SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 4, 2024 — HappyRobot, a pioneer in AI-powered voice solutions for the logistics sector, today announced it has secured $15.6 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from Y Combinator and strategic industry investors, including RyderVentures. This latest funding follows an earlier, previously undisclosed, pre-seed round raised 1.5 years ago, backed by Array Ventures and other angel investors.

HappyRobot’s conversational AI platform uses agentic AI to simplify logistics operations, with an initial focus on the complex communication needs of freight brokerage. Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can autonomously make decisions and take actions to achieve specific goals, adapting their behavior based on their environment and experiences. It goes beyond simple task execution by exhibiting a degree of initiative and goal-directed behavior. By automating tasks like inbound and outbound calls, carrier negotiations, and data capture, HappyRobot enables brokers to significantly enhance efficiency and capacity, improve margins, and free up human agents to focus on higher-value activities.

HappyRobot’s platform is already delivering significant value to customers, with AI agents reducing call times by half and cutting operational costs by a third. “By August, we’d completed over 100,000 AI-driven calls using HappyRobot and expect to do ten times that amount next year,” said Andrew Smith, SVP at Circle Logistics. “Using HappyRobot’s agentic AI, 100% of calls were answered 24/7 with no hold time and our staff are using phones to do higher value work like build relationships rather than just to exchange data.”

The freight brokerage industry, a critical component of the $9.4 trillion^[1] global logistics market, faces ongoing challenges including pricing volatility, capacity constraints, and rising operating costs. HappyRobot’s AI-powered voice agents address these pain points by enabling 24/7 operational support, reducing human error, and empowering brokers to scale their operations effectively. Additional customers include Flexport, Job&Talent, Spot Inc., Syfan Logistics, Best Bay Logistics, and others.

“Our mission is to redefine the economics of the freight industry by harnessing the power of agentic AI,” said Pablo Palafox, HappyRobot’s co-founder and CEO. “This funding will enable us to accelerate product development, expand and support our customer base, and ultimately transform how logistics businesses operate.”

“Today, the logistics industry underpinning our global economy is stretched. As a key part of the ecosystem, even small to midsize freight brokers can make and receive hundreds, if not thousands, of calls per day – and hiring for this job is increasingly difficult,” said Anish Acharya, general partner at a16z. “By providing customers with autonomous decision making, HappyRobot’s agentic AI platform helps these brokers operate more reliably and efficiently.”

About HappyRobot
HappyRobot is a leading provider of agentic AI for logistics, empowering teams to manage communication at scale and redefining the economics of the industry. It enables freight brokers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), warehouses, and other supply chain businesses to scale operations, automate data exchange, and enhance efficiency through customizable AI-powered workflows. HappyRobot streamlines inbound and outbound call management, automating load updates, scheduling, payment status inquiries, and carrier negotiations. Seamlessly integrating with existing systems, HappyRobot provides supply chain companies with real-time analytics, intent detection, and 24/7 operational support to optimize capacity, increase productivity, and improve service quality. For more information, please visit www.happyrobot.ai.

Media Contacts:

Nick Morris
Bambusa Communications
[email protected]
+44 (0)777 553 1593

Kathryn Dean
HappyRobot
[email protected]
+1 254 833 4481

SOURCE HappyRobot

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NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2024 — Rosy Soil, a sustainable soil company created to offset the negative environmental impact of producing traditional peat-based potting mixes announces the closing of a $3.6 million seed round. The funding will fuel the company’s mission to transform the horticulture industry by creating high-performance soils that capture CO2.

Founded in 2022, Rosy Soil has rapidly expanded its reach, scaling direct-to-consumer, and partnering with major retailers like Target, as well as hundreds of independent plant shops and nurseries across the United States. The company’s innovative approach to soil science has garnered significant attention, with a dedicated team of researchers, PhD advisors, and an in-house soil lab conducting hundreds of plant trials.

With the new funding, Rosy Soil will accelerate its product development efforts, expand its retail footprint, and grow its team of talented individuals. Rosy Soil’s investors include Draper Associates, Superorganism, Climate Capital, and Boost VC. Rosy Soil is also backed by Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea, Brandin Cohen, founder of LiquidIV and Ben Chesler, co-founder of Imperfect Foods.

Peat extraction is a destructive process contributing to climate change and habitat loss. Rosy Soil’s alternative to peat-based soil mixes is biochar,a carbon negative charcoal-like substance created through pyrolysis which enhances plant growth and performance.

Biochar-based soils offer numerous benefits like improved soil health, enhanced plant growth. By replacing peat with biochar, Rosy Soil is able to sequester CO2, mitigating climate change and making it carbon negative.

“We’re thrilled to announce this significant funding round, which will allow us to scale our operations and bring our sustainable soil solutions to a wider audience,” said Chad Massura, Founder of Rosy Soil. “By using the power of biochar, we can create healthier plants, healthier soil, and a healthier planet.”

ABOUT ROSY SOIL

Rosy Soil is a sustainable soil company dedicated to revolutionizing the gardening industry. Their high performing soils, powered by biochar, promote plant health, reduce environmental impact and are perfect for a variety of plants including houseplants, cacti, succulents, and seedlings. Available online, at Target, and at select retailers nationwide, Rosy Soil is committed to empowering gardeners to cultivate a greener future.

Media Contact: Laura Ledesma, [email protected]

SOURCE Rosy Soil

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Lead Investor Dohmen Company Foundation and Existing Investors to Support ModifyHealth’s Growth and Tech Initiatives

ATLANTA, Dec. 4, 2024 — ModifyHealth™, a leading, nationwide food-as-medicine platform and provider of medically tailored meals and nutritional counseling, today announced the closing of a $13.5 million Series C funding round led by the Dohmen Company Foundation (DCF) through its Dohmen Impact Investment Fund. With a shared vision to eliminate diet-related disease, Dohmen and ModifyHealth are united in their commitment to scaling innovative food-as-medicine solutions that drive meaningful and sustainable health improvement. Joining DCF in this round are existing ModifyHealth investors, RC Capital (RCC) and Nashville Capital Network (NCN), underscoring strong ongoing support for the company’s mission and growth.

The new funding will enable ModifyHealth to accelerate key growth initiatives, implement technology advancements, and enhance operations – all aimed at increasing accessibility and delivering life-changing food-as-medicine solutions. This support will allow ModifyHealth to broaden its reach and expand its role in addressing chronic disease through innovative, nutrition-based management solutions.

“Dohmen Company Foundation is pleased to welcome ModifyHealth as our newest partner in the fight against diet-related disease,” said Rachel Roller, President and CEO of the Dohmen Company Foundation. “ModifyHealth’s commitment to making food-as-medicine simple, accessible, and sustainable aligns seamlessly with our mission. Together, we’re not only expanding access to nutrition solutions but also empowering individuals to take control of their health. This partnership bridges the gap between knowing and doing, making healthy eating a sustainable reality for more people nationwide.”

“When Dohmen Company Foundation first showed interest in partnering with ModifyHealth, I was immediately struck by how closely our missions align. This partnership represents a significant milestone in our goal to make telenutrition and medically tailored meal support a standard of care – perfectly complementing their mission to eliminate diet-related diseases,” said GB Pratt, Founder & CEO of ModifyHealth. “This investment, along with additional support from our existing partners, enables us to expand our reach, enhance our technology, and provide more people with the tools they need to manage and improve their health. Together, we’re demonstrating that nutrition can be a powerful tool in managing – and even reversing – chronic conditions.”

ModifyHealth’s turnkey food-as-medicine program, which serves patients through payor, employer, and healthcare system contracts, offers a comprehensive solution for chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, obesity, and irritable bowel syndrome. Beyond the provision of medically tailored meals, ModifyHealth offers live nutrition coaching and digitally enabled education, providing individuals with the knowledge and convenient support needed to make lasting health changes. ModifyHealth’s customizable meal plans, including Low-FODMAP, Mediterranean, and gluten-free options among others, are carefully crafted to support the management of various health conditions, and aimed at making dietary changes practical and effective.

About ModifyHealth
ModifyHealth changes lives by making food as medicine simple, effective, and enjoyable for providers and patients. Along with home-delivered Low FODMAP, gluten-free, Mediterranean, plant based, and low sodium meals, ModifyHealth provides dietitian support, remote patient monitoring, and education to ensure sustained benefits. ModifyHealth’s turnkey programs improve outcomes and cost for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and related issues where dietary management is a recommended treatment. ModifyHealth partners with providers, payors, employers, and patients to make adopting healthier diets and lifestyles a reality. For more information, please visit modifyhealth.com.

About the Dohmen Company Foundation
With more than 165 years of healthcare experience, Dohmen has found a way to combine the rigor of business with the heart of philanthropy. After exiting the life science industry in 2018, Dohmen shareholders transformed the multi-generational family-owned business to a private foundation. Today, the Dohmen Company Foundation advances its vision of life without diet-related disease in three powerful ways: via its investment fund focused on accelerating the growth of for-profit social businesses with proven food solutions that improve human health, via traditional grant making dedicated to increasing the impact of charitable organizations aligned with our vision, and through public awareness of the surging rates of diet-related disease that threaten our national wellbeing. For more information, please visit dohmencompanyfoundation.org.

About RC Capital
RC Capital (RCC) is a growth equity firm building high-potential healthcare companies by leveraging the unique interplay of our segments of focus: medical device, healthcare services and healthcare IT. We are dedicated to investing on the right side of healthcare, partnering with companies to empower sustainable change. We seek to be a business partner first and a capital provider second, investing significant human capital to leverage our domain expertise, a network of healthcare thought leaders and deep relationships with health systems assembled over our 30-year history. For more information on RCC, please visit rccapital.com.

About Nashville Capital Network
Nashville Capital Network (NCN) is a venture capital firm that provides acceleration capital to seed and early-stage technology and healthcare companies. NCN leverages its partnership of successful founders and executives to identify, evaluate, and accelerate the success of high growth companies. NCN has supported 62 companies over 20+ years and currently has $200 million under management. For more information on NCN, please visit nashvillecapital.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

Ryan Moskowitz
Chief Brand Officer, ModifyHealth
[email protected]

Tami Kou
Communications, Dohmen Company Foundation
[email protected]

SOURCE ModifyHealth

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Investment Round, led by Israel Growth Partners, Validates D-Fend’s Disruptive Position at the Convergence of Defense Technology, Drones, Cyber, and AI

RA’ANANA, Israel and MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 4, 2024 — D-Fend Solutions, the leader in field-proven radio frequency (RF) cyber-based, non-kinetic, non-jamming, counter-drone – takeover technology, announced today that it has secured $31M in the initial closing of a new investment round. The round was led by Israel Growth Partners (IGP), with participation from existing investor Vertex Ventures and new investor Vertex Growth. This funding underscores the critical role of D-Fend’s proven innovations in enabling full control, safety, and continuity for security agencies in multiple sectors, while acting against continually rising rogue drone incidents across complex and sensitive environments. With this investment round, IGP General Partner Uri Erde join’s D-Fend’s Board of Directors, joining existing investor board members Yoram Oron of Vertex Ventures and Rami Hadar of Claridge Israel.

The funding will enable D-Fend to solidify its technological leadership and capabilities, expand its market reach into new territories and sectors, and advance its ability to tackle new and evolving drone risks. The funding round comes on the heels of strong continuous year-over-year revenue growth of over 60% and diverse and balanced expansion across geographies, sectors, and use cases. D-Fend’s global installed base has now reached nearly 30 countries, including Five Eyes (FVEY) alliance, G7 and major NATO member states. This investment will further support efforts to address constantly changing threats, penetrate additional market segments, integrate with more partners and technologies, and establish a stronger global presence for the company.

“This funding is a testament to the trust our investors have in our vision, technology, growth, brand, and customer base,” said Zohar Halachmi, CEO and Chairman of D-Fend Solutions. “The growing size, scope, and complexity of rogue drone threats demands advanced, precise, and reliable solutions. This investment will enable us to continue innovating and expanding our capabilities, ensuring we remain at the forefront of counter-drone technology, while delivering unparalleled control, safety and, uniquely, operational continuity to our global defense, homeland security, law enforcement, airport, and critical infrastructure customers.”

The investment follows an in-depth evaluation by IGP, who had previously been the sole institutional investor in Cellebrite (NASDAQ: CLBT), the global leader in digital investigation solutions for public safety and security agencies, prior to its IPO. IGP views D-Fend as a pioneering disruptor operating alongside some of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies.  By providing its solution to the most demanding security agencies, D-Fend stands out for its groundbreaking RF cyber-takeover technology, and its ability to deliver unparalleled safety and operational continuity.

“D-Fend Solutions fits the profile and model which we find very attractive—a category creating company that develops and deploys deep and defensible technology to address threats posed by the mass proliferation of beneficial but also potentially dangerous devices and products, in this case drones,” said Uri Erde, General Partner of Israel Growth Partners. “Their innovative approach to counter-drone security, drawing upon a multi-disciplinary approach crossing air defense, electronic warfare and cybersecurity domains, combined with their reputation and proven ability to deliver and meet the needs of militaries, homeland security, and law enforcement agencies, positions them as a market leader in safeguarding sensitive environments against rapidly rising drone threats.”

D-Fend’s flagship technology, EnforceAir, employs RF cyber-takeover techniques to safely neutralize rogue drones without collateral damage or operational disruption in a highly controlled and surgical manner. Recognized by Booz Allen Hamilton as an innovator for its cyber takeover effector within the top emerging defense and security technology of non-kinetic counter-UAS, D-Fend Solutions has led cyber-takeover as a distinct and essential technology category within this space. Deployed on a massive scale and hailed by defense establishments as a success, EnforceAir protects sensitive environments—including military zones, airports, critical infrastructure, prisons, and public events—ensuring operational continuity and safety in even the most challenging scenarios.

About D-Fend Solutions

D-Fend Solutions is the leading counter-drone, cyber-takeover technology provider, enabling full control, safety, and continuity during rogue drone incidents across complex and sensitive environments to overcome both current and emerging drone threats. With thousands of successful deployments performed worldwide, in the most challenging real-life scenarios and for the most demanding end users, EnforceAir, the company’s core offering, focuses on the most dangerous drone threats in military, public safety, airport, prison, major event, critical infrastructure, and other environments. D-Fend Solutions’ technology has been chosen as best-in-class and is deployed by top-tier U.S. government agencies – including with U.S. military, federal law enforcement, and homeland security – as well as major international airports globally. EnforceAir autonomously executes RF cyber-takeovers of rogue drones for safe landings and controlled outcomes, ensuring the smooth flow of communications, commerce, transportation, and everyday life.

About Israel Growth Partners:

Israel Growth Partners (IGP) is a technology growth fund, empowering exceptional tech companies at growth stage and supporting strong management teams as they strive to build large global companies and become category leaders. We provide our companies with growth capital, strategic guidance, and firsthand experience – all aimed towards accelerated growth and successful partnership.

Media Contact

Paul Bilardo
[email protected]

SOURCE D-Fend Solutions

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Hardware-Anchored Security for Accelerated Computing in the New Era of AI Data Centers

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 4, 2024 — Axiado Corporation, a pioneer in hardware anchored platform security today announced it successfully raised $60 million in an oversubscribed Series C funding round, led by Maverick Silicon with participation from Samsung Catalyst Fund, Atreides Management, and Crosslink Capital. This investment will fuel the company’s rapid growth and continued innovation in AI-driven cybersecurity technologies that are redefining platform security and energy efficiency for accelerated computing in AI data centers.

Axiado’s Trusted Control/Compute Unit (TCU) addresses some of the most pressing challenges in platform security for accelerated computing and AI data center power efficiency. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2023 annual report the cost of reported cybercrime in the U.S. jumped 22% last year to more than $12.5 billion. Forrester’s recently published 2025 Predictions report for Cybersecurity, Risk, and Privacy projects cybercrime costs to reach multiple trillions globally by 2025. With the escalating frequency of ransomware attacks – more than 2,500 incidents were reported in the first half of 2024 alone, averaging more than 14 publicly claimed attacks daily. The need for robust platform cybersecurity has never been more critical. 

Axiado’s AI-driven, hardware-anchored TCU solution provides pre-emptive threat detection and real-time mitigation to combat these escalating digital threats. Additionally, AMD projects the AI data center accelerator market to grow more than 60% annually, reaching $500 billion by 2028. Axiado’s approach to platform security is essential for safeguarding the expanding data center infrastructure as AI technologies permeate cloud computing, data centers, networking, and storage.

Beyond platform security, Axiado’s Dynamic Thermal Management (DTM) solution, embedded within the TCU, is designed to meet the power efficiency demands of AI data centers. Leveraging on-chip AI cores, Axiado’s DTM solution optimizes thermal management by predicting and adjusting cooling requirements—whether air-cooled or liquid-cooled—based on real-time data. This approach radically improves energy efficiency of AI servers and accelerates the move toward carbon-neutral data centers through secure, sustainable thermal management.

“The oversubscription of our Series C funding strongly endorses the industry’s recognition of the need for an innovative, hardware-anchored, and AI-driven platform security solution for accelerated computing,” said Gopi Sirineni, CEO of Axiado. “This investment reflects the confidence our investors have in Axiado’s approach to platform security, management, and data center net-zero goals and reinforces our commitment to delivering solutions that address some of the most urgent challenges in today’s digital infrastructure.”

Axiado’s comprehensive platform security portfolio empowers IT professionals and chief information security officers (CISOs) to deliver proactive, real-time protection for accelerated computing platforms. The flagship TCU solution integrates key infrastructure security and management functions into a system-on-chip (SoC), providing essential compute, networking, and accelerator integration. These solutions are designed to detect, quarantine, and protect systems against breaches, vulnerabilities, and attacks as they occur directly in hardware.

Axiado will use the Series C funding to drive continued innovation, strengthen strategic partnerships with leading platform vendors like NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Arm, and accelerate go-to-market initiatives with OEM and ODM partners to drive Axiado solutions into the data centers. Recent company milestones include doubling Axiado’s headcount in Taiwan and India, expanding the San Jose team by 30%, and opening a new office in India to support continued growth.

“We see a significant need in the market for innovative, hardware-anchored cybersecurity solutions, especially as the demand for secure and energy-efficient AI infrastructure continues to grow,” said Andrew Homan, Managing Partner at Maverick Silicon. “We are excited to support Axiado’s mission to address these critical challenges and drive the future of AI data center platform management and security”. 

“As AI and accelerated computing transform data center demands, it’s crucial to integrate hardware-anchored security that adapts to high-performance infrastructures,” said Marco Chisari, Executive Vice President, Head of Samsung Semiconductor Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to support Axiado and their AI-driven TCU technology, which has the potential to set new standards in platform security in the age of accelerated computing with AI.”

“Congratulations to Axiado on their successful Series C funding, one validation to the market’s demand for robust, hardware-anchored security in today’s AI-driven and hyperscale environments,” said Patrick Moorhead, Founder, CEO, and Chief Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Axiado’s TCU technology is differentiated, embedding AI-driven, zero-trust security directly into the silicon to confront ransomware and advanced threats in real time. As digital infrastructure scales and accelerated computing evolves, Axiado is leading standards for security, resilience, and innovation in the industry.”

About Axiado

Axiado is a leading hardware-anchored platform security solutions company deploying a novel, AI-driven approach to platform security against ransomware, supply chain, side-channel and other cyberattacks in the growing ecosystem of cloud data centers, 5G networks and other disaggregated compute networks. The company offers a new processor called the trusted control/compute unit (TCU) that redefines security from the ground-up: it’s hardware-anchored and AI-driven security technologies include Secure Vault root-of-trust/cryptography core and per-platform Secure AI pre-emptive threat detection engine. For more information, go to axiado.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Maverick Silicon

Maverick Silicon is a newly launched division of Maverick Capital focused exclusively on the semiconductor and computing infrastructure sector. Maverick Capital is an investment adviser founded by Lee S. Ainslie III with over thirty years of operating history.

SOURCE Axiado

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DENVER, Dec. 4, 2024 — Today Cleerly, a leader in advanced cardiovascular imaging, announced the successful closure of its Series C extension funding round, raising a total of $106 million. This funding round was led by global software investor Insight Partners and joined by Battery Ventures with participation from pre-existing investors. With this new funding, Cleerly will continue to scale its commercial growth and clinical evidence generation, helping health care professionals improve outcomes for patients across the coronary care pathway.

Cleerly is dedicated to creating a new standard of care for heart disease by utilizing FDA-cleared solutions powered by artificial intelligence. The company’s advanced non-invasive computed tomography (CT) imaging technology enables comprehensive phenotyping of coronary artery disease, grounded in scientific research based on millions of medical images.

James K. Min, MD, Founder and CEO of Cleerly, expressed his enthusiasm about the financing, stating, “We are thrilled to receive this investment from Insight Partners, marking a significant milestone for Cleerly. This funding will allow us to expand our commercial reach, which is especially germane following our recent achievements in attaining Medicare coverage and a CPT Category I code for advanced plaque analysis. We are very excited to see our purpose-driven mission come to life, making advanced cardiac care accessible to more patients and working towards our goal of eliminating heart attacks.”

“We are excited to support Cleerly in its mission to revolutionize cardiac care,” said Scott Barclay, Managing Director at Insight Partners. “Cleerly’s pioneering approach to advanced cardiovascular imaging, powered by AI-driven analysis, is elevating the field of diagnostic tools for coronary artery disease. With this investment, we look forward to helping Cleerly expand its reach and impact, bringing this potentially life-saving innovation to more patients and health systems nationally. We’re proud to be a part of Cleerly’s journey. As we’ve seen with their recent Medicare and CPT I code approvals, this technology is both valuable and ready today in the fight against heart disease.”

Barclay continued, “Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death globally and costs our country $422B annually. Until Cleerly, healthcare providers have had no way to easily and completely assess plaque burden in a non-invasive manner. Cleerly’s software is able to precisely identify heart disease by analyzing non-invasive images – just like the revolutionary new technologies, mammograms and colonoscopies, that provide early detection for breast and colon cancer, respectively. This is what good software can do in the world!”

For more information about Cleerly and its groundbreaking solutions, please visit www.cleerlyhealth.com.

About Cleerly®

Cleerly is the company on a mission to eliminate heart attacks by creating a new standard of care for heart disease. Through its FDA-cleared solutions driven by artificial intelligence, Cleerly supports comprehensive phenotyping of coronary artery disease, as determined from advanced non-invasive CT imaging. Cleerly’s approach is grounded in science, based on millions of medical images. Led by a world-class clinical and technical team, Cleerly enhances health literacy for each and every stakeholder in the coronary care pathway. For more information, please visit: www.cleerlyhealth.com.

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 June 30, 2024, the firm has over $80B 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 Cleerly

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• This founder-only fundraise was designed to unite leaders around a shared vision for the future of digital identity
• Investors share the Rarimo community’s conviction that digital identities must be private, user-owned and controlled
• Funds from the Vision Round will be used to launch Rarimo as a roll-up in Q1 2025

LONDON, Dec. 4, 2024 — Rarimo, a zero-knowledge (ZK) identity protocol, has announced the closing of a $2.5 million fundraising round spearheaded by Ethereum‘s Vitalik Buterin. Other investors included Celestia’s Nick White and Aztec’s Zac Williamson, among others*.

Termed the Vision Round and reserved exclusively for founders of leading chains and ZK protocols, the raise was designed to unite leaders around a shared vision for the future of digital identity.

Investors share a conviction that digital identities must be private, user-owned, and user-controlled. To achieve this, an identity stack such as Rarimo’s that provides total decentralization is urgently required.

In line with this view, funds from the Vision Round will be used to launch Rarimo as a ZK roll-up on Ethereum in Q1 2025. This expansion follows the successful battle testing of Rarimo’s ZK identity system during the Russian elections where it survived Kremlin attacks.

Lasha Antandze, Co-Founder of Rarilabs, a contributor to Rarimo, commented, “In the future, all users will self-issue and privately store their identities on their own device, generating zero knowledge proofs that let them co-ordinate and communicate without compromising anonymity. This decentralized model makes hacks, bans and censorship almost impossible.”

Vitalik Buterin, Founder of Ethereum, shared, “I share the Rarimo team’s passion for improving and protecting freedom and democracy in post-Soviet countries and beyond. I recognize the dual need to protect privacy against oppressive governments and hackers while, at the same time, allowing participants in discussions to trust each other. Free speech must be neither squashed by a boot nor drowned out in noise.

Rarimo’s identity model of ZK-wrapping existing proof-of-personhood methods and building applications on top, allowing users to prove important facts about who they are without fully disclosing their identity, is a promising strategy to achieve both goals at the same time.“

Nick White, Founder of Celestia, added, “Rarimo’s sovereign, private, digital identity layer will unlock very powerful, cypherpunk applications for crypto. Onchain voting is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Rarimo’s identity infrastructure started with passport ZKPs. Users can self-issue passport-based identities, store them privately on their mobile phones, and generate ZK proofs locally from their own devices. No third parties are involved in the process.

These passport ZKPs have been used for anonymous voting in Russia, Iran, and Georgia, and for airdrops. The community is now focused on expanding Rarimo’s infrastructure so that users can build private social graphs and experiment with ZK reputation.

*Full List of Investment Partners

     –  Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum Co-Founder
     –  Nick White, Celestia Co-Founder
     –  Brian Retford, RiscZero Co-Founder
     –  Daniel Lubarov, Polygon Zero Co-Founder
     –  Stefan George, Gnosis Co-Founder
     –  Alex Pruden, Aleo Co-Founder
     –  Keone Hon, Monad Co-Founder
     –  Ariel Gabizon, Zcash contributor
     –  Zac Williamson, Aztec Co-Founder
     –  Arnaud Schenk, Aztec Co-Founder
     –  Liam Eagan, Alpen Labs Founder
     –  Pavel Kravchenko, Distributed Lab Co-Founder

Additional Investor Quotes

Alex Pruden, Founder of Aleo,“Zero-knowledge cryptography holds tremendous potential for solving digital identity challenges. I’m proud to support the Rarimo team as they tackle this critical need with innovative products like Freedom Tool and the ZK Identity Registry. Their work is paving the way for secure, privacy-preserving solutions that have the potential to redefine how we trust and interact online.”

Brian Retford, Founder of RiscZero, “It’s more important today than it ever has been that there be open, decentralized and transparent identity protocol that enables *credible* anonymous and pseudonymous online actions. Rarimo is building this and I’m proud to support them.”

Zac Williamson, Co-Founder of Aztec, “Permissionless identity protocols with strong user privacy protection will be seen as a keystone technology of the new information revolution, and Rarimo is leading the charge. The community is talented, tenacious and targeting real-world deployments of this bleeding-edge technology. I am thrilled to be supporting their journey.”

About Rarimo

Rarimo is a ZK identity protocol. It unlocks a new generation of social apps.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2573208/Rarimo_Vision_Round_Founders.jpg

SOURCE Rarimo

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NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2024 — ION Analytics, a global provider of personalized, predictive data and market intelligence to advisers, banks, investors, law firms, and corporates, announces that Vintage Investment Partners (Vintage) has selected ION-owned Backstop Solutions (Backstop) to support its fundraising, investor relations, and investor communication initiatives.

Vintage, a global investment fund with USD 4 billion in assets under management, invests in leading funds and startups in the USA, Europe, and Israel by combining fund-of-fund, secondary fund, and growth fund investments. To streamline its data, workflow, and reporting, the firm sought a dynamic platform for its fundraising, investor relations, and investor communications. Backstop will give Vintage Investment Partners a consistent, holistic view of the investor lifecycle and will support communications, collaboration, and decision-making across the organization.

Backstop offers venture capital firms like Vintage a comprehensive solution to manage fundraising, investor relations, and investor communications efficiently. With a user-friendly interface, industry-focused CRM, investor relations, and investor portal features, plus dedicated customer support, the platform is ideal for fundraising, investor relations, investor communications. and reporting. Backstop’s code-free configuration, simple subscription model, and venture capital expertise make it easy for Vintage to access all the tools they need in one suite.

Greg Fuji, Head of Investor Sales at ION Analytics, comments: ”As a top provider of CRM and portal solutions, we are honored to support Vintage in their fundraising, investor relations, and investor communications processes. Our CRM, investor relations, and investor portal platform is designed to meet the unique client-side needs of venture capital firms, and we are thrilled to partner with Vintage to help them achieve their growth ambitions. We look forward to working closely with the firm, supporting them to streamline operations further, enhance decision-making, and drive their success in global venture capital.”

Jonathan Alden, SVP, Head of Investor Relations at Vintage Investment Partners, comments: “We’re excited to partner with ION Analytics, bringing Backstop Solutions onboard to help us with our investor relations, fundraising, and investor communication needs. After a thorough evaluation and selection process, we found Backstop’s platform to be the most user-friendly and intuitive, and its workflow will help us to streamline our investor processes. Combining CRM, investor relations, and portal in one place will help us consolidate data and improve reporting. As our fundraising plans evolve in 2024 and beyond, we must ensure that our technology solutions remain aligned with organizations’ and clients’ needs. We believe this platform is the right choice for Vintage Investment Partners.”

About ION

ION provides mission-critical trading and workflow automation software, high-value analytics and insights, and strategic consulting to financial institutions, central banks, governments, and corporate organizations. Our solutions and services simplify complex processes, boost efficiency, and enable better decision-making. We build long-term partnerships with our clients, helping transform their businesses for sustained success through continuous innovation. For more information, visit https://iongroup.com/

About ION Analytics

ION Analytics delivers personalized, targeted data, market intelligence, and software to banks, investors, and corporates, helping clients find opportunities and drive better decisions in markets ranging from equities and fixed income to infrastructure and private equity. For more information, visit https://iongroup.com/analytics/ 

About Vintage Investment Partners

Vintage Investment Partners (Vintage) is a global venture firm combining fund-of-funds, secondary funds, and growth funds. With approximately $4 Billion under management, 15 active funds, across the USA, Europe, and Israel, Vintage is invested in several of the world’s leading venture funds with exposure to approximately 6,000+ technology companies. Vintage uses its unmatched network to connect startups across the world to hundreds of corporations seeking support in their digital journeys, helping drive an ecosystem to maximize its potential and reach new heights. Vintage is a Founder of the PowerinDiversity initiative and a signatory of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI).

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

SOURCE ION

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SOLON, Ohio, Dec. 3, 2024 — Eagle Electronics, a new leader in high-tech electronics and cellular module production, is proud to announce it has raised $14mm, led by the O.H.I.O. Fund with participation from Asymmetric Capital Partners, to establish cutting-edge manufacturing technology and operations in Solon, Ohio, in partnership with CO-AX Technology. This strategic initiative marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to onshoring the advanced high-tech supply chain to the United States.

“This is a major moment for Eagle and our vision of onshoring and securing America’s critical technologies,” said TJ Dembinski, Co-Founder & CEO of Eagle Electronics. “Our goal is to set a new standard for electronics manufacturing in the U.S., combining the most advanced automated manufacturing and testing technology with rigorous hardware and software cyber-security testing throughout the supply chain. This offering will allow Eagle to onshore critical knowledge and essential technologies, all while continuing to cement the United States’ leadership in the chip industry.”

Eagle Electronics’ new facility aims to be the most advanced electronics manufacturing plant in the United States, leveraging cutting-edge surface-mount technology manufacturing equipment. The Solon, Ohio manufacturing operation is also expected to create numerous jobs in Ohio, further establishing the state as a key player in the U.S. semiconductor industry. Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor, Jon Husted, added, “Eagle is further proof that Ohio is becoming one of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturing hubs. With the addition of Eagle, we’re bringing more jobs in this sector to Northeast Ohio, reinforcing our commitment to the ‘Made in Ohio‘ strategy.”

Eagle is already seeing demand for American-made cellular modules and has signed up several customers. Boston-based Cherish has contracted with Eagle to advance its goal of sourcing components for its health and safety monitoring products manufactured in the communities where its customers live. Sumit Nagpal, Cherish’s Founder & CEO, said, “Our customers trust us to invite our products into their homes to monitor the health and safety of loved ones. Our work with Eagle helps deepen this trust with, in this case, cellular modules manufactured in the U.S.A. This is good for us, our customers, and the communities we serve.”

“Our partnership with Cherish Health demonstrates the market’s confidence in our ability to deliver high-quality, state-of-the-art cellular modules,” added Mark Kvamme, Eagle’s Co-Founder & Chairman. “We look forward to expanding our customer base as we ramp production and continue to innovate in the cellular module and electronics manufacturing spaces.”

To achieve this goal, Eagle’s first onshoring partner is Quectel, a global IoT solutions provider. Norbert Muhrer, Quectel’s President and CSO, commented on the Eagle relationship, “Some customers need access to cellular modules that are made in the United States. We are excited to partner with Eagle Electronics to be able to offer customers the option to procure U.S.-made and cyber-secure modules and we’re thrilled to be part of bringing production jobs back to the U.S.”

Eagle is also partnering with Finite State, a leader in software supply chain security, to produce, compile, and audit all firmware for Eagle devices domestically. Former Head of the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology and Eagle Board Member, Dawn Meyerriecks, says of this arrangement, “Eagle’s domestic production, coupled with the company’s partnership with Finite State, will go a long way in assuaging security concerns that are inherent with any connected technology. We believe our approach will be the most secure offering in the market.”

About Eagle Electronics
Eagle Electronics is an electronics manufacturing company dedicated to onshoring the manufacturing of critical technologies in the United States. By focusing on state-of-the-art manufacturing and strategic partnerships, Eagle Electronics is committed to building a geopolitically resilient and secure technology supply chain.

SOURCE Eagle Electronics

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