<div>
  <p>
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Kafene, a BNPL provider for furniture, appliances, electronics, and other consumer durable products, has partnered with BrandSource, an ecommerce platform for appliances, home furnishings, and consumer tech products across the US and Canada, to support business growth and expand product reach.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        Through this partnership, Kafene plans to grow product reach with its tiered lease-to-own (LTO) pricing model by leveraging BrandSources&rsquo; 4,500+ independent, affiliated retailer members in the US and Canada. Kafene's risk-based pricing model claims to offer customers flexible financing terms tailored to their risk profiles.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Analyst QuickTake: </b>
        Leading up to this partnership, Kafene had recently secured USD 15 million in a 
        <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26179">
          venture debt facility
        </a>
         to scale up its commercial operations and broaden its consumer base (January 2024) and raised USD 12.6 million in 
        <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22365">
          Series B extension
        </a>
         to accelerate its merchant partnerships and increase capital allocation with consumer underwritings (October 2023).
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kafene-partners-with-brandsource-as-an-approved-financing-platform-302091785.html">
      Press release
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


Buy Now, Pay Later

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 <p>Kafene, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service that focusses on consumer goods like furniture and electronics, has entered into a partnership with BrandSource, a US and Canadian ecommerce platform specialising in home furnishings and consumer tech products. This collaboration aims to support Kafene's business expansion and increase its product accessibility.</p>
 <p>As part of the partnership strategy, Kafene aims to leverage BrandSource's extensive network of over 4,500 independent affiliated retailer members in the US and Canada to boost the reach of its products. This plan revolves around Kafene's tiered lease-to-own (LTO) pricing model, which, according to the company, provides customers with flexible financing terms that are specifically designed to match their risk profiles.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Leading up to this partnership, Kafene had recently secured USD 15 million in a <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26179"> venture debt facility </a> to scale up its commercial operations and broaden its consumer base (January 2024) and raised USD 12.6 million in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22365"> Series B extension </a> to accelerate its merchant partnerships and increase capital allocation with consumer underwritings (October 2023).</p>

Kafene partners with BrandSource to expand product reach

Making banking work, without the paperwork

Neobanks

<div>
 
 <p>Lunar, a Danish neobank, has raised approximately USD 25.7 million in a funding round, bringing its total funds raised to USD 510 million. The funding was contributed by its existing investors and will be used to strengthen the company's capital position and expand its services across the Nordic countries. Lunar also plans to become a full-service bank in Sweden.</p>
 <p>This funding is particularly significant as Lunar previously failed to acquire the local lender Instabank due to insufficient capital. The failed acquisition, worth around USD 140.7 million, led to legal proceedings. As a result, Lunar is bolstering its capital reserves while it anticipates the next steps in the proceedings.</p>
 
</div>

Lunar raises EUR 24.1 million in funding to sustain growth

Automation and robotics are finally creating solutions for the complexities of doorstep deliveries.

Last-mile Delivery Automation

<div>
 <p>In Knoxville, Tennessee, regulators have prohibited the use of delivery droids on streets and sidewalks due to insufficient infrastructure. The decision was made after assessing applications from droid operators requesting to introduce their robots in the city.</p>
 <p>While the city might reconsider this decision in the future, currently only Starship Technologies is allowed to continue its droid-based food delivery service at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. However, the service is restricted to on-campus deliveries due to the imposed ban on off-campus activities.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> Although Tennessee state regulations <a href="https:<br>
//trackbill.com/bill/tennessee-senate-bill-2836-traffic-safety-as-enacted-establishes-requirements-for-the-operation-of-personal-delivery-devices-specifies-that-a-personal-delivery-device-may-be-operated-in-pedestrian-areas-up-to-10-miles-per-hour-and-is-not-considered-a-motor-vehicle-amends-tca-title-55-chapter-1-title-55-chapter-10-title-55-chapter-12-and-title-55-chapter-8/1888807/"> approved </a> the operation of droids in 2020, the enacted ban in Knoxville will now restrict companies from deploying droids within the city. However, Knoxville is not the only city that has considered restricting delivery droids. Early adopters <a href="https:<br>
//www.bbc.com/news/technology-42265048"> San Francisco (California) </a> and <a href="https:<br>
//globalnews.ca/news/9324385/food-delivery-robots-canada-challenges/"> Toronto (Canada) </a> also later imposed restrictions or bans on robots due to concerns over pedestrian safety.&nbsp;</p>

Delivery droids banned in Knoxville, Tennessee

A decentralized version of the web powered by the blockchain

Web3 Ecosystem

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

<div>

<p>The layer-1 blockchain, Sui, developed by Mysten Labs and the Sui Foundation, has entered into a partnership with Google Cloud to advance dApp development. The collaboration will enable Google Cloud to incorporate Sui blockchain data into its BigQuery public datasets, delivering developers with analytical tools to boost the effectiveness of dApps. Sui will benefit from the use of Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform, aiding Web3 developers in debugging and enhancing code generation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Furthermore, Google has committed to backing the Sui developer community via its Web3 Startup Program, providing an array of resources such as Google Cloud credits, access to Discord channels with Web3 experts, grants from foundations, and chances to participate in worldwide events.</p>

</div>

Sui partners with Google Cloud to improve dApp development

A new wave of meat, fish, and poultry alternatives are driving this hyper-growth industry into the mainstream.

Plant-based Meat

<div>
 <p>THIS, a plant-based meat producer from the UK, has joined forces with Pieminister to develop a plant-based pie resembling a sausage roll, named the Banger &amp; Bean Handy Pie.</p>
 <p>This novel pie, filled with THIS Isn’t Pork sausages, beans, smoky tomato sauce, and encased in a flaky pastry, can be prepared in under 15 minutes. It is presented in environmentally-friendly packaging and can be purchased from Ocado. A rollout to Tesco stores is scheduled for mid-May.&nbsp;</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> This is the second product developed collaboratively by the two companies, following the launch of its plant-based <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22136"> chicken and bacon pie </a> in September 2023. Early this year, the company added to its foodservice partnerships by <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25152"> collaborating </a> with pub chain BrewDog to introduce what claims to be Europe's first skin-on vegan chicken wings and several other dishes for Veganuary.</p>

THIS partners with Pieminister to launch a new plant-based pie

Making meat sustainable over the long term.

Cell-cultured Meat

<div>
 <p>MyriaMeat, a German biotech firm, revealed their innovative lab-grown pork fillet, developed entirely from pig cells in just one year. The company states that their product surpasses competitors' since it does not require scaffolds or added plant proteins for support.</p>
 <p>The pork fillet is made using patented medical technology focused on pluripotent and parthenogenetic stem cells, which endorse natural muscle growth. This technology allows MyriaMeat to cultivate whole meat pieces without needing fillers or genetic modifications and can contract like genuine meat.</p>
 <p>Established in 2022 by researchers at the University of Göttingen, MyriaMeat employs this patented technology to produce 100% cell-cultured meats that are not mixed with plant-based ingredients. </p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> In <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/16095"> February 2023 </a> , 3D Bio Tissue, a subsidiary of BSF Enterprise, also unveiled a 100% cultivated pork steak filet made solely with pig cells without using any plant-based scaffolds, blends, or fillers. Innovations like this could lead to a reduction in production costs as it lowers the number of ingredients required.</p>

MyriaMeat announces development of cultivated pork fillet from pig cells

<div>
 <p>The Czech cultivated meat company, Mewery Meat, has developed a stable cell line to improve its proprietary pork-production method that utilizes pork and microalgae cells. This cell line is highly receptive to their co-cultivation technology.</p>
 <p>A stable cell line is a line of cells that can consistently grow while maintaining their specific attributes throughout numerous generations. This method eliminates the need for animal cell samples, thus making meat production more ethical and sustainable. In addition, it allows for greater control and characterization, ensuring reliable and consistent quality for large-scale commercial cultivation.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Mewery Meat’s co-cultivation technology uses pork cells and a microalgae-based proprietary serum-free media to cultivate meat. During 2023, the company showcased several new developments, including a <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/16146"> cultivated meat prototype </a> and a <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/19796"> cultivated burger </a> .</p>

Mewery Meat achieves breakthrough in large-scale pork cultivation

AI-based solutions for evolving digital threats

Next-gen Cybersecurity

<div>

 <p>Elisity, a cybersecurity firm providing cloud-based microsegmentation solutions, has obtained USD 37 million in a Series B funding round. The round was led by Insight Partners and included AllegisCyber Capital, Two Bear Capital, and Atlantic Bridge, bringing the company's total funding to over USD 72 million.</p>
 <p>The newly raised capital will be utilized to improve the AI capabilities of the company's platform. By fully harnessing device identity data from organizations, Elisity hopes to anticipate and forestall upcoming cyber threats.</p>

</div>

Elisity raises USD 37 million in Series B funding to add AI capabilities

<div>
 
 <p>Corelight, a startup focusing on network detection and response (NDR), has successfully raised a total of USD 150 million in a Series E funding round. Leading this round was Accel, with additional contributions from Cisco Investments and the CrowdStrike Falcon Fund.</p>
 <p>The company has plans for utilising the newly raised funds to enhance its focus on AI-infused security solutions and augment its offerings in cloud-native security. Corelight also seeks to broaden its data-sharing collaborations with leading cybersecurity platforms.</p>
 <p>In its recent report, Corelight revealed significant growth in the revenue generated by its NDR platform, with an annual recurring revenue that recorded over 40% YoY growth. Furthermore, the company noted a 300% YoY surge in its AI and SaaS-based NDR product lines.</p>
 
</div>

Corelight raises USD 150 million in Series E funding to improve platform capabilities and expand partnerships

Climate Risk Analytics

<div>
 
 <p>Parametric insurance provider Arbol has raised USD 60 million in a Series B funding round led by Giant Ventures and Opera Tech Ventures, with contributions from Mubadala Capital. This brings Arbol's funding total to USD 69 million.</p>
 <p>This funding will enhance Arbol's growth in agriculture and renewable energy sectors through products designed for new risks and regions. A portion of the funds will also support global expansion, augmenting investments in property and casualty insurance, as well as the home insurance business in the US and abroad.












</p>

</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> This funding round follows the launch of <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/28756"> Lilypad Insurance </a> , a newly established company catering to the insurance needs of homeowners and property owners located in coastal areas. Lily Insurance also announced the acquisition of Centauri Specialty Insurance Company and Centauri National Insurance Company, to expand Arbol’s market presence and address the growing coverage gap in coastal communities.</p>

Arbol raises USD 60 million in Series B funding to support continued expansion

Promising research and receding stigma are giving investors cannabis-boom flashbacks.

Psychedelic Medicine

<div>
 <p>A UK-based psychedelic company, Compass Pathways, and Journey Clinical, a psychotherapy platform, have formed a research collaboration. Their aim is to investigate the deployment and health provider training for COMP360 psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which is currently being reviewed by the FDA.</p>
 <p>The collaboration will involve sharing information about the delivery model of the COMP360 program. If the FDA approves COMP360 for TRD, the partners will further analyze patient experiences, reimbursement processes, innovative care pathways. They will also examine therapist training and treatment settings.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> As Compass Pathways nears FDA approval for its psilocybin program, it is actively partnering with others to support its product development initiatives. In January 2024, it partnered with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25618"> Hackensack Meridian Health </a> to support research efforts using psilocybin in mental health treatments. Also, during the same month, it partnered with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25237"> Greenbrook TMS </a> to explore delivery models for the COMP360 program.</p>

All Updates