Latest news with #SeriesA
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet the ‘masters of the universe' heading up the private credit explosion
Venture capitalists love the spotlight. They're on X, they're in the White House, and they're constantly chasing press coverage of Series A deals into B2B SaaS companies that might become the next Salesforce, but could just as likely fold in a few years. Today's VCs hold an inordinate amount of cultural capital, and for good reason: They fund many of the companies that undergird not only our economy, but our social fabric, and they are often instrumental in shaping tomorrow's trends. But still, they represent a small fraction of the broader investment landscape, which is why I'm always astounded by the sheer scale of the private equity industry. I spent the past few months reporting on Ares Management, an alternative asset manager that spun out of Apollo in the late 1990s. Originally, I was interested in the firm because of its role in the booming field of private credit, which has become such a buzzword that it seems like high finance's equivalent of AI (and they're related, with much of new private credit capital going to fund data centers). Ares' bread and butter business is lending to other alternative assets firms like KKR and Apollo, raising money to help fund their buyouts of middle market companies that most venture firms would never be interested in (though that's changing), and occasionally taking small equity stakes themselves. The strategy has paid off, especially with the rise of private equity more broadly after the 2008 financial crisis, with Ares now aiming to grow its assets under management to $750 billion by 2028. Compare that to Insight Partners, one of the larger venture players dabbling in private equity, which has $90 billion. As with tokenization, private credit is taking on an increasingly greater role in our economy as companies take longer to go public or decide never to go public at all. Rather than turning to public markets for funding, they must look to other means, with firms like Ares waiting in the wings. For everyday investors, that limits the type of companies where they can put their money—though some firms like Apollo are starting to offer vehicles like ETFs, as well as tokenized funds, that provide access to private companies. Critics argue that the lack of transparency, however, creates a whole host of potential problems. A firm like Ares may have less name recognition than a Sequoia or Andreessen Horowitz, though it has arguably a greater role in shaping how money moves in our economy (and they're taking on a higher profile through sports, with three Ares executives among the new Baltimore Orioles leadership group). These are the 'masters of the universe' that Tom Wolfe famously wrote about in his 1987 Wall Street classic The Bonfire of the Vanities, but they're often more hidden from view. You can read my feature on Ares' rise, including its unique structure of a CEO and two co-presidents leading its next era of growth. Leo SchwartzX: @leomschwartzEmail: Submit a deal for the Term Sheet newsletter here. Joey Abrams curated the deals section of today's newsletter. Subscribe here. This story was originally featured on
Campaign ME
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Samsung, DDB Egypt feature Man City's Marmoush, rapper Wegz in latest campaign
For the latest Samsung campaign titled 'Samsung Galaxy A Series… How Smart?!' rolled out in July 2025, DDB Egypt has brought together two icons from the footballing and music industries to highlight the various forms of 'intelligence' – both in and out of the spotlight – and how 'smart' gets even smarter when powered by the Galaxy A Series. Manchester City's Egyptian footballer Omar Marmoush and top-charting rapper and trap artist Wegz add a touch of 'smart' stardom to the Samsung campaign, proving that being smart goes beyond one definition, whether on stage, on the pitch or in life. The campaign, which is now live across digital and social platforms, was brought to life by DDB Egypt, in partnership with production agencies Good People and Ruffmercy, post-production agency Barbershop, as well as Snap Arts, The Garage Studios and the Wegz team. At the heart of the campaign is an exclusive track by Wegz that emphasises how to stand out through the power of smart choices. Footballer Marmoush and rapper Wegz are seen using the Samsung Galaxy Series A, showcasing how Samsung, Wegz, and Marmoush are smart in different ways but even smarter together thanks to the Series A's standout AI-powered tools. 'Our goal was to highlight the intelligence built into the Galaxy A Series through real, relatable talent,' said DDB Egypt's Associate Creative Director, Gihad Mansour. 'Marmoush and Wegz each bring their own form of intelligence, and the Galaxy A Series brings it all together,' Mansour added. The campaign intended to redefine what it means to be 'smart,' showing that intelligence has many forms, including emotional, athletic, creative, technological and more. It aims to demonstrate that no matter what type of intelligence people have, Samsung's AI tools are here to support it. 'People are smart in different ways, hence every individual looks for tools that help them shine in their chosen path. Our goal was to show how Samsung brings all of that together,' Gihad added. 'That insight led to the campaign's Arabic tagline: 'Shoft el zaka2?' [Did you see the smartness?]' From intelligent photo editing to smart suggestions and productivity features, the Galaxy A Series is highlighted as the phone for every kind of smart. CREDITS: Client: Samsung Agency: DDB Egypt Co-CEO & Partner: Basel El Deeb Chief Communication Officer: Hazem El Saadani Managing Director: Dalia Khairy Business Director: Alia Ahmed Account Manager: Enas Salamouny Account Manager: Farida Heidar Senior Account Executive: Malak Siag Creative Director: Hosam Akil Associate Creative Director: Gihad Mansour Creative Copywriter: Mohamed Kassem Senior Copywriter: Abdelrahman Youssry Senior Graphic Designer: Amira Elkhouly Head of Digital Creative: Nada El Marsafy Senior Digital Copywriter: Salma Abdullah Digital Copywriter: Youssef Abou Allam Production agency: Good People CEO: Khaled Zaki Director: Maged Nassar Executive Producer: Moataz Fahmy Producer: Nour Abdellatif Group Account Director: Iman Abu Sharkh Line producer: Sarah Walid Post producer : Hussein Aziz, Mohamed fayed DOP: Carl Knight Stylists: Sophie Finnigan and Jermaine Robinson Art Director: Lisa westwell Production agency: Ruffmercy Artist : Russ Executive Producer: Jamie Clark Post-production: Barbershop Edit: Amr rabea Assistant Editor: Omar Shereen MP: Osama Bendary Supers Online: Diggers Sound: The Garage Studios CGI and VFX: Snap Arts CGI: Muhammed Etman VFX Supervisor: Basam Hussain Snap MD: Samar Hegazy VFX Team: Mohamed Nagy, Ahmed El-Gendy and Islam Mohamed Assistant Post Producer: Marina Sayed Music Production and Mixing: Hussein Gamal Mastering: Mokhtar El Sayeh Wegz Team Asem Tag, Zein Abdelmeguid and Ahmed Rafaat. Voiceover: Youssef Tohami
Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: Loan servicing startup Salient raises $60M Series A
Salient, a San Francisco-based platform for lenders to automate the post-loan origination process, raised $60 million in Series A funding, it tells Axios Pro exclusively. Why it matters: Loan servicing remains highly manual, but banks are increasingly doubling down on tech in the area. Andreessen Horowitz led the round, joined by Matrix Partners, Michael Ovitz and Y Combinator. By the numbers: The deal values Salient at $350 million, Axios has learned. The company's annualized run rate was north of $14 million as of June 2025, some 18 months after its launch. Context: This comes as U.S. household debt hit $18.2 trillion in the first quarter, with 4.3% of that delinquent — the highest level in five years, according to the New York Fed. How it works: Salient uses generative AI to automate collections, customer service, and compliance monitoring — acting as a dashboard for lenders to track all their loans. Currently, "[lenders] have huge outsource firms that run compliance functions or call centers," says CEO Ari Malik. "What we're trying to offer is a more transparent way of seeing what's happening. Because if you outsource this whole process, oftentimes, lenders have no idea what's going on." Salient uses voice recognition to monitor customer service calls and flag violations of complex state or federal lending rules. For example, active service members are entitled to interest rates of 6% or below, and customers who wish to no longer be called must be marked. Failures can lead to steep fines. In addition to customer service, Salient's AI agent, with additional information from the customer, can complete insurance claims and get necessary paperwork from the lender — cutting down on time and complexity. Salient counts Westlake Financial and AutoNation among its customers. Zoom out: Malik is betting this automation can improve lender and customer experiences. "[The AI agent] needs to be predictive as to what the customer wants," he says. "Success is: 'Can you predict what they actually want to interact with you about, as opposed to starting everything from scratch?'"
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
EUME opens first store in Bengaluru, aims 8-10 new EBOs this year
Bengaluru: Backed by a recent Rs 25 crore Series A funding round, homegrown premium luggage brand EUME is accelerating its offline retail footprint with plans to open 8–10 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) this year, co-founder Naina Parekh said in an interview with ETRetail. 'We are working on launching about 8 to 10 EBOs this year,' Parekh said. 'We are hoping to go into key cities such as Bombay, Bangalore, and Delhi. These are our top priority cities at this point.' The Mumbai-based brand opened its first store at Phoenix Mall of Asia , Bengaluru, on Saturday. EUME already runs two company-owned stores, one in Mumbai's Infiniti Malad and another in Hyderabad's Sarath City Mall. 'We are trying to now bring the visibility of our products in stores, so that the customers know what EUME stands for,' Parekh said, explaining the focus on offline expansion. Hinting at interest from potential franchisees, Parekh said, 'We've had a few people already approach us for franchising, but I think we still have to solidify our retail plans before we can go out into a franchise model.' EUME, which raised its Series A funding in early 2024 led by Gujarat Venture Finance Limited (GVFL), had said the funds would be utilised to ramp up product development, strengthen its online presence, and expand into offline retail through EBOs and strategic partnerships. The company's existing product portfolio includes a mix of smart backpacks, travel accessories , and personal care lines. Without sharing the exact revenue details, Parekh said that the brand currently operates at a monthly run rate of Rs 4–5 crore.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chime backer Lauren Kolodny bets on AI to revolutionize estate processing
Lauren Kolodny, a partner at Acrew Capital, has always championed technology's power to democratize access to financial services for everyday people. When the fledgling neobank Chime struggled to convince investors in 2016 that it could build a large business serving the working class, Kolodny was the only VC out of a 100 Chime pitched who agreed to back the company, stepping in with a $9 million Series A extension when it was nearly out of money. That bet paid off big time. Last month, Chime went public at a $14.5 billion valuation. Kolodny, who appeared on the Forbes Midas list three years in a row, is still passionate about investing in tech solutions that help consumers maximize their resources. She recently led a $20 million Series A investment in Alix, a startup that leverages AI to automate the estate settlement process. Alix's founder, Alexandra Mysoor, realized the burden of executing a family estate after she offered to help her best friend settle her late mother's affairs. Mysoor told TechCrunch that it took her 900 hours and 18 months to complete tasks such as calling the bank to transfer assets, locating all the 401Ks, cancelling accounts, and distributing assets among family members. 'I was shocked that this process was so hard,' Mysoor said. 'It's paper-driven. It's archaic. You're googling to-do lists that are not helpful. You're calling attorneys who might do a sliver of the work, and they cost thousands and thousands of dollars.' That experience gave Mysoor the idea that some of the most labor-intensive aspects of trust administration, including scanning and extracting data from documents, pre-populating complex forms, and communications with banks, can now be handled by AI agents. When Kolodny met Mysoor and learned about the problem Alix was addressing, the issue resonated so deeply with the Midas List investor that she couldn't get it out of her mind. Kolodny realized that even though economists are estimating that trillions of dollars will transfer to millennial and Gen Z generations over the next two decades, the paperwork surrounding estate settlement largely remains a burden on those grieving the loss of their parents. While some startups like Empathy provide assistance with closing accounts as part of their bereavement support, Kolodny discovered that no companies offered comprehensive, start-to-finish estate settlement services. 'How is it possible that there's this messy problem that involves so much project management that there aren't even meaningful services around?' Kolodny told TechCrunch. 'It was this real aha moment for me. This is exactly the kind of problem that AI should be solving.' Kolodny said that she believes Alix is among the first of many startups powered by AI that will democratize financial services and administrative processes, which were historically available only to the ultra-wealthy. Alix's fee structure is 1% of an estate's value. However, for inheritances under $1 million, customers can expect to pay between $9,000 and $12,000, with the exact cost determined by the complexity of the estate.
