LONDRES, 5 février 2026 — APEXX Global, la principale plateforme d’orchestration des paiements centrée sur les commerçants, a annoncé aujourd’hui un investissement stratégique pouvant atteindre 10 millions de dollars US, dirigé par Finch Capital, un investisseur de croissance européen possédant une grande expertise dans les paiements et les acteurs de la technologie financière à l’échelle internationale. 

APEXX Global est une plateforme d’orchestration des paiements plusieurs fois primée, qui permet aux commerçants d’entreprise, d’optimiser les performances de paiement à grande échelle par le biais d’une API unique. En acheminant intelligemment les transactions dans l’écosystème international des paiements, APEXX augmente sensiblement les taux d’acceptation, réduit les coûts de traitement et améliore les économies unitaires – transformant les paiements d’un fardeau opérationnel en un moteur mesurable de revenus et de marges.

L’investissement de Finch Capital, d’un montant maximum de 10 millions USD, fait suite à une période de forte dynamique commerciale pour APEXX Global, marquée par la signature d’importants contrats commerciaux avec des entreprises telles que Jet2, Iglu.com et Norse Atlantic vers la fin de l’année 2025. Ces nouveaux clients ont accéléré la montée en puissance de la plateforme et la croissance du chiffre d’affaires, ce qui a permis à l’entreprise d’atteindre le seuil de rentabilité. L’investissement de Finch servira maintenant à alimenter la prochaine phase de croissance d’APEXX Global, en soutenant l’innovation permanente des produits et l’expansion internationale, alors que la demande d’orchestration intelligente des paiements continue d’augmenter.

Dans le cadre de cet investissement, Radboud Vlaar, associé gérant chez Finch Capital, rejoindra le conseil d’administration d’APEXX Global et assumera le rôle de président, apportant sa grande expérience du soutien aux conseils d’administration et aux entreprises à forte croissance dans le domaine des paiements et des technologies financières.

Finch Capital gère plus de 500 millions d’euros d’actifs et a soutenu plus de 50 entreprises en portefeuille en Europe et aux États-Unis, avec une solide expérience dans la mise à l’échelle de plates-formes d’infrastructures critiques sur des marchés complexes et réglementés.

APEXX Global permet aux commerçants d’accéder à l’ensemble de l’écosystème international des paiements par le biais d’une API unique et fiable. Ses capacités de routage et d’optimisation intelligentes aident les commerçants à améliorer les taux de conversion, à réduire les coûts de traitement et à pérenniser leurs stratégies de paiement, sans ajouter de complexité ni de surcharge opérationnelle.

Radboud Vlaar, associé gérant de Finch Capital et président d’APEXX Global, a commenté l’événement :

 « APEXX Global a construit une plateforme d’orchestration des paiements réellement unique, en mettant clairement l’accent sur les résultats pour les commerçants. Le domaine des paiements est international, complexe et en constante évolution, et la capacité d’APEXX à optimiser intelligemment l’acceptation et les coûts à grande échelle lui confère un avantage concurrentiel exceptionnel. Nous sommes ravis de nous associer à l’équipe et de soutenir la prochaine phase de croissance internationale dans le secteur des voyages et au-delà. »

Peter Keenan, PDG et cofondateur d’APEXX Global, a déclaré :

 « Finch Capital apporte exactement la combinaison d’expertise en matière de paiements, de perspective internationale et d’expérience en matière de croissance que nous recherchions. Cet investissement est une validation solide de notre stratégie et de notre technologie, et la nomination de Radboud en tant que président renforce encore notre leadership au fur et à mesure que nous nous développons à l’échelle mondiale. Notre objectif reste clair : offrir une valeur mesurable aux commerçants en simplifiant les paiements et en améliorant les résultats. »

À propos d’APEXX GLOBAL (www.apexx.global)

APEXX Global est une plateforme internationale d’orchestration des paiements, plusieurs fois récompensée, qui regroupe les acquéreurs, les passerelles, les paniers d’achat et les méthodes de paiement alternatives en une seule place de marché et une solution unique pour les commerçants d’entreprise/de niveau 1. APEXX met en place un service intégré et transparent qui gère l’autorisation, le traitement et l’optimisation des transactions.

APEXX adopte une approche agnostique des partenariats, en travaillant avec de nombreux fournisseurs de solutions différents dans le secteur des paiements. Notre approche crée une solution plus efficace et plus rentable qui réduit la complexité des paiements électroniques et laisse de côté les systèmes technologiques traditionnels. Notre mission est d’aider les entreprises à se développer en réduisant les coûts inutiles, en augmentant les taux de conversion et en simplifiant le processus d’exécution des paiements grâce à une orchestration avancée des paiements.

A propos de Finch Capital (www.finchcapital.com)

Finch Capital est un investisseur européen en actions de croissance qui soutient des équipes ambitieuses construisant la prochaine génération de logiciels B2B spécialisés. Nous nous concentrons sur 9 secteurs de la technologie commerciale et financière. La société investit dans des entreprises générant généralement entre 5 et 15 millions d’euros de chiffre d’affaires, en les aidant à atteindre une échelle rentable et à accélérer leur croissance. Finch Capital apporte une expertise sectorielle approfondie et une méthode éprouvée de création de valeur. L’entreprise a soutenu des entreprises à forte croissance, dont AccountsIQ, eFlow, Fourthline, Goodlord, Lavanda, NomuPay et ZOPA.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 5, 2026 — Connect Music, the Memphis-based music rights and technology company led by Founder, President & CEO George Monger, has announced $80 million in new financing with Rockmont Partners and Variant Investments, positioning the company for significant growth in catalog acquisition, music licensing, and data-driven solutions that empower independent artists and labels worldwide.

Connect Music’s recent success includes the viral summer hit “Blow My High” by Dee Mula. The label also works with legendary Grammy-nominated producers Mike & Keys, alongside artists Sauce Walka, Don Trip, Boosie Badazz, and Nless Entertainment/BIG30. Past clients include YTB Fatt, Bread Gang Entertainment, and BigXthaPlug.

“This investment represents transformational growth capital for Connect Music and the artist partners we serve,” said George Monger, Founder, President & CEO of Connect Music. “It gives us the ability to grow aggressively while staying true to our mission: empowering creators to maximize their earnings while owning their art, their data, and their future.”

The growth of Connect Music reflects Monger’s unique blend of entrepreneurial vision, passion for artists, and perseverance. A Bluff City native, Monger has long championed the creative economy in Memphis and the broader region. He began his career managing an international touring opera singer, later launching and leading a nonprofit music organization for four years before serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in 2016.

In 2020, Monger founded Connect Music with the mission to provide independent artists and labels with transparent technology and financing typically reserved for major players. His leadership combines industry knowledge with a client-first approach that challenges traditional industry power structures. “George has consistently delivered on every promise,” said Richard W. Smith, CEO of FedEx Airline and International. “His leadership and vision represent what’s best about Memphis: resilience, innovation, and community.”

Richard W. Smith and the late Frederick W. Smith are among Connect Music’s most ardent supporters and shareholders, a testament to their belief in Monger’s leadership and integrity.

“We have seen Connect accelerate from a bold vision into a scaled, high-performing business. George’s ability to pair operational discipline with a deep commitment to creators has been a differentiator at every stage, and we have been impressed with how he executes on his plans. We are excited to support this next chapter and help George and the team continue building on this trajectory of sustainable, mission-driven growth for independent artists and labels,” said Curt Futch, Managing Director at Rockmont Partners.

With the new financing, Connect Music will scale its acquisition and licensing strategy, while deploying proprietary A.I models to expand opportunities for artists to earn more from their intellectual property.

Connect Music now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the industry, but with a distinct focus on data transparency, equity, and artist ownership.

“Managing artists and running a nonprofit taught me that talent alone isn’t enough. Artists deserve systems that honor their creativity and secure their future. My mission is to redefine what it means to win in music: where ownership, education, and empowerment coexist,” Monger added. “This investment allows us to scale while keeping creators at the center of every decision.”

About Connect Music

Connect Music is a Memphis-based music rights and technology company dedicated to empowering independent artists and labels through transparency, innovation, and ownership. By combining cutting-edge data analytics with deep industry experience, Connect Music provides artists with the tools to manage, monetize, and protect their intellectual property across global platforms.

Founded by: George Monger

Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee

Website: www.connectmusic.com

Media Contact: Abesi Manyando | 314-552-1316 | [email protected] | Atlanta| Memphis | Los Angeles

SOURCE Connect Music

AI-Native Platform Functions as a Creative Co-Pilot for Product Storytelling 

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2026 — Flock AI, an AI-native visual commerce platform built specifically for fashion and retail, has raised a $6M seed round, led by Work-Bench, bringing total funding to $7.5M. The round includes participation from January Ventures, Red Bike Capital, Outlander VC, AI Furnace, and strategic angels.

The funding comes as retail brands face a structural shift: ecommerce success now depends on personalized, high-quality visual content at scale, something traditional photoshoots and first generation AI tools were never designed to support.

“Creative teams need leverage,” said Manvitha Mallela, Co-Founder and CEO. “Flock gives them their time and budgets back. We train custom AI models through reinforcement learning to help brands scale personalized storytelling that drives revenue, while keeping creative judgment with humans.”

Flock acts as a creative team’s co-pilot, generating brand accurate product imagery for every customer and channel without added headcount or budget. Unlike generic AI tools, Flock fits directly into how creative and merchandising teams already work.

“Teams spend less time on repetitive production and more time on storytelling and experimentation,” said Malavika Reddy, Co-Founder and CTO. “Flock absorbs the busywork so creativity can scale.”

How Flock Is Different

AI as a Creative Co-Pilot: Fashion-trained models work alongside creatives to deliver realistic, on-brand visuals, not generic AI output.

Hyper-Accurate Brand DNA: Each brand gets a custom AI algo capturing 200+ visual attributes for consistent storytelling across ecommerce, editorial, and video.

A System That Learns What Converts: Reinforcement learning uses creative feedback and conversion data to continuously improve results.

One-to-One Commerce, Built Responsibly: Imagery that reflects consumers across body types, skin tones, and ages, a level of representation no photoshoot budget could achieve.

Proven Commercial Impact

Brands using Flock report up to 90% cost savings compared to traditional photoshoots and 30%+ conversion rate lifts from more varied, representative imagery.

Flock was built by insiders solving their own problem. CEO Manvitha Mallela spent years leading merchandising and creative operations at Bloomingdale’s and Jet.com/Walmart, experiencing firsthand how slow and expensive traditional content production can be. She’s building the platform she wished she had.  CTO Malavika Reddy brings over a decade of AI and computer vision experience, building and scaling machine learning systems.

The funding will accelerate product development and go-to-market efforts as enterprise demand grows.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Flock AI

New platform delivers enterprise-grade revenue automation without the complexity

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 5, 2026 — Turnstile today launched its quote-to-cash platform for sales-led startups with $29 million in funding from First Round, OMERS Ventures, Illuminate Financial, and a number of prominent angel investors.

When SaaS first emerged, it was built around a simple per-seat model: swipe a card, add users, and pay the bill. Easy. But modern SaaS has become far more complex. Today companies sell usage, tiers, bundles, pilots, ramps, and mid-cycle upgrades — with terms often heavily negotiated. Yet the operational infrastructure to manage this complexity hasn’t kept pace.

The cracks appear the moment the deal is signed. What follows is a scramble: the billing spreadsheet gets a new row, the CRM gets a manual update, and the finance team pieces together a billing schedule from the contract PDF—setting calendar reminders to handle the ramp that kicks in at month six or the pricing change in year two. The same information gets entered into multiple systems by multiple people. Amendments are made mid-contract. Things fall out of sync. Invoices go out wrong. Revenue reporting becomes a monthly reconciliation exercise.

Turnstile was built to close this gap for sales-led startups—and to do it in a radically different way. Legacy quote-to-cash platforms require 3-6 month implementations, dedicated administrators, and six-figure contracts. Turnstile flips that model entirely. It is the first self-service quote-to-cash platform: startups can sign up, connect their CRM, and generate their first quote in minutes—not months. Turnstile uses AI to transform deal terms into structured data—whether entered directly or extracted from existing contracts—and automates everything downstream: invoicing, subscription management, revenue recognition, and reporting.  No consultants. No IT projects. No waiting.

“Quote-to-cash has been broken for a long time—startups either cobble together spreadsheets and disconnected tools, or they’re forced into enterprise platforms that take months to implement,” said Jordan Zamir, CEO and co-founder of Turnstile.  “We built Turnstile to be a third option: enterprise-grade infrastructure that any startup can set up in an afternoon. Structure the deal however the customer needs, and let everything downstream—billing, reporting, renewals—just work. And for companies with existing contracts, our AI can ingest those documents and turn years of commercial history into structured data in minutes.”

Built for How Deals Actually Work

In sales-led businesses, negotiation is the norm, not the exception. Turnstile starts at quoting because it’s where quote-to-cash breaks first: non-standard terms get captured as unstructured data in documents, then re-keyed across systems, often inconsistently or with human-introduced errors.

Turnstile manages the full revenue lifecycle in one integrated quote-to-cash platform with four core modules:

• Quoting: Drag-and-drop quote building that combines the ease of a Google Doc with structured data—so flexible deals still automate downstream. Teams can quote from standardized plans or create fully custom quotes—with all deals living in the same system rather than a spreadsheet.
• Subscription Management: Real-time visibility into subscriptions, amendments, and renewals—so every change stays in sync for invoicing and reporting.
• Billing: Automatically generates accurate invoices from accepted quotes and changes—supporting flexible schedules and usage-based billing without manual work.
• Financial Reporting: Centralizes subscription and billing data to automate revenue recognition and deliver real-time metrics like ARR, bookings, and AR aging with drill-down visibility.

Turnstile serves as the single source of truth for what a customer agreed to, keeping deal terms consistent as they flow from quote to billing and reporting. When terms change—mid-cycle amendments, added seats, discounts, usage adjustments—teams select an effective date and Turnstile automatically recalculates invoices and updates reporting. No manual fixes. No reconciliation.

Early Customer Momentum

Turnstile’s approach is resonating with fast-moving teams that need to close deals quickly while staying operationally clean. Early customers include Crafting, Reform, Brellium, Trayd, and atronous.ai.

“We work with fast-moving engineering teams shipping AI-generated code at scale—speed is everything, Turnstile lets us move as fast as our customers do. No friction, no back-and-forth on quotes, even with our six-figure contracts. It just works,” says Sumeet Vaidya, CEO of Crafting.

Funding and What’s Next

The Series A will accelerate Turnstile’s product roadmap and go-to-market expansion. That includes agentic dunning to automate collections, agentic approvals to keep deals moving without bottlenecks, and a chat interface that lets teams manage revenue operations conversationally. Turnstile will also deepen its AI to ingest existing contracts and turn years of commercial history into structured data in minutes.

“Quote-to-cash has been an under-the-radar pain point for startups for several years now. Founders and finance leaders are either managing deals in spreadsheets or buying enterprise software that takes six months to implement. Turnstile is the first platform that’s tailored to how growing companies actually sell, capable of handling complex deals without the complex setup,” said Todd Jackson, Partner at First Round Capital.

“AI is accelerating how software is priced and sold, and static revenue systems just can’t keep up,” said Laura Lenz, Managing Partner at OMERS Ventures. “Turnstile is building the system of record for modern commercial terms, so founders can evolve pricing models over time while keeping revenue infrastructure flexible, durable, and out of the way.”

“Quote-to-cash complexity compounds as companies grow—and AI-driven pricing models are accelerating that complexity even further,” said Alex Gheorghe, Investor at Illuminate Financial. Turnstile brings structure to real-world dealmaking and unlocks automation across billing and reporting, without taking flexibility away from the business.”

About Turnstile

Turnstile automates quote-to-cash for sales-led companies no matter how they price. By creating a structured system of record for commercial terms, Turnstile powers quoting, subscription management, billing, and financial reporting, helping teams stay lean, get paid faster, and scale with confidence. For more information, visit: https://turnstile.ai/

SOURCE Turnstile

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Feb. 5, 2026 — Sonorous Neurovascular, a pioneering medical device company dedicated to advancing neurovascular therapies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Device Designation to the BosSTENT™ device.  

The FDA’s Breakthrough Devices Program aims to provide patients and healthcare providers with more timely access to innovative medical devices that have the potential to provide more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions.

Symptomatic venous sinus stenosis is a primary contributor to debilitating pulsatile (pulse-synchronous) tinnitus. Current treatment options remain limited for many patients. The BosSTENT™, a purpose-built braided, self-expanding stent, delivers an optimized solution through its proprietary design —featuring optimal radiopacity, enhanced visibility, resheathability for precise deployment, and excellent conformability in complex anatomy.

“This FDA Breakthrough Device Designation is a major milestone for Sonorous Neurovascular and, most importantly, for the patients suffering from debilitating pulsatile tinnitus,” said Joel Harris, President, Sonorous Neurovascular. “The BosSTENT™ represents years of focused innovation to deliver an on-label, minimally invasive solution that normalizes venous hemodynamics and has the potential to dramatically improve quality of life for individuals with pulsatile tinnitus. We are grateful for the FDA’s recognition and look forward to collaborating closely under this program to accelerate access to treating patients.”

The designation follows promising early clinical experience, including first-in-human uses and ongoing studies evaluating the safety and performance of the BosSTENT™ in treating pulse-synchronous tinnitus and other symptoms of venous sinus stenosis.

Sonorous Neurovascular is advancing clinical trials and regulatory pathways to bring the BosSTENT™ to patients in the United States and beyond.

About Pulsatile (pulse-synchronous) Tinnitus

Pulsatile (pulse-synchronous) tinnitus is a form of tinnitus characterized by a rhythmic whooshing, thumping, or pulsing sound in one or both ears that synchronizes with the individual’s heartbeat. The condition often stems from identifiable vascular or circulatory issues, such as turbulent blood flow near the ear caused by cerebral venous sinus abnormalities.

About Sonorous Neurovascular

Sonorous Neurovascular is a clinical-stage medical device company focused on developing transformative solutions for cerebral venous diseases. The company’s flagship BosSTENT™ is designed to address symptomatic cerebral venous sinus stenosis, offering hope to patients with debilitating pulsatile tinnitus. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California, USA, Sonorous Neurovascular is committed to innovation that improves patient outcomes through minimally invasive technologies and diagnostics to enhance patient care.

Contact Information:
James D. Nonato
Sonorous Neurovascular
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (949) 810 0055
https://www.sonorousnv.com/ 

SOURCE Sonorous Neurovascular

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2026 — Advance, a financial platform built for insurance that reduces operational friction while ensuring premium dollars are controlled and earning, today announced it has raised $8.55 million in seed funding to modernize how insurance intermediaries manage and move money.

The round was led by nvp Capital, with participation from Crystal Ventures, Vesey Ventures, and Mensch Capital, alongside strategic angels including Assaf Wand, former CEO and founder of Hippo Insurance. The seed round follows Advance’s pre-seed financing and includes participation from insurance-aligned strategic investors.

Insurance intermediaries—including managing general agents (MGAs), wholesalers, and scaled agencies—handle some of the most complex money movement in financial services. Premium dollars must be collected, segregated, reconciled, and remitted across multiple parties, all while maintaining strict compliance and auditability in support of their fiduciary responsibilities Yet most firms still rely on legacy banks, generic payment tools, and manual spreadsheet workflows with no common language to manage these processes.

“Advance is the GPS for insurance payments.” said Omer Rimoch, founder and CEO of Advance. “By combining purpose-built financial infrastructure with AI, we make sure every dollar is tracked, contextualized, and optimized in real time. When finance is fully automated, money doesn’t get lost — it generates value.

Advance provides bank-supported payments and account infrastructure purpose-built for the nuances and complexities of insurance. By automating the flow from payment collection to insurance intermediary trust accounts, carrier remittance, and producer commissions, Advance helps firms eliminate manual reconciliation, shorten payment cycles, and support operational and compliance requirements associated with premium handling. The platform also enables intermediaries to earn yield on idle premium balances, wherever applicable—turning a historically passive requirement into a financial advantage.

“Advance unlocked yield on premium funds we hold in trust that previously generated no return,” said Alex Bargmann, CEO at Pathpoint Insurance. “Its intuitive platform makes managing our premium trust accounts straightforward while replacing manual work with a structured process and increasing visibility into our funds flow.”

“Advance understands that insurance money is different,” said Vaughn Crowe, Partner at NVP Capital. “Most solutions treat the symptoms with point tools and workarounds. Advance goes deeper—solving the underlying infrastructure problem with a platform built to support our insurance intermediaries with fiduciary responsibilities, operational scale, and regulatory reality.”

The new funding will support product expansion, go-to-market growth with MGAs, wholesalers, and high-volume agencies that face increasing pressure from premium volume, audit scrutiny, and operational complexity.

“Insurance has some of the most complex money movement in financial services, yet it’s still supported by infrastructure that was never designed for how premium dollars actually flow,” said Jonathan Crystal, Managing Partner at Crystal Ventures. “Advance isn’t adding another layer of tooling—they’re fixing the underlying economics by giving insurance operators a better way to manage premium funds, reduce friction, and turn a required process into a source of value.”

About Advance

Advance is a financial platform built for insurance that helps MGAs, wholesalers, and high-volume agencies modernize how premium money moves. Designed around the complexity of fiduciary insurance funds, Advance reduces operational friction while ensuring premium dollars are controlled, auditable, and earning—turning required financial operations into a source of efficiency and revenue. Headquartered in New York, Advance is backed by leading fintech and insurance-focused investors. For more information, visit advancehq.com

Media contact:

Shannon Curran, Fractional CMO, [email protected]

SOURCE Advance

DRESDEN, Germany, Feb. 5, 2026 — Morpheus Space, a leading innovator and manufacturer of advanced electric propulsion systems for in-space mobility, today announced a new strategic investment by Alpine Space Ventures and the European Investment Fund, with continued support from Lavrock Ventures, Morpheus Ventures, Pallas Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, as well as other new and existing investors, to fuel the company’s next phase of growth and innovation.

Morpheus Space will deploy the funding to expand its mass-production capabilities and team, advancing the development of its next-generation mobility products. The enhanced production capacity at its Reloaded Facility in Dresden will further enable the company to support its customer base with reliable, rapidly deployable propulsion systems for large-scale satellite constellations.

“We’re excited to deepen our partnership with Alpine Space Ventures and work with the European Investment Fund, alongside support from existing investors, as we scale to meet accelerating global demand,” said Kevin Lausten, CEO of Morpheus Space. “This investment enables us to industrialize our GO-2 electric propulsion systems and deliver at a pace and efficiency that matches the growth of the space economy, while continuing to advance the technology that defines our leadership in the market.”

 “The space industry is at a crossroads. Growing orbital congestion and the race for dominance in orbit are making maneuverability a strategic necessity. What’s needed now are scalable, cost-efficient propulsion systems designed for dynamic space operations. Morpheus Space is uniquely positioned to meet this demand and solve one of the sector’s most urgent bottlenecks.” –  Bulent Altan, Alpine Space Ventures.

Morpheus is building the manufacturing depth and technical capability required to support the next generation of space missions. This investment will accelerate production scale and product development as the company continues to expand its support for commercial and government customers worldwide.

About Morpheus Space

Morpheus Space is a leading provider of electric propulsion systems enabling agile and resilient satellite operations in today’s congested, contested, and competitive space environment. The company delivers space-proven, scalable propulsion from its development and production facilities in Dresden, Germany, with additional operations in El Segundo, California.

To learn more about Morpheus Space visit: www.morpheus.space.

SOURCE Morpheus Space

The New Name Reflects Its Evolution into a National Venture Organization

CINCINNATI, Feb. 5, 2026 — Queen City Angels today announced that it has officially rebranded as QCA Ventures™, marking a strategic evolution into a nationally recognized venture organization supporting early-stage founders with capital, expertise, and long-term partnership.

Founded in 2000, QCA Ventures has grown from a small group of local investors into a network of more than 219 accredited members across 25 states. The rebrand reflects the organization’s expanding national footprint, institutional fund platform, and increasingly sophisticated venture operations. “We started with five investors in Cincinnati and have grown into a professionally structured venture organization with national reach,” said Founder and Chairman Tony Shipley. “QCA Ventures reflects who we’ve become — disciplined investors, active mentors, and long-term partners to founders building successful, high-growth companies.”

Proven Track Record of Early-Stage Impact
Since inception, QCA Ventures has:

• Invested nearly $130 million across 123 portfolio companies
• Helped attract more than $1 billion in follow-on syndicated capital
• Supported companies driving innovation, job creation, and strong investor returns

QCA Ventures operates multiple venture funds alongside its direct investment platform. Its latest fund, QCA First Fund VII, was launched in late 2024 and has already invested in 12 companies following the organization’s comprehensive screening and due diligence process. The fund remains open to new accredited investors through 2026. “We measure our success by the success of our founders,” said Michelle Gibbs, QCA Ventures member and co-fund manager of First Fund VII. “The quality of companies we’ve backed through this fund reflects both the strength of today’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the rigor of our investment process.”

More Than Capital: Hands-On Venture Support
Unlike traditional angel networks, QCA Ventures members actively engage with portfolio companies by providing strategic guidance, board participation, customer introductions, talent connections, and follow-on fundraising support. “Our members invest both capital and time,” said Executive Director Scott Jacobs. “That hands-on involvement is a major differentiator and one of the reasons founders consistently seek out QCA Ventures as a long-term partner.”

Rooted Locally, Investing Nationally
While QCA Ventures maintains strong ties to the Cincinnati entrepreneurial ecosystem, the organization now deploys capital nationally while continuing to support innovation and startup growth in the Queen City.

“Our roots in Cincinnati remain strong,” Shipley added. “At the same time, this rebrand reflects the national scope of our investing activity and the professionalism of our investor community.”

New Brand Identity and Tagline
Along with the name change, QCA Ventures is introducing a new brand identity and tagline:

Capital. Connections. Commitment.
“The tagline captures what makes QCA Ventures unique,” said Mike Halloran, QCA Ventures member and professor at Xavier University’s Williams College of Business. “We provide capital, open doors through meaningful connections, and stay committed to founders from the first check through successful exit.”

About QCA Ventures
QCA Ventures is a group of 219 experienced accredited investors located in 25 states. Investor members include successful entrepreneurs, former C-suite corporate executives, R&D/technical experts and others with related business backgrounds. QCA Ventures operates multiple venture funds supporting high-growth startups across four major industry sectors: in life sciences, IT (B2B SaaS), advanced materials, and advanced manufacturing. QCA Ventures leverages its proprietary Standards + Practices Guide© to educate, train, and mentor both entrepreneurs and its early-stage investor members. QCA Ventures members typically donate approximately 50,000 hours per year in pro-bono mentoring, coaching, and guidance to entrepreneurs with the goal of helping them improve the probability of a successful outcome. Since 2000, QCA Ventures has directly invested over $130 million in 123 portfolio companies. The total capital invested in these companies, including QCA Ventures members’ capital, syndication partners’ capital, follow-on venture capital funds, and venture debt is more than $1 billion. For more information, please visit www.qca.com.

SOURCE QCA Ventures

LONDON, Feb. 5, 2026 — APEXX Global, the leading merchant-centric Payment Orchestration Platform, today announced a strategic investment of up to $10 million USD led by Finch Capital, a European growth investor with deep expertise in payments and scaling financial technology players internationally. 

APEXX Global is a multi award-winning Payment Orchestration Platform enabling enterprise merchants to optimise payment performance at scale through a single API. By intelligently routing transactions across the global payments ecosystem, APEXX materially increases acceptance rates, reduces processing costs, and improves unit economics – turning payments from an operational burden into a measurable driver of revenue and margin.

The investment of up to $10 million USD from Finch Capital follows a period of strong commercial momentum for APEXX Global, marked by significant enterprise merchant wins including Jet2, Iglu.com and Norse Atlantic towards the end of 2025. These customer additions accelerated platform scale and revenue growth, taking the business to the brink of break-even. Finch’s investment will now be used to power APEXX Global’s next phase of growth, supporting continued product innovation and international expansion as demand for intelligent payment orchestration continues to rise.

As part of the investment, Radboud Vlaar, Managing Partner at Finch Capital, will join the APEXX Global Board and assume the role of Chairman, bringing extensive experience supporting Boards and high-growth payments and financial technology businesses.

Finch Capital manages in excess of €500 million in assets under management and has backed more than 50 portfolio companies across Europe and the US, with a strong track record of scaling mission-critical infrastructure platforms in complex, regulated markets.

APEXX Global enables enterprise merchants to access the entire global payments ecosystem through a single, trusted API. Its intelligent routing and optimisation capabilities help merchants improve conversion rates, lower processing costs, and future-proof their payment strategies – without adding complexity or operational overhead.

Radboud Vlaar, Managing Partner at Finch Capital and Chairman of APEXX Global, commented:

 “APEXX Global has built a truly differentiated payment orchestration platform with a clear focus on merchant outcomes. Payments is   a  global, complex, and rapidly evolving space, and APEXX’s ability to intelligently optimise acceptance and cost at scale positions   them exceptionally well. We are excited to partner with the team and support the next phase of international growth in Travel and       beyond.“

Peter Keenan, CEO and Co-Founder of APEXX Global, said:

 “Finch Capital brings exactly the combination of payments expertise, international perspective, and growth experience we were     looking for. This investment is a strong validation of our strategy and technology, and Radboud’s appointment as Chairman further   strengthens our leadership as we scale globally. Our focus remains clear: delivering measurable value for merchants by simplifying   payments and driving better outcomes.”

About APEXX GLOBAL (www.apexx.global)

APEXX Global is a multi-award winning global payments orchestration platform that combines acquirers, gateways, shopping carts and Alternative Payments Methods into a single marketplace and one-stop solution for Enterprise/Tier 1 merchants. APEXX builds an integrated and transparent service that manages the authorisation, processing and optimisation of transactions.

APEXX takes an agnostic approach to partnerships, working with many different solutions providers across the payments industry. Our approach creates a more efficient and cost-effective solution that cuts through the complexity of e-payments and leaves behind legacy technology systems. Our mission is to help businesses grow by reducing unnecessary costs, increasing conversion rates and simplifying the payment execution process through advanced payment orchestration.

About Finch Capital (www.finchcapital.com)

Finch Capital is a European growth equity investor backing ambitious teams building the next generation of specialist B2B software, where we focus on 9 sectors in Business and Financial technology. The firm invests in companies typically generating €5–15 million in ARR, supporting them to reach profitable scale and accelerate growth. Finch Capital brings deep sector expertise and a proven hands-on value creation playbook. The firm has backed high growth companies, including AccountsIQ, eFlow, Fourthline, Goodlord, Lavanda, NomuPay, and ZOPA.