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LEADING MEDIA AND TECH INVESTORS BET ON “TOLLBIT” – THE FIRST PLATFORM TO TACKLE THE NEW ECONOMICS OF CONTENT IN THE AI ERA

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Tech Founders Raise nearly $7M in Funding to Create a New Infrastructure that Allows AI Bots and Data Scrapers to Efficiently Pay for Website Content

TollBit will Benefit Publishing Industry, Tech Companies, and Consumers by Boosting Content Revenue, Protecting Quality Information, and Reducing Legal Uncertainty

NEW YORK, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — TollBit founders Olivia Joslin and Toshit Panigrahi today announced the company has raised $7M for their new platform aimed at addressing the shifting economics of web content in the age of AI. TollBit allows AI bots and data scrapers to pay websites directly to license their content. The technology allows websites to monetize data and content, monitor bot traffic to sites, and easily onboard AI and LLM partners. By providing a tech infrastructure,TollBit helps to establish clear guardrails to reduce the legal uncertainty of scraping. The system relies on tokens that are issued and validated by the platform to ensure every scrape is authorized and logged.

“We are seeing a fundamental shift in the economics of the Internet: as more consumers turn to AI to meet their needs, less eyeballs will reach websites. This trend inadvertently undercuts the financial health of the publishers and websites that reliable AI needs to thrive. AI agents and LLMs are only as good as the information they can access so this poses a massive threat to the entire ecosystem. TollBit is building the infrastructure to help power the Internet in this new era by ensuring publishers and content creators can be fairly paid for their work,” said Joslin and Panigrahi.

TollBit has raised initial funding from top investors with ties across digital media, tech, and AI. The round was led by Sunflower Capital and includes participation from AIX, Lerer Hippeau, Operator Collective, and Liquid 2 Ventures. Among other things, the funding will be used for the continued expansion of TollBit’s tech team.

Researchers have already raised concerns that AI companies may be running out of high quality content and data and many publishers see language models and web-enabled AI tools as an existential threat to website traffic.

“Modern AI agents rely on a steady stream of fresh and high-quality content and data to provide users with trustworthy and timely answers. We believe TollBit will be a key part of the future AI stack, providing a mechanism to incentivize and compensate publishers for the content and data they produce,” said Anthony Goldbloom, Partner at AIX.

“This disruption is coming for every industry. Any company that relies on traffic to a website or app will need to rethink their approach. User-generated and aggregated content sites will soon be impacted as AI products begin to be able to take actions on end-users’ behalf,” added Liu Jiang, Founder of Sunflower Capital.

“Our fund and leadership have spent decades managing and investing in legacy and digital media businesses, so we’ve seen the enormous impact technology has had on the sector,” said Ben Lerer, Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau. “The incredible power of AI promises tremendous benefits to society, but we need to act swiftly to coalesce around a sustainable content model that satisfies both the supply and demand sides of the market. If we fail to establish systems-wide guardrails and incentivize rich content creation, the entire system will collapse – it’s the start of a sinkhole and we’re all at risk of falling in. TollBit’s solution benefits all parties, protecting world-class journalism, creative content, accurate data, and LLMs’ ability to mature and improve.”

TollBit is currently onboarding publishers to the platform. Learn more at https://tollbit.com/

About TollBit
TollBit offers AI bots and data scrapers an easy and compliant way to compensate websites directly for content. The platform seeks to address the new economics of content creation in the AI era by reducing the legal uncertainties of scraping and protecting the health of the entire content ecosystem.

About Sunflower
Sunflower Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with foundational infrastructure companies building for the modern enterprise. We specialize in B2B products with technical moats in categories like data and machine learning, developer tooling, cybersecurity, frontier tech, and more. Sunflower was founded by solo GP Liu Jiang, who has invested in companies including Athelas, Clay, DBT, Hadrian, Retool, Semgrep, Temporal, Vercel, Verkada and Warp.

About AIX
AIX Ventures is an AI-native, early-stage venture capital firm, founded in 2021 by Richard Socher and Shaun Johnson, that includes some of the world’s top AI practitioners: Pieter Abbeel, Anthony Goldbloom, and Christopher Manning. AIX Ventures invests in founders who are developing industry-changing AI technologies. Its portfolio includes HuggingFace, Perplexity, Weights & Biases, You.com, Chroma, and others. AIX Ventures is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.

About Lerer Hippeau
Lerer Hippeau is an early-stage venture capital firm founded and operated in New York City. Our portfolio includes more than 400 leading enterprise and consumer businesses including Zipline, Guideline, MIRROR, Blockdaemon, K Health, Warby Parker, and ZenBusiness. We’re experienced operators who invest early and stay in our founders’ corners as they build iconic companies. Learn more at lererhippeau.com.

About Liquid 2
Liquid 2 is building the most valuable ecosystem at seed.  Founded in 2016 by Joe Montana, our ecosystem is defined by a network of deeply rooted connections with our founding advisors (Ron Conway, Jessica Livingston, Paul Graham), top-tier co-investors, and a portfolio of over 800 technology companies representing over $100B of combined enterprise value.  Liquid 2 invests $250K – $1M in pre-seed and seed rounds and our portfolio includes Gitlab, Rippling, Jasper AI, Retool, Anduril, Applied Intuition, Remote, Solugen, Astranis, Stoke Space, Rappi, WhatNot, Modern Treasury, Athelas and many more.

About Operator Collective
Operator Collective is an early-stage B2B venture firm and community backed by tech’s most exceptional operators and top-tier institutions. OpCo brings together leaders who are critical to a startup’s success but largely absent from the venture ecosystem – senior operating executives from diverse backgrounds who have built the world’s most admired tech companies. Our proprietary platform enables portfolio founders to efficiently tap into 200+ active Operator LPs to help companies as they build and scale, reach potential customers, and connect with talent networks for potential executives, board members, and industry leaders.

For more information contact: press@tollbit.com

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DataOne Adds Massachusetts Registration and Sales Data to Cross-Sell Reports for Auto Dealers, Expanding State Coverage to 40 States

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BEVERLY, Mass., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DataOne Software, a Dominion Enterprises company and a leading provider of automotive data and software solutions, today announced the availability of Massachusetts vehicle registration and sales data within its Cross-Sell Reports market intelligence solutions for dealers. Cross-Sell Reports, including the Cross-Sell Interactive web interface, provide auto dealers with unparalleled insight into local market trends, giving them a competitive edge in reaching new customers and expanding market share. The addition of Massachusetts data to Cross-Sell Reports expands coverage to 40 states.

“As of today, Massachusetts dealers can now access a current, accurate view of new and used vehicle transactions within their market area,” explains David Wall, DataOne head of Cross-Sell Reports. “Localized data, in easy-to-interpret views, are an incredible advantage to dealers who want to spot trends early and make decisions based on accurate market intelligence. We are thrilled to be bringing this capability not only to Massachusetts dealers but also to dealerships in other New England states whose target markets cross into Massachusetts.”

On average, over 3.8 million vehicle transactions are processed monthly for inclusion in Cross-Sell Reports, covering new and used dealer transactions across 40 states, all sourced from official state DMV records.  Each dealer subscription is configured to the dealer’s unique market area and provides:

Competitive market share analysis by dealership, make, and modelZIP code-level heat mapping to identify buyer activity and emerging marketsInventory trend analysis to inform stocking decisions by segment and seasonInteractive dashboards with drill-down reporting — no analytics infrastructure required

“We know dealers trust Cross-Sell Reports for critical market insight, and for those insights to be delivered with industry-leading speed and timeliness,” says Jake Maki, DataOne President. “With the addition of Massachusetts state coverage, we continue to expand our coverage providing more dealers with the most immediate, accurate market intelligence available.”

Since welcoming the Cross-Sell brand into DataOne earlier this year, DataOne has accelerated efforts to expand state coverage of vehicle registration and sales data. In addition to Massachusetts, Cross-Sell Reports recently added Mississippi, Kansas and Georgia to its coverage.

“Our goal is to make DataOne the most accurate and comprehensive source of vehicle registration and sales data, however customers choose to use it,” says Maki. “For a dealer, that might be a Cross-Sell Interactive dashboard tuned to their local market. For other customers looking to license the data, it might be multi-state data integrated directly into their own platforms. Every new state we add makes both more valuable.”

In addition to Cross-Sell Reports and Cross-Sell Interactive, DataOne offers Vehicle Registration and Sales Data for licensing via API or FTP data feed, with coverage configurable by state or region.

For general information about DataOne solutions, contact DataOne at 877.438.8467, e-mail sales@dataonesoftware.com or visit dataonesoftware.com.  For specific information about Cross-Sell Reports or Cross-Sell Interactive for dealers, visit Cross-Sell Reports.

About DataOne Software

DataOne Software (www.dataonesoftware.com) is a premier automotive data source providing the data and software solutions needed to power modern businesses across all segments of the automotive industry. DataOne’s comprehensive data solutions cover everything from VIN decoding and vehicle descriptions to specifications, optional equipment, and market pricing. With the acquisition of Cross-Sell in 2026, DataOne has expanded our product offering to include PII-free vehicle sales and registration data. Our high-quality solutions are delivered with industry-leading support, making them easy to integrate and scale.

Media Contact

Alice Fackre, Product and Brand Marketing Manager

Email: alice.fackre@dataonesoftware.com

Phone: (978) 473-9097

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DR. PHONE FIX ENTERS DEVICE LIFECYCLE AND FULFILLMENT MOU WITH GEO NOVA SCOTIA

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Agreement expands Dr. Phone Fix’s institutional platform through device procurement, triage, repair, refurbishment, accessories and fulfillment services

EDMONTON, AB, Oct. 19, 2026 /CNW/ — Dr. Phone Fix Canada Corporation (TSXV: DPF) (“Dr. Phone Fix” or the “Company”), one of Canada’s fastest-growing and award-winning national consumer electronics lifecycle platforms, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with GEO Nova Scotia (“GEO” or “Getting Everyone Online”), a nonprofit organization focused on advancing digital inclusion across Nova Scotia.

Under the MOU, Dr. Phone Fix will provide a broad range of device lifecycle services supporting GEO’s programs, including device procurement and inventory management, donated-device triage, repair and refurbishment, device preparation, accessories, packaging, fulfillment, shipping, tracking and environmentally responsible disposition, with GEO’s approval, of devices that are uneconomical or impractical to repair.

The relationship builds on GEO’s digital inclusion programs across Nova Scotia. Since 2022, GEO has distributed more than 8,500 devices, including almost 3,500 refurbished mobile phones and iPads, and has provided more than 4,500 home internet and mobile phone connections to individuals who otherwise may not be able to afford them. GEO delivers its programs through a network of more than 125 partner agencies across the province.

“This relationship is a strong example of how the infrastructure we have built at Dr. Phone Fix can support customers well beyond the traditional retail environment,” said Piyush Sawhney, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Phone Fix. “We can manage a broad range of device lifecycle services – from procurement and inventory management to assessment, repair, preparation and ultimately fulfillment to the end user. We believe this type of institutional relationship represents an important growth opportunity for Dr. Phone Fix as we continue expanding our capabilities across Canada.”

Under the commercial structure contemplated by the MOU, Dr. Phone Fix will generate revenue through the sale of devices to GEO, per-device processing services, accessories and approved repair and refurbishment work, where applicable. DPF will also maintain GEO-owned inventory and manage fulfillment and distribution of devices to GEO program participants and partner organizations.

Each device processed for fulfillment may include services and accessories such as protective cases, screen protection, charging cables and charging equipment, with DPF managing the preparation, packaging, shipment and associated tracking requirements.

Management believes these relationships can leverage DPF’s existing national infrastructure, supplier network, repair capabilities and centralized operating systems while creating incremental revenue streams across device procurement, repair, refurbishment, accessories and fulfillment.

About GEO Nova Scotia

GEO Nova Scotia, or Getting Everyone Online, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing digital inclusion by helping ensure individuals have access to the devices, connectivity and basic skills required to participate in an increasingly digital economy. GEO works with public-sector, private-sector and community partners across Nova Scotia to support individuals facing barriers to digital access.

About Dr. Phone Fix

Dr. Phone Fix is an award-winning, eco-friendly, and customer-centric integrated device care platform providing repair, refurbishment, certified pre-owned devices, trade-in solutions, accessories and related services through its growing national retail network. Founded in 2019, the Company serves consumers and businesses across multiple Canadian markets, delivering convenient and reliable device care solutions through its corporately owned retail network. With a focus on operational execution, customer service and sustainability, Dr. Phone Fix continues to expand its national platform while supporting the repair, reuse and extension of the useful life of connected devices.

www.docphonefix.com

NEITHER THE TSXV NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSXV) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information can be identified by words such as “intend”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “plans”, “anticipates” and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the expected scope, scale and benefits of the Company’s relationship with GEO Nova Scotia; potential revenues from device sales, processing, repair, refurbishment, accessories and related services; the continued expansion of the Company’s institutional and enterprise business; and the Company’s ability to leverage its national operating platform to support additional device lifecycle programs. Forward-looking information is based on management’s current expectations, assumptions and estimates as of the date of this news release. The MOU does not guarantee any specific number of device purchases and does not specify a minimum processing volume, and actual volumes, revenues and profitability may differ materially from management’s expectations. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, among others, changes in GEO’s program requirements or funding, actual device volumes, availability and condition of donated and purchased devices, supply chain and inventory availability, repair and fulfillment costs, operational execution, termination or modification of the MOU, competitive conditions and general economic and business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Dr. Phone Fix

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A Speed Cap Nobody Will Own Just Shook Up the Satellite Trade

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — USA News Group News Commentary – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that tests showed Starlink-equipped drones lost their connection when flying faster than about 100 mph inside Ukraine, while Starlink terminals moving at more than 112 mph inside the European Union worked normally. “In other words, this is a planned operation,” he said. No one in Washington or at SpaceX has claimed the decision. Most U.S.-listed space stocks fell sharply last week, while Europe’s only low Earth orbit broadband rival to SpaceX had its best day in 16 months. Active Companies from around the markets with current developments this week include: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: SPCX), AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS), Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB), Eutelsat Communications SA (Euronext Paris: ETL).

The restrictions reportedly cover both Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military-use service, which Ukraine relies on for communications, logistics, live drone video and targeting. The Telegraph reported on Oct. 16, citing four unnamed sources, that Elon Musk approached President Trump with the idea of slowing Starlink in Ukraine and that Trump “agreed.” Musk said on X that speed or usage limits on Starshield “are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Trump told reporters, “it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday, “We had nothing to do with it. Nobody ordered that Starlink speed to be slowed down. It sorta happened.” He also said Starshield was not available to Ukraine, which Yahoo Finance noted conflicts with a late 2024 Pentagon contract that expanded Ukraine’s Starshield access from about 500 to roughly 3,000 terminals. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Zelenskyy said, “Just give us back Starlink.”

Europe is paying close attention. The European Union is working to develop its own alternative to Starlink, and on Sunday the U.S. ambassador to the EU threatened “devastating” retaliation if the bloc advanced a proposal favoring EU-made satellites over companies like SpaceX, Yahoo Finance reported.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for the space sector at: usanewsgroup.com

In other industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: SPCX)

Shares of SpaceX fell 10.17% last week, from $162.57 at the Oct. 9 close to $146.03 on Oct. 16, according to Stock Analysis data, though they remain above the $135 price of the company’s June initial public offering. Starlink, a core part of SpaceX’s business, has more than 13 million subscribers worldwide, and Yahoo Finance noted this is the first throttling episode since the company went public.

SpaceX has limited service in Ukraine before. In 2023, President and COO Gwynne Shotwell acknowledged the company could restrict how Ukraine used Starlink, saying, “There are things that we can do, and have done.” Musk said on X last week that Starlink “is limited to civilian or defensive activities.”

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS)

AST SpaceMobile, which is building a space-based cellular broadband network that connects directly to standard smartphones, fell 20.23% last week, from $50.97 to $40.66. On Oct. 13, Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight and cut its price target to $54 from $98, citing SpaceX’s direct-to-cell ambitions after its agreement to acquire Grain Management’s 800 MHz spectrum for about $8 billion, subject to regulatory approval.

Piper warned that SpaceX could, in theory, limit launch opportunities for competitors such as AST and pressure pricing by competing with telecom operators. Not every analyst agreed. Deutsche Bank upgraded the shares to Buy on Oct. 12 with a $93 target, and Clear Street reiterated a Buy rating with a $115 target, arguing AST is about six months ahead of SpaceX in direct-to-cell.

Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM)

Iridium announced on Oct. 14 that Altair Semiconductor is adding Iridium NTN Direct to its ALT1350 and ALT1550 cellular IoT chipsets, letting device makers, module makers and mobile network operators add satellite coverage without a separate satellite modem. “Iridium is offering device manufacturers a powerful new way to develop connected products,” said Tim Last, executive vice president at Iridium.

Iridium stockholders approved the company’s acquisition by Rocket Lab on Sept. 24, with about 99.6% of votes cast in favor. Each Iridium share is to be exchanged for $27.00 in cash plus Rocket Lab stock based on an exchange ratio subject to a collar, for a notional value of $54.00 per share, and the deal is expected to close by mid-2027, subject to remaining regulatory approvals. Iridium shares fell 7.82% last week, from $47.47 to $43.76.

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB)

Rocket Lab shares fell 25.47% last week, from $68.21 to $50.84, after founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck said in a video posted to YouTube that the first launch of the company’s Neutron rocket would move from late 2026 into 2027. Inspectors found voids in the carbon-fiber layers of a recently made forward propellant dome after curing, according to Space.com.

Beck said the voids “don’t necessarily mean that the dome would fail in flight,” but added, “Possible success isn’t our standard.” Rocket Lab expects to finish a new forward dome by the end of the year and complete first-stage testing in the first quarter of 2027, after which Beck said the company expects to be “in good shape to share a new target launch date.”

Eutelsat Communications SA (Euronext Paris: ETL)

Eutelsat shares jumped 23% on Oct. 14, the stock’s biggest one-day gain in 16 months, Reuters reported, after Ukraine said Starlink had introduced restrictions on its military-grade service. Eutelsat’s OneWeb network has more than 600 satellites in low Earth orbit, compared with about 10,000 for Starlink, and it is the only company besides SpaceX providing space-based internet through a low Earth orbit network. Bernstein analyst Aleksander Peterc said the news put European providers “back in the spotlight as potential alternatives.”

Not everyone sees an easy swap. Existing Starlink users cannot simply switch to OneWeb, since a transition would require new terminals and supporting infrastructure, and independent consultant Christian Freiherr von der Ropp said “considering it as a straightforward substitute overlooks significant operational and infrastructure constraints.”

Space stocks swung hard on headlines last week. Learn to read the charts behind moves like these with the free Stock Preachers guide, plus The Roadmap market reports, at stockpreachers.com.

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Media Contact: info@usanewsgroup.com 

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This article is independent news commentary. USA News Group is wholly owned and operated by Market Equities Limited (“MEL”), a company incorporated under the laws of Ireland. MEL has not been paid by any company mentioned in this article. MEL and its owners, operators, directors, and affiliates do not currently own any shares of the companies mentioned in this article, but reserve the right to, and will, buy and sell shares of those companies at any time without further notice. Weekly price changes are from the October 9, 2026 close to the October 16, 2026 close based on Stock Analysis data. Information is drawn from company news releases, published reporting and third-party data believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. Investing in securities carries risk, including the loss of some or all of your investment. This document is governed by the laws of Ireland.

 

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