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Akeneo Named an Overall Leader in Ventana Research’s Product Information Management Value Index

Akeneo

Akeneo, the global leader in product experience management (PXM), today announced that it has been honored as an Overall Value Index Leader in Ventana Research’s 2021 Value Index on Product Information Management (PIM). Akeneo was further classified as Exemplary, the highest possible rating, based on Ventana Research’s thorough analysis of product and customer experience criteria. The PIM Value Index distils over a year of market and product research to evaluate 16 PIM software solutions in seven key categories weighted to reflect buyers’ needs. The index is structured to replicate the procurement process, and incorporates all the criteria needed to evaluate, select, utilize, and maintain PIM solutions and establish relationships with vendors. Akeneo earned a top-three ranking in six out of seven categories — more than any other company surveyed — and was ranked first in three categories, earning the title of Overall Value Index Leader in each category. Among the categories where Akeneo exceled: Customer Experience, where Akeneo PIM was ranked 1st for providing an impressive level of information to communicate their commitment and dedication to customer needs for PIM technology. TCO/ROI, where Akeneo PIM was ranked 1st for effectively demonstrating the PIM business case, including the product’s strategic value, total cost of ownership and total benefit of ownership. Usability, where Akeneo PIM was ranked 1st for meeting the varying business needs of executives, management, workers, analysts, along with IT, and others involved in the PIM processes. Capability, where Akeneo PIM was honored for providing the broader and deeper range of PIM capabilities that support enterprise, commerce, supplier, consumer, and business-to-business requirements. Manageability, where Akeneo PIM was recognized for providing easy, secure, and flexible technology administration by business users as part of new enterprise tech requirements in an organization. Reliability, where Akeneo PIM was celebrated for providing high performance and scalability of the PIM system that supports the continuous processing required for business continuity and operational resilience. Akeneo received an Exemplary Leader rating overall — the highest ranking possible — and won special praise for its TCO/ROI-related support, an area in which most surveyed companies struggled to deliver the support that customers need to make informed decisions. “Akeneo PIM provides a set of flexible enrichment capabilities, powerful automation, and actionable insights for building and enriching contextualized product catalogs. You and your team can be productive, collaborate without friction, and deliver those great product experiences regardless of channel,” said Mark Smith, Chief Research Officer at Ventana Research. “Our assessment finds Akeneo finished as a Value Index Leader in the highest number of evaluation categories, demonstrating its leadership and investment to PIM.” About Akeneo Akeneo is a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) helping businesses with products to sell to unlock growth opportunities by delivering a consistent and compelling product experience across all channels, including eCommerce, mobile, print, points of sale and beyond. With its open platform, leading PIM, add-ons, connectors and marketplace, Akeneo PXM Studio dramatically improves product data quality and accuracy, simplifies catalog management, and accelerates the sharing of product information across channels and locales. Leading global brands, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, including Staples Canada, Fossil, Air Liquide and Myer trust Akeneo to scale and customize their omnichannel commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo, brands and retailers can improve customer experience, increase sales, reduce time to market, go global, and boost team productivity. Contact Details David Wamsley +1 415-259-9104 dave@rosebudrp.io

June 24, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Paralyzed Veterans of America works to end handicapped parking abuse, marks 75th year advocating for accessibility

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/ulJa59_iS_w Accessible parking spaces designed specifically for people with disabilities are often misused, causing added difficulties for paralyzed veterans and others with disabilities. A survey found that 85% of Americans with disabilities struggled to find accessible parking in their communities, and over 50% turned back when they couldn’t find accessible parking. What can be done to combat this problem? Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) has launched the Honor the Spot campaign to encourage all Americans to do their part to keep handicapped parking spaces open for people who need them to be independent. The campaign reminds people that accessible spots are a civil right, and taking them means people with disabilities may not get to appointments and errands. The call to Honor the Spot comes as public spaces open up to larger capacities as pandemic restrictions ease, and as PVA marks its 75 th year as a voice for veterans with spinal cord conditions, and all people with disabilities. PVA is asking people to pledge to be part of the solution at pva.org/HonortheSpot, not to make excuses for taking accessible spots, and not to share handicapped placards for any reason. About Paralyzed Veterans of America: For 75 years, Paralyzed Veterans of America has been the only Veterans service organization dedicated solely to helping Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), and diseases like MS and ALS. Our team of legislative advocates, architects, medical professionals, lawyers, and other highly trained professionals strives to ensure that every Veteran regains the freedom, independence, and quality of life they fought for. PVA is a major support system for our nation’s paralyzed heroes, their families, and caregivers, through ensuring quality health care; securing earned benefits; fighting for disability civil rights; making America more accessible; helping Veterans find meaningful careers; empowering them through sports, recreation, and wellness programs; and funding both research and education in search for a cure and improved care and autonomy for individuals with paralysis. Operating more than 70 offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, PVA helps paralyzed Veterans and all people with disabilities live fuller, more productive lives. Learn more at pva.org. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 23, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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NCMA Announces New Chair and Vice-Chair of the Standards Consensus Body

National Contract Management Association

Charlie Williams and Penny White have been selected to serve as Chair and Vice-Chair of NCMA’s Standards Consensus Body (SCB). The SCB leads NCMA standards-setting activities and oversees the Contract Management Standard (CMS)™, an ANSI-approved standard that has been adopted by industry and agencies, including the US Department of Defense as the basis for their contract management competency framework. In 2018 NCMA was designated as an Accredited Standards Developer by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), an internationally recognized third party entity, solidifying NCMA as the foremost standards development organization for the contract management profession. Shortly thereafter, NCMA created the SCB to serve as the heart of its standards program, providing expertise to maintain ANSI accreditation. “This is a tremendous opportunity to advance the adoption of the CMS™ for more user categories,” said Kraig Conrad, NCMA Chief Executive Officer. “Charlie will carry us forward to the next level with his powerful history in defense acquisitions, and Penny brings in-depth industry experience which is critical to aligning certification standards across all categories of users of the CMS™.” Williams and White are joined by subject matter experts representing the wide range of CMS™ adopters, including federal, state, local, industry, and commercial contract management and acquisition-related functions. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), which was founded in 1959 and is the world’s leading association in the field of contract management. The organization, which has over 18,000 members, is dedicated to the professional growth and educational advancement of procurement and acquisition personnel worldwide. NCMA strives to serve and inform the profession and industry it represents and to offer opportunities for the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. To find out more, please visit www.ncmahq.org. Contact Details Jennifer Knowlton +1 571-382-1127 jennifer.knowlton@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

June 23, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Mastercard Foundation Appoints Robin Washington to Board of Directors

Mastercard Foundation

TORONTO, ONTARIO - African Media Agency - 22 June 2021 - The Mastercard Foundation announced changes to its Board of Directors. Robin L. Washington was appointed to the Board and long-time Board member President Festus G. Mogae will be retiring. “I’m thrilled to welcome Robin Washington to the Board,” says Zein M. Abdalla, Mastercard Foundation Board Chair. “As you can see from Robin’s biography, she brings a fantastic range of operational experience and insight that will benefit the Foundation enormously as we continue to expand our impact.” Robin L. Washington is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Alphabet, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc., and Salesforce.com. She served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gilead Sciences, Inc. from May 2008 until November 2019, where she oversaw Global Finance, Facilities and Operations, Investor Relations and the Information Technology divisions. Prior to Gilead, she was the Chief Financial Officer of Hyperion Solutions, Inc. Ms. Washington is a certified public accountant. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Pepperdine University. “The Mastercard Foundation does not shy away from the complex challenges facing the world in these unprecedented times,” says Washington. “They have an ambitious goal that will drive meaningful change and impact the lives of millions of young people living in poverty. I am looking forward to being a part of the Foundation’s Board and contributing to this important work.” Current Board member President Festus G. Mogae is retiring from the Board after 11 years of service. He led the Republic of Botswana from 1998 to 2008 and focused his efforts on fighting poverty and unemployment as well as reducing the spread of HIV/AIDs. President Mogae is the recipient of several international awards, including the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership and the Grand Cross of the Légion d’honneur presented to him by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 for his exemplary leadership in establishing Botswana as a “model of democracy and good governance.” President Mogae currently serves as a Trustee of the Rhodes Trust and is an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. “President Mogae is deservedly celebrated for his work across Africa and globally. He has long been an advocate for peace and a supporter of human rights, and his active leadership has enabled the advancement of economic and social progress on the continent,” says Abdalla. “On behalf of the Foundation, I sincerely thank him for his wisdom and service over the years. He will be deeply missed.” Mastercard Foundation Board of Directors The Mastercard Foundation Board of Directors currently includes: Zein Abdalla, Mastercard Foundation Board Chair and retired President of PepsiCo, Inc. Valerie Amos, CH, Director of SOAS, University of London and former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator The Honourable Louise Arbour, Jurist in residence at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Doug Baillie, Retired Chief Human Resources Officer of Unilever Craig Calhoun, Professor of Social Sciences, Arizona State University Jennifer Fonstad, Co-Founder, Aspect Ventures Dr. Jendayi Frazer, Managing Partner, African Exchange Holdings Company; President of 50 Ventures, LLC; and former U.S Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jay Ireland, Retired President and CEO, GE Africa Jim Leech, CM, Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company; former Chancellor of Queen’s University; and retired CEO of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Michael Sabia, Deputy Minister of Finance Canada and former Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Robin L. Washington, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Gilead Sciences, Inc. About the Mastercard Foundation The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian foundation and one of the largest foundations in the world with more than $39 billion in assets. For more than a decade, the Foundation has advanced financial inclusion and education in Africa, improving the lives of more than 45 million people living in poverty. The Foundation was created in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. Since its inception, the Foundation has operated independently of the company. The Foundation’s policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its Board of Directors and President and CEO. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org Contact Details Mastercard Foundation Toni Tiemens, Head of Corporate Communications ttiemens@mastercardfdn.org Company Website https://mastercardfdn.org/

June 22, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Minuteman Press Franchise in Bellingham Helps Buzzing Local Economy Recover from Pandemic

Minuteman Press International Inc

For Michael Tilley and his team at Minuteman Press in Bellingham, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unprecedented challenges but also new opportunities for growth as an essential printing business. Michael says, “Early on, a lot of our clients asked us if we were open. They were happy to know we were still operating and able to help them communicate to their customers that they were open as well. We put renewed emphasis on fast turnaround and timely delivery, which really set us apart since they knew they could rely on us.” By remaining open and operating, Minuteman Press in Bellingham supported a wide range of businesses and groups that relied on print and marketing to keep the community informed. Michael says, “The way we kept growing during the pandemic was that we offered products and services for other essential businesses. We worked with local restaurants, fire departments, police departments, hospitals, schools, and other vital organizations. They all needed signage and direct mail campaigns to promote updated guidelines for employees, customers, patients, and students. We were glad to be able to help spread the word.” Today, as more businesses reopen, Minuteman Press is ready to help them ramp up their advertising and marketing efforts. Michael explains, “As businesses come back, we are helping them by providing fresh banners, window graphics, flags, and full-color photos on windows. We’ve also been printing packaging materials such as labels, tags, boxes, and information sheets. Another popular service we provide is dye sublimation, which enables us to produce custom mugs and branded apparel.” Another way that local businesses can engage and connect with customers right now is by utilizing direct mail campaigns. Michael says, “Direct mail was and is getting more popular because it allows businesses and groups to reach out to their target audiences and reinforce operational updates. We’ve produced a combination of newsletters, postcards, and letters for local governments, local tribes, non-profit groups, and for-profit businesses.” “It’s been really great to see more businesses reopen and recover, especially those that were impacted. The local economy is buzzing again and we are getting even busier.” -Michael Tilley, owner, Minuteman Press franchise, Bellingham, Washington As a local small business owner himself, Michael can empathize with his clients and share his own insights from the past year. He says, “The most important thing to do is reach out to your current and former customers. Let them know you are there and engage with them. We have developed a multi-faceted marketing plan that includes phone calls, emails, direct mail, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Because we’ve done it ourselves and have found success, we know it can work for our clients and other local businesses.” Print is a vital marketing channel that can be used in conjunction with digital to deliver tangible results. Michael explains, “I think one aspect of this is that the pandemic jogged us back into a physical reality. We are physical beings and we are not cyber creatures. It made people pay more attention to print and how it’s all around us. Our ability to produce tangible printed items that people can see, feel, and connect with is a real benefit to my business. The printing industry in general makes sure business customers get what they need. It’s great to be able to rely on something when the world’s a little bit sideways.” Michael has owned Minuteman Press in Bellingham since September 2014. He shares, “Previously, I was a biology professor and I have a PhD in molecular genetics. I lived in Missouri and I moved to Bellingham to be closer to my children, which was the driving force behind switching careers. I was new to owning a business so I wanted to go into something with a framework in place. I bought an established Minuteman Press franchise and liked the potential to build on the existing customer base.” By providing ongoing local support, Minuteman Press International helped Michael transition from his prior career to becoming a business owner in a totally new industry. He says, “The support has been really solid all the way around. My Regional Vice President Chris Jutt and Area Manager Jayson Kraus have been great. I can call them anytime and they have been a great resource. I also enjoy the fact that we are provided with marketing strategies, content, and product ideas that we are free to use but that we also have enough freedom to run our franchise the way we see fit. Minuteman Press offers a solid system with a lot of knowledge behind it.” Michael reflects on his time as a business owner, saying, “I enjoy the fact that the work I do has a direct impact on how the company performs. I feel it’s important to have the right staff in place and to also manage the team properly. I have a staff of seven and I know that happy employees do a great job. The satisfaction I get from running my business the right way and growing a successful company is the ultimate reward.” As for what advice he would give to other local business right now, Michael shares, “Things are opening up, and business is going to start getting much busier for everyone. Act now so you don’t fall behind the curve. Have you worked out what your marketing plan is going to be when things do ramp up? Be prepared organizationally and develop a coherent marketing strategy across all different touchpoints. From web to print, be consistent with your branding and your messaging.” Minuteman Press in Bellingham is located at 4025 Iron Gate Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. For more information, call 360-738-3539 or visit https://www.bellingham.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

June 21, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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FREELANCER.COM PARTNERS WITH THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AND NASA TO IMPROVE HYDROPOWER SYSTEM RELIABILITY

Freelancer.com

Freelancer Limited (ASX: FLN), the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, in partnership with Arrow Electronics, one of the world’s largest electronic components distributors, has secured the US$250,000 Automated Maintenance of Protection Systems Challenge, for the Bureau of Reclamation. The aim of the challenge is to improve the reliability of hydropower plant generation by automating safety equipment testing and reducing plant downtime. Using the Freelancer.com and ArrowPlus platforms are expected to attract a large number of candidates offering a variety of viable solutions. “We’re excited to deliver the Automated Maintenance of Protection Systems Challenge ( AMPS Challenge ) for the Bureau of Reclamation using the world’s largest online talent pool of electronic & electrical engineers in what will be the largest challenge yet by an order of magnitude - a quarter of a million US dollars in prize money. If you have the skills, sign up now to Freelancer.com to participate”, said Freelancer Chief Executive, Matt Barrie. Freelancer has broad expertise in engineering with over 2.5 million freelance engineers on its platform, ~260,000 who specialize in electrical engineering. There are also millions of tangentially skilled experts including software, hardware, and firmware developers. Freelancer.com has sourced over 13,000 product designs from more than 6,000 designers in contests run on behalf of NASA. Freelancer built and operates ArrowPlus the world’s largest electrical and electronic engineering crowdsourcing platform which 175,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers access to guide innovation. The Bureau of Reclamation’s AMPS Challenge will be a two-phase challenge seeking improvements and/or fresh concepts to automate protection system testing at Reclamation hydropower facilities: a White Paper Challenge and a Prototype Challenge. The White Paper Challenge offers a total prize of $100,000, expecting to award up to 10 prizes of $10,000 each. In the Prototype Challenge, commencing immediately after the White Paper Challenge ends, the best prototype will be awarded up to $100,000 prize. In addition, $10,000 awards will be presented for teams that excel in individual benchmarks for a total prototype purse of $150,000. See https://www.freelancer.com/reclamation for more details. This is the first task order won by Freelancer under the US$25 million NOIS2 joint tender and is valued at US$365,000. About the Bureau of Reclamation Established in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation is best known for the dams, powerplants, and canals it constructed in the 17 western states. These water projects led to homesteading and promoted the economic development of the West. Reclamation has constructed more than 600 dams and reservoirs including Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and Grand Coulee on the Columbia River. The Bureau of Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the USA. It brings water to more than 31 million people and provides one out of five Western farmers (140,000) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland. Reclamation is also the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States. Its 53 power plants annually provide more than 40 billion kilowatt-hours generating nearly a billion dollars in power revenues and produce enough electricity to serve 3.5 million homes. About Freelancer ® Twelve-time Webby award-winning Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and jobs posted. More than 53 million registered users have posted over 20 million jobs and contests to date in over 1,800 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer owns StartCon, Australia's largest startup conference, expo and entrepreneur community established in 2009, WarriorForum.com, the world’s largest Internet marketing community & marketplace, Escrow.com, the world’s largest provider of secure online escrow and online transaction management for consumers and businesses on the Internet, and Freightlancer, a global marketplace for freight, shipping and transportation. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN, and on the OTCQX, under the ticker OTCQX:FLNCF. Contact Details Freelancer.com Sebastian Siseles +1 415-801-2271 sebastian@freelancer.com Freelancer.com Helma Kusuma +19179202356 helma@freelancer.com Company Website https://www.freelancer.com

June 21, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Khosla Leads $11M Round in Lexion, a Fast Growing AI-Powered Contract Management System

Lexion

Lexion, an AI-powered contract management system, announced an oversubscribed $11 million Series A round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from existing investors Madrona Venture Group and Wilson Sonsini, bringing the total invested to $15.2 million. Kanu Gulati from Khosla Ventures will join Lexion's board. The Seattle based company plans to use these funds to scale go-to-market functions, drive further AI and product innovation, and grow the team, with a mission to offer a simple contract lifecycle management system (CLMs) that just works. Many CLMs on the market are complex, require an extensive amount of time and resources to implement, and a significant amount of change management to derive meaningful value. Lexion offers the opposite by delivering an intuitive system supported by a cutting-edge, AI-powered backend, that is simple enough for entire organizations to adopt, and takes just days to implement. “In-house lawyers spend far too much time on mundane tasks like checking if an active NDA exists, or manually filling out spreadsheets to track key dates and non-standard terms in their contracts,” said Gaurav Oberoi, co-founder and CEO of Lexion. “What makes Lexion special, in this rapidly growing industry, is that it’s a sophisticated AI product that’s incredibly easy to use, accurate, and fast, and eliminates rote work by automatically pulling these key data points from contracts. The result is that legal teams spend a fraction of the time on administrative tasks, and more time helping their teammates in sales, finance, and procurement win deals and grow the business.” According to Gartner, legal departments will increase their technology spend 300% by 2025, and yet only realize 30% of the potential benefit of their CLM investments because of the complexities of requirements gathering, change management, and user adoption. Oberoi believes that Lexion is perfectly poised to capture this demand by offering a pragmatic platform that solves immediate business needs through automation, and without unneeded complex features that go unused. “We invested in Lexion because their team has the rare combination of deep technical expertise in building sophisticated AI systems, and a proven track record in delivering SaaS applications that solve real problems,” said Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures. “This combination of cutting-edge technology, with simple and practical application, is exactly how the value of AI will get realized in corporations, and is why we think Lexion has a winning advantage in this space.” For two years in a row, Lexion was the only CLM recognized in CB Insights list of the 100 most innovative AI startups. Incubated at the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) in 2019, Lexion built a state-of-the-art NLP system that turns any contract text into structured data and delivers it in an intuitive repository with instant search, reporting, alerts, permissions, and integrations. In the last 6 months, Lexion has seen rapid growth, increasing revenues 400% and bringing on major brands like OfferUp, Blue Nile, and Outreach. “Lexion is an incredible addition to our toolkit, saving my team hours in filing, finding, and reporting on contracts”, said Nathan Garnett, General Counsel at OfferUp. “Not only was it quick to get up and running with all of our legacy agreements, but it’s also easy enough to use that we didn’t have to spend time on user training and rollout. Their integration with e-signature means all contracts are automatically filed away, and my team can focus on helping drive business results, instead of on administrative tasks.” Next, the company is expanding its offering to help legal teams manage the entire contracting process. Lexion is rolling out a new workflow module that allows customers to create customized intake forms, track the status of projects, manage drafts, secure approvals, and report on KPIs. Scheduled for full general availability in Q3 2021, Lexion’s end-to-end solution will serve as the hub for data driven legal teams to manage contracts from start to finish, with their signature focus on simplicity and easy adoption. About Lexion Lexion is an AI-powered contract lifecycle management system that just works. We’re on a mission to make the lives of legal teams easier so they can focus on more strategic work. We use best in class natural language processing technologies to make it 100x easier for lawyers and other corporate leaders to find the information they need in their contracts fast. Our solution is also incredibly intuitive and simple to implement. We are a spinout of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s artificial intelligence research institute (AI2) and we’re backed by the same investors that funded OpenAI (Khosla Ventures), helped launch Amazon (Madrona Venture Group), and have advisedGoogle (Wilson Sonsini). With a top notch and experienced team from Microsoft, Facebook, Google, AI2, and Amazon, we built a company that CB Insights ranked the #1 most promising AI legal tech startup in the world two years in a row (2020, 2021). Most importantly, fantastic brands trust Lexion to manage their contracts: Outreach, OfferUp, Blue Nile, and many more. Visit https://lexion.ai for more. About the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) AI2 was founded in 2014 with the singular focus of conducting high-impact research and engineering in the field of artificial intelligence, all for the common good. AI2 is the creation of Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, and is led by Dr. Oren Etzioni, a leading researcher in the field of AI. AI2 employs more than 100 top-notch researchers and engineers from across the globe. AI2 prides itself on the diversity and collaboration of our team and takes a results-oriented approach to complex challenges in AI. Learn more at allenai.org. About Khosla Ventures Khosla Ventures makes early-stage venture capital investments and provides strategic advice to entrepreneurs building companies with lasting significance. The firm was founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. Khosla Ventures focuses on a broad range of sectors including artificial intelligence, agriculture/food, consumer, enterprise, financial services, health, space, sustainable energy, robotics, VR/AR and 3D printing. About Madrona Madrona ( www.madrona.com ) is a venture capital firm based in Seattle, WA. With more than 25 years of investing in early-stage technology companies, the firm has worked with founders from Day One to help build their company for the long run. Madrona invests predominantly in seed and Series A rounds across the information technology spectrum, and in 2018 raised the first fund dedicated to initial investments in acceleration stage (Series B and C stages) companies. Madrona manages over $2 billion and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon, Smartsheet, Isilon, Redfin, and Snowflake. About Wilson Sonsini For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini has offered a broad range of legal services focused on solving the challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com. Contact Details Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://lexion.ai/

June 17, 2021 08:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Cyvatar Raises an Additional $9 Million in Series A Round

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced that it has raised $9 million as part of its Series A financing to help scale and serve its rapidly growing customer base and continue to drive the adoption of its innovative cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) model. Escalating cybersecurity breaches and the need to address vulnerabilities across systems, networks, and apps fuel the security services market, expected to reach $193 billion by 2028. Additionally, the growth in hybrid and remote workers coupled with unsecured and unpatched BYOD devices further underscores the need for on-demand cybersecurity resources that include human talent, proven processes, and best-of-breed technology delivered from a single intuitive platform. Cyvatar has grown more than 200% since its debut in October. ATX Venture Partners led the round with additional participation from existing customer CORTEC and longtime Cyvatar investor Bill Wood Ventures. Cyvatar closed a $3 million seed round late last year, bringing the total amount raised over the last eight months to $12 million. “We’ve seen fundraising explode in the security space, in part as a result of the raft of ransomware, email compromise, and phishing attacks that have made people more aware of the problem and increased the need to fix it quickly and effectively,” said Chris Shonk, partner at ATX Venture Partners. “Cyvatar is an exciting addition to our dynamic portfolio and a natural fit alongside our other rapidly growing organizations. No other company we evaluated solves the problems of cybersecurity like Cyvatar. With Cyvatar CSaaS, security becomes as effortless as turning on the lights. There’s no better value for customers.” Cyvatar CSaaS offers security in a box for organizations of any size and any level of cybersecurity expertise--already more than 150 platform members have started the security journey with Cyvatar. Its mature sales and marketing engine makes it easy for new members to join and offers ongoing education and support for existing customers to continuously remediate evolving threats, safeguard critical systems, and boost compliance scores. "I can tell you that after implementing just three Cyvatar solutions, our security confidence is a lot stronger than it was before and our company as a whole is far more secure,” said Brent Fanguy, vice president of technology at CORTEC. “We applaud Cyvatar for pricing by employee count because it’s so easy to calculate and fit into our budget -- no counting servers or workstations, which is a nightmare. Cyvatar has delivered consistent value from our security spend, and we look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with them.” Whether customers need to speed their sales cycles, remediate after a breach, prevent future incursions, or respond to a third-party risk assessment, Cyvatar helps them achieve superior business outcomes every day. Click HERE to get started free and learn more about how Cyvatar is making cybersecurity effortless for every business. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is a global organization with operations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at cyvatar.ai and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. About ATX Venture Partners ATX Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in the South-Central US. The firm’s seed and Series A investments focus on software-as-a-service, IoT, e-commerce, AI, frontier commercial technologies and mobile applications. ATX Venture Partners brings institutional-grade funding, process and rigor to early-stage venture capital investments, and is the partner to propel portfolio companies forward to larger growth capital. The firm was founded in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas. Visit www.atxventurepartners.com, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai ATX Ventures Meg Brigman +15127666462 meg@atxventurepartners.com Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

June 17, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CDFI Coalition Praises Biden Administration and Congress for Release of Rapid Release Funding for CDFIs.

CDFI Coalition

The CDFI Coalition applauds the release of $1.25 billion in emergency funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which will use these new resources to provide patient capital and technical assistance to businesses and projects in low-income rural and urban communities. “ Our mission is to encourage fair access to financial resources for America’s underserved people and communities,” said John Holdsclaw IV, President of the CDFI Coalition and Executive Vice President of the National Cooperative Bank. “The hard work and efforts of our CDFI Coalition members have forged an achievement today that will pay dividends across underserved, hard-hit communities and businesses. I’m proud that our voices brought action at the highest levels of government to the needs that exist.” Over the last 18 months, as the coronavirus was upending small community businesses, the CDFI Coalition worked with Congress to support and enhance the work of CDFIs in low- and moderate-income communities and communities of color. Congress ultimately provided new resources for CDFIs through a Paycheck Protection Act (PPP) set-aside and $12 billion in new funding for the CDFI Fund. The idea to significantly boost support for CDFIs originated in the House Appropriations Committee in 2020. HR 6800, The HEROS Act, included $1 billion in financial assistance for CDFIs to support businesses and communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Later, in the December 2020 coronavirus relief package, the House provision grew to $1.25 billion in financial assistance for CDFIs, which was awarded Tuesday by the Treasury Department through the Rapid Response Program. The December 2020 legislation also included $1.75 billion through the Emergency Support and Minority Lending Program to support financial services in communities of color, as well as an additional $9 billion for the Emergency Capital Investment Program to support capital and services in low- and moderate-income, historically disadvantaged communities impacted by COVID-19. In total, Congress provided a record $12 billion to the CDFI Fund. These resources will significantly enhance the work CDFIs are already doing in low-income communities. In FY 2020, CDFI Fund financial assistance recipients made over 1,000,000 loans or investments totaling more than $25.4 billion. [1] The average size of each loan or investment was under $25,000. CDFIs also financed over 41,000 affordable housing units. CDFI loans and investments include $10 billion for consumer loans, $6.5 billion for home improvement and purchase loans, $3.9 billion for business and microenterprise loans, and $2.2 billion for residential real estate transactions. CDFIs also helped ensure PPP resources reached underserved communities, but not without some changes to the program. The initial round of PPP left many economically distressed communities behind. In April 2020, the Coalition led the way to establish a set-aside for CDFIs and other mission-driven lenders ­– Community Financial Institutions (CFIs). Newly armed with a PPP set-aside, CFIs went to work. According to data from the Small Business Administration (SBA), as of May 31, 2021, CFIs had made 1.6 million PPP loans (21% of all PPP loans) for $34 billion in PPP funds (11% of PPP loan funds offered). Loans made through CFI lenders had an average PPP loan size of $21,254, compared to $41,560 across all lender classes, demonstrating the focus of CFI lending to small and micro-businesses. In addition, nearly 40% of CFIs’ loans reached businesses in low and moderate-income communities, compared to 28% across all lending sources. Both the Rapid Response Program and the PPP set-aside helped CDFIs expand their reach in communities hardest hit by the coronavirus. CDFIs are using these resources to promote job creation, business opportunities in low-income, minority, rural and tribal communities across America. [1] Audit of the CDFI Fund’s 2020 financial statements by the Treasury Dept. Office of Inspector General About the CDFI Coalition The CDFI Coalition is the unified national voice of community development financial institutions. Formed in 1992 as an ad-hoc policy development and advocacy initiative, the Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI Coalition) is the lead national organization in the United States promoting the work of community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Through its 150+ member organizations, the Coalition represents CDFIs working in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and includes community development loan funds, community development banks, community development credit unions, microenterprise lenders, community development corporations and community development venture capital funds. The CDFI Coalition coordinates industry-wide initiatives to increase the availability of capital, credit, and financial services to low-income communities across the nation. Read more at cdfi.org. Contact Details CDFI Coalition Greg Wilson +1 571-239-7474 greg@curleycompany.com Company Website https://cdfi.org/

June 16, 2021 03:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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