Latest news with #St.Louis-based
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MATTERWORKS INC. SECURES SERIES A FUNDING TO ADVANCE MACHINE INTELLIGENCE FOR PREDICTIVE BIOLOGY
SOMERVILLE, Mass., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Matterworks, Inc., the category-defining pioneer unlocking unstructured molecular data for predictive biology, today announces new Series A financing. The round was led by Lewis & Clark Partners and OMX Ventures, joined by Pillar VC, Germin8 Ventures, Intermountain Ventures, and Tarsadia, among others. The Company will use its Series A proceeds to grow its model as a service (MaaS) business and expand its machine learning and scientific operations. Jack Geremia, Matterworks CEO and Co-Founder, "I am delighted to partner with Lewis & Clark and welcome Carolyn Fritz to the Company's Board of Directors as we accelerate machine intelligence innovations that tackle the unsustainable cost of life science R&D." Carolyn Fritz, Operating Partner at Lewis & Clark Partners, "In collaboration with its customers, Matterworks has repeatedly demonstrated its AI platform provides a step change reduction in the cost and throughput of mass spec quantitation. We are excited to partner with this team in accelerating commercialization of their transformational technology." Craig Asher, Managing Director from OMX Ventures, "Matterworks is leveraging AI to unlock a new data layer for biology by making mass spectrometry accessible to all biologists. It's a shift as transformative as single-cell sequencing and we are thrilled to support this exceptional team." About MatterworksMatterworks' Large Spectral Models (LSMs) productize self-supervised machine intelligence for direct machine interpretation of molecular-omic data. PyxisTM, released in 2024, is the first generative AI for complete untargeted molecular annotation, unlocking new data modalities for understanding and predicting complex biological outcomes. About Lewis & Clark PartnersLewis & Clark Partners is a St. Louis-based group of experienced investment professionals passionate about investing in companies at the forefront of science, health, food, and agriculture innovation. We invest in growth-stage companies poised to scale nationally or globally. As founders, operators, investors, and scientists, our seasoned investment team brings deep sector expertise and insight to every investment. About OMX VenturesOMX Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on investing in a new era of bioengineering and its application for better tools, medicines, foods, industrial products, and more. We specialize in early stage investments at the intersection of biology, big data, and Al, with a focus on therapeutics, bio tools, diagnostics, and synthetic biology platforms. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Matterworks Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Elle
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Meet the Doctors Behind 2025's Most Luxurious Facelifts
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. There's a new face in town, and it's gotten lifted, toned, and plumped in all the right places. The modern-day facelift is expensive yet subtle, with shorter healing times, and results that have people wondering, 'What did they get done?' Not to mention where: There is an upper echelon of surgeons with special tools, tricks, and techniques. Below, some of the most hard-to-get appointments. Wait list: 12 months. Special amenities: Erbium lasers; a makeup artist who custom-blends a mineral foundation to help hide healing scars. Akin to a restaurant without its name on the door, the San Francisco clinic of Timothy Marten, MD, is hidden in a historic landmark building. Marten doesn't use social media or even show before-and-after photos on his website. 'I've operated by word of mouth, and I'd rather put the energy that some people put into social media into better care of my patients,' he says. Like the other surgeons in this story, Marten only operates a few times a week, doing what he describes as 'meticulous, couture operations.' Surgeries can take up to eight hours and include anything from a face, neck, lip, or forehead lift to fat grafting. About 40 percent of his patients come from out of town (minimum recovery time is nine days), and in rare cases, he travels out of the country to perform surgeries. High-profile patients are given pseudonyms, and all patient photos are stored a free-standing photo server, protecting against cyber threats. Wait list: Six months to one year. Special amenities: Hyperbaric oxygen chambers; a suggested pre-surgery nutrition plan (both available on request). As one would expect in Beverly Hills, the patients of Jason Diamond, MD, are often people you see onscreen. 'I've had many people back on camera in 10 days,' he says (he advises them to wait at least six weeks, but they don't listen). A few years ago, the age of Diamond's facelift patients started trending down into the mid-40s. 'A lot of young actors or people who are making a living with their face come in. They can't even afford to have a few years of looking a little bit saggy,' he says. In response, he created the Diamond 40, a mini deep plane facelift. 'If you name a facelift technique, I do a version of it.' He's performed surgery overseas in palaces with operating rooms, and at every time of day for paparazzi-fearing patients. 'I always assure them, 'Even if we do it in the morning, no one's going to see you because of all of the systems we have in place,'' he says. 'Still, I have some people who say, 'No, I want it at night.'' Wait list: 18 months. Special amenities: Siloed hallways for maximum privacy; 24-hour nursing for the first day. Ninety-five percent of patients seeing St. Louis-based L. Mike Nayak, MD, come from out of town. 'We've had plenty of internationally recognizable people, and nobody has known,' he says. 'Our whole practice model has evolved to make it as easy as possible for patients to come in, spend their 10 days in St. Louis, and go home.' Patients connect with his warm bedside manner and his bespoke, or 'omakase,' approach to facial rejuvenation, which can include a facelift, fat grafting, rhinoplasty, or other refinements. On any given day, there can be up to three doctors from other practices around the world observing his techniques. More than one patient has told Nayak, 'If you didn't do it, I wouldn't get a facelift.' One of his most memorable patients was grieving the loss of her child. 'I was wearing it on my face,' she told him five days after surgery. 'I looked at myself in the mirror, and I saw my old face, without all the heartbreak on it.' The entire Nayak office cried. A version of this story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of ELLE. GET THE LATEST ISSUE OF ELLE
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
AI is here for plumbers and electricians. Will it transform home services?
The next time you book a plumber, artificial intelligence might be taking your call or returning your message. Or, it might reach out because it knows your air conditioner needs an upgrade well before the summer. Netic, a startup based in San Francisco, is selling an AI-based platform that helps home-services firms automatically reach out to clients in need of maintenance or upgrades, and takes calls and messages on their behalf. Founded in 2024, Netic is part of a growing crop of startups looking beyond the saturated white-collar market and toward home-services operators like electricians, plumbers, roofers and HVAC—which stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning—specialists. The startup Monday said it has raised $20 million with funding from venture-capital firms including Greylock and Founders Fund. While Netic's mission to automate sales and business operations seems simple, it can be a challenge to actually integrate AI into services businesses that run on manual labor—and it certainly can't replace the work of skilled human technicians. The rise of AI in skilled trades is getting a boost from private-equity firms, which have invested heavily in the area and are now injecting the technology into their portfolio companies—hoping for productivity gains and hefty returns. Netic's customers are mostly private-equity-owned home-services companies, as well as some larger owner-operated firms, the startup said. Asheem Chandna, an investor at venture-capital firm Greylock who served as lead investor in Netic's seed round, said home-services businesses often have 'underutilized capacity," or staff who aren't being put to work most efficiently. The point of AI, then, is to optimize the pairing of technicians with customers when they need help, and to reach them before they do, Chandna said. Netic's platform, which uses generative AI models and fine-tuned language models, is designed to use a certain AI model for each technology function, from customer verification to urgency and priority analysis, said Melisa Tokmak, the startup's founder and chief executive.. For instance, Netic's algorithms pick up on signals from customer calls, bumping a regular maintenance call to lower priority or escalating repairs for weather and emergencies. Or, a customer who has a quote from a rival firm might be pushed to the top. To help drive sales, Netic's AI creates marketing campaigns that predict when customers might need a maintenance call based on data like an impending storm, the region and property type. The platform also works with various customer management software for the trades, Tokmak said, and is meant to minimize the amount of integration between software that businesses have to deal with. One customer, Chris Hoffmann, CEO of St. Louis-based home-services company HB Solutions Group, said that many startups are automating the work of booking appointments over the phone through AI voice agents. Hoffmann gets so many pitches for AI products, he said, that he's often turning down vendors hawking their wares. But Netic's AI platform, along with taking calls and answering messages with more accuracy and recall than humans can, helps Hoffmann Brothers plan and prioritize which of the firm's hundreds of technicians should take appointments and when, he said. 'I have to match my capacity with my customer demand on a daily basis," Hoffman said. 'And that's really hard, because I don't always get to choose how many people's air conditioners are going to break when they call me." Still, even with the amount of AI that Hoffmann has put into his firm, only 20% of customer calls are being answered by Netic's AI platform. 'We're still human first," he added.
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
First Bank's back-to-basics approach: How knowledgeable relationship managers turn challenges into opportunities
At First Bank, we're proud of our multi-generational, family-owned and St. Louis-based heritage. As a one-stop financial resource and strategic partner for businesses across various backgrounds and industries, we proudly help clients turn challenges into opportunities. In times of uncertainty, our counterparts will often focus on expense management, capital allocation, consolidation of business lines and management roles. The focus becomes on 'growth' markets, advisory fees and creation of industry-specialty groups with too few relationship managers covering vast geographic territories. Our team of experienced commercial lenders features expertise across various industries, including manufacturing, distribution, health care and wholesale sectors. With a commitment to understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within each vertical, our team strives to provide strategic, comprehensive services designed to foster growth and success. Offering a comprehensive, back-to-basics approach Bucking national trends, First Bank's go-to market strategy hasn't changed in 115 years. It's evolved, but at the end of the day, it's the same as it's always been. We offer 'back-to-basics banking,' build long-term relationships and help clients navigate uncertain times. With First Bank, you can expect to receive personalized, local service from a single point of contact from start to finish. With this comprehensive approach, we also have intelligence regarding our clients' vendors and customers. expand Possessing experience in unique, complex situations Complexity of the current economic environment is not unlike other challenges that we've faced and navigated throughout our history. As a stable, family-owned business, we have the experience to help you manage through it all. During times of uncertainty, it's wise to not put your entire banking relationship with only one provider. From our holistic advisory services to First Bank's Commercial Lending and Banking, we can expand your financial advisory team while not disrupting your main banking relationship. Together, we'll work to help you achieve your short and long-term goals. Below are some industry-specific scenarios, illustrating how we've supported clients in addressing their unique needs: 1. Distributor scenario During a national health and economic crisis, a First Bank client needed to make larger purchases from a primary vendor to maintain inventory allotment and improve margin opportunity. We understood this business needed to have temporary debt capital in order to move forward. First Bank stepped up to support this distributor with what they needed. After the crisis, the client normalized to a new, larger level of business maintaining enhanced margins. 2. Manufacturer scenario A First Bank client manufactures and supplies to an industry with few customers, multiple needs and evolving demands. First Bank understands the struggles of high fixed asset investment, changing volume and rising costs. There will always be the need to adjust mid-year when the forecast starts to deviate with the annual budget. 3. Family business scenario When a family business needs to work through the individual needs of each family member, a strategic partner can be an asset. When a First Bank client was expanding their manufacturing capacity, the owners needed to determine the future direction. First Bank stood by and continued to offer support as family owners determined their next steps. We continued to support family members and the business simultaneously. Serving clients across industries to achieve goals First Bank's relationship managers are industry agnostic and have a broad line of sight into multiple industries without having to go out of market to get industry expertise. Our experts are relationship-focused, know your business and support you through the ups and downs. By combining deep industry knowledge with a comprehensive suite of banking services, First Bank empowers our clients to navigate their unique challenges, pivot to overcome obstacles and achieve their business goals. Visit for more information on First Bank's Commercial Banking team and services. Member FDIC Possessing over 30 years of commercial and corporate banking experience, Skornia grew up working in a family-owned business. His expertise encompasses manufacturing, distribution, oil/chemical, commercial construction, technology and health care. He is a current member of Lutheran Senior Services Finance Committee and former board member of the Association of General Contractors. Skornia has a Bachelor of Science degree and an MBA from the University of Central Missouri. Contact him at or 314-277-4543.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New allegations against magazine owner accused of taking payments, not delivering on contract terms
ST. LOUIS – 'The magazine came onto my radar when I received an email from Stacy Oliver of Mind Body Soul media, offering an opportunity to join her publication with a cover feature,' life coach and author Jaki Sabourin said. A proposition Sabourin says she was excited to explore. 'The demographics really are in alignment with my ideal clients. And I thought it'd be a great way to kind of introduce more locally my life coaching, etc.,' Sabourin said. In March, the La Jolla, California, resident says she signed an agreement with Mind Body Soul Magazine founder Stacy Oliver. According to the contract and bank statements Sabourin shared with us, she paid Oliver $9,000. 'It wasn't just to be on the cover of a magazine; this was a whole year-long marketing strategy that I kind of wrapped my business around, going, 'Okay, I'm going to invest this money; I'm going to use this magazine the five times I'm in it. I'm going to do appearances. So, this was not just a one and done,' Sabourin said. If her story sounds familiar, that's because it is. 'It just kind of made sense,' Emilia Rizzuto, owner of St. Louis-based company All Things Elderberry, said. 'Seemed like it made sense,' April Berkovich, owner of April Berkovich Wellness Studio in St. Louis, said. In a report we aired in early May, Rizzuto and Berkovich told us they also signed contracts and paid thousands of dollars to be prominently featured in Stacy Oliver's publication. They say the magazines were never published. They detailed those breach of contract allegations in complaints they've filed with the Missouri Attorney General's Office. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'I certainly don't want any other female business owners to fall for this, like I did,' Berkovich said. In fact, Berkovich contacted Sabourin to warn her about doing business with Oliver. 'She was very, very great in sending me correspondence, emails, documentation, so I wasn't just taking her word for it,' Sabourin said. Sabourin says the information she received prompted her to confront Stacy Oliver. In an email she shared with us, Sabourin details the ways Oliver allegedly breached their contract. She also told Oliver she's contacted law enforcement and filed a fraud report with her credit card company. She even told Oliver she was communicating with Contact 2's Mike Colombo for this story. She asked Oliver to cease use of her name, image or likeness; to confirm the cancelation of her feature and all related content or promotional materials; and to refrain from contacting her regarding future financial transactions. 'She agreed in a reply email, saying, 'I agree,' and that's it,' Sabourin said. Oliver never denied any of the allegations while corresponding with Sabourin. 'She just said, 'Oh, dear.' Like, 'Oh, I'm caught.' And then I said, I need you to agree to this email. And she emailed me back and said, 'I agree,' and I haven't contacted her further. I did file the report with the Attorney General of California and also with the district attorney,' Sabourin said. Sabourin, Rizzuto, and Berkovich are among a group of nearly a dozen women around the country who allege Oliver owes them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some tell FOX 2 they bought marketing and media packages that included magazine appearances that were never published; others say they're owed money for work they did with the magazine. 'It's really reprehensible that there's another small business owner—as a woman—taking advantage of other small businesswomen,' Sabourin said. FOX 2 reached out to Oliver for comment on numerous occasions. As of the date of this story's publication, she hasn't responded. Berkovich said Oliver sent her an email after our first report aired. According to Berkovich, Oliver committed to send her, ''something this month in good faith – $2,000 if not the entire $6,000' owed.' To date, Berkovich said she's received just $200 from Oliver. On a positive note, Sabourin's credit card company refunded the $9,000 she paid Oliver. FOX 2 will continue to follow this story and share any updates we get. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
