Tackling eggflation + $170M for Quantum Machines

A weekly selection of news and investment opportunities from OurCrowd, the global venture investing platform

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Startup of the Week

RepAir Carbon: Affordable, scalable carbon capture for net-zero emissions

Achieving a net-zero future is impossible without carbon capture, yet existing technologies are costly, complex to install, difficult to scale, and energy intensive. Many rely on solvents that degrade over time and generate hazardous waste. RepAir Carbon has developed a breakthrough electrochemical carbon capture technology designed for gigaton-scale deployment. Unlike conventional systems, it operates without solvents, significantly reducing both operating and capital costs. RepAir recently signed an agreement with Shell US Gas and Power and Mitsubishi Corporation to advance a large-scale carbon removal project in Louisiana. The company is also collaborating with major industrial players to capture diluted point source emissions (1%-5% CO2), a market opportunity that could generate multimillion-dollar contracts.

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$170M Series C for Quantum Machines

Quantum Machines, OurCrowd’s leading provider of advanced quantum control systems, raised $170M in Series C funding. The company’s technology is now used by most of the world’s quantum computing companies to build and scale their systems. The highly oversubscribed round, led by PSG Equity with participation from Intel Capital, Red Dot Capital Partners and existing investors, is one of the largest to date in the quantum industry and brings the company’s total funding to $280M. “Significant adoption of quantum computers is around the corner. Quantum is one of the biggest, most important technological races of our generation. It's a no-lose game, and we are deeply honored to work with the leaders in this field, delivering the core infrastructure to make this possible,” says Dr. Itamar Sivan, Co-founder and CEO of Quantum Machines.

OurCrowd portfolio company hatches plan to beat eggflation

As the price of eggs in the US continues to soar, The EVERY Company has hatched a new plan, Zoya Hasan and Alexandra York report for Forbes. The OurCrowd portfolio company mimics egg proteins without using eggs. EVERY creates proteins like ovalbumin and ovomucoid by extracting yeast from black oak trees in California. Then, in the same way that brewers use yeast to convert sugar into the alcohol in beer and wine, it works with breweries like Anheuser-Busch InBev to ferment the yeast and create the proteins that are found in eggs. The EVERY EggWhite can be a binding solution for burger patties while the EVERY Protein boosts levels in energy drinks. “For a lot of companies, animal ingredients and specifically eggs are the most troublesome ingredient,” says Arturo Elizondo, Founder of EVERY. “We can now provide a solution that is able to circumvent the supply chain nightmare that is using animal proteins.”

ICON raises $56M Series C for 3D-printed homes

ICON, the OurCrowd portfolio company that builds homes using 3D printing, closed $56M in Series C funding co-led by Norwest Venture Partners and Tiger Global, bringing the total raised so far to more than $500M, Mary Ann Azevedo reports for TechCrunch. Existing backers CAZ Investments, LENX, Modern Ventures, Oakhouse Partners, and Overmatch Ventures also participated in the round. Following this first close, the company plans to raise additional funding of up to $75M. ICON launched during SXSW in 2018 with the first permitted 3D-printed home in the US, a 350-square-foot house that took about 48 hours to print at 25% speed. The company recently built the US army’s first 3D-printed barracks in Fort Bliss, Texas, as well as other housing developments in the state.?

OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved can’t wait for an Israel-Saudi peace deal

“The return of President Donald Trump to the White House has revived expectations that he will be able to complete the historic Middle East peace process he began with the Abraham Accords in 2020 with the ultimate prize: the establishment of diplomatic and economic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Israel," OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved writes in Semafor. “As the Founder and CEO of Israel’s most active venture investment platform, I’ve travelled back and forth to the kingdom for years. In 2022, I was honored to be one of the first two Israelis invited to speak on stage at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, often called Davos in the Desert. The economic and security incentives to strengthening Saudi-Israel ties are too great to ignore. When normalization comes, the direct flight time from Tel Aviv to Riyadh will be just over two hours. I can’t wait to board that plane.”

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Leidos adds SeeTrue tech to border security scanners

Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a key supplier of digital security technology to the US government and major commercial customers, is integrating AI technology created by OurCrowd portfolio company SeeTrue into its suite of security scanners for airports, seaports, borders, and critical infrastructure customers worldwide. SeeTrue’s currency and narcotics algorithms will soon be deployed into the market through Leidos’ ClearScan CT scanner. “SeeTrue is an industry leader in threat detection algorithms, and we are excited to join forces with them,” says Michael Van Gelder, SVP, Security Enterprise Solutions at Leidos.

TechSee Connectivity Guru set to fix Wi-Fi dead zones

TechSee, OurCrowd’s leader in AI-powered remote technical assistance, launched Connectivity Guru, a first-of-its-kind purpose-built agentic AI technology designed to transform the way Wi-Fi issues are diagnosed and resolved. Powered by TechSee's proprietary Sophie AI technology, Connectivity Guru helps enterprises streamline Wi-Fi troubleshooting, reduce operational costs, and improve customer satisfaction by automating issue detection and resolution with real-time AI-powered diagnostics and 3D heatmaps. The system empowers telecom providers, home security companies, and smart home device manufacturers to deliver seamless, reliable connectivity while giving consumers faster, frustration-free resolutions. “Reliable connectivity is a necessity, and Connectivity Guru goes beyond detecting problems – it actively resolves them. Agentic AI proactively diagnoses issues, determines the best fix, and guides users through each step to resolution,” says Eitan Cohen, CEO and Co-founder of TechSee.

HoneyBook expands integration to Zoom, Canva and more?

HoneyBook, OurCrowd’s fast-growing business management platform for entrepreneurs, unveiled a series of new strategic partnerships and integrations designed to simplify operations, increase efficiency, and enhance client experiences. Users can now seamlessly integrate with Canva, Zoom, Pic-Time, Flodesk, NEXT Insurance, and Showit – adding to HoneyBook’s existing connectivity with QuickBooks, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Outlook, Google, Zapier and other common platforms. “Entrepreneurs juggle countless tools to keep their operations running. With these integrations, HoneyBook becomes the central hub that simplifies their workflows, allowing them to focus on what they do best – serving their clients,” says Oz Alon, HoneyBook Co-founder and CEO.

Future Family offers money-back IVF insurance

Future Family, the OurCrowd portfolio company that helps future parents finance the cost of IVF treatments, unveiled a revolutionary insurance policy that is effectively a money-back guarantee, Mary Ann Azevedo reports for TechCrunch. The cost of two IVF cycles can reach $40,000, depending on location. Orange Shield, Future Family’s new product created with the support of Munich Re Ventures, offers an average cost of protection for $3,000 down and $999 per month for five months. If policyholders don’t have a baby after two cycles or lose the baby within two weeks of birth, they can file a claim to be reimbursed. “Our goal is simple: to help build more families by making IVF successful, easy to afford, and less stressful,” says Co-founder and CEO Claire Tomkins, herself a mother to three children born through IVF. “IVF insurance works like other types of insurance – similar to auto insurance, where you purchase coverage hoping you won’t need to file a claim.”

Peer-reviewed heart journal validates Eko Health AI diagnostics

A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association validates the AI technology developed by OurCrowd portfolio company Eko Health for the detection of pulmonary hypertension. The peer-reviewed study in the respected journal confirms the algorithm's ability to analyze heart sounds recorded with a digital stethoscope to identify elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressures, a key indicator of pulmonary hypertension. “This innovative approach demonstrates how combining digital stethoscopes with advanced AI can lead to a low-cost, non-invasive, point-of-care screening tool for the early detection of pulmonary hypertension,” says Dr. Gaurav Choudhary, Lead Principal Investigator, and Ruth and Paul Levinger Professor of Cardiology and Director of Cardiovascular Research at Brown University Health and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

US women’s soccer league kicks off with Overtime

The US National Women's Soccer League will provide OurCrowd portfolio company Overtime access to NWSL highlights including the full regular season, playoffs, championships, and Challenge Cup – giving its over 100M social media followers game highlights, behind-the-scenes access to players, and more. Overtime empowers the next generation of athletes and fans across digital platforms by building disruptive new sports leagues and developing and distributing original sports content. “Adding Overtime to our growing roster of media partners ensures that our league and incredible athletes will continue to show up and inspire across new platforms and spaces,” says Julie Haddon, NWSL Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer.

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About this Newsletter

Startup Beat?is a weekly selection of news and investment opportunities from?OurCrowd, the global venture investing platform.

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OurCrowd is a global venture and private market alternatives investing platform. To date we have more than $2.3 billion in commitments, 240,000 registered investors, 480 portfolio companies, 58 venture funds and 68 exits.

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