New funding will power foundational primary cell data generation to advance AI-driven discovery through the company’s full product launch.

MONTREAL and BOSTON, June 22, 2026 — DropGenie, a biotechnology company advancing next-generation gene editing workflows, today announced the closing of its Seed+ financing to support the launch of its first product. The round was led by Skeleton Key, with new investors Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and CQDM, and existing investors Real Ventures and Anges Québec continuing their strong support.

This funding will drive commercialization: scaling manufacturing, building commercial operations, and accelerating customer adoption. The rollout follows successful validation through DropGenie’s Early Access Program, with many major global pharma, biotech, and research customers already integrating the technology into their workflows.

DropGenie’s platform enables high-throughput, miniaturized gene editing workflows that reduce the number of cells and reagents required per experiment — lowering costs and accelerating editing turnaround time. This enables direct edits on primary patient cells, delivering more biologically relevant insights earlier in the R&D process.

“The most powerful insights in biology come from perturbations—changing one thing and watching how a living system responds. But capturing those signals with fidelity demands working at the right scale, in the right cells,” said Alison Hirukawa, CEO & Co-founder of DropGenie. “Our platform miniaturizes workflows and lowers cell requirements to enable direct editing of primary patient cells—giving researchers access to true biological readouts previously impossible to capture. This opens the door to faster, more predictive development across cell therapy, functional genomics, and beyond.”

“We find the DropGenie platform’s ability to reliably miniaturize and accelerate experimental workflows via automation to be extremely compelling,” said Ann Lai, Managing Partner of Skeleton Key. “Being able to capture every parameter variation of these complex gene editing experimental processes creates the data we need to fundamentally accelerate innovation and to better leverage AI beyond the theoretical discovery phases. This is exactly the kind of science technology Skeleton Key wants to support and see succeed.”

The Seed+ round powers DropGenie’s strategic data partnerships with customers to generate high-quality, standardized gene editing data. As industry demand grows for data infrastructure, DropGenie’s efficient process creates foundational datasets that fuel data-driven discovery in cell therapy and functional biology—producing datasets that capture true biology at scale.

About DropGenie
DropGenie advances next-generation gene editing through miniaturized, high-efficiency workflows. Based in Montreal and Boston, DropGenie enables direct edits on primary patient cells by dramatically reducing the number of cells required per experiment, delivering true biological signals and accelerating development across cell therapy, functional genomics, and AI-driven discovery. For more information on how we’re miniaturizing gene editing workflow, please visit https://dropgenie.com/

SOURCE DropGenie

• The total funding comprises US$1 million in angel investment and a US$4 million seed round. The seed financing round was led by Wavemaker Ventures, with participation by SEEDS, further supported by notable investors across the United States and Asia.
• The financing will support the continued expansion of ChemT’s AI and experimental infrastructure, which aims to make advanced medicines easier to manufacture, scale, and deliver to patients worldwide.

SINGAPORE, June 22, 2026 — ChemT Biotechnology, an AI-driven biotechnology company building the intelligence layer for biomanufacturing, has closed a US$4 million seed round led by Wavemaker Ventures, the early-stage fund of Wavemaker Partners, with participation from co-investment partner SEEDS, an arm of SG Growth Capital, the investment platform of EDB and Enterprise Singapore. The round was further supported by notable investors across the United States and Asia, including Wavemaker 360 Health, Draper University Ventures, and Temasek Life Sciences Accelerator.

Making biologics at scale is harder than it looks. Manufacturers face long development timelines, unpredictable yields, high costs, and processes that are difficult to scale, all of which slow the delivery of treatments to patients. At the heart of the problem is that we lack precise and tunable ways to manipulate cells – the mini factories where important biologics are made. 

ChemT is taking a different approach. Unlike conventional AI drug discovery companies or lab automation tools, ChemT builds intelligence directly into the manufacturing process itself, helping companies better understand the cells behind biomanufacturing, and provides a new way to guide cell behavior for faster, more scalable, and reliable production.

At the heart of the company is CelMo™, an AI-driven Virtual Cell platform trained on billions to trillions of proprietary biological sequencing reads and validated in the lab. CelMo™ is designed to simulate how cells respond to manufacturing conditions, genetic changes, and other stresses. By tracking which biological processes inside a cell are being activated, suppressed, or rewired, from growth and metabolism to stress response and productivity, CelMo™ builds a dynamic picture of how cell states shift throughout manufacturing. Built on this foundation are practical applications: identifying target cell pathways to improve manufacturing performance, designing small molecules to guide cell behavior, and supporting cell engineering using AI.

CelMo™ is already delivering results. In CHO cells, the cell type most commonly used to manufacture antibodies and therapeutic proteins, the platform has demonstrated a 50% increase in antibody output and a 40% reduction in production timelines.

ChemT’s flagship small molecule product, Chemplify™, applies the same approach to T-cell manufacturing, a critical component of advanced cancer therapies. Chemplify™ has demonstrated 50% faster development, 3× scalability, 60% lower costs, and 10× higher cell expansion yield.

“This financing is a strong validation of our team, our technology, and our mission during a difficult funding environment for life sciences,” said Jie Sun, co-founder and CEO of ChemT Biotechnology. “Within roughly a year and half of launch, we’ve built commercial partnerships with more than 40 pharmaceutical, biotech, and CDMO companies across the globe. The future of biomanufacturing will not be won by automation alone — it will require intelligence.”

The financing will support the continued expansion of ChemT’s AI and experimental infrastructure, advancement of its AI-designed molecular products toward GMP standards and regulatory readiness, scaling of commercial partnerships, and further development of CelMo™. ChemT plans to expand the platform beyond CHO cells and T cells into other cellular systems, including stem cells, NK cells (Natural Killer cells, used in next-generation cancer immunotherapies), and HEK cells (Human Embryonic Kidney cells, widely used in gene therapy and biologics production), enabling broader intelligent control across biomanufacturing workflows.

“Our customers come to us because they are stuck – development timelines stretch for years, processes break when you try to scale them,” said Dr. Ling Wu, co-founder and President of ChemT Biotechnology. “CelMo™ is the cellular world model to understand what’s happening inside their cells and intervene intelligently. Our goal is to help make advanced medicines easier to manufacture, scale, and deliver to patients worldwide.”

“Biomanufacturing has long been constrained by structural bottlenecks, rooted in the lack of computational understanding of how cellular networks behave inside bioreactors. ChemT addresses this through precision small molecules that modulate cellular behavior — giving manufacturers a new lever for faster, cheaper, and higher-yield production with consistent quality,” said Paul Santos, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners. “We look forward to working with ChemT’s founding team, which brings together technical and commercial depth, scientific credibility, world-class bioprocess leadership, and capital efficiency — a rare combination that has already drawn early commercial partnerships from all over the world.”

About ChemT Biotechnology

ChemT Biotechnology is an AI-driven biotech company based across Singapore and the United States, building the intelligence layer for biomanufacturing. Its CelMo™ Virtual Cell platform combines AI, proprietary biological data, and wet-lab validation to better understand and guide cell behavior in biomanufacturing. 

Contact

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit https://www.chemtbio.com/

ChemT is having an upcoming product and model launch and showcase online, to register your interest – please click here !

SOURCE ChemT Biotechnology

Final close adds AC S525, Moringa Ventures and Lotus One Investment, following AngelCentral’s member-led syndication and earlier participation from JRE VENTURES, SGInnovate and M7 Holdings

SINGAPORE, June 22, 2026 — H3 Zoom, a Singapore-based deep tech company specialising in AI-powered inspection and asset intelligence for the built environment and critical infrastructure, today announced the final close of its oversubscribed USD$3.6 million Series A funding round.

The round was led by JRE VENTURES, the corporate venture capital arm of East Japan Railway Company, with participation from SGInnovate and M7 Holdings. Following its earlier first close of USD$1.8 million, H3 Zoom subsequently secured additional investment through an AngelCentral member-led syndication via AC S525, bringing the round to USD$2.1 million. The company has now completed its final close with further participation from Moringa Ventures and Lotus One Investment, bringing total Series A funding to USD$3.6 million.

The oversubscribed round reflects growing investor confidence in H3 Zoom’s role in transforming how buildings, infrastructure and critical assets are inspected, maintained and managed. By combining AI, computer vision, proprietary vision-language models, robotics-enabled data capture and enterprise inspection workflows, H3 Zoom is helping asset owners, operators and regulators move from manual, fragmented inspection processes to scalable, traceable and data-driven asset intelligence.

The funding will support H3 Zoom’s continued expansion across Asia, with a focus on Japan, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Southeast Asia. It will also be used to accelerate product development, strengthen engineering capabilities, deepen enterprise go-to-market execution, and expand integrations across the building and infrastructure lifecycle.

Scaling AI-Driven Infrastructure Inspection

Founded in 2016, H3 Zoom develops AI-powered inspection and asset-intelligence software for the built environment. Its platform brings together proprietary AI models, computer vision, drones, robotics-enabled data capture and inspection workflow automation to help asset owners, developers, facility managers, contractors and infrastructure operators reduce inspection cost and time, improve safety, and make asset decisions based on structured data.

H3 Zoom’s technology has been deployed across high-rise buildings, commercial properties, institutional assets, transport-related infrastructure and public-sector environments. Its solutions support customers in moving from labor-intensive manual inspections to more consistent, standards-aligned and data-driven inspection workflows.

In April 2026, AngelCentral announced that it had facilitated a member-led syndication into H3 Zoom, highlighting the company’s traction with major industry players in Singapore, its repeat-business potential and its regional growth prospects. The syndication further strengthened H3 Zoom’s Series A round and reflected continued investor interest in startups applying AI to real-world operating challenges in infrastructure, buildings and enterprise workflows.

“This oversubscribed Series A close is a strong validation of H3 Zoom’s mission to turn building and infrastructure data into actionable intelligence,” said Shaun Koo, CEO & Founder of H3 Zoom. “We are grateful for the continued support from JRE VENTURES, SGInnovate and M7 Holdings, and for the backing from AngelCentral’s member-led syndicate via AC S525. We are also pleased to welcome Moringa Ventures and Lotus One Investment as new partners in this next phase of growth. With this capital, we will accelerate our AI roadmap, deepen enterprise integrations, and scale across key Asian markets where infrastructure safety, asset resilience and inspection productivity are becoming increasingly important.”

Strategic Support for Regional Expansion

“H3 Zoom embodies the next generation of social infrastructure transformation through the power of AI. For the JR East Group, ensuring the safe and sustainable operation of diverse assets, including railways, stations, commercial facilities and hotels, is a shared priority across our businesses. H3 Zoom’s technology directly contributes to addressing these challenges. Through this investment, we aim to accelerate H3 Zoom’s business expansion and proof-of-concept activities in the Japanese market, while exploring broader collaboration opportunities across Southeast Asia. We strongly believe that H3 Zoom’s data-driven approach to infrastructure management will play a vital role in building a safer and more sustainable society,” said Junichi Eto, Managing Director, JRE VENTURES.

“SGInnovate is committed to supporting Singapore-based deep tech startups as they scale beyond our shores. H3 Zoom is a strong example of how AI-powered innovations can address critical global challenges in infrastructure safety, resilience and sustainability. We are excited to back their journey as they expand into new markets and continue to strengthen their technological capabilities,” said Hsien-Hui Tong, Executive Director – Investments, SGInnovate.

“Shaun’s vision to transform the entire building lifecycle into a more sustainable, efficient and safer process aligns with M7’s goal to support companies and founders that create sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most pressing problems,” said Anthony Manna, Chairman, M7 Holdings.

“I was not only impressed by the concept, but most of all by the traction the company had already,” said Marnix Beugel, AngelCentral syndicate lead for H3 Zoom. “H3 Zoom has demonstrated strong customer traction, repeat-business potential and regional growth momentum, supported by a leadership team that has adapted and refined its strategy to meet real market needs.”

“H3 Zoom sits at the intersection of AI and critical infrastructure. As asset owners increasingly seek safer, more efficient and more scalable inspection solutions, we believe the company is well positioned to become a category leader in inspection intelligence,” said Zoe Yuan, Investment Director, Lotus One Investment.

“As infrastructure across the world’s-built environment ages and labor constraints intensify, asset owners are increasingly seeking technologies that improve safety, efficiency and decision-making at scale. H3 Zoom is building the intelligence layer for infrastructure by combining AI, computer vision and operational workflows that help owners unlock more value from their assets over time. At Moringa Ventures, we invest in deep technologies that provide game-changing solutions to the world’s most challenging problems, and we are excited to support H3 Zoom as it scales across the region,” said Theodora Lai, Partner & Co-Founder, Moringa Ventures.

Transforming Building Inspections in Singapore

In Singapore, H3 Zoom’s AI-powered inspection platform has supported faster, safer and more consistent façade inspections across commercial, institutional and public-sector assets.

Through drone-based data capture, AI-assisted defect analytics and standardized reporting workflows, H3 Zoom helps asset owners and operators reduce inspection time, improve report turnaround, lower operational and access costs, and reduce reliance on prolonged work-at-height activities.

The platform also supports standards-aligned reporting workflows for regulatory inspection requirements, including Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority Periodic Façade Inspection framework.

H3 Zoom’s deployment track record demonstrates how AI-powered inspection intelligence can help asset owners achieve measurable efficiency gains while supporting safer, more sustainable infrastructure management.

Looking Ahead

With the Series A round completed, H3 Zoom will accelerate software and Service-as-Software growth across Japan, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The company will also fast-track its AI roadmap, including the development of its AI Engineering Co-Pilot, multimodal inspection workflows combining 360° imagery and voice notes, enterprise-grade APIs, and robotics-assisted inspection capabilities designed to help surface asset issues faster, more safely and more consistently for engineering review.

H3 Zoom’s long-term ambition is to become Asia-Pacific’s vertically integrated operating layer for inspection intelligence, enabling asset owners, engineers, contractors and facility managers to collaborate on a shared data layer where inspection data compounds over time, decisions become traceable, and maintenance actions can be converted into measurable operational outcomes.

About H3 Zoom

H3 Zoom builds AI-powered inspection and asset-intelligence software for the built environment. Since 2016, its Façade Inspector and Interior Inspector products have helped asset owners, developers, contractors and facility managers move from manual checks to data-driven, standards-aligned reporting and portfolio analytics across Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong SAR and Southeast Asia.

H3 Zoom helps reduce inspection cost and time while improving safety, compliance and operational visibility.

Connect with us at: https://www.h3zoom.ai

About JRE VENTURES

JRE VENTURES is the corporate venture capital arm of East Japan Railway Company, JR East. Headquartered in Singapore, the firm drives startup investments and business co-creation across Asia. Leveraging JR East Group’s extensive assets, including railway networks, station spaces, commercial facilities and digital platforms, JRE VENTURES partners with innovative startups to create new value and business opportunities.

Connect with us at: https://jreventures.com/

About SGInnovate

SGInnovate is a deep tech ecosystem builder and investor backed by the Singapore Government. Its expertise and approach combine investments, talent development and community-building to catalyse the translation of emerging technologies into tomorrow’s opportunities. Through its Deep Tech Central platform, SGInnovate connects individuals, founders and companies to specialised resources and opportunities across technological domains and stages of growth.

Connect with us at: https://www.sginnovate.com

About M7 Holdings

M7 Holdings, LLC is a family investment office based in Akron, Ohio, United States. Through its venture capital arm, M7 Ace Neo, M7 focuses on early-stage investments across agricultural technology, clean technology, deep technology, robotics and artificial intelligence. M7 supports companies and founders creating sustainable solutions for global challenges, including food security, environmental sustainability and technological advancement.

About AngelCentral

AngelCentral is an active community of angel investors in Southeast Asia. It organises curated pitch sessions, angel education workshops and syndication administration services to support angel investors and high-growth startups.

The idea for AngelCentral started around 2017 as a community initiative by its partners to share their personal experiences and lessons learned on angel investing. Following early validation, AngelCentral was officially incorporated in February 2018 with the mission of building a community of effective angel investors in Southeast Asia. Since inception, AngelCentral has trained more than 1,000 angels, and its members have invested more than S$40 million into startups regionally.

Connect with us at: https://www.angelcentral.co

About Moringa Ventures

Moringa Ventures is a Singapore-based deep-tech venture builder backed by Tembusu Partners. Moringa Ventures bridges capital, expertise and commercialisation support to help visionary founders build systems that scale. The firm invests with deep conviction in transformative technologies across AI/ML, advanced materials, cybersecurity, space and communications, robotics, energy, health and biotechnology.

For more information, visit: https://www.moringa-ventures.com

About Lotus One Investment

Lotus One Investment is a Singapore-based single-family investment office with a diversified global investment portfolio. Through its Growth Investments platform, Lotus invests in category-defining companies across artificial intelligence, healthcare and medtech, deep technology, cybersecurity, climate technology, aerospace and defense, and fintech infrastructure.

Lotus backs visionary founders building transformative technologies, providing long-term capital to help innovative companies scale globally.

Connect with us at: https://lotussingapore.com/

SOURCE H3 Zoom

While most AI in financial services remains advisory, LUMIQ has built the layer that owns the decision — autonomous, auditable AI agents making regulated calls in production at leading banks, insurers, and capital markets firms. Today, LUMIQ serves clients across India, the United States, and Southeast Asia — leading institutions across insurance, banking, and capital markets.

NEW YORK and SINGAPORE, June 19, 2026 — LUMIQ, an AI-native financial services company, today announced a strategic funding round to scale auto-decisioning for financial institutions across the United States and Southeast Asia. The round was led by Bajaj Finserv, one of India’s largest and most diversified financial services groups, with participation from existing investor Info Edge Ventures.

Right now, thousands of customers are waiting for a policy to be issued, a loan to be disbursed, a claim to be adjudicated, because somewhere an FSI employee is drowning in decisions, held back by the risk of getting it wrong. Today, when e-commerce delivers the same day, banks and insurers still decide in weeks. We built LiteCone to take that burden: AI decides the routine cases, completely and accountably, so humans spend their judgment on the one case that actually needs it. This round lets us bring that to every financial institution in the markets that matter most.
Shoaib Mohammad, Co-founder and CEO, LUMIQ

From AI that assists to AI that decides

For decades, financial institutions have bought technology that made their people faster — faster data, faster scoring, faster copilots. The decision still landed on a human. LUMIQ is changing that. Through its LiteCone platform, the company deploys AI agents that read the file, apply the institution’s own guidelines, and reach the decision end to end — escalating only the cases that genuinely require human judgment. The output is not a recommendation. It is a decision, with full reasoning attached, cross-referenced to policy, and defensible under audit.

The results in production speak clearly. At a leading life insurer, LUMIQ’s LEO agent decides 75–80% of underwriting cases with zero human touch, reduced policy issuance cost by roughly 25%, and compressed turnaround from days to under eight minutes — running 24×7 with complete auditability. Across its client base spanning insurance, banking, and capital markets in India, the US, and Southeast Asia, LUMIQ now processes millions of decisions annually.

LiteCone turns a real financial-services role into a working AI agent in weeks. Every agent we deploy is consistent, explainable, compliant, and auditable by design — not as an afterthought. This capital lets us go deeper on the platform and broader across roles. And through our cloud and AI lab partnerships, institutions will increasingly find LiteCone already embedded in the platforms they run today.
Vaibhav Dobriyal, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, LUMIQ

This round funds four priorities: expanding go-to-market in the US and Southeast Asia; deepening LiteCone’s decisioning capabilities; extending the agent workforce across more financial-services roles; and building a partnership ecosystem with cloud hyperscalers, AI labs, and core banking and insurance platforms so LiteCone is embedded where institutions already run.

LUMIQ’s investors backed the round for the same reason its customers adopt LiteCone: agents already deciding in production, with auditability and control built in.

As a financial-services group, we know how much rests on getting regulated decisions right, at speed and at scale. LUMIQ has built AI agents that decide in production with auditability and control built in, the capability the industry has been moving toward. We are proud to lead this round and to support the team’s expansion across the US and Southeast Asia.
Lakshmi Iyer, Group President – Investments & CEO, Bajaj Alternates

Our conviction is grounded in what LUMIQ has already built. Their AI agents aren’t just built for the future. They are operating in production today, at speed. This combination is rare, and its value will only compound as the company scales globally.
Girish Jhunjhunwala, Fund Manager – PE and VC Investments, Bajaj Alternates

Financial services is one of the hardest categories to crack — regulated, risk-averse, and unforgiving of hype. LUMIQ has put agentic AI into live financial-services workflows and earned the trust of large institutions across the US, Southeast Asia and India. That is how a category-defining company in financial-services AI gets built, and we are proud to keep backing the team as they scale globally.
Kitty Agarwal, Partner, Info Edge Ventures

LUMIQ’s goal is to lead one category: auto-decisioning at production scale for financial services. Agents that act, not assist, and never compromise audit, compliance, or predictability.

About LUMIQ

LUMIQ is an AI-native financial services company. Through its LiteCone platform and a growing workforce of production AI agents, LUMIQ turns real financial-services roles — insurance underwriter, credit underwriter, claims adjudicator — into agents that are consistent, explainable, compliant, and auditable. The company pairs deep domain expertise across banking, insurance, and capital markets with frontier AI. LUMIQ employs over 350 AI and data specialists, and has offices in New Jersey, Singapore, and Delhi NCR (India).

Web: www.lumiq.ai

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2997283/LUMIQ_Funding.jpg

SOURCE LUMIQ

Affordable Virtual Assistant ecosystem for startups, mompreneurs, entrepreneurs, gradpreneurs and influencerpreneurs.

The announcement comes as entrepreneurship continues to shift toward a more personal, digital, creator-led and solo-driven economy. Across the country, founders are building businesses from home offices, kitchen tables, college campuses, content platforms, and side hustles. Yet many of these entrepreneurs are still running their businesses through inboxes, spreadsheets, direct messages, and memory.

Affordable Virtual Assistant is addressing that gap by giving solo founders an affordable operating layer before they are ready to build an internal team. The company’s model is designed to help entrepreneurs organize customer records, follow up with leads, manage administrative tasks, improve scheduling, support website needs and create repeatable workflows.

     “Solo founders are not short on ambition,” said Varun Khanna, Founder of Affordable Virtual Assistant. “They are short on operational capacity. The market has plenty of virtual assistant providers selling      hours. We built Affordable Virtual Assistant to give entrepreneurs their first operating layer — the people, custom and affordable technology systems, and follow-up automations that they need to run like a      real company before they can afford to hire a full team.”

The need for this type of support is growing as new founder segments reshape small business ownership. Women-owned businesses now represent a major share of the U.S. business landscape and generate trillions in annual revenue. Younger founders are also entering entrepreneurship at high rates, while creator-led and solo businesses continue to turn personal brands, services, content and digital products into real companies.

Affordable Virtual Assistant’s Solopreneur Operating System is built for this new founder class:

• Mompreneurs who are balancing family, business growth, customer communication, scheduling, marketing, operations, and daily administrative demands.
• Influencerpreneurs who are turning content, audience attention, brand partnerships, affiliate income, digital products and services into businesses that require systems behind the scenes.
• Gradpreneurs who are launching ventures earlier and need affordable support with research, organization, outreach, follow-up and digital presence.
• Solopreneurs who are managing sales, service delivery, admin, CRM updates, customer communication and online visibility without a team.

Unlike traditional virtual assistant companies that focus primarily on completing hourly tasks, Affordable Virtual Assistant positions its service as a business support ecosystem. The company’s approach combines people, process and practical technology tools so founders can move from scattered daily activity to a more consistent operating rhythm.

     “Entrepreneurs are constantly told to start, scale and build their brands, but many are still operating without the basic technology and AI infrastructure that larger companies take for granted,” added Varun      Khanna. “The next evolution of virtual assistance is not just performing tasks. It is helping founders create operating consistency using affordable customized technology and AI to scale.”

Affordable Virtual Assistant’s model includes virtual assistant support, CRM assistance, lead follow-up, administrative help and website support, with transparent monthly plans designed to make structured business support accessible before founders are ready to hire internally.

For mompreneurs, that can mean support with inboxes, scheduling, customer records and follow-up while protecting time for family and growth. For influencerpreneurs, it can mean organizing brand inquiries, content administration, CRM updates and business opportunities. For gradpreneurs and young founders, it can mean having a first support system before they are ready to make a first hire. For solopreneurs, it can mean moving from hustle to a more organized and scalable business foundation.

The company’s message to the market is clear: virtual assistance should not be limited to busywork. For today’s solo founder, the right support system can become the bridge between ambition and operational growth.

Affordable Virtual Assistant serves early-stage business owners, coaches, consultants, creators, local service providers, online sellers, startup founders and professionals who need reliable support without the cost of building a full internal team.

For more information, visit AffordableVirtualAssistant.com.

About Affordable Virtual Assistant
Affordable Virtual Assistant helps solopreneurs and small business owners move from idea to income with virtual assistant support, CRM assistance, lead follow-up, administrative support, website help and operational workflows. Built for founders who need affordable business infrastructure before they are ready to hire a full internal team, Affordable Virtual Assistant provides practical support for the new generation of solo business owners.

Media Contact

Varun Khanna
Affordable Virtual Assistant
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (424) 502-1324
Website: AffordableVirtualAssistant.com

SOURCE Maandukya Corporation

True Ventures Leads $2.5 Million Seed+ Round to Bring Patented Handheld AI-enabled Endoscopic Robotic Platform to Physicians

SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2026 — Channel Robotics, a developer of a first-of-its-kind handheld endoscopic robotic platform, today announced the successful close of a $2.5 million Seed+ financing round led by True Ventures, a leading early-stage venture capital firm known for backing transformative technology companies. The financing brings the company’s total capital raised to $4.6 million, supporting continued product development, regulatory advancement, and preparation for commercialization.

The Seed+ financing follows the successful close of the company’s $2.1 million Seed round, which included participation from Defined Ventures and Old Line Capital Partners. Together, these investments provide Channel with the capital and strategic support needed to advance its technology toward broader clinical adoption.

The financing syndicate brings together investors with deep expertise in healthcare, medical technology, and company building. True Ventures has a long track record of partnering with visionary founders developing transformative technologies, while Defined Ventures and Old Line Capital Partners provide specialized support for healthcare innovation and long-term company growth.

Advancing a New Category in Endoscopic Robotics

Channel Robotics is developing a patented handheld AI-enabled endoscopic robotic platform designed to deliver robotic-level dexterity through existing flexible endoscopes. By eliminating the need for large, capital-intensive robotic systems, the technology aims to expand access to advanced endoscopic procedures across hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and community practice settings.

“Our mission is to democratize access to advanced endoscopic robotics,” said Michael Yip, PhD, co-founder of Channel Robotics. “This financing enables us to continue building a platform that can bring sophisticated robotic capabilities to physicians in a practical, scalable, and cost-effective way.”

Capital to Support Key Development and Regulatory Milestones

The financing will support several critical milestones, including:

• Continued refinement and validation of the company’s prototype platform
• Expansion of engineering and product development efforts
• Preparation for FDA submission targeted for 2027
• Advancement of manufacturing and quality systems
• Commercial launch preparation following regulatory clearance

“Mike and Philip are a rare combination of deep clinical experience and expertise combined with robotics which enables practical solutions for an unprecedented number of clinics and physicians. Their innovation solves serious robotics challenges in service of human health, and we are honored to be a part of their journey,” Rohit Sharma, Partner at True Ventures.

“With the support of True Ventures and our existing investors, we are well-positioned to accelerate development and bring this technology to clinicians and patients,” said Philip Weissbrod, MD, co-founder and CEO of Channel Robotics. “We believe the future of endoscopic robotics will be defined by solutions that are more accessible, easier to adopt, and capable of reaching far more patients than traditional robotic systems.”

About Channel Robotics

Channel Robotics is a San Diego-based medical technology company developing a next-generation endoscopic robotic platform designed to enhance physician dexterity and expand access to advanced minimally invasive procedures. Founded by a physician-scientist Dr. Philip Weissbrod and roboticist Dr. Michael Yip, the company is focused on creating practical, scalable robotic solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing clinical workflows. Channel’s technology combines novel robotic instrumentation, intuitive control systems, and artificial intelligence to enable more precise and accessible endoscopic interventions.

Media Contact:
Carolena Deutsch-Garcia
Channel Robotics, Inc.
[email protected]
www.channelrobotics.com

SOURCE Channel Robotics

BOSTON, June 18, 2026 — Connie Health, the nation’s leading AI-native Medicare navigation platform, today announced the completion of its acquisition and integration of Clearlink’s Medicare business. By powering local, trusted agents with proprietary AI and intelligent automation platforms, the company continues to advance its mission to deliver a simpler, more personalized, and more effective experience for seniors navigating Medicare. The result: older Americans save money and get better care.

Clearlink marks Connie Health’s 10th completed acquisition, highlighting the company’s unique capability to leverage its AI native technology platform to seamlessly integrate and scale major books of business. Connie Health has accelerated its M&A strategy with a recent $40 million Series B financing, led by HealthQuest Capital with participation from JSL Capital, along with existing investors Khosla Ventures, aMoon, and Pitango HealthTech. This latest round brings the company’s total funding to date to $85 million, strengthening Connie Health’s balance sheet and providing the financial agility to pursue transformative acquisitions that drive long-term national growth.

“The infrastructure we’ve built makes Clearlink’s scale a perfect fit for Connie Health. The precise combination of our advanced technology platform and our local agent model gives us the unique ability to seamlessly absorb, support, and maximize a massive book of business of this magnitude without losing the personal touch seniors deserve,” said Oded Eran, CEO of Connie Health. “We’re especially grateful for our partnership with HealthQuest Capital, which has enabled us to move decisively on opportunities like this.”

Beyond consumer navigation, Connie Health is rapidly deepening its role as a strategic partner to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), health systems, and risk-bearing provider groups. By connecting Medicare beneficiaries to optimal health plans earlier and more accurately, Connie helps value-based care partners improve member attribution, close coverage gaps, and support the critical quality metrics that drive performance in risk-based contracts. Through this deep integration, Connie is establishing itself as the trusted Medicare platform partner for risk-bearing organizations, rather than just a distribution channel.

HealthQuest Capital, a growth-oriented healthcare investment firm, led Connie Health’s Series B round last year, recognizing the company’s differentiated approach to Medicare at a time of rapid market growth. “Medicare continues to be one of the most important and complex segments of healthcare,” said Randy Scott, Partner at HealthQuest Capital. “Connie Health stands out for its ability to blend sophisticated technology with a strong human element, ensuring members get the right information and personal support when it matters most. “

With the integration of Clearlink complete, Connie Health will continue aggressively investing in its agent network, acquisitions, its AI-driven tech platform, and its deep partnerships with value-based care providers—all focused on delivering better outcomes and experiences for Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.

About Connie Health
Connie Health is an AI-enabled Medicare platform that helps seniors navigate healthcare. Connie’s network of local trusted agents helps seniors find and enroll in the right health coverage through Connie’s proprietary technology platform. By simplifying Medicare decisions and providing ongoing support, Connie Health delivers a more personalized, transparent, and human-centered experience.

About HealthQuest Capital
HealthQuest Capital is a private asset firm that provides capital to transformative healthcare companies. HealthQuest Capital focuses on commercial prospects that drive enhanced patient outcomes and elevate the efficiency of healthcare delivery. With approximately $2 billion in committed capital, the firm focuses on fostering innovation across the healthcare spectrum, including medical technologies, diagnostics, digital health, and innovative services. The HealthQuest Capital team combines decades of investing experience with domain expertise in the various aspects of the healthcare industry. For more information, visit www.healthquestcapital.com.

SOURCE Connie Health

WINTER PARK, Fla., June 18, 2026 — Cuprum Metals Inc., a Delaware-based technology company, today announced the close of a US$19.4M Series A funding round led by the Lundin Family Office, and supported by Woodline Partners and BHP Ventures.

The capital will support the scaling of Cuprum Metals’ patented leaching technology, which has demonstrated strong performance in pilot campaigns across primary, secondary and oxide ores in both heap leach and vat leach systems.

Cuprum’s approach uses a water-based chemical leach, with the flexibility to operate using sea water, to achieve high recovery rates at significantly faster processing times. This process enables effective leaching of chalcopyrite and other minerals that have historically been difficult to leach, whilst reducing both operating and capital costs. Roger Pettman, PhD, DSc, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, “With support from our investors, we are now focused on scaling the technology and expanding its application across a broader set of copper assets.”

Quotes

“As the Lundin Family Office, we are pleased to be leading this investment in Cuprum Metals and support the advancement of a leaching technology that has the potential to deliver meaningful benefits across the copper industry. As demand for copper continues to grow, technologies that can unlock greater value from existing resources and improve operating efficiency will play an increasingly important role. We look forward to supporting Cuprum’s continued development alongside Woodline Partners and BHP Ventures.”

“Technologies that can unlock more value from existing resources and improve processing efficiency are an important focus for BHP Ventures,” said Laurel Buckner, Vice President, BHP Ventures. “Cuprum Metals’ approach to chemical leaching has the potential to expand recovery pathways and support more flexible development options across different ore bodies.”

“Woodline is pleased to support Cuprum in advancing what we believe to be one of the most flexible solutions to the copper industry’s supply gap. From sulfide ores to smelter slags and tailings, we have been impressed by Cuprum’s ability to rapidly recover copper from a diverse range of feedstocks without the use of heat or biological processes. We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to build and scale this innovative approach,” said Andrew Pizzi, Portfolio Manager, Woodline Partners.

Technology Results

Cuprum’s technology has been demonstrated to be effective at room temperature and pressure with sulfide ores. Recoveries typically exceed 75% from predominantly chalcopyrite ore within 100 days. Cuprum is ore-agnostic and is also effective with oxide ores, while consuming less acid compared to the standard oxide leach processes. Test work has been conducted on mines around the world including South Africa, US, Chile and Australia, all with excellent results.

Cuprum’s technology is also applicable to primary sulfide and secondary sulfide tailings, with testing demonstrating strong recoveries. This eliminates the need for heating and creates new pathways to recover copper from previously processed materials, supporting more efficient use of existing resources.

The funding will support continued commercial deployment, expansion of technical capabilities, hiring of key personnel and the continued growth of the company’s customer base.

About Cuprum Metals

Cuprum Metals Inc. was founded in 2024 by a team of experienced chemical professionals who approached this from a chemistry and chemical engineering perspective rather than from a mining or metallurgy viewpoint. Using reactions from industrial chemical production, it developed the technology from a very practical perspective based on chemical manufacturing used at industrial scale. The technology is a “chemical tool kit” which can be fine-tuned to work on a variety of ores and tailings.

Contact Information

For Inquiries, please contact Roger Pettman: [email protected]

Company Website: https://cuprummetals.com

SOURCE Cuprum Metals

New corporate venture capital platform will invest to advance therapeutics, technologies and One Health solutions

INDIANAPOLIS, June 18, 2026 — Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today announced plans to establish Elanco Ventures, a dedicated corporate venture capital (CVC) platform designed to support, invest and advance innovation in animal health.

To be backed by a $25 million multi-year commitment, Elanco Ventures will initially focus on strategic investments in therapeutic advancements and supportive technologies across the animal health sector.

“From pets to protein – the animal health industry has never been more relevant than it is today,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco. “Innovation is happening outside of the boundaries of any single company. Elanco Ventures allows us to strategically leverage the startup landscape to expand our visibility into a range of emerging technologies that help us meet pet owners’ evolving expectation of care and the increasing global demand for protein.”

While primarily focused on animal health, the fund may also explore opportunities within the broader One Health landscape. It will also leverage the proximity of partnerships within the One Health Innovation District in Indianapolis, anchored by Elanco and Purdue University, and designed to bring together life sciences, researchers, and entrepreneurs in one place to break innovation barriers and accelerate progress.

“Elanco Ventures embodies our commitment to partnership and innovation,” said Tim Bettington, Executive Vice President, Center of Strategic Growth at Elanco. “By identifying promising startup technologies and collaborating with the One Health Innovation District, we are better positioned to fast-track innovation that can redefine the future of animal health.”

Launching in late 2026, Elanco Ventures will be overseen by Eric Steager, an experienced CVC leader, and focus on early-stage companies, prioritizing Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stages of development.

About the One Health Innovation District
The One Health Innovation District is a first-of-its-kind, purpose-built ecosystem where animal, human, and plant health intentionally converge in one connected place. Anchored by industry, research, diagnostics, care, commercialization, and talent, the district is designed to accelerate discovery to delivery and advance the future of One Health through speed, connection, and shared purpose.

ABOUT ELANCO
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders and society as a whole. With 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to breaking boundaries and going beyond to help our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. Learn more at www.elanco.com.

Investor Contact: Tiffany Kanaga (765) 740-0314 [email protected]
Media Contact: Colleen Parr Dekker (317) 989.7011 [email protected]

SOURCE Elanco Animal Health