Aeona AI is an initiative to curb the 90% failure rate of startups and the 70% failure rate of all businesses.

SEATTLE, Dec. 14, 2023 — JLEE and Associates, an innovative and disruptive technology firm, announces a new initiative to build a first-of-its-kind technology. Aeona AI is the world’s first AI chatbot platform for disruptive innovation. A revolutionary SaaS platform that aims to simplify and demystify approaches to achieve maximum growth with limited resources, thereby disrupting the failure rate of all businesses.

Aeona AI will use custom-trained and human vetted AI models to create a scenario and journey-based experience tailored to your specific business, industry, and application. Our AI platform incorporates deep learning and intelligence on global micro and macroeconomics and trends, serving as an always contextually aware, AI-driven, virtual CTO that works for you 24/7, internal to your organization.

“Whether you’re an early-stage startup or a large enterprise with limited resources for innovation projects, utilizing your talent and resources effectively to develop a proof of concept or a market-ready product rapidly is a specialized skill that requires decades of fail to success cycles, triumphs, contextual knowledge, and finely tuned instincts,” says Jimmie Lee, CEO and Founder of JLEE and Associates.

Our team has consistently delivered outstanding results, leading to over 200 startup ideas being transformed into products and validated through Series B. We have driven over $1 billion of growth and exits, and we’ve grown companies from sub-$100k to hundreds of millions in ARR. Igniting innovation and disruptive product development on demand is a challenging task that we have consistently risen to.

We have operated for several years, helping companies and organizations of all sizes achieve innovation and market disruptions. Currently, we are rapidly developing Aeona AI in stealth mode using a customer-led and product-led approach. Driving towards Q1 2024 launch. We are always looking for design partners and forward-thinking companies and organizations to utilize our products and services during development to drive their innovative and disruptive ideas.

For more information about JLEE and Associates, visit https://www.jlee.com.

Full Press Release: AEONA AI

About JLEE and Associates

JLEE and Associates was founded in late 2020 and is a wholly-owned, bootstrapped, Minority, and Black-owned business in Greater Seattle, WA. Our mission is to enhance life for all through innovative, disruptive technologies.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE JLEE

Conducting entirely virtual screens of multi-billion molecule virtual libraries, Deep Apple can quickly identify hits that promote specific signaling in GPCRs and other target classes

San Francisco-based company created by ATP with academic co-founders Georgios Skiniotis, Brian Shoichet, and John Irwin is discovering novel small molecules in a vastly expanded virtual chemical space, to tackle a wide range of diseases

Deep Apple emerges from stealth with a Series A commitment of $52 million from ATP

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2023 — Apple Tree Partners (ATP), a leader in life sciences venture capital, today announced $52 million in Series A funding for its portfolio company Deep Apple Therapeutics, created and incubated by ATP to rapidly discover novel small molecule therapeutics for high-value targets through virtual screening of AI-generated virtual libraries. With a powerful discovery engine that combines ensemble cryo-EM, deep learning, and molecular docking screens of ultra-large libraries, Deep Apple can go from target identification to lead optimization in less than 12 months – a fraction of the industry standard time – and can pursue biological target signaling inaccessible to conventional discovery approaches. Deep Apple’s discovery engine is broadly applicable across disease areas and is particularly well-suited to expedited hit-finding against integral membrane proteins. The company currently is advancing multiple programs focused on GPCR modulators, a proven target class with applications in metabolic disorders, inflammation, immunology, and endocrine diseases.

Deep Apple’s drug discovery engine builds upon leading expertise and technologies from its academic co-founders: Georgios Skiniotis, Ph.D., of Stanford University, a world leader in cryo-EM and GPCR structural biology; Brian Shoichet, Ph.D., of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), a pioneer of virtual screening; and John Irwin, Ph.D., of UCSF, the computational library authority who created the widely used ZINC free virtual library of more than 10 billion synthesizable compounds.

“ATP created Deep Apple to revolutionize drug discovery in terms of speed, cost, and effectiveness,” said Spiros Liras, Ph.D., founding CEO of Deep Apple and a Venture Partner at ATP. “We brought together unique capabilities from our founders to build a true deep learning discovery engine that stands apart from the pack of AI-driven approaches to protein structure elucidation and drug discovery. Machine-learning enabled processing of cryo-EM data allows us to reveal biologically relevant conformations in the context of interactions with signaling partners – transient binding pockets that may be missed by static models and empirical screening methods. And our virtual large-scale docking enables us to quickly home in on the right drug for the right target.”

Deep Apple conducts in silico screening of billions of synthesizable compounds against orthosteric and allosteric binding sites in mere hours, and then computationally generates vast project-specific virtual libraries to discover proprietary chemotypes with desirable dockable and druggable properties. Wet-lab interrogations of the chosen virtual compounds feed back into the company’s deep learning models to continually improve predictive performance.

“Deep Apple exclusively uses virtual screening for hit identification, and we have achieved high-quality hits against difficult-to-drug targets at an extremely fast pace,” said Paul Da Silva Jardine, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Deep Apple and a Venture Partner at ATP. “Since we commenced operations last year, we have initiated multiple GPCR programs, including non-peptide/non-GLP-1 programs in obesity and weight management, as well as promising programs in inflammation and inflammatory disorders. And with the versatility of our discovery platform, GPCRs are only the tip of the iceberg.”

“ATP founds and builds companies that bring together critical technologies and efficient research plans for translation,” said Seth Harrison, M.D., ATP Founder and Managing Partner. “In my more than three decades of investing in biotech startups, particularly in early-stage drug discovery platform technology, I have never seen a company to move as rapidly as Deep Apple has, from chemical biological idea to development candidate, for high-value, difficult-to-address targets.”

About Deep Apple Therapeutics

In a vast, unexplored virtual chemical space, Deep Apple Therapeutics moves with unprecedented speed to discover novel small molecules for high-value targets. Deep Apple combines ensemble cryo-EM to explore receptor conformations; deep learning; and the docking of multi-billion compound libraries generated using the company’s proprietary Orchard.ai™ algorithm. Deep Apple’s deep learning discovery engine is built upon founder expertise in computational modeling, protein and target structure determination, large-scale molecular docking, and the elucidation of protein dynamics and conformational transitions. This structure-based, machine-learning driven drug design approach enables the company to rapidly advance novel candidates addressing well-validated targets in inflammatory, metabolic, and endocrine diseases. For more information, visit deepappletx.com.

About Apple Tree Partners

Apple Tree Partners (ATP) is a leader in life sciences venture capital, with a 25-year track record of translating emerging scientific advances into novel innovative treatments. ATP creates companies starting at various stages, from pre-IP ideas to asset spinouts, investing in them from seed stage through IPO and beyond. The core of ATP’s strategy is providing flexible capital and access to a world-class team of venture partners and EIRs, to build sustainable, research-driven enterprises that deliver therapeutics to improve human lives. For more information, visit www.appletreepartners.com.

SOURCE Deep Apple

AMSTERDAM and LONDON, Dec. 14, 2023 — Hivello, an innovative leader in the Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) sector, proudly announces the successful closure of a USD$1million pre-seed investment round. This strategic investment is bolstered by the backing of industry visionaries such as NGC, Blockchain Founders Fund, Side Door Ventures, IDG, Bing Ventures, MEXC Exchange, XT.com Exchange, Genesis Block, and NxGen. 

At the helm of Hivello are Domenic Carosa and Andrew Smith, co-founders of Banxa Holdings Inc. – a regulated payment entity listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX.v) renowned for its blockchain payment solutions. Leveraging their extensive experience, they are now focused on building a new wave of decentralized infrastructure with Hivello.

Domenic Carosa, Chairman and Co-Founder of Hivello, shares: “This is a pivotal step forward. At Hivello, we’re committed to reshaping infrastructure by making decentralized systems universally accessible. Our deep roots in the blockchain payment sector through Banxa give us the unique ability to understand and innovate in the DePIN space. With the unwavering support of our investors, we’re poised to address the burgeoning needs of blockchain-based applications with robust, democratized infrastructure.”

As Hivello gears up for its technological unveiling this Christmas, the integration of up to 100 DePINs over the coming 12 months is anticipated to mark a significant leap in the availability of decentralized services.

Roger Lim, Founding Partner of NGC Ventures, comments: “Innovation is at the core of NGC’s investment strategy, and Hivello embodies the transformative technology we seek. Domenic Carosa and Andrew Smith’s track record with Banxa stands as a strong indicator of Hivello’s potential. We’re excited to play a role in Hivello’s journey as they aim to redefine the DePIN space and catalyze the evolution of blockchain applications.”

Tobias Bauer, Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, adds: “Supporting Hivello’s mission to democratize decentralized infrastructure is a thrilling opportunity. We see immense value in their approach to making such infrastructure widely accessible, and we are confident that Hivello’s platform will significantly impact the blockchain ecosystem.”

This investment round, coupled with the renowned blockchain payment expertise of Hivello’s leadership, positions the company at the forefront of the DePIN industry.

For more information about Hivello and its upcoming launch, visit www.hivello.com

About Hivello:

Hivello, led by distinguished blockchain payment solution pioneers, is dedicated to transforming the accessibility of decentralized services globally. As a leader in the Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) sector, Hivello stands at the vanguard of democratizing access to decentralized infrastructure.

Contact:
Domenic Carosa
Co-Founder & Chairman
Hivello Holdings Ltd
[email protected]
+61 411 19 69 79

SOURCE Hivello

• First investment in a Japanese trading company and a Chinese pharma company.
• Accelerating new drug development by investing in late-phase clinical trials.

TOKYO, Dec. 13, 2023 — The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today an investment of approximately 1.3 billion yen (US$8.8 million¹) for the development of new drugs for malaria and Chagas disease.²

Malaria is an infectious parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitos that affects approximately 250 million people annually and was responsible for approximately 620,000 deaths in 2021.³ The African region constitutes a staggering 95% of global malaria cases, and children under the age of 5 account for 80% of all malaria deaths in this region.

The GHIT Fund invests in new product development with the aim of contributing to global health by facilitating collaborations between Japanese technology and innovation and global institutions to address these neglected infectious diseases. This is the first investment by the GHIT Fund in a general trading company, Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni), and a pharmaceutical company in China, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Industrial Development Co., Ltd. (FOSUN PHARMA), with the aim of accelerating the development of new drugs by focusing on investments in late-phase clinical trials.

First investment in a Japanese trading company and a Chinese pharma company — new malaria drug in a phase III trial by Marubeni, Fosun Pharma, MORU, and MMV
The GHIT Fund will invest approximately 500 million yen (US$3.3 million¹) in a clinical phase III trial for a triple artemisinin combination drug against malaria, in partnership with a leading Japanese integrated trading and investment business conglomerate, Marubeni, a major Chinese pharmaceutical and health care company, FOSUN PHARMA, a Thailand-based research collaboration of universities, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), and the product development partnership Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), which provides technical support and market access expertise.  

This drug candidate should have a significant public health benefit as it is expected to play an important role in the fight against artemisinin partial resistance (ART-R), which is now observed widely in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) of Southeast Asia⁴ and to some extent in several African countries, including Rwanda and Uganda. Importantly, the project includes the development of a co-formulated child-friendly version, given that most malaria cases are in children.³

800-million-yen investment in a phase IIb study of the new anti-malarial drug candidate SJ733 as a radical cure for P. vivax
The GHIT Fund will also invest approximately 800 million yen (US$5.4 million¹) in the anti-malarial drug project by Eisai Co., Ltd. and the University of Kentucky to develop a radical cure for P. vivax malaria. SJ733, an antimalarial drug candidate, has completed a Phase IIa trial for single administration and has shown efficacy and tolerability against P. vivax malaria. With this new investment, the project aims to shorten the treatment period by using SJ733 in combination with the existing drug tafenoquine.

Dr. Osamu Kunii, CEO of the GHIT Fund, said “We are very excited to have Marubeni and FOSUN PHARMA as our new product development partners. It is an important step forward to invest in the development of antimalarial drugs in late-phase clinical trials to advance commercialization. The number of malaria cases and deaths in children under 5 years old is an urgent issue. This investment will make a significant contribution to reducing the burden of malaria globally, especially among young children.”

In addition, the GHIT Fund will invest approximately 16 million yen (US$0.1 million¹) in Nagasaki University and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) for a screening project against Chagas disease, which is one of the neglected tropical diseases.  

As of December 14, 2023, there are 50 ongoing projects, including 19 discovery projects, 18 preclinical projects and 13 clinical trials⁵ in the GHIT Fund’s portfolio. The total amount of investments since 2013 is 31.6 billion yen (US$211 million).

The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.
https://www.ghitfund.org/en

Appendix 1. Project Details    

G2022-205

G2022-218

S2023-121

*All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD1 = JPY149.52, the approximate exchange rate on October 31, 2023.

Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of December 14, 2023)

Investments to date 
Total investments: 31.6 billion yen (US$211 million¹)
Total invested projects: 123 (50 active projects and 73 completed projects)

To learn more about GHIT Fund’s investments, please visit
Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en
Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en
Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en
Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en

For more information, contact:
Katy Lenard at +1-301-280-5719 or [email protected]
Mina Ohata at +81-36441-2032 or [email protected]

SOURCE GHIT Fund

“We are very excited to already have multiple Tier 1 customers engaging in AR/VR and consumer electronics applications where Myrias IP and expertise provide unrivaled cost, performance and lifetime advantages over existing etched or printed polymer-based processes,” said Myrias CEO Patrick Tan. “We are particularly excited to work with Asia Optical to develop and deploy a new class of optics that enables products that are compact, lighter and easier to assemble at significantly lower costs.”

Development and adoption of the optical technologies developed by the Watkins Group is poised to accelerate substantially in Massachusetts thanks to a $5 million award from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The grant will enable UMass Amherst to establish an open-access Advanced Optics Fabrication and Characterization Facility, a unique resource available to industry partners and researchers across the state.

Myrias Optics 

Founded in 2021 by Professor James Watkins, Myrias Optics has secured exclusive worldwide license to six foundational patents using nano-particle formulations.

Asia Optical

Asia Optical (TSE: 3019) is engaged in the production and sales of optical lenses and optoelectronic products.

UMass Amherst

Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and New England’s leading public research university. Tenon Ventures Tenon is a new Venture Capital firm formed by serial entrepreneurs and advisors to help craft the next generation of deep-tech ideas into successful companies. HOSS Investment HOSS Investment is a Taiwan investment firm focused on companies in advanced manufacturing and new deep-tech technologies.

SOURCE Myrias Optics, Inc.

Le troisième fonds de capital-investissement sursouscrit est clôturé à 2,8 milliards de dollars, avec des véhicules de co-investissement dédiés aux associés commanditaires

Le fonds privilégie les investissements de rachat et de croissance dans le secteur de la décarbonisation de l’industrie

HOUSTON et BOSTON et DUBLIN, 13 décembre 2023 — Ara Partners (« Ara » ou la « société »), une société de capital-investissement et d’investissement en infrastructure de premier plan spécialisée dans la décarbonisation industrielle, a annoncé aujourd’hui avoir conclu de nouveaux engagements de capitaux pour un montant de plus de 3 milliards de dollars. La société a conclu une levée de fonds réussie pour Ara Fund III (le « Fonds III” ou le « Fonds »), avec 2,8 milliards de dollars d’engagements de la part des commanditaires, ainsi que des véhicules de co-investissement dédiés aux associés commanditaires.

Le Fonds a été largement sursouscrit à un plafond élevé, dépassant son objectif initial de 2 milliards de dollars, et a reçu le soutien de la base d’investisseurs existante d’Ara et d’un ensemble diversifié de nouveaux investisseurs institutionnels comprenant des fonds de pension, des compagnies d’assurance, des fonds souverains, des fonds de dotation et des fondations d’Amérique du Nord, d’Europe et de la région Asie-Pacifique.

Le Fonds III poursuivra la stratégie d’Ara consistant à investir dans la décarbonisation de l’économie industrielle, la plus grande source d’émissions de carbone au niveau mondial. En s’appuyant sur une expertise technique et opérationnelle importante, le fonds réalisera des investissements de rachat et de croissance dans des entreprises industrielles ayant principalement leur siège aux États-Unis, au Canada et en Europe, qui sont en mesure de réduire les émissions de carbone dans différents secteurs, notamment l’industrie et la fabrication, les produits chimiques et les matériaux, l’efficacité énergétique et les carburants verts, ainsi que l’alimentation et l’agriculture. Le précédent fonds d’Ara, Ara Fund II, a été clôturé en septembre 2021 à environ 1,1 milliard de dollars, dépassant ainsi son objectif de 650 millions de dollars. Ara gère un total d’actifs d’environ 5,6 milliards de dollars.

« Nous sommes reconnaissants de l’intérêt extraordinaire pour le Fonds III manifesté par la base d’investisseurs de premier ordre de plus en plus internationale d’Ara, a déclaré Charles Cherington, associé directeur d’Ara. Le fort soutien des investisseurs nouveaux et existants témoigne de leur confiance dans notre équipe talentueuse, dans notre stratégie d’investissement et dans les opportunités remarquables qu’offre le secteur de la décarbonisation industrielle. Nous sommes impatients de collaborer avec les équipes de gestion de nos sociétés de portefeuille de classe mondiale afin de générer des rendements élevés pour nos investisseurs dans les années à venir. »

Le Fonds III a déjà réalisé quatre investissements : Vacuumschmelze, un producteur mondial de premier plan de matériaux magnétiques avancés et le plus grand producteur d’aimants permanents en terres rares de l’hémisphère occidental ; Genera, un producteur de pâte à papier et d’emballages durables ; CFP Energy, qui fournit des solutions axées sur le marché en matière de produits environnementaux et d’énergie durable à des clients industriels dans toute l’Europe ; et CycleØ, un développeur entièrement intégré d’installations de biométhane distribué.

« La présence croissante et mondiale de la plateforme et du portefeuille d’Ara reflète directement la demande continue de l’économie industrielle pour l’innovation technologique et l’infrastructure nécessaires à la décarbonisation, a indiqué Troy Thacker, associé directeur d’Ara. Le soutien que nous avons reçu pour le Fonds III permettra à l’équipe d’Ara de continuer à investir dans des entreprises à forte croissance à l’échelle mondiale qui sont en mesure de créer de la valeur tout en ayant un impact positif sur l’environnement. »

MM. Cherington et Thacker ont fondé Ara en 2017. L’équipe d’investissement expérimentée d’Ara comprend également les associés Chris Picotte, Cory Steffek et Tuan Tran, ainsi que Teresa O’Flynn et Churchill George Yong, coresponsables de la stratégie d’infrastructure de la firme. L’équipe d’investissement travaille à partir de bureaux situés à Houston, Boston et Dublin, et bénéficie du soutien d’une équipe de professionnels expérimentés dans tous les secteurs d’activité.

Rede Partners a agi en tant qu’agent de placement et Debevoise & Plimpton LLP en tant que conseiller juridique dans le cadre de la constitution du Fonds III.

À propos d’Ara Partners

Ara Partners est une société de capital-investissement et d’infrastructures consacrée aux investissements de décarbonisation industrielle. Ara Partners investit dans les secteurs de l’industrie et de la fabrication, des produits chimiques et des matériaux, de l’efficacité énergétique et des carburants verts de l’infrastructure, ainsi que de l’alimentation et de l’agriculture, en cherchant à créer des entreprises ayant un impact significatif sur la décarbonisation. Elle opère depuis ses bureaux de Houston, Boston et Dublin, Irlande. Au 30 septembre 2023, Ara Partners possédait environ 5,6 milliards de dollars d’actifs sous gestion. Pour plus d’informations sur Ara Partners, veuillez consulter le site Web www.arapartners.com.

Contacts 
Mark Semer / Alex Jeffrey             
Gasthalter & Co.                
arapartners@gasthalter.com             
(212) 257-4170

U.S. Venture Partners leads the round, CrowdStrike co-founder participating

ORLANDO, Fla. and TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 13, 2023 — Israeli cybersecurity startup Zero Networks, a leading provider of zero trust identity and network security solutions, raised $20 million in Series B funding following a five-fold increase in its revenue, bringing its total raised capital to $45 million.

U.S. Venture Partners (USVP) led the round, with notable strategic investor Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of CrowdStrike, also participating. Existing investors Venrock, F2 Venture Capital, and Pico Venture Partners, also joined the round. The funds will be utilized to recruit development, marketing, and sales personnel, supporting Zero Networks’ hypergrowth.

Zero Networks was founded in 2019, and is led by Benny Lakunishok, the CEO, and Amir Frankel, the CTO. The company is tackling one of the most complex problems in cybersecurity – how to prevent attackers from moving laterally within the organizational network to exfiltrate data or launch ransomware attacks.

Existing segmentation solutions that address this problem are notoriously complex, labor intensive, and often do not provide comprehensive protection. In contrast, Zero Networks developed a fully automated SaaS platform that learns all network traffic and creates granular security policies that restrict user and machine access to only strictly necessary assets. Accessing sensitive protocols that are often used by attackers to move laterally is enabled only after users undergo multi-factor authentication.

In addition, Zero Networks enables organizations to securely connect remote employees and third parties to their network with zero trust principles and maximum network performance.

Zero Networks has a diverse roster of prominent customers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, including global commercial and investment banks, major US retailers, large manufacturing corporations, a global container shipping company, hospitals, law offices, construction, telecom, and public sector institutions.

Benny Lakunishok, CEO of Zero Networks, commented on the funding round, stating, “We have significantly exceeded our own growth expectations, and are thrilled to have received this investment from USVP that will allow us to scale our team earlier. It is a testament to our team’s hard work and exceptional commitment to our customers and partners. We are honored to have such a distinguished list of security leaders join our journey.”

“There are only two really huge markets in cybersecurity,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, who participated in the funding round. “As co-founder of CrowdStrike, I am privileged to have played a part in disrupting one of them – Endpoint Security. Now, I’m excited to help Zero Networks revolutionize the other huge market that is ripe for disruption – Network Security.” 

“USVP has a proven track record of investing in the most successful cybersecurity startups in Israel, and we are thrilled that Zero Networks is the latest addition to our portfolio,” said Dafina Toncheva, General Partner at USVP. “We see immense potential in the company’s approach to network security – their impressive growth this year and the satisfaction of their customers underscore the impact they are making in the cybersecurity landscape.”

www.zeronetworks.com

SOURCE Zero Networks

U.S. Venture Partners leads the round, CrowdStrike co-founder participating

ORLANDO, Fla. and TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 13, 2023 — Israeli cybersecurity startup Zero Networks, a leading provider of zero trust identity and network security solutions, raised $20 million in Series B funding following a five-fold increase in its revenue, bringing its total raised capital to $45 million.

U.S. Venture Partners (USVP) led the round, with notable strategic investor Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of CrowdStrike, also participating. Existing investors Venrock, F2 Venture Capital, and Pico Venture Partners, also joined the round. The funds will be utilized to recruit development, marketing, and sales personnel, supporting Zero Networks’ hypergrowth.

Zero Networks was founded in 2019, and is led by Benny Lakunishok, the CEO, and Amir Frankel, the CTO. The company is tackling one of the most complex problems in cybersecurity – how to prevent attackers from moving laterally within the organizational network to exfiltrate data or launch ransomware attacks.

Existing segmentation solutions that address this problem are notoriously complex, labor intensive, and often do not provide comprehensive protection. In contrast, Zero Networks developed a fully automated SaaS platform that learns all network traffic and creates granular security policies that restrict user and machine access to only strictly necessary assets. Accessing sensitive protocols that are often used by attackers to move laterally is enabled only after users undergo multi-factor authentication.

In addition, Zero Networks enables organizations to securely connect remote employees and third parties to their network with zero trust principles and maximum network performance.

Zero Networks has a diverse roster of prominent customers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, including global commercial and investment banks, major US retailers, large manufacturing corporations, a global container shipping company, hospitals, law offices, construction, telecom, and public sector institutions.

Benny Lakunishok, CEO of Zero Networks, commented on the funding round, stating, “We have significantly exceeded our own growth expectations, and are thrilled to have received this investment from USVP that will allow us to scale our team earlier. It is a testament to our team’s hard work and exceptional commitment to our customers and partners. We are honored to have such a distinguished list of security leaders join our journey.”

“There are only two really huge markets in cybersecurity,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, who participated in the funding round. “As co-founder of CrowdStrike, I am privileged to have played a part in disrupting one of them – Endpoint Security. Now, I’m excited to help Zero Networks revolutionize the other huge market that is ripe for disruption – Network Security.” 

“USVP has a proven track record of investing in the most successful cybersecurity startups in Israel, and we are thrilled that Zero Networks is the latest addition to our portfolio,” said Dafina Toncheva, General Partner at USVP. “We see immense potential in the company’s approach to network security – their impressive growth this year and the satisfaction of their customers underscore the impact they are making in the cybersecurity landscape.”

www.zeronetworks.com

SOURCE Zero Networks

NodeKit’s SEQ is a shared sequencer L1 designed to give a wide range of rollups more robustness, performance, uptime, and interoperability.

AMES, Iowa, Dec. 13, 2023 — NodeKit, the team developing SEQ, a shared sequencer L1, has raised $1.2M in a pre-seed round. The round was led by Borderless Capital with participation from Avalanche’s Blizzard Fund, Polygon Ventures, Wormhole Cross-Chain Ecosystem Fund, and many angels (including key angel investors such as Avail’s Anurag Arjun and BENQI’s @hn_avax). The team is using the funding to help decentralize the next generation of rollups powered by SEQ.

“Rollups desire a cost-effective, lightning-fast, decentralized sequencer to improve the quality of their users’ experience. NodeKit fulfills this need.” – Noah Pravecek, Co-Founder & CEO

SEQ is designed to help decentralize rollup transaction sequencing, directly addressing the main issue overshadowing rollups: centralization. SEQ aims to help rollups capitalize on their advantages with fewer tradeoffs, bringing them greater robustness, performance, and interoperability.

“NodeKit is addressing some of the deepest challenges across the modular Web3 ecosystem. Alongside the tremendous adoption of L2 solutions (“rollups”), centralization remains prevalent despite the obvious drawbacks it brings, including critical censorship and performance issues. Through SEQ, NodeKit introduces atomic composability and shared sequencing to the leading protocols bringing economic efficiency and true decentralization for cross-chain modularity.” – Alpen Sheth, PhD, Senior Partner, Borderless Capital

Rollups integrating with SEQ will gain new cross-chain interoperability. This interoperability is possible because SEQ orders blocks for multiple rollups, allowing for atomic inclusion using atomic bundles within the same block.

In a time of L2 proliferation, NodeKit’s raise and first product is timely. Most L2s remain highly centralized, with single points of failure endangering whole networks. NodeKit aims to solve the centralization problem by incorporating a decentralized network of validators, making rollups more robust. NodeKit will actively work with each rollup, guiding them on their path toward greater decentralization.

NodeKit’s team consists of three co-founders aged 21, 21, and 20. Pravecek is CEO, Nick Preszler is CTO, and Ricardo Tavarez is the third co-founder and founding software engineer. All three have dropped out of universities in the American Midwest to fully pursue NodeKit and Web3.

To learn more about NodeKit, please see NodeKit’s X (@nodekitorg) or visit the newly redesigned website at nodekit.xyz.

CONTACT:
Noah Pravecek
[email protected]

SOURCE NodeKit