Technology

Pontera Raises $60 Million to Help US Workers Retire Better

Published

2 years ago

December 7, 2023

ICONIQ Growth backs fintech’s efforts to expand access to comprehensive wealth management services for 401(k) participants

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Pontera, the fintech company enabling 401(k) participants to receive comprehensive wealth management services by personal financial advisors, has secured $60 million in a funding round led by ICONIQ Growth. This investment raises Pontera’s total funding to $160 million, reinforcing its commitment to address the widespread neglect of workplace retirement accounts held by 85 million Americans—a critical element of the U.S. retirement crisis.

Pontera welcomed ICONIQ Growth as a new investor in an up round with additional participation from prior investors.

After more than quadrupling revenue since its last fundraise announced in February 2022, Pontera welcomed ICONIQ Growth as a new investor in an up round with additional participation from prior investors Blumberg Capital, Collaborative Fund, Hanaco Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and The Founders Kitchen.

“We are proud to support the Pontera team as they empower advisors to help their clients feel more financially secure and retire with greater wealth,” said Yoonkee Sull, General Partner at ICONIQ Growth. “Pontera is addressing a growing market need with a solution that benefits the entire retirement ecosystem through a proven approach for financial advisors to compliantly and more effectively manage workplace retirement assets.”

Thousands of financial advisors are now leveraging Pontera’s platform to overcome operational hurdles to securely and compliantly manage 401(k), 403(b) and other retirement plan assets as a critical part of their clients’ wealth.

Jeremy Abfalter, an Arizona resident, describes his challenges before his financial advisor at Ironwood Wealth Management invited him to the Pontera platform: “I would sign up for a 401(k) through my company… I just didn’t feel as comfortable trying to pick [plan] options by myself without having any knowledge or experience in doing it.”

Now receiving professional help by his advisor, facilitated via Pontera, he reports: “Having the peace of mind knowing that there are experts at Ironwood who are managing our 401(k) makes it a lot easier for me and stress free.”

Studies have consistently shown that the majority of 401(k) plan participants desire more comprehensive assistance with retirement planning, and that a professionally-managed portfolio can generate up to 4% additional annual net returns. However, as over one third of workers seek professional help, financial advisors have historically struggled to manage the entirety of clients’ retirement assets.

The operational challenges begin with the workplace retirement account’s location; as plans are selected by employers, it is often the case that a financial advisor has no affiliation with the financial institution holding their client’s 401(k). To manage these outside assets, financial advisors have for years logged into accounts using their client’s credentials—a practice that requires substantial investments in cybersecurity and compliance. Alternatively, advisors have provided rebalancing guidance to clients, assuming the risks of lacking full plan information and implementation oversight.

Pontera alleviates these challenges through its client-permissioned platform, which empowers advisors to analyze, rebalance and monitor 401(k), 403(b) and other held-away accounts across hundreds of financial institutions in a single, unified view. The platform is SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified and integrates with leading portfolio management software to provide clients with a 360° view of their finances. Clients benefit from enhanced transparency, peace of mind and retirement outcomes.

“It’s one of those rare moments in time where if you implement a new capability everyone wins, from the client to the advisor,” said Shirl Penney, President and CEO of Dynasty Financial Partners, a leading provider of wealth management and technology platforms to over 300 financial advisors. Penney recently announced that Dynasty is on track to oversee $100 billion in client assets by July 2024.

As the future of social security is uncertain, the U.S. government is working to expand and preserve the 401(k), as indicated by the SECURE 2.0 Act and the proposed Retirement Security Rule. The latter targets $779 billion lost by plan participants during inadequate account rollovers. Earlier this year, Pontera evidenced its solution helps advisors and their clients keep assets in 401(k) plans and minimize suboptimal rollovers.

“This funding is not just an investment in Pontera; it’s an investment in the future of every U.S. worker striving for a secure and fulfilling retirement,” said Yoav Zurel, CEO of Pontera. “We are proud to partner with investors who recognize the nation’s looming retirement crisis and Pontera’s role in helping everyday families.”

Pontera’s collaboration with Dynasty represents a significant achievement in the company’s journey since the last funding round; other notable new relationships include Benjamin Edwards, OneDigital, Savant and Wealthspire. In that time, Pontera has also launched new platform integrations with wealth management platforms Addepar, Envestnet and Morningstar.

To learn more about Pontera, visit pontera.com.

About Pontera

Pontera is a fintech company on a mission to help millions of Americans retire better by enabling financial advisors to analyze, rebalance, and report on workplace retirement account assets, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s and more. The platform is designed to work across the vast majority of retirement plans and seamlessly integrate with existing portfolio management tools to help advisors improve their clients’ financial outcomes. Founded in 2012, Pontera is headquartered in New York City. Learn more at pontera.com.

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SOURCE Pontera

Technology

Manufacturing Category at 139th Canton Fair Presents Smarter, Lighter and More Connected Solutions

Published

23 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

GUANGZHOU, China, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the 139th Canton Fair, Manufacturing category presented a clear view of how industrial equipment is evolving to address efficiency, labor shortages, and sustainability goals. Across power equipment, machinery, automation systems, and industrial robots, exhibitors pointed to a common direction: smarter operation, stronger engineering performance, and deeper integration with digital manufacturing systems.

Industrial equipment is advancing towards intelligence with products emphasizing built-in sensing and automatic adjustment to enhance reliability and efficiency. Silent inverter generators, for example, can detect operating conditions and ambient temperature to regulate cooling for better fuel use and stability. Pumps and cleaning equipment with variable-frequency drives and integrated protection systems follow the same approach, prioritizing smooth operation, longer service life, and consistent output.

Lightweight, high-performance design has also become a priority across categories. Advances in materials and structural engineering are enabling major weight reductions without compromising power or durability. Aluminum-extrusion housings in three-phase asynchronous motors cut weight by up to 40% while improving heat dissipation and installation efficiency. Lightweight permanent-magnet submersible pumps delivered stronger flow stability despite smaller size and reduced weight.

AI-based visual inspection and quality control are also becoming essential. AI-powered optical inspection stations demonstrated full-process, high-speed inspection without relying on manual sampling. By turning experience-based judgment into standardized, repeatable rules, these systems help manufacturers improve scalability and consistency.

Industrial robots are taking on more active roles as well. Security patrol robot dogs and inspection robots are moving beyond monitoring to direct intervention, such as carrying fire-suppression modules for emergency response. This shift marks a broader move from passive observation to active execution in high-risk or labor-intensive environments.

Finally, more industrial devices are being designed as system nodes rather than standalone machines. Intelligent industrial gateways that combine data collection, protocol conversion, edge computing, and secure transmission show how equipment value increasingly depends on its ability to connect with enterprise-level digital systems.

The 139th Canton Fair vividly showcased the accelerated shift of industrial equipment toward intelligent and system-level development.

For pre-registration, please click: https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

Technology

Zhejiang unicorn ranks grow to 58 as Hangzhou tightens lead, top ranking shows

Published

23 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

Province adds three unicorns, expands high-growth pipeline
Hangzhou accounts for 83% as new entrants and startups scale up

HANGZHOU, China, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zhejiang’s roster of unicorn companies has expanded to 58 as of April 2026, highlighting the province’s growing role as a hub for emerging technologies and industrial upgrading.

The latest rankings, released at the 10th All Blossom Conference in Hangzhou on April 23, show companies spread across seven cities, including Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Jinhua, Shaoxing, Taizhou and Wenzhou.

While Hangzhou, Ningbo and Jiaxing remain the top three hubs, the broader distribution points to a more geographically balanced innovation landscape. The province’s unicorn count rose by three from a year earlier.

Hangzhou continues to dominate the landscape, home to 48 of Zhejiang’s unicorns, up from 44 last year—when it already accounted for roughly four out of every five such startups.

The annual rankings also include tiered lists of “future unicorns,” valued between $100 million and $1 billion, and early-stage “seed unicorns” worth $10 million to $100 million.

Together, they map a full pipeline of high-growth companies across sectors such as artificial intelligence, embodied intelligence, life sciences, new energy, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and aerospace, and have become a key barometer of Zhejiang’s startup ecosystem.

Among the top 100 future unicorns, integrated circuits lead with 22 companies, followed by artificial intelligence and life sciences with 19 each. Advanced manufacturing accounts for 16 firms, new energy and materials 15, and next-generation information technology nine.

In the seed unicorn category, new energy and life sciences each count 22 companies, ahead of advanced manufacturing with 19, while AI, next-generation IT and semiconductors each have 11 firms, and aerospace-related companies total four.

Against that provincial backdrop, Hangzhou remains the clear center of gravity—continuing to generate both the largest share of unicorns and the deepest pipeline of emerging startups.

The city added eight companies to its unicorn ranks on April 23, bringing the total to 48, according to the same conference ranking.

The new entrants—Hailiang Technology Services, Geener Microelectronics, Spirit AI, Geespace, Sunrise, Seepin, DEEP Robotics and Simplexity Robotics—span sectors from semiconductors and robotics to commercial aerospace.

As of April, Hangzhou accounted for 83% of Zhejiang’s unicorns, up from 80% a year earlier, underscoring its outsized role in the province’s innovation economy.

The conference also released a list of 413 quasi-unicorns—companies typically valued between $100 million and $1 billion—including 50 new additions.

Several firms, such as Diagens Biotechnology, Manycore Tech, Mirxes, Promisemed, Saint Bella, Tide Pharmaceutical, Tongshifu and ISV, exited the list after scaling into unicorn status or completing initial public offerings.

Quasi-unicorns are concentrated in sectors aligned with Hangzhou’s broader “296X” industrial strategy. Life sciences lead with 118 firms, followed by next-generation information technology with 78 and AI and embodied intelligence with 50—together accounting for about 60% of the total.

The “296X” is an industrial cluster blueprint the city introduced in October 2025 in an effort to speed up the integration of technological and industrial innovation.

More than half of both unicorns and quasi-unicorns—255 companies—are classified as nationally recognized “specialized and refined” enterprises, including 20 unicorns and 235 quasi-unicorns, reflecting a structured pipeline of high-growth firms.

Since 2018, Hangzhou’s unicorn count has risen from 26 to 48, while quasi-unicorns have expanded from 105 to 413, underscoring sustained growth in its innovation-driven economy.

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SOURCE All Blossom Conference

Technology

KUN Unveils AI Intelligent Strategy at Money20/20 Asia: Reconstructing Global Commercial Efficiency with “1-1-4-6” Layout

Published

23 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

BANGKOK, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the prestigious Money20/20 Asia held at QSNCC, KUN showcased its upgraded brand identity and launched the “1-1-4-6” Intelligent Strategic Blueprint. This milestone marks KUN’s comprehensive transition toward a globalized, full-stack, and intelligent ecosystem.

Dr. Louis Liu, Founder & Group CEO of KUN, stated at the launch: “While the convergence of Web2 and Web3 defines the current era, we believe the embedded ecosystem synergy of AI and Web3 is the inevitable future of commerce. Our evolution is an intelligent reconstruction of commercial efficiency. By leveraging decades of vertical payment expertise, we provide enterprise clients with full-stack, end-to-end payment and financial solutions. Through digital orchestration and operations, we deliver secure, compliant, and high-velocity transaction safeguards to empower global business growth.”

Money20/20 Roundtable: Compliance as the “Scaling Layer” for Institutional Adoption

At the “Bridging TradFi and DeFi” roundtable, Dr. Liu shared three key insights on the future of cross-border finance:

Asia as the Hub for Real-World Stablecoin Settlement: Asia has emerged as a critical hub for cross-border trade flows and stablecoin settlement, connecting high-growth emerging markets. Currently, 60% of the world’s on-chain stablecoin trade volume is centered in Asia, making it a primary corridor for capital flows between Asia, LATAM, Africa, and the Middle East.

Compliance as the “Scaling Layer”: The bottleneck for scaling digital payments is not technology or licensing, but the ability to embed jurisdictional compliance frameworks into business logic. Integrating AML and risk controls directly into the payment flow is the prerequisite for the explosion of global institutional applications.

Accelerating AI and Web3 Ecosystem Convergence: As AI agents increasingly enter commercial decision-making, payments are shifting from human-controlled to autonomous. Blockchain and stablecoins will serve as the default infrastructure for Agent-to-Agent (A2A) transactions.

Exhibition Interaction: From Platform Governance to Vertical Efficiency

At the main exhibition area, KUN demonstrated its dual-brand synergy through a new visual identity:

KUN: Positioned as the Trusted Vertical Digital Payments Platform for Real Economy, providing one-stop digital payments and scenario-based on-chain financial solutions.

YeeZ: A KUN Group brand specializing in 2B2C Global Corporate Card Issuance for global enterprises.

The “1-1-4-6” Strategic Blueprint: Driving Global Growth

KUN decoded its “1-1-4-6” strategy—an AI-powered blueprint designed for seamless asset mobility. The ecosystem integrates KUN Space™ (the digital payments & financial services platform) with KUN Nexus™ (the AI-orchestrated liquidity network). Driven by four core engines—KUN | Pay, KUN | Cards, KUN | Money, and KUN | Agent—the strategy empowers liquidity for six vertical sectors: Bulk Commodity, General Trade, B2B Cross-border E-Commerce, Service Trade, Web3 Ecosystems, and AI Applications.

Future Vision: The Era of “Driverless” Intelligent Payments

The launch highlighted KUN | Agent as the pioneer of the “driverless” era of intelligent global payments.

KUNClaw.AI: Orchestrates autonomous financial workflows to drive intelligent cost reduction and efficiency.

AI Agent Wallet: Features programmable KYC and authorization fences to ensure secure, compliant execution where “decision is payment”.

Seamless Network, Borderless Payments.

KUN remains dedicated to serving as the engine for the real economy, providing secure, compliant, and efficient one-stop cross-border payment solutions in an uncertain global environment.

About KUN

KUN is an innovative financial infrastructure company centered on digital payments and embedded finance. Built on a globally distributed licensing framework and a robust compliance and risk-management system, KUN connects Asia with high-growth emerging markets across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Positioned as a trusted vertical digital payments platform for real economies, the company operates across four core pillars—Cross-Border Digital Payments, On-Chain Finance, Card Issuing, and AI Agentic Payments. By integrating artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies, KUN delivers secure, compliant, and efficient one-stop payment and transaction services for enterprise clients across industries including commodity trade, B2B cross-border e-commerce, service trade, Web3 ecosystems, and AI applications.

Through this integrated infrastructure, KUN serves as a growth engine enabling enterprises to expand globally with speed, trust, and financial connectivity.

Learn more about KUN → www.kun.global

Contact: KUN: brandmkt@kun.global

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SOURCE KUN