SEOUL, South Korea, July 10, 2024 — AIRS Medical, a pioneering force in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for healthcare applications, today announced the completion of its Series C funding round, securing $20 million from seven institutional investors in Korea. The investment, led by BSK Investment and Shinyoung Securities, underscores confidence not only in the company’s flagship product, SwiftMR™, but also in its larger mission to revolutionize preventive healthcare through technology innovation.

Transforming MRI

SwiftMR™ uses deep learning technology to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan speeds by as much as 50% compared to the standard of care.* On average, radiology centers and hospitals that integrate SwiftMR™ achieve a 38% increase in patient throughput and a 22% reduction in business hours, leading to $44,000 per month in additional revenue and an $8,000 reduction in monthly operating costs.

SwiftMR™ is a scan time reduction solution with whole pulse-sequence coverage and true super resolution. This cutting-edge technology has set the standard in diagnostic imaging, helping to address critical roadblocks radiology centers and hospitals face, such as long patient wait times and the downstream effects of delayed diagnoses.

Improving patient outcomes

A frequent problem in healthcare is the delayed diagnosis of patients, often after symptoms have advanced. This, along with resource shortages, results in worse outcomes.

AIRS Medical is paving the way to detect diseases proactively, before they manifest. Through AI and robotics, AIRS Medical is democratizing the best diagnostics and prognostics, reducing costs and increasing the accessibility of MRI scans. Ultimately, this empowers patients with conditions such as dementia, stroke, and cancer to receive early diagnoses and improve their chances of better health.

Expanding access to care

In its quest to deliver the highest-quality preventive care to all, AIRS Medical is rapidly expanding. Backed by a talented team, SwiftMR™ was initially launched in Korea in 2021. By 2023, the technology had successfully entered the United States and Europe, markets that now account for over half of the company’s annual recurring revenue (ARR).

“We’re thrilled to receive this substantial support from our investors,” said Hyeseong Lee, CEO of AIRS Medical. “This funding will empower us to increase access to preventive healthcare services and create a healthier future for people around the globe.”

Building a better future

With this latest round of funding, AIRS Medical is poised to accelerate its growth and innovate beyond the award-winning SwiftMR™. The company plans to expand its presence in international markets, invest in research and development, and ultimately improve patient outcomes worldwide.

For more information about AIRS Medical, visit https://airsmed.com/en/.

*For investigational purposes in countries outside of the United States, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. FDA 510(k)-cleared to support images with scan time reduction by up to 50% in the United States.

For press inquiries or questions about this release please contact:

Ashley Guidace
AIRS Medical
Director of Global Marketing
[email protected] 

SOURCE AIRS Medical

SINGAPORE, July 10, 2024 — ThirdFi.org, a web3 infrastructure protocol that empowers web3 users with identity and developers with api and sdk, has raised $2m in token financing investments from world class accelerators and pre-seed investors; Techstars, Chainlink, Outlier Ventures, Alphabit Capital and more.

This raises ThirdFi’s FDV to $20m after building in the bear market for the last 2 years. With its leadership and experienced team, ThirdFi is transforming to a modular web3 infrastructure protocol that focuses on AI applications on decentralized finance (DeFi).

Since its founding in 2022 and graduating from Techstars Web3 accelerator program, ThirdFi has been on the mission to empower developers and web3 startups with dev-toolings, API and sdk, building “picks and shovel”, to accelerate the adoption of DeFi to 1 billion users. In the last 2 years, ThirdFi has amassed more than 170,000 users with more than $46 million on mainnet and L2 transactions by partnering with more than 50 web3 communities and protocols.

With the v2 launch that targets web3 users data to empower AI builders, ThirdFi is poised to grow in the upcoming blockchain AI market that is expected to grow to $2.7 billion by 2031 at a 25% CAGR yearly. The v2 creates even a better product-market fit to capture the growth of developers and users in AI applications such as AI agents, models and signals.

Users can now participate in the early access of Data-to-Earn campaign to gain data points for future airdrop allocations and contribute to the blockchain AI movement where users now own their identity and data points. These data points are NFT-bound and tradeable in the future making it a web3-centric approach and empowering users to own their data.

About ThirdFi.org
Website: https://www.thirdfi.org/
Twitter: https://x.com/thirdfiorg
Telegram: https://t.me/thirdfi_org

SOURCE ThirdFi

NEW TOWN, Pa., July 10, 2024 — Miravast Asset Management LLC, a leading vertically integrated investment manager with deep experience underwriting longevity risk and investing in life settlements is pleased to share that it recently completed fundraising for Miravast ILS Credit Opportunities II LP (“Fund II”) with $346 million of fund commitments.  

“Closing Fund II represents an important milestone for Miravast. We continue to believe Miravast offers institutional investors an unparalleled team of medical underwriting and actuarial experts. The LP support we are fortunate to have for Fund II further exemplifies the confidence that the institutional LP community has in the Miravast team,” said Dave Beckelman, Chief Executive Officer. 

“As with its predecessor, Fund II has a global institutional investor base.  We are grateful to have support from existing and new institutional LP’s as we execute our strategy.  We have invested a portion of Fund II’s committed capital and will continue to leverage our in-house expertise as we pursue additional investments,” said Dave Cherkas, Executive Vice President.  

Schule Roth & Zabel LLP served as legal counsel for Miravast Asset Management and Fund II. 

About Miravast Asset Management LLC

Founded in 2012, Miravast (www.miravast.com) is a vertically integrated asset management firm with approximately $1.2 billion of assets under management. Miravast’s experience in life insurance product design and medical underwriting, coupled with our perspective on investment structures, allows us to help institutional investors navigate the complexities of investing in longevity risk, chiefly life settlements. 

Our in-house medical underwriters utilize a proprietary view based on a significant population of settled life insurance policies.  Additionally, our underwriting model provides interest alignment that differs from the outsourced volume-based models most often utilized by the broader market. Our underwriting and life insurance product experience can lead to significant differences in our view compared to the market’s view. We seek to identify opportunities that others miss and avoid those that others may overvalue while still acquiring assets at market value.  

Miravast team members have led the investment of approximately $6 billion since 2001. We advise separately managed accounts and pooled investment funds for pensions, endowments, insurance companies, and family offices. 

SOURCE Miravast LLC

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 9, 2024 — Regal (the “Company”) announced today that it has successfully completed a $250 million capital raise. With this investment, Regal is well positioned for accelerated growth through improvements to existing assets, and digital enhancements to the moviegoing experience.

“Regal has been executing on its business plan with results through the first quarter that exceeded our expectations providing one of the strongest balance sheets in the business,” stated Thomas Song, Chief Financial Officer for Regal. “As we invest in providing the best moviegoing experience, our customers will enjoy in-theatre improvements coupled with a very compelling movie slate through the end of the year.”

Song continued, “With the strong support from our existing investors and real estate partners, Regal is well positioned to invest in growth opportunities with highly accretive investments including brand-new luxury recliners in the United States and digital enhancements for our loyal customers. As we identify theatres for these improvements, we encourage our landlords to also reach out with interest for their respective locations.”

The capital raise will be used to upgrade existing Regal theatres in concert with respective real estate partners, including investments in luxury recliners and additional improvements to the moviegoing experience through upgrades to Regal’s digital channels including the website and app. Construction has been initiated with over 30 locations completed during 2025.

About Regal
Regal operates one of the largest and most geographically diverse theatre circuits in the United States, consisting of 5,774 screens in 425 theatres in 41 states along with the District of Columbia and Guam as of June 30, 2024. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the company’s theatre circuit provides its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable moviegoing experience. Additional information is available online at REGmovies.com.

Media Contacts
Richard M. Grover
Head of Marketing
Regal
(865) 925-9539

SOURCE Regal

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., July 9, 2024 — Dental Innovation Alliance (DIA), a leading venture capital firm dedicated to advancing dental technologies, announces its latest strategic investment in Alta Smiles. Alta Smiles is at the forefront of innovation in hidden orthodontics and is set to disrupt the industry with its unique approach to patient care and technology. DIA’s investment marks Alta Smiles’ first institutional financing. Previously self-funded through a select group of strategic individual investors, Alta Smiles has now secured support from DIA, bringing a wealth of industry expertise and connections to the table.

“Our investment in Alta Smiles highlights DIA’s commitment to identifying and supporting technologies that are transforming dental care. Alta Smiles’ novel orthodontic technology significantly benefits both patients and providers. We believe Alta Smiles is uniquely positioned to drive the continued consumerization of dentistry and meet growing patient demand for aesthetically oriented orthodontic solutions,” shares Doug Brown, Co-Founder and Managing Director of DIA.

Alta Smiles’ orthodontic treatment is completely hidden, comfortable, and convenient. The company’s C⁵ Hidden Orthodontics technology utilizes state-of-the-art materials and design to discreetly align teeth without the need for traditional metal brackets. It also integrates digital monitoring and remote consultation capabilities into its treatment process, allowing for flexibility and convenience in managing orthodontic care from anywhere. By integrating advanced technology with personalized care, Alta Smiles ensures that orthodontic treatment is seamless, stress-free, and more accessible than ever before.

“We are thrilled to welcome DIA as a strategic partner. DIA’s deep industry knowledge and vast network will be instrumental in accelerating our growth and expanding our market presence. Their investment is not just a vote of confidence in our vision but also a validation of the transformative impact we aim to make in orthodontic care,” says Gary Giegerich, Founder and CEO of Alta Smiles.

About DIA
Dental Innovation Alliance (DIA) is a close group of dental industry executives that funds, advises and propels the success of early-stage companies building the future of dentistry through technology. Its investor base includes executives and experts from some of the largest and most innovative dental support organizations and other dental businesses. DIA has offices in New York, Nashville, and Research Triangle Park, NC.

About Alta Smiles, LLC
Founded in 2019 and guided by a world-class board of advisors that includes leading investors and executives from the dental and healthcare industries, Alta Smiles is a technology and services company poised to transform the delivery of orthodontic care. Our unique patented and patent-pending technologies and methodologies create an entirely new category of orthodontic treatment with C⁵ Hidden Orthodontics. This innovative approach is preferred by patients and can be delivered by any dental or orthodontic office with a high level of expertise and confidence. In addition, V5x Dental Images leverages the most advanced technology for seamless in-office diagnostic images and time-saving remote patient monitoring. Alta Smiles is opening the door for more people to have amazing smiles.

SOURCE Dental Innovation Alliance (DIA)

• Auros heeft de lancering van Auros Ventures bekendgemaakt, met de doorgewinterde digitale activa-expert Julien Auchecorne aan het roer.
• Auros Ventures richt zich bij investeringen op het stimuleren van innovatie binnen de dynamische digitale activa en Web3-sector en op het versterken van de groei van het ecosysteem.

HONG KONG en NEW YORK, 9 juli 2024 — Auros, een toonaangevende wereldwijde market-making en algoritmische handelsfirma, kondigde vandaag de lancering aan van Auros Ventures, zijn nieuwe investeringstak. Met deze strategische toevoeging wordt de uitgebreide expertise van het bedrijf ingezet op het gebied van digitale activa om de innovatie van het ecosysteem te bevorderen en substantiële waardecreatie voor alle marktdeelnemers te stimuleren.

Auros Ventures zal gebruik maken van de risicobeheermogelijkheden en liquiditeitsexpertise van Auros om te investeren in de volledige levenscyclus van projecten, van primaire investeringen in een vroeg stadium tot liquide secundaire mogelijkheden. Naast kapitaal zal Auros marktleidend advies en ondersteuning aan de hele portfolio bieden. Vooral waar het gaat om zijn expertise in zowel on-chain als off-chain liquiditeit, marktmicrostructuur en het ontwerp van uitwisselingsproducten. Deze strategische benadering weerspiegelt de toewijding van het bedrijf om actief betrokken te zijn bij de operationele en strategische ontwikkeling van zijn portfoliobedrijven en vormt een kernonderdeel van Auros Ventures’ waardepropositie als partner. Sinds Q3 2023 heeft Auros Ventures meer dan $ 15 miljoen ingezet. In de komende twee jaar is het bedrijf van plan om ruim $ 50 miljoen te investeren.

Vanaf april 2024 heeft Auros Ventures in totaal 14 investeringen in zijn portfolio. Dit omvat onder andere de deelname van het bedrijf aan de lancering van spraakmakende projecten zoals het orakelnetwerk Pyth en het krachtige Layer-1 Berachain. Aan het hoofd van Auros Ventures staat Julien Auchecorne, een doorgewinterde expert op het gebied van traditionele financiën en digitale activa die eerder investerings-, operationele en adviesfuncties heeft bekleed bij bedrijven als XBTO, J.P. Morgan en Brevan Howard. Als leider van Auros Ventures zal Julien nauw samenwerken met de oprichter en Chief Investment Officer van Auros, Ben Roth, om de durfkapitaalarm te begeleiden bij het vrijmaken van kapitaal. Ook zal het bedrijf dubbel inzetten op de ontwikkeling van het ecosysteem en zijn rol als voorvechter van innovatieve startups in de digitale activa- en Web3-sector.

Ben Roth, oprichter en CIO van Auros, zei: “Auros heeft sinds de oprichting in 2019 een enorme groei doorgemaakt. De lancering van Auros Ventures is een herbevestiging van onze expansiestrategie en een belofte om onze rol als betrouwbare rentmeester van de sector verder uit te bouwen. Zo kan het ecosysteem duurzaam groeien. We zijn verheugd Julien in ons team te verwelkomen, nadat we zijn indrukwekkende staat van dienst op het gebied van investeringen en schaalvergroting hebben gezien. Zijn expertise en diepgaande kennis van de markt voor digitale activa stelt hem in een sterke positie om Auros Ventures te leiden. Samen kunnen we nu een traject starten om de volgende golf van Web3-innovaties te ontdekken en buitenmaatse waarde te leveren, niet alleen voor het bedrijf maar ook voor het collectieve ecosysteem.”

“Dit is een belangrijke mijlpaal, zowel voor Auros als voor de bredere gemeenschap van digitale activa,” verklaarde Julien Auchecorne, hoofd van Auros Ventures. “Auros heeft de afgelopen 18 maanden aanzienlijke vooruitgang geboekt om zijn marktaanwezigheid uit te breiden. Ik ben verheugd om met Ben en het uitzonderlijke team van Auros samen te werken en baanbrekende projecten te ondersteunen die de grenzen van innovatie in onze industrie verleggen.”

Voor meer informatie over Auros Ventures en het innovatieve werk dat bij Auros wordt gedaan, kunt u contact opnemen met [email protected].

Over Auros

Auros, een market-making en algoritmische handelsfirma, is opgericht door ervaren derivatenhandelaren en handelssysteemontwerpers met meer dan twintig jaar ervaring. Het bedrijf genereert dagelijks een notionele omzet van miljarden dollars. De technologische basis van Auros combineert geavanceerde prijsmodellen met geavanceerde uitvoeringsmogelijkheden, waardoor betrouwbare en consistente handelsprestaties worden gegarandeerd. Zijn onderscheidende, partnerschap-georiënteerde strategie om externe liquiditeit te bieden heeft het bedrijf al snel gepositioneerd als de geprefereerde marktmaker voor veel tokenprojecten en ecosystemen. Daarnaast beschikt Auros over diepgaande kennis in het verhandelen van gestructureerde producten, het optimaliseren van DeFi en het investeren in liquiditeitsgedreven ondernemingen. Ga voor meer informatie over het bedrijf naar http://auros.global.

Over Julien Auchecorne

Julien heeft uitgebreide ervaring in C-suite posities binnen het digitale assetdomein. Na een succesvolle carrière in investment banking en vermogensbeheer maakte Julien in 2017 de overstap naar de digitale activa-industrie. Sindsdien heeft hij verschillende startups geholpen bij het navigeren door de uitdagingen van deze snel veranderende industrie. Hij was verantwoordelijk voor taken als fondsenwerving, product- en token go-to-market-strategieën en naleving van de veranderende regelgeving.

Julien heeft ook een belangrijke rol gespeeld bij de oprichting van WebN, een incubator van Brevan Howard die projecten ondersteunt in verschillende verticale sectoren, waaronder staking en zero-knowledge (zk) schalingtechnologieën.

Over Ben Roth

Ben Roth is de CIO en oprichter van Auros, een van de toonaangevende algoritmische handels- en marketmakingfirma’s in de crypto-industrie. Met meer dan twintig jaar ervaring in trading en portfoliobeheer bij toonaangevende TradFi-firma’s zoals Optiver, First New York en Hudson Bay Capital, richtte Ben in januari 2019 Auros op met het specifieke doel om de marktleider op het gebied van High-Frequency Trading en Market Making op te bouwen. Vanaf april 2024 handelt Auros op meer dan 40 gecentraliseerde en gedecentraliseerde beurzen en neemt het regelmatig maar liefst 5% van alle cryptohandelsvolumes voor zijn rekening. Met een rotsvast geloof in de kracht van liquiditeit om waarde te creëren, zijn Ben en het Auros-team toegewijd aan het helpen van projecten, beurzen en stichtingen bij het navigeren door de complexiteit van de markt en het helpen begrijpen van de impact die diepe, betrouwbare en consistente liquiditeit kan hebben op de waarde van hun bedrijf.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2455878/Auros_logo_tagline_Logo.jpg

ST. LOUIS, July 9, 2024 — 31-year old Dr. Marcus Howard is a St. Louis entrepreneur who recently received $1M to build an innovative new pharmacy to combat the impact of Walgreens closings in his hometown. GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness is a full-service pharmacy that combines free delivery and telehealth services to allow patients in pharmacy deserts to get care from the comfort of their homes. There are currently 45,000 residents in St. Louis living in pharmacy deserts and with more Walgreens closings on the horizon, the number could grow significantly.

After local Walgreens closures began to create pharmacy deserts for thousands of residents in St. Louis, Dr. Howard began raising $1M to build a pharmacy that would help address the growing pharmacy deserts in his hometown. According to a podcast on Nine PBS, Dr. Howard got the boost he needed when he met fellow St. Louis resident and Build-a-Bear Workshop Founder, Maxine Clark. With Clark’s business background and expansive network, the two were able to identify 80 potential investors for the project. After receiving 79 rejections, a local foundation focused on health equity gave Dr. Howard a $1M investment to build GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness.

From a centrally located hub, the pharmacy delivers medication to the homes of residents across the metropolitan area. They also employ a team of pharmacists who provide telehealth services over the phone or on Zoom. Telehealth services include medication education, comprehensive medication review, health screenings, coordinating provider appointments and more. “To make pharmacy more accessible in pharmacy deserts we are first bridging the trust gap and second, we are making it more convenient by offering free delivery and telehealth options,” says Dr. Howard. The pharmacy has also trademarked the phrase radically inclusive, culturally responsive pharmacy and has a mission to provide services to all people and across all lines of difference.

Dr. Howard has plans to scale his model across Missouri and is interested in partnering with investors to scale this model across the U.S. in communities that are significantly impacted by Walgreens closings and those living in severe pharmacy deserts.

Media Contact: Judith Jackson
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness

PHOENIX, July 9, 2024 — EarthEn Energy, a US-based climate-tech startup, is proud to announce that it has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, also known as America’s Seed Fund. This award supports the development of a novel Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system, aka heat battery for EarthEn’s sCO2-based, thermo-mechanical, long-duration energy storage. The NSF STTR program is a highly competitive award that funds innovative technologies with high potential for commercialization and societal impact. EarthEn Energy’s TES system has the potential to store and dispatch energy in form of heat for extended periods, providing a reliable and dispatchable source of clean energy.

“We are thrilled to receive NSF’s support to develop this groundbreaking TES technology,” said Manas Pathak, CEO and Co-Founder of EarthEn Energy. “This funding will enable us to further develop and commercialize our TES system, helping to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon energy future.”

The NSF funding will support EarthEn Energy’s research and development efforts, focusing on development of the TES system and improving its efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness. “This award is a testament to the innovative spirit and expertise of our team,” added Palash Panja, Chief Technology Officer at EarthEn Energy. “We look forward to collaborating with the NSF and our partners to bring this game-changing technology to market.”

EarthEn Energy’s sCO2-based, thermo-mechanical system has the potential to transform the energy landscape, enabling the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Contact: [email protected]
More about EarthEn: www.earthen.energy

SOURCE EarthEn Energy

Norwest Venture Partners-led financing helps meet growing demand for scalable patient engagement platform

NEW YORK, July 9, 2024 — Courier Health, a technology company reimagining how life science manufacturers engage and support patients, today announced a $16.5 million Series A led by Norwest Venture Partners with participation from existing investor Work-Bench. The funding will support continued product innovation and hiring across engineering and sales to bring the company’s purpose-built customer relationship management (CRM) platform to more biopharma partners in search of a comprehensive system for coordinating and personalizing the patient journey.

Specialty medicines made up 93% of all drug approvals and the vast majority of R&D pipelines last year. Biopharma companies are building internal organizations to provide access, affordability and adherence support for these innovative therapies, yet they lack the specialized technology and data-driven visibility to coordinate efficiently across internal and external stakeholders.

“The number of specialty medicines has exploded over the last decade, forcing the evolution of commercial models to focus on the patient experience,” said Danny Sigurdson, founder and CEO of Courier Health. “Unfortunately, the industry average remains that 60% to 70% of patients who are prescribed a specialty medicine either never start or discontinue within the first few months. We are thrilled to work with Norwest Venture Partners to advance our product innovation and add best-in-class talent to help more patients start and stay on these critically important medicines.”

Courier Health provides the only patient-based CRM platform developed specifically for biopharma field access, patient services and marketing teams to gain complete visibility and control over the end-to-end patient journey. The platform connects disparate data sets, enabling centralized patient and provider management, omnichannel workflow automation and advanced analytics—without the high cost of custom-built software. Companies that choose Courier Health are achieving double-digit improvements to patient starts, time-to-start and ongoing adherence to life-altering therapies.

“Specialty therapies are changing the commercial playing field for biopharma organizations, creating strong demand for a CRM solution built specifically for the industry,” said Irem Rami, principal at Norwest Venture Partners. “Courier Health’s CRM platform provides the long overdue technology that enables biopharma teams to deliver personalized patient engagement and support at scale. We look forward to supporting the Courier Health team in realizing their mission to redefine the biopharma patient experience.”

Read more here about how leading biopharma companies are integrating patient-centricity into their overall brand experience.

About Courier Health
Courier Health is a New York City-based technology company on a mission to improve the patient experience for the millions living with chronic conditions or rare diseases. The company is developing the future of patient engagement with a purpose-built customer relationship management (CRM) for life sciences companies. For more information, visit www.courierhealth.com or follow on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Courier Health