Cyber security leader Upfort partners with Arch Insurance to expand access to Cyber Insurance

Another big step forward from Upfort as they build they leading cyber security and insurance platform for SMBs. The partnership will focus on offering businesses security tools to make cyber insurance programs more sustainable.

Upfort, a cutting-edge cyber security and insurance platform, and Arch Insurance (Arch), a global provider of specialty risk insurance solutions and leading cyber insurance underwriter, today announced a strategic partnership to transform cyber insurance programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), associations and risk pools.

“At Arch Insurance, we’ve been thoughtfully growing our cyber brand to meet the needs of our customer base”

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With cyber insurance premiums expected to grow by 20 percent year-over-year until 2025, more market segments need to access coverage to protect against evolving cyber risks.

“We’re excited to join forces with Arch Insurance to revolutionize how cyber insurance is bought and sold,” said Josh Riley, Managing Director of Upfort. “By integrating our technology with Arch’s industry-leading insurance solutions, we’re accelerating the world’s journey toward cyber resilience. We are proud to be the partner of choice for Arch to expand its cyber offering.”

Upfort and Arch will work with brokers to develop group programs prioritizing broad insurance coverage, competitive pricing, embedded security solutions and a seamless digital experience. This will allow insurance agents and brokers to promote cyber resiliency at scale, in addition to fostering more meaningful and productive connections with clients and prospects.

Amid changing market conditions, Upfort empowers brokers to serve organizations that have traditionally been harder to insure, particularly in recent years. Combining powerful loss control and automated underwriting with a user-friendly, low-touch process, Upfort allows Arch’s brokers to efficiently meet the needs of these businesses.

“At Arch Insurance, we’ve been thoughtfully growing our cyber brand to meet the needs of our customer base,” said Jamie Schibuk, Executive Vice President, Professional Liability and Cyber at Arch Insurance. “Partnering with Upfort equips us with the tools to deliver a sophisticated solution that combines the financial strength and experienced incident response services we provide with the powerful yet practical security solutions that Upfort has to offer. With Upfort, we’re well positioned to lead the pack in the fastest-growing commercial insurance line of business in history.”

Upfort is taking cyber resilience a step further and is the first to embed cyber security solutions within every Upfort program policy at no additional cost to the insured or broker.

Today’s partnership announcement is the latest development amid a series of company milestones for Upfort. Earlier this year, Upfort announced its transition from Paladin Cyber to Upfort and the company’s Series A funding round.

To learn more about Upfort, visit upfort.com.

To learn more about Arch Insurance’s Cyber product offerings, visit https://insurance.archgroup.com/north-america/united-states/offering/cyber/.

About Upfort

Upfort is a leading platform for cyber security and insurance that provides holistic protection from evolving cyber threats. Founded in 2017 to expand global access to cyber resilience, Upfort makes cyber risk easy to manage and simple to insure. Upfort delivers turnkey security proven to proactively mitigate risk and comprehensive cyber insurance from leading insurers. With proprietary data and intelligent automation, Upfort’s AI anticipates risk and streamlines mitigation for hassle-free underwriting. Insurers, brokers, and risk advisors partner with Upfort to offer clients resilience and peace of mind against cyber threats. In 2023, Upfort won the coveted Fortress Cybersecurity Award from Business Intelligence Group and was recognized as Top Infosec Innovator by Cyber Defense Magazine. To learn more about Upfort, visit upfort.com.

About Arch Insurance North America

Arch Insurance North America, part of Arch Capital Group Ltd., includes Arch’s insurance operations in the United States and Canada. Business in the U.S. is written by Arch Insurance Company, Arch Specialty Insurance Company, Arch Property & Casualty Insurance Company and Arch Indemnity Insurance Company. Business in Canada is written by Arch Insurance Canada Ltd.

About Arch Capital Group Ltd.

Arch Capital Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: ACGL) is a publicly listed Bermuda exempted company with approximately $18.0 billion in capital at September 30, 2023. Arch, which is part of the S&P 500 Index, provides insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Christina Levin
Caliber Corporate Advisers
upfort@calibercorporate.com

Stephanie Perez
Arch Capital Services, LLC
stperez@archgroup.com


Collective Audience NASDAQ:CAUD appoints digital advertising and media executive, Elisabeth Demarse to the Board of Directors

Collective Audience which recently listed on the Nasdaq: CAUD, a leading provider of audience-based performance advertising and media solutions, has appointed Elisabeth DeMarse as an independent member of its board of directors, and Chair of the compensation committee.

FOLLOW Elisabeth on LINKEDIN TWITTER

“We welcome Elisabeth’s extensive executive and board experience at both private and public companies,” stated Suen. “Her more than a decade of experience as chief marketing officer at Bloomberg as well as having served as president and CEO of TheStreet makes Elisabeth a tremendous asset to our management team. She has helped transform and grow several companies, including AppNexus which was acquired by AT&T for $1.7 billion. She joins us at an opportune time as we pursue a number of prospective acquisitions, and we look forward to her guidance and insights as we take Collective Audience to the next level.”

DeMarse commented: “The digital advertising industry is primed for great change, and I see Collective Audience as well-positioned to disrupt the market with its digital advertising platform that uniquely eliminates inefficiencies from the digital ad buyer and seller process. Now as a Nasdaq company, it can leverage this stronger position to pursue strategic accretive acquisitions that complement its leading-edge technology and accelerate its growth.”

Elisabeth DeMarse Bio11

For more than 35 years, DeMarse has served on the board and in executive positions on several digital media and technology companies. She previously served as president, CEO, and chairman of the board of TheStreet (NASDAQ: TST), where she notably diversified the company from a B2C ad supported, retail stock picking business into a global B2B M&A, data, and news organization. Founded by Martin Peretz and Jim Cramer in 1996, TheStreet distinguished itself from other financial media companies with its journalistic excellence, unbiased approach, and interactive multimedia coverage of the financial markets, economy, industry trends, investment, and financial planning.

Earlier, DeMarse was CEO and president of CreditCards.com, which she created by consolidating numerous assets around the world, and eventually selling the company to Bankrate in 2010 for $145 million.

DeMarse also transformed iLife.com into Bankrate, engineering the turnaround of the company, driving exponential growth, and creating $450 million in shareholder value.

She spent a decade as chief marketing officer for Bloomberg, working directly for the founder, Michael Bloomberg, and was instrumental in the formation of several media properties.

DeMarse serves as a limited partner of Tritium Partners, a private equity firm focused on buyouts of growth companies in the lower middle market, with a focus on internet and information services, asset-light supply chain and logistics, and differentiated financial and business services.

She is also a limited partner at Kimbark, a family limited partnership that owns and operates commercial real estate. Earlier, she served as CEO and on the board of Newser, an American news aggregation website.

  • Kubient (Nasdaq: KBNT), a cloud advertising platform.
  • AppNexus, a global technology company with a cloud-based software platform powers and optimizes the programmatic sale and purchase of programmatic advertising. She also served on its compensation committee until it was acquired by AT&T for $1.7 billion.
  • ZipRealty, a Nasdaq-traded company and provider of solutions that empower real estate experts to thrive. She also served on the company’s compensation and audit committees until it was acquired by Realogy.
  • All Star Directories, an independent, employee-owned marketing and technology company focused on helping individuals advance their careers and improve their lives through education.
  • Internet Patents Corporation, a former Nasdaq-traded company and an operator of a patent licensing business focused on its e-commerce technologies. She also served on the company’s audit and governance committees.
  • InsWeb (acquired by Bankrate), an online insurance marketplace designed to allow consumers to compare insurance products and rate quotes from a variety of providers. She also served on the company’s audit and governance committees. 
  • EDGAR-Online, a division of OTC Markets Group and a premium supplier of real-time SEC regulatory data and financial analytics. She also served on the company’s compensation and audit committees.
  • Heska (acquired by Mars), a former Nasdaq-traded company and a purpose-driven business, supporting veterinary professionals globally. She also served on the company’s audit committee. 

DeMarse previously served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Austin Ventures, where she worked together via DeMarseCo. The company’s thesis is to provide growth equity for buyouts, spinouts, recaps rollups and acquisitions in the consumer internet sector. Its acquisitions have included AllStarDirectories, ClickSuccess and Freedom Marketing.

DeMarse has received numerous awards, including Working Mother of the Year, Folio’s Top Women in Media, Dealmaker of the Year, Most Intriguing Person in Media, Girls Scouts Woman of the Year, NOW Woman of Power and Influence, Fast Company 50, Inc. 500 and ACG Award for Outstanding Corporate Growth.

DeMarse received her AB in History from Wellesley College and MBA from Harvard Business School.

About Collective Audience
Collective Audience is a U.S.-based provider of e-commerce and digital customer acquisition solutions that simplifies digital advertising. It provides data-driven, end-to-end marketing through its results solutions or access to data for activating campaigns across multiple channels.

The company’s digital marketing business includes a holistic, self-serve AdTech platform, a proprietary data-driven, AI-powered system that enables brands and agencies to advertise across thousands of the world’s leading digital media and connected TV platforms.

To learn more, visit collectiveaudience.co.

Investor Contact:
Ron Both

CMA Investor Relations
Tel (949) 432-7566
Email contact

Media Contact:
Tim Randall

CMA Media Relations
Tel (949) 432-7572
Email contact


Innovative cyber security and insurance platform Upfort closes $8m Series A to scale

We couldn't be more excited to be a part of Upforts journey and close their Series A to accelerate their platform. They have cracked the AI, data-driven code to build a highly scalable cyber security married with a cyber insurance product offering.

Upfort, a pioneering cyber security and insurance platform, has raised a substantial $8m in a recent Series A funding round. Funding propels Upfort’s efforts to empower businesses in building cyber resilience.

The round was spearheaded by SYN Ventures and saw significant contributions from Eniac Ventures and Fika Ventures. Notably, the latter two had co-led Upfort’s seed round.

Upfort, a cutting-edge cyber security and insurance platform, today announced it has raised $8 million in a Series A funding round led by SYN Ventures, with participation of Eniac Ventures and Fika Ventures, which co-led Upfort’s seed round. This investment advances Upfort’s goal to simplify the way brokers and insurers sell insurance and shield their clients from cyber threats – a trillion dollar drain on the economy, with ransomware attacks alone affecting 66% of organizations in 2022.

Upfort revolutionizes how cyber risk is assessed and managed, empowering insurers and brokers to dramatically reduce their clients’ exposure to cyber attacks. In fact, in a recent 18-month study of a leading cyber insurance program, policyholders that fully implemented Upfort Shield saw significantly fewer security breaches and claims, with the likelihood of filing a claim decreasing by 80%. Upfort allows organizations to fully address their cyber security needs–from risk management tools to insurance policies–through one easy-to-use platform.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support of all of our investors, including SYN Ventures, as we fundamentally transform the economics of cyber risk. Today’s announcement is a testament to their trust and support of our work to bolster cyber resilience for companies worldwide.”

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“Upfort was founded as a comprehensive cyber platform to safeguard businesses against evolving threats and new risks. The new investment will enable us to build on these efforts as we continue our mission of accelerating the world’s journey toward cyber resilience,” said Xing Xin, Upfort CEO and Co-Founder. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of all of our investors, including SYN Ventures, as we fundamentally transform the economics of cyber risk. Today’s announcement is a testament to their trust and support of our work to bolster cyber resilience for companies worldwide.”

Businesses can leverage the best in modern cyber protection by partnering with Upfort, and there are a myriad of benefits to them, including transforming a historically cumbersome and costly process: cyber insurance underwriting. Upfort’s proprietary cybersecurity technology streamlines the cyber insurance purchase and underwriting process for brokers, insurers and their clients. These offerings holistically protect organizations against the leading causes of cyber claims. Upfort’s AI-powered email protection, network defense, security training, and ongoing monitoring are trained on and tuned to prevent incidents causing widespread financial damage to businesses.

“At SYN Ventures, we wholeheartedly believe in the Upfort team’s vision–and ability–to transform the way businesses approach cyber security protection and resilience overall,” said Ryan Permeh, Operating Partner at SYN Ventures. “In an age of rising cybercrime, Upfort equips organizations with the tools they need to protect themselves against the threat of cyberattacks, prevent losses, and analyze risk more intelligently. We are excited to spearhead the Series A funding round for Upfort - can’t wait to see all it does next.”

The Series A fund was led by SYN Ventures, with additional participation from Eniac Ventures, Fika Ventures, Altai Ventures, Chaos Ventures, Aquila Capital Partners, Gaingels and Cyber Mentor Fund.

Today’s announcement comes amid a series of pivotal developments and company milestones for Upfort. Last month, Upfort announced its transition from Paladin Cyber to Upfort, reflecting the company’s expanded capabilities as a one-stop shop for businesses’ cyber security and insurance needs. To learn more about Upfort, visit upfort.com.

About Upfort

Upfort is a leading platform for cyber security and insurance that provides holistic protection from evolving cyber threats. Founded in 2017 to expand global access to cyber resilience, Upfort makes cyber risk easy to manage and simple to insure. Upfort delivers turnkey security proven to proactively mitigate risk and comprehensive cyber insurance from leading insurers. With proprietary data and intelligent automation, Upfort’s AI anticipates risk and streamlines mitigation for hassle-free underwriting. Insurers, brokers, and risk advisors partner with Upfort to offer clients resilience and peace of mind against cyber threats. To learn more about Upfort, visit upfort.com.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Christina Levin
Caliber Corporate Advisers
upfort@calibercorporate.com


Lynk Global and bmobile Solomon Islands launch Sat2Phone service for bmobile subscribers

bmobile is 3rd mobile network operator in the world to begin sat2phone services

Lynk Global, the world’s leading sat2phone telecoms provider, and bmobile Solomon Islands Limited (bmobile), a leading mobile operator in the Solomon Islands, today announced the start of initial satellite direct-to-mobile phone services to subscribers using Lynk’s “cell-towers-in-space”. Bmobile becomes the latest MNO in the world to launch Lynk’s sat2phone technology as a service for their subscribers.

Established in 2010, bmobile is a leader in providing high-speed data, reliable voice and SMS telecommunications across the Solomon Islands. bmobile currently operates in four provinces across the country: Guadalcanal; Malaita; Western; and Central Province. With a footprint that is growing rapidly, bmobile is a leader in bringing innovative products to the Solomon Islands.

“Bmobile is excited to announce this partnership with Lynk. Bmobile now has the ability to further extend geographic mobile coverage for the people of Solomon Islands. We feel Lynk is a must-have service that can save lives and help people no matter where they are. Bmobile is starting by giving immediate coverage to our mobile subscribers across Makira. As the Lynk service grows it will bring 21st Century connectivity to all the people of the Solomon Islands across the entire nation,” said Devan Kula, CEO of bmobile.

Lynk has proven SMS, broadcast emergency alerts, and voice calls on all seven continents, and anticipates starting commercial service with many more MNOs globally over the rest of 2023.

“Lynk is humbled and thrilled to bring sat2phone connectivity to the people of Solomon Islands, everywhere in Solomon Islands,” says Dan Dooley, Lynk’s chief commercial officer. “For bmobile subscribers, this service will be like no other in use today. Our initial Sat2Phone service will start as a beta service in the Makira and extend next year across the island nation to include all remote areas, including the Solomon Islands maritime economic exclusion zone, which covers more than 1.6 million kilometers. Lynk will also be used to provide back-up services, when natural disasters damage the ground network, to enhance network resilience,” says Dooley. “With over 75% of Solomon Islands’ residents living outside urban areas in mostly small communities, Lynk’s service has the potential to be a game changer for residents and visitors alike,'' Dooley continues.

Lynk is also targeting service launch this year in Papua New Guinea with bmobile’s parent company Telikom Ltd.

About bmobile

Established in 2010, bmobile is a leader in providing high-speed data, reliable voice and SMS telecommunications across the Solomon Islands. bmobile currently operates in four provinces across the country: Guadalcanal; Malaita; Western; and Central Province. With a footprint that is growing rapidly, bmobile is a leader in bringing innovative products to the Solomon Islands.

About Lynk

Lynk is the world’s only patented, proven, commercially-licensed, and operational satellite-direct-to-standard-mobile-phone system. Today, Lynk is unique in allowing commercial subscribers to send and receive text messages to and from space, via standard unmodified mobile devices. Our service has been demonstrated in over 20 countries and is currently being deployed commercially, based on >30 MNO commercial service contracts covering >50 countries. Lynk is currently providing cell broadcast (emergency) alerts, and two-way SMS messaging, and will launch voice and mobile broadband services in the future. By partnering with Lynk via a simple roaming agreement, a mobile network operator opens the door to new revenue in untapped markets, gives subscribers peace of mind with ubiquitous connectivity, and provides a pathway to economic prosperity for billions. For more information, visit www.lynk.world or follow @lynktheworld.

Contacts

Tony DeTora
tdetora@lynk.world

Wilton Varia
wilton.varia@bmobile.com.sb


Narrative Unveils advanced AI to amplify the power of Rosetta: Revolutionizing data collaboration

Narrative I/O announced the next generation of our proprietary AI tool, and below are 3 reasons why this product is going to be a game changer:
EASY: Rosetta turns layman’s terms into complex data queries so even I can use it
TIME SAVING: Days of Engineering work can now be done in minutes as simple as typing a sentence into the Rosetta Chatbot
HAPPINESS: Engineering/Data Scientists will no longer have to deal with the business team requests that they are annoyed doing!

ALSO READ:
Narrative I/O and Snowflake collaborate to transform data-driven digital advertising thru The Trade Desk 

Building on the groundbreaking success of Rosetta, Narrative's AI-powered Data Collaboration Assistant, the company today introduced an expansive ecosystem of AI assistants to shape the future of data collaboration. With Rosetta at the helm as the Chief Data Collaboration Officer, this dynamic team will drive unparalleled capabilities, ensuring swifter response times and a revolutionary collaborative experience.

"Rosetta was the initial step in evolving how businesses access and interpret data," says Tim Mahlman, Narrative's CEO. "The addition of her specialized team members pushes us leaps and bounds further. This initiative isn't merely about faster data solutions; it's about simulating a bustling corporate ecosystem where AI-powered tools collaborate seamlessly to solve complex challenges."

Data Collaboration in Enterprises: It Takes More Than One

In the intricate world of enterprise data collaboration, the old adage rings true – it often "takes a village." Collaboration complexities necessitate diverse expertise, mirroring the multifaceted teams that exist within large organizations. The Rosetta team replicates this dynamic, ensuring that different facets of data collaboration are managed by dedicated specialists. These AI entities mimic the multiple roles and responsibilities seen in corporate data teams, but with the added advantages of being available round-the-clock and being immune to human limitations.

This streamlined approach considerably boosts the speed and quality of data processing, offering users a nuanced and tailored experience. And for those multifaceted tasks, Rosetta's team will collaborate, pooling their unique capabilities to produce comprehensive data outcomes.

24/7 Data Collaboration with Unwavering Precision

One of the crowning advantages of Rosetta and her team is their relentless dedication to service, being tirelessly available 24/7, 365 days a year. This continuous, unwavering efficiency ensures that businesses have constant access to crucial data insights. Beyond mere availability, the precision and reliability of their data processing are always maintained at the highest standards.

Importantly, this non-stop AI-driven support means that human teams can elevate their focus. Freed from the weeds of routine data tasks, they can channel their expertise into higher-value roles and strategic initiatives, thereby driving significant organizational growth and innovation. It's not just about working harder, but smarter, allowing human creativity and strategic thinking to flourish while the AI handles the heavy lifting.

Narrative's latest venture underscores its dedication to refining data collaboration. While Rosetta paved the way, her dedicated team promises to revolutionize the depth, scope, and speed of data interaction. With the complexities of today's data world, having a robust, untiring team ready to handle diverse challenges is not just a luxury—it's a necessity.

Dive into this transformative journey with us, and witness the pioneering strides we're making in the data collaboration realm.

For more information on Narrative and Rosetta's Team:
https://rosetta.st


CRAINCURRENCY Amid AI hype, family offices take cautiously aggressive approach

We are thrilled to be included in CrainCurrency for family offices investing in AI technology. Thank you Marcus Baram.

The dot-com era's investor sentiment in the late 1990s, marked by enthusiasm and subsequent crashes, set the stage for established giants such as Amazon, Google and Salesforce. Drawing parallels, family office investors note similar trends within today's AI bubble.

Their consensus is that, beyond the hype, artificial intelligence holds tangible potential. Just as the internet reshaped society and the economy, AI is expected to have a transformative impact.

"There is some euphoria to it, but there is true substance there," said Tom Raymond, a partner in investment management at the Callan Family Office. “The power is real.”

Even before ChatGPT's emergence in November 2022, family offices demonstrated an interest in AI investment. A spring survey that same year revealed that 48% of family offices had already ventured into the sector. Since then, this interest has swelled.

Notable instances include Stanley Druckenmiller investing in Nvidia Corp., Eric Schmidt backing Mistral AI and Inflection AI, the Goodrich Family Office supporting Birdstop and the Dorilton Capital Family Office entering a partnership with Blackbird.AI.

"The number of AI transactions by family offices since Q4 2022 surpasses the prior year," said Dennis Caulfield, vice president of research at FINTRX.

Seizing the moment amidst economic turmoil, opportunistic investors are capitalizing on the private markets by acquiring discounted shares in companies. Raymond likens this approach to a chance to invest in promising companies before they are overvalued. He sees it as a form of time travel for investments.

“Right now, you can buy early AI movers at a discount, secondaries in the venture space at a massive discount – 30-40% discount to their asset value,” he said. “Startups are looking for liquidity and are willing to sacrifice the longer-term upside of investments for the short-term gain of having cash in hand.”

To navigate the potential volatility of the AI bubble, family offices are rigorously evaluating startups for direct deals and suitable funds.

“As an investor, determining what’s real and what’s not is getting harder and harder,” said Ian Sheridan, a co-founder and managing director of Vestigo Ventures. He likened the process to assessing startups during the early days of the internet.

“Inventors would show up with a whiteboard,” Sheridan said, “but at the end of the day, there was no engine. Right now, the technology allows things to look superhuman really fast, and it’s up to the investor to figure out what’s really underneath, to peel back the layers.”

Key considerations when assessing AI startups:

  • Market fit and execution: Gauge potential by market size and demand. Are they solving a crucial problem with demand? “We won't touch anything without those," said Peter Bordes of Trajectory Ventures. Execution is vital; failure to execute invites competition.
  • Scalability: AI's elements — algorithms, data, models, infrastructure — must scale seamlessly in size, speed and complexity.
  • Creating a moat: Does proprietary intellectual property provide a protective edge as the business grows? Sheridan underscores this importance.
  • The Human factor: Talent is as vital as technology. Talent’s absence hinders growth.
  • Leveraging expertise: Expertise in industries affected by AI aids growth. Partnerships offer more than just capital — operational expertise accelerates progress.

To be sure, investors are also assessing other startups based on their use of AI.

“There isn’t a portfolio company that we haven’t asked: ‘What is your AI strategy? If you’re not using it, why not?’ ” said Sheridan, whose Vestigo Ventures itself uses big data and machine learning in its research and other operations.

 

Marcus BaramAbout the AUTHOR Marcus Baram
Marcus Baram is a contributing editor at Crain Currency, where he covers the intersection of finance and politics. Prior to joining Crain Currency, Baram was a staff writer at Fast Company and an editor at Huff Post. He has also written for outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Vice. Baram is an expert on economic policy and has a deep understanding of the ways in which politics shapes the global financial system. In his role at Crain Currency, he brings a unique perspective to the complex and ever-evolving world of finance. With his keen analysis and clear writing, Baram helps readers make sense of the important issues impacting the economy today.

RoadSync revolutionizes logistics payments with the launch of RoadSync Pay

Championing Modern Payment Solutions for a Massively Underserved Industry

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New digital payments solution will make billing and payments faster, easier, and more secure for logistics and supply chain companies.

RoadSync, the leader in digital financial solutions for the supply chain, is pleased to introduce RoadSync Pay, designed to modernize, streamline, and expedite payments for brokers and carriers. With RoadSync Pay, brokers can effortlessly schedule and automate payments to their carriers and factoring companies.

RoadSync Pay empowers brokers to make swift payments to carriers and factoring companies at their convenience, using preferred methods like Instant Real-Time Payments (RTP). This allows payments to be made between bank accounts that are initiated, cleared and settled within seconds, at any time of the day or week, holidays and weekends included. Other features and benefits include Same Day, Next Day ACH, Checks (with a click of a button), and Fleet Check. This improved efficiency not only enhances carrier satisfaction but also facilitates the attraction and retention of top carriers while lightening the load on back-office tasks.

This platform provides the logistics industry access to some of the most modern payment rails and capabilities. Although historically underserved by payments technology, logistics companies can now enjoy the same level of payment convenience and speed as businesses in other sectors.

Additionally, RoadSync Pay offers brokers' carriers & factoring companies access to a complimentary carrier portal and automated remittance emails, providing real-time and historical insights into payment statuses, and reducing the back office burden of communicating critical information to their carriers.

Overall, RoadSync's new platform, RoadSync Pay, redefines the logistics payment experience, aligning it with the rapid, convenient, and secure payment expectations of modern consumers.

"By providing access to cutting-edge payment capabilities, we are fueling brokers and carriers with the speed, convenience, and security they deserve. Trucking hasn't always been the focus of technology innovation and our goal is to help it thrive in the digital age, ensuring that payments are as modern as the goods they transport. We are proud to lead this charge, modernizing logistics payments and shaping the future of logistics fintech," says Robin Gregg, RoadSync CEO.

For the past six years, RoadSync has been at the forefront of digital payment innovation in the logistics and supply chain sectors. Discover more about RoadSync Pay and RoadSync's expanding product range at www.roadsync.com.

About RoadSync

RoadSync is a cutting-edge, digital payment platform designed to help automate the financial solutions fueling the $800B logistics industry. By enabling more secure & efficient payment acceptance, RoadSync streamlines the payment experience for warehouses, freight handlers and repair/tow merchants alike. For more about RoadSync, visit www.RoadSync.com.

Media Contact

Megan Meier, Pitch Public Relations, 1 402-213-6888, megan@pitchpublicrelations.comwww.pitchpublicrelations.com


Narrative I/O and Snowflake collaborate to transform data-driven digital advertising thru The Trade Desk

Narrative I/O and Snowflake are forging a transformative partnership to syndicate data directly to The Trade Desk ushering in a new era of data-driven digital media campaigns. Through this collaboration, Snowflake third-party data providers will monetize their assets across The Trade Desk platform

 

Data for sale? Take it to the cloud.

That’s the new approach with a partnership between Snowflake, The Trade Desk (TTD) and data marketplace tech vendor Narrative, which announced a new joint product to make it feasible for practically any company with data stored on Snowflake to make that data available in TTD’s marketplace.

Narrative I/O, a leader in data collaboration, announced a collaboration with Snowflake, the Data Cloud company, to allow third-party data providers to surface data within The Trade Desk via Snowflake Marketplace, creating effective and data-driven digital media campaigns.

Traditionally, distribution into third-party marketplaces was a time-consuming and costly process that involved significant resources. This Narrative / Snowflake initiative will give joint customers an efficient and cost-effective solution to activate and distribute audiences from Snowflake Marketplace to The Trade Desk platform. Key highlights of the relationship include:

  • Speed and Cost-Efficiency: Snowflake customers working with The Trade Desk platform will experience rapid data onboarding at a lower cost. This integration allows for efficient transfer of data into The Trade Desk platform with a streamlined process that increases speed to market. :
  • A.I. Based data normalization and Audience Creation: Narrative's proprietary Rosetta Stone technology automates the complex process of data normalization and standardization, reducing the burden on analysts and engineers. Leveraging Narrative's AI agents, businesses can automate time-consuming tasks such as taxonomy creation and audience building. With these capabilities, deep knowledge of the data itself is no longer a requirement for successful data monetization.
  • Privacy-Preserving Data Match: Privacy compliance remains a paramount consideration for responsible data usage. This collaboration allows Snowflake data customers to match offline data with Unified ID 2.0 tokens while safeguarding consumers' personally identifiable information.

 

"Snowflake's collaboration with Narrative I/O offers our third-party data providers greater monetization opportunities across The Trade Desk and streamlines the data integration process," said David Wells, Industry Principal at Snowflake.

 

"By integrating with Snowflake and The Trade Desk, Narrative has crafted a robust bridge for us," said JR Crosby, AdTech & Data Partnerships Lead, at GoPuff Ads. "This fusion seamlessly transitions our internal data storage to monetization channels on The Trade Desk, ensuring both remarkable efficiency and speed to market."

"With the Snowflake and Narrative relationship, data suppliers on The Trade Desk can expect faster, more cost-effective data access, revolutionizing the way they leverage data to drive success," said Tim Mahlman, CEO of Narrative. "Our AI-driven technology empowers organizations to streamline data management and monetize their resources effectively. This initiative marks a significant milestone in data collaboration.

"Bringing data segments including retail data from companies like GoPuff into our platform for advertiser's digital media buys improves campaign effectiveness," says Jay Goebel, GM of Data Partnerships at The Trade Desk. "By sending these audiences via identifiers such as Unified ID 2.0, Snowflake and Narrative prove their commitment to reshaping the digital advertising experience across the open internet, including on connected TV."

Businesses can expect a future where data access is faster, more cost-effective, and simpler than ever before, revolutionizing the way they leverage data to drive success.

Snowflake Marketplace is powered by Snowflake's ground-breaking cross-cloud technology, Snowgrid, allowing companies direct access to raw data products and the ability to leverage data, data services, and applications quickly, securely, and cost-effectively. Snowflake Marketplace simplifies discovery, access, and the commercialization of data products, enabling companies to unlock entirely new revenue streams and extended insights across the Data Cloud. To learn more about Snowflake Marketplace and how to find, try and buy the data, data services, and applications needed for innovative business solutions, click here.


Paladin Cyber Security and Insurance Platform Unveils Rebranding to Upfort in Light of Rapid Growth and Market Demand

The transition from Paladin Cyber to Upfort reflects the breadth of the expanded platform as the company gains critical mass as the leader in their category. Along with former Farmers Insurance and Swiss Re executives join Upfort’s leadership team.

Paladin Cyber, a leading full-stack cyber security and insurance platform, today announced that it has changed its corporate name to Upfort, reflecting its expanded capabilities amid unprecedented company growth and market demand. Upfort also announced two senior hires, Jeremy Wieber and Matthew Leanza, to advance its strategic initiatives and spearhead the company’s partnership-centric approach toward helping companies develop cyber resilience.

“We are thrilled to introduce Upfort, building upon our successes and offerings to bring AI-powered solutions to insurers and brokers that can transform the way cyber insurance is underwritten and sold”

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Upfort will continue to offer the same services as Paladin Cyber and also broaden its suite of offerings, moving from solely focusing on cyber attack prevention to taking a more encompassing approach to building cyber resilience. When the company originally launched in 2017, it prioritized the development and delivery of a SaaS cybersecurity solution to small-to-medium enterprises. Since then, it has also created a turnkey platform to run cyber insurance programs powered by automated underwriting. The company will combine these efforts under the Upfort platform.

“We are thrilled to introduce Upfort, building upon our successes and offerings to bring AI-powered solutions to insurers and brokers that can transform the way cyber insurance is underwritten and sold,” said Xing Xin, CEO and Co-Founder. “Upfort, formerly known as Paladin Cyber, represents our commitment to accelerating the world’s journey to cyber resilience, and we are excited to welcome two industry veterans to drive our partnership-led approach.”

Now, Upfort is working alongside insurers and brokers to streamline the cyber insurance underwriting process. In addition to conducting automated risk assessments, Upfort provides active guidance and security solutions to ensure applicants obtain comprehensive cyber insurance policies without hassle.

Already, Upfort has yielded meaningful results for businesses seeking cyber risk protection. In a recent 18-month study of real claims, Upfort has seen organizations that fully implemented Upfort Shield, its cybersecurity solution, file claims at 1/5th the rate of those who didn’t – all while not filing a single ransomware or wire transfer fraud claim, two of the leading claim types.

Upfort’s expanded capabilities empower all stakeholders across the cyber risk ecosystem – including brokers, insurers, MSPs, and other risk managers – to protect businesses against cyber threats and develop cyber resilience. By bridging the gap between insurance underwriting and cybersecurity, brokers can ensure clients meet underwriting standards through automation, address risk mitigation with turnkey security, and increase renewal retention with broader services. Upfort’s partners can leverage its proprietary underwriting technology to efficiently deploy risk management solutions with embedded insurance to large populations of clients, vendors, franchisees, and more.

The new executives – Jeremy Wieber and Matthew Leanza – bring decades of expertise to the growing Upfort team. Wieber joins Upfort as Head of Strategic Partnerships, leveraging more than 13 years of experience within the insurance industry, including most recently with Farmers Insurance, where he was the Executive Director of Strategic Distribution and Partnerships.

Leanza joins Upfort as Head of Business Development drawing on significant expertise in insurance, business development, building new teams, and providing stellar experiences for partners & customers. Most recently, Leanza was the Vice President of Distribution at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions.

“We are proud to welcome Jeremy and Matthew to the Upfort team as we step into a future of continued growth and Upfort helps many more companies realize cyber resilience,” said Josh Riley, Managing Director and Co-Founder.

To learn more about Upfort, visit upfort.com.

About Upfort

Upfort is a leading platform for cyber security and insurance that provides holistic protection from evolving cyber threats. Founded in 2017 to expand global access to cyber resilience, Upfort makes cyber risk easy to manage and simple to insure. Upfort delivers turnkey security proven to proactively mitigate risk and comprehensive cyber insurance from leading insurers. With proprietary data and intelligent automation, Upfort’s AI anticipates risk and streamlines mitigation for hassle-free underwriting. Insurers, brokers, and risk advisors partner with Upfort to offer clients resilience and peace of mind against cyber threats. To learn more about Upfort, visit upfort.com.

Contacts

Media:
Christina Levin
Caliber Corporate Advisers
upfort@calibercorporate.com


Machina Labs closes $32 Million Series B to revolutionize AI-driven robotics manufacturing

Their cutting edge disruptive innovation advances AI and Robotics integration in the production of advanced metal products

Machina Labs combines AI and robotics to rapidly manufacture advanced composite and metal products. Today, the company announced it has secured $32 Million in Series B investment to revolutionize AI-driven manufacturing.

“With their deep heritage in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, we are looking forward to NVIDIA’s support as we further develop our AI and simulation capabilities” Tweet this

The round was co-led by new investor NVentures, NVIDIA’s venture capital arm, and existing investor Innovation Endeavors, with contributions from existing and other new investors. This latest funding brings the total raised by Machina Labs to $45 million.

The investment will be used to meet accelerating customer demand, to further intensify research initiatives, and to continue delivering innovative solutions that exceed customer expectations.

“With their deep heritage in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, we are looking forward to NVIDIA’s support as we further develop our AI and simulation capabilities,” according to Edward Mehr, CEO and co-founder of Machina Labs. “We are also thrilled to see our current partner Innovation Endeavors continue to support our vision. This Series B funding underscores the transformative potential of merging robotics and artificial intelligence. With this support, we are poised to develop the next generation of manufacturing floors; ones that can easily remake production with no hardware or tooling changes, but only requiring software modification.”

With Machina Labs, factories no longer need to be tied to specific products, but can now be configured via software to power on-demand manufacturing, and unlock innovation in manufacturing. Machina Labs combines the latest advances in AI and robotics to deliver finished metal products in days – not months or years – and gives customers unprecedented time to market and competitive advantage.

“Over the past two years, Machina Labs has demonstrated the impact and scalability of combining robotics and AI in manufacturing,” said Innovation Endeavors Partner, Sam Smith-Eppsteiner. “We are thrilled to double down on our investment in Machina on the back of demonstrated execution, technology gains, and commercial traction. We expect Machina to play an important role in a number of key industrial trends of the next decade: domestic re-industrialization, defense innovation, electrification, and commercial space.”

“AI is rapidly accelerating industries across the global economy, including manufacturing,” said Mohamed “Sid” Siddeek, Corporate Vice President and Head of NVentures. “Machina Labs’s work to apply advanced computing and robotics to sheet metal formation enables companies to operate manufacturing facilities with substantially improved efficiency and broadened capabilities.”

Machina Labs uses robots the way a blacksmith uses a hammer to creatively manufacture different designs and material, introducing unprecedented flexibility and agility to the manufacturing industry. With Machina, great ideas can quickly and affordably become reality and businesses can benefit from rapid iteration to bring more innovative products to market faster.

Robotic sheet forming is the first process enabled by Machina’s patented manufacturing platform. Using material- and geometry-agnostic technology, the platform outperforms traditional sheet-forming methods that rely on custom molds or dies.

About Machina Labs

Founded in 2019 by aerospace and automotive industry veterans, Machina Labs is an advanced manufacturing company based in Los Angeles, California. Enabled by advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics, Machina Labs is developing Software-Defined Factories of the Future. The mission of the company is to develop modular manufacturing solutions that can be reconfigured to manufacture new products simply by changing the software. For more information, please visit https://www.machinalabs.ai/

Contacts

Tim Smith
Element Public Relations
415-350-3019
tsmith@elementpr.com