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Oxford Medical Simulation Raises $12.6 Million in Series A Funding to Address Critical Healthcare Training Gap with Virtual Reality

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BOSTON, Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS), a pioneer in virtual reality healthcare training, is excited to announce the successful completion of a $12.6 million USD Series A funding round. The investment, led by Frog Capital with follow-on capital from ACF Investors, existing shareholders and strategic partners, marks a significant milestone in OMS’s mission to revolutionize healthcare education, training, and assessment.

 

 

OMS is dedicated to training the next generation of nurses, doctors, and allied healthcare professionals. With 91% of graduating nurses feeling unprepared for clinical practice, OMS stands at the forefront of addressing this critical gap, offering immersive training experiences that enable healthcare professionals to practice any place, any time, without risk. This ensures that the first time they encounter a medical emergency, have a difficult conversation or perform a procedure, they have already experienced it in OMS – streamlining workforce training, enhancing preparedness for practice and improving patient safety.

In addition, adoption of OMS leads to a 74% reduction in staffing and equipment costs vs traditional training methods, helping relieve the burden on educational institutions and health systems when they need it most.

OMS has developed a category-defining training platform, 240+ simulations and a deep performance data and analytics system. Following the successful launch of OMS Create, their client-facing VR authoring platform, OMS is perfectly positioned to scale.

The Series A funding will enable this expansion, allowing OMS to scale its offering across learner groups, expand the use of AI across its solutions, and further support clients in building their own content. The investment will also supercharge R&D efforts, ensuring that OMS remains at the forefront of innovation in healthcare training.

Founded in 2017, OMS works with the world’s best institutions to support the healthcare workforce at every stage – from their first lesson in nursing school through clinical training and continuing professional development. Currently delivering over 35,000 simulations per month, OMS has proven to be as effective as the leading physical training methods, saving 74% on costs compared to traditional training.

“Recruitment, training and retention of healthcare professionals at scale is key to address the workforce crisis within healthcare,” commented Konstantin Koenig, Principal at Frog Capital. “We have been impressed with the team at OMS and how they are addressing this issue using cutting-edge software. Their immersive healthcare training solution drives a step change in quality, productivity and cost efficiency for healthcare systems and patients worldwide. As a purpose-driven investor, we’re excited to support them with our scale-up experience on this journey.”

“This investment marks a milestone for OMS,” said Michael Wallace, co-founder and CEO of OMS. “It allows us to rapidly scale the team whilst staying true to our vision and values. Frog’s experience in helping scale impact-focused software companies, combined with the significant expertise of our healthcare advisory board, will facilitate this expansion at a critical time for OMS and the healthcare workforce. But these innovations are not just about technology; they’re about people – training healthcare professionals more effectively to improve patient care, and this funding isn’t just an investment in Oxford Medical Simulation; it’s an investment in every healthcare professional we train. Our journey so far has been incredible, and it’s only just beginning.”

Additional Information

For more information or media inquiries, please contact marketing@oxfordmedicalsimulation.com or visit www.oxfordmedicalsimulation.com/press/.

About Oxford Medical Simulation

Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS) drives clinical competency by combining healthcare education, training and assessment through dynamic virtual reality simulations.

Using its award-winning learning platform, OMS bridges theory and practice with immersive simulation scenarios. Offering in-depth insights into clinical performance, OMS allows world-leading healthcare systems and academic institutions to scale their education, training and assessment.

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Tuya Smart Unveils Doova at IFA 2026, an AI Home Companion Robot Designed to Support Independently Living Seniors

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BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391), a global AI cloud platform service provider, today unveiled Doova, its new AI home companion robot, at IFA 2026. Designed for seniors living alone, Doova moves beyond the traditional roles of security devices and household robots, combining proactive safety protection, emotionally intelligent companionship, and seamless smart home coordination to support a safer, more connected, and more comfortable daily life.

For many seniors living independently, the greatest concern is not simply an accident itself, but the time that passes before anyone realizes something is wrong.

Doova is equipped with LDS LiDAR, a four-microphone sound source localization system, and AI vision-based skeletal recognition algorithms. If a user falls or encounters another emergency, they can call out, “Hey Tuya, help,” and Doova will quickly locate the user, move to their side, and assess the situation in real time.

If no response is detected within 60 seconds, Doova automatically initiates an emergency response workflow, sending a two-way live video call alert to family members so assistance can be arranged without delay.

An AI Companion for Everyday Life

Doova combines emotional companionship, daily assistance, and wellness support in a single AI-powered home companion designed specifically for older adults. Its conversational ability is powered by a multimodal large language model, allowing it to hold natural, free-flowing conversations rather than respond only to fixed commands.

During quiet moments at home, Doova can hold conversations, offer company, and play entertainment content to ease feelings of loneliness. In day-to-day life, it can help interpret complex bills and letters, identify potential scam risks, and guide users through operating smart appliances. For health and routine management, Doova can provide reminders for medication, weather updates, and schedules, while also engaging users with light interactive games.

Over time, Doova learns user preferences and becomes more personally helpful in everyday areas such as meal suggestions, gardening advice, and outfit recommendations. In the future, Tuya also plans to introduce value-added services including autonomous item-finding throughout the home, helping reduce anxiety around misplaced belongings.

Smarter In-Home Monitoring for Greater Peace of Mind

When users are away from home, Doova helps make home monitoring simpler and less intrusive.

Unlike conventional patrol-style security devices that follow walls in fixed routes and can feel like overt surveillance, Doova uses a node-oriented coverage strategy designed around the center of each room. It can move from space to space on a dual-wheel drive with caster wheels, perform a 360-degree scan at each location, and automatically generate a safety report that is delivered to the user’s mobile phone, making it easier to stay informed about conditions throughout the home from anywhere. Doova also supports autonomous docking and recharging, so monitoring continues without day-to-day intervention.

A Gentle Smart Home Hub Built for Daily Living

Powered by Tuya’s mature AIoT ecosystem, Doova also serves as a central smart home control hub. With simple voice commands, users can coordinate connected devices across the home, including lighting, curtains, kitchen appliances, and bathroom devices, without complicated setup or operations, lowering the barrier to smart living for seniors.

Doova is also designed to feel like a natural part of the household rather than a piece of equipment. Its soft, curved form moves away from the cold, mechanical look often associated with robots, allowing it to blend more naturally into living spaces. The device height is optimized for interaction whether a user is standing, seated, or reclining, while a 10.1-inch high-definition display and dynamic facial expressions make conversations feel warmer and more engaging.

Doova has drawn strong interest from attendees at IFA 2026, reflecting growing demand for AI solutions that support independent living. With Doova, Tuya continues to extend its AI+IoT ecosystem into new areas of daily life, bringing safety, companionship, and connected living together for seniors who choose to age independently.

About Tuya Smart

Tuya Inc. (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391) is a leading global AI cloud platform service provider dedicated to bringing AI into everyday life. Through its TuyaOpen open-source development framework and universal AI Agent engines, including the AI Agent development platform, Tuya integrates multimodal AI capabilities to lower barriers for AI development, efficiently advancing the realization of AI-driven lifestyles and accelerating AI integration with the physical world. Tuya offers innovative physical AI solutions for smart devices, commercial applications, and industry developers through its cloud computing and spatial intelligence capabilities. It also provides a complete, open, and neutral global AIoT ecosystem.

As of June 30, 2026, the Tuya AI Developer Platform had over 2,092,000 registered AI developers from more than 200 countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tuya-smart-unveils-doova-at-ifa-2026-an-ai-home-companion-robot-designed-to-support-independently-living-seniors-302870623.html

SOURCE Tuya Smart

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NonPublic delivers over 10x return on SpaceX investments for early investors

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Private markets technology investment platform NonPublic delivered over a 10x return to early investors, after they saw SpaceX’s valuation soar to a peak of 2.6 trillion following the biggest IPO in history.

SYDNEY, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Private markets technology investment platform NonPublic has delivered over a 10x return to early investors, after they saw SpaceX’s valuation soar to a peak of 2.6 trillion following the biggest IPO in history.

“What this outcome illustrates is that the most significant growth in today’s leading technology companies increasingly belongs to private market investors. Most of the money is made before the bell rings, and as companies stay private for longer, that window only widens.”

The NonPublic Group ran 14 vehicles across SpaceX, and xAI which merged into SpaceX, growing US $4.4 million of investor capital into around US$16 million at the IPO price and US$24 million at the June peak, before fees.

SpaceX stock surged 67 percent above its IPO valuation within days of listing, and total market cap still currently sits at over US $2 trillion, but the vast majority of investor returns were realised well before the public markets were granted access.

Direct access to US private placements like these has historically required Australian investors to hold US SEC accreditation or qualified purchaser status, leverage a US-licensed broker, and commit a minimum of US$1 to 5 million per deal.

These requirements are operationally and legally impractical for most eligible Australian investors to meet directly, however NonPublic gave eligible wholesale Australian investors access to the deal by pooling funds through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

This access was critical given SpaceX remained private for 24 years accruing value before listing, as the average time from founding to IPO for major US technology companies has grown from around four years in the early 2000s to 12 years today.

SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 on 7 July. NonPublic believes its investors already captured the bulk of the company’s value creation before public markets opened.

Milan Reinartz, founder and CEO at NonPublic, said: “When we first accessed SpaceX in 2021 at a US$108 billion valuation, many people thought the ceiling was closed. They missed what Starlink represented as a commercial engine, and the long-term mission that gives SpaceX a purpose no competitor can replicate.

“What this outcome illustrates is that the most significant growth in today’s leading technology companies increasingly belongs to private market investors. Most of the money is made before the bell rings, and as companies stay private for longer, that window only widens.

“For eligible Australian wholesale investors, that opportunity has historically been out of reach. Our goal is to provide access to these companies at transparent fee structures through familiar Australian structures, while being clear that disciplined diversification across a portfolio is how investors manage the genuine risks of this asset class.”

Please contact Priyanka Dogra for any interview requests: 0410 593 587

NonPublic (www.nonpublic.com) is an Australian-licensed investment platform providing sophisticated/accredited and professional investors with curated access to exclusive pre-IPO and private market opportunities, with a focus on leading US technology companies. Through a transparent, technology-enabled platform, NonPublic connects investors with high-growth private companies, secondary transactions, and alternative investment opportunities that have traditionally been difficult to access.

NonPublic Pty Ltd holds Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) 482668.

Media Contact

Priyanka Dogra, NonPublic, 61 0410593587, priyanka@thirdhemisphere.agency, https://nonpublic.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/nonpublic-delivers-over-10x-return-on-spacex-investments-for-early-investors-302868905.html

SOURCE NonPublic

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CHiQ Wins AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award, Exploring New Smart Living Experiences Through AI Innovation

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BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CHiQ, a global smart home brand, received the AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award at IFA 2026 in recognition of its continued innovation in AI technology and smart home ecosystems. The award further highlights CHiQ’s pioneering work in AI-powered smart homes and its ongoing efforts to enhance the user experience through technological breakthrough.

Presented jointly by IDG and IFA, the award is one of the technology innovation honors closely watched by the global consumer electronics and home appliance industry during IFA. It recognizes notable advances in cutting-edge AI technology across the sector, with a focus on practical innovations and applications that contribute to industry development.

“Receiving the AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award is a recognition of CHiQ’s continued exploration of AI-powered smart homes,” said Vinson Fan, Deputy General Manager of Changhong International Brand Business Center. “The value of AI should be reflected not only in the smart features of individual products, but also in understanding users’ needs and enabling different devices and scenarios to work together naturally. CHiQ will continue to deepen the integration of AI into everyday home life, making smart home technology more responsive to users and delivering more convenient, intuitive and personalized experiences to consumers worldwide.”

At this year’s IFA, CHiQ unveiled a range of flagship AI-powered smart home products across key categories, including TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. The RGB MiniLED AI TV features an AI Sports Platform that expands opportunities for exercising at home, while the AI refrigerator uses AI-powered precision control technology to improve food preservation. The washing machines and air conditioners employ intelligent sensing to further optimize garment care and indoor climate control.

Beyond its products, CHiQ continues to explore the intersection of technology, culture and lifestyle. The brand has incorporated panda-inspired elements into its AI interactions to engage users in a more approachable way. Through sports partnerships such as the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, CHiQ is also connecting its brand with sports and lifestyles familiar to European consumers, further strengthening its localized brand presence.

In recent years, CHiQ has continued to advance the development and application of AI technology, extending its AI capabilities from individual products to a broader range of home appliances and everyday scenarios while steadily strengthening its technological and product innovation capabilities. Building on this award, CHiQ will further expand the role of AI in everyday home life. Through a more open ecosystem and continued technological development, the brand aims to strengthen its global presence and bring more personalized smart living experiences to consumers worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/chiq-wins-ai-home-ecosystem-brand-award-exploring-new-smart-living-experiences-through-ai-innovation-302870186.html

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