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ZOE Announces $53M Total Raise From Investors Including Fund Backed By Top Scientists, and Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning

ZOE

Healthcare science company ZOE announced today it has raised $53M in total funding to transform how individuals eat with a first-of-its-kind at-home test kit and personalized advice program. ZOE decodes each customer’s unique biological responses to food, and guides them on how to eat to maximize long-term health. The program uses machine learning combined with the world’s largest nutrition research studies. These funds will allow ZOE to meet the dramatic rise in customer demand since it launched a few months ago, and serve millions of people in search of a sustainable and science-backed approach to healthy eating. Addressing high rates of obesity, metabolic disease, and nutritional confusion, ZOE launched its first product in September 2020 after three years in stealth carrying out the world’s largest in-depth nutrition and microbiome study with scientists from Harvard, King’s College London, Mass General Hospital and Stanford. The test kit analyzes users’ gut health, as well as blood fat and blood sugar responses to food and uses these insights to provide daily, personalized nutrition guidance. Demand is high and ZOE is currently in waitlist-mode. Interim clinical trial results reveal participants experienced more energy (90%), felt less hunger (80%) and lost an average of 11 pounds after three months of following their personalized plan. Today’s B round of over $20M brings cash on the balance sheet to $40M. This round of financing is led by Ahren Innovation Capital (“Ahren”), whose Science Partners include two Nobel laureates. Sir Gregory Winter CBE FRS FMedSci and Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry said: “We were interested both by the approach taken by ZOE, in which they are applying machine learning to large scale population data, and by their published results, in which they are mapping out associations between diet, health and the gut microbiome.” Additional participants in this financing include two-time Super Bowl Champion and MVP Eli Manning, two-time Super Bowl Champion and award-winning sportscaster Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora, Accomplice (the fund behind AngelList, DraftKings, PillPack, and WHOOP), THVC and Daphni. Umenyiora said, “I'm really excited to invest in ZOE. As an athlete, I know how much eating the right food changes how I feel and how I perform.” The funds from the investment will be used to speed up the rollout of the ZOE program. Currently, the program is only available in the US, but a launch is intended in the UK in 2021 and further geographies in 2022. ZOE is continuing to hire rapidly, including in engineering and science, where its expertise spans from microbiome and nutrition to metabolic research and machine learning. Commenting on the investment, George Hadjigeorgiou, co-founder and President of ZOE, said: "We started ZOE because we believe that everyone has a right to understand how their body responds to food so they can make their own decisions and be in control of their health. We are thrilled to be partnering with a distinguished group of new and existing investors to continue on our mission to help people live healthier and happier lives.” “After 4 years of research and results published in the world’s leading medical journals, we are delighted to accelerate the launch of the ZOE program because we believe people need our help,” said Jonathan Wolf, co-founder and CEO of ZOE. “Ahren Innovation Capital, Eli Manning and Osi Umenyiora’s backing of ZOE further validates the belief held by leaders across diverse industries that we can have a powerful impact on our health through in-depth, personalized insights into our biology.” Science Supported with Multiple Papers Published in Top Peer-Reviewed Journals Experiencing rapid revenue growth and forecasting double-digit millions of revenue in its first year of sales, ZOE uses a data-driven approach to tackling global health issues. The company combines artificial intelligence, digital technologies and collaboration with world-leading scientists. ZOE’s research has led to over a dozen peer reviewed studies in high impact journals over the last year, including multiple papers in leading science journals such as Nature Medicine. In March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, the ZOE team felt compelled to help and responded by developing and launching an app in just four sleepless days and nights, built on their existing technologies. The free ZOE Covid Study app, which is a non-profit initiative, now has more than 4.5M users across the UK, US and Sweden, calculating levels of COVID in real-time and sharing anonymous data with researchers across the world. Scientists working with ZOE have published dozens of scientific papers as a result, from understanding COVID symptoms to data on vaccine effectiveness and COVID’s long-term effects. Long-term, ZOE intends to use the app to support wider public health initiatives. About ZOE ZOE is a healthcare science company helping people understand their body’s responses to food. By using machine learning combined with large scale human studies, ZOE is decoding the impact of nutrition on health. ZOE leads the PREDICT Studies and the ZOE COVID Study, which are the world’s largest community powered research programs of their kind in nutrition and COVID-19 respectively. Located in London and Boston, ZOE was founded by Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, data science leader Jonathan Wolf and entrepreneur George Hadjigeorgiou. ZOE was named one of the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Stars in 2019 for the company’s contribution to science enabled by technology and machine learning. For more information on ZOE’s mission and science, visit joinzoe.com. Recently Published Nutrition Studies Postprandial glycaemic dips predict appetite and energy intake in healthy individuals, Nature Metabolism,April 12, 2021 Microbiome connections with host metabolism and habitual diet from 1,098 deeply phenotyped individuals, Nature Medicine, January 11, 2021 Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition, Nature Medicine, June 11, 2020 About Ahren Innovation Capital Ahren Innovation Capital is an investment institution that supports transformational companies at the intersection of deep tech and deep science that will penetrate, or create, massive markets. Ahren is a unique partnership of investment talent and best-in-class commercial scientists whose technologies are today valued in excess of $100BN combined. Ahren believes in taking asymmetric, considered, risk that will deliver superior rewards – capturing a generational opportunity to provide smart capital to deep technology. With a philosophy espousing the importance of relationships and trust, Ahren provides both patient and active capital to exceptional founders and teams, empowering them to succeed. For more information on Ahren Innovation Capital, visit ahreninnovationcapital.com. Contact Details ZOE Fiana Tulip +1 817-691-3031 fiana@joinzoe.com Company Website https://www.joinzoe.com

May 04, 2021 07:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Intapp Announces Plan to Acquire Repstor

Intapp

Introducing New Collaboration and Content Capabilities Backed by Seamless Microsoft 365 Integration Acquisition to Bring Secure, Frictionless Collaboration, and Microsoft Teams Management to Professional and Financial Services Firm Intapp, a leading provider of industry-specific, cloud-based software solutions that enable connected professional and financial services firms, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Repstor, creator of Microsoft 365-based enterprise content management and team collaboration tools. The transaction is subject to regular and customary closing conditions and is expected to close within the next 30 days. Headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Repstor specializes in purpose-built cloud solutions that enhance Microsoft Teams, Microsoft SharePoint, and Microsoft Outlook. Repstor solutions help professional and financial services firms get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investments. The software offers improved information governance and security while boosting productivity by providing industry-specific templates that span firms’ deal, matter, and engagement lifecycles. More than 285 organizations around the world use Repstor solutions to manage critical information and help professionals engage with extended partners. “Repstor powers connected firms, breaking down silos with context-aware collaboration that puts all of a firm’s content and insights in a single, secure place,” said Mark Holman, Chief Strategy Officer at Intapp. “We’re seeing continuing expansion in firms’ use of Microsoft 365 — and specifically Microsoft Teams — for enhanced collaboration and document management. Adding Repstor capabilities to our OnePlace and DealCloud solutions will allow firms using our solutions to better collaborate and access content to boost productivity and improve outcomes across the dealmaking and engagement lifecycle, from strategy through origination and execution.” In addition to streamlined firmwide collaboration and document lifecycle management, the solution will leverage Intapp ethical walls capabilities to enable rights management, supporting secure workflows with firms’ internal and external collaborators. “Intapp is a leading provider of cloud-based software designed for the unique needs of partner-led firms, and we’re incredibly excited to be part of this team,” said Alan McMillen, CEO of Repstor. “Our two companies share a vision for a future where truly connected firms — including people, processes, and data — can drive better outcomes for their clients. Together, we want to be the partner for firms looking to empower their team members and gain a competitive advantage through technology.” Christian Rast, Global Head of Technology and Knowledge at KPMG international, a mutual client of Intapp and Repstor, said: “KPMG International is pleased to see these two great companies and their technologies growing together. All of their solutions are purpose built for the professional services market; by enhancing Microsoft’s cloud platform with Intapp solutions, they’ll help users excel at digital transformation. Our member firms look forward to leveraging the combined technology power of Repstor and Intapp to accelerate the success of our work and our clients in the professional services industry.” # # # About Intapp Intapp makes the connected firm possible. We help professional and financial services firms better connect their people, processes, and data through AI-powered software solutions. Trusted by approximately 1,600 of the world’s premier private capital, investment banking, legal, accounting, and consulting firms, Intapp offers an end-to-end solution purpose-built to help modernize these firms. Intapp facilitates greater team collaboration, digitizes complex workflows to optimize deal and engagement execution, and leverages proprietary AI to help nurture relationships and originate new business. Intapp helps firms increase profitability and investment returns, operate more efficiently, and better manage risk and compliance. For more information, visit intapp.com and connect with us on Twitter (@Intapp) and LinkedIn. About Repstor Repstor specializes in optimizing Microsoft 365 productivity and information control for professional services firms and in-house legal teams. The company was recently recognized on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 rankings, recognizing rapid growth tech companies, for the fourth year running. Repstor helps teams coordinate and execute matter management in a secure, ordered, and traceable way, harnessing existing investments in these Microsoft technologies to offer substantial efficiency gains for law firms and legal operations. Repstor clients include Adams & Adams, gunnercooke, and Boels Zanders Advocaten, as well as legal teams within major brands such as IATA, National Grid, and Network Rail. For more information, visit repstor.com and connect with us on Twitter (@Repstor1). Contact Details Natalie Papaj +1 703-586-0048 natalie.papaj@intapp.com Company Website http://www.intapp.com

May 03, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Chia Launches its Green Digital Currency (XCH)

Chia Network

Highlights Eco-friendly chia (as “ XCH ”) commences its first transaction today with widespread digital exchange adoption expected in May Over the past 14 days, Chia Network has routinely been the largest and most decentralized blockchain by full node count - usually exceeding 100,000 full nodes Chia Network reinvents “mining” with energy efficient at-home “farming ” for everyone Chia + Chialisp are designed for secure “smart coin” transactions Chia Network Inc. (“Chia"), a new energy efficient decentralized blockchain created by Bram Cohen (the inventor of BitTorrent), today launches its revolutionary digital currency, chia. The green digital currency, chia (as “XCH”), is expected to gain widespread digital exchange listing, and rapid worldwide adoption in the financial, corporate, commercial, and governmental sectors. Founded in 2017 in the U.S. with a global workforce, Chia Network’s protocol seeks to become an alternative to traditional financial networks. It strives to provide a secure, energy-efficient network for modern finance and payments. Chia is green money XCH is Chia Network's native digital currency. Chia is created as a reward to chia “ farmers ” (the analogue to Bitcoin’s or Ethereum’s “miners”). The protocol uses an improved and simplified implementation of Bitcoin’s unspent transaction output (UTXO) model. These simplifications actually increase the flexibility and programmability of coins. Chia farming rewards 2 XCH per block for the first three years as the incentive mechanism that supports its new Nakamoto consensus. “The first chia transaction is an exciting milestone which furthers our long term mission to provide environmentally sustainable financial freedom. I am incredibly proud of our team and our reinvention of Bitcoin’s approach to the ‘everything is a coin’ model. We will continue to enhance the features of Chia and Chialisp in the areas of coloured coins, digital identity wallets, and NFT (non fungible token) support. This is just the beginning of our journey to become the core of a new financial architecture," shared Bram Cohen. Chia + Chialisp = secure “smart coin” transactions Chialisp is Chia Network’s smart coin language based on the functional language Lisp. Everything on the chia blockchain is a coin. Smart coins deliver smart contract and smart transaction capabilities in one package. Chilalisp has been designed for security and simplicity, while allowing for powerful and broad functionality. Applications running on Chia Network’s blockchain are intended to have functionality appropriate for banking, payments, asset issuance, global exchange, and other financial applications. Key feature sets of Chialisp include: Coloured coins Digital identity wallets Rate limited wallets Authorised payee wallets Multi-signature wallets Recoverable wallets Atomic swaps Chia Network’s blockchain will enable users to build and customize sophisticated custody and clearing arrangements. Chialisp will allow chia controls to match and exceed internal accounting controls and to safeguard funds from accidental loss, theft, or hacking with various risk tolerance levels in an easy to audit manner. Chia's Proof of Space & Time uses vastly less energy than Proof of Work In comparison with other blockchains, Chia greatly reduces energy consumption and environmental contamination while improving upon Nakamoto consensus. Chia’s blockchain replaces “Proof of Work”, which is the consensus protocol used by Bitcoin and Ethereum, with the first of its kind "Proof of Space and Time" consensus protocol that eliminates the unfairness, energy inefficiency, and centralization of Proof of Work. Instead of using power hungry specialized computing resources, Chia relies on storage space coupled with the added variable of time (via a “verifiable delay function”, or “VDF”) to ensure the integrity and security of the blockchain. A chia farmer will expend some CPU cycles to create "plots" on hard drives, but will then utilize the energy-efficient resource of drive space over the following years to participate in the consensus mechanism that verifies new blocks on the Chia blockchain. How to farm chia ("XCH") The goal of farming (verifying and ensuring the integrity of transactions on the Chia blockchain) is to utilize unused disk space to help validate financial transactions. Farming in the Chia network is a very lightweight process that leaves your computer free to do other things. To learn more about Chia’s blockchain, chia farming and the chia farming reward schedule, please watch the Company’s March 19th mainnet launch video and read Chia’s Business Whitepaper. For tips on how to plot and farm, please visit chiadecentral.com and review Chia plotting basics posted by Gene Hoffman, President of Chia Network. To get started, visit Chia Network GitHub to install the Company’s blockchain software. Chia offers broad OS support as well as a GUI for simple and easy wallet/farm management. The Company is committed to providing resources to enable simple and straightforward plotting and farming. About Chia Network Chia Network Inc. was founded by Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent. Chia Network is a state-of-the-art open-source decentralized blockchain, digital currency, and smart transaction platform. Using the first new secure Nakamoto consensus algorithm invented since Bitcoin, Chia aims to operate an eco-friendly, more secure and user-friendly payment system for cross border payments, issuing financial assets, lending, escrow payments, institutional custody, and distributed identity. Chia’s “Proof of Space and Time” based blockchain reduces waste in “Proof of Work” based blockchains. Built to run Chialisp, the company’s newly developed smart coin language, Chia’s blockchain allows its users to build and execute secure "smart coin" transactions. Chia believes that “digital money” should be easier to use than cash, harder to lose, and nearly impossible to steal. The Company is funded by leading venture capitalists including Slow Ventures, a16z, Naval Ravikant, Galaxy Digital, Greylock, True Ventures, MetaStable, Stillmark, DCM, and others. The Company’s Advisors include Dr. Dan Boneh, Research Partner at a16z and Applied Cryptography Professor at Stanford University; and Dr. Krzysztof Pietrzak, Cryptography Professor of IST Austria; and Ms. Katie Haun, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Investor Relations Contact: Gretchen Lium. For more information, chia.net and connect with us on Twitter ( @chia_project ), Facebook, GitHub, Reddit, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Chia Network Inc. Gretchen Lium +1 303-638-9185 gretchen@chia.net Company Website https://www.chia.net/

May 03, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Seen #TeacherTok? Osmo For Schools Gifts 4 Lucky Teachers $500 Gift Cards For TikTok Videos, For National Teacher Appreciation Week

Osmo for Schools

Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Osmo for Schools, the educational division of Tangible Play, Inc. and part of the award-winning consumer STEAM brand Osmo, announces it has selected 4 lucky teachers on TikTok to each receive a $500 gift card, for their creative and inspiring videos, in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 1-7, 2021). “Throughout this past year, we were thrilled to see so many teachers who used their creativity to the max to get kids to learn during this challenging time, and we loved the heartwarming videos they posted on social media, to tell the world what they did and how,” says Jan Richards, head of education sales and marketing at Osmo for Schools, which promotes in-classroom usage of Osmo’s tools and recently received the 2021 EdTech Award for Curriculum and Instruction Solution. “We laughed a lot when the videos were funny, admired their dedication, and got inspired by so many. Osmo for Schools selected 4 teachers who present themselves as heroes going the extra mile during the pandemic.” The 4 winning teachers are: Tristan Campbell @trissssss10 Clamentia Hall, Jr. @mrclementineteach Mandy Curley @mandycurley1 Claudine James @iamthatenglishteacher Says kindergarten teacher Clamentia Hall, Jr., “Osmo has taken educational technology and teacher appreciation to an unprecedented level! It has been an absolute pleasure to share a bit of humor and joy with educators who could use a little morale boost. Osmo has affirmed that educators everywhere deserve an incredible amount of appreciation for the hard work they do.” On July 1, 2021, Osmo for Schools, in partnership with Osmo Cares, the charitable arm of Osmo, will begin accepting applications for its first-ever mini-grant consisting of $2000 worth of Osmo for Schools’ educational technology. A total of 20 in-kind, mini-grants will be awarded to U.S. public schools in time for the fall semester. The mini-grant is intended to help schools which lack needed funding to purchase educational technology. Mini-grant recipients, who will be announced Aug. 9, 2021, will be able to choose from a selection of Osmo for Schools products; only one recipient will be selected per school. Schools must already have appropriate tablets on hand, or a plan to purchase tablets--they are not included. For further details about the mini-grant and application process, visit here: schools.playosmo.com/grants. About Osmo for Schools Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii PR +1 310-251-0550 carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://schools.playosmo.com

May 03, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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CSG and Axiata Digital Labs Announce Co-Collaboration to Deliver Enterprise Digital Marketplace

CSG

BRISBANE, May, 3 2021 – CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced it is working with Axiata Digital Labs (ADL), to create a joint innovation initiative for an open API digital marketplace that will enable rapid time to market for enterprise offerings. The co-collaboration integrates CSG’s industry-leading charging and digital monetisation capabilities with ADL’s Digital Telco Enabler (DTE) open API digital layer technology to deliver a single open API, multi-tenant, cloud platform. “Enterprise opportunities have evolved for service providers and are creating new opportunities for our customers to capitalise on revenue streams that require open, modular, cloud-based architectures for rapid bundling and touchless partner settlement,” said Ian Watterson, head of CSG’s Asia-Pacific business. “This co-innovation between Axiata Digital Labs and CSG combines our collective expertise in cloud, open API, modular architecture and microservices technologies to accelerate the launch of digital monetisation use cases.” Working with Axiata, CSG is extending DTE to its billing and charging communications service provider (CSP) customers, positioning them for accelerated growth and increased abilities to offer new products and services. Concurrently, ADL is extending digital monetisation capabilities to its customers through CSG’s award-winning Ascendon platform, enhancing ADL’s digital capabilities across its consumer and enterprise operations. “Axiata Digital Labs is transforming the way our customers drive revenue and create superior customer experiences through the investment and development of new and emerging 5G technologies, products and services,” said Namal Jayathilake, VP of Emerging Technologies of Axiata Digital Labs. “By partnering with CSG, we are aligning our efforts with one of the global leaders in the wireless sector and creating a breakthrough solution that will help customers from both organizations identify new growth opportunities, operate more efficiently, and create truly unique customer experiences,” he further added. Together, CSG’s Ascendon charging and digital monetisation capabilities combined with Axiata’s DTE technology optimise new service delivery for CSPs by integrating a digital marketplace into their existing network. The solution offers infinite flexible bundling with rapid time to market, giving CSPs the ability to quickly launch new digital offers and services for their enterprise and consumer customers. The joint solution adheres to TM Forum Open API standards and offers a single platform that seamlessly integrates into CSG and ADL customers’ existing ecosystems, eliminating the need for a full network transformation. The platform also provides the flexibility and scalability to support multiple CSP business models, while simplifying operational complexities and reducing cost. Leading companies rely on CSG’s broad portfolio of digital monetisation solutions to efficiently shorten their time to market and reduce operational costs while delivering innovative services and optimising customer experiences. For more information, visit https://www.csgi.com/capabilities/digital-monetization/. # # # About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Tammy Hovey Global / North America / Asia-Pacific Public Relations CSG +1 (917) 520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Kristine Østergaard Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations CSG +44 (0)75 0051 8412 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations CSG +1 (210) 687 4409 john.rea@csgi.com About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Mediacom, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names that are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

May 02, 2021 02:05 PM Mountain Daylight Time

Sequoia Leads $2.7M Seed Round to Launch ReleaseHub, Environments-as-a-Service

ReleaseHub

ReleaseHub, maker of Environments-as-a-Service, today announced a seed round of $2.7 million led by Sequoia, with participation from Y Combinator, Rogue VC, Liquid Capital, and other angel investors. ReleaseHub is also announcing general availability of its Environments-as-a-Service platform, which allows organizations to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and reproduce production-replica environments. Customers use ReleaseHub to remove environment bottlenecks in software delivery, deliver on-demand sales demo environments, and deliver production environments and SaaS solutions into their customer’s virtual private clouds. Environments are one of the greatest bottlenecks for software development, causing developers to sit idle and release dates to slip. Software organizations don’t provision enough environments because they are complex to stand up and costly to maintain. ReleaseHub lets developers easily create reproducible environments that are exact replicas of the production environment. These environments run on Kubernetes in the software developer’s cloud account and have access to all of the developer’s cloud native services. ReleaseHub environments can be created on-demand, through a command line interface, with a pull request or via an API to allow for easy integration with existing CI/CD solutions. "One of the most pervasive problems in software development is that development and production environments are never the same. Access to multiple pre-production environments that are precise replicas of production is a critical facilitator of collaboration between teams, yet managing numerous environments is so time consuming that companies ration access,” said Bogomil Balkansky, partner at Sequoia. “ReleaseHub removes these pain points with its Environments-as-a-Service platform, which makes the software development process more efficient.” ReleaseHub was founded by Tommy McClung, Erik Landerholm and David Giffin, who led the technology team at an ecommerce company where they led the companywide effort to remove environment bottlenecks. There were no commercial solutions at the time so the founders built their own environment bottleneck solution and soon after launched ReleaseHub to commercialize Environments-as-a-Service. "As modern cloud-based applications have become more complex with microservices and an ever growing arsenal of cloud services, it has become incredibly difficult for teams to create and maintain numerous environments, " said McClung, ReleaseHub CEO. “We are transforming environments from an organizational headache into a one-click convenience.” Datasaur, an artificial intelligence technology company, started using ReleaseHub to accelerate software development and testing, as well as reduce bottlenecks in pre-production development. The company needed to quickly scale and used ReleaseHub to power its production environments. ReleaseHub provided the power of Kubernetes without having to invest in a lengthy and costly Kubernetes migration. “ReleaseHub enables Datasaur to focus on building applications without requiring a complex environment management infrastructure,” said Ivan Lee, Datasaur founder and CEO. “This has improved the efficiency of launching our services for the Datasaur community and added capabilities that have allowed us to handle our rapid growth.” About ReleaseHub: ReleaseHub delivers Environments-as-a-Service. It lets developers easily share progress with stakeholders when a full stack environment is created with every pull request directly in Slack. Every environment is a full instance of the app with all its services. ReleaseHub was funded by Sequoia with additional investments by other VC firms. More information is available at www.releasehub.com Contact Details Owen Media Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://releasehub.com/

April 29, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Comcast Launches Additional 44 WiFi-Connected “Lift Zones” in Twin Cities

Comcast Twin Cities

As part of its ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families to the Internet so they can fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy, Comcast today announced it has equipped 44 additional locations in the Twin Cities with WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” bringing the total to 74. Working with its network of nonprofit partners, Comcast is providing robust WiFi hotspots in safe spaces designed to help students get online, participate in distance learning and do their homework. This initiative provides free connectivity inside partner community centers for the next three years. “We are so pleased to be the recipients of Comcast’s Lift Zone Wi-Fi connectivity in our recreation centers and other park facilities,” said Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura. “As we move toward re-opening more recreation centers for safe in-person programming, we are looking forward to providing programs that support youth in doing their schoolwork, facilitate work readiness training, and invite families in to access virtual activities and information.” “We are proud to partner with community organizations across the Twin Cities and equip them with free internet service that will provide kids with safe, fast and reliable connectivity to keep up with school and prepare for a brighter future,” said J.D. Keller, regional senior vice president, Comcast Twin Cities. “The COVID-19 crisis continues to put many low-income students at risk of being left behind, accelerating the need for comprehensive digital equity and internet adoption programs to support them. We hope these Lift Zones will help those students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to connect to effective distance learning at home.” Some of the new Twin Cities community organizations that have established Lift Zones in their respective facilities include 40 Minneapolis Parks & Rec locations and Face to Face in St. Paul. A full list of new Comcast Lift Zones can be found here. In March, Comcast announced a $1 billion commitment over ten years in continued support of digital equity, including its Lift Zones initiative, which aims to establish WiFi-connected safe spaces in 1,000+ community centers nationwide for students and adults by the end of 2021. Lift Zones complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which has helped connect a cumulative total of 10 million low-income people to the Internet at home since 2011, including more than 272,000 Minnesotans. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Jill Hornbacher +1 651-425-1695 Jill_Hornbacher@comcast.com Comcast Dave Nyberg +16513416401 Dave_Nyberg@comcast.com Company Website https://twincities.comcast.com/

April 29, 2021 10:00 AM Central Daylight Time

Burkland Adds New HR and People Operations Services for Startups To Help Simplify Remote Employee Set-Up Across the US

Burkland

Burkland, a full service fractional CFO and accounting provider serving more than 300 startups across the U.S., today announced a new dedicated HR and People Operations practice. Designed to meet the specific needs and challenges of supporting remote workforces, the new practice offers comprehensive support with everything from relocation, training and onboarding to ensuring compliance with state employment rules and regulations. With remote work spreading employees throughout the U.S., creating new Covid-related business challenges, startups are being forced to quickly understand and meet unfamiliar compliance regulations as well as widely varying state laws. Burkland manages the entire process for them so they can stay focused on the demands of operating and growing their businesses. "Many of our clients, like startups all over the country, are dealing with the challenges of a remote Covid workforce and it’s likely this trend will continue,” said Burkland CFO Bobby Davidorf. “This creates tedious and complicated internal process creation and compliance mandates. Burkland's People Operations service was designed to manage the entire process and allows start up execs to focus on what they need to to keep their businesses running smoothly.” Unlike most outsourced HR and People Operations services, Burkland’s new practice is the only one of its kind to offer the strategic insights and services startups need, including: Relocation Support Creation of Employee Reimbursement Policy (Taxable vs Non-Taxable Benefits) Creating, Updating, and Distributing Employee Handbooks Parental Leave Policy Implementation Offering Discounted Employee Harassment Training Create a Continuing Education Policy Develop a Training/Onboarding Program for New Hires Implementation of a Performance Review System Payroll State Registrations Payroll Reconciliations ― Payroll Reports vs GL Benefit Renewals / Open Enrollment Assistance with New Hire Onboarding Assistance with Termination Offboarding Spatial, the immersive audio experience company that provides compelling, dynamic soundscapes, turned to Burkland for HR and Finance management after experiencing the pain points of most start ups -- a lack of organization, communication and information consolidation across administration departments. “We hired Burkland to take over our CFO and People Operations after experiencing pain points that many startups do: a lack of organization, communication, and information consolidation across our administrative departments,” said Bella Kidd, Director of Business Operations for Spatial. “Partnering with Burkland has allowed our small company to streamline our hiring processes, greatly improve contractual and financial organization and optimize employee benefits. We are extremely satisfied with the energy and expertise Burkland has introduced to our small team and we thank them for making our People and Financial operations run seamlessly!” “Most early-stage companies don’t have the resources to bring HR in-house. If you have fewer than 50 employees, full-fledged HR is simply not that realistic,” said DJ Marini, Managing Director of the Burkland Bookkeeping and Accounting Team. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer the new HR and People Operations practice to help our founder clients to keep their focus on operating and growing their businesses.” About Burkland’s HR and People Operations Services Burkland provides more than 300 SaaS, Healthcare, Fintech and Consumer startups with strategic financial guidance from Pre-Seed to Series C and beyond. In addition to fractional CFO, startup accounting and tax services, Burkland is now offering back-office HR services. Our specialty is assisting with remote employee teams and ensuring compliance in each state. Burkland will manage everything employee-related once you make the hire, so you and your growing team can focus on your business. About Burkland Burkland is a full-service fractional CFO and Accountant provider, serving more than 300 startups across the United States. SaaS, Healthcare, Fintech and Consumer companies rely on Burkland for smarter finance, accounting, HR, and tax guidance to grow with confidence. With more than 20% market share in the industry, we pride ourselves on giving startups financial expertise that makes economic sense for all growth stages, ranging from Pre-Seed to Series C. Our on-demand CFOs, accountants and HR and tax experts give strategic guidance to ease a company’s growing pains and provide financial insight to scale. Learn more at Burkland Contact Details Burkland Renee Maler +1 510-499-9746 renee@philosophypr.com Company Website https://burklandassociates.com/

April 29, 2021 09:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Velocity Global names veteran global leader Sarah Fern as Chief People Officer

Velocity Global

Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions, welcomed veteran human resources leader Sarah Fern as its new Chief People Officer. Fern leads the people strategy for Velocity Global’s growing remote-first team of 300 in 16 countries that is expected to double over the next 18 months. Fern applies two decades of experience including leading global remote teams for international brands and high-growth companies. She is responsible for employee engagement and satisfaction, as well as recruiting and career development. Based in London, Fern joins the executive team and reports directly to founder and CEO, Ben Wright. “Sarah oversees the most important asset of our company - our people - and our most important strategy - our culture,” said Wright. “She brings perspective as a previous client and now as leader of our growing team. She steers our global employee experience as we deploy our first capital infusion and integrate the iWorkGlobal team.” Velocity Global announced a $100 million growth investment from FFL Partners and its acquisition of iWorkGlobal earlier this month. The combined company creates the largest Employer of Record (EoR) in 185 countries and all 50 United States. Brands rely on Velocity Global’s expertise and global infrastructure to employ a compliant global workforce without the cost or complexity of setting up their own foreign legal entities or state registrations. As the Employer of Record, Velocity Global manages our clients’ workforce by providing in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits for the supported employees. Fern joins Velocity Global from the Talent Management software technology space. Most recently she served as Human Resources Director for Saba Software (now part of Cornerstone OnDemand) through several major acquisitions, business integrations, and transformations into a public company. Fern was a client of Velocity Global as Saba Software expanded into Mexico. “I experienced firsthand the ‘People First’ approach from Velocity Global and am privileged to lead the employee experience for this incredible group of professionals,” said Fern. “As businesses leverage global remote workforces like never before, Velocity Global leads by example and delivers an exceptional customer and supported employee experience.” In addition to EoR services, the company offers Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Its platform combines these elements with a personalized customer experience, best-in-breed technology, and increased scale for companies to grow their remote workforce. Prior to Saba Software, Fern held roles with Honeywell and Mattel. Her biography is available on Velocity Global’s Leadership page. ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its platform enables businesses to employ remote teams and expand internationally through global expertise, best-in-breed technology, and scale. More than 700 brands rely on its Employer of Record model and infrastructure, also called an International PEO (Professional Employer Organization), in 185 countries and all 50 United States to compliantly employ thousands of supported employees, access global talent, and grow revenue. Named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall, Velocity Global is a strategic partner to its clients through additional comprehensive services including Immigration, Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with regional headquarters in Amsterdam, Bogotá, and Singapore, with local employees in 16 countries. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 303-204-6131 johnhall@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

April 29, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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