Connect with us

Technology

Amidst real estate industry transformation, Perchwell raises $25M Series B to further empower agents

Published

on

Led by Lux Capital with participation from leading real estate operators and investors

NEW YORK, July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Perchwell, the modern data and workflow platform for residential real estate, today announced its $25 million Series B financing. Lux Capital, who participated in the company’s Series A, is leading the funding and is joined by a group of strategic real estate and financial investors including Starwood Capital Group, Flex Capital, Stellar MLS, REcolorado MLS, and California Regional MLS (CRMLS). The capital influx will accelerate delivering best-in-class software to MLSs and brokerages in New York City and nationwide. Among other features, Perchwell’s product development will focus on AI related to data and workflow enhancements that empower real estate professionals to enhance their services and generate more revenue.

“At Perchwell, we are elevating the way real estate agents convey value to their clients,” noted Brendan Fairbanks, CEO of Perchwell. “We provide agents with powerful property-centric data in web and mobile platforms under a single seamless solution, empowering them to deliver accurate, precise guidance at a moment’s notice.”

As the real estate industry undergoes significant change and the value of agent services remains under a critical spotlight, MLSs and brokerages are demanding cutting-edge technology and data solutions to better serve homebuyers and sellers. Perchwell offers the modern end-to-end solution, streamlining workflows and providing professionals with state-of-the-art tooling to compete in this evolving landscape. The platform puts the MLS at the center of a modern tech ecosystem and features listing data enriched with supplemental data sets, plug-and-play APIs, powerful market analytics, and comprehensive mobile apps designed to help agents thrive in today’s ever-demanding environment. 

“While other industries rely on integrated software tools to manage their work, real estate professionals still spend much of their time shuffling between disjointed MLS data repositories, search portals, and various other point solutions,” says Peter Hébert, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Lux Capital, who will be joining Perchwell’s board of directors. “Perchwell is setting the new industry standard by bringing all that tooling into a complete and modern software platform. Agents nationwide have come to trust Perchwell to provide an indispensable competitive advantage in today’s dynamic real estate market.”

Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS, one of the largest MLSs in the U.S. with more than 84,000 customers, commented, “Perchwell is enriching the MLS user experience, and advancing the core values of the MLS, giving agents a new edge to showcase their value. We are honored to be investors in Perchwell, knowing that the ongoing evolution of superior MLS systems/services fits with our commitment to bring success to brokers and agents.”

“This financing will add fuel and speed to our expansion and broaden features of our platform, empowering agents as trusted advisors to their homebuyers and sellers,” said Fairbanks. “We are grateful for the support of Lux, our MLS partners, and all Series B investors.”

About Perchwell:
Perchwell is the modern data and workflow technology platform for the residential real estate industry. Perchwell’s product offering includes a suite of data management, market research, and client collaboration tools for MLSs, brokers, and agents. For more information, please visit perchwell.com.

Media Contact
Christine Jacobson
LCLC Consulting
christine@lclcconsulting.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amidst-real-estate-industry-transformation-perchwell-raises-25m-series-b-to-further-empower-agents-302209231.html

SOURCE Perchwell

Continue Reading

Technology

CHiQ at IFA 2026: From Global Expansion to Deeper Local Engagement

Published

on

By

BERLIN, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At IFA Berlin on September 4, CHiQ unveiled its new AI-powered home appliance range, covering TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washer-dryer combos. Rather than emphasizing technical specifications in isolation, the brand demonstrated how AI integrates into real-life household routines, marking a shift from technological innovation to everyday experiences and reflecting parent company Changhong’s continued focus on localization across global markets.

To address diverse household needs, CHiQ is embedding AI into a growing number of everyday scenarios. Its RGB MiniLED AI TV lineup integrates an integrated AI Sports Platform, transforming the TV from a traditional display into an interactive hub for home fitness and shared activities. The air conditioner features AI Human Presence Radar, which detects users’ locations and habits to adjust airflow dynamically. Meanwhile, the AI-powered refrigerator and laundry care system employ intelligent sensing and monitoring to help users take a more proactive approach to managing food freshness and garment cleanliness.

On IFA’s opening day, Grundig, CHiQ’s strategic partner and a premium European home appliance brand, presented a new product lineup across TVs, refrigerators, washer-dryers, and air conditioners. This showcase represents a further extension of Grundig’s brand development and product strategy and points to a new direction for Grundig in European and global markets.

In recent years, CHiQ’s focus has centered on simplifying everyday household chores through smart innovation. The brand has introduced a virtual giant panda as an AI interactive assistant, adding warmth and personality to its smart TVs and other AI-enabled appliances while naturally incorporating distinctive elements of Chinese culture into the user experience.

Skiing has also become another bridge connecting CHiQ with European lifestyles. Over the same period, the brand has strengthened its European presence as an official data partner of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. These efforts have deepened CHiQ’s connections with consumers in Europe and around the world. At the same time, the brand incorporates the speed of skiing and the pristine character of winter sports into its products, bringing technology closer to users’ lifestyles.

Behind these initiatives lies a broader shift: CHiQ is advancing its localization efforts. From product experiences and brand messaging to sports, culture and other aspects of local life, the company is establishing more diverse touchpoints as it expands its presence in Europe. Moving beyond simply entering overseas markets toward becoming part of them, CHiQ is bringing its global expansion into closer alignment with the local markets it serves.

About CHiQ

CHiQ, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and household appliances, is redefining industry standards with innovative products, intelligent technologies, and a growing commitment to corporate social responsibility. Its influence continues to grow across global markets, especially in Europe.

SOURCE CHiQ

Continue Reading

Technology

New Poll: Parents Overwhelmingly Support the Agreement Between the States & Meta To Keep Young People Safe Online

Published

on

By

More Than Four-in-Five Parents Want Other Platforms Such As TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to Adopt Safeguards

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Coalition to Empower our Future (CEF) today released new research finding overwhelming support among parents nationwide for the recent agreement between states across the country and Meta to strengthen protections for young people online and give parents additional tools to support their children. The findings show that parents not only support the agreement, but also want other social media platforms to follow Meta’s lead and implement similar protections so young people have consistent safeguards across platforms.

“Parents want practical tools that help them keep their kids safe online, and they want those tools no matter what platform their kids are on,” said Glen Weiner, executive director of the Coalition to Empower our Future. “This agreement is an important step forward that will help protect young people using Instagram and Facebook, but kids don’t spend all their time on one platform. To continue making progress, other social media platforms need to join these efforts and adopt the same policies. There’s no single solution to the challenges young people are facing, but giving parents more tools and helping young people build healthier habits with technology are important pieces of a broader, comprehensive approach.”

According to the survey, more than four-in-five parents across the country support the agreement between the states and Meta, including 82 percent of Democratic parents and 84 percent of Republican parents. Other key findings include:

Parents believe the new safety measures will have a positive impact on youth mental health, including expanded parental controls (82 percent), daily screen-time limits (80 percent), and muting notifications during school hours (77 percent) and overnight (76 percent).Overwhelming majorities of parents on both sides of the aisle want other platforms to adopt the same policies. More than four-in-five say other platforms should implement the same online safety measures, including 85 percent of Democratic parents and 86 percent of Republican parents.

Support is similarly strong when parents are asked about individual platforms, including:TikTok (85 percent);YouTube (84 percent); andSnapchat (82 percent).Parents want policymakers to take action. Four-in-five parents (80 percent) would support their state legislature putting these online safety measures into law, and more than two-thirds of parents (67 percent) would be more likely to vote for an elected official who advances these measures.

The new findings build on previous research from CEF showing that parents and voters want a comprehensive approach to youth mental health that gives families practical tools and teaches young people how to navigate technology safely and responsibly.

The full research findings can be found HERE.

The research, conducted between August 28 and August 31, 2026, in partnership with Mercury Analytics, included an online survey of 1,000 parents nationwide.

About the Coalition to Empower our Future

Coalition to Empower our Future is an organization bringing together a range of voices to fully inform solutions that empower youth, parents, communities, and society. The Coalition to Empower our Future supports solutions that are inclusive of the full spectrum of factors impacting youth mental health. Former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, former U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, and Dr. Caroline Carney, a board-certified psychiatrist and internist, serve on the board of directors of the Coalition to Empower our Future.

To learn more, visit empowerourfuturecoalition.com or follow Coalition to Empower our Future on Facebook, X and YouTube.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-poll-parents-overwhelmingly-support-the-agreement-between-the-states–meta-to-keep-young-people-safe-online-302870113.html

SOURCE Coalition to Empower our Future

Continue Reading

Technology

Bybit On-Chain Earn Raises BTC Staking Yield by 50% to 1.2% APR

Published

on

By

DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 4, 2026 /CNW/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is pleased to announce Bybit On-Chain Earn has partnered with Function (FBTC) to upgrade its BTC staking Vault product, raising the guaranteed annualized return from 0.8% to as much as 1.2%, a 50% increase of the evergreen offering.  With Bybit, BTC holders no longer need to sit on their idle asset as they navigate a range-bound BTC.

In early September 2026, BTC has been consolidating around the $80,000 level after rebounding from roughly $62,600 in August and briefly climbing above $81,000 in late August. The cryptocurrency continues to hold above its key moving averages, encouraging many long-term holders to maintain their position.

Bybit On-Chain Earn‘s new BTC staking solution comes with a guaranteed minimum return, distinguishing it from variable-rate products where yield fluctuates with market conditions. Eligible users may subscribe to a fixed 45-day term with no option for early redemption. A subscription cap of 200 BTC applies. Upon maturity, participants can opt into automatic renewal, allowing both principal and accrued returns to roll seamlessly into the next staking cycle without requiring manual reinvestment. This structure is designed to give BTC holders a straightforward way to generate yield on idle holdings while maintaining predictable, fixed-term commitments.

The partnership with Function, the protocol behind FBTC, extends Bybit’s collaboration with the DeFi and TradFi convergence space, diversifying user access to potential yield opportunities across the digital asset landscape.

The upgraded exclusive BTC vault is now live on Bybit. Terms and conditions apply. Users may visit Bybit On-Chain Earn for details on eligibility requirements and potential restrictions.

#Bybit  / #NewFinancialPlatform

About Bybit

Bybit is The New Financial Platform.

We believe every person should have access to every financial opportunity on earth. That’s why we’re building the first intelligent platform that connects anyone, anywhere to the world’s finance.

Trusted by more than 80 million users worldwide, Bybit brings together investing, trading, payments, and wealth-building in a single secure and intelligent ecosystem. Through the combination of AI-powered technology, deep global liquidity, robust security, and transparent operations, Bybit makes global finance more accessible, efficient, and empowering for everyone.

Built for everyone. Powered by intelligence. Open to the world.

Learn more at Bybit.com

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press
For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com
For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bybit-on-chain-earn-raises-btc-staking-yield-by-50-to-1-2-apr-302870204.html

SOURCE Bybit

Continue Reading

Trending