Latest news with #Octave
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
See the 12-slide pitch deck AI marketing-tech startup Octave used to raise a $5.5 million seed round from Bonfire and a LinkedIn alumni fund
Marketing tech startup Octave has raised $5.5 million to grow its AI-powered go-to-market platform. The San Francisco-based startup helps companies build ideal customer profiles and decide their marketing campaign strategy. The startup says it was born out of frustration with existing inbound marketing and sales tools like HubSpot and Salesforce. "I spent 15 years on all these sales teams and the tools, they just suck energy from you, they don't help you," said Octave's cofounder and CEO, Zach Vidibor. "Our mantra was really about being a battery-included experience." Vidibor, who has worked on sales teams at LinkedIn, DocuSign, and Dropbox, met his cofounder, Julian Tempelsman, at an internet safety startup that was acquired by Twitter in 2018. "Think of GPT and Claude and Gemini and DeepSeek," Vidibor said about how the platform harnesses AI. "Those are the engine, and we've built a car around it that drives on a very specific track." The round was led by Bonfire Ventures, with participation from Unusual Ventures, Bee Partners, inVest Ventures — a fund focused on LinkedIn alumni — and angel investors. The seed round is Octave's second cash injection, following a $2.9 million pre-seed round in 2022, which was led by Craft Ventures and Tidepool Labs. The company launched publicly in February 2024 and works on a subscription-based freemium model. It offers customers a forever-free tier, and paid plans start at $150 a month and scale depending on usage, Vidibor said. With the cash infusion, the startup said it would ramp up hiring in its go-to-market team, including engineers, product designers, and a head of growth. The CEO said AI and the string of coding tools now available to engineers are playing a role in these hiring decisions. Octave is "really trying to focus on people that have domain experience and building in areas that are close to our problem space," he said. "Maybe you are not the rockstar, change the world engineer, but you can balance that out now, a little bit, with some of these tools." Check out the pitch deck Octave used to secure the fresh funding.
Business Wire
6 days ago
- Health
- Business Wire
Octave Bioscience Expands Medical Leadership to
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Octave Bioscience, Inc., a leading precision care company that is delivering a new standard for managing multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, announced the appointments of Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, MAS as Senior Medical Director and Darin Okuda, M.D., F.A.A.N., F.A.N.A., as Senior Medical Advisor, and the promotion of Terrie Livingston, PharmD, to Vice President, Medical Affairs. The extensive experience of this world-class medical leadership team will accelerate Octave's commitment to improving the quality of life of patients with neurodegenerative diseases by developing new biomarker-based approaches to deliver medical insights that are clinically actionable and generate long-term value through innovation. 'The expansion of our medical leadership team not only validates the power of our precision neurology efforts but also positions us to accelerate broad market adoption and establish a new standard of care." Doug Biehn, President and Chief Executive Officer Share Dr. Graves is Professor of Neurosciences and Vice Chair of Human Clinical Research at UC San Diego. As Division Chief of Neuroimmunology, she directs the multiple sclerosis clinics at UCSD, the San Diego VA Hospital and the Rady Children's Hospital. 'Neurology is entering an era where innovations in precision biomarkers and digital tools are reshaping how we understand disease biology, assess disease processes, and ultimately treat disease,' said Dr. Graves. 'Through my senior scientific advisory role, I am excited to realize the promise of precision neurology to improve clinical outcomes in MS and to create tools we had believed to be possible in our early pilot studies with Octave at UCSD. The opportunity to treat to target with a serological test will transform the field." Dr. Okuda is an M.D., F.A.A.N., F.A.N.A. and professor of neurology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, specializing in multiple sclerosis and related disorders. 'It's a privilege to join a company that truly balances scientific innovation with meaningful patient impact,' said Dr. Okuda. 'Precision neurology can only move from theory to practice when we know who to treat and when. With the Octave MSDA Test accessible to MS patients across the country, we're not just advancing innovation, we're accelerating its reach. This allows us to identify and support a broader range of patients earlier in their disease course, when timely intervention can make the greatest difference.' 'Our goal is to continue setting new standards of care for neurodegenerative diseases by supporting optimal clinical decision-making in conditions like multiple sclerosis,' said Terrie Livingston. 'My vision is to advance Octave's ability to measure disease activity and progression, delivering actionable, data-driven insights that inform evidence-based treatment decisions and, ultimately, help patients receive more personalized, timely, and empowering care.' 'This is a pivotal moment for Octave as we experience strong adoption across physicians, pharma, and payers,' said Doug Biehn, President and Chief Executive Officer at Octave Bioscience. 'The expansion of our medical leadership team not only validates the power of our precision neurology efforts but also positions us to accelerate broad market adoption and establish a new standard of care. We are pioneering a more proactive and clinically actionable approach to ensure the right patient is on the right therapy at the right time.' The Octave Bioscience team will be onsite at the CMSC Annual Meeting, booth #401, in Phoenix, AZ from May 28 - 31, 2025, where five posters will be presented showcasing fluid biomarker innovation. Onsite, meeting attendees can learn how the Octave MSDA Test is transforming MS care with actionable insights and connect with our team to discover how fluid biomarkers can elevate clinical decision-making. About Octave Bioscience, Inc. Octave Bioscience, Inc. is a leading precision care company pioneering biomarker-driven solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, starting with multiple sclerosis. Octave's comprehensive solution provides objective, actionable insights to improve disease monitoring, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes. The company's flagship product, the Octave Multiple Sclerosis Disease Activity (MSDA) Test, is the first clinically and analytically validated blood-based biomarker test that enables physicians to quantitatively measure MS disease activity, allowing for more informed treatment decisions and personalized disease management over time. For more information, visit
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
5 Signs You Met the Right Person at the Wrong Time, According to a Psychologist
So you met the person of your dreams…you think. Maybe you just met after chatting on Hinge and realized you share the same values. Maybe your friends love them too, and you can't get over their corny jokes. Regardless, you think you may have found 'the one'—except something seems off. Whether in their case or yours, you begin to wonder if now isn't the right time for you two to be together. Maybe they don't want what you want, at least right now. Whatever the case may be, you think you've met the right person at the wrong time. But how do you know for sure? Let's get a clearer picture from a First, you may be wondering, on an existential level, why this sort of thing happens. Romances that seem 'half-perfect' in this way can be, well, wholly discouraging. Whether you're into astrology, manifestation or are just curious, read on. Related: How Each Zodiac Sign Attracts Their Soulmate'This might be one of the great mysteries of life,' says Dr. Golee Abrishami, PhD, the head of clinical care at Octave. 'Optimistically, these situations are incredible learning experiences.' For example, you might learn you need more commitment than you thought. Or maybe you finally have hope that good people are out there. These are only a couple of many examples. In reality, you have to figure out what the lesson is for you. You may feel very drawn to the other person, Dr. Abrishami says. You two may like to spend a lot of time together, miss each other when you're apart or have a lot in common. But unfortunately, spending time with that person and growing your relationship is easier said than done. Various obstacles may get in the way. 'There are logistical barriers that prevent you from seeing each other, like timing, geographic location or schedules that don't match up,' Dr. Abrishami explains. While age-gap relationships can work, they have a unique set of challenges. 'You are at different phases in your life—therefore, you have different priorities, which are in conflict,' Dr. Abrishami could look like one partner preferring free time for going out with friends while the other wants to build a family and stay in, or many other situations. Related: What Is a May-December Romance, and Can You Make It Work? If you say or hear phrases like 'I have a lot going on in my life, and I can't make time for another relationship' or 'I don't do feelings,' you could be seeing signs of emotional unavailability. Sometimes, people get into meaningful relationships before they're ready, like in the case of a person who wants a long-term relationship but is still struggling with a previous breakup. 'This can be due to varying instances, including different places of emotional development and unresolved issues that impact the level of emotional availability for the relationship,' Dr. Abrishami explains. To some degree, we all bring our past baggage into our new relationships. Sometimes, that baggage can impact our dating experience. For example, there's a difference between someone who wants their ex back and someone who needs extra words of affirmation after dealing with a toxic partner.'There could be unresolved issues with a previous relationship that do not give the potential new relationship space to grow and evolve,' Dr. Abrishami says. Many of us have been here, right? One partner is looking for something casual, while the other hopes for a more serious, committed relationship. Neither person can (or should have to) budge. This misalignment is another sign Dr. Abrishami Huh? What Does a 'Situationship' Actually Mean? First and foremost, know you're not alone if you're going through this. 'Many people have struggled with the confusing feeling that you met the right person at the wrong time,' Dr. Abrishami says. Then, try one of the general coping skills she suggests below. Maybe you're in that stage where you're not 100 percent sure it's the 'wrong time,' so you want to keep assessing the relationship. This tool may come in handy. 'Advocate for yourself by being open and honest about your needs and what you are or are not able to contribute at this time in the relationship,' Dr. Abrishami says. For example, you say you can give a certain amount of time to your partner and want the same from them. Thinking through that for yourself, then communicating it to the other person, is a crucial Can any of the roadblocks be worked through? Do you want to try to work through them? These questions can be helpful too. 'It's possible that if this relationship is important enough to you, you can resolve some of the issues getting in the way,' Dr. Abrishami says. When you feel you've met 'your person,' it's understandable you may try to rush into things and make the relationship work when it's just not going to. Dr. Abrishami advises against this. 'If it's meant to be, time is on your side and you can make the relationship work when the time is right,' she Maybe you two don't work as a romantic pair at the moment, but you can still manage to be friends. Dr. Abrishami says this can be valuable because it maintains the connection and gives you another support make sure you both clarify what is and isn't okay with you. 'While maintaining a friendship may be helpful, you need to protect your heart and make sure that you're not just hurting yourself more by staying in touch,' she explains. 'Try to avoid leading someone on—or even leading yourself on.' Regardless of what you're struggling with, talking it out with a therapist is pretty much always a good idea. Dr. Abrishami says a therapist can help you address relationship concerns, identify relationship patterns, help you resolve previous issues, evaluate your emotional availability and more. They can also help you cope if, yes, the person is right for you, but you met them at the wrong time. Up Next:Dr. Golee Abrishami, PhD, the head of clinical care at Octave 5 Signs You Met the Right Person at the Wrong Time, According to a Psychologist first appeared on Parade on May 22, 2025
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
8 best made-in-Canada mattresses in 2025 — Casper, Endy, Juno and more
We all know a good night's sleep is essential to recharge our minds and bodies. Sleep can help us regulate our emotions, improve our immune systems and promote cell restoration and repair. Since we spend one-third of our lives snoozing, it's worth investing in a comfortable and supportive mattress. And while bedding basics can cost a pretty penny, you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to upgrade your sleep situation, even if you're prioritizing Canadian brands and made-in-Canada products. Below, we've gathered eight Canadian mattress brands that completely or partially manufacture their products right here in the Great White North. We've included picks for side, front and back sleepers, cooling mattresses for hot sleepers — plus options for budget-conscious shoppers. Casper Douglas Endy Juno Logan & Cove Octave Sleep Polysleep Silk & Snow Casper's bestselling Original Hybrid Mattress is ideal for back, stomach and combination sleepers as it provides a balance of support and soft comfort that contours to your body. Origin: Manufactured in Canada and the U.S. Sizes available: Twin ($1,189) to California king ($2,124) Thickness: 11" height Warranty: 10-year Limited Mattress Warranty Reviews: 2,900+ Gifts with purchase: None Shop a queen-sized mattress for $1699, with other options from $1189. This made-in-Canada mattress has a medium-firm design with balanced support and pressure-point relief. It has a 10' height and three premium foam layers, including cooling gel foam. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($599) to split king ($1,298) Thickness: 10" height Warranty: Protected by a 20-year warranty and a complete satisfaction guarantee Reviews: 20,500+ Gifts with purchase: Two premium pillows, one white cotton sheet set, one mattress protector and two pillow protectors. Shop the queen-sized mattress for $799 and other mattress sizes from $599. This popular Endy mattress is the winner of multiple awards, including the "Best Mattress in Canada" by Ottawa Life Magazine, so it's no wonder the brand's classic The Endy Mattress is backed by 30,000 reviews and a 4.9-star average rating. The mattress is available in three options: firm, medium firm and plush (for an extra $200) and is suitable for back, side and stomach sleepers. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($675) to California king ($1,045) Thickness: 10" height Warranty: Backed by a 15-year limited warranty Reviews: 33,000+ Gifts with purchase: One sheet set, one duvet, two pillows and one mattress protector. Shop a queen-size mattress for $895 and more mattress sizes from $675. This Canadian-made mattress features two inches of gel memory foam to help you sleep comfortably, especially in the summer. The cushioning contours to your body and helps prevent pressure points from forming. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($399) to split king ($989) Thickness: 8" height Warranty: Protected by a 15-year warranty and a complete satisfaction guarantee Reviews: 7,400+ Gifts with purchase: One premium pillow, one cotton sheet set, one mattress protector and one pillow protector. Shop a queen mattress for $499, and other mattress sizes from $399. This top-rated hybrid mattress is handcrafted with multiple layers of premium foam atop our 3-zone steel coils with foam encasement. It features up to 1,152 pressure-relieving coils and has 12 inches of height for a comfortable, supportive sleep. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($799) to split king ($1,698) Thickness: 12" height Warranty: Protected by a 15-year warranty and a complete satisfaction guarantee Reviews: 5,500+ Gifts with purchase: Two premium pillows, one cotton sheet set, one mattress protector and two pillow protectors. Shop a queen mattress for $999 and other sizes starting from $799. This popular medium-firm mattress offers sleepers 12" in height and three specialty foam layers. It has a cool-to-touch cover so you can kiss night sweats goodbye and boasts zero motion transfer for deep, uninterrupted sleep. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($599) to split king ($1,298) Thickness: 12" height Warranty: Protected by a 15-year warranty Reviews: 6,400+ Gifts with purchase: Two premium pillows, one cotton sheet set, one mattress protector and two pillow protectors. Shop a queen-sized mattress for $899 and other sizes from $599. This popular medium-firm mattress is a solid choice for a wide range of sleepers. It's built with antimicrobial foam to fight allergies and has a removable and washable cover for all of life's messes. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($845) to California king ($1,295) Thickness: 10" height Warranty: Protected by a 10-year warranty Reviews: 450 Gifts with purchase: None Shop the queen-sized mattress for $995 and other sizes from $845. This premium memory foam mattress features an innovative antimicrobial textile to help prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria. It has 1.5" of gel memory foam to relieve pressure points and is infused with cooling gel to help keep you cool at night. Origin: Made in Canada Sizes available: Twin ($525) to split king ($800) Thickness: 10" height (medium-firm) Warranty: Protected by a 15-year warranty Reviews: 1,800 Gifts with purchase: One cotton fitted sheet and pillowcase set, one microfibre duvet, two microfibre pillows and one mattress protector. Shop a queen mattress for $700 and other size options from $525.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anthropic's new Claude, Google's coding assistant, and Tencent's 'thinking' AI: This week's AI launches
Each week, Quartz rounds up product launches, updates, and funding news from artificial intelligence-focused startups and companies. Here's what's going on this week in the ever-evolving AI industry. Anthropic announced Claude 3.7 Sonnet this week, which it called its 'most intelligent model to date and the first hybrid reasoning model on the market.' Claude 3.7 Sonnet users through Anthropic's API can control how long the model 'thinks.' The hybrid reasoning model can either generate a near-instant response, or show its step-by-step thinking process, according to Anthropic. 'Claude 3.7 Sonnet shows particularly strong improvements in coding and front-end web development,' Anthropic said. The company also introduced Claude Code in a limited research preview — 'a command line tool' that allows developers to delegate coding tasks to Claude. Claude 3.7 Sonnet is available to all tiers of Claude plans, and through Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock (AMZN), and Google (GOOGL) Cloud's Vertex AI. Google made Gemini Code Assist for individuals available in public preview for free this week. Developers around the world can use the coding AI assistant, which is powered by Google's Gemini 2.0 model. The AI assistant supports all public domain programming languages, and is optimized for coding. 'We're offering practically unlimited capacity with up to 180,000 code completions per month using Gemini Code Assist — a ceiling so high that even today's most dedicated professional developers would be hard-pressed to exceed it,' Google said. Chinese firm Tencent (TCEHY) released its Hunyuan Turbo S AI model this week that it said is a 'new generation of fast thinking.' Unlike DeepSeek's R1 reasoning model and the Hunyuan T1 model 'that require 'thinking before answering,'' the new Turbo S model can 'instant reply,' and reduce delay by 44%, the company said on WeChat. Tencent said Turbo S has demonstrated comparable performance to AI models such as DeepSeek-V3 and OpenAI's GPT-4o on multiple industry benchmarks in math, reasoning, and other fields. Turbo S is available through the Tencent Cloud API for developers and enterprise users. Voice AI startup Hume AI launched Octave TTS this week — a text-to-speech system built on LLM intelligence 'that understands what it's saying.' Octave, which stands for omni-capable text and voice engine, is a speech-language model that can be expressive and nuanced due to its ability to understand words in context, Hume said. With its AI-powered voice capabilities, Octave can act out characters, generate voices based on prompts, and change the emotion and style of its voice when instructed to by users. Octave is initially focused on English, but can speak fluent Spanish as well, the company said, adding that it will improve proficiency in other languages. BigID, a company focused on data security, privacy, compliance, and governance, announced a data security platform called BigID Next this week. The platform is the first cloud-native, AI-powered DSP for enterprises, the company said. The platform allows enterprises to automate and scale data protection, BigID said. Its features include agentic AI assistants for security and compliance, and automated security and privacy tools. 'With AI reshaping data security and compliance, companies need a solution that's not just reactive but intelligent, adaptive, and scalable,' Dimitri Sirota, co-founder and CEO of BigID, said in a statement. 'BigID Next sets a new standard for how enterprises protect data, reduce risk, and enable innovation—all within a single, unified platform.' launched its deep research AI agent, ARI, this week, which it said is 'the first professional-grade research agent.' In five minutes, the deep research agent can read and analyze up to 400 sources to generate research reports, the company said. ARI stands for Advanced Research and Insights. 'ARI's breakthrough is its ability to maintain contextual understanding while processing hundreds of sources simultaneously,' Bryan McCann, co-founder and CTO of said in a statement. 'When combined with chain-of-thought reasoning and extended test-time compute, ARI is able to discover and incorporate adjacent research areas dynamically as analysis progresses.' AI-powered studying and learning platform, StudyFetch, launched Tutor Me this week. The AI tutor can provide students with real-time, personalized responses in a web conference-style setting. Tutor Me can quiz students, help find relevant pages in a textbook, and track lesson progress. 'One of our core principles is that every student deserves an opportunity to succeed,' Sam Whitaker, director of social impact at StudyFetch, said in a statement. 'Most importantly, they should be able to succeed in the format that best supports their learning. Our mission is to create an equal opportunity for every student, through personalized offerings, affordable prices and innovative technology for all.' For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
