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Upshop and Invafresh Unite to Transform Global Food Retail Technology

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Connecting supply chains, in-store systems, associate workflows, and shoppers to fresher, healthier food 

NEW YORK, July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Upshop and Invafresh announce their merger, marking a significant milestone in the food retail industry. Together, they aim to address major food sector challenges: availability, affordability, and waste. The united entity, Upshop, aims to empower communities worldwide by enabling better access to fresh, safe, and affordable food, regardless of whether it’s prepared, perishable, or shelf stable.

The merger of Upshop and Invafresh is set to transform the landscape of food retail technology. The combined Upshop organization offers the first global retail enterprise operating platform built for the complexities of food. The platform will be used by more than 400 retailers in 35 countries, operating in over 50,000 stores, and affecting millions of associates and shoppers every day.

Retailers face increasing pressure to meet heightened operational and service expectations from suppliers, associates, and shoppers alike. The challenge of introducing more affordable, healthy options into stores has been compounded by issues with technology that associates have struggled to adopt. A unified Upshop platform addresses these challenges with a single app, empowering associates to efficiently “win their day” and deliver the best experience for shoppers.

Shamus Hines, CEO, expressed his vision for the future: “We do not settle for better; we strive for the best from our platform, our people, and our partnerships with food retailers. The impact our technology has on retailers’ supply chains means millions of families will have access to the freshest and healthiest food, every day.”

The unification comes at a critical inflection point for the food retail industry. FSMA204, a major FDA compliance requirement, is pushing the market to enhance data traceability capabilities. Upshop will be launching its solution formally at the end of July, combining the best of both organizations’ food safety product suites.

Additionally, food waste is a global challenge that needs a more comprehensive answer. Stores are in need of solutions that can support all steps in the food waste process – prevention, rescue and reporting. The combined organization is preparing to launch a new, global Food Waste Initiative, powered by a leading product suite, unmatched analytics, and deep industry partnerships.

“By uniting the unparalleled innovation of two industry leaders in food retail technology, we’re poised to redefine what’s possible for the global community… retailers, associates and shoppers alike. We are intent on investments that bring profound impact to the industry. This is yet another huge step in Upshop’s mission to elevate the future of food retail on a global scale,” said Level Equity Partner, Sarah Sommer.

The merger of Invafresh and Upshop marks a significant leap forward in food retail technology, promising innovative solutions that will redefine best-in-class store operations and shopper experience. Retailers globally will have access to the market-leading solutions driving impact, such as:

Fresh inventory and ordering management for a top 3 North American grocer which has driven 8-figure savingsPowering the highest quality and most engaging fresh experience for WegmansEnabling grocers such as Hy-Vee to flex their workforce for more efficient omnichannel order fulfillmentEmpowering retailers, such as Sobey’s, to take total control of DSDLaunching an even more robust foodservice operations platform to C-Stores, supporting expanded prepared food offerings and omnichannel workflows

Advisors

Robert W. Baird & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor to Invafresh, and Davis Polk served as legal counsel.

William Blair & Company LLC served as financial advisor to Upshop, and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel.

For more information about Upshop and its latest innovation, please visit www.upshop.com/resources.

Mike Weber, CMO
813.849.1818
mike.weber@upshop.com

About Upshop
Upshop is the foremost provider of a SaaS platform designed to streamline forecasting, ordering, production, and inventory optimization processes for food retailers. Our unified platform simplifies and enhances associate tasks, promoting smarter and more interconnected operations across Fresh, Center, DSD, and eCommerce departments. With over 150 retailers and 30,000 stores relying on our mission-critical operations platform, customers have witnessed substantial enhancements in sales, shrinkage reduction, food safety, and sustainability throughout their stores. To learn more about the Total Store Operations Experience, visit https://upshop.com/, and watch customer testimonials at Upshop Total Store Operations Experience – YouTube 

About Invafresh

With a combined 500+ years of Freshology experience, the heritage of Invafresh has enabled fresh food retailers to create extraordinary store operations performance and differentiated customer experiences. As the leader of Freshology, Invafresh is deployed in over 350 grocery retailers spanning a global reach of 35 countries with $100’s of millions of Fresh revenue being transacted daily, to provide AI-enhanced demand forecasting, merchandising, replenishment, sustainability and compliance, and waste prevention solutions. 

About Level Equity
Level Equity is a private investment firm focused on providing capital to rapidly growing software and technology-driven businesses. Level provides long term capital across all transaction types in support of continued growth. The firm has raised $3.0 billion in committed capital, has backed over 100 companies since inception, and has offices in New York, NY and Greenwich, CT. For more information about Level Equity, visit www.levelequity.com.

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AI Alliance Advances Project Tapestry as G7 Puts AI Sovereignty at Center Stage

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India’s BharatGen commits to anchor India’s role in Project Tapestry as part of a growing coalition of organizations to develop more capable frontier AI that enhances sovereignty and opportunity for people, nations and industry.

PARIS, June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In a week when AI sovereignty dominated discussions from the G7 Summit in Évian to VivaTech in Paris, the AI Alliance announced that India’s BharatGen will anchor India’s initial role in Project Tapestry, a global open consortium to build frontier-capability AI through distributed model development while allowing participating nations and institutions to retain control over their own data, models, and deployment.

“AI is becoming essential infrastructure. No single company or country should determine who can build on it, adapt it, or benefit from it. Project Tapestry is a test of whether frontier AI can be built as open infrastructure: collaborative, capable, and sovereign by design.”
— Dr. Yann LeCun, Chief Science Advisor, AI Alliance and Executive Chairman, AMI Labs

Project Tapestry aims to bring together more data, talent, and resources than any one organization can do on their own, to create more capable, accessible and valuable AI that is the basis for India, led by full stack sovereign AI company BharatGen, has made a strong commitment to anchor Project Tapestry and will immediately begin co-leading workstreams in distributed model training in support of Tapestry’s goals.

The commitment connects India’s self-reliant AI ambitions with Tapestry’s collaborative model for building frontier AI while preserving national control over data, models, and deployment.

“India has long believed that science advances fastest when it is open and shared. Project Tapestry, which lets nations build frontier AI together while retaining sovereignty over their data and models, reflects the collaborative, self-reliant innovation India is advancing.”
— Professor Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India

“As India builds frontier AI rooted in its own languages and knowledge, IIT Bombay and BharatGen supported by the India AI mission are proud to support and participate as a founding contributor in Project Tapestry, an open, global consortium for nations to advance frontier AI together.”
— Shireesh Kedare | Director, IIT Bombay and Chairman, BharatGen

French President Emmanuel Macron, who also holds the rotating G7 presidency this year, has made AI capability and global technology competition central themes of the week. Project Tapestry responds to that broader moment by bringing together countries, industries, research institutions, and communities to pool data, compute, talent, and funding — while each participant retains control over its own data, unique derivative models, and AI deployment.

Project Tapestry was formally launched a month ago at a kick-off technical workshop in Paris with 30 AI leaders from the US, France, India, Vietnam, Japan, Switzerland, UAE, and beyond. It included significant participation from France-based organizations including Pleias, PRAIRE, AMI Labs, Software Heritage, and Current AI, underscoring Macron’s ambition.

Vietnam: Enhancing Cultural Alignment and Capability

Vietnam has become one of Project Tapestry’s clearest national and cultural use cases: a country seeking to contribute data and expertise to a global consortium while building frontier AI that is socio-culturally and industrially aligned with Vietnam — and owned and governed by Vietnam institutions.

“With the National Innovation Center and FPT Corporation engaged, Project Tapestry gives Vietnam a path to help build frontier AI that reflects its language, culture, industries, and institutions while retaining control over its own data, models, and deployment.”
— Dr. Christopher Nguyen, Chief Architect of Project Tapestry and CEO of Aitomatic

Aligning an AI model to a culture requires much more than language translation – the unique preferences, customs, and practices must govern model output. In collaboration with Vietnam-based partners, Project Tapestry has already made progress in demonstrating alignment of models to Vietnamese culture.

The Path Ahead for Project Tapestry
The Paris workshop produced both an initial architecture for consortium-based frontier model development, as well as a clear path to grow and operate the consortium supported by the AI Alliance’s non-profit structure. The architecture centers on a base model developed centrally that participating nodes can receive, adapt, and continue to train with local data.

Participants share back improvements to the base while retaining ownership of their data and unique models and capabilities they develop for their own purposes. The guiding principle is: sovereignty cannot depend on trust alone. It must be protected by architecture.

“Project Tapestry aims to build the most capable frontier AI possible in a way that ensures the value and control of that AI is retained by those developing and deploying it – whether they are in industry, government, a non-profit or an individual. The knowledge and intelligence of humanity that is used to build AI does not live in any one organization. The most capable and trusted AI can’t either.”
— Dr. Anthony Annunziata, Chairman, AI Alliance and Director of AI Open Innovation, IBM

Tapestry’s consortium data advantage is not simply more data. The next frontier of AI capability will depend on data that is more diverse and has deeper knowledge from a broader set of domains across business, science and culture. These data are often absent from the open web: they are in national, scientific and technical databases, or embedded in industry and institutions. They cannot — and should not — be handed to a centralized provider.

How to Get Involved
Project Tapestry is seeking researchers, model developers, data and compute providers, and industry partners. Early contributors will help shape the project’s architecture, governance, and roadmap. Learn more here:

Website: https://thealliance.ai/projects/tapestry GitHub: https://github.com/The-AI-Alliance/tapestry Data: https://thealliance.ai/projects/tapestry/training-data-proposals

About the AI Alliance
The AI Alliance is a global nonprofit research and technology organization dedicated to advancing open, safe, and responsible AI through innovation, collaboration, and advocacy. Operating through both a 501(c)(3) public-benefit organization and a 501(c)(6) innovation association, the Alliance brings together more than 200 collaborating organizations across 29 countries spanning industry, academia, startups, research, and government. The Alliance supports open projects and initiatives across AI data, models, agents, safety, and governance.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2951194/AI_Alliance__logo.jpg

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Holderness & Bourne Tees Up eCommerce Growth with Barrett Distribution Centers

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FRANKLIN, Mass., June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Barrett Distribution Centers, a leading third-party logistics provider specializing in eCommerce fulfillment, announced a new partnership with Holderness & Bourne, a premium lifestyle brand known for its sophisticated men’s golf apparel and commitment to quality craftsmanship.

“Having worked with Barrett previously, I knew they had the experience, flexibility and operational expertise we needed as our business continued to grow,” said Sean Eaton, director of operations at Holderness & Bourne. “Their team’s responsiveness, strategic location and ability to quickly scale a solution made them the right partner to support our inventory and fulfillment requirements. We’re excited to continue building on that relationship as our business evolves.”

Barrett’s extensive experience supporting apparel and accessory brands, combined with its ability to provide scalable warehouse space, technology solutions and managed transportation services, positioned the company to support Holderness & Bourne’s expedited onboarding and future growth initiatives.

“Barrett is thrilled to step onto the fairway with Holderness & Bourne, a fast-growing premium golf apparel brand with a recognizable name and a loyal following among golfers who know quality when they see it,” said Mark Healy, vice president of customer solutions at Barrett. “Holderness & Bourne’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction aligns perfectly with our focus on delivering dependable, flexible and scalable fulfillment solutions. We look forward to supporting their continued growth and serving as a trusted partner for years to come.”

Holderness & Bourne is now live at Barrett’s Hillsborough, N.J., fulfillment facility, where Barrett provides inventory staging and replenishment services in support of the brand’s New York operations. Located near Holderness & Bourne’s headquarters, the facility offers the space, technology and transportation resources needed to support the brand’s continued growth.

About Holderness & Bourne

Holderness & Bourne is a premium lifestyle brand focused on men’s golf apparel. It was founded around 2015 by Alex Holderness and John Bourne and centers on classic, refined golf-inspired style with modern fit and performance. Discover sophisticated, modern golf apparel crafted with premium fabrics designed for performance and comfort on the course and off. If you’re seeking golf apparel brands that prioritize craftsmanship and timeless design, our commitment to quality and fit speaks for itself.  

About Barrett Distribution Centers

Since 1941, Barrett has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. Barrett continues to be a leading 3PL provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision-makers. As a member of Inc.’s fastest-growing companies list 15+ times, Barrett is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. Brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact Barrett directly here.

Media Contact:

Faith Artieda
Marketing Content Specialist
Faith.artieda@barrettdistribution.com

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Trial Attorney Clint Zalas of South Bend Explains Why Cases Often Take Longer Than Expected for HelloNation

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SOUTH BEND, Ind., June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Why do personal injury cases take longer than many people expect? A HelloNation article answers this question with insights from Personal Injury Attorney Clint Zalas of Lee & Zalas, P.C. in South Bend. The article explains that while delays can feel frustrating, the personal injury case timeline often protects injured individuals by ensuring accuracy and fairness in the settlement process.

The first factor the article discusses is investigation. A strong case requires photographs, medical records, witness statements, and sometimes expert evaluations. Collecting and reviewing this accident recovery evidence takes time, but it strengthens the foundation of the claim. If attorneys or claimants rush through this stage, they risk weakening the case and limiting the eventual injury settlement.

Medical treatment delays also extend the personal injury case timeline. According to the HelloNation article, the true scope of injuries often reveals itself over weeks or months. Recovery may require physical therapy, surgery, or long-term care. Settling before treatment concludes can prevent injured parties from recovering fair compensation for future expenses. Once finalized, an injury settlement cannot be reopened to account for additional medical costs or lost wages.

Insurance company negotiations create another layer of complexity. Adjusters carefully review claims, request documentation, and sometimes demand independent medical evaluations. Each exchange between the injured party and the insurer adds time. However, as the article explains, these negotiations help ensure that the settlement reflects the full cost of accident recovery rather than a rushed or incomplete figure.

The HelloNation feature warns against quick settlements. While they may feel satisfying at first, they often fail to cover long-term needs. For example, an injury that initially appears temporary may become chronic. Lost wages may continue if the person cannot return to work. By waiting, injured individuals make sure these realities factor into their personal injury litigation or settlement discussions.

Court schedules can also extend the process. If a case enters litigation, hearings, depositions, and trial dates must align with the court’s availability. This stage can be time-consuming, but it applies pressure on insurance companies to negotiate fairly. Many cases settle before trial, yet the possibility of litigation serves as an important safeguard in achieving full compensation.

The article highlights how expectations often differ from reality. Many people assume they will receive a check within weeks of filing a claim. In truth, personal injury law prioritizes fair compensation over speed. A thorough personal injury case timeline ensures that accident recovery costs, medical treatment delays, and future expenses are considered.

The HelloNation article also explains that rushing to accept an early offer can leave individuals paying for expenses they never anticipated. Quick settlements often fail to account for ongoing therapy, future surgeries, or extended time away from work. Building a complete case with medical documentation and evidence, though time-consuming, gives claimants the strongest chance of receiving a fair settlement.

Patience plays a key role throughout the process. The article states that waiting allows the injured person, their attorney, and the insurance company to see the full impact of the accident. While the delays can feel difficult, they ultimately protect the injured party from being pressured into unfair agreements. In personal injury litigation, accuracy ensures justice, even if it requires more time.

The article concludes that while a long personal injury case timeline can surprise claimants, it serves an important purpose. By gathering strong evidence, completing medical treatment, and negotiating thoroughly with the insurance company, injured people give themselves the best chance at full and fair compensation. A slower process often delivers a more secure outcome.

The full article, titled Why Personal Injury Cases Often Take Longer Than Expected, features the expertise of Personal Injury Expert Clint Zalas of Lee & Zalas, P.C. in South Bend and appears on HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative “edvertising” approach that blends educational content and storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

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