LONDON, May 29, 2025 — Volteras, the leading data streaming platform for the energy ecosystem, today announced the close of its $11.1 million oversubscribed Series A funding round.

This milestone was spearheaded by Union Square Ventures, known for early investments in companies like Twitter, and included participation from fleet card providers Wex and Edenred, alongside existing investors, Exor and Long Journey Ventures.

Wex and Edenred have a combined 24 million vehicles that they service. They see Volteras as a vital part of their transition to electric vehicles. David Klein, Head of WEX Venture Capital, said: “WEX serves over 19 million vehicles across our fleet customers, and we see enormous potential in Volteras’ platform to help fleets unlock the power of their data.” Edenred Ventures Managing Partner, Norbert Furnion, added “The potential applications of their technology—both within Edenred and across the broader mobility and energy software ecosystem—are expanding rapidly. Their focus on official data partnerships sets them apart, and positions them to become a foundational player in this evolving landscape.”

“We’re thrilled to have the support of world class investors who share our vision to transform the energy data ecosystem,” said Peter Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Volteras. “This funding enables us to accelerate part of our mission to securely connect automakers, energy providers, and mobility platforms in unprecedented ways to enable a new generation of energy and mobility apps.”

Redefining the Energy Ecosystem

Volteras is revolutionizing the way data flows between electric vehicles (EVs), chargers and home batteries in the energy ecosystem, similar to how Plaid connected data between banks in the financial ecosystem.

Starting with a transparent, partnership-based approach. The startup has integrated over 30 OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and its partnerships include Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group AG. The startup is working to create a world where every aspect of EV ownership- from purchase to charging to insurance- seamlessly integrates through a single data platform. A platform that ensures fast, stable, and secure data streaming. Businesses from fleet and charging management to virtual power plants, insurance providers and more, can grow revenue and improve operational efficiencies via Volteras’ high-quality data streaming.

“Through our partnership with Volteras, more businesses in the energy and mobility sectors can access real-time, multi-brand vehicle data,” said Alistair Colam, Northern Europe Sales at Mobilisights (Stellantis’ data business unit). “This unlocks new opportunities for fleet optimization, preventive maintenance, and smarter energy management—empowering Volteras’ customers to operate more efficiently and sustainably.”

A Full Lifecycle Vision for Consumers and Businesses

Volteras’ ultimate goal is to build the world’s largest energy data platform, collaborating with automakers and energy leaders to deliver innovation and sustainability at scale. As this vision becomes a reality, consumers and businesses both win:

• Businesses: Volteras will help to unlock fleet optimization, preventive maintenance, and grid demand balancing with real-time data. Energy companies will be able to better balance grid demand by varying energy consumption and ‘flattening the curve’ in times of high demand.
• Consumers: Volteras enables usage-based insurance, smart charging solutions that pushes electricity back to the grid and times when electricity prices are lowest to intake charge, and battery health reports to provide transparency to the used EV market. Moreover, Volteras’ API will connect an EV to a home energy management system allowing a consumer to optimize energy usage, check carbon footprints, and see if the electricity that is powering a battery, EV or home is renewable.

Driving Innovation with Series A Funding

With the new funding, Volteras will:

• Expand its partnerships with automakers and energy device manufacturers globally;
• Grow its team of software engineers, data scientists, and energy product specialists and;
• Support new partners like Octopus Electric Vehicles and Hitachi ZeroCarbon in launching new EV services.

Hitachi ZeroCarbon is relying on Volteras to launch a new charging management service that helps fleets go electric, by connecting the fleet without the need for hardware.

Jim Donaldson, Hitachi ZeroCarbon’s Chief Technology Officer, explains the benefits of outsourcing high-quality energy data, “Volteras has simplified the process of obtaining automaker data, enabling us to onboard new customer vehicles quickly, easily and at a low cost. This has allowed us to focus on our own innovations, and deliver the insight our customers need.”

Enterprise-Grade Security

Data protection is a top priority as clean energy businesses handle sensitive data like vehicle telematics, user login details and access commands like remote vehicle control. OEM-authorized integrations ensure that data is transmitted through secure, encrypted channels, which are protected from cybersecurity attacks.

Providers that use unauthorized streaming methods extract data from third-party apps that don’t have enterprise-grade security built in and can be easily exploited. This means high cybersecurity risks. If data is compromised, it can lead to heavy financial losses, operational disruptions, or even drivers being locked out of their vehicles.

The data of Volteras customers is securely streamed from OEM servers and devices only. Customers’ personally identifiable information is not shared—Volteras only accesses data relating to the vehicle with the agreed consent from the owner.

About Volteras

Founded in London, Volteras is the premier data streaming platform for the energy ecosystem, connecting vehicles, chargers, and energy systems securely and efficiently. Through OEM-authorized data integrations, Volteras is setting new standards in how energy and mobility businesses operate.

Contact:

[email protected] 

SOURCE Volteras

DALLAS, May 29, 2025 — Firehawk Aerospace (“Firehawk”), a defense technology leader specializing in advanced energetics and propulsion technologies, has received an award of a pivotal land grant and capital investment from the State of Oklahoma and federal leaders, including Gov. Kevin Stitt, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin and Rep. Trey Caldwell.

The initiative includes the transfer of 320 acres of strategically located land near Fort Sill, Oklahoma and a $22 million state and federal funding package for the construction of a new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility, test infrastructure and specialized manufacturing equipment.

“Oklahoma is open for business, and today’s announcement proves it,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt. “By expanding solid and hybrid rocket motor production here in our state, we are doing our part to strengthen the nation’s defense forces and the shield of missile defense. This new facility, located near Fort Sill, the home of Army artillery, will leverage the most advanced additive manufacturing technology to propel the industry base into a new era. This effort is about securing our nation, creating high-tech jobs, and showing that Oklahoma stands ready to lead in building the capabilities that keep America safe.”

“This is a strategic investment in the future of U.S. energetics and propulsion capacity,” said Will Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of Firehawk. “It will enable us to produce the advanced energetics needed to replenish the U.S. arsenal, restore stockpiles, and sustain any fight. We’re deeply grateful to Governor Stitt, Congressman Cole, Senator Mullin and the State of Oklahoma for their vision and support. Together, we’ll build infrastructure to turn innovation into combat-ready capability – rapidly, efficiently and with scale at its core.”

“This moment marks a pivotal moment for Oklahoma,” said Dr. Krista Ratliff, president and CEO of the Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator (FISTA) Development Trust Authority. “We are showing the nation that Oklahoma is ready to lead and support the next generation of defense manufacturing. We’re building a bridge between national security priorities and local opportunity right here in Lawton Fort Sill, Oklahoma.”

This initiative represents a significant advancement in critical defense technology infrastructure, accelerating the transition of next-generation energetics from research and development to full-scale production. Moreover, the investment for the high-throughput manufacturing facility is expected to deliver capabilities traditionally associated with very large government programs, but at a fraction of the cost.

Groundbreaking for the new location is expected during Summer 2025. Firehawk is committed to strengthening the U.S. supply of critical energetics and enabling the rapid restoration of the nation’s arsenal in response to emerging threats.

About Firehawk Aerospace
Firehawk Aerospace develops and manufactures advanced energetics systems that are safer, more affordable, and rapidly scalable for defense and national security applications. Firehawk designs and manufactures its products at its Dallas headquarters and performs static fire and flight tests at two facilities in West Texas, including a 30-square-mile launch range. For more information, visit www.firehawkaerospace.com.

Media Inquiries
Sandra Perez
[email protected]

SOURCE Firehawk Aerospace

ARLINGTON, Va., May 29, 2025 — Bloomberg Industry Group raised $15,730.90 for the 35^th annual Lawyers Have Heart 10K, 5K & Fun Walk on May 17. The event supports the American Heart Association (AHA) to raise funds for the research, prevention and awareness of heart disease and stroke.

“Participating in Lawyers Have Heart is a valued annual tradition for Bloomberg Industry Group,” said Andrew Prior, Head of Sales and Service, Bloomberg Industry Group. “Bringing our community together is an imperative part of supporting efforts to create longer and healthier lives.”

Held at West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., Bloomberg Industry Group’s team comprised of 126 participants, and finished in both the Top 5 Companies and Teams participating in the fundraiser.

The race included 155 companies and over 200 teams including legal leaders, executives, friends, and family participating in the day’s festivities.

About Bloomberg Industry Group
Bloomberg Industry Group empowers professionals in government, law, tax, and accounting with industry knowledge and AI-enabled technology, enabling them to take decisive action and make the most of every opportunity. Bloomberg Industry Group is an affiliate of Bloomberg L.P. For more information, visit bloombergindustry.com.

SOURCE Bloomberg Industry Group

Against All Odds: How Mengting Hou Rewrote The Rules of Entrepreneurship

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 29, 2025 — This May, Mengting was named one of three finalists in the LaunchPad language education technology competition at the 2025 Conference of the Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO) in San Diego. Her journey isn’t just impressive. It’s revolutionary.

Most entrepreneurs start with capital, connections, or a last name that opens doors. Mengting Hou had none of that. Only grit, guts, and a dream.

What sets Mengting apart isn’t what she’s accomplished at a young age, but how she’s done it: through raw tenacity.

From Scarcity to Strength

Born in northern China to a mother working warehouse shifts, Mengting’s childhood was steeped in scarcity. “We struggled with food, clothes, and job security,” she recalls. Yet deprivation built her muscles for resourcefulness, responsibility, and resilience.

Without internet access or even a color TV, Mengting attacked English learning with sheer force of will. “I memorized and recited every English textbook, multiple times,” she explains. “Slowly, ‘English’ became more than grammar rules. It became fairytales, poetry, and history. Eventually, it became my gateway to the world.”

No Time for Doubt

At 18, Mengting pursued a double major in law and English literature while juggling multiple jobs. Days were for lectures. Nights were for working and building. Sleep was a luxury. At Beijing’s New Oriental School, she taught TOEFL prep ten hours a day to students older than herself. But experience, earned through adversity, gave her presence beyond her years—and an early glimpse of the leadership instincts that would later define her.

Her first two e-commerce ventures failed. Instead of retreating, she launched two more. By graduation, her surviving ventures had made her financially independent.

The Entrepreneur’s Burden

“Building your own business is completely different from working for others,” Mengting says. “An entrepreneur is a different species. You’re learning everything on the fly while taking care of everyone else. You’re the last reserve. 24/7. No rest. No backup.”

But with pressure, she found clarity. “My parents taught me to find hope in the harshest times,” she says. That hope became fuel.

American Reinvention

In 2015, Mengting arrived in Los Angeles. No family. No friends. Little money. “When I arrived at the airport with just two suitcases, I had no backup plan,” Mengting says. “But I believed that if I could survive before, I could build something here, too.”

Mengting’s experience as an immigrant helped her zero in on an opportunity: the need for real-world language education. Traditional platforms lagged behind modern demands. So, she flipped the model.

Her platform, Mimir, starts not with textbooks, but with real-life situations. From there, lessons grow organically, making the content outcome-driven and instantly relevant. In 2023, she focused on R&D. In 2024, she launched Chinese and Spanish programs. By 2025, she was scaling the business while building the English program. She formed school partnerships, connected with tech talent, secured early investors, and never lost sight of her mission: to empower young minds and close the language gap.

Empowering Through Leadership

As Mimir began to grow, so did Mengting’s team, and her responsibility to them. She approaches leadership like she approaches language learning: context matters. “Every team member has their own story, their own learning curve,” she says. “My job is to meet them where they are and build upward together.”

Her ability to mentor across cultures and disciplines became a driving force behind Mimir’s success.

Beyond Conventional Limits

Mengting’s story is her own philosophy in action: “Don’t chase your full potential; there’s no such thing. Like J.P. Morgan said: ‘Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.'”

People told her she couldn’t sell at scale, couldn’t build a tech company without coding skills, and couldn’t pass the most rigorous exams in finance. She proved them wrong, every time.

She’s created over 20 product brands. Sold millions in goods overseas. Passed all three levels of the CFA (Charter of Financial Analyst) exams in a row. And built a platform used by thousands of students and learners across the globe.

Her story proves that the true startup capital isn’t money—it’s belief, drive, and the refusal to quit. “This is only the beginning. My goal is to reshape how the world learns languages, starting with underserved learners who have been left behind.”

Media Contact:

[email protected]
www.themimir.com

Brandon Violette
www.brandonviolette.com

SOURCE Contemporary Education And Technology Inc.

FARGO, N.D., May 29, 2025 — Riding a wave of rapid growth and increasing demand for its innovative agronomic intelligence platform, FarmQA today announced the successful close of an oversubscribed $4 million Series Seed Preferred funding round. The round was led by gener8tor 1889, a North Dakota-based venture capital fund operated by the national venture firm gener8tor, with significant participation from O’Leary Ventures, the private investment company founded by Kevin O’Leary, via the Wonder Fund North Dakota, and Badlands Capital, a regional fund backing transformative Midwest-based companies.

The capital infusion will fuel FarmQA’s ambitious expansion, accelerate the development of new AI-powered analytics and enhanced data integration capabilities, and support strategic M&A to further solidify its market position. The company is committed to empowering the agronomic professionals who are the cornerstone of modern agriculture.

FarmQA has seen strong, sustained growth over the past year — doubling its annual recurring revenue (ARR) and expanding from 20 million to 37 million acres under management. This momentum underscores the platform’s growing value to agronomic professionals worldwide. Now, under the leadership of CEO Kris Poulson, FarmQA is continuing to scale while augmenting that growth through strategic acquisitions and expanded global reach.

“We’re not just helping digitize agronomic services — we’re helping feed and fuel an ever-growing global population,” said Kris Poulson, CEO of FarmQA. “Our customers serve growers who produce the world’s food and fuel — often under the most volatile and unpredictable conditions. Markets are unpredictable. Weather is uncontrollable. These producers depend on fast, accurate agronomic insights to make informed decisions and manage risk. The best defense is better information — and that’s what FarmQA provides.

Designed specifically for agronomic advisors, FarmQA’s connected platform streamlines crucial tasks such as scouting, soil sampling, fertility planning, and prescription writing, ultimately improving decision-making and saving valuable time in the field. The company views itself as a vital component of the modern food system’s critical infrastructure, where digital transformation, including the adoption of AI-powered analytics and integrated data platforms, is essential to managing food production and security.

“FarmQA helps the people closest to the field make smarter, faster decisions,” said Ben Stanley, Principal of gener8tor 1889. “They’re scaling rapidly, serving real customers with measurable outcomes, and we’re excited to help them become the go-to agronomic platform for consultants everywhere.”

 “We back businesses that solve meaningful, global problems — and FarmQA is doing exactly that,” said Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures. “This is about more than digitizing ag — it’s about safeguarding the future of food production. FarmQA is building the digital backbone for next-generation agronomy.”

With strong momentum and continued product innovation, FarmQA is poised to play a defining role in the future of precision agriculture, enabling agronomists to reduce risk, increase efficiency, and unlock better outcomes for the growers they serve.

About FarmQA
FarmQA is a digital agronomy platform that equips agronomists and crop consultants with modern tools to deliver data-driven recommendations. With more than 37 million acres under management, FarmQA is redefining how agronomic services are delivered, enabling faster insights, stronger collaboration, and more resilient food production. Learn more at www.farmqa.com.

About gener8tor 1889
gener8tor 1889 is a venture capital fund based in Fargo focused on pre-seed and seed-stage startups with a nexus to North Dakota. gener8tor 1889 is integrated into the gener8tor platform, a national venture capital and startup accelerator firm with global reach. gener8tor fosters innovation ecosystems through accelerator programs, venture funds and skills-based workforce initiatives. This gives the fund’s portfolio access to gener8tor’s national network of venture capital funds, angel investors, mentors, corporate partners and conferences. Learn more at gener8tor1889.com.

About O’Leary Ventures and Wonder Fund North Dakota
O’Leary Ventures is the private investment company of Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Shares ETFs and judge on ABC’s Shark Tank. O’Leary Ventures invests in early-stage companies that solve real-world problems and have the potential for massive scale and impact. The firm’s investment into FarmQA was made via the Wonder Fund North Dakota, a $45M North Dakota Department of Commerce investment program directed by O’Leary Ventures. www.olearyventures.com/

About Badlands Capital
Badlands Capital invests in founders solving tough problems from the heartland. Based in the Midwest, Badlands brings capital, experience, and local insight to companies with bold visions and grounded execution. www.badlands.capital

Media Contact:
Kara Ellefson
[email protected]
+1-701- 941-2046

SOURCE FarmQA, Inc.

• Accelmed $20 Million Investment with 3E Bioventures Capital Funding of $3 Million to Drive Innovation, Clinical Expansion, and Global Market Growth

SMITHFIELD, R.I., May 29, 2025 — Acclaro Medical, a pioneering medical technology company focused on developing cutting-edge solutions that improve patient care and redefine medical practices, proudly announces the successful completion of its Series B funding round. Led by Accelmed Partners with participation by existing investor 3E Bioventures Capital, the combined funding of $23 million marks a pivotal milestone in the company’s journey to fulfill unmet aesthetic needs through its innovative 2910 nm fiber laser solution and other disruptive technologies. This capital infusion will help Acclaro accelerate the growth of its flagship products, UltraClear^® and AuraLux^™ and expedite global market expansion while advancing development of new trailblazing products in its pipeline.

Acclaro Medical’s UltraClear fiber laser is recognized by leading aesthetic professionals as a breakthrough in Total Skin Health that treats multiple skin layers to help reverse the signs of aging and gravity. The first of its kind 2910 nm cold ablative fiber laser, powered by proprietary 3DIntelliPulse^™ technology, delivers:

Its precision-engineered capabilities make it the ideal choice for practitioners seeking transformative results with minimal downtime, reduced patient discomfort and speedy healing. Complementing UltraClear, the AuraLux laser leverages the same exclusive Cool Pulse^™ technology and broadens accessibility for aesthetic providers and their patients while maintaining Acclaro’s hallmark quality.

“Securing this Series B investment is a powerful testament to our unstoppable team and the tremendous progress that Acclaro has made in a very short period of time,” said Acclaro Medical CEO and Co-founder Helen Fang. “This funding empowers us to continue our strong growth and realize our vision of improving the quality of life for people of all skin colors and all ages worldwide.”

Shlomo Assa, President and co-founder of Acclaro Medical, noted: “We are thrilled to have the support of Accelmed as we expand our global and domestic footprint. This Series B funding is a strong vote of confidence in our mission to bring UltraClear and AuraLux to more people pursuing anti-aging solutions for healthier and younger-looking skin. It greatly enables us to accelerate product development, expand our team, and reach more customers globally – And we’re just getting started!”

The Series B funding will allow Acclaro Medical to leverage decades of Accelmed’s operational and financial expertise, alongside 3E Bioventures’ disciplined efficiency. Acclaro Medical is poised to execute its strategic plans and realize its vision of revolutionizing the aesthetic industry. These efforts will further cement the company’s position as a leader in providing innovative, patient-centered skin health solutions.

“Acclaro’s unique cold laser fiber technology constitutes a game changer in laser aesthetics with the possibility for aesthetic practices to safely treat all skin types for all major indications using only one device,” stated Daniel Cohen, Accelmed’s venture partner with extensive experience leading successful Medtech & Biotech investments over the last 20 years. “Accelmed Partners is thrilled to lead this round of financing and accompany Acclaro’ s management in this fantastic journey.”

About Acclaro Medical

Founded in 2018 by world-class industry experts, Acclaro Medical is committed to developing, innovating and bringing to market game-changing solutions to address today’s unmet medical, aesthetic and surgical practice needs. With a relentless commitment to innovation and a team of dedicated professionals, Acclaro Medical continues to push the boundaries and drive positive change in the aesthetic medical industry. Its proprietary 3DMIRACL^™ and Laser Coring^™ skin rejuvenation treatments are valued for offering unrivaled aesthetic results complemented by high patient comfort, rapid healing and utmost safety across all skin types. For more information, please visit https://ultraclearlaser.com/about/acclaro-medical/.

About Accelmed Partners

Accelmed, a leader in healthcare technology investing, is renowned for its private equity approach to a sector traditionally dominated by venture and early-stage growth firms. Its team of experienced industry veterans and company builders work closely as a trusted partner with portfolio management to improve operations, upgrade product portfolios, and strengthen commercial organizations. Accelmed’s support and resources are designed to help portfolio companies like Acclaro Medical elevate its technology and achieve enduring success. The investment firm currently manages over $630 million of equity capital. For more information, please visit https://accelmed.com/about.

Media Contact:
Nadine Tosk
Tosk Communications for Acclaro Medical
[email protected]; 504.453.8344

SOURCE Acclaro Medical Corporation

The company has quickly become the system of record for the next-generation of finance teams, including those at Windsurf, Decagon, Postscript, and more

NEW YORK, May 28, 2025 — Rillet, the AI-native ERP (enterprise resource planning) platform, today announced $25M in Series A funding led by Sequoia Capital. This round, which comes 10 months after Rillet’s last fundraise, includes existing investors First Round Capital, Creandum, Susa Ventures and top angels, such as former NetSuite CFO, Ron Gill and Lee Kirkpatrick, former Twilio CFO.

Today, many accounting teams are reliant on legacy ERP systems and tools from the 90s, preventing them from fully adopting AI. Products like NetSuite are slow, outdated, highly manual and often bloated and complex from extensive customization. Full utilization of AI requires a single source of truth with clean, accurate data.

Rillet has rebuilt the general ledger to redefine the ERP for the AI age. The platform integrates directly with best-in-class tools, including Salesforce, Stripe, Ramp, Brex and Rippling. Rillet AI agents then automate key accounting workflows from accruals to reconciliation to board reporting and more.

“We’re a team of accountants building for accountants. This means everything from the reports to the workflows is tailor-built for the challenges CFOs and controllers deal with on a daily basis,” said Rillet CEO and founder, Nicolas Kopp.

Rillet empowers customers to close their books in hours rather than weeks, providing fully reconciled financial data in real time to enable faster and better decision making. Leaders no longer need to wait weeks after the month ends to see how the business is performing. This means that leaner, more efficient accounting teams can then focus on higher leverage, more strategic work.

“ERP is one of the largest software categories, yet it has remained virtually untouched for the last decade because reimagining the financial backbone of a business is incredibly complex,” said Julien Bek, the Sequoia partner who led the firm’s partnership with Rillet. “Nicolas has brought together a world-class team to tackle this challenge, combining deep domain expertise with AI-native technology to rebuild the foundation of the CFO suite.”

Sequoia, which is known for partnering with category-defining fintechs like Stripe, Block, and more, has several ex-CFO investing partners. Roelof Botha, managing partner at Sequoia and prior CFO of PayPal added:

“Rillet has rethought the general ledger to automate accounting with real-time integrations and AI-driven workflows, allowing finance teams to work smarter and businesses to scale faster. This modern approach helps CFOs capture the full value of AI, and, ultimately, positions Rillet as the system of record for the next generation of finance teams.”

Since launching in 2024, Rillet has seen incredible traction with revenue growing 5x year-on-year and the platform processing billions in transactions. Nearly 200 customers including fast-growing companies like Windsurf, Decagon and Postscript have implemented Rillet to transform their accounting processes.

Windsurf, one of the fastest growing AI companies, runs all their accounting on Rillet: “Rillet feels like it was tailor built for Windsurf and our complex accounting needs. We have a unique blend of products and revenue models and are growing at lightning speed; Rillet handles all of it effortlessly,” said Windsurf VP of Finance, Adam Strouss.

This new funding and support from Sequoia will allow Rillet to further accelerate the development and deployment of AI within the platform and enable them to further build out the go-to-market and customer support functions.

SOURCE Rillet

BETHESDA, Md., May 28, 2025 — The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) and MDC Studio, Inc (MDC) are proud to announce their groundbreaking collaboration through the HJF-MDC Venture Fund LLC.

This collaboration aims to revolutionize medical technology development and commercialization, benefiting military and civilian health care sectors.

The HJF-MDC Collaboration

This new initiative seeks to grow existing collaborations to accelerate the development and commercialization of dual-use medical technologies for military and civilian applications. As part of this initiative, MDC Studio has established a satellite office within HJF’s innovation facility in Bethesda, Maryland.

Introducing the HJF-MDC Venture Fund

HJF and MDC formed the HJF-MDC Venture Fund, as an independent entity that aims to invest in a diversified portfolio of early-stage companies commercializing military medical technologies with civilian applications. HJF is participating as a non-voting member of the Fund with a minority interest. The Fund’s focus areas include medical devices, wearables for health, and rehabilitation / assistive robotics. The Fund will be overseen by a Board of Managers, who will make investment decisions based on objective selection criteria, including alignment with military medical needs, benefits to civilian health, risks, and expected returns.

The Fund’s Board of Managers includes:

• Dr. Gil Blankenship, Ph.D., is the Founder of MDC Studio. Over his career, Dr. Blankenship transitioned from a researcher in applied mathematics to an entrepreneur building technology companies, including three successful exits. He retired from the University of Maryland School of Engineering in 2022.
• Dr. Jonathan Pearl, M.D., is a Partner and Medical Advisor in the MDC Studio. Dr. Pearl is an Associate Professor of Surgery in General and Oncologic Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Pearl is a Veteran of the United States Navy with several tours of duty and distinguished service awards.
• Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, M.D., M.P.H., served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. In this role, he was the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for all Department of Defense health and force health protection policies, programs, and activities. Dr. Martinez-Lopez, a family medicine physician, retired from the Army as a Major General and headed the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, where he directed the Army’s worldwide medical research, acquisition, and logistics program.
• Dr. Leonard Mills, Ph.D., C.F.A., had a lengthy career as an investment manager at large financial institutions and private equity funds. In 2016, Dr. Mills founded PI Analytics Investment Adviser, specializing in venture capital investments.

The HJF-MDC Venture Fund is raising $20 million to invest in new companies for its expanding portfolio of investments in dual-use startups with high potential.

The HJF-MDC Venture Fund represents a significant step forward in advancing medical technologies that benefit both military and civilian healthcare by supporting innovation and commercialization in dual-use medical technologies.

About HJF

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) is a Congressionally authorized global nonprofit organization with the mission to advance military medicine. Since 1983, HJF has been a trusted and responsive link between the military medical community, federal and private partners, and the millions of warfighters, veterans, and civilians who benefit from military medicine. With more than 3,000 employees, HJF manages over 800 awards and 1,500 active research protocols, focusing on combat casualty care, infectious disease, cancer, neurological, and clinical and rehabilitative medicine.

About MDC

Established in 2016, MDC Studio is a Maryland-based startup studio that collaborates with medical professionals, engineers, and entrepreneurs to translate intellectual property into market-ready products. MDC licenses technologies from technology transfer offices and develops its own inventions, focusing on medical device innovations. MDC has successfully raised nearly $27 million in contracts, grants, and investments for its portfolio companies.

For more information, please contact:

Stephen Dalal, D.V.M.,
HJF Vice President, U.S. Research Development
HJF-MDC Venture Fund LLC.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (240) 425-5699

SOURCE Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, 2025 — AusperBio Therapeutics, Inc. and Ausper Biopharma Co., Ltd. (collectively AusperBio), a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to advancing targeted oligonucleotide therapies to achieve a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), today announced the completion of an oversubscribed USD $50 million Series B+ financing round, led by an existing, industry-leading VC investor, with strong participation from Qiming Venture Partners, CDH Investments, Genesis Capital, YuanBio Venture Capital, HanKang Capital, and Sherpa Capital.

This financing follows AusperBio’s Series B round completed in December 2024 and reflects continued investor confidence in the company’s lead product, proprietary platform, and strategic direction. The proceeds will support the ongoing clinical development of AHB-137, a novel unconjugated antisense oligonucleotide for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), including planned Phase II trials outside of mainland China. The funding will also enable scale-up of commercial manufacturing partnerships and support the company’s long-term pipeline growth.

Dr. Guofeng Cheng, co-founder and CEO of AusperBio, commented, “We are greatly honored by the continued support from our investors. It’s a strong vote of confidence in our vision and the progress we’ve made so far. This new funding gives us the momentum to move AHB-137 into the next phase of global development. We are committed to stay focused on our mission to deliver a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B and bring life-changing therapies to patients worldwide.”

Dr. Chris Yang, co-founder and CSO, added, “We are strongly encouraged by the recent progress of AHB-137, particularly the positive Phase IIb data presented at the EASL Congress in Amsterdam. With strong investor support, the AusperBio team is fully motivated to continue our clinical strategies and efforts to bring new treatment options to people living with CHB.“

AusperBio is committed to delivering patient-centered innovations, aiming to alleviate the global health burden of CHB and transform treatment paradigms for this serious chronic disease.

About AHB-137

AHB-137, a novel unconjugated antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed using AusperBio’s proprietary Med-Oligo™ ASO technology platform, is being developed to achieve a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B. Its clinical development has generated compelling data, with key preclinical and clinical results presented at leading conferences such as EASL (2023, 2024, 2025) and AASLD (2024). This novel dual-mechanism ASO has completed its global Phase 1b trial and is currently advancing through multiple Phase 2 studies in China. Supported by a clear global development strategy, AHB-137 is progressing rapidly toward delivering a potential cure for HBV.

About AusperBio.

AusperBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with operations in the USA and China, dedicated to advancing oligonucleotide and targeted delivery technologies for transformative therapies, with an initial focus on achieving functional cure for chronic hepatitis B infection. The company has developed a proprietary Med-Oligo^™ ASO platform which has been shown to substantially enhance the current ASO therapeutics, through novel insights into ASO design. Combining with efficient targeted delivery conjugation technologies, the modular Med-Oligo™ Platform empowers ASO therapeutics to treat a broad range of diseases, including viral infections, metabolic conditions, genetic disorders, and immune diseases.

For further information, please contact:

Media Contact
Email: [email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:
Tel: 650-888-1756 (US)
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE AusperBio Therapeutics Inc.