Funding to Accelerate Development of AI-Powered Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Intelligence Layer

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 21, 2024 — Trustero, a Silicon Valley innovator in AI-powered Security and Compliance, announced today the close of a $10.35 million Series A funding round led by Bright Pixel Capital (formerly Sonae IM), with participation from existing investors Engineering Capital, Zetta Ventures Partners, and Vertex Ventures US. Trustero is proving that AI can drive real revenue and operational breakthroughs in GRC, a space traditionally dominated by complex, high-cost, and manual processes.

“With Trustero, organizations no longer need to be weighed down by compliance. We offer human-quality, actionable GRC intelligence in seconds, without the high fees,” said Phillip Liu, CEO of Trustero. “The Trust Graph is our secret weapon, allowing us to ingest diverse data sources from GRC platforms, cloud providers, and more, delivering insights instantly.”

Trustero’s founder and CEO, Phillip Liu, is a visionary tech entrepreneur with a proven track record. Formerly, he founded SignalFx, a leader in cloud monitoring solutions, which was acquired by Splunk for over $1 billion. His early experience at Facebook and Opsware further distinguished him as a trusted name in Silicon Valley. Now, he turns his focus to Compliance and Security, seeing a new opportunity to revolutionize the field with AI, bringing agile, cost-effective solutions to an industry struggling with resource-intensive and manual workflows.

Since its founding in 2020, Trustero has grown significantly by helping organizations reduce compliance costs and the time commitments of their senior executives. Companies with complex compliance demands like Chassi, an AI-analytics platform, have experienced the most substantial time and cost savings. They added Trustero AI to their ISO 27001 compliance program in 2024. “For the rest of the company, the time savings was about 10-to-1. For me, it was closer to 100-to-1!” said Chassi CFO, Justin Dooley. “We also saved 75% on our internal audit costs because all the data was ready for the auditors.”

The new capital will be instrumental in driving Trustero’s development of more powerful and accurate AI for security and compliance, scaling operations, expanding market reach, and adding top-tier talent from AI engineering and GRC. Trustero has already made one executive hire since raising their Series A, bringing in George Totev as Chief Information Security Officer. He’s tasked with enhancing the company’s security capabilities and driving innovation in AI-driven GRC solutions.

George comes from Snowflake, where he led the Customer Trust team, managing 30+ certifications and customer security compliance. Previously, he built Atlassian’s Risk & Compliance function and held key roles at Visa, Goldman Sachs, Symantec, and The World Bank.

Trustero’s technology is backed by its patented Trust Graph, which delivers unprecedented speed, accuracy, and cost savings in GRC intelligence. The Trust Graph is the core engine that enables Trustero to answer complex security questions in seconds, perform gap analyses across frameworks like FedRAMP and ISO 27001, and provide powerful audits, evidence mapping, and remediation guidance. This innovation differentiates Trustero from traditional GRC programs that rely on high-cost external consultants or limited manual processes.

“Companies are overwhelmed by the growing compliance demands driven either by evolving regulations or increasing customer compliance requirements. With Trustero, compliance and security teams go beyond simple compliance automation, by having a human-like AI-advisor that interprets not only the controls but also the evidence, in a manner comparable to how a human would,” explains Daniela Coutinho, Manager at Bright Pixel Capital.

Fernando Martins, Director at Bright Pixel Capital, added, “We are excited to support such a strong team, led by an experienced and technical leader, as they enter their next growth phase.”

About Bright Pixel Capital

Bright Pixel Capital, formerly known as Sonae IM, is the technology investment arm of the multinational group Sonae. With special focus on cybersecurity, infrastructure software, retail technologies, business applications and emerging tech, it has a portfolio of more than 60 companies, from early to growth stages. Bright Pixel Capital Capital Capital acts as a partner that brings specialized know-how, global footprint, and a wealth of experience in helping companies from early stage to IPO.

About Trustero

Trustero’s AI automates governance, risk, and compliance functions such as compliance audits, security questionnaires, tailored remediation guidance, and third-party risk evaluations. Founded in 2020 by Phillip Liu, Trustero is the first to bring generative AI into the GRC space, enabling organizations to achieve and maintain compliance with unmatched speed, efficiency, and accuracy.

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Nov. 20, 2024 — Iontra Inc, a Colorado-based leader in next-generation battery charging technology, announced today that it has successfully completed its $45M Series C funding round with support from both current and new investors. The company has raised $120.3 Million to date.  Combined with the recent DOE award of the $2.15 million ARPA-E circular grant, this solidifies Iontra’s leadership position in battery charging technology.

Iontra’s funding round was led by repeat prominent energy sector investor Volta Energy Technologies, with additional support from others.

“The team and I are grateful for the continued strong support from our investors,” said Jeff Granato, CEO of Iontra. “This Series C financing supports the significant market potential of our technology and positions us for aggressive growth, starting with customers launching Iontra-enabled products in a matter of months and samples of our purpose-built MCU becoming available for customers in 2025.”

“Iontra is in a unique position as the only charge control technology based on electrodynamic principles, which enables us to deliver maximum performance from Lithium batteries while enhancing safety,” said Daniel Konopka, CSO of Iontra. “Thanks to our passionate and highly innovative team, we have a compelling roadmap of breakthroughs to further shape battery performance for product OEMs.”

This funding will advance Iontra’s leadership position as a fabless supplier of low-cost, small-footprint battery charger microcontrollers (MCUs). With embedded Iontra charge technology, Iontra’s MCU will maximize battery performance and efficiency across a wide range of consumer and industrial products, including power tools, smartphones, and wearables.

Iontra’s MCU also includes industry standard cyber security capabilities, and advanced high-speed peripherals, allowing OEMs to unlock options for further system integration, reducing electronic Bill-of-Material (e-BOM) costs and carbon footprint.

Through Iontra’s state-of-the-art design centers and semiconductor supply chain partners, Iontra is committed to delivering a robust and reliable solution for its customers with initial samples of its custom MCU expected by mid-2025 and release to production in 2026.

“Iontra’s technology is a game-changer for the battery industry,” said David Schroeder, CTO at Volta Energy Technologies. ” While significant advancements have been made in battery technology, the charging process itself has often been neglected, especially for current battery products. Iontra’s innovative approach offers a groundbreaking solution that policymakers and manufacturers should consider to further optimize their existing battery performance. We are excited to continue supporting their mission to dramatically improve battery performance and sustainability for a wide range of markets.”

This funding will also enable Iontra to support its customers’ upcoming product releases. Notable customers include Salom Europe Ltd, a global leader in power supply solutions and battery chargers, and Spectralink, a pioneer in enterprise communication solutions.

About Iontra:

Iontra’s unique advanced battery sensing and charging method is predictive and responsive, proactively protecting the battery while charging. Iontra minimizes the most concerning failure modes of batteries – plating and dendrite formation – which cause safety issues and limit battery performance.

Iontra charge technology is chemistry agnostic and proven to concurrently increase battery cycle life and charge speed up to and greater than 200 percent, support cold weather charging to -20°C, and create a safer charge overall, without changing the design and chemistry of existing battery cells.

Iontra’s breakthrough charge control technology is validated by approximately eight million cycling hours performed in-house, testing dozens of battery types and the stability of the system under various charge conditions for quality, reliability, and durability. Iontra’s technology has also been tested by four independent research labs, including National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Novonix, and University of Michigan.

About Volta Energy Technologies:

Volta Energy Technologies is a leading cleantech investment firm focused on accelerating the adoption of sustainable energy solutions. The firm invests in companies across the clean energy spectrum, with a focus on battery technologies, renewable energy generation, and energy efficiency solutions.

Kalder’s average customer boasts 50,000 linked accounts to drive an additional $450,000 in monthly revenue

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2024 — Today, Kalder announced $10.5M in funding, which includes its most recent $7M seed round led by Javelin Venture Partners with participation from 8VC, Human Capital, Gingerbread Capital, Emergence Capital, and Formus Capital as well as prominent angel investors. Previously, Kalder raised $3.5M in seed funding led by 500 Startups.

Kalder’s white-label partner rewards platform enables brands to launch partner cashback programs directly within their app or website, allowing customers to earn rewards automatically when shopping at partner stores. In this way, brands can reward their loyalty program members on every purchase at participating stores and automatically receive commissions on each sale in their partner network—generating new revenue while boosting customer engagement and spending within the brand.

For customers, the process is simple: They join a brand’s loyalty program, link any preferred credit or debit card, and receive instant cashback incentives for purchases at partner retailers —no extra steps needed as customers spend with their linked card. Brands benefit from automated tracking and insights, with payouts made directly from each transaction. Kalder’s platform manages everything for both the customer and the brand – from sign-ups to purchase tracking and payments, powered by integrations with payment networks. The Kalder system gives brands unique insights into customer spending, creates new acquisition channels with partners, and enhances their engagement and loyalty-building efforts.

“For the first time, brands with loyal followings can earn revenue from their existing customer loyalty programs, much like the gold standard of loyalty programs in the travel and finance categories,” said Gokce Guven, Kalder CEO and Founder. “Until now, most brands haven’t had access to tools that allow them to turn loyalty into profit. With Kalder, any brand can turn loyalty programs into direct revenue streams. With acquisition costs soaring, brands are looking for new ways to deepen customer relationships and retain quality customers, and we’re excited to help them build this into their everyday strategy.”

“Kalder is finally delivering on the long-held promise of loyalty monetization without the cost and complexity of traditional rewards programs,” said Noah Doyle, Managing Director of lead investor Javelin Venture Partners. “As someone who has spent years transforming loyalty into revenue for major brands, I know the challenges involved. Kalder has streamlined this process into a turnkey model that gives brands of all sizes an unprecedented opportunity to profit from customer loyalty and align it seamlessly with their marketing goals.”

Brands that rely on Kalder today include iconic names like Godiva, LVMH-backed retailer MILE, Heat.io, the Swiss-Brazilian sports club BSC Young Boys. Based on Kalder’s model, the average brand sees 50,000 cashback users, which drive $450K in rewards sales revenue monthly.

Additional investors include Harry Maguire of Manchester United, Shuo Wang, Co-founder of Deel, Julius Genachowski, Board Chairman of Sonos, former FCC Chairman and board director of Mattel and Mastercard.

Michael Sutherland, former CTO of Real Madrid, added, “Kalder stands out for its innovative approach, offering a digital loyalty ecosystem that seamlessly aligns fan experiences with club goals. Their cashback product is particularly disruptive, fostering a sense of community by connecting fans with local and international businesses. It not only creates real value for fans but also generates scalable, net-new revenue for clubs—all with minimal integration and no upfront costs.”

“Gokce and the Kalder team bring a fresh approach to rewards that truly benefits both brands and their customers,” said Julius Genachowski, Board Chairman of Sonos, former FCC Chairman and board director of Mattel and Mastercard. “I’m impressed to watch as their team is already delivering astounding results that deliver true value to everyone involved.”

About Kalder

Kalder is a fintech company redefining customer loyalty by helping brands earn revenue from rewards programs that give customers direct brand rewards back at partner retailers. With an easy-to-integrate API, Kalder enables brands to launch profitable loyalty programs, deepening customer relationships and gaining valuable insights—all without complex setups.

Founded in 2022, Kalder is based in New York City and backed by Javelin Venture Partners, Emergence Capital, 8VC, Human Capital, Alumni Ventures, and Formus Capital.

Learn more at Kalder.co