Calling all of the best female founders, CEOs and tech minds in Alabama 

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2024 — Halogen Ventures, Jesse Draper’s venture capital fund focused on early stage startups with a woman on the founding team, is announcing today a ten million dollar investment to build the pipeline of female founders in Alabama. Halogen is the first out-of- state venture capital firm to receive funding from Innovate Alabama, a statewide public-private partnership dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation in Alabama. The investment is through InvestAL, Innovate Alabama’s venture capital program made possible by the State Small Business Credit Initiative, and will catalyze Halogen’s growing impact on the Alabama startup ecosystem, specifically supporting female founders tackling global problems.

Halogen Ventures is led by renowned investor and entrepreneur Jesse Draper, recognized around the world for championing the business case for investing in women. Halogen has invested in more than 75 startups that have collectively achieved a market value exceeding $15 billion. The fund’s portfolio features five unicorns with a widely impactful footprint in Alabama as well as on a national scale including Everlywell (valuation $3.5B), Babylist ($1B GMV), Flex ($24.8B market), HopSkipDrive’s (over 1M safe trips to and from schools), Upwards leadership in childcare solutions ($520B market), Metropolis (AI powered mobility provider) among other leading consumer technology and B2B solutions.

“Innovate Alabama is proud to partner with Halogen Ventures to help drive capital access and strategic support to female founders in Alabama,” said Cynthia Crutchfield, CEO of Innovate Alabama. “This investment not only aligns with our mission of fostering innovation but also ensures that Alabamians are at the forefront of solving tomorrow’s challenges. We are excited about the impact this investment will have on our entrepreneurial community and beyond.”

Alabama ranks last in the nation for female founders. Through this investment, Innovate Alabama seeks to change that, creating direct pathways for local startups to engage with Halogen Ventures’ network and providing access to mentorship, resources, and capital. By bridging Alabama’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with the broader national market, the partnership aims to spark transformative growth and innovation within the state.

“We are thrilled to partner with the state of Alabama through Innovate Alabama and invest more capital into incredible female founders,” said Jesse Draper, Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures. “Alabama has all the ingredients to be a leader in technology from great universities to the presence of over 50 Fortune500 companies. Through this collaboration, not only do we plan to catalyze the growth of the Alabama tech ecosystem, create more jobs and startup more future female billionaires, but we see a massive opportunity in healthcare, manufacturing, agtech and other verticals that we look forward to capitalizing on. This is a real opportunity that more investors need to jump on!’

Within Halogen’s portfolio are companies currently creating an impact in Alabama such as Binti, who is streamlining adoption, Goodr, a sustainable surplus food management platform leveraging technology to reduce food waste and combat hunger, and Upwards, the largest at-home childcare provider in the U.S., servicing more than 179 Alabama cities. Halogen’s portfolio company Metropolis, a parking technology company that raised $1.9 Billion in 2024 and was noted as one of the top 10 deals of the year according to Crunchbase, is also already servicing multiple locations across Alabama.

Innovate Alabama’s investment is part of its larger vision to position Alabama as a leader in entrepreneurship and innovation. The organization has a track record of supporting startups and fostering public-private collaboration that drives economic resilience and growth. The partnership with Halogen Ventures is expected to fund more women in Alabama to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in the tech sector and connect with a supportive community of like-minded innovators.

For more information about Innovate Alabama and its initiatives, please visit innovatealabama.org.

For more information about Halogen Ventures, please visit: halogenvc.com.

About Halogen Ventures

Halogen Ventures is an early stage venture capital fund focused on consumer technology companies with a female in the founding team. The Halogen team brings deep expertise and experience in understanding consumer and B2B trends and behavior and identifying entrepreneurs who will innovate and solve problems at scale. General Partner Jesse Draper is a 4th generation venture capitalist, and advocate for investing in women, one of Marie Claire’s ‘Most networked women in America’. Halogen has invested in over 75 early stage deals including Everlywell, Babylist, HopskipDrive, Metropolis, Flex, ThisisL. (acquired by P&G), Squadapp (Acquired by Twitter) and Eloquii (acquired by Walmart). For more information, please visit https://halogenvc.com/.

About Innovate Alabama

Innovate Alabama is Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world. With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate Alabama at www.innovatealabama.org.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Halogen Ventures

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The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program’s grant will advance scientific knowledge of hematologic toxicity of PARPi in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 11, 2024 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) today announced funding of a project that will underpin innovative research on optimal management of side effects secondary to treatment with poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). The award is supported by Pfizer Global Medical Grants and Partnerships.

PARPi treatment is associated with hematologic toxicity, often leading to dose modification, treatment interruption, discontinuation, or the need for enhanced supportive care interventions. Anemia is the most common side effect associated with PARPi in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), with about a quarter of patients reporting serious anemia shortly after PARPi initiation. The use of PARPi is expected to rise in the coming years, and their combination with other agents is already being examined in earlier disease settings.

In the mCRPC population, there can be additional challenges due to advanced age, reduced bone strength, other co-existing medical conditions, as well as significant prior treatments that add to the risk of toxicities.

“The aim of this research is to advance our understanding and ability to reduce adverse effects from PARPi alone or in combination with other treatments for patients with prostate cancer,” explained Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “Congratulations to this remarkable investigator. This work will enhance our understanding of how to better care for individuals with prostate cancer.”

The selected project will be led by:

• David Link, MD, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
  
• • Impact of Germline BRCA1/2 Mutations on PARPi-induced Anemia

“We are really pleased to support this important research and to collaborate with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Working with organizations like NCCN gives us the opportunity to accelerate and improve health outcomes for prostate cancer patients. We’re working every day to reduce healthcare disparities by leading and contributing to a variety of initiatives, programs, partnerships, and investments including our support of this initiative,” said Maureen Doyle-Scharff, PhD, FACEhp, Head of Global Medical Grants and Partnerships, Pfizer.

Proposals were peer reviewed by a Scientific Review Committee, which consisted of leading expert oncologists from NCCN Member Institutions. The selected project is set to be completed within two years.

The NCCN ORP fosters innovation and knowledge discovery that improve the lives of people with cancer and supports preclinical, translational, and clinical research and quality improvement projects in oncology at NCCN Member Institutions. In an effort to improve collaboration in cancer research, the NCCN ORP also maintains a shared resources website, an informed consent database, and points to consider on the best practices for biorepositories, registries, and databases. For more information, visit NCCN.org/orp.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients^® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation^®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.

Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
[email protected]

SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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Newly raised funding led by Silas Capital, alongside Experienced Capital and Existing

Investors, to propel global expansion and elevate its luxury maison vision

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2024 — VIOLETTE_FR, the award-winning multi-category clean beauty brand renowned for its artistically imbued, high-performance cosmetics, proudly announces the completion of a Series B funding round, led by Silas Capital—a New York-based emerging growth equity firm focused on exceptional next-generation consumer brands—alongside Experienced Capital, a Paris-based operational growth equity fund dedicated to aspirational consumer brands. The round also saw participation from existing investors Monogram Capital Partners and Felix Capital. This new capital infusion will drive VIOLETTE_FR’s next phase of growth, focusing on global expansion, product innovation, and digital enhancement.

Violette Serrat, the company’s founder, expressed her excitement and optimism following the Series B investment. “I’ve always approached my business with a long-term vision, akin to building a luxury maison rather than a high-growth startup. Because of this, I have carefully orchestrated my dream line of products while staying customer-centric and true to my instincts. I view VIOLETTE_FR as a lifestyle brand—one that seamlessly integrates beauty into a broader, curated lifestyle. We are thrilled to have a team of investors who continue to support us, allowing VIOLETTE_FR to thrive while maintaining the integrity of the brand and its unique position in the beauty landscape.”

VIOLETTE_FR launched in 2021, debuting the New York-based, French-born makeup artist’s now 14-piece beauty collection, which includes makeup, skincare, and haircare, with the goal of democratizing “French-girl” beauty. After advising top brands like Dior and Estée Lauder, Serrat ventured into a broad product line—an ambitious move in a market that had been focusing on single-category, minimalist offerings, especially in skincare due to the pandemic. The collection features hero formulas offered at accessible price points, such as the $43 “Boum-Boum Milk” skincare spray and the $29 “Bisou Balm” sheer matte lipstick. VIOLETTE_FR’s success in both skincare and makeup is remarkable for a makeup artist founded brand. This achievement reflects the company’s dedication to perfecting its formulations, supported by an extensive R&D process that often spans 3 to 5 years for new product launches. Such a commitment highlights the brand’s emphasis on long-term expansion rather than hyper-growth. The outcome is unparalleled shade precision, innovative engineering, and highly effective formulas. Brian Thorne, Partner at Silas Capital and lead investor, expressed his enthusiasm for the Series B round, stating, “VIOLETTE_FR stands out in the beauty landscape for its aspirational French brand appeal, driven by Violette’s authenticity and credibility, which resonate deeply with consumers. Her innovative approach shines through in the brand’s ability to extend across categories—skin, color, hair, and fragrance—as well as in standout products like Boum-Boum Milk, Bisou Balm, and Yeux Paint Dieu Bleu. We’re excited to partner with Violette to further accelerate both e-commerce momentum and wholesale expansion.” Alban Gérard, Partner at Experienced Capital, added: “As a French investor, we are very proud to be joining Silas Capital and existing investors in backing such an aspirational French beauty brand as Violette_FR. Thanks to its unique and innovative positioning, and Violette’s impressive creative vision, we are fully convinced of the brand’s potential to become the next leading French beauty Maison.” Emphasizing natural beauty as opposed to masking flaws, VIOLETTE_FR embodies the ethos of “complete, not compete” in today’s saturated market. This approach reflects an authentic French aesthetic, made accessible to global consumers. The company’s commitment to vegan (Leaping Bunny Certified), cruelty-free, and eco-conscious products enhances its unique position, bridging the gap between a luxury maison and a modern direct-to-consumer brand.

This strategic positioning, along with Serrat’s growing cult following (now over 1M+ on social media), initially attracted investors, including a seed round led by Female Founders Fund (FFF), Felix Capital, and Greycroft Ventures, followed by a Series A in 2021 led by Monogram Capital Partners. These investments supported the brand’s initial DTC push and expansion into multiple retail locations across France, Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA, including Le Bon Marché, Oh My Cream!, Mecca, and Moda Operandi. While DTC remains VIOLETTE_FR’s primary distribution channel, the brand plans a major retail partner announcement in 2025, set to significantly increase its retail footprint. Serrat, who embraces a self-proclaimed indifference to data, has consistently relied on her intuition. Her keen instincts have fueled extraordinary growth, highlighted by impressive year-over-year revenue increases. This success has strengthened the brand’s market presence, driven by exceptional community loyalty, as evidenced by strong DTC metrics. The brand’s hero product, Boum-Boum Milk—a multipurpose cream spray that restores skin to its natural health using ingredients cherished in France—plays a key role in driving both customer acquisition and retention. To date, enough of the 6-inch-long formula has been sold to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower more than 26 times. The brand’s other hero product, Bisou Balm, has become a cult favorite, epitomizing the classic French lip. Celebrated for its blurring effect and sensorial skin-like texture, it sells once a minute and attracts over 88% of new customers. The company has also found success by launching previously underrepresented pigments, such as its longwear liquid eyeshadow and liner, Yeux Paint, in the bold hue Dieu Bleu. This shade, a best-seller among its 17 couture eye colors, is often overlooked by large-scale beauty companies due to past poor sales. However, Violette has perfected the pigment and reframed its appeal, driving its success. These achievements have positioned VIOLETTE_FR favorably in the market, allowing the brand to select retail partners that align with its unique aesthetic and values. This discerning approach to retailer partnerships ensures that its products are showcased in environments that reflect its sophisticated and artistic ethos.

The Series B funding will support VIOLETTE_FR’s strategic goals, including accelerating product innovation, building the necessary infrastructure and stock levels for expansion in the US and international markets, and enhancing its e-commerce and digital platforms. This investment will also further the brand’s commitment to sustainability through new initiatives focused on eco-friendly packaging and ethical ingredient sourcing. With this funding round, the company adopts a pragmatic approach by raising only what is needed to achieve its expansion objectives, ensuring that every dollar is strategically allocated. This disciplined strategy enables VIOLETTE_FR to operate efficiently while minimizing waste. By prioritizing sustainable growth and maintaining a clear path to profitability, the brand is dedicated to establishing a solid foundation for long-term success.

Leadership Expansion & Investment Insights

The funding announcement coincides with a significant strengthening of VIOLETTE_FR’s leadership team. Heidi Merris, President appointed in April 2023, brings extensive experience (Pat McGrath Labs, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Estée Lauder Companies) in scaling founder-led beauty brands and optimizing operational efficiency. Tracy Holding, SVP of Global Marketing, brings 15+ years of digital, ad, and marketing expertise (Pat McGrath Labs, GLAMSQUAD). Executive Creative Director Carlos Jadraque brings 20+ years in the fashion and beauty industry (Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Condé Nast), while Amandine Isnard, SVP of Product Innovation & Supply Chain, (formerly Augustinus Bader, Space NK, Chantecaille) ensures the team remains at the forefront of clean beauty with a focus on conscious formulation and packaging efforts. Jennifer Osman, SVP of Finance & Operations, joined in November 2023, spearheading the brand’s financial strategy and operational initiatives to drive sustainable growth and enhance overall efficiency. Chloé Loisillier, General Manager, Europe, brings expertise in business development (formerly with Oh My Cream!) and is well poised to strengthen VIOLETTE_FR’s presence across the EU.

About VIOLETTE_FR

VIOLETTE_FR is a multi-category beauty brand founded in 2021 by the industry-beloved French makeup artist, Violette Serrat. At its heart, the brand celebrates one’s authentic self, encouraging individuals to thrive through creative expression. VIOLETTE_FR aims to redefine our relationship with beauty, eschewing the toxic pursuit of perfection for the French philosophy that beauty should not conceal but rather enhance confidence in our unique traits. Violette’s approach balances the bold with the ‘au naturel,’ bridging the gap between the minimalist and the beauty-obsessed. Empowering everyone with innovative, easy-to-use formulas—VIOLETTE_FR’s coveted tools were designed to express moods, nurture imagination, and rediscover self-love.

About Silas Capital

Since 2012, Silas Capital has been an active emerging growth equity and venture capital investor that partners with consumer brands, in order to help these companies achieve significant revenue growth and profitability, improve operational efficiency, and increase brand recognition and value. The complementary backgrounds of the firm’s partners comprise executive leadership roles across growth equity and venture capital firms, as well as operating companies, which allows the group to deliver on a unique value-add proposition to the management teams, founders and companies with whom Silas partners. The firm not only invests capital to help these companies grow, but also brings significant resources and capabilities to actively assist in the growth of revenue through its expertise in e-commerce and digital expansion, alongside its knowledge of traditional wholesale and retail channels. Previous and current investments for Silas include Bare Snacks, Bellroy, Boll & Branch, Cake, Chief, Herbivore, ILIA Beauty, Makeup By Mario, RŌZ, Sakara Life, Vacation, Violette_FR and Wonderbelly to name a few. Learn more at www.silascapital.com

About Experienced Capital

Experienced Capital (“ECP”) is a French, Paris-based growth equity fund dedicated to aspirational brands. ECP supports a dozen high-potential brands across a wide range of sectors, including beauty and well-being, experiential leisure, home furnishings, sports, fashion and accessories, and F&B, helping them accelerate their growth. ECP holds notable investments in Oh My Cream!, L:a Bruket, Reform, and The French Bastards.

Learn more at www.excp.com.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE VIOLETTE_FR

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Funding will fuel global expansion of the company’s unrivaled ability to identify pre-weaponized attacker infrastructure through its Indicators of Future Attacks (IOFA) data

RESTON, Va., Dec. 11, 2024 — Silent Push, the leading preemptive cybersecurity intelligence company, announced today its $10 million Series A financing round co-led by Ten Eleven Ventures and Stepstone Group LP. This combined with its early seed round brings its total funding to $22 million. The latest round of funding will accelerate Silent Push’s global expansion in EMEA and APJ regions and strengthen its go-to-market efforts to meet growing demand. 

Silent Push has also recently been deemed awardable on the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, where the company was recognized among a competitive field of applicants whose solutions demonstrated innovation, scalability, and potential impact on DoD missions. Government customers interested in viewing the video solution can create a Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace account at tradewindAI.com.”We’ve met a big milestone with our acceptance into the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace to streamline the procurement process. This provides faster access to our platform and services to enable the DoD to better track threats and it removes barriers for innovative startups like Silent Push,” said Ken Bagnall, CEO of Silent Push.

Silent Push provides a complete view of emerging threat infrastructure in real-time, exposing cyber-attackers and revealing malicious intent all within a single platform and enabling customers to avoid financial and brand reputational loss. This early warning system approach delivers preemptive cyber defense (PCD) through actionable threat intelligence from its Indicators of Future Attacks (IOFA) data at a speed unrivaled in the industry.

As cybercrimes rise and the attack surface grows, Silent Push is leading the global threat detection transformation, trusted by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and over 3,000 users. Some of the world’s largest companies are regular users including 50% of the Fortune 30.

“Silent Push continues to build on its one-of-a-kind approach to threat intelligence, continuously mapping out Internet-facing infrastructure to identify attackers setting up campaigns before they launch attacks,” noted Dave Palmer, General Partner of Ten Eleven Ventures. “The company continues to grow rapidly, both elevating the product and attracting many new customers who have been thrilled with the impact of this type of preemptive intelligence on their security programs. We are excited to continue to support the team’s success and look forward to the next chapter ahead.”

Established cybersecurity veterans and Silent Push co-founders, Ken Bagnall (CEO) and John Jensen (CTO) are on a mission to change how intelligence is delivered and better inform organizations about global adversaries. They have worked together for over 15 years, most recently at FireEye, Inc., which acquired their previous company, The Email Laundry—software that protected email from malware, phishing, spam, and other advanced threats for over 10,000 organizations worldwide.

The Silent Push threat intelligence team shares ongoing insights on dangerous adversaries. Follow its blog and check out its most recent findings on FIN7 and Triad Nexus exposing FUNNULL criminal campaigns.

About Silent Push 
Silent Push is a preemptive cybersecurity intelligence company. It is the first and only solution to provide a complete view of emerging threat infrastructure in real-time, exposing attacks and intent through its unrivaled Indicators of Future Attacks (IOFA) data to effectively block at the perimeter. Silent Push is a standalone platform that is also available via API and integrates with any number of security tools, including SIEM & XDR, SOAR, TIP, and OSINT, providing automated and actionable intelligence. Customers include some of the world’s largest enterprises and government agencies. A free community edition is available. For more information, visit www.silentpush.com or follow on LinkedIn and X.

For more information or media requests, contact: Marne Brase, VP of Marketing, [email protected]

About the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace 
The Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace is a digital repository of post-competition, readily awardable pitch videos that address the Department of Defense’s (DoD) most significant challenges in the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), data, and analytics space. All awardable solutions have been assessed through complex scoring rubrics and competitive procedures and are available to Government customers with a Marketplace account. Government customers can create an account at www.tradewindai.com. Tradewinds is housed in the DoD’s Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Office. 

For more information or media requests, contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Ten Eleven Ventures

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• Terlos Investments LP (“Terlos”) has launched with a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”) and Javier Ferran as exclusive limited partners
• Terlos will invest in mid and large-sized consumer brands with a particular focus on family- and founder-owned businesses in advantaged and resilient categories

LONDON, Dec. 11, 2024 — Javier Ferran, currently Chairman of Diageo and International Airlines Group (IAG), today announces the launch of Terlos, a new investment platform dedicated to supporting European family and founder-owned consumer brands through investment and operational expertise. Terlos has secured a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”) and Javier Ferran as exclusive limited partners and will invest with a flexible time horizon and governance requirements, and in various scales and structures, in order to adapt to the requirements of both businesses and their other shareholders.

Terlos will leverage Javier Ferran’s four decades of success as an operator and investor in the European consumer landscape to support businesses seeking to scale and enhance their competitive edge in a dynamic marketplace.

Terlos brings together an experienced team with proven operational and investment expertise, a strong consumer industry network, and an established track record of partnering with founders, investors, and management teams.

“Terlos is well positioned to unlock long-term value across family- and founder-owned consumer businesses in Europe. Our operating experience and hands-on approach offer shareholders and management teams the support they need to drive brand differentiation and scale their operations to grow.” – Javier Ferran.

Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, Executive Director of the Private Equities Department at ADIA, said: “The Terlos team has extensive experience working with consumer brands to develop and execute on their strategies. Terlos is ideally placed to identify, invest and support family and founder owned companies as they embark on their next phase of growth.”

About Terlos
Terlos is a private investment firm advised by Javier Ferran with a focus on European consumer brands. Terlos partners with families, founders and management teams to foster growth through strategic insights and operational expertise.

For further information, please contact          [email protected]

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Koantek to continue to help businesses advance their data journey as the GenAI race continues

MESA, Ariz., Dec. 11, 2024 — Koantek, a leading Databricks technology partner and trusted advisor, announced today that it has secured funding from Databricks Ventures to accelerate its mission of empowering customers on their data + AI journeys. This investment reflects Databricks’ confidence in Koantek’s value-driven approach, technical depth, and proven ability to deliver transformative solutions.

Koantek specializes in helping organizations unlock the potential of data and AI through strategic consulting, custom frameworks, and repeatable IP, all built on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. With this funding, Koantek will enhance its focus on generative AI (GenAI) solutions, expand its team of data + AI experts, and increase deployment velocity for a growing base of global customers.

According to the Databricks State of Data + AI Report, the adoption of AI is accelerating rapidly, with an 11x increase in production AI models over the past year. As 70% of companies leverage tools like GenAI and vector databases to augment AI applications, organizations need trusted partners to deliver scalable and reliable data transformation solutions. Koantek is at the forefront of this movement, driving fast time-to-value for its customers and enabling impactful, responsible innovation.

“We’ve seen Koantek deliver outstanding results across diverse industries,” said Kori O’Brien, SVP, Global Partners at Databricks. “Their depth of expertise and customer-centric approach consistently unlocks measurable business value. With Databricks Ventures’ investment, we’re confident Koantek will empower even more organizations to harness the power of data intelligence and drive AI innovation at scale.”

Koantek’s portfolio includes accelerators like Lakehouse in a Month, Unity Catalog Deployment, and Data Warehouse Migration, alongside GenAI solutions and Brickbuilder frameworks. Known for its reliability and expertise, Koantek consistently delivers rapid time-to-value and strategic insights that position customers for long-term success.

“This investment from Databricks Ventures is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our team,” said Sohini Avirneni, CEO of Koantek. “It validates the trust our customers place in us and fuels our ability to deepen our expertise in GenAI, expand our team, and deliver transformative solutions faster. Together with Databricks, we are helping organizations unlock new levels of efficiency, innovation, and business impact.”

Koantek’s achievements include being named the 2024 Databricks Innovation Partner of the Year, following consecutive honors as 2023 Velocity Partner of the Year and 2022 Rising Star of the Year. Since its founding in 2021, Koantek has experienced exponential growth, doubling its customer base in the last year and partnering with leading organizations in Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, Comms/Media/Entertainment, Emerging Technology, and Digital Native industries.

With Databricks Ventures’ investment, Koantek is poised to further democratize AI capabilities, accelerating customer adoption of technologies like GenAI and ensuring responsible, efficient innovation across its growing client base.

“As we look ahead, the opportunities in AI are limitless,” added Avirneni. “We are excited to continue pushing boundaries within the Databricks ecosystem, delivering next-level solutions that drive tangible results for our customers.”

To learn more about partnering with Koantek, visit www.koantek.com.

About Koantek

Koantek is the leading Databricks technology partner, integrator, and trusted advisor, focused on driving business transformation through Data and AI using the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. With unparalleled Databricks expertise, proprietary frameworks, and proven methodologies, Koantek fuels innovation, maximizes business impact, and empowers organizations to fully unlock the potential of their data and AI.

Koantek is a global company that offers specialists in Architecture and Engineering, ML Ops, Dev Ops, Data Engineering, Data Science and Gen AI. The company has been recognized by Databricks as the 2024 Databricks Innovation Partner of the Year, the 2023 Databricks Velocity Partner of the Year, and the 2022 Databricks Rising Star of the Year. It serves a diverse range of industries including Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing and Logistics, Comms/Media/Entertainment (CME), and across emerging technology and digital native businesses. Koantek is known for accelerating growth and driving competitive advantage with its Databricks Brickbuilder Solutions and Accelerators.

For more information follow Koantek on LinkedIn and visit www.koantek.com.

About Databricks Ventures

Databricks Ventures is the strategic investment arm of Databricks, the Data and AI company. Databricks Ventures invests in innovative companies that align with its view of the future for data, analytics and AI. Databricks’ focus is on investing in early- and growth-stage companies that are empowering AI in innovative ways on top of or alongside the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform.

SOURCE Koantek LLC

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BASEL, Switzerland and BOSTON, Dec. 11, 2024 — Lyfegen, a global leader in drug rebate management technology, today announced the successful close of its additional CHF 5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by TX Ventures, a leading European fintech investor, with additional participation from aMoon, a global health-tech venture capital firm, and other institutional investors. This funding represents a significant milestone for Lyfegen, enabling the company to accelerate its global expansion and innovation efforts, with a focus on extending its reach beyond Europe into new markets worldwide.

Addressing Rising Drug Costs with Intelligent Drug Pricing and Rebate Solutions

The healthcare industry faces increasing challenges with rising drug costs and the complexity of managing growing volumes of rebate agreements. For payers and pharmaceutical companies, manual processes often lead to inefficiencies, compliance risks, and operational delays. Lyfegen is transforming this process with its fully automated platform that ensures secure, real-time tracking, compliance, and operational efficiency at scale.

Today, 50+ leading healthcare organizations across 8 geographical markets rely on Lyfegen’s solutions to streamline 4,000+ rebate agreements while tracking over $1 billion in pharmaceutical revenue and managing over $0.5 billion in rebates annually. These solutions enable healthcare organizations to improve pricing strategies, accelerate access to modern treatments, and better manage rebate complexities.

Scaling Globally with a Leading Rebate Management Platform

Already used by healthcare payers and pharmaceutical companies in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, Lyfegen’s platform is poised for broader global deployment. By automating rebate management, the platform enables healthcare organizations to simplify complex agreements, save time, reduce errors, and enhance financial performance.

“The market for innovative and personalized treatments is expanding rapidly, but with that comes increasingly complex and costly pricing models,” says Girisha Fernando, CEO of Lyfegen. “Lyfegen’s automated solution simplifies this complexity, helping payers and pharmaceutical companies unlock the full potential of rebates while improving patient access to modern treatments. With this funding and our new partners, we’re ideally positioned to accelerate our growth and make a meaningful impact globally.”

Jens Schleuniger, Partner at TX Ventures, adds: “Lyfegen is at the forefront of innovation, offering payers and pharmaceutical companies a powerful solution to address the rising complexities of pharma rebates. We’re proud to lead this funding round and support Lyfegen’s mission to bring greater efficiency and cost savings to healthcare systems worldwide.”

About Lyfegen

Lyfegen is an independent provider of rebate management software designed for the healthcare industry. Lyfegen solutions are used by health insurances, governments, hospital payers, and pharmaceutical companies around the globe to dramatically reduce the administrative burden of managing complex drug pricing agreements and to optimize rebates and get better value from those agreements. Lyfegen maintains the world’s largest digital repository of innovative drug pricing models and public agreements and offers access to a robust drug pricing simulator designed to dynamically simulate complex drug pricing scenarios to understand the full financial impact. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the company was founded in 2018 and has a market presence in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Learn more at Lyfegen.com.

About TX Ventures

TX Ventures is one of Europe’s emerging leaders in early-stage fintech investing. The venture capital fund invests predominantly in B2B Fintech across Europe – preferably in seed to series A stage.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2577924/Lyfegen_Founders.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2577923/Lyfegen_Logo.jpg

For more information about Lyfegen’s solutions or to schedule an interview, please contact:
[email protected] 

SOURCE Lyfegen

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VCs favouring new investments over existing portfolio and have money to deploy
M&A expected to be strong
Top investor requirements – Team, Science and Differentiation

LONDON, Dec. 11, 2024 — Optimum Strategic Communications (‘Optimum’), the international strategic life sciences communications firm, today announces the results of its Optimum European Life Sciences Investor Survey 2025: Great Expectations – Will 2025 Live Up to its Promise? The survey explored the current sentiment of leading VC firms collectively managing c.$300 billion in life science focused assets.

2024 has been another challenging year for fundraising in life sciences and, while the industry has not seen ‘across the board’ resurgence in confidence or capital flows, Optimum’s 2025 survey does present some grounds for optimism.

Key takeaways:

• Investment criteria – The top three criteria investors are looking for when deciding to invest are: Great people, great science and differentiation.
• Key drivers of investment – 86% believe that the availability of capital will be a key driver in financing activity over the next 12 months, given increased pressure to deploy large funds raised and the influence of public market performance on private valuations and funding rounds.
• 57% of investors believe strong clinical data and promising innovation are the key drivers for investment, while 24% cited exits and returns as the most influential factors.
• Fundraising outlook – 60% of investors are confident in the fundraising outlook for the next year and they believe that well-prepared companies with strong fundamentals can secure funding, albeit possibly at lower valuations than previously expected.
• M&A – Investors believe there will continue to be strong M&A activity in 2025. Areas of focus are: cardiometabolic, immunology & inflammation, CNS and oncology.
• Capital deployment – Compared to last year’s [2024] survey results, investors are no longer prioritising their existing portfolios, and the past year has seen a notable tilt towards new investments.
• Appetite for obesity-related drugs has remained strong. Neurological and CNS disorders continue to attract attention, as recent data and new treatment mechanisms are bringing fresh investment opportunities.
• Funding stage – 52% of investors believe that Series B will be the most active funding stage, with some noting an increase in crossovers, given the IPO backlog.

Commenting on the findings, Mary Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Optimum Strategic Communications, said: “While the past year has been challenging, there have been a number of recent large fundraisings which suggest that the industry has turned a corner. The feedback these investors have given offers companies a valuable blueprint on how to attract investment. For the right story, the money is there. But accessing capital continues to be very competitive, and telling a strong and compelling investment story remains vital.”

If you would like to receive the complete report, please email [email protected] or download it from our website here.

About Optimum Strategic Communications

Optimum Strategic Communications is an international strategic life sciences consultancy which specialises in investor relations, corporate and financial communications. Our senior team of healthcare specialists, based in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Zurich, San Francisco, San Diego and New York, are experienced and trusted advisors to some of the world’s most exciting public and private companies, both large and small, across pharmaceuticals, biotech, medtech, health tech, healthcare services and industrial biotechnology.

Over the last 25 years, our team has worked with over 400 healthcare companies, advising them on financial communications and investor relations, including major corporate activity such as fundraising, IPOs, M&A, as well as corporate reputation and crisis scenarios.

We have an exceptional network of contacts across the international investment community in Europe and the US; contacts we have built and maintained over the last three decades. The Optimum team includes ex-fund managers and analysts, as well as financial and corporate communications specialists.

For more information, please visit www.optimumcomms.com.

SOURCE Optimum Strategic Communications

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• Proceeds will be used to enable key late-stage clinical trial readouts for assets across several underserved neurological diseases with high unmet medical need.
• EQT Life Sciences has led the extension, and joins a consortium of prominent global biotechnology investors.
• The investment builds on EQT Life Sciences’ previous successful partnership with neurology-focused repeat entrepreneur and Noema Pharma CEO Ilise Lombardo, MD

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 11, 2024 — EQT Life Sciences is pleased to announce that the LSP 7 fund has invested in Noema Pharma (“the Company”). The clinical-stage biotech company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland is developing a pipeline of first-in-disease therapeutics that address central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The Series B extension brings the total capital raised in the round to CHF 130 million, including prior investments from Forbion, Jeito Capital, Sofinnova Partners, Gilde Healthcare, Polaris Partners, Invus and UPMC Enterprises.

CNS disorders are a significant area of unmet medical need, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide who often face inadequate treatment options with limited effectiveness and significant side effects. Many of the conditions targeted by Noema Pharma have historically been difficult to treat due to their complex nature and the lack of effective therapies. By leveraging its diverse portfolio of neurological assets and innovative clinical pipeline, Noema Pharma is strongly positioned to address these debilitating disorders and provide much-needed hope and transformative solutions to patients living with these life-altering challenges. The Company’s portfolio includes four active Phase 2 trials, with key readouts from all studies anticipated in 2025.

Proceeds from the financing will drive the continued development of Noema Pharma’s clinical-stage assets, including its lead candidate basimglurant (NOE-101), a mGluR5 inhibitor currently in Phase 2 trials for severe pain in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and seizures in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Additionally, the Company is advancing gemlapodect (NOE-105), a PDE10a inhibitor in Phase 2 for Tourette syndrome and childhood onset fluency disorder (COFD or stuttering), as well as NOE-115, a broad-spectrum monoamine modulator in a Phase 2 trial for vasomotor symptoms and additional symptoms of menopause.

Ilise Lombardo, MD, CEO of Noema Pharma, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome EQT Life Sciences as a lead investor and to have Felice join our Board. Their support and expertise will be invaluable as we progress our clinical programs and strive to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.” 

Felice Verduyn-van Weegen, Partner at EQT who is joining the Company’s Board of Directors, commented: “Noema Pharma’s innovative approach to CNS disorders aligns very well with our investment strategy and we are excited to support their late-stage clinical pipeline and transformative therapies. Having worked with Ilise Lombardo on a previous successful investment, her exceptional leadership as a repeat entrepreneur further reinforces our confidence in Noema’s potential to deliver meaningful impact to patients in need.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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