MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 26, 2024 — Veteran Ventures Capital (VVC), a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in dual-use national security technology businesses led by veteran entrepreneurs and leaders, today announced a strategic investment in Agile Space Industries (Agile), a leading innovator of in-space chemical propulsion technologies. Agile specializes in the development of advanced chemical propulsion systems, including thrusters and rocket engines for satellites and spacecraft, which are designed, 3D printed, and tested all under one roof. This unique approach is rapidly transforming the in-space propulsion market. The investment marks the first capital deployment from Veteran Ventures Capital’s 2^nd Fund and aligns with VVC’s ongoing commitment to revolutionizing space propulsion, following its successful Fund I investment in Phase Four, a provider of electric and multi-mode propulsion systems for satellites.

Agile Space Industries’ advanced chemical propulsion technologies provide rapid-response capabilities and high thrust efficiency, both of which are critical for a variety of space missions, including maneuvering, orbit raising, and deep-space exploration. The global space propulsion market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 30% through 2030, fueled by increasing demand for both chemical and electric propulsion systems across commercial and national security sectors. VVC’s investment in Agile expands its strategic portfolio in space propulsion, complementing Phase Four’s electric and multi-mode systems to provide a comprehensive range of propulsion solutions towards diverse and evolving satellite constellation requirements.

“Agile Space Industries exemplifies the innovative spirit and advanced technical capability that Veteran Ventures Capital seeks in its portfolio companies,” said Derren Burrell, Founder and Managing Partner of Veteran Ventures Capital. “By investing in Agile, we are broadening our propulsion capabilities beyond Phase Four’s electric systems to include high-performance chemical propulsion. Agile’s unique approach of integrating design, 3D printing, and testing under one roof significantly accelerates their development cycles, making them a formidable player in the rapidly growing space propulsion market. We are excited to support Agile as they scale their operations and redefine in-space propulsion.”

This strategic investment will enable Agile Space Industries to accelerate its product development, increase production capacity, and continue advancing its innovative propulsion technology. Agile’s solutions enhance the operational flexibility and performance of spacecraft, positioning the company as a key player in the expanding space industry.

“We are excited to partner with Veteran Ventures Capital, whose investment philosophy aligns closely with our mission to deliver reliable, high-performance chemical propulsion solutions for space missions,” said Chris Pearson, CEO of Agile Space Industries. “With VVC’s support, Agile will scale our operations, diversify our customer base, and meet the critical demand for propulsion systems in the rapidly growing space industry.”

Veteran Ventures Capital’s investment in Agile Space Industries highlights its commitment to fostering innovation in dual-use technologies that serve both commercial and national security interests. By investing in veteran-led companies like Agile, VVC continues to advance its strategy of backing transformative technologies that contribute to U.S. technological leadership and the security of our nation.

About Veteran Ventures Capital
Veteran Ventures Capital invests in dual-use national security technologies, focusing on companies led by veteran entrepreneurs and leaders. Committed to advancing U.S. technological superiority, Veteran Ventures Capital provides capital, mentorship, and strategic guidance to high growth companies serving critical government and commercial markets. VVC’s portfolio includes leading companies in defense, aerospace, cybersecurity, and other sectors essential to national security, including notable investments in space propulsion through Agile Space Industries and Phase Four.

About Agile Space Industries
Agile Space Industries is a leader in high-performance chemical propulsion systems for space applications. With a focus on delivering agility, reliability, and performance, Agile develops propulsion solutions that support a diverse range of space missions. The company’s thrusters and rocket engines are designed, 3D printed, and hotfired all under one roof, setting a new standard for rapid development in the in-space propulsion market.

For media inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]

SOURCE Veteran Ventures Capital

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2024 — Gladly, a leader in customer service innovation, has announced its groundbreaking unified Customer Service Platform, powered by advanced AI. The platform is set to disrupt the industry by replacing outdated ticket-based systems, enabling retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to offer seamless, personalized support that resolves support issues and drives customer loyalty and revenue. Recognizing the transformative potential of Gladly’s approach to customer service, venture capital firm AVP led a $40M funding round to fuel the company’s growth. AVP, known for backing high-growth, technology-driven companies, sees Gladly as a catalyst for change in the customer service industry. With this investment, Gladly is poised to help brands deliver exceptional, cost-effective customer experiences and redefine customer service as a strategic, revenue-generating asset.

The platform launch comes at a pivotal moment, as customer experience becomes a crucial differentiator for brands, and generative AI gains widespread adoption. While AI has recently been heralded as a solution for improving customer service efficiency, it has struggled to address two fundamental issues. First, legacy ticket-based systems leave agents without the comprehensive context needed to deliver personalized support, resulting in fragmented experiences and unresolved issues. Second, AI solutions bolted onto these outdated platforms may answer more queries but still lack complete customer history, leading to ineffective interactions and increased frustration when transitioning to human agents. Furthermore, add-on AI solutions can pose risks to brand integrity and operational safety.

Gladly’s AI-Powered Customer Service Platform addresses these challenges head-on. By centering every interaction around the customer rather than tickets, Gladly enables AI to provide more accurate, human-like responses, while equipping agents with the context they need to be more effective. This seamless integration of Gladly’s Gen AI capabilities with its core platform not only mitigates the risks associated with AI implementations but also guarantees a consistently high-quality customer experience, whether driven by AI or human agents.

“In today’s challenging retail environment, where customer loyalty is hard-won and easily lost, our AI-powered, unified Customer Service Platform is a game-changer. It not only enhances customer experience but turns support into a strategic asset that drives growth and loyalty,” said Joseph Ansanelli, CEO of Gladly.

Gladly’s Customer Service Platform aggregates all customer interactions, regardless of channel, into a single lifelong customer record that powers both AI and agent-led support, leading to more personalized and efficient service. Gladly accelerates agent efficiency by automating routine inquiries, allowing agents to focus on high-value customer interactions such as cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Gladly also employs rigorous quality control of its AI offering, with features such as the ability to configure AI behavior to specific tone and brand guidelines, and advanced hallucination detection technology that ensures AI-generated content remains factual and relevant. Gladly’s customers achieve faster resolutions, reduced agent handle times, and realize higher CSAT scores.

“Gladly is solving critical challenges in how customer service is delivered,” said Alex Scherbakovsky, General Partner at AVP. “With its people-centered product philosophy, next-gen AI offerings, and experienced go-to-market leadership, Gladly is poised to transform the multi-billion dollar customer service market.”

With this new unified platform, Gladly is inviting retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to redefine what’s possible in customer service. By transforming support teams into growth drivers, Gladly is setting a new standard for the industry. To learn more about how Gladly can help your business turn customer service into a competitive advantage, visit gladly.com.

About Gladly
Gladly is the AI-powered, people-centered Customer Service Platform built to navigate today’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape. Gladly empowers brands to deliver world class customer experiences at scale, enabling them to efficiently overcome the challenges of declining customer loyalty and rising costs. Its unique approach puts customers at the center, unifying all interactions into a single, lifelong conversation. This ensures customers have seamless, personalized experiences across all channels, driving faster resolutions and deeper, more meaningful connections that boost customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Trusted by hundreds and hundreds of iconic brands like Nordstrom, Warby Parker, and Crate & Barrel, Gladly delivers impressive, industry-leading results. Businesses have seen up to 470% yearly ROI, a 45% reduction in handle times, and customer satisfaction scores as high as 98%. With Gladly, businesses can provide the radically personal service their customers deserve, while maximizing operational efficiency—transforming customer service into a powerful engine for growth, loyalty, and competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. Learn more at gladly.com.

About AVP
AVP is a global venture capital firm specializing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies, managing more than $2 billion in assets across four investment strategies: Venture, Growth, Late Stage and Fund of Funds. Since its establishment in 2016, AVP has invested in more than 60 technology companies in Venture and Growth stages in the US and Europe.
With offices in New York, London and Paris, AVP supports companies in expanding internationally and provides portfolio companies with tailored business development opportunities to further accelerate their growth. For more information on AVP, please visit axavp.com.

SOURCE Gladly

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024 — 3D Cloud (formerly Marxent), the global leader in 3D digital asset management for 3D product visualization, today announced a $20 million growth capital investment led by Arnie Bellini of Bellini Capital. Bellini, a prominent Tampa Bay tech entrepreneur and board member at 3D Cloud, has expanded his support as the company continues to dominate the next generation of online shopping experiences and replace legacy systems.

“Retailers and manufacturers are flocking to 3D Cloud, drawn by its pioneering cloud-based design and visualization software that outperforms traditional solutions by a factor of five,” said Arnie Bellini, Managing Partner at Bellini Capital. “This game-changing technology enables retailers to deliver hyper-personalized, on-demand services like never before. I’m excited to be part of this journey as 3D Cloud continues to drive innovation and lead the market,” Bellini added.

This latest capital infusion is a testament to the traction 3D Cloud has gained in the market and Bellini’s confidence in the company’s strategic direction. With several high-profile client wins like CITY Furniture, Best Home Furnishings, and Flexsteel, as well as a refreshed brand identity 3D Cloud is positioning itself at the cutting edge of the digital transformation wave. The surge in demand for cloud-based 3D room planning and 3D product configuration solutions makes this investment critical for scaling operations, driving innovation, and ensuring market leadership.

“We’re pleased once again to have the support of Arnie Bellini and Bellini Capital.  Arnie’s mentorship and counsel have been invaluable to our team,” shared 3D Cloud’s CEO and Co-Founder, Beck Besecker. “Arnie is a long-term thinker who understands the real challenges of bringing new tech to market and how to mature an organization from a startup to a sustainable business that not only delivers value to customers but also understands its responsibility to team members and the broader community,” added Besecker.  “Arnie’s energy and enthusiasm are unmatched.  We’re thrilled to have his support.”

“3D Cloud gets it. They are responding to the clear market demand from pros, designers, and homeowners alike by reducing onboarding time, accelerating project design, automating presentations, and providing a highly collaborative design experience,” Bellini said.  “Homeowners now have web-based access to design tools that are fun and easy to use.  And for major retailers, the cost of managing their design and visualization programs is dramatically reduced.”

Over the past 18 months, 3D Cloud has experienced impressive growth, onboarding numerous new customers and expanding the reach of its platform across the home furnishings, office furniture, and DIY sectors. The company remains laser-focused on delivering high-performance, next-gen solutions that address critical industry challenges, from order accuracy to enhanced customer experiences.

About 3D Cloud

3D Cloud is the 3D digital asset management platform for 3D product visualization and the global leader in 3D e-commerce for furniture, kitchen, bath, outdoor, office furniture, closets, and storage. The 3D Cloud 3D digital asset management platform is a B2B SaaS that allows retailers and brands to build endless applications such as 3D product configurators, 3D room planners, and WebAR from a single 3D product catalog. With 3D Cloud, 3D content is created, managed, and published to all 3D applications from a single source of truth for consistency across every touchpoint in the customer journey. Applications that run on 3D Cloud include 3D Cloud Product Configurators, 3D Cloud Sectional Configurator, 3D Cloud Room Planner with Design from Photo, 3D Cloud Kitchen Designer, 3D Cloud Virtual Reality, 3D Cloud 360 Product Spins, 3D Cloud Instant Renders, and 3D Cloud WebAR Augmented Reality. 3D Cloud has offices in Miamisburg, Ohio; St. Petersburg, Florida; and London, England. Clients include a major U.S.-based home improvement retailer, Kingfisher plc, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Macy’s, Ashley, HNI Corporation, La-Z-Boy, Joybird, and John Lewis and Partners. The company is backed by Dan Gilbert and Arnie Bellini. For more information, visit 3Dcloud.com.

SOURCE 3D Cloud

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 H1 FY25 ARR Growth of Over 200% With NRR At 190%

SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 26, 2024 — Observe, Inc., the SaaS observability company reinventing the way machine-generated data is stored, managed and analyzed, today announced “Project Voyager,” its most significant product update yet. Voyager introduces an AI Investigator along with OpenTelemetry-Native APM and Snowflake Observability, enabling Engineering, DevOps and SRE teams to troubleshoot incidents faster and improve customer experience. Also announced today is the closing of $145 million in Series B funding with the most recent investments by Evolution Equity Partners and Madrona Ventures. Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar also joins Observe’s board of directors, effective immediately.

Traditional logging, monitoring and APM tools are too complex, failing to curb skyrocketing costs and mean-time-to-resolution (MTTR) of incidents for modern distributed applications. In stark contrast, Observe continues to simplify – delivering a single observability product for all telemetry data and tooling, and a unique AI-powered approach to troubleshooting which provides on-call engineers with the information they need, when they need it.

“The introduction today of Observe APM fulfills the original vision we had for Observe – to ingest data into a single data lake, analyze it using a single query language and access it through a single consistent user interface,” said Jeremy Burton, CEO of Observe Inc. “Next, Observe’s AI Investigator clearly outlines our vision for the future – a world in which a network of intelligent agents will work on behalf of, and in conjunction with, on-call engineers to further reduce MTTR.”

Observe’s AI Investigator orchestrates a network of domain-specific AI agents, assisting engineers in quickly identifying and resolving issues. AI agents are finely tuned for specific tasks such as accessing runbooks or prior incidents, understanding Kubernetes, AWS or Github, or generating queries to interact with Observe. When incidents are resolved, summaries are generated and used to train AI agents so they get smarter over time.

AI Agents are orchestrated by a master “AI Planner” which drives the troubleshooting workflow. This can be thought of as a digital companion or assistant to the on-call engineer.

“There is immense opportunity in leveraging AI for the modern observability industry,” said Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. “Observe’s AI-powered investigation features are a promising addition to this growing market.”

Project Voyager’s OpenTelemetry-Native APM provides immediate visibility into the services, traces and spans of all applications instrumented using the OpenTelemetry standard. Unlike many legacy vendors, Observe exclusively uses the upstream OpenTelemetry agent for instrumentation – nothing proprietary is included. 

Observe released Trace Explorer earlier this year and, today, adds to that with Service Explorer and Service Level Management. Teams can now align their observability practices with customer experiences by setting Service Level Objectives with a single click and proactively track the consumption of error budgets. Observe’s unique architecture enables users to retain more of their traces for longer periods of time. Some vendors will downsample traces to as little as 1% and retain them for as little as 15 minutes. Observe does not downsample traces by default and retains all tracing data for 13 months.

Finally, Voyager introduces Snowflake Observability, now available in the Snowflake Marketplace and offers 1TiB/month of Snowflake data for free. This integration allows developers to gain critical insights into query performance and application health without moving telemetry data outside of Snowflake, ensuring maximum security and efficiency.

“We make guarantees that not a single byte of our customers’ data leaves their Snowflake accounts. So it is important to us that our Observability data remains in Snowflake,” said Molham Aref, CEO of Relational AI. “We chose Observe for its native integrations with Snowflake, OpenTelemetry support and cost efficiencies.”

Today’s announcement also caps a period of exponential growth for Observe, with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) up over 200% year-over-year and Net Revenue Retention (NRR) over 190% at the end of the first half of FY25. The Series B funding will be used to further build out engineering and sales functions to keep pace with growth expectations in the second half of the year.

“Observe was the first to recognize that Observability was fundamentally a data problem and have taken a unique approach”, said Karthik Subramanian, Partner at Evolution Equity Partners. “The economics and speed of troubleshooting that Observe has pioneered for current modern IT stacks with massive data scale and growth promises to be a game changer. We are thrilled to support them as they continue to scale.”

Observe now serves almost 100 customers, including large enterprises such as Capital One and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

For more information, please read about Observe’s Project Voyager on their blog, or visit observeinc.com.

About Observe, Inc.
Headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., Observe is the observability company reinventing the way business data is stored, managed and analyzed. Only Observe eliminates silos of logs, metrics and traces by storing all data in a single, more cost-efficient data lake. The company’s unique Data Graph technology enables users to troubleshoot distributed applications three times faster than competing observability solutions. Brands such as Capital One and Topgolf trust Observe to turn their business data into actionable information. Investors include Capital One Ventures, Madrona Venture Group and Sutter Hill Ventures. For more information, visit: www.observeinc.com.

About Evolution Equity Partners
Evolution Equity Partners, headquartered in New York City, partners with rapidly growing software companies that safeguard our digital world. The firm was founded by investor and technology entrepreneurs Richard Seewald and Dennis Smith, who manage and lead the firm, and its partners have been involved as founders, investors and as senior operating executives in leading software companies around the world. Evolution has invested in over sixty enterprise software companies building a growing portfolio of market leaders. Learn more at www.evolutionequity.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Courtney Bonness
Bateman Agency for Observe
[email protected]

SOURCE Observe, Inc.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26, 2024 — DC Capital Partners Management, LP (“DC Capital”), a sector focused private equity firm that invests in middle market Government and Engineering companies, announced today that it has made a control investment in PK Companies Group, LLC (“PK” or the “Company”). PK’s founders have reinvested equity as part of this transaction.

Founded in 2004, PK specializes in non-discretionary, regulatory driven specialty inspections, repair and maintenance, and safety services in support of industrial and heavy commercial facilities across the U.S. In addition to offering coatings, fireproofing, and soft-craft services, PK maintains a growing portfolio of technology enabled software and hardware solutions that offer real-time transparency and comprehensive data driven insights for asset integrity, mechanical inspection, and on-site safety compliance. The Company’s focus on mission-critical services and regulatory compliance culminates in a highly sustainable reoccurring revenue model.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Brian and Kenny Turpin along with their outstanding team. PK is at the intersection of where regulatory requirements meet specialty solutions and services. PK offers their current clients differentiated solutions. We look forward to working with them as we build out their businesses along the x-y-z axes, which we define as geographies, markets, and capabilities,” said Thomas J. Campbell, Founder and Managing Partner of DC Capital. “The PK team shares our core values of always doing the right thing and treating people the way you want to be treated. As we build out all aspects of the business, both internally and externally, we will ensure these values continue to flourish.”

Brian Turpin, PK’s CEO said “We recently recognized that our business was at an inflection point, and we needed to partner with a group that would help us reach the next levels of evolution. We have found that with Tom and his team at DC Capital. DC Capital has decades of experience and expertise which gives them a firm understanding of our business. It’s these attributes that will allow PK to better serve its clients, both current and future, through the expansion of our capabilities across more industry groups and geographies. All of us at PK are grateful to be working with DC Capital as we grow both personally and professionally.”

Jack A. Goldstein, Principal at DC Capital, added “PK’s relentless focus on quality, organic investment, customer service, and safety has translated into an extremely impressive track record of growth for the Company. Together with the PK team, we have developed a comprehensive strategic plan to continue this trajectory by funding additional investments in new equipment, green fielding new facility locations, and expanding the Company’s nascent foothold in recently penetrated markets.”

DGP Capital, with securities transactions conducted through StillPoint Capital, LLC, served as M&A advisor to PK and Polsinelli PC served as legal counsel. Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP served as legal counsel to DC Capital Partners.

About PK

Headquartered in Wichita, KS and with operations across the U.S. including in Kansas, Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi, PK is an integrated company offering non-discretionary, regulatory driven, tech-enabled inspections, maintenance and specialty industrial services. The Company serves blue-chip industrial and heavy commercial customers across the energy & power, chemical / petrochemical, manufacturing, food & beverage, and renewables end-markets. PK prides itself on quality, customer service, and safety which has established the brand as best-in-class specialty service provider with an industry leading reputation. Learn more at www.pksti.com.

About DC Capital

DC Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, focused on making control investments in middle market, U.S.-based, Government and Engineering companies. Learn more at www.dccp.com.

Contact:
Thomas J. Campbell
202-737-5220

SOURCE DC Capital Partners Management, LP

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DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 26, 2024 — Looma, a leading provider of in-store digital media, announced today that it has raised approximately $10 million from a group of family offices, YETI Capital, and current investors. Looma will use the funds to expand its platform in new and existing retail partners and extend its product offering.

A series of rollouts slated for 2024 and 2025 will deepen Looma’s penetration within the adult beverage category and expand their platform into all major areas of the grocery store. These rollouts grow Looma’s install base from approximately 800 screens in 2023 to over 5,000 screens by the end of 2024.

The expanded platform will feature a blend of three screen types (pictured below): Looma’s existing “high-value space screens”, along with two new screen types, “in-aisle interactives” and “atmospheric screens.”

“This capital enables us to grow a truly end-to-end, enterprise-grade in-store digital media platform, ” said Cole Johnson, Looma’s Founder & CEO. “We’re grateful to have the continued support from our existing investors and thrilled to welcome YETI Capital and our other new investors.”

In connection with the round, Margot Fooshee, former marketing executive from J.Crew and Beautycounter, joined Looma’s board of directors.

“We are fired up about partnering with the Looma team,” said Maxx Karr, Partner at YETI Capital. “They’ve built and honed the leading digital media platform over the past 8+ years, delivering meaningful performance enhancement to retail and brand partners over that time, and the company is primed to continue expansion with more national retailers & brands.”

Looma is currently deployed in 675 stores across the East Coast, Midwest, and Texas, including retailers such as H-E-B, Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, and multiple other undisclosed retailers.

About Looma 

Looma is an in-store digital media platform focused on storytelling, education, and recommendations. Their network of in-store screens helps retailers better modernize and monetize their stores, while enabling brands to tell their story directly at the point of decision. All content that airs on Looma’s network is produced or edited by Relay™, their global network of independent filmmakers, editors, and other creators who specialize in point-of-decision content.

About YETI Capital

YETI Capital is an actively engaged, highly experienced group of investors: successful founders/entrepreneurs and their partners deliver real value to our portfolio companies throughout their development.

We want to share what we’ve learned through building YETI, Nutrabolt, C4 Energy, Urnex, and other high-growth companies with passionate and visionary founders.

We make investments only when we believe we can provide real value to founders and their teams, dedicating our time to help create success for company stakeholders. We provide regular strategic advice, alongside personal mentorship, to each founder with whom we partner.

* YETI Capital is an investment vehicle created by the founders of YETI Holdings, Inc. (YETI: NYSE) (“YETI”). YETI Capital is not affiliated in any way with YETI.

SOURCE Looma

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TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2024 - The Curling Group (“TCG”) announced today that it has raised US$5 million in seed funding to take the sport of curling to new heights through strategic investments, innovation, and content production that will broaden the sport’s global reach. The round was led by Toronto-based venture capital firm Relay Ventures.

Co-founded by sports, media, and entertainment industry veterans Nic Sulsky and Mike Cotton, The Curling Group announced its launch in April 2024 by acquiring the Grand Slam of Curling event series from Sportsnet (Rogers Communications Inc.). The Grand Slam of Curling is the world’s only international curling event series, featuring the best men’s and women’s teams from around the world. 

In recent years, global interest in curling has risen dramatically, sparked by its popularity during the Winter Olympics and a new generation of young and charismatic international curlers. At the same time, niche sports markets are rapidly expanding, and popularity is booming thanks to the ability to engage and monetize growing fan bases through direct-to-consumer digital offerings and streaming platforms. Understanding these trends, The Curling Group is dedicated to professionalizing the sport while reimagining how curling content is created, distributed, and consumed.

The rise in curling’s popularity is reflected in the interest of pro athletes and celebrities, including former NFL star Jared Allen and current NFL stars George Kittle and TJ Hockenson, who are all a part of The Curling Group’s initial group of investors. Two-time Olympic gold medal curler John Morris and Olympic gold medal curler Jennifer Jones are also serving as strategic advisors.

The Grand Slam of Curling season begins with the HearingLife Tour Challenge on Tuesday, October 1st in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. This marks the first Grand Slam event under the stewardship of The Curling Group. Enhancements to the Grand Slam of Curling experience and product will be immediately noticeable, including a total rebrand. A first look at the new branding can be viewed here.

Board of Directors

Additionally, The Curling Group has unveiled its newly-created Board of Directors, whose collective expertise will guide The Curling Group moving forward:

• Maryann Turcke (Chair) – RBC Board Member, former Chief Operating Officer of the NFL, former President of Bell Media
• Nic Sulsky – Chief Executive Officer of The Curling Group, former Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer of PointsBet Canada, former President of Monkey Knife Fight
• John Albright – Managing Partner of Relay Ventures
• John Kawaja – President of G/FORE, former President of TaylorMade, former head of North American marketing for adidas, and two-time Canadian Men’s Curling Champion (1983, 1990) and World Curling Champion (1983, 1990)
• Nicole Musicco – Former Chief Investment Officer of CalPERS, former Partner at RedBird Capital

Quotes: 

Maryann Turcke:
“As the value of niche sports properties continues to rise, we are also seeing an evolution within the sports landscape on how fans choose to engage with content and on what platforms. The Curling Group is well-positioned at the forefront of this evolution, bringing together industry leaders to identify innovative ways of reaching curling’s growing global fanbase.”

Nic Sulsky: 
“Curling’s global image is long overdue for a makeover, and we’ve made it our goal at The Curling Group to provide a reimagined, elevated offering that matches the changing face of the sport. Today’s announcement will accelerate our plans to spark massive growth within the curling world, providing fans with more ways to engage with the sport through content creation and innovation, while identifying curling’s untapped monetization potential.”

John Albright:
“We’ve been investing in sports tech & media since our inception, including companies like FUN Technologies (acquired by Liberty Media), theScore (acquired by Penn National), and Playmaker (acquired by Better Collective), among many others. All of this has led us to become deep believers in the importance and value of sports content and fan engagement. The Curling Group has a rare opportunity to develop and produce sports content and engage over 100 million fans on a global scale. We are very excited to support the development of the sport and business of curling alongside the amazing team at TCG.”

John Kawaja:
“Curling has global reach and is ready to go to the ‘next level’. As a former curler who has watched the steady growth of the game over the past decades, I’m energized to be a part of curling’s next chapter by supercharging the sport for fans around the globe.”

Nicole Musicco:
“Investing in niche sports like curling can offer unique investment opportunities for those with the vision to see its untapped potential. The Curling Group has positioned itself where passion, community, and emerging trends will converge for long-term growth.”

About The Curling Group 
The Curling Group is a sports business venture dedicated to revolutionizing the sport of curling through strategic investments and a commitment to innovation and content production. In 2024, The Curling Group acquired the Grand Slam of Curling event series, including global media rights.  

About Relay Ventures
Relay Ventures, founded in 2008, is one of Canada’s leading independent VC fund managers. The Firm is presently investing out of its fifth fund which commenced in 2022. It has invested in more than 130 companies and successfully exited more than half through M&A and IPO. The Firm has a team of 20 professionals with offices in Toronto, Calgary, and San Francisco.

SOURCE The Curling Group

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CHICAGO, Sept. 26, 2024 — ARCH Venture Partners today announced the closing of ARCH Venture Fund XIII, a venture capital fund with more than $3 billion to support the founding and growth of early-stage biotechnology companies.

“After more than 38 years, the ARCH investment philosophy has been consistent: we bet on great science and great teams to build breakthrough companies. We believe AI and new data-driven insights into biology will help to enable a more preventive, curative and equitable healthcare system. ARCH intends to continue driving the healthcare revolution,” said ARCH co-founder and Managing Director Robert Nelsen.

ARCH founds and invests in early-stage companies that prevent, detect and cure disease. Fund XIII investments to date include ArsenalBio, Metsera, Mirador Therapeutics and Xaira Therapeutics.

“ARCH is first and foremost a company builder; we foster innovation at scale to develop new technologies and medicines as rapidly as possible,” said ARCH Managing Director Kristina Burow. “We are well-positioned to continue catalyzing the next revolutions in healthcare to benefit those who matter most: patients.”

“ARCH has a long history of identifying the top forward-looking trends in life sciences R&D and the individuals driving truly breakthrough scientific hypotheses,” said ARCH co-founder and Managing Director Keith Crandell. “We remain incredibly excited by the pace of innovation and efforts to understand disease at a deeper level.”

Fund XIII follows the $2.975 billion Fund XII announced in June 2022.

ARCH’s Managing Directors include:

About ARCH Venture Partners
ARCH Venture Partners creates and invests in groundbreaking life science and technology companies. The firm is a recognized leader in commercializing technologies developed at academic institutions, corporate research groups and national laboratories. ARCH invests primarily in companies it co-founds with leading scientists and entrepreneurs, bringing innovations in life sciences and physical sciences to market.

For more information, visit www.archventure.com. 

Contact:
Morgan Warners
FGS Global
[email protected]

SOURCE ARCH Venture Partners

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• Invested in Nomic Bio’s oversubscribed $42 Million Series B round
• Led PathPresenter’s $7.5M Series A financing
• Participated in PL BioScience’s €7.8 Million Series A round

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2024 — AVANT BIO LLC, a pioneering growth equity firm, has announced Avant Bio Fund II LP’s participation in a series of key financing rounds, reinforcing its mission to support visionary companies developing today’s cutting-edge solutions for HealthTech, Life Sciences research, and drug development. Avant Bio Fund II LP’s participation in Nomic Bio’s Series B round and its leadership positions in growth financing rounds for PathPresenter and PL BioScience underscores AVANT BIO’s commitment to advancing companies in the biotech and life sciences sectors.

“AVANT BIO was created to partner with innovative companies and accelerate their growth to speed the introduction of the next generation of therapies. We are thrilled to announce the first portfolio companies shaping our firm and the future of the HealthTech, Life Sciences research, and drug development industries. These first investments are all revenue generating companies, demonstrating the innovation and value they bring to their customers,” stated Daniella Kranjac, Founding General Partner of AVANT BIO. “We thank our Limited Partners for their tremendous support and their confidence in our team and AVANT BIO’s mandate.”

Avant Bio Fund II LP invested in Nomic Bio’s latest Series B financing, an oversubscribed round that brings the company’s total funding to $60 million. Nomic Bio, known for its groundbreaking nELISA platform’s high-throughput capability, is positioned at the forefront of protein profiling services.

PathPresenter’s $7.5 million Series A funding round was led by Avant Bio Fund II LP.  The round is expected to propel the adoption of PathPresenter’s vendor-agnostic pathology workflow solution to enhance preventative care and improve patient outcomes. PathPresenter has grown from a free online platform into the world’s largest digital pathology community, with over 50,000 users in 172 countries.

Avant Bio Fund II LP also joined PL BioScience’s €7.8 million Series A financing round to help accelerate the commercialization of their sustainable, non-animal-derived cell culture media business. 

Reinhard Vogt, Partner of AVANT BIO, commented, “With the growing global demand for cell culture media, especially tailored for cell and gene therapies, AVANT BIO will leverage its decades of experience in pricing strategy, supply chain management, and global distribution to support PL BioScience in its growth.”

About AVANT BIO:
AVANT BIO’s investment focus spans from early stage through late-stage rounds, fostering innovation and new growth in today’s developing companies. With a commitment to amplifying value and a forward-looking investment strategy, the firm is primed to unlock the full potential of the upcoming advancements in Life Sciences, TechBio, and HealthTech. AVANT BIO is led by Daniella Kranjac, a visionary woman and vanguard in the life sciences and investment landscapes.

For more information on AVANT BIO and its innovative investment initiatives, please visit www.avant.bio.

SOURCE AVANT BIO LLC

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