NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2025 — Simple Proof, a pioneer in Bitcoin-based data integrity solutions, announced today its pre-seed funding round led by ego death capital and Wolf. The investment will accelerate the development of Simple Proof’s Immutable Proof service, which leverages Bitcoin‘s Timechain and the OpenTimestamps protocol to create permanent, tamper-proof records of digital files.
In an era where AI-generated content threatens information authenticity, Simple Proof’s platform enables organizations to definitively prove when digital records were created and verify they haven’t been altered. Most notably, their experience demonstrates that even nation-state level deployments for national public records can be done as quickly as a few days thanks to their easy integrations. The technology creates an immutable timestamp of files by recording their unique digital fingerprint in the Bitcoin Timechain – the world’s most secure and decentralized digital ledger.
Jeff Booth, general partner at ego death capital, shared his enthusiasm about the investment: “We are incredibly excited to be investors in Simple Proof. For the first time in history, we have a chance to break Orwell’s dictum of ‘Who controls the present, controls the past; and who controls the past, controls the future.’ Their technology ensures historical records remain intact and verifiable, preventing selective deletions. All history will be saved so we can all learn from our mistakes and correct them.”
Simple Proof’s solution addresses critical needs across the public sector, where government institutions face mounting challenges in maintaining trust in their digital records amid sophisticated disinformation campaigns. The platform is particularly valuable for protecting voting records, public documents, and digital evidence – providing indisputable proof of document integrity from the moment records are created.
“Our mission is to restore trust in digital information,” said Rafael Cordon, CEO of Simple Proof. “By anchoring critical records to the Bitcoin Timechain, we’re building the foundation for a future where digital authenticity is independently verifiable, not assumed.”
For more information about how Simple Proof is setting new standards for digital integrity, visit www.simpleproof.com
About Simple Proof Simple Proof is a US-based technology company building Bitcoin-powered solutions for data integrity and verification. By combining enterprise-grade infrastructure with Bitcoin Timechain technology, Simple Proof enables organizations to create permanent, tamper-proof records of their digital files in a fast and easy way.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23, 2025 — NettyWorth, the first AI-powered loan protocol for NFTs and Real-World Assets (RWAs), is reshaping decentralized lending with its official launch, achieving $124M in connected wallet value.
Currently in Beta, NettyWorth offers innovative tools that combine AI and blockchain technology to simplify access to liquidity. The protocol bridges the gap between traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi), unlocking the untapped potential of NFTs and RWAs.
Backed by Blockchain Founders Fund, London Real Ventures, Republic, Trive Digital, and Acacia Digital, NettyWorth is transforming the lending market with its cutting-edge technologies, including the NettyScore Credit System and AI-DeFi Agents.
“Reaching $124M in connected wallet value is a testament to the trust and utility our protocol provides to the community. We’re dedicated to creating innovative solutions that make access to capital easier across the DeFi ecosystem, with a vision to have $500M in connected wallet value by 2026,” said July Grullon, CEO of NettyWorth.
“NettyWorth is addressing real gaps in the market, unlocking liquidity for underutilized assets, and making DeFi more accessible. This milestone further demonstrates the team’s ability to deliver and scale impactful innovation,” added Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund.
AI-DeFi Agents: Automates borrowing and lending, delivering secure, efficient, and scalable DeFi solutions.
NettyScore Credit System: A Web3 credit score that evaluates borrowers’ creditworthiness based on their on-chain loan history, creating trust and transparency.
API/SDK Integration: Enabling dApps to create loan marketplaces for NFTs and RWAs, expanding liquidity opportunities across ecosystems.
The $124M milestone showcases the protocol’s success in addressing gaps in the DeFi lending market with scalable, efficient, and transparent solutions. As NettyWorth grows, it remains committed to providing users with tools to unlock and maximize the value of their assets.
About NettyWorth NettyWorth is the foundational infrastructure for blockchain-based loans, connecting borrowers and lenders for both NFTs and RWAs. With an ecosystem of AI-DeFi agents, credit scoring, and liquidity solutions, NettyWorth is driving innovation in decentralized finance.
TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 23, 2025 — Startup Nation Central, a nonprofit that promotes the Israeli innovation ecosystem globally, has released the Israeli Health Tech Top 100 of 2024 landscape map, celebrating Israel’s innovation and transformative impact in health tech. As the largest tech sector in Israel, encompassing over 1,600 companies, health tech demonstrates the nation’s leadership in digital health, medical devices, and biopharma. Curated from Startup Nation Central’s Finder business platform, this map highlights the most impactful startups in the sector, showcasing those that secured the largest funding rounds in 2024. These companies exemplify the dynamic investment landscape within the sector. In addition, the map spotlights the ecosystem’s standout investors and notable exits.
Israeli Health Tech Top 100 of 2024 Landscape Map (Credit: Startup Nation Central) (PRNewsfoto/Startup Nation Central)
Health tech private funding in 2024 reached approximately $1.2 billion, demonstrating sustained momentum with a modest decline from the $1.6 billion raised in 2023. Digital health led the sector, attracting $545 million, followed by medical devices at $380 million and pharma/biotech at $262 million.
A notable trend in 2024 was a significant increase in the average funding amount per deal. Reaching $4.6 million across 102 rounds, this figure is more than twice the 2023 median of $2.16 million across 150 rounds. This suggests a shift towards larger, more impactful investments within the health tech landscape.
To provide a holistic view of the evolving health tech landscape, we included a dedicated section for the most prominent early-stage startups that have secured the largest pre-seed and seed funding rounds across digital health, medical devices, and biopharma including:
AISAP (Digital Health): raised $13 million in seed funding to develop and commercialize its AI-powered ultrasound platform, for improving the accuracy and efficiency of cardiac ultrasound examinations.
DreaMed Diabetes (Medical Devices): secured $3 million in funding and strategic partnerships to develop its AI-powered platform endo.digital solution for personalized insulin treatment.
Promise Bio (Pharma & Medical Biotechnology): $8.3 million to advance precision medicine with epi-proteomics and AI to predict therapy response.
This map also features the top investors for 2024 including, Peregrine with 15 investments this year, eHealth Ventures is an incubator and VC firm with 8 startups in 2024 and Iron Nation is a non-profit organization, also stood out with their support of early stage ventures that address global health challenges.
2024 witnessed several exit activities, with the medical devices sector leading the way includin, among others: Innovalve Bio Medical (Medical Devices) by Edwards Lifesciences, V-Wave (Medical Devices) by Johnson & Johnson, C2i Genomics (Medical Devices) by Veracyte, and more.
View Israel’s Health Tech Top 100 of 2024 landscape map here.
About Startup Nation Central:Startup Nation Central helps global solution seekers tackle complex challenges by giving them frictionless access to the expertise and solutions of Israel’s problem solvers – and their bold and determined approach to innovation. We call this Impatient Innovation.
Our free business engagement platform, Finder, grants unrestricted access to real-time, updated information and deep business insights into the Israeli tech ecosystem, explore potential opportunities, and forge valuable business connections.
Funding round led by Jump Capital with strong participation from Eniac Ventures, Peterson Ventures, and existing investors.
LEHI, Utah, Jan. 23, 2025 — Mobly, Inc., an emerging leader in event marketing technology, announced today the successful closing of its $4.3 million seed round. The oversubscribed round was co-led by Jump Capital and Eniac Ventures with participation from Peterson Ventures, which also led Mobly’s pre-seed round. Additional support came from existing investors Tenzing.VC, Peak Ventures, and notable angel investors, including Jeron Paul and Francis Santora.
This funding milestone accelerates Mobly’s mission to become the premier platform for brands seeking to maximize the impact of their event marketing efforts through smarter lead capture, data-driven engagement, and streamlined workflows.
Founded in 2023 by Zach Barney and Kris Jenkins, Mobly’s cutting-edge technology platform has redefined the event marketing space by reducing the industry’s average “Speed to Lead” from 11 days to just a few minutes. Its platform empowers marketing and sales teams to create, manage, and analyze event-driven campaigns at scale, driving measurable results. Mobly’s automated CRM enrichment and engagement tools enhance lead quality and conversion rates, delivering significant value to its rapidly growing customer base of brands.
2024 saw Mobly achieve remarkable growth, with a 5x increase in revenue and a 4x increase in user growth. The company’s momentum underscores the rising demand for innovative event marketing solutions across all sectors.
“Securing such robust support from both new and existing investors is a testament to Mobly’s unique approach and vision for the future of event marketing,” said Zach Barney, Co-Founder and CEO of Mobly, Inc. “With this funding, we’re excited to accelerate our efforts in helping brands reach audiences in meaningful, measurable ways while leading the next generation of event marketing. With faster speed-to-lead and higher-quality data, our platform is already driving impressive results for our users – and this is just the beginning.”
Jump Capital’s investment reflects confidence in Mobly’s disruptive potential. “Event marketing has been underserved by digital transformation, and Mobly’s innovative, scalable solutions are uniquely positioned to lead this space,” said Saaya Nath Pal, Partner at Jump Capital. “We’re excited to support Mobly as it redefines how brands engage, capture, and convert leads in real-time.”
“When we first met Zach and Kris, it was immediately apparent they weren’t just building another point solution – they were reimagining a revenue engine from the ground up. Their approach represents the first truly modern take on events marketing,” said Kristin McDonald, Principal at Eniac Ventures. “Innovation within event marketing has lagged far behind the overall RevOps space, despite commanding significant budgets and offering clear ROI. Mobly brings the power of automation and AI native tools to event marketing for the first time.”
The new capital will fuel product development, enhance Mobly’s platform with new features, and integrations, and expand marketing and strategic partnerships to further its market reach.
About Mobly, Inc.
Mobly, Inc. is an innovative event marketing technology company that provides brands with powerful tools to create, execute, and analyze impactful events at scale. By harnessing data-driven insights, Mobly helps brands forge stronger connections with their audiences, enhancing engagement and ROI for event-based campaigns. To learn more about Mobly, visithttps://www.getmobly.com/.
Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital Lead Investment to Fuel Ati Motors Global Expansion Across North America and APAC.
SAN FRANCISCO and BENGALURU, India, Jan. 23, 2025 — Ati Motors, a leader in AI and autonomous robotics, today announced a $20 million Series B investment led by Walden Catalyst Ventures (WCV) and NGP Capital (NGP) with participation from current investors including True Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Athera Venture Partners and Blume Ventures. The funding comes on the heels of Ati Motors exceptional performance, marked by a tripled order book in Q4 2024 and the addition of nine industry leading clients.
Saurabh Chandra, Founder and CEO of Ati Motors
Ati Motors expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing, is revolutionizing how the industrial sector approaches automation. It has deployed hundreds of its Sherpa robots across 40 leading manufacturers (30% Fortune 500), including Forvia and Hyundai with multiple scaled deployments in North America.
The capital will enable the company to accelerate the development and deployment of its robotic workforce, which leverages one of the largest and most diverse factory datasets for autonomous movement. Ati Motors autonomous robots have been deployed globally in dynamic and complex manufacturing environments, delivering industry-leading uptime and helping customers achieve exceptional productivity gains.
Manufacturers around the world are keen to adopt robots as part of their workforce given that people no longer want to put up with dull, dirty and dangerous tasks. However, the adoption has been constrained by availability of robots that perform as well as people in real world scenarios. Solving this gap has been Ati Motors’ success.
“Since our founding, Ati Motors mission has been to create advanced, reliable products that enhance both productivity and efficiency in industrial settings,” said Saurabh Chandra, Founder and CEO of Ati Motors. “This funding will accelerate our ability to leverage our extensive real-world dataset to develop next-generation AI models and further advance our industrial autonomy platform. The rapid growth we’re experiencing validates our approach of focusing on manufacturing as a vertical and conceptualising these robots as purpose-built self-driving vehicles.”
“Ati Motors represents the future of industrial automation,” said Shankar Chandran, Partner at Walden Catalyst Ventures. “Their unique combination of advanced AI capabilities and robotics, along with a deep understanding of manufacturing environments, positions them perfectly to lead the next wave of industrial automation. The impressive growth they’ve achieved validates their approach and demonstrates the strong market demand for their solutions.”
“We’re excited to co-lead this investment in Ati Motors,” said Upal Basu at NGP Capital. “The company’s ability to successfully deploy fully autonomous mobile robots across diverse industrial environments, combined with their rapidly growing customer base, makes them a standout in the industrial automation space. We believe their unique approach to combining Edge AI, LIDAR, and robotics will help address a critical need in the manufacturing sector.”
The funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand Ati Motors market presence both in North America and APAC, and strengthen its position as a leading provider of industrial automation solutions at the intersection of AI and robotics. The company recently established operations in Mexico and has strengthened its presence across US, India and Southeast Asia. The company is currently expanding its North America headquarters in Detroit, MI.
Ati Motors is a leading autonomous mobile robot manufacturer, revolutionizing industries with AI-powered robotics inspired by self-driving cars. Specializing in manufacturing facilities, Ati’s product range includes Tugs, Bin Movers, Pallet Movers, and Lifting Platforms. Their flagship Sherpa Tug, featuring 3D navigation and outdoor capabilities, has logged over 500,000 kilometers across 50+ factories. Serving global leaders in automotive, appliances, aerospace, and electronics sectors, Ati Motors has secured over $37M in funding.
About Walden Catalyst Ventures
Walden Catalyst is a venture capital firm helping early-stage companies in the U.S., Europe, and Israel build the next generation of category-defining businesses in deep-tech. The firm is led by Young Sohn and Lip-Bu Tan, deep-tech industry pioneers who between them have invested in more than 600 startups across the globe, of which 138 have gone on to IPO. Walden Catalyst is focused on deep-tech investments and their team of innovators and entrepreneurs are passionate about disruptive technologies and committed to excellence. This translates into unparalleled access to operational expertise, global reach, and a network of industry captains eager to help build and scale the companies of the future.
About NGP Capital
NGP Capital backs early-stage B2B companies from Series A onwards in the U.S., and Europe, within enterprise software, industrial tech, cybersecurity, and infrastructure. Through its $400m fifth fund launched in 2022, NGP Capital invests in companies driving the convergence of the physical and virtual. Founded in 2005, NGP Capital has over $1.6B in AUM and has invested in over 100 companies of which 18 became unicorns and 11 went on to IPO.
Funding will advance company’s first test addressing unmet diagnostic needs in gynecologic cancer
DALY CITY, Calif., Jan. 23, 2025 — PinkDx, Inc., an early-stage company focused on positively impacting the health of women throughout their life journey, today announced that it has completed a second close of its previously announced Series A financing, raising an additional $5 million, including from new investors Blue Venture Fund, Sandbox Clinical Ventures and BEVC. This brings the total raised in the upsized round to $45 million. The funding will help PinkDx further advance its first test, which is intended to clarify diagnosis for women presenting with a potential gynecologic cancer.
The Series A financing was led by Catalio Capital Management, LP, The Production Board and Mountain Group Partners, with participation by Byers Capital, Mayo Clinic and new investors Blue Venture Fund, Sandbox Clinical Ventures and BEVC, founded by Risa Stack, Ph.D., and other industry-investment veterans.
“We are delighted to welcome these new investors as they each offer strategic value that will be helpful as we develop and advance our first test toward commercialization,” said Bonnie Anderson, PinkDx’s cofounder, chairwoman and chief executive officer. “We are making great progress in the discovery and development of our first test and this additional funding will help accelerate that process through the test’s clinical validation.”
“PinkDx’s use of cutting-edge science and technology to deliver better answers for women and their physicians aligns with our mission to change the healthcare system and positively impact people’s lives,” said Tom Hawes, M.D., partner at Sandbox Clinical Ventures. “We believe PinkDx’s first test will fundamentally change care for women being evaluated for a potential gynecologic cancer, enabling them to avoid unnecessary office visits and procedures or receive better, faster treatment when needed. Moreover, this will help women, physicians and the healthcare system overall.”
“Women’s medical needs have been vastly under-served to date,” said Risa Stack, Ph.D., founding partner of BEVC and PinkDx board member. “We believe PinkDx is going to fundamentally change this with its comprehensive approach to applying advanced technology to specific unmet needs and through its team’s proven ability to bring clinically meaningful tests to market.” As part of BEVC’s investment, PinkDx is now a member of Bakar Labs, a state-of-the-art and globally one of the largest university-linked life science incubators, operated by the University of California, Berkeley.
BEVC invests at the intersection of science, computation, and engineering to drive innovations that advance human and planetary health. Through its partnership with the Bakar Ecosystem at the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) and San Francisco (UCSF) – institutions renowned for research excellence and entrepreneurship – BEVC is uniquely positioned to support pioneers transforming groundbreaking science into disruptive companies.
PinkDx will initially focus on improving the diagnostic outcomes for women who have vague symptoms that may signal a gynecological cancer. Each year in the United States, an estimated 1.5 million women1-3 present with general symptoms including bloating, pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding, for which the cause is not clear. Over 100,000 women in the U.S. are ultimately diagnosed with a gynecological cancer each year.4 PinkDx will develop solutions to replace invasive and painful diagnostic procedures and mitigate the significant delays women and their doctors often face in obtaining answers.
About PinkDx PinkDx is an early-stage company focused on addressing the medical problems that women uniquely face by applying sophisticated scientific approaches to resolve them and providing answers that have an immediate, positive impact on their lives. The company’s first indication will focus on overcoming diagnostic challenges for women who present with general symptoms that could signal a gynecological cancer. PinkDx is privately held, with Series A funding from prominent biotechnology investors, including Catalio Capital Management, The Production Board, Mountain Group Partners, Byers Capital, Mayo Clinic, Blue Venture Fund, Sandbox Clinical Ventures and BEVC. The company’s operations are in Daly City, California. For more information, please visit www.pinkdx.com or follow the company on LinkedIn or X (@Pinkdxinc).
1 Chelmow, D. et al. Executive Summary of the Uterine Cancer Evidence Review Conference. Obstetrics and Gynecology vol. 139 626–643 Preprint at hFps://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004711 (2022). 2 Clarke, M. A. et al. Association of endometrial cancer risk with postmenopausal bleeding in women a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med178, 1201–1208 (2018). 3 Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D. & Jemal, A. Cancer statistics, 2020. CA Cancer J Clin70, 7–30 (2020). 4 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2025.
In addition to the new funding, Teal launches new AI Interview Coach and Salary Negotiation solutions and appoints new CTO to build its tech stack and AI capabilities
MIAMI, Jan. 22, 2025 — Teal, the AI-powered career platform, announced it raised $7.5 million in Series A funding, bringing the company’s total capital to $19 million. The new financing, co-led by CityLight Capital and Flybridge, with participation from Rethink Capital Partners and Lerer Hippeau, will support product development to expand the Teal platform and its growing portfolio of advanced AI capabilities to help consumers navigate the increasingly complex job landscape.
Teal Announces Series A Funding
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Data, job seekers on average take 20.6 weeks to land a job in today’s increasingly complex jobs market. Job seekers need tools and technology to reduce the time it takes to find and land jobs, as well as advance to new roles and salary brackets. Teal’s suite of job search tools including AI Resume Builder, Job Tracker, Job Search Board, and Chrome Extension reinvent the way people approach their career journeys and counterbalance the massive infrastructural disparity between the HR resources available to companies and those available to employees.
“In today’s macroeconomic environment, the process of finding a job can be cumbersome – and time-consuming. From rapid advancements in AI, increased competition, and the limited time consumers have, they need simple solutions to help them stand out. Unlike traditional job boards, Teal puts the job seeker in the driver’s seat and is the career companion to hundreds of millions of people from the day they start working to the day they retire,” said David Fano, founder and CEO of Teal. “Teal’s AI-powered career platform automates the process of finding, applying for, and landing jobs. It also helps members prepare for interviews and negotiate salaries, no matter the career or industry they may be in – with thousands of members successfully landing interviews and offers. With our new financing, we will accelerate product development and scale our platform globally.”
In conjunction with the funding, Teal unveiled its new AI Interview Coach, a tool that helps job seekers prepare for interviews tailored to specific roles. By simulating a two-way conversation with an AI agent, the coach delivers role-specific question prompts and provides real-time feedback to refine responses. This dynamic practice helps candidates speak more confidently, articulate their skills and experiences effectively, and present themselves naturally during real interviews.
Teal also unveiled new AI-powered Offer Evaluation and Negotiation Support Tools that help professionals understand and advocate for their worth. The Offer Evaluation Tool provides a real-time, personalized analysis of any job offer by synthesizing data from similar roles and current market trends. The Negotiation Support Tool offers expert-crafted templates, email scripts, and guided support—equipping professionals with the confidence to secure a new offer or negotiate a raise with clarity and precision.
Over the past year, Teal has demonstrated consistent momentum and continued to grow in the following areas:
Attracting more than two million members across its free and paid offerings, presenting millions of open positions to its customers.
Helping job seekers save over 7 million jobs and land nearly 400,000 interviews to date.
Enabling a 97% reduction in application preparation time—transforming an eight-hour task into one that takes just minutes, giving candidates valuable time back in their lives.
Appointing its new Chief Technology Officer, Sumit Gupta, who brings over 20 years of experience building AI, voice, and fintech products at IBM and Oracle.
“Teal is designed to give people the tools to take ownership of their career, whether they’re just starting out in the workforce or looking to level up their salary,” said Jeff Rinehart, Partner at City Light Capital. “As an investor in Teal, we strongly support its mission and ability to put world-class products into the hands of consumers so they’re empowered to make informed, guided choices about what they see for their future.”
“At Flybridge, we invest in companies that have a shared ambition of building what matters and bringing value to the world around us,” said Jesse Middleton, General Partner at Flybridge. “Teal has experienced rapid growth since launching just five years ago, and we are excited to be on the sidelines as they continue to redefine the jobs market through industry-leading technology.”
To learn more, visit Tealhq.com and sign up with Teal here to get started.
About Teal: Teal is on a mission to help people find and land jobs they love. By empowering every professional with the tools, insights, and guidance they need to navigate their career, Teal makes the path to success clearer and more accessible. Through its suite of job search tools such as an AI Resume Builder, Job Tracker, Job Search Board, and Chrome extension, Teal is poised to change the way people approach their career journeys and, ultimately, to counterbalance the massive infrastructural disparity between the HR resources available to companies and those available to employees. Teal is backed by Flybridge Capital, Lerer Hippeau, Corigin Ventures, Aleph, Oceans Ventures, High Output, AVG Basecamp, and Kairos Angels, and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. To learn more, visit www.tealhq.com.
MIAMI, Jan. 22, 2025 — Today, ASM Capital Group, a trailblazing, new spirits investment fund elevating the newly commissioned American Single Malt Whiskey (ASM) category on a global scale, marks the official category designation from The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) with the announcement of the ASM Capital Whiskey Fund. The only fund 100% dedicated to the growth of the American Single Malt Whiskey category, the ASM Capital Whiskey Fund is on the ground floor with a strategic and proven whiskey barrel investing model.
Inspired by the craft renaissance, ASM Capital Group is led by exceptional talent from across the spirits and investment industries. Including, father-son duo, Rob and Hunter Robillard, Scott Sciberras, Ross Duignan and Ryan La Valle. With over 75+ years combined experience in the whiskey space and extensive background in both whiskey investing and asset management, the team has come together to launch the ASM Capital Whiskey Fund. The fund strives to elevate the newly recognized American Single Malt category amidst a consumer push towards premium spirits and provide an uncorrelated, diversification exposure within investment portfolios.
Rob, a New Hampshire native, picked up home distilling as a hobby to fill the gap in maple-flavored spirits. The result, Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey, became the first-ever TTB-registered flavored whiskey and sold to Diageo, the world’s largest spirits company. With ASM Capital Group, Rob looks to be at the forefront of another newly designated category – the fund raised nearly $10M at the close of 2024 and a target raise goal of $250M by 2026 to continue purchasing barrels as the ASM category explodes.
“I like to say I prefer the road less traveled,” said Rob Robillard, Founder and Manager of ASM Capital Group. “In the early 2000s, when new beer and wine brands were popping up left and right, I created flavored whiskey. I went from making Moonshine in my backyard from a couple of lobster pots welded together with a copper pipe stuffed with stainless-steel wool, to partnering with Diageo. Now, I’m looking to disrupt yet another new space with ASM Capital Group, leading the newly designated ASM category.”
ASM Capital Group offers the opportunity to boost the allure and export appeal of the category worldwide. In its infancy stage, ASM is set to take market share from Scotch, bourbon and rye. The fund supports the newly defined category to compete with imports such as Scotch and Irish Whiskey as a premium, celebratory distillate.
“At ASM Capital Group, we bridge the gap between spirits brands, distilleries, exporters and forward-thinking investors to fuel growth and innovation in the American Single Malt category,” said Hunter Robillard, Founder and Managing Partner of ASM Capital Group. “By investing in aged distillate, the one commodity that connects the industry, the fund is well-positioned to leverage the growing demand for mature returns.”
The venture’s barrel investing model is designed to meet and support the growing needs of homegrown brands seeking aged whiskey products in the global market in two to five years. Aged, quality whiskey fetches an impressive premium, though brands do not have the financial means to keep the barrels on their books during the multi-year aging process. This is where ASM Capital Group comes in. The group invests in barrels of American Single Malt Whiskey, storing and insuring them through the aging process, resulting in a valuable finished asset. For investors, this physical commodity is a low-risk asset filling distillation and production gap market needs – something that will continue to increase as the category booms. With a strong international partner network overcoming the usual barriers to whiskey investing, ASM Capital Group aims to level the supply imbalance and lead the marketplace with 60% ASM category ownership.
For more information on ASM Capital Group, visit their website at www.asm.capital.
About ASM Capital Group ASM Capital Group is a trailblazing, new spirits investment fund elevating the newly commissioned American Single Malt Whiskey category on a global scale. Led by father-son duo, Rob and Hunter Robillard, alongside exceptional talent in the spirits and investment space, it is the only fund 100% dedicated to the growth of the American Single Malt Whiskey category. Bridging the gap between spirits brands, distilleries, exporters and forward-thinking investors, the fund is designed to meet and support the growing needs of home-grown brands seeking aged whiskey products in the global market. By providing unique inventory capital solutions for distilleries and brands, ASM Capital Group is positioned to be the leading supplier of matured American Single Malt inventory worldwide. Additional information on ASM Capital Group can be found on their website at www.asm.capital.
Data intelligence leader completes $10B Series J and closes additional $5.25B debt financing
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2025 — Databricks, the Data and AI company, today announced the final closing of its Series J funding. Existing investor QIA, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, along with new investors including Temasek and entities administered by Macquarie Capital, participated in the funding round, which values the company at $62 billion. In addition, Meta has joined as a new strategic investor. Databricks plans to invest this capital toward new AI products, acquisitions, and expansion of its international go-to-market operations. This capital is also expected to be used toward providing liquidity for current and former employees and paying related taxes.
In addition to raising the $10 billion equity financing from some of the most well-known investors, Databricks closed a $5.25 billion credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase alongside Barclays, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, with participation from other leading financial institutions and alternative asset managers. The credit facility includes a $2.5 billion unfunded revolver and a $2.75 billion term loan.
“We received overwhelming interest in this round from both new and existing investors and strategic partners who believe in our vision and market impact. These partners are focused on the long-term success of Databricks and our rapidly growing customer base,” said Ali Ghodsi, Co-Founder and CEO of Databricks. “Organizations are modernizing their data and AI infrastructure because they recognize the immense potential of generative AI. Data intelligence is critical to both unlocking this potential and to helping enterprises reach their business goals.”
The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform democratizes access to data and AI, making it easier for organizations to harness the power of their data for analytics, machine learning, and AI applications. Built on an open source foundation, the platform enables organizations to drive innovation to increase revenue, lower costs, and reduce risk. Customers use the Data Intelligence Platform to find and treat diseases and cancer earlier, identify new ways to combat climate change, detect financial fraud, develop pharmaceuticals faster, reduce time to mental health intervention, decrease local financial inequality and much more.
“We are excited to deepen our commitment to Databricks through this follow-on investment, underscoring our strong conviction in the company’s leadership and strategic positioning,” said Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QIA. “At QIA, we are expanding our exposure across the AI ecosystem and believe Databricks has become the leading platform within the AI infrastructure software space.”
About Databricks Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide — including Block, Comcast, Condé Nast, Rivian, Shell and over 60% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to take control of their data and put it to work with AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark™, Delta Lake and MLflow. To learn more, follow Databricks on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
