, or burying opt-outs to exploit IP without consent. Creators aren’t consulted – and rarely compensated.

Guild flips the model. Artists can opt in to contribute to training and be rewarded as a community. Attribution is on-chain. Usage is transparent. Revenue sharing is viable.

“AI isn’t going away,” said Rather. “But it doesn’t have to be extractive. With Guild, artists can help build the next generation of tools – and own the rights and the data that power them. They don’t need another app – they need a new model.”

Over 2,500 artists have helped shape Guild’s development – from early product testing to dataset curation. Goldman Sachs projects the global creator economy to surpass $480 billion by 2027.

Backers include Capital Factory, Polygon, and ex-Meta leaders. Rather left Meta as a SMB platform exec to build for the fastest growing segment today – creators. Bruce Kalmick, the Austin based Founder and CEO of WHY&HOW management and Wyatt Road Records, has boarded as an advisor.

Media Contact:
Phillip Rather
512-589-9437
[email protected] 

SOURCE Guild

Company Also Achieves Cash Flow Positive Status While Building Suite of 50+ Tools for Creator Entrepreneurs

REXBURG, Idaho, Aug. 27, 2025 — PodUp, the most feature-rich podcasting platform, announced it has raised $5.8 million across two funding rounds to accelerate development of its AI-powered podcasting platform. The company also achieved cash flow positive status in May 2025 with a 35-person team.

PodUp was founded by serial entrepreneur Nathan Gwilliam, who most recently sold Adoption.com, which was the world’s most-used adoption site. PodUp is striving to follow the Shopify model, which integrated hundreds of tools to create an all-in-one platform for e-commerce ventures. With this model, Shopify has achieved a $159 billion market cap (July 2025). Similarly, PodUp is a platform with 50+ podcasting tools, including 17 AI-powered tools to help create, grow, and monetize ventures.

The PodUp inspiration came from Gwilliam’s challenge to publish a podcast daily for a year. After discovering he needed 30+ technologies, costing nearly $2,000 monthly, Gwilliam realized: “somebody’s got to create the all-in-one platform for creating, growing, and monetizing a venture with a podcast.”

Many Successful Entrepreneurs Back Revolutionary Approach
The funding rounds attracted notable investors including North Texas Angels, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels, and other angels who recognized PodUp’s potential to transform the $35.09 billion podcasting industry.

“Nathan is a seasoned and proven founder who knows what it takes to succeed,” said Stuart Draper, Chairman of the Board. “What Shopify did for e-commerce, PodUp is doing for podcasters. These guys have created 17 AI tools that help you podcast better and faster, and they’re better than the competition. That’s why our group invested about $1.8 million into PodUp.”

Jason Barney emphasized the market opportunity: “PodUp is doing for today’s content what we did for web content creation in the 90s – making what’s otherwise very complicated and intimidating accessible to a much larger market… When I first saw this idea about a year and a half ago, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of. It has those two critical ingredients – an innovative idea that fills an important place in the marketplace, and someone who can execute and scale it.”

Elizabeth Nielsen, a board member and repeat investor, highlighted the company’s execution: “This board is fantastic. The owners and leaders are transparent, want feedback, and serve everyone at the highest level of integrity. I’ve invested not just once, but twice.”

Jeff Murphy, Executive Director of North Texas Angels, noted the investment appeal: “SaaS for podcasts is something the market really needs, and PodUp has figured out a great solution. With revenue, experienced founders, and clear exit opportunities, 12 of our investors put $147,000 into PodUp.”

Customer Success Drives Growth
PodUp’s platform effectiveness is proven through measurable client achievements, including Dr. Tamara Nall’s Lead with AI podcast, which reached #1 on Apple Podcasts in the Technology category.

PodUp’s customer, Donna Pope, founder of Heart to Heart Adoptions and host of the VoicesOfAdoption podcast, represents the platform’s impact on serious content creators. After visiting PodUp’s 35-person team in India, Pope was so impressed she committed to complete the $3.7 million seed round with a $217,000 investment.

PodUp operates PodAllies, a done-for-you podcast production, marketing and monetization agency. CEOs and other creators who want a podcast to help grow their businesses but don’t have time, can record episodes and PodAllies can do essentially everything else.

Customer testimonials reflect the platform’s transformative impact. Eileen Noyes of The Unsidelined Life Podcast shared: “They make it easy. They are helping me to grow and be part of that monetization piece. PodAllies is the way to go – it has built my confidence in knowing that the story I’ve wanted to share, I’m doing it.”

April Taylor of the Jr. Moguls Podcast added: “There’s nothing like plugging into a professional system, and that’s what PodAllies allows you to do. They literally take you by the hand and lay out everything so your podcast can be the best podcast ever.”

For more info about the PodUp platform, visit podup.com

For more info about the done-for-you PodAllies services, visit podallies.com

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Nathan Gwilliam
208-252-4233
[email protected]

SOURCE PodUp

Leal Therapeutics is developing first-in-class therapeutics to correct metabolic imbalances in the brain for treatment of high unmet need CNS disorders

Financing advances LTX-001 through clinical efficacy data in schizophrenia patients, LTX-002 through initial clinical data in ALS, and progresses additional pipeline programs

WORCESTER, Mass., Aug. 27, 2025 — Leal Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for patients with disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), today announced a $30 million Series A financing. The round was led by SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), in addition to existing investors OrbiMed, Newpath Partners, Chugai Venture Fund, Euclidean Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments, and PhiFund.

Leal’s approach is rooted in the core principle that correcting metabolic imbalances in the brain is key to the development of effective therapies for patients living with neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders. This approach is supported by extensive human genetics, human biomarker, and preclinical model data. Leal’s lead program, LTX-001, is a clinical-stage, first-in-class brain-penetrant oral small molecule targeting excessive glutamate by inhibiting the mitochondrial enzyme glutaminase, for patients with psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Data from an initial clinical study of LTX-001 support safety and effective target engagement. Leal is also developing LTX-002, a near-clinical stage antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) for patients with genetic or sporadic ALS. LTX-002 targets the de novo synthesis of ceramides/sphingolipids by inhibiting the first and rate-limiting enzyme in this pathway, SPT, and more specifically the SPTLC1 subunit. Excessive ceramides/sphingolipids are implicated in ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders. Leal is also developing LTX-007, a small molecule inhibitor of SPT, for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and inherited sphingolipidoses.  In addition to the programs above, Leal is advancing next-generation technology to optimize delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics to the CNS through the blood brain barrier (BBB) using antibody-like shuttles. 

Proceeds from the Series A financing will be used to advance LTX-001 through a clinical trial in schizophrenia patients, as well as progress LTX-002 through initial clinical data in ALS. “This financing enables us to further progress our first-in-class neuro-metabolic pipeline to clinical data for patients with severe unmet needs,” said Asa Abeliovich, M.D., Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of Leal. “We’re grateful to our new and existing investors for their shared commitment to advancing this work.”

In connection with the financing, Christian Jung, Ph.D., Partner at SV Health Investors, joined Leal’s board of directors. “Leal is advancing promising and highly differentiated programs for CNS disorders with a clear clinical strategy and a uniquely qualified team,” said Dr. Jung. “We believe the company is well-positioned to make significant strides in the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. We’re proud to support Leal as they take this next critical step.”

About Leal Therapeutics:

Leal Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing novel neuro-metabolic therapeutics for patients with high-need central nervous system disorders. Leal was launched in 2021 and is headquartered in Worcester, Mass. Leal’s lead programs address the critical intersection between CNS and metabolic disorders. The Leal team has particular expertise in CNS therapeutic development, as well as leveraging human genetics, functional genomics and biomarker analyses to support our mission. Leal has the technological capability to develop and produce small molecule as well as nucleic acid CNS therapeutics at scale.

About SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund

SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) is the world’s largest family of specialized venture capital funds that invests exclusively in companies developing or enabling novel therapeutics for dementia. Dementias including Alzheimer’s Disease are arguably the largest unmet medical need with over 55m patients worldwide. With more than $600m raised for this strategy, and offices in London and Boston, DDF capitalizes on global investment opportunities to fulfill its dual mandate of delivering measurable impact and generating significant financial returns. Utilizing its network of venture partners, entrepreneurs, leading scientists, and strategic partners, DDF invests in and creates new biotech companies and provides thought leadership in the field. DDF is enabled by its cornerstone investors AARP, the British Business Bank and Gates Frontier, as well as additional limited partners, including major pharmaceutical companies and leading non-profits. For more information, please visit https://svhealthinvestors.com/DDF.

About SV Health Investors

SV Health Investors is a leading healthcare fund manager committed to investing in tomorrow’s healthcare breakthroughs. The SV funds invest across stages, geographic regions, and sectors, with expertise spanning biotechnology, dementia, medical devices, healthcare growth and healthcare technology. With more than $2bn in assets under management, and historical commitments in excess of $4bn, SV has built an extensive network of talented investment professionals and experienced industry veterans and a truly transatlantic presence with offices in London and Boston. Since its founding in 1993, SV has invested in, created and built more than 200 companies attracting global talent, entrepreneurs and pharma partners. To date, these investments have resulted in the licensing of 28 novel drugs and six new drug classes able to treat indications with unmet medical needs and deliver positive impact to patients. For more information, please visit https://svhealthinvestors.com.

Media contact:

Tehya Frank

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SOURCE Leal Therapeutics