Financiering ondersteunt wereldwijde uitrol van platform voor economische industriële decarbonisatie

De financiering versnelt de commerciële inzet van Utility’s H2Gen®-technologie, die kosteneffectieve schone waterstof en sterk geconcentreerde CO₂-stromen produceert en economische decarbonisatie op industriële schaal mogelijk maakt voor bestaande activa in moeilijk te decarboniseren sectoren.

HOUSTON, Texas, 17 februari 2026 — Utility Global (“Utility”), een wereldwijd opererende bedrijf gespecialiseerd in economische industriële decarbonisatie en praktische oplossingen voor moeilijk te decarboniseren sectoren, heeft vandaag een eerste closing van 100 miljoen dollar aangekondigd in haar Series D-financieringsronde, geleid door Ara Partners en APG Asset Management (een van ‘s werelds grootste pensioeninvesteerders namens Nederlandse pensioenfondsen). Deze mijlpaalfinanciering stelt Utility in staat haar propriëtaire H2Gen®-technologie wereldwijd op industriële schaal uit te rollen.

De financiering zal de groei van Utility versnellen door verdere uitbreiding van de productiecapaciteiten, versterking van de projectuitvoeringsteams en vooruitgang van meerdere commerciële implementaties in Noord- en Zuid-Amerika, Europa en Azië. Het kapitaal ondersteunt tevens de recent aangekondigde strategische partnerschappen en projecten met Kyocera, Symbio North America Corporation, de stad Seongnam in Zuid-Korea, Maas Energy Works en ArcelorMittal. Utility blijft zich richten op herhaalbare, economisch haalbare oplossingen die rechtstreeks in industriële processen kunnen worden geïntegreerd en op korte termijn grootschalige decarbonisatie mogelijk maken.

Utility’s propriëtaire H2Gen®-technologie maakt het mogelijk water om te zetten in waardevolle schone waterstof en een hoogzuivere CO₂-stroom zonder gebruik van elektriciteit, door industriële restgassen te benutten. Dit ondersteunt pragmatische en schaalbare decarbonisatie en maakt economische koolstofafvang, -gebruik of -opslag (CCUS) mogelijk. De technologie is ontworpen voor directe integratie in bestaande industriële infrastructuur binnen grotendeels moeilijk te decarboniseren activa, met herhaalbare toepassingen in de sectoren staal, raffinage, petrochemie, chemie, koolstofarme brandstoffen en upstream olie en gas.

“Deze financiering markeert een cruciale stap in de overgang van Utility van een bewezen technologie naar volledige wereldwijde commerciële uitvoering,” aldus Parker Meeks, Chief Executive Officer en President van Utility Global. “Industriële klanten zijn niet langer op zoek naar pilootprojecten of beloften; zij hebben nood aan inzetbare oplossingen die binnen bestaande activa functioneren en vandaag echte economische industriële decarbonisatie leveren, met operationele betrouwbaarheid en hoge schaalbaarheid. Utility’s technologie produceert zowel economisch haalbare schone waterstof als capture-ready CO₂-stromen, en dit kapitaal stelt ons in staat die impact wereldwijd snel, gedisciplineerd en doelgericht op te schalen.”

Ara Partners blijft meerderheidsinvesteerder in Utility Global. Ara focust op het versnellen van de groei van ondernemingen die uitmuntende prestaties leveren en tegelijk de industriële economie decarboniseren. Ara investeerde voor het eerst in Utility Global in 2021 en blijft de commerciële expansie ondersteunen naarmate wereldwijd klantprojecten worden gerealiseerd.

“Utility pakt een van de meest complexe uitdagingen van de energietransitie aan: het decarboniseren van moeilijk te decarboniseren industriële sectoren,” aldus Cory Steffek, Partner bij Ara Partners en voorzitter van de raad van bestuur van Utility Global. “Wat Utility onderscheidt, is het vermogen om qua kosten en betrouwbaarheid rechtstreeks te concurreren met conventionele fossiele oplossingen, terwijl het de uitstoot substantieel vermindert. Met deze nieuwe financiering is Utility goed gepositioneerd voor het volgende hoofdstuk van commerciële groei, met behoud van de technische excellentie en kapitaalsdiscipline die haar ontwikkeling tot op heden hebben gekenmerkt.”

TPH&Co., de energieactiviteiten van Perella Weinberg Partners, en BDA Partners treden op als financieel adviseurs van Utility Global.

Over Utility Global

Utility levert praktische oplossingen die economische industriële decarbonisatie mogelijk maken in moeilijk te decarboniseren sectoren, waaronder staal, mobiliteit, raffinage, chemie en upstream olie en gas.

Voor meer informatie over Utility’s oplossingen en diensten, bezoek: www.utilityglobal.com

Over Ara Partners

Ara Partners werd opgericht in 2017 en is een wereldwijde private-markets investeringsmaatschappij met focus op de decarbonisatie van de industriële economie.

Voor meer informatie, bezoek: www.arapartners.com

Over APG

Als grootste pensioenuitvoerder van Nederland beheert APG circa €590 miljard (juni 2025) aan pensioenvermogen voor 4,6 miljoen deelnemers.

Meer details zijn te vinden op: https://apg.nl/en

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New AI system validates service invoices before payment, giving health systems control over one of their largest and least-managed spend categories.

DALLAS, Feb. 17, 2026 — SpendRule today announced the launch of its contract intelligence platform to help health systems prevent overpayments on purchased services. By validating invoices directly against contract terms before payment, SpendRule brings transparency, clarity and control over a $323 billion spend category.

SpendRule enters the market with significant momentum, already deployed across several health systems, including OSF HealthCare, Kettering Health, MemorialCare, and MUSC Health. These organizations are utilizing SpendRule to move from reactive auditing to proactive prevention, enforcing purchased services contract obligations before payment, improving visibility into services spend, and resolving issues faster.

Purchased services represent nearly half of non-labor spend for health systems, yet the vast majority of that spend remains unmanaged, resulting in more than $32B in preventable overpayments annually, according to industry estimates. Contracts are complex, rarely reviewed, and the majority of invoices are approved without validation. The result is widespread overpayments, limited visibility into vendor performance, and cost management that is reactive rather than controlled.

SpendRule addresses this gap by turning purchased services contracts into enforceable logic operating directly within existing accounts payable workflows. “Most purchased services contracts sit in a filing cabinet – literal or digital – disconnected from the payments they’re supposed to govern,” said Joseph Akintolayo, CTO and co-founder of SpendRule. “We change that by turning those agreements into code – encoding the actual terms, conditions, and obligations into real-time payment controls. This enables true 4-way matching – Purchase Order, Receipt, Invoice, and Contract Terms – automatically validating invoices against their contract before payment. Discrepancies are flagged with evidence and resolved upstream, without disrupting existing ERP or AP systems.”

“Supply chain teams have always struggled with a lack of resources dedicated to purchased services – despite their spend levels often exceeding medical/surgical supplies, and with far greater complexity,” said Chris Heckler, CEO and co-founder of SpendRule. “In my 20+ years in this space, I’ve seen firsthand that simply identifying savings opportunities is the tip of the iceberg. The real challenge is ensuring those savings actually hit the bottom line. By embedding AI-powered contract enforcement directly into the payment process, SpendRule gives health systems an automated, proactive way to eliminate overpayments and meaningfully reduce costs.”

“We manage thousands of purchased services contracts, many of them hundreds of pages long,” said Dave Fergus, Chief Supply Chain Officer, OSF HealthCare. “Before SpendRule, there was no realistic way to ensure every invoice line matched the contract before payment. Now, that validation happens automatically, giving us confidence in invoice accuracy, stopping the leakage, and freeing our teams from thousands of hours of manual approvals each year.”

SpendRule is backed by leading investors including Abundant Venture Partners, MemorialCare Innovation Fund, and Zeal Capital Partners, and has already gained traction with numerous health systems as a result of strategic commercial acceleration work with member systems partnered in the Abundant Alliance.

Health systems looking to gain control over their purchased services spend can learn more by visiting https://spendrule.com.

About SpendRule

SpendRule is healthcare’s first AI-powered contract intelligence platform that validates purchased services invoices against complex contract terms in real-time, preventing overpayments, enforcing agreements, and driving proactive cost savings before payments are made. SpendRule is trusted by leading health systems including OSF HealthCare, Kettering Health, MemorialCare, and MUSC Health, and is backed by leading investors including Abundant Venture Partners, MemorialCare Innovation Fund, and Zeal Capital Partners.

For media inquiries, contact Nita Nehro at [email protected].

SOURCE SpendRule

ATLANTA, Feb. 17, 2026 — Founders Row and its founder, Jamie Weeks, today announced a strategic investment and advisory partnership with Ohm Health, marking the first step in the firm’s thesis that the wellness industry is entering a new phase centered on intentional disconnection and nervous-system regulation.

As the founder of contrast therapy concept SweatHouz (SWTHZ) and once the largest franchisee group within Orangetheory Fitness, Weeks has consistently identified where consumer wellness is headed next.

Founders Row is aligning its capital and incubation strategy around what it believes is the category’s next structural shift. After a decade dominated by performance and aesthetics, followed by a cycle centered on recovery and optimization, the firm sees wellness entering a new era of regulation – the ability to intentionally step away from digital stimulation, recalibrate the nervous system, and build sustainable habits around downshifting rather than constant output.

“In a world where we are overwhelmed by screens and rely on digital apps to track and guide everything, we believe the next frontier is actually disconnection,” said Jess Yuan, Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Founders Row. “The brands that define this next era will reduce digital noise.“

Ohm Health, founded by James McGoff, operates at the intersection of neuroscience, industrial design, and behavioral habit formation. Ohm’s flagship product, the Resonance Lamp, helps users recover from stress and build a more resilient nervous system by translating real-time biofeedback into light, sound, and touch cues that guide resonance breathing. The device is intentionally screen-free and built as a standalone ritual rather than an extension of existing apps or wearable dashboards.

“Ohm is our first partnership centered on nervous-system reset and intentional disconnection – and it will not be our last,” said Jamie Weeks, Founder of Founders Row. “For years, the status signal was being always on. We believe the next era will reward those who know how to turn off.”

McGoff previously co-founded TemperPack, a high-growth sustainable packaging company, before launching Ohm Health to focus on products centered around nervous-system health and daily behavioral practice.

“We built Ohm to help people change states in real time,” said McGoff, Founder and CEO of Ohm Health. “It’s not about tracking stress. It’s about helping people regulate it. Founders Row immediately understood that this category is more about behavior and environment than just metrics, and we are excited to bring them on as an investor and strategic advisor.”

Founders Row intends to continue investing in and incubating brands aligned with its disconnection thesis, including plans to incubate a brick-and-mortar concept later this year focused on structured digital withdrawal and nervous-system recovery.

Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.

About Ohm Health
Ohm Health is on a mission to bring accessible, screen-free nervous system care into the moments people need it most. Ohm believes calm isn’t found; it’s practiced. Through light, sound, and touch, Ohm helps you return to your natural breath rhythm, helping you feel better now, and better over time. Ohm Health translates decades of academic research into a daily tool anyone can use: a lamp that makes the science simple, sensory, and part of daily life.

About Founders Row
Founded by entrepreneur and operator Jamie Weeks, Founders Row builds and backs founder-led consumer businesses. The firm operates through two complementary models: incubating new brands from the ground up and partnering with exceptional founders to provide platform-level support across strategy, operations, and growth. Founders Row is known for founder-first structures that preserve ownership while enabling disciplined expansion without sacrificing control, culture, or long-term value. Headquartered in Atlanta. For more information, visit foundersrow.co.

Contact: Juliana Martins, [email protected]

SOURCE Founders Row

AUSTIN, Texas and SYDNEY, Feb. 17, 2026 — Austin-based defense technology startup Breaker has raised $6 million in seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners with follow-on investment from Australian venture firm Main Sequence who also led Breakers’ pre-seed round. The round will accelerate the development and deployment of Breaker’s AI agent software that enables military operators to control teams of autonomous systems across air, land and sea with voice commands. The aim is to solve defense’s autonomous vehicle orchestration problem. 

Defense technology has been advancing more in the past 24 months than in the previous three decades, with the United States continuing to prioritize defense innovation to maintain its global leadership and national security. A recent Executive Order prioritizes strengthening of America’s military edge by delivering state‐of‐the‐art capabilities at speed and scale.

In January 2026 the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit launched the $100M Autonomous Orchestrator Challenge, publicly identifying one of the hardest problems in modern military autonomy. Silicon Valley now recognizes that AI leadership and national security are inseparable. Breaker’s platform-agnostic software allows military operators to orchestrate teams of autonomous systems across air, land and sea with their voice.

“Today, autonomy still means one operator controlling one robot, with remote controls or laptops, which fundamentally limits the number of autonomous systems that can be deployed,” says Matthew Buffa, Co-Founder of Breaker.

“In this drone warfare era, the next frontier is orchestration – how to manage and coordinate robotic teams at speed, at scale and under pressure. Breaker’s software changes the operator-to-robot ratio – turning small teams into force multipliers. Robots become genuine teammates that understand and deliver on the mission.”

“With our tech, a single human operator simply talks to the fleet of autonomous systems over the radios they already carry. The onboard AI agent in turn responds with real-time, context-aware responses, translating the operator’s intent into machine action. Allowing operators to stay focused on their mission, whether driving a truck or flying a helicopter.”

Critically, Breaker’s software runs entirely onboard each robot, with no reliance on cloud connectivity or external networks. When communications are jammed or denied, the agents continue operating autonomously, making mission-aligned decisions at the edge.

Top-tier backing from category-defining investor

This latest funding announcement puts Breaker in the top 25% of US seed rounds. Bessemer Venture Partners, one of the world’s longest-standing venture firms, known for backing category-defining companies such as Canva, Rocket Lab, Shopify, Anthropic and Perplexity, led the round.

“As outlined in Bessemer’s 2026 Defense Tech Roadmap, we are seeing a period of rapid transformation as uncrewed systems proliferate at scale,” says David Cowan, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.

“Breaker’s on-robot agents will redefine how militaries deploy and manage autonomous systems. By enabling small teams to safely control large numbers of robots through intuitive, natural language interfaces, Breaker is tackling one of the hardest and most important problems in defense technology.”

Breaker’s product has been tried and tested worldwide, including successful demonstration contracts with both the United States Special Operations Command and Defense Science and Technology Agency Singapore.

For images/videos to accompany this release see: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13FbmuJZbDW352VTGiQnNXnwea6xFHfAq?usp=sharing

About Breaker

Breaker is a defense technology startup with HQ in Sydney, NSW, and Austin, Texas that develops software to turn any robot into truly autonomous teammates.

Existing robots demand constant human oversight, bulky equipment and complex networks – limiting their usefulness in real operations. Founded by Matthew Buffa, Michael Irwin, and Vanja Videnovic, they set out to build something different: autonomous systems that understand missions, make nuanced decisions, and operate more like teammates than blunt tools.

Backed by Bessemer Venture Partners and Main Sequence and led by a team of former Anduril, Droneshield and Hargrave Technologies engineers, Breaker is on a mission to create the robots we were promised.

https://www.breakerindustries.com/

SOURCE Breaker

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 17, 2026 — Dataro, an AI-driven fundraising intelligence platform, today announced a $14.28 million Series A round led by Blueprint Equity. The funding will support growth in the United States. Dataro will continue to serve charities in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other international markets as teams move faster from data to decisions. It supports a shift away from managing tools and workflows toward managing impact and donor relationships, with AI handling more of the execution behind the scenes.

Charities collect vast amounts of donor data through established CRMs, but much of that value remains locked behind manual segmentation and backward-looking reporting. Dataro turns donor data into forward-looking predictions and, increasingly, guided actions. This gives nonprofit teams the same level of focus and decision-making rigor that commercial organizations have long applied to customer engagement.

Instead of asking fundraising teams to “do more,” Dataro helps them execute smarter. At Save the Children, for example, Dataro’s AI donor targeting improved appeal performance by replacing broad outreach with precisely ranked supporter segments most likely to convert.

“Fundraisers should be spending their time on impact and donor relationships, not managing tools and spreadsheets,” said CEO Tim Paris. “Charities already have the data. Dataro brings AI into the workflow so teams can focus on the right supporters, take the right next steps, and consistently improve fundraising outcomes.”

“Fundraising teams are at an inflection point,” said Francis Donohue, Principal at Blueprint Equity. “Dataro is building an AI-native foundation that helps charities turn data into better decisions, better stewardship, and better results at scale. That conviction is why we’ve made a significant investment in the company.”

The Series A funding will support expansion across product, customer success, sales, and marketing. Dataro will continue investing in AI-native workflows that remove administrative burden from fundraising teams and help close the gap between what the world needs and what charities are able to deliver.

Dataro is led by co-founders Tim Paris (CEO), David Lyndon (CTO), and Chris Paver (COO). The company recently appointed Salvatore Salpietro as Chief Growth Officer and will make further key go-to-market appointments to support its next phase of growth.

About Dataro

Dataro is an AI fundraising system that helps nonprofits turn existing donor data into consistent, day-to-day action. The platform supports acquisition, retention, and stewardship by identifying high-leverage opportunities, prioritizing the right supporters, and guiding teams toward clear next steps.

Working with more than 300 organizations worldwide, Dataro helps nonprofits raise more money with less outreach and improve the donor experience. Customers include World Central Kitchen, Stand Up To Cancer, Amnesty International, and Save the Children across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Dataro is backed by Blueprint Equity, Save the Children, Basis Set, and more. Learn more at dataro.io.

Media Contact
Nic Miller
Head of Marketing
[email protected]
(415) 851-5816

SOURCE Dataro Inc.

BASEL, Switzerland and NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb. 17, 2026 — Axmed, a health technology company headquartered in Switzerland with regional headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, today announced it has been awarded $6 million in non-dilutive grant funding from the Gates Foundation to expand access to high-quality, affordable medicines across low- and middle-income countries through its B2B procurement and integrated logistics platform.

The grant builds on the Foundation’s prior $5 million support and reflects continued conviction in Axmed’s execution and operating model. With additional backing from Founderful Ventures, the company has now raised a total of $13 million in capital to date.

The new funding will accelerate Axmed’s expansion across Africa and support procurement programs spanning multiple therapeutic areas, including family planning and malaria products serving mothers, children, and underserved patient populations across LMICs over the next 12 to 18 months.

Since launch, Axmed has developed a geo-agnostic pooled procurement and logistics platform purpose-built for fragmented and supply-constrained healthcare markets. In 2025 alone, the platform delivered more than 1,800 metric tonnes of healthcare products and reached over 4.2 million patients, up from approximately 750,000 in 2024. Over the same period, Axmed recorded 12x year-on-year revenue growth and maintained an average 70 percent repeat purchase rate, demonstrating strong adoption and sustained buyer trust.

Through demand aggregation, price transparency, and coordinated international logistics, the platform consistently generates 30 to 35 percent cost savings for customers. These efficiencies directly expand patient reach, improve medicine availability, and shorten delivery timelines across complex operating environments.

“Although Axmed is a young organization, their model of leveraging a technology-enabled marketplace to improve access to essential medicines in emerging markets is both innovative and essential,” said Denise Tuiime Mutambi, Director of Planning and Procurement at Joint Medical Stores. “They have demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate global healthcare supply chain complexity and translate strategy into measurable and sustainable impact.

Axmed plans to operate in more than 20 countries by the end of 2026, with a target of reaching 50 million patients within three years and over 100 million within five years, positioning the platform as a core infrastructure layer for medicines procurement in underserved markets.

“This funding allows us to scale what already works while we bring in aligned long-term capital,” said Emmanuel Akpakwu, Founder and CEO of Axmed. “With the continued support of the Gates Foundation, our focus is disciplined execution at scale: strengthening procurement systems, improving affordability, and ensuring high-quality medicines reliably reach the people who depend on them.”

About Axmed

Axmed is a technology-enabled B2B marketplace and logistics platform that connects buyers, manufacturers, and distributors to streamline procurement and delivery of essential medicines across low- and middle-income countries. By combining pooled demand, data-driven sourcing, and integrated international logistics, Axmed reduces costs, increases supply reliability, and expands patient access to quality-assured healthcare products. Learn more at www.axmed.com.

Media Enquiries
Nanayaa Appenteng, Director, Strategic Communications & External Affairs
[email protected]

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SOURCE Axmed

— Proceeds to support advancement of lead cell therapy program for Geographic Atrophy and next-generation hydrogel regenerative therapy platform —

— Partnership with global pharmaceutical company will leverage GelMEDIX regenerative medicine technology to develop stem cell-derived cell therapies —

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 17, 2026 — GelMEDIX, Inc., a biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies to restore vision, announced today the completion of a $13 million seed financing led by Safar Partners, with participation from HTL Biotechnology, Beacon Angels, TiE Boston Angels, Boston Harbor Angels, and other investors. GelMEDIX will apply the proceeds to advance the company’s lead program, GMX-101, a retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell therapy to treat late-stage Geographic Atrophy (GA). GA is a progressive, advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD) that causes permanent, irreversible central vision loss. The financing will also support the continued development and validation of GelMEDIX’s proprietary injectable hydrogel scaffold platform, which is engineered to optimize the delivery, efficacy, and safety of cell and gene therapies. Michael J. Cima, PhD, David H. Koch Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Parinaz Motamedy, MBA, Partner, Safar Partners, were appointed to the GelMEDIX Board of Directors in connection with the financing.

Along with the financing, GelMEDIX announced its first strategic collaboration agreement with a global pharmaceutical company. Under the terms of the agreement, GelMEDIX will provide its hydrogel scaffold technology, which the partner will use in combination with several of its own cell lines to develop stem cell-derived cell therapies. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are deeply grateful to our investors for recognizing the transformative potential of GelMEDIX’s regenerative therapy approach, and we’re thrilled to welcome our first strategic partner, further validating our breakthrough technology,” said Max Cotler, PhD, CEO of GelMEDIX. “Geographic Atrophy is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in adults over the age of 60, with no treatments available that can restore vision. While RPE therapies have shown promise, they often provide only moderate vision improvement in a subset of patients and present fundamental limitations that reduce efficacy, including poor cell survival and poor integration of transplanted cells, as well as increased safety risks that can lead to further vision loss. With the support of our investors and partners, GelMEDIX is positioned to innovate vision-restoring therapies that overcome these barriers.”

GelMEDIX regenerative therapies are based on the company’s proprietary next-generation hydrogel scaffold technology, which is engineered to improve the functional replacement and integration of therapeutic cells and the delivery of gene therapies. The platform uses chemically modified natural polymers to create a hydrogel that mimics the material properties of natural human tissue, providing a scaffold for cell adhesion, growth, and tissue engineering. The hydrogel is initially injected in liquid form and then light-activated to form a solid, biocompatible, and biodegradable scaffold at the target site. The technology protects cells during injection, localizes them to the target site, and provides a structure that promotes tissue regeneration while improving cell therapeutic function. The hydrogel is engineered to degrade naturally over time as it is replaced by the body’s newly formed tissue.

GelMEDIX’s lead program, GMX-101, is engineered to restore vision and stop disease progression in patients with late-stage GA by replacing damaged or dysfunctional RPE cells in the retina. The process involves injecting the liquid hydrogel containing healthy iPSC-derived RPE cells into the subretinal space and then activating it with white light to create a scaffold that mimics the natural environment of RPE cells in the eye. The scaffold protects the transplanted cells during injection and supports their survival and integration in the retina. In multiple preclinical studies, GMX-101 has demonstrated potential to overcome cell delivery challenges and regenerate the retina by improving cell survival and engraftment, leading to significant vision preservation while also eliminating the risks associated with other RPE cell therapies.

“We are excited to have been part of GelMEDIX’s mission from the start,” said Parinaz Motamedy. “GelMEDIX’s groundbreaking technology platform and approach to treating late-stage Geographic Atrophy sets it apart from other cell therapy approaches, and the impressive results from preclinical studies highlight the significant promise the company’s approach holds. We’re impressed by GelMEDIX’s scientific depth and leadership, and we’re confident it has the potential to restore vision and redefine the future for patients with GA.”

GelMEDIX was co-founded by leading experts in biomaterials, ophthalmology, and regenerative medicine, including:

• Reza Dana, MD, MPH, MSc: Claes H. Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Harvard-Vision Clinical Scientist Development Program; and Director, Laboratory of Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Massachusetts Eye and Ear
• Nasim Annabi, PhD:  Associate Professor, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering

About Geographic Atrophy
Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD) that causes progressive, irreversible central vision loss driven by the death of retinal cells. GA is the leading cause of permanent blindness in older adults, affecting millions globally, 47% of whom suffer from severe vision loss and have difficulty with daily living activities such as driving, reading, and maintaining independence. Currently available treatment options for GA are limited to frequent intraocular injections that provide minimal improvement in patient vision.

About GelMEDIX
GelMEDIX is a biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies that restore vision by regenerating damaged retinal cells and preserving the essential structures required for sight. GelMEDIX programs are based on the company’s proprietary injectable hydrogel scaffold technology platform, which is engineered to optimize the delivery, efficacy, and safety of cell and gene therapies. The company is focusing this platform on eye diseases that lack effective treatment options, with an initial focus on late-stage Geographic Atrophy (GA). In addition to developing a pipeline of next-generation regenerative therapies for ophthalmic diseases, GelMEDIX aims to optimize the potential of its regenerative medicine technology platform by forging partnerships to optimize cell and gene therapies for other degenerative disorders. GelMEDIX is based in the Kendall Square district of Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.gelmedix.com.

About Safar Partners
Safar Partners is a seed- to growth-stage investment platform and invests in technology companies primarily originating from MIT and Harvard.  As board members, trustees, and partners of these three institutions, Safar’s principals have had a long and successful history of investing in innovative entrepreneurs and tech startups, an approach that they have now institutionalized at Safar. Founded in 2018, Safar has invested in over 80 portfolio companies and has over $1B under management.

Contact:
Mary Moynihan
M2Friend Biocommunications
+1 (802) 951-9600
[email protected]

SOURCE GelMEDIX

CVS Health Ventures–led round accelerates national adoption of Point Zero Payment Integrity, a cost prevention model that shifts intervention upstream before claims are created

DULUTH, Ga., Feb. 17, 2026 — Codoxo, the leading provider of AI and generative AI-powered healthcare payment integrity solutions, today announced a year of record momentum marked by rapid customer expansion, national payer adoption of its Point Zero Payment Integrity solutions, and significant investment to support continued growth. As healthcare payers, government agencies, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) face mounting administrative waste, rising claims volumes, and growing provider abrasion, Codoxo is the leader in prevention-first payment integrity.

By intervening earlier than any traditional prepay or postpay solution, Codoxo is gaining rapid traction as a more sustainable path to healthcare cost containment—one that reduces downstream denials, appeals, and administrative friction while strengthening payer-provider relationships.

Momentum Highlights from the Past 12 Months

Accelerated National Scale and Category Leadership through Series C Funding

Codoxo’s $35 million oversubscribed Series C investment reinforces the company’s position as a leader in pre-claim payment integrity—a category-defining approach that moves intervention to the earliest possible point in the healthcare payment lifecycle. Led by CVS Health Ventures, with participation from Echo Health Ventures and continued support from existing strategic and financial investors, the funding enables Codoxo to accelerate growth and its speed of innovation across its GenAI-powered payment integrity solutions.

Established New Category of Payment Integrity Intervention: Point Zero

Codoxo introduced a new healthcare payment model called Point Zero that fundamentally shifts  how the industry approaches cost containment—intervening before claims exist through proactive, AI-driven provider education. By addressing payment accuracy at the earliest possible stage, Codoxo is helping payers realize $12–$16 PMPY in savings, reduce overpayments by up to 40%, and dramatically improve operational efficiency.

Continued Revenue Growth and Scaled Financial Impact

Over the past year, Codoxo achieved strong year-over-year revenue growth and expanded its customer base, with its Unified Cost Containment Platform now supporting payment integrity operations across more than 80 million covered lives. In 2025, the company achieved 100% customer retention and 125% net revenue retention, reflecting expanded adoption among existing customers. Customer implementations are delivering up to $66 PMPY in cost reduction across the payment spectrum—while reducing downstream denials, appeals, and provider friction.

Accelerated GenAI Category Leadership with Breakthrough Innovation and Enterprise-Grade Security

Codoxo expanded Point Zero Payment Integrity, its proactive, pre-claim intervention category designed to identify and address payment inaccuracies earlier in the claims lifecycle. The company also launched the Data Health Integrity (DHI) Agent, enabling payers to share high-fidelity claims data without costly delays or operational friction. Codoxo also unveiled a Policy-to-Code capability that uses generative AI to transform complex payer policy language into executable code, reducing configuration time and improving consistency across implementations. To combat rapidly evolving fraud threats, Codoxo also introduced Deepfake Detection to identify synthetic medical documents and manipulated images with AI-driven precision. These capabilities were delivered alongside continued enterprise-grade security, achieving NIST 800-53 Revision 5 compliance for the second consecutive year, maintaining HITRUST r2 certification, and advancing toward FedRAMP readiness.

Earning Industry Recognition and Expanding the Ecosystem

Codoxo’s impact was recognized with multiple industry honors, including:

• Inclusion on the 2025 Inc. National Fastest Growing Private Companies list for the third consecutive year
• Inclusion in Everest Group’s 2025 PEAK Matrix for Payment Integrity solutions
• Recognition by Black Book Research for AI-powered fraud and claims integrity solutions
• 2025 A.I. Awards finalist for Most Innovative AI Technology and Best Use of AI for Healthcare

The company also expanded strategic partnerships, including collaboration with HealthEdge to integrate advanced payment integrity capabilities directly into core payer platforms.

Strengthening Leadership and Industry Community Influence

To support continued growth, Codoxo welcomed several senior leaders, including Dr. Riccardo “Ric” Baron VP of AI and Jim Brady, VP of Growth.

Codoxo also expanded its leadership role in healthcare AI through industry education and community building. The company grew its AI for Payment Integrity (AI for PI) community and hosted its Second Annual AI for Payment Integrity Summit, convening payer leaders around early intervention and prevention-first cost containment strategies. Codoxo experts also shared insights at major industry forums, including NHCAA, NAMPI, and HPRI, and hosted its annual invite-only Xcelerate Conference for customers and innovators.

“This past year marked a defining moment for Codoxo, driven by the rapid adoption of Point Zero Payment Integrity,” said Musheer Ahmed, PhD, Founder and CEO of Codoxo. “Codoxo is at the forefront of reimagining healthcare cost containment by moving payment integrity to the earliest possible point in the payment lifecycle—before claims are ever created. By combining generative AI with proactive provider education, we’re proving that prevention-first payment integrity can deliver measurable savings while strengthening payer-provider relationships. This investment allows us to scale that impact nationally and build on the momentum we’ve created.”

For more information about Codoxo and its AI-powered payment integrity solutions, visit www.codoxo.com. To learn more about career opportunities supporting Codoxo’s continued growth, visit www.codoxo.com/careers.

About Codoxo

Codoxo empowers healthcare payers with its Generative AI-driven Unified Cost Containment Platform, delivering intelligent, end-to-end payment integrity and fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) solutions—from pre-claim to prepay and postpay. At the earliest intervention point, Codoxo’s Point Zero Payment Integrity solutions identify and prevent payment errors before claims are even submitted, stopping issues at their source. The platform’s comprehensive AI capabilities span across provider education, data mining, clinical chart and medical record reviews, no-code concept ideation, fraud detection, audit workflow and case management and provider contract and medical policy compliance. These help payers achieve unmatched accuracy across the entire claim lifecycle. Codoxo’s platform transforms payment integrity by shifting payers from reactive detection to proactive prevention—reducing costs and improving provider relationships. Codoxo has been recognized with a Fierce Healthcare Innovation Award and named to the Inc. 5000 list for its rapid growth. All Codoxo solutions operate in a HITRUST-certified environment. For more information, visit www.codoxo.com.

SOURCE Codoxo

Simform announces a $3 million strategic investment to expand its Microsoft Cloud & AI practice, strengthening Azure engineering depth, accelerating IP-led delivery, and scaling co-sell collaboration across key global regions.

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 17, 2026 — Simform has strengthened its Microsoft partnership with a $3 million strategic investment aimed at scaling Cloud & AI engineering, accelerating time-to-value through IP & accelerators, and deepening collaboration, co-selling and GTM programs. The initiative builds on Simform’s growing momentum as a multi-specialised Microsoft Solutions Partner with 9 Advanced Specialisations and over 325 certifications, with a goal to double that by the end of the next fiscal year.

“This investment is about scaling what we know works: Engineering DNA, focused solution plays and repeatable motions”, said Prayaag Kasundra, CEO of Simform. “Microsoft Azure has a clear edge for IaaS/PaaS offering for deploying AI apps, Data Platform and Security. We are pairing our Microsoft Cloud & AI expertise on Azure with our product & platform engineering strength to deliver excellence for ISVs, digital natives and highly tech-powered mid-market enterprises”.

Cloud & AI excellence driven by Engineering DNA and repeatable accelerators

Simform has built a formidable reputation as a leading digital engineering company specializing in product and platform engineering with its deeply ingrained Engineering DNA and values like agility, drive, and foresight. With investments into the Microsoft partnership, Simform is looking to bring the same Engineering DNA to Microsoft solutioning.

According to Hiren Dhaduk, CTO at Simform,

“The kind of Azure engineering that drives real impact is built on habits. Architecture reviews that don’t get skipped. Teams that don’t ship and vanish. Environments that don’t break under usage patterns no one planned for.

That’s the engineering maturity we’ve been building quietly at Simform. This investment helps us push it further, across every domain we work in, and every Microsoft engagement we walk into.”

The Lab and Innovation team at Simform has built solution accelerators to be able to have a clear go-to-market edge and reduce time-to-value for customers. Platform Accelerators like Neuvantage for AI-powered App modernisation and TrueMorph for AI-powered Data platform modernisation cover a wide range of scenarios. While Data360, MedNoteDx, and 10+ other accelerators address specific use-cases within Financial Services, Healthcare, Supply chain, and Retail industries.

Simform currently holds Microsoft Solutions Partner designations across four key areas – Digital & App Innovation, Data & AI, Infrastructure, and Security – and nine advanced specializations, including Building AI Apps, Migrate Enterprise Applications, and Analytics on Microsoft Azure. Simform has met all qualification requirements for Azure Expert MSP and is looking forward to attaining Azure Expert MSP designation by March 2026 by completing scheduled audit for the same.

Simform was also recently named a Microsoft Fabric Featured Partner, a recognition reserved for partners with demonstrated capability in building unified, AI-ready data estates on Fabric. It reflects Simform’s continued alignment with Microsoft’s data and AI priorities and its ability to help organizations modernize analytics with speed, scale, and governance.

Building market momentum: Simform at Microsoft Ignite 2025

Simform participated as a sponsor and exhibitor at Microsoft Ignite 2025, where Simform team held productive discussions with engineering and IT executives on how to adopt scalable AI platform practices using AI Foundry and AI-powered legacy application modernization, and building AI-ready, governed data foundations.

Across Microsoft announcement and technical sessions, Simform’s team saw a clear shift toward the “agentic” enterprise and the “Frontier Firm” operating model, with an emphasis on end-to-end AI lifecycle tooling, centralized agent management and observability, and platform capabilities that help organizations scale AI safely and repeatably. Just as importantly, Ignite underscored that security and governance are becoming foundational to AI scale, highlighting expanded Security Copilot agents and new Purview capabilities to strengthen data security and compliance for agents—reinforcing what executives repeatedly emphasized at the booth: speed-to-value matters, but only when paired with strong guardrails for identity, data, and risk.

Scaling co-sell motions and delivering outcomes

Simform’s roadmap for Microsoft FY26 reflects an ambitious push to scale the impact with Microsoft Cloud & AI solutions. Simform is looking to deliver 30+ transformations across infrastructure, applications, data, and AI and building 5+ accelerators aligned to and integrated with Microsoft solutions. Simform has built dedicated teams to scale the Microsoft GTM, including an alliance team to scale the co-sell motions in North America, the UK & Ireland, and Western Europe regions.

“We’ve built a Sales enablement program and pipeline engine aligned with how Microsoft sells,” said Hardik Shah, co-founder/CRO. “Our accelerator-driven offerings reduce the friction in the sales cycles and allow us to differentiate within the competitive partner ecosystem. While our dedicated sales/solutions team leverages the MCEM model, we work closely with Microsoft sellers to simplify value articulation and accelerate opportunities within their customer base.”

With its latest investment and continued alignment with Microsoft’s cloud and AI strategy, Simform is deepening its role as an engineering partner of choice. As enterprise teams move from experimentation to scale, Simform brings the frameworks, accelerators, and co-innovation depth to help Azure initiatives deliver measurable repeatable impact.

To learn more about our direction behind this investment, read this strategy overview published alongside this announcement.

About Simform

Simform is a digital engineering company specializing in Cloud/MACH architectures, Data, AI, ML, and Experience Engineering. With deep expertise across Microsoft Azure, Simform helps high-growth ISVs and tech-enabled enterprises build scalable, future-ready digital platforms through its co-engineering delivery model. With a rich heritage in Microsoft technologies, Simform is recognized as a Solution Partner for Digital and App Innovation, Data & AI, Infrastructure and security. Our team boasts 340+ Azure-certified engineers with specialized skills in .NET, SharePoint, and D365 platforms. With more than 15 years of experience, Simform delivers solutions for high-tech, fintech, healthcare & life sciences, supply chain & logistics, retail & ecommerce, and professional services industries.

Contact:

Prayaag Kasundra
+1-321-237-2727
[email protected]
https://www.simform.com/ 

SOURCE Simform LLC