With over $300 million in funding, Auradine is driving scalable, sustainable and innovative infrastructure, including industry-leading Bitcoin mining and AI data center networking solutions.

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., April 16, 2025 — Auradine, Inc., a leader in breakthrough, energy-efficient solutions for blockchain and AI infrastructure, today announced closing of an additional $153 million in connection with its Series C funding round. The oversubscribed round was led by StepStone Group and included participation from Maverick Silicon, Premji Invest, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Qualcomm Ventures, Mayfield, MARA Holdings, GSBackers and other existing investors.

This latest round brings Auradine’s total capital raised to over $300 million, positioning the company to expand its product portfolio and accelerate its mission to deliver scalable, sustainable and innovative infrastructure for the AI and blockchain era. Concurrent with the Series C close, Auradine is announcing the formation of a new business group, AuraLinks AI, focused on open-standards based networking solutions to address the rapidly increasing bandwidth and cooling requirements of next-generation AI data centers. The AuraLinks AI team draws on decades of experience from companies such as Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, Juniper, Marvell, Broadcom, Google, and Microsoft, with a proven track record of delivering market-leading products that have generated multi-billion-dollar revenues.

Since its founding in 2022, Auradine has emerged as a disruptor in blockchain and AI infrastructure, driven by innovation and execution. Key achievements include:

• Commercial delivery of its Teraflux™ 3nm Bitcoin miners, featuring advanced cooling solutions now deployed by over 40 leading Bitcoin data center operators.
• A rapidly expanding order pipeline, signaling strong demand for Auradine’s high-performance, energy-efficient blockchain solutions.
• Introduction of a high-speed, low-latency networking platform that enhances performance, reduces bottlenecks and maximizes GPU efficiency.
• Recognition by the Global Semiconductor Alliance as a “Start-Up to Watch” for 2025.
• Strategic contributions to the Ultra Accelerator Link (UAL) and Ultra Ethernet Link consortiums, helping shape future industry standards.
• Appointment of semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan to Auradine’s Board of Directors.

Executive and Investor Perspectives

“Both Bitcoin and AI convert energy into economic value and require highly energy-efficient, scalable and flexible infrastructure solutions,” said Rajiv Khemani, co-founder and CEO of Auradine. “Since day one, Auradine has focused on open standards, sustainability, and innovation velocity. Our dual focus on Bitcoin and AI infrastructure places Auradine at the intersection of pivotal technologies that will reshape computing and energy utilization for decades to come. This funding round enables us to scale that vision with greater speed and impact.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Auradine, a company with a world-class team that has demonstrated outstanding execution across product development and go-to-market,” said Andy Jones, Senior Managing Director at StepStone Group. “We’ve been impressed by their visionary roadmap across silicon, cooling, and system-level solutions for AI and blockchain— what we believe to be two of the most transformative trends of our time.”

“Auradine has assembled a world-class engineering organization across semiconductors, security, and systems infrastructure,” said Andrew Homan, Managing Partner of Maverick Silicon. “We are thrilled to join their mission to build more energy-efficient silicon and to onshore the development of critical technology infrastructure to the United States.”

“At Qualcomm Ventures, we are excited to invest in companies that are shaping the future of data centers and AI,” said Quinn Li, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Global Head of Qualcomm Ventures. “Auradine’s approach is not only innovative but foundational to the evolution of Gen AI networking fabrics. We’re excited to support their continued growth as they push the boundaries of high-performance infrastructure.”

“AI and Crypto represent long-term secular growth trends that will define the next generation of computing infrastructure,” said Sandesh Patnam, Managing Partner at Premji Invest. “Auradine combines a unique mix of talent, technology, and vision required to become a category leader delivering lasting value to the global infrastructure stack. We’re excited to join their journey.”

About Auradine
Auradine, Inc. is a leader in blockchain and AI infrastructure solutions. The company provides groundbreaking software, hardware, and cloud offerings to enable scalable and sustainable solutions. Founded in 2022 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and technologists, Auradine boasts deep expertise and a proven track record in semiconductors and systems. Auradine is committed to innovation and excellence and is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, visit www.auradine.com.

SOURCE Auradine

New investment in home state adds ~18K more locations to fiber network

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 16, 2025 — Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber broadband builder dedicated to delivering ultrafast, reliable internet, has been awarded $31.2 million by its home state of North Carolina to expand its cutting-edge Brightspeed Fiber Internet network. Brightspeed will match these Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program funds with more than $13 million of its own investment to reach more than 18,000 additional locations in Beaufort, Caldwell, Carteret, Caswell, Cumberland, Dare, Edgecombe, Greene, Hyde, Jones, Nash, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pitt, Sampson, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake and Wilson Counties.

“Brightspeed Fiber Internet is already available to more than 430,000 North Carolina families and businesses, and we’re expanding access every day,” said Steve Brewer, Brightspeed’s regional director of government affairs. “Earlier this year, we launched our fiber network in Wake Forest, just as we did in Rocky Mount and Asheboro in 2024—communities that previously lacked reliable connectivity. With these additional funds, we can now bring high-speed service to even more underserved areas.”

The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity CAB program funds, together with the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants awarded to Brightspeed, provide approximately $218.6 million in funding to help connect nearly 99,000 North Carolina households and businesses across 41 counties to its blazing fast network. Between these grants, and the company’s own investment, Brightspeed is all-in on bringing its fiber-enabled network to nearly 899,000 locations in its home state.

“In today’s fast-paced digital world, both families and businesses rely on high-speed internet to stay competitive and succeed,” said Pamela Sherwood, Vice President of Brightspeed Broadband. “Expanding access to faster, more affordable, reliable and user-friendly internet has never been more crucial—whether for work, education, telemedicine, entertainment, or simply connecting with family and friends. These grant and subsidy programs are essential to help us provide the services families and businesses need to thrive.”

Brightspeed, recognized as the Fastest Internet Service Provider in the nation in the 2025 Annual Internet Service Provider Review by HighSpeedInternet.com, continues to actively pursue additional state and federal funding, including BEAD Program funds, to further expand its fiber network and help close the state’s digital divide. To date, the company has secured more than $270 million in local, state, and federal broadband grants and funding, including its first Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program award from Louisiana. These investments will enable Brightspeed to extend its planned network build by nearly 139,000 locations across 14 states, with more expansions on the horizon.

About Brightspeed
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 7.3 million homes and businesses. Our 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, please visit www.brightspeed.com.

SOURCE Brightspeed

Private asset-based finance (“ABF”) specialist exceeds $1 billion target for opportunistic fund

NEW YORK, April 16, 2025 — Crayhill Capital Management LP, a $3 billion alternative asset management firm specializing in asset-based finance, today announced the close of Crayhill Principal Strategies Fund III (“Fund III”) with approximately $1.31 billion of capital commitments, including $162 million of committed co-investment capacity, exceeding its $1 billion target. 

The oversubscribed flagship Fund III attracted a diversified base of institutional investors, including large public and corporate pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, and multi-family offices, demonstrating robust institutional appetite for the firm’s differentiated private credit strategies.  

“We are grateful for the overwhelming support we received from existing investors and strong demand from new limited partners,” said Josh Eaton, Co-Founder of Crayhill. “We look forward to working with all of our valued investors as we utilize our specialized capabilities to help them achieve their investment goals.”

The partner-owned firm offers an alternative to traditional private corporate lending funds, given that its ABF strategy focuses on assets with intrinsic value that can be monetized independently of a borrower’s overall performance. This provides an additional layer of protection for investors. Fund III will leverage Crayhill’s comprehensive ABF platform and risk management infrastructure to capitalize on the rapidly expanding opportunity in private asset-based investments. Demand for private debt has been driven by the regulatory and liquidity burdens of traditional lenders and borrowers’ continued need to invest and expand in a rapidly evolving global economy. Carlos Mendez, Co-Founder of Crayhill, added, “As the current market uncertainty constrains liquidity and drives up base rates and credit spreads, our ready capital provides counterparties certainty of execution for financing assets that justify a premium.”

Fund III focuses on providing capital solutions to specialty finance platforms and other asset-heavy companies across sectors including residential housing, energy, commercial real estate, media, and digital infrastructure. Fund III will target highly-structured investments backed by segregated, cash flowing assets such as loans, leases, royalties, receivables, and power purchase agreements, with a priority on achieving downside protection and a resilient expected return profile. To date, Fund III has deployed over 75% of its available capital to a diverse portfolio of investments.

About Crayhill Capital Management

Crayhill Capital Management is a $3 billion, SEC-registered independent investment adviser specializing in asset-based finance. Since its founding in 2015, the firm has deployed over $4 billion across more than 50 transactions. Crayhill is focused on scalable, opportunistic asset-based investments, enabling its investors to benefit from a firm with a singular, deep focus on this specialized market. For more information please visit https://crayhill.com.

Media contact:

Josh Clarkson / Jake Forrestal
Prosek Partners
[email protected] 

SOURCE Crayhill Capital Management

Led by Viola FinTech, Blue Onion will use this capital to broaden their reach to continue to deliver fully reconciled, transaction-level data that’s accurate, auditable, and ready for automation. 

NEW YORK, April 16, 2025 — Blue Onion, the subledger trusted by leading retail and ecommerce brands like Supergoop!, BarkBox, and a.k.a brands today announces their $10M Series A funding led by Viola FinTech. This round brings the company’s total funding to $17.6M and includes participation from existing investors Y Combinator, Entrée Capital, Green Visor, and Vinyl Capital.

Blue Onion is the only subledger designed to provide retailers with accurate financial data, optimizing operations and automating accounting workflows. Our AI-powered reconciliation algorithms seamlessly match orders, payments, and cash receipts—helping businesses save time, minimize errors, and simplify financial management.

Traditional ERPs and even modern automation tools often come with expensive setups and unreliable connectors, forcing users to manually verify data accuracy. Blue Onion eliminates this challenge by focusing on clean, reliable data, enabling true automation and saving customers hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.

Blue Onion was founded in 2020 by co-founders and CEO Lyndsey Bunting, CTO Charley McMillian, and Chief Data Scientist Manav Malhotra. As VP of Finance at Birchbox, Bunting witnessed firsthand the costly, complex, and time-consuming challenges accounting teams encountered just to obtain clean and accurate financial data.

With this funding Blue Onion will launch new AI-driven features to expand integrations, support more financial accounts, enhance customization, and refine automation for precise and effortless bookings. Additionally, they’re investing in building a strong community through strategic partnerships, events, and customer education. Each of these initiatives is focused on automating workflows and ensuring accurate financial data across a wider range of accounts.

“We believe that there’s a better way to process financial data. The Blue Onion platform integrates with your order systems, payment processors, and your bank accounts to fully automate the reconciliation process. In the legacy ERP world and for most accounting software, ensuring clean financial data was the responsibility of the customer, requiring expensive and faulty data connectors, time-consuming reconciliations and manual adjustments. Blue Onion takes on this responsibility, providing finance teams with an automated, accurate financial data source from the outset–eliminating the need to choose between speed and accuracy,” explains Lyndsey Bunting, CEO and co-founder of Blue Onion.

“As the world rapidly shifts toward a new era powered by generative AI, the foundation of this transformation lies in having a single source of truth—reliable, accurate data. Blue Onion’s subledger empowers companies to run their operations seamlessly, ensuring precision and efficiency in every process. With this solid data infrastructure, businesses can fully harness cutting-edge AI technologies to drive innovation and accelerate growth. We are proud to partner with the Blue Onion team—Lyndsey’s extensive experience leading financial teams in e-commerce has given her an unparalleled understanding of the problem, positioning her and the team perfectly to deliver an impactful solution,” says Noam Inbar, Partner at Viola FinTech.

Visit www.blueonion.ai to learn more and to request a demo of the platform.

Media contact:

Courtney Nugent
508-932-3303
[email protected]
Head of Demand Marketing at Blue Onion

About Blue Onion
Blue Onion disrupts the status quo of processing financial data for leading consumer brands. The Blue Onion subledger enables companies like Supergoop!, BarkBox, and a.k.a. brands to close their books daily–not monthly–with guaranteed accuracy. Blue Onion is the only platform that leverages powerful AI to automate the reconciliation process from each transaction all the way to the bank. The Blue Onion subledger validates data from the source, providing a foundation of financial truth to make smarter business decisions–faster. Learn more and see a demo of the platform at blueonion.ai.

Founded in 2020, Blue Onion is led by co-founder and CEO Lyndsey Bunting, former VP of Finance at Birchbox who experienced the pain of manual reconciliation processes and inaccurate financial data throughout her career. Blue Onion is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Joe Saunders, former Chairman and CEO of Visa, and Viola FinTech. 

SOURCE Blue Onion

Strategic Investment in Partnership with Snowhawk Accelerates Company’s Hyperscale Development Plans

LAS VEGAS, April 16, 2025 — CleanArc Data Centers (“CleanArc”), a developer and operator of renewables-focused hyperscale data center campuses, announced today that Townsend Group (“Townsend“), a leading advisor and partner to institutional investors globally, has made a strategic investment in the company. The investment was led by Townsend, who advises a consortium of global investors, including some of the largest sovereign and pension plans pursuing strategic stakes in leading investment and operating platforms. This new partnership further supports CleanArc’s growth initiatives as it continues developing its first data center campus in Virginia, set to deliver 300 MW of capacity by Q1 2027.

“We’re excited to welcome Townsend as a strategic investment partner,” said James Trout, Founder and CEO of CleanArc. “Their capital markets expertise, institutional knowledge, and private real assets scale will be instrumental as we execute on our mission to develop the data centers of the future, particularly our inaugural campus in Virginia, VA1. Townsend brings a demonstrated track record of supporting transformative businesses throughout their growth journeys. And with Snowhawk’s ongoing investment leadership, we’re well-equipped to continue tackling the growing data center challenges faced by hyperscalers.”

“CleanArc’s strong team of industry veterans and their shrewd approach to site selection, development and power structuring really sets them apart,” said Anthony Frammartino, CEO and Chairman, at Townsend. “We’re excited to support the company’s continued development of leading data center campuses across Tier 1 markets.”

Snowhawk LP will remain the majority stakeholder in CleanArc as the company continues to solidify partnerships with hyperscale customers and expand infrastructure in key markets.

“Snowhawk is delighted to partner with Townsend on this strategic investment in CleanArc, further accelerating innovation and the development of capacity to support the next generation of AI and cloud capabilities,” said Brian McMullen, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Snowhawk Partners.

“CleanArc continues to set new standards in future-focused data center development,” added Greg Stamas, Managing Director at Snowhawk. “In partnership with Townsend and our other investors, we are excited to support CleanArc’s continued leadership in sustainability and renewable energy use.”

About Townsend Group
Townsend Group is a provider of global real estate and real asset investment advisory services. Townsend offers complementary investment management, advisory, and capital solutions via primary funds, secondaries, co-investments and direct investments. Townsend is an adviser to global public and private pension plans, insurers, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations. Townsend has been advising and managing real estate portfolios for four decades and across multiple market cycles. As of September 30, 2024, Townsend had assets under management of $19.3B and as of March 31, 2024, provided advisory services to clients who had real estate/real asset allocations exceeding $237.9B.For more information, visit townsendgroup.com.

About Snowhawk
Snowhawk is a private investment firm that targets strategic majority investments in businesses that power the economy’s digital transition across cloud, connectivity and technology services. Founded in 2022, the Snowhawk team brings long investing histories and deep operating expertise in partnering with management teams to create strong performance and enduring value for companies, customers and investors. For more information, visit snowhawkpartners.com.

About CleanArc 
CleanArc is an innovative provider of first-of-its-kind, sustainability-focused data center development and operation solutions. With decades of experience in both the data center and energy sectors, CleanArc has assembled the critical components — scalability, renewable energy, and strategic data center production — under one arc for hyperscalers seeking to expand quickly, sustainably, and cost-effectively. Founded by industry veteran James Trout, CleanArc is led by a deeply experienced executive team who have designed, managed, or built 2 gigawatts of state-of-the-art data center facilities — but are unburdened by legacy business practices and dated approaches to the market. CleanArc is delivering the data center of tomorrow, today. To learn more, visit cleanarcdatacenters.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, please contact:
JSA for CleanArc
+1 866.695.3629
[email protected]

SOURCE CleanArc Data Centers

Health-centric multifamily model from Avenue shifts paradigm of traditional retirement communities by focusing on proactive, wellness-centered living

ST. LOUIS and ST. CHARLES, Mo. and FARMINGTON, Ill., April 16, 2025 — As the nation’s groundswell of baby boomers continues to age, the U.S. faces a looming crisis of projected shortfalls in midmarket-priced housing.

Addressing this need is Viva Bene, a first-of-its-kind 55+ multifamily housing brand offering health-centric, community living at midmarket-priced rental rates. The first Viva Bene active adult property is hosting its grand opening today in the St. Louis suburb of St. Peters, Missouri. At nearly 200,000 square feet with 161 apartments, this development is the nation’s first to intentionally blend price-attainable housing with resort-style wellness amenities and preventive healthcare services. In the three months since its soft opening, it is 50% leased.

Viva Bene is the active adult brand from real estate development, construction and investment firm Avenue, a leading authority on maximizing real estate value to address society’s evolution in aging, consumerization and value-based care.

“We set out to create a model that empowers residents to live healthier, more fulfilling lives in a community offering opportunities for an engaging lifestyle and convenient access to preventive healthcare — and to do so at a price point far lower than most retirement communities,” said Laurie Schultz, co-founder and principal of Viva Bene and Avenue. “Viva Bene changes the ‘senior living’ paradigm by incorporating early access to care navigation and chronic care management. It’s about proactive prevention and infusing wellness into everyday life so people can thrive.”

In addition to providing readily available preventive healthcare, Viva Bene provides a holistic wellness hub with fitness, yoga and meditation classes, a fully appointed gym, healthy cooking workshops, and other wellness-focused experiential education. Residents can also use co-working niches and enjoy social engagement opportunities in comfortable gathering spaces and outdoor areas such as pools, pickleball courts and picnic areas.

Schultz cited U.S. Bureau data projecting 30% growth in the over-65 population through 2040 and American Housing Association data showing that 11% of those over 65 currently live in some form of senior housing. “According to Capital Economics, if this trend continues, demand for senior housing will grow 50% in the next 16 years. Healthier renters remain in their homes and our communities longer. I’m encouraged that more real estate investors are looking at senior housing, especially more price-attainable multifamily models,” she stated.

Missouri Economic Research and Information Center data shows that the number of senior citizens in Missouri is expected to increase 87% between 2000 and 2030 and, by that year, persons over age 65 will represent more than one-fifth of all state residents. A large number of these fall into the forgotten middle, those who don’t qualify for subsidized housing but can’t afford traditional senior living options.

Unique to the Viva Bene model is a third-party collaboration with Sevi Health for preventive health services. Viva Bene residents can opt to receive care navigation and chronic care management services from Sevi Health and also access primary care from the medical practice’s providers. Sevi Health engages directly with residents and bills insurers including Medicare Advantage plans.

According to Schultz, care navigators (clinical concierges) help residents traverse healthcare system complexities and embrace a more proactive approach to health. “Much of Sevi’s focus is to identify, address and reduce risks associated with chronic conditions,” she said. “If we are going to improve quality of life and save real dollars in the overall healthcare system, we must promote health among individuals as they enter the medical risk pool rather than waiting until later when many have multiple chronic conditions and require assistance with daily living.”

St. Charles Regional Chamber President & CEO Scott Tate said, “Many of today’s real-world needs are not being met with current senior housing models. We must seek new ways to help older adults live healthier, more fulfilling lives. We were fascinated when we first learned about this innovative apartment concept, and we’re thrilled to be the first municipal area delivering this attainably priced senior housing option.”

In describing the active adult model, Schultz emphasized that “instead of ‘aging in place’ in ‘needs-based’ environments, individuals ‘age well in place’ in ‘wants-based’ settings. Viva Bene extends on this by more fully integrating healthcare into 55+ housing.”

Viva Bene leases are based on each metropolitan area’s midmarket rental pricing. At its first site, Viva Bene St. Peters, one-bedrooms start in the $1,600’s per month. Garage parking and additional storage units are the only add-on fees. This differs from continuum-of-care communities where monthly prices average $3,450 and fees for buy-in models average $410,000.

Avenue is partnered with Greystar, the nation’s largest operator of apartments, to manage Viva Bene St. Peters. A nationally recognized leader in active adult, Greystar ensures its signature lifestyle programming includes a robust activities calendar to help residents stay physically, mentally and socially engaged.

About Viva Bene
Viva Bene offers the nation’s only 55+ multifamily community model that blends midmarket-priced rentals with resort-style amenities, social engagement opportunities and wellness services as well as integrated, preventive healthcare services. Unlike traditional senior living options, including communities with independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing, Viva Bene focuses on attainability and intentional design for residents to thrive and ultimately lead longer, healthier lives. https://www.vivabeneliving.com/

About Avenue
Avenue is an innovative real estate firm focused on residential and healthcare properties serving seniors and active adults. It coalesces a leadership team with 60+ years of collective experience in completing more than $8 billion of commercial healthcare and senior housing real estate projects. By vertically integrating development, construction and investment services, Avenue ensures the delivery of high-quality projects – on time and on budget. https://www.avenuedev.com

Images available on request.

SOURCE Avenue

Emerging biotech VC firm continues momentum after successful Tiger Gene debut

BOSTON, April 16, 2025 — 28 Capital, a next-generation life sciences venture capital firm co-founded by biotech entrepreneur John Boyce and venture capitalist Audrey Warner, today announced the launch of its newest platform. Focused on translating cutting-edge scientific discoveries into breakthrough therapies, the platform builds on the successful track record established under the firm’s original name, Tiger Gene.

Seeded by Tiger Management, the first venture gave rise to a portfolio of transformative biotech companies—including platform technologies in therapeutics, diagnostics, and synthetic biology. 28 Capital partners closely with academic founders, top-tier institutions, and PIs to identify foundational science and turn it into scalable, patient-focused businesses.

John Boyce and Audrey Warner first connected at Harvard University, where Boyce serves as a Harvard Fellow and teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Their shared passion for building at the intersection of science and strategy led them to co-found 28 Capital—combining Boyce’s operational expertise with Warner’s experience in venture capital and commercialization.

“At 28 Capital, we believe the future of medicine is already sitting in academic labs—our job is to unlock it, scale it, and deliver it to patients,” said Boyce, Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “With this new platform, we’re doubling down on a model that combines hands-on company building with strategic capital to drive lasting impact.”

Boyce is a nationally recognized biotech innovator with more than $1.8 billion in aggregate exit value across his career. He has raised over $800 million in funding from venture capital, strategic partners, and private investors, consistently delivering high-velocity, high-return outcomes. In 2013, he was honored as one of the Top 15 Technology Luminaries in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal and Mass High Tech. He currently serves as Chairman of NanoMosaic and BrickBio, and Board Director of EnCapsid Therapeutics.

Audrey Warner, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, added: “We’re continuing to work side-by-side with world-class scientists to build companies from the ground up. It’s about more than capital—it’s about conviction, execution, and a deep commitment to patient outcomes.”

Warner, a Harvard alumna and former Varsity Women’s Ice Hockey player, brings deep expertise in venture capital, company creation, and corporate strategy and execution. Audrey has a strong track record of identifying promising scientific inventions and working alongside scientific founders to unlock and scale world-class technologies. She currently serves as Board Director of Valora Therapeutics, NanoMosaic, and EnCapsid Therapeutics, and Board Observer of BrickBio.

28 Capital will continue to co-invest with leading venture firms, strategics, and institutional LPs in its mission to accelerate breakthrough science into the clinic—and beyond.

About 28 Capital
28 Capital is a Boston-based life sciences venture capital firm focused on company formation and early-stage investing. Formerly known as Tiger Gene, the firm partners with leading scientists and academic institutions to build breakthrough companies addressing areas of significant unmet medical need. 28 Capital takes a hands-on approach to venture creation—working alongside founders from inception through scale. The firm is co-led by John Boyce and Audrey Warner.

28cap.com

media source:

[email protected]

SOURCE 28 Capital

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 — Scout AI Inc. (“Scout”) today announced its emergence from stealth mode with a bold mission: to build the AGI brain for defense robotics. The company also unveiled an oversubscribed $15 million seed round led by Align Ventures and Booz Allen Ventures, and revealed it has been selected for multiple Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.

Founded in August 2024 by Colby Adcock and Collin Otis, Scout brings together deep experience at the intersection of AI, robotics, and defense. CEO Colby Adcock is a former tech private equity executive and current board member at humanoid robotics company Figure AI. CTO Collin Otis is a serial entrepreneur who previously was a founding engineer and Director of Autonomy and AI at Kodiak Robotics and Head of Data Science and Chief of Staff at Uber ATG. He has built autonomy systems from the ground up for both commercial and military platforms and previously sold a venture-backed startup to Target.

At the core of Scout’s breakthrough is Fury, a defense-specific Vision-Language-Action (VLA) foundation model engineered to transform every defense robot into an intelligent, autonomous agent. Unlike traditional robotics software, Fury is an embodied AI system — capable of perceiving the physical world, interpreting natural language, and issuing real-time motor commands to act decisively even in communication and GPS-denied environments.

“Achieving warfighter-level versatility in robotic systems requires grounding AI in physical reality,” said Otis. “By training our system on human-level behavior we make our AI embodied. Fury develops the kind of intelligence warfighters naturally have — situational, physical, and adaptive.”

What sets Fury apart from conventional language models is its ability to perceive, reason, and act across multiple modalities. It doesn’t just output text — it commands machines. Trained on large-scale real-world data, Fury brings multimodal reasoning and precision control to a wide spectrum of uncrewed systems: ground, air, sea, and space. It can be directed via natural language or fine-tuned for specific mission profiles, delivering human-like autonomy at machine scale.

Scout’s first two prototypes — the G01 unmanned ground vehicle and A01 unmanned aerial vehicle — are already operating autonomously powered by Fury at the company’s proving grounds in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

“Physical AI is the most decisive military advantage of the century,” said Adcock. “Our vision is one warfighter commanding many robots — seamlessly integrated into a unified team. That level of human-machine integration requires an AI brain like Fury that understands commander intent and can think, move, and collaborate like seasoned operators. That’s how we achieve true force multiplication.”

Scout is proudly planting its flag in Silicon Valley, building its team in Sunnyvale and pulling top AI and autonomy talent from the self-driving, big tech, and defense worlds to tackle this critical mission. “We’re bringing in the world’s best engineers to work on the world’s most important frontier — making sure this AI is built securely and responsibly for the good guys,” said Adcock. “Our adversaries are already building it. We must develop this technology and outpace them — and ensure the U.S. leads the future of intelligent defense systems.”

Scout is also taking a partnership-driven approach. Its Fury system is designed to be lightweight, modular, and hardware-agnostic — running on as little as a single commercial off-the-shelf camera and low-power inference chip, enabling rapid integration into existing and emerging robotic hardware systems. A growing list of robotics companies are partnering with Scout to embed Fury into their platforms, unlocking advanced autonomy without overhauling their hardware. Industry partners looking to learn more can reach out directly via [email protected].

“Our system is designed to make existing platforms intelligent, and we’re excited to be working with partners across the defense ecosystem to bring that capability to scale,” noted Otis.

Scout closed on its $15 million seed round, led by Align Ventures and Booz Allen Ventures, with participation from Draper Associates, Decisive Point Ventures, Perot Jain, Sigmas Group, Evolution VC, BVVC, Habitat Partners, Piedmont Capital Investments, FJ Labs, Revelry Venture Partners, Monte Carlo Capital, Expansion VC, and Gaingels.

To learn more, visit scoutco.ai.

SOURCE Scout AI Inc.

TOKYO, April 16, 2025 — EF Polymer, a deep-tech startup developing 100% organic super absorbent polymers, announced that it has raised JPY 1 billion (approx. USD 6.6 million) in the first close of its Series B round.

Founded with a mission to solve global water challenges and improve farmers’ livelihoods, EF Polymer has created a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived absorbents, helping reduce water and fertilizer use in agriculture while improving yields. Its materials are also expanding into non-agricultural applications such as cosmetics and personal care.

Business Progress and Key Area of Focus

Accelerating Global Growth

Since launching sales in India in 2020, EF Polymer has delivered products to farmers across Japan, the U.S., and France, achieving over 400 tons in cumulative sales by 2025. Amid rising concerns over drought and fertilizer costs driven by climate change, global demand continues to rise, with commercial trials now underway in over 20 countries. To meet this demand, the company plans to strengthen operations in key markets while expanding into new sectors such as horticulture, landscaping, and urban greening.

Driving Green Transformation in New Industries

EF Polymer is also scaling its presence in non-agricultural markets. Recent projects include a biodegradable ice pack, co-developed with Iwatani Corporation, and absorbent sheets in partnership with Soken Chemical. Its polymer solutions offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based ingredients commonly used across industries, contributing to the green transformation.

R&D Focus Areas

EF Polymer will prioritize R&D efforts across the following areas:

• Raw material innovation: Diversifying sources beyond orange and banana peel
• Circular manufacturing: Building a closed-loop, sustainable production model
• Scaling production: Pilot and implementation of multi-site manufacturing
• New product development: Expanding polymer applications outside agriculture

Funding Overview

The funds raised will be used to accelerate R&D, expand business development activities, and establish a new overseas manufacturing facility.

Investors participating in the first close include Universal Materials Incubator (UMI) and MTG Ventures, Bank of the Ryukyus, Future Food Fund, and Shinryo Fund. EF Polymer plans to complete a second close this summer for the full Series B round.

Narayan Gurjar, Founder and CEO of EF Polymer said: “EF Polymer exists to solve water-related challenges and improve the lives of farmers. We believe our technology can create sustainable impact across many industries. This Series B funding marks a major step forward in scaling our solutions globally and building a truly circular, sustainable business. We’re excited to work with partners who share our vision and to continue creating long-term value for both society and the planet.”

About us

EF Polymer is a pioneering deep-tech startup focused on creating 100% organic super absorbent polymers (SAP) made from orange peels. Our product is designed to significantly benefit farmers and reduce production costs, particularly in water and fertilizer usage, while boosting crop yields. Beyond agriculture, we are expanding across industries to integrate our organic SAPs into a range of products, including ice packs and cosmetics. https://efpolymer.com/

SOURCE EF Polymer K.K.