The largest defense-tech Series A in U.S. history will accelerate development of Fury, Scout’s foundation model for unmanned warfare

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 29, 2026 — Scout AI Inc. (“Scout AI”) today announced an oversubscribed $100 million Series A financing to accelerate development of Fury, its foundation model for unmanned warfare. The round was co-led by Align Ventures and Draper Associates.

“This historic raise is a signal to every patriot in Silicon Valley,” said Colby Adcock, CEO and Co-Founder of Scout AI. “The most important frontier in AI is the physical world, and it should be pursued in service to the men and women who defend this country. Some AI companies are stepping back from defense. We’re stepping up, and we’re bringing on the best engineers in the world for the mission. Come build Fury and ensure American dominance in the age of robots.”

Scout AI is the premier frontier AI lab for war, distinct from defense primes and defense-tech neo-primes focused on manufacturing and integration. Its singular focus is the AI brain for unmanned warfare, translating commander intent into coordinated autonomous action across large, mixed fleets. Fury is built for the tactical edge, enabling layered orchestration from command and control to unmanned systems across air, land, sea, and space.

“Scout AI is exactly the company this moment demands,” said Tyrone Lee, Partner at Draper Associates. “As uncrewed systems reshape the battlefield, advantage will go to whoever can orchestrate and command them most effectively.”

Scout AI has made significant progress since its founding 18 months ago. In its first year, the company booked $11 million in contracts with the Department of War, unveiled Ox, its C2-based autonomous vehicle orchestrator, and publicly demonstrated a fully autonomous, end-to-end strike mission executed by AI agents. It has also assembled a 34-person powerhouse team, with deep experience across AI, robotics, and national security.

Collin Otis, CTO and Co-Founder of Scout AI added, “The U.S. military has been promised true, one-to-many autonomy for years. Fury finally delivers it. We’re deploying this $100 million to massively scale our foundational military AI and multi-agent collaboration to extend Fury’s lead as the most capable AI foundation model for war. That compounding advantage is what makes this moment so important and why we’re moving as fast as we are. Our adversaries are sprinting and we must outpace them.”

The historic round also saw participation from Decisive Point, Booz Allen Ventures, BVVC, Neman Ventures, Evolution VC Partners, Heraclitus Capital Management, Sigmas Group, Disruptive Founders Fund, and Vaughn Capital Partners.

About Scout AI

Founded in 2024 by Colby Adcock and Collin Otis and actually headquartered in Silicon Valley, Scout AI is the frontier AI lab for war developing the reasoning layer that turns commander intent into coordinated action at the edge, from command & control to heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, land, sea, and space. Learn more at www.scoutco.ai.

SOURCE Scout AI Inc.

LONDON , April 29, 2026 — Illuminate Financial has closed its fourth fund at $135 million, bringing together eight of the world’s leading financial institutions to back Enterprise AI and Fintech companies building the infrastructure of tomorrow’s financial services industry.

Illuminate Financial, the specialist venture capital firm focused on technology for financial services, today announced it has raised $135 million for its Early Growth Fund from investors including BNP Paribas, Citi, Deutsche Börse, HSBC, Jefferies, RBC, S&P Global, and TD Securities. The fund targets Series B+ Enterprise AI and Fintech companies at the critical inflection point between proven technology and institutional scale.

Few venture funds can offer portfolio companies direct relationships with the institutions that will ultimately buy, partner with, or scale their technology. Illuminate’s strategic investor base provides an unparalleled network of go-to-market relationships, industry expertise, and operational insight. Their involvement is a meaningful differentiator for Series B companies seeking to accelerate enterprise adoption.

This is Illuminate’s fourth fund and first to target the Series B+ stage, a deliberate expansion built on over a decade of early-stage fintech investing. Founded by Mark Beeston in 2014, the firm operates across London, New York, and Singapore, led alongside Partners Alexander Ross, Rezso Szabo, Rachel Townend, and Luca Zorzino. Illuminate has raised $500 million across four funds, invested in 55 companies, and completed 14 successful exits. Its 2015 vintage fund is ranked the top European venture fund for distributions by Cambridge Associates.

Mark Beeston, Founder and Managing Partner at Illuminate Financial, said: “Financial services technology continues to evolve at pace, and the conviction shown by our strategic investors reflects a shared belief that the most durable infrastructure of the next decade will be built by the companies we are investing in today. Our competitive advantage in this strategy is the reach and relationships we have built over a decade of early-stage investing and the deep familiarity with founders and their journeys that comes from being there from the start. We are grateful for our investors’ partnership and look forward to backing the next generation of visionary founders.”

Junaid Baig, Head of Strategic Investments at BNP Paribas, said: “We are pleased to join Illuminate Financial’s Early Growth Fund as a strategic investor. Illuminate has built a distinctive platform and their deep understanding of how financial institutions adopt and deploy new technology aligns closely with our own priorities. We look forward to working with Illuminate to help shape the next generation of financial services infrastructure.”

Barrie Laver, Managing Director, Head of Venture Capital & Private Equity at RBC, said: “RBC has long been committed to investing in the technologies that will define the future of financial services, and our participation in Illuminate’s Early Growth Fund reflects that conviction. We value Illuminate’s understanding of enterprise adoption and the excellent access they provide to their portfolio companies.”

Andrew Murray, Managing Director at Citi Ventures, said: “Illuminate has an exceptional track record of identifying and backing the companies building critical infrastructure for financial services. Their deep relationships across the industry, combined with a rigorous focus on enterprise-grade technology make them a natural partner as we continue to engage with founders building at this level.” 

Four investments have already been made: Pliant, a Berlin-based corporate card and spend management platform; TransFICC, the specialist provider of low-latency connectivity for fixed income and derivatives markets; Zocks, a privacy-first AI platform for financial advisors; and Endowus, Asia’s leading independent wealth advisory platform with client assets exceeding $10 billion.

Disclosure

Nothing in this press release should be viewed as a statement of the named institutions’ experience with, or endorsement of, Illuminate Financial and it is not known whether the listed institutions approve of Illuminate Financial or the advisory services provided. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The contents of this press release should not be construed as legal, tax, investment or other advice, or a recommendation to purchase or sell any particular security.

About Illuminate Financial

Illuminate Financial is a specialist venture capital firm investing in early-stage Enterprise AI & Fintech companies. With teams across London, New York, and Singapore, we combine capital with unmatched connectivity to global financial institutions, helping visionary founders build and scale. www.illuminatefinancial.com

Media Enquiries
Rosie Zehtab
Head of Community
+44 (0)203 198 1600 
[email protected] 

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2968069/Illuminate_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Illuminate Financial

JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 29, 2026 — PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (“PT Vale” or the “Company”) has secured a US$750 million Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL) facility, including a US$250 million greenshoe option, marking its debut in the syndicated loan market and reinforcing its sustainable finance strategy. Supported by 14 international banks and 1.7 times oversubscribed, the facility reflects strong lender confidence in PT Vale’s credit profile, strategic project pipeline, and ESG-linked growth trajectory.

Structured under PT Vale’s Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework, the facility is linked to two performance metrics: reducing carbon emissions intensity and increasing renewable energy consumption. Both KPIs received a “strong” rating from an independent Second Party Opinion provider, aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathway and Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

As demand for responsibly produced nickel grows, driven by electrification, energy storage, and global decarbonisation, PT Vale is positioned as a relatively low-carbon producer supported by hydropower-based operations.

President Director and Chief Executive Officer of PT Vale, Bernardus Irmanto, stated: “This facility marks an important step in our journey to align our financing strategy with our decarbonisation agenda and long-term growth ambitions. We remain committed to delivering high-quality nickel with a lower carbon footprint, while supporting Indonesia’s downstreaming agenda and contributing meaningfully to the global energy transition.”

Harapman Kasan, Wholesale Banking Director, UOB Indonesia, stated: “As Southeast Asia’s nickel sector continues to evolve, the role of well-structured transition financing becomes increasingly critical. This transaction reflects our commitment to aligning financing structures with measurable sustainability objectives, while supporting Indonesia’s broader industrial and energy transition priorities.”

Mike Zhang, Global Head of Metals & Mining, Institutional Banking at DBS Bank, added that the metals and mining sector plays a pivotal role in enabling the energy transition and must demonstrate credible, measurable progress in sustainability.

Ken Matsuo, President Director of PT Bank Mizuho Indonesia, commented: “The energy sector is a cornerstone of Indonesia’s economy, and we are pleased to support PT Vale’s inaugural syndicated loan. Despite market volatility, the strong participation and oversubscription underscore confidence in PT Vale’s business model. We see ESG integration in financing structures such as this as a critical enabler of a sustainable energy transition.”

PT Vale will also allocate financial benefits from sustainability-linked margin adjustments to community development programmes, extending ESG impact beyond operations.

Media Contact:
Vanda Kusumaningrum 
Head of Corporate Communications
PT Vale Indonesia Tbk.
[email protected]

SOURCE PT Vale Indonesia Tbk

-e& de EAU se suma a la ronda de financiación de 10 millones de dólares de MagicCube para impulsar la seguridad poscuántica de nivel soberano en los ámbitos de la inteligencia artificial, la identidad y los pagos 

CUPERTINO, Calif., 28 de abril de 2026 — MagicCube, pionera en soluciones de seguridad basadas en software para pagos, identidad y activos digitales, ha anunciado hoy que e& capital, la división de inversiones del grupo tecnológico global e&, se ha sumado a su ronda de financiación de 10 millones de dólares, lo que supone el segundo cierre de la inversión. Esta colaboración pone de relieve su misión compartida de ofrecer una seguridad de nivel soberano y sin hardware que refuerce la confianza digital en dispositivos, nubes y jurisdicciones de todo el mundo.

e& capital se une a Verifone, inversor estratégico de la primera ronda de financiación y líder mundial en tecnología de pagos, junto con inversores financieros e individuales ya existentes, entre los que se incluyen Bold Capital Partners y Mosaik Partners, entre otros.

Esta colaboración surge en un momento en que los países y las empresas aceleran sus esfuerzos por proteger los modelos de IA, las identidades digitales y los flujos de datos transfronterizos, mientras la región del Golfo se perfila como un importante centro de infraestructura de IA e innovación digital.

“MagicCube está respondiendo a una necesidad en rápido crecimiento en la intersección entre la identidad digital, los pagos y la seguridad de la IA”, afirmó Eddy Farhat, director ejecutivo de Corporate Ventures en e&. “A medida que más cargas de trabajo sensibles se trasladan a entornos de nube y edge, las organizaciones necesitan una seguridad flexible y basada en software que pueda respaldar la resiliencia, el cumplimiento normativo y la escalabilidad. Nuestra inversión refleja el enfoque de e& capital en respaldar tecnologías que fortalezcan una infraestructura digital de confianza y abran nuevas oportunidades en mercados de alto crecimiento.”

Mientras los fondos soberanos, las empresas de telecomunicaciones y los hiperescaladores realizan importantes inversiones en capacidades informáticas y de datos de última generación, MagicCube ofrece una estructura de confianza neutral y centrada en el software que protege las cargas de trabajo críticas en todas las regiones, dispositivos y proveedores de nube. Su plataforma mejora la continuidad y la resiliencia, lo que permite que los servicios de pagos, identidad e inteligencia artificial sigan siendo seguros y estén disponibles a medida que evolucionan las rutas de infraestructura y los marcos normativos.

“Tras el respaldo de Verifone —y en un momento en el que el Golfo está configurando el futuro de la IA y la infraestructura digital—, contar con e& de nuestro lado supone tanto un poderoso respaldo como una señal estratégica”, afirmó Sam Shawki, consejero delegado y cofundador de MagicCube. “Junto con e&, estamos construyendo vías seguras de identidad e IA que no están vinculadas a ningún hiperescalador, proveedor de hardware o jurisdicción en concreto, lo que da a nuestros socios la confianza necesaria para expandirse a nivel mundial.”

Esta inversión supone un hito clave en el creciente papel que desempeñan los líderes tecnológicos regionales a la hora de definir los estándares globales en materia de IA, la nube y las finanzas digitales. Al respaldar la plataforma Software Defined Trust (SDT) de MagicCube, e& apoya una capa de seguridad preparada para entornos soberanos e independiente del hardware que abarca múltiples entornos, se adapta a las cambiantes exigencias normativas y ofrece a gobiernos, bancos y empresas un mayor control sobre cómo y dónde se protegen sus datos críticos y sus modelos de IA.

La plataforma SDT de MagicCube protege los pagos, las identificaciones digitales y los servicios impulsados por IA en smartphones, tabletas, vehículos, quioscos de autopago y dispositivos IoT. Esta capa de confianza universal permite a los socios:

“A medida que la informática y los datos se convierten en activos estratégicos nacionales, nuestra misión es ofrecer a nuestros socios una infraestructura de confianza neutral que funcione con cualquier nube, cualquier dispositivo y en cualquier parte del mundo”, añadió Shawki. “Con e& al frente de esta ronda, podemos acelerar esa visión junto con las regiones que están invirtiendo de forma más ambiciosa en la próxima etapa de la IA y la soberanía digital”.

Para obtener más información, visite www.magiccube.co o contacte con [email protected].

Acerca de MagicCube 
MagicCube ofrece una solución de seguridad basada en software que protege los datos confidenciales y las cargas de trabajo tanto en los dispositivos como en la nube, lo que elimina la necesidad de módulos de seguridad de hardware específicos. Su plataforma protege los pagos, la identidad digital y los servicios de inteligencia artificial para bancos, empresas de telecomunicaciones y otras empresas, garantizando la resiliencia y el cumplimiento normativo en todas las jurisdicciones.

Acerca de e& 

e& (ADX: EAND) es un grupo tecnológico global comprometido con impulsar el futuro digital en 38 países de Oriente Medio, Asia, África y Europa. Fundada en Abu Dabi en 1976, e& aprovecha sus cinco décadas de experiencia en conectividad avanzada para ofrecer potentes soluciones digitales que generan valor y fomentan el progreso.

Para empresas y gobiernos, e& proporciona infraestructura de misión crítica, incluyendo plataformas de nube soberana, centros de datos y soluciones basadas en IA para resolver retos complejos y acelerar el crecimiento. Para millones de clientes, el Grupo ofrece conectividad líder a nivel mundial junto con servicios digitales en los ámbitos del entretenimiento, la tecnología financiera y las superapps que enriquecen la vida cotidiana.

Impulsada por la innovación y respaldada por alianzas internacionales, e& ofrece tecnología segura y de alto rendimiento que fortalece las economías y amplía las oportunidades a nivel mundial.

Para obtener más información sobre e&, visite www.eand.com

Foto – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2965889/MC_eAnd_press_imagepng.jpg

CUPERTINO, Calif., April 28, 2026 — MagicCube, the pioneer of software-based security for payments, identity, and digital assets, today announced that e& capital, the investment arm of global technology group e&, has joined its $10 million funding round, marking the second closing of the investment. The partnership underscores a shared mission to deliver sovereign-grade, hardware-free security that strengthens digital trust across devices, clouds, and jurisdictions worldwide.

e& capital joins first-close strategic investor Verifone, a global leader in payments technology, along with existing financial and individual investors, including Bold Capital Partners and Mosaik Partners, among others.

This collaboration comes as nations and enterprises accelerate efforts to secure AI models, digital identities, and cross-border data flows, with the Gulf region emerging as a major hub for AI infrastructure and digital innovation.

“MagicCube is addressing a fast-growing need at the intersection of digital identity, payments, and AI security,” said Eddy Farhat, Executive Director, Corporate Ventures at e&. “As more sensitive workloads move across cloud and edge environments, organizations need flexible, software-based security that can support resilience, compliance, and scale. Our investment reflects e& capital’s focus on backing technologies that strengthen trusted digital infrastructure and open new opportunities across high-growth markets.”

As sovereign funds, telcos, and hyperscalers invest heavily in next-generation compute and data capabilities, MagicCube delivers a neutral, software-first trust fabric that secures critical workloads across regions, devices, and cloud providers. Its platform enhances continuity and resilience, allowing payments, identity, and AI services to remain secure and available as infrastructure routes and regulatory frameworks evolve.

“Following Verifone’s support—and at a time when the Gulf is shaping the future of AI and digital infrastructure—having e& in our corner is both a powerful endorsement and a strategic signal,” said Sam Shawki, CEO and co-founder of MagicCube. “Together with e&, we’re building secure identity and AI rails not tied to any single hyperscaler, hardware vendor, or jurisdiction—giving our partners the confidence to scale globally.”

The investment marks a key milestone in the growing role of regional technology champions in defining global standards for AI, cloud, and digital finance. By backing MagicCube’s Software Defined Trust (SDT) platform, e& supports a sovereign-ready, hardware-independent security layer that spans multiple environments, aligns with evolving regulatory demands, and gives governments, banks, and enterprises greater control over how and where their critical data and AI models are protected.

MagicCube’s SDT platform secures payments, digital IDs, and AI-driven services across smartphones, tablets, vehicles, self-checkout kiosks, and IoT devices. This universal trust layer enables partners to:

“As compute and data become strategic national assets, our mission is to give partners a neutral trust fabric that works with any cloud, any device, anywhere in the world,” added Shawki. “With e& at the forefront of this round, we can accelerate that vision alongside the regions investing most ambitiously in the next chapter of AI and digital sovereignty.”

For more information, visit www.magiccube.co or contact [email protected].

About MagicCube
MagicCube provides software-based security that protects sensitive data and workloads on devices and in the cloud—eliminating the need for dedicated hardware security modules. Its platform secures payments, digital identity, and AI services for banks, telcos, and enterprises, ensuring resilience and compliance across jurisdictions.

About e&

e& (ADX: EAND) is a global technology group committed to advancing the digital future across 38 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Founded in Abu Dhabi in 1976, e& leverages its five decades’ legacy in advanced connectivity to deliver powerful digital solutions that unlock value and drive progress.

For enterprises and governments, e& provides mission-critical infrastructure, including sovereign cloud platforms, data centers, and AI-powered solutions to solve complex challenges and accelerate growth. For millions of customers, the Group brings world-leading connectivity together with digital services across entertainment, fintech, and superapp experiences that enrich daily life.

Driven by innovation and strengthened by global partnerships, e& delivers secure, high-performance technology that strengthens economies and expands opportunity globally.

To learn more about e&, visit www.eand.com

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2965889/MC_eAnd_press_imagepng.jpg

BOSTON, April 28, 2026 — Teknor Apex Company, a global leader in material science solutions, today announced it has joined as a founding partner in OSS Ventures’ new investment fund, targeting €75M million to scale proven industrial software companies across North America and Europe.

Building Software Where It Matters: On the Manufacturing Floor

Founded in 2019 by Renan Devillieres, OSS Ventures is a venture studio building next-generation industrial software that operates at the intersection of software development and manufacturing operations. The firm’s thesis is straightforward: industrial software only drives lasting change when it’s built from the manufacturing floor up – alongside the operators, supervisors, and engineers who use it daily.

With OSS Ventures now expanding operations beyond Europe to its new office in Boston, MA, Teknor Apex will serve as the regional industrial anchor partner, becoming the first U.S. manufacturer to both invest in and operate OSS portfolio software at scale.

“This partnership reflects a shared view that the future advancements in industry will be innovated by people and technology working in tandem to create measurable impacts” said Donald Wiseman, CEO, Teknor Apex.

Teknor Apex: From Co-Builder to Co-Investor

This partnership started on the factory floor. Teknor Apex deployed three of OSS Ventures’ portfolio companies in their Rhode Island and Tennessee sites. The impact was immediate:

• Oplit allows Teknor Apex to set their plants up for success through a reduction in changeovers, improved yield, and a stronger foundation for more automated planning over time.
• Fabriq helps to strengthen a culture of continuous improvement, with problem-solving embedded at every level of the manufacturing organization.
• Mercateam supports operators, mechanics, and lab technicians in building critical skills and advancing their careers – helping Teknor Apex better invest in its most valuable resource: its people.

Teknor Apex and OSS Ventures are aligned as both core business partners and venture partners, with Teknor Apex joining as a founding partner in the €75M amplification fund alongside DECATHLON PULSE, the investment and innovation arm of global sports company DECATHLON, and Peugeot Family Group.

“As we shape our next 100 years of manufacturing, digital transformation is the sole viable path to not only short-term efficiency, but long-term competitiveness,” said Michael Roberts, CIO, Teknor Apex.

Contact: 
Faustine Ladeiro Levent, Head of Marketing
[email protected]

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2965406/OSS_Ventures_x_Teknor_Apex.jpg

SOURCE OSS Ventures; Teknor Apex

Liquid is the platform where traders can act on opportunities in real time, without being constrained by market hours, platforms, or complexity.

NEW YORK, April 21, 2026 — Liquid, a platform building the future of trading, today announced the successful closing of an $18 million Series Seed funding round. The fundraise was co-led by Neo and Left Lane Capital, with participation from Haun Ventures, K5 Global, SV Angel, AntiFund, and Sunflower Capital, in addition to existing investors Paradigm and General Catalyst. The funding comes as Liquid continues to build the go-to platform for trading every major asset class, crypto or traditional – around the clock.

Liquid is designed for a new generation of traders who operate across multiple asset classes and seek to act on short-term opportunities. While traditional platforms fragment access across brokers, exchanges, and asset classes, Liquid consolidates trading into a single interface, available on iOS, Android, and desktop, allowing users to trade over 500 markets spanning crypto, equities, commodities, FX, and pre-IPO assets in one place, with up to 200x leverage – all without surrendering custody of their assets.

The fundraise comes amid growing interest in alternative and non-traditional assets, alongside continued growth in digital asset trading. The investment thesis mirrors one of the most enduring patterns in financial services: the consumer interface captures disproportionate value relative to underlying infrastructure. Brokerages collectively exceed the market capitalization of much of the upstream value chain they sit atop. By combining elements of derivatives platforms, brokerages, and crypto exchanges into a single product, Liquid is positioned to serve traders navigating increasingly interconnected global markets.

“Markets don’t operate on a schedule anymore, but most trading platforms still do,” said Liquid CEO and co-founder Franklyn Wang. “The reality is that 24/7 trading is already happening across global markets. We built Liquid to reflect that reality, giving traders continuous access to assets and the ability to act the moment opportunity strikes. One of our primary goals for the platform is to democratize access to markets that retail traders have no real access to. By equipping everyday users with advanced tools, including AI-driven research and execution capabilities, we enable retail traders to operate with the same speed and sophistication as professional quantitative investors.”

As markets grow more volatile and reactive to real-time information, the traditional 9-to-5 trading window no longer cuts it. Liquid enables traders to respond to breaking news, macro events, and price movements the moment they happen – not when markets reopen. Since its August 2025 launch, the platform has seen over $3B in trading volume across 40,000 users.

Liquid expands access to markets that have historically been difficult for retail traders to reach. Through instruments such as perpetual futures, users can gain exposure to commodities and alternative assets while easily expressing both long and short positions in volatile environments. To further simplify the trading experience, Liquid incorporates an AI-powered chat assistant that helps users navigate markets, surface insights, and execute trades at professional speeds, while delivering institutional-grade research and analysis. The feature is designed to reduce friction for both new and experienced traders, making it easier to analyze opportunities and act quickly within a single interface.

“Retail participation in financial markets has reached an all-time high, now accounting for 36% of order flow, and that cohort is increasingly seeking directional exposure without the complexity of traditional derivatives,” said Matthew Miller, Managing Partner at Left Lane Capital. “Liquid is well-positioned to meet that demand, and Franklyn and the team have shown a strong ability to translate institutional-grade infrastructure into a product that resonates with everyday traders.”

“Liquid brings ease-of-use to powerful concepts like leverage, making advanced trading tactics accessible to the everyday investor,” said Ali Partovi, CEO of Neo. “I’ve known Franklyn for years and would bet on anything he does.”

About Liquid
Liquid is a single trading platform that enables users to trade any crypto or traditional asset, 24/7. Purpose-built for a new generation of traders, the platform provides access to equities, commodities, FX, crypto, and pre-IPO markets through a single interface. Liquid’s infrastructure is designed for speed, simplicity, and execution, offering aggregated liquidity, real-time pricing, and seamless cross-asset trading. Through instruments such as perpetual futures, the platform supports both long and short positioning across markets and integrates an AI-powered assistant to help users analyze markets and execute trades more efficiently. Liquid is backed by Neo, Left Lane, Haun Ventures, K5 Global, Paradigm, General Catalyst, SV Angel, AntiFund, and Sunflower Capital.

For more information, visit liquid.trade. 

Media Contact
[email protected]

About Left Lane Capital

Founded in 2019, Left Lane Capital is a New York and London-based venture capital and growth equity firm investing in high-growth internet and consumer technology businesses globally. Left Lane’s mission is to partner with extraordinary entrepreneurs who create category-defining companies across growth sectors of the economy. Select investments include Bilt Rewards, M1 Finance, LemFi, Talkiatry, WeTravel, Moove, Wayflyer, Blank Street, and more. For more information, visit www.leftlane.com.

About Neo

Neo is a mentorship community and venture capital firm best known for backing Kalshi, Cursor, Bluesky, and more. Neo supports the next generation of founders and tech leaders with the industry’s best startup residency, recruiting platform, and diverse mentorship community.

SOURCE Liquid

17 student ventures competed live to a judging panel of early-stage investors

LA MIRADA, Calif., April 28, 2026 — The Office of Innovation at Biola University hosted its highly successful 12th Annual Biola Startup Competition on Friday, April 24, 2026, drawing 242 attendees from across the California innovation ecosystem, including students, alumni, investors, sponsors & donors, faculty, staff, and community advocates passionate about student entrepreneurship and redemptive innovation.

Led by Dr. Silvia Mah and the Office of Innovation team, the event showcased 14 student-led ventures competing for $27,000 in seed funding, culminating months of an Incubator Program that provides industry-specific mentorship, supportive business development, and quality pitch preparation. The energy in the room underscored a growing movement of students building real solutions to real-world problems.

“This competition is a reflection of what happens when students are equipped with conviction, calling, capability – and capital,” said Dr. Silvia Mah, Director of the Office of Innovation & Associate Professor at the Crowell School of Business. “We are seeing a new generation of founders step forward to create startups that are both innovative and deeply purposeful.”

2026 Startup Competition Winners

1st Place ($15,000): Vaelr. An autonomous AI platform for identifying and preventing safety risks in construction zones, with future defense applications in the U.S. and India.

2nd Place ($7,000): Ephphatha. AI-powered accessibility app translating spoken conversations into real-time ASL video on a phone, promoting inclusion for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

3rd Place ($5,000): Low Steaks. A functional food company delivering clean, gut-health-optimized meals designed to support healing and long-term wellness.

Impact Award ($1,000): storeybox. A hybrid analog-digital storytelling platform using beautifully designed booths to capture meaningful life stories, transforming moments into memories through lasting cinematic videos and physical keepsakes.

Audience Choice Award ($500): Common Threads. An adaptive fashion brand creating stylish, accessible clothing for individuals with disabilities, featuring thoughtful design elements like magnetic closures to restore dignity and ease of wear.

A Community-Driven Ecosystem of Innovation
The event was headlined by Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, a Redemptive Tech AI innovator with a career spanning Meta, Amazon, Yahoo, Intel, and Roku. She opened with a reflection on purpose, navigating technology, leadership, and ethical AI, signing 60 complimentary copies of her book, “For Such A Time As This: From Humble Roots in Africa to Silicon Valley Leadership.“

A distinguished panel of judges challenged teams with thoughtful, promotion-focused questions, helping founders refine their “why” and path to scale. These included the keynote, Charla Triplett of (University Lab Partners), Alexey Sokolov (Northwestern Mutual), and Byron Wang (Gumshoe Ventures). Twenty-five student and alumni volunteers helped bring the event to life, with Lote Vunibaka and Pressley Melville serving as emcees.

An Innovation Panel featuring Biola alumni founders, Thank God, by Rach, and Nobibi Buena Park, showcased the journey of entrepreneurship beyond the classroom. The Office of Innovation recognizes its donors and partners who made the event possible, including pro bono legal services by Rose Bowlus Law, marketing services by Executive Cat Herder, and event sponsors like ARKI, Double Edged Productions, Chick-Fil-A, New York Slice Deli, Origin Baking Company, The Sweets Studio, and Pizaaz.

About the Office of Innovation at Biola University
The Office of Innovation exists to catalyze innovators and entrepreneurs to flourish in their giftedness and build Christ-honoring, world-changing ventures through mentorship, programming, and access to capital.

Media Contact

SOURCE Biola Office of Innovation

Personal investment and board appointment underscore confidence in surveillance and security technology company as it nears 20-year milestone and accelerates software and AI expansion

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., April 28, 2026 — IC Realtime, a provider of professional-grade surveillance and security technology solutions, announced today that the company successfully secured a $2 million Series A round of funding led by a personal investment from John Hatherly, founder of Wynnchurch Capital, with participation from existing investors. The funding will be used to accelerate development of IC Realtime’s software platform, designed to bring together video management, edge intelligence, and cloud-based analytics in a more unified and scalable environment.

Hatherly will also join IC Realtime’s board of directors, providing the company with valuable strategic oversight as it prepares for future developments in its software and artificial intelligence capabilities.

“The surveillance and security industry is moving toward more intelligent, software-enabled platforms,” said John Hatherly, founder of Wynnchurch Capital. “IC Realtime has built a strong business over nearly two decades of experience and innovation in the space, and I’ve personally invested in the company to help drive the transition to software-based offerings.”

“As a leader in the surveillance and security market for nearly 20 years, IC Realtime has achieved considerable success with its innovative product line,” said Matt Sailor, founder and CEO of IC Realtime. “This financing provides the company with new resources and strategic guidance to accelerate software development and deliver the next evolution of intelligent security technology solutions.”

For nearly two decades, IC Realtime has delivered advanced surveillance and security technology products to dealers, integrators, commercial accounts, and end-users throughout the United States. With a proven track record in the industry, IC Realtime has become a trusted name among leading brands and has received significant industry recognition, including “Product of the Year” honors from Security Products, CE Pro’s Best of CES, Reuters recognition, and the CTA Mark of Excellence award, in recent years.

IC Realtime’s product portfolio includes cameras, digital video recorders, and software solutions designed for dealers, integrators, commercial end users, and consumers. The company’s products are sold in all 50 states and Canada. At retail, a limited selection is available through select Best Buy stores, while commercial offerings are distributed through Wesco, one of the nation’s largest distributors, serving professional and commercial buyers rather than the general public

For more information about IC Realtime products and availability, visit www.ICRealtime.com.

About IC Realtime

Founded in 2006, IC Realtime is a U.S.-based surveillance and security technology company specializing in advanced video surveillance solutions for residential, commercial, and enterprise facilities. Over nearly 20 years, the company has built a reputation for professional-grade technology, reliability, privacy, and innovation. Today, IC Realtime is expanding its next-generation AI and software capabilities to redefine how video intelligence is managed, analyzed, and applied. For more information about IC Realtime products and availability, visit www.ICRealtime.com.

Media Contact

Greg Salsburg
STiR-Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE IC Realtime