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AI/R Announces 2025 IPO Plans as AI Revolution Accelerates

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AI/R, a leading AI platforms and services company, has announced plans to go public in 2025. As a global provider of artificial intelligence innovation to clients including Toyota, BP, and Nestlé, the company projects over $350 million in revenue for 2024, positioning itself for its next growth phase.

“We are ready,” said Gil Torquato, Chairman of AI/R representing UOL, the company’s primary investor. “The company has been profitable since day one, allowing us to invest in growth acceleration.”

The total addressable market for AI in services is in the trillions of dollars, according to a new report by Sequoia Capital calling the opportunity “service-as-a-software.” Sequoia, one of the largest venture and growth investment firms, famous for their investment in Apple in 1978, is now saying “service-as-a-software” will challenge the software development and digital transformation services sector to go from a labor to a platforms business model.

This is where AI/R’s platforms and execution capabilities come in and seem completely aligned with the “service-as-a-sofware” vision. Founded as Compass UOL, AI/R has evolved to position itself at the forefront of the AI revolution, providing its own proprietary AI platforms and services across industries. AI/R also operates six brands that specialize in providing AI innovation through the engineering of enterprise applications and digital products for customers in financial services, consumer goods, retail, telco and utilities: Avenue Code, Compass UOL, Edgy, Everymind, Invillia, and Webjump. 

“AI/R is committed to making AI accessible and transformational for every enterprise we work with,” said Alexis Rockenbach, Global CEO of AI/R. “Our evolution into an AI-platforms business underscores our dedication to leading this revolution and helping our customers achieve unprecedented growth and efficiency through AI.”

The company’s strategic acquisitions in the U.S. and abroad have solidified its global presence, particularly in North America, where AI/R now generates half its revenue. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company serves iconic brands in e-commerce, finance, and technology.

Toyota is doubling its investments with AI/R in 2024, said Alex Pham, research development chief architect at Toyota North America in a Forbes interview this month. The automaker relies on AI/R’s services to test out AI projects in different cloud environments, leveraging the company’s relationships with cloud providers like Amazon Web Services. Toyota is also considering using AI/R platforms and tools for logistics and supply chain management.

AI/R is positioning itself beyond the experimental phase of AI, which still accounts for a large portion of companies using AI tools. While last year around 95 percent of companies operated AI only at an experimental level, that number of initiatives that don’t make it to production, has now dropped to 80 percent, reckons Rockenbach. In contrast, AI/R has moved beyond experimentation with its AI Cockpit platform, which has enabled its clients to accelerate their software development life cycle and has made a tangible contribution to their business growth.

About AI/R

AI/R, based in California, is an AI company at the forefront of the AI-driven revolution of global enterprises, investing in its own groundbreaking AI platforms, AI accelerators, and AI powerhouse service brands. Its own AI flagship products, as AI Cockpit and others, are redefining the software lifecycle and multi-agent system development. With over 6,000 AI and digital platform specialists across our powerhouse brands – Avenue Code, Compass UOL, Edgy, Everymind, Invillia, and Webjump – AI/R is reshaping industries and setting new standards for AI-powered business innovation and productivity. AI/R’s mission is to revolutionize software engineering and agentic AI application development worldwide, making the AI revolution possible in every industry.

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SOURCE AI/R Group

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HiTHIUM Partners with the University of Cambridge to Advance International Industry-Academia Collaboration in Long-Duration Energy Storage

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XIAMEN, China, Nov. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On November 12, the Global Energy Storage Colloquium was held in Xiamen. During the colloquium, HiTHIUM and the University of Cambridge signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), establishing a strategic partnership. The two parties will collaborate on frontier scientific research, key technology innovation and industrial applications in battery energy storage, bringing academic research into closer alignment with industry needs and exploring new models for international industry-academia collaboration. The partnership aims to contribute to the advancement of global energy storage technology and the industry.

The UK has a strong track record in the development of modern battery technologies and fundamental research. The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s leading universities, with internationally recognized expertise in engineering, materials science and fundamental research. As a leading global energy storage technology company, HiTHIUM has long focused on energy storage technology development and commercialization. It continues to advance integrated research and innovation across the value chain, from high-capacity energy storage cells to long-duration energy storage systems and grid integration technologies.

The collaboration is intended to bring internationally leading academic research into closer engagement with innovation across China’s energy storage industry. The University of Cambridge’s strengths in fundamental science, materials research and engineering will offer new perspectives and approaches to key scientific questions and emerging technologies in energy storage. HiTHIUM will bring its experience in long-duration energy storage (LDES), product development and large-scale deployment, connecting research with real industry needs and application scenarios, and supporting the engineering validation and commercialization of research outcomes. By drawing on the strengths of both research and industry, the partnership will strengthen the links between frontier innovation and practical applications.

Under the cooperation plan, the two parties will establish joint management and research collaboration mechanisms, bringing together academic resources and corporate R&D capabilities. They will work together to plan research projects, facilitate scientific exchange and support the translation of research outcomes, strengthening connections between fundamental research, technology development and industrial applications so that innovation in energy storage can better serve industry needs.

The partnership also marks an important step in HiTHIUM’s efforts to expand its international innovation network. Building on this collaboration with the University of Cambridge, HiTHIUM will further strengthen academic exchanges and research partnerships with leading universities and research institutions around the world. By bringing together international research resources and talent, the company aims to encourage collaboration across disciplines and technology fields, explore the development of technologies such as LDES from a global perspective, and bring technical challenges and application needs from the front lines of industry into research and innovation. This will help research and industrial practice reinforce one another.

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SOURCE HiTHIUM

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The NYSE Welcomes vVARDIS as a Publicly Listed Company

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NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — vVARDIS (NYSE: VVVV) co-founders Dr. Haley Abivardi and Dr. Goly Abivardi aim to reshape the future of dental care with a drill-free treatment for the world’s #1 non-communicable disease: cavities.

vVARDIS Solves a Problem that Millions FaceTooth decay affects billions of people worldwide, and dental anxiety keeps millions from getting the care they need.vVARDIS is a Swiss dental technology company focused on changing the way early tooth decay is treated.vVARDIS has introduced a new approach that aims to treat decay earlier and more comfortably for patients.Its flagship product, Curodont® Repair Fluoride Plus, uses proprietary peptide technology to help repair early-stage tooth decay by supporting the natural remineralization of enamel — simply put No drill, No needle, or No filling.Tooth Decay is One of the Most Common Health Issues in the World2.5 billion people globally live with untreated tooth decay.Nearly 90% of U.S. adults have experienced tooth decay.Nearly 73% of U.S. adults report dental fear.21% avoid the dentist because of anxiety.The Story that Helped Shape vVARDISFor decades, treating early tooth decay often meant waiting until it worsened or getting a filling. The founders spent 25 years developing Curodont® Repair Fluoride Plus, a treatment that helps repair early tooth decay before it becomes a cavity.Curodont® gives dentists a way to treat early decay while making the experience easier and less intimidating for patients.The technology has already treated more than 2.5 million teethAvailable in more than 20% of U.S. dental practices

Click Here to Learn More about vVARDIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1p9hUR5Glk

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SOURCE New York Stock Exchange

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Innovative Immunology Biotech Windward Bio Lists on Nasdaq

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SHANGHAI, Nov. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Windward Bio, a portfolio company of Qiming Venture Partners and a clinical-stage biotechnology company, successfully listed on Nasdaq on November 13, 2026. Windward Bio (Nasdaq: WWB) priced its IPO at $17.00 per share. Its shares closed at $28.50 on the first trading day, up 68% from the IPO price, giving the company a market capitalization of approximately $1.69 billion. This is Qiming Venture Partners’ 11th IPO in 2026.

Qiming Venture Partners invested in Windward Bio’s inaugural Series A financing in 2025 and continued to support the company in its Series B financing in 2026. Qiming also participated in this IPO financing round.

Windward Bio was founded in 2024 with a mission to transform the treatment paradigm for patients living with chronic inflammatory diseases through the development of differentiated biologic therapies targeting clinically validated disease pathways. Led by a team with extensive expertise across discovery, development, and commercialization, Windward Bio is advancing a pipeline of ultra-long-acting antibody medicines to improve clinical outcomes, reduce treatment burden and expand treatment options for patients with serious respiratory and dermatologic diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atopic dermatitis.

Windward Bio’s lead program, WIN378, is a potentially novel anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody engineered for improved potency and extended half-life. WIN378 is currently being evaluated in POLARIS-1, a Phase 2/3 study in severe uncontrolled asthma, and SIRIUS, a Phase 2 study in COPD. The company’s pipeline also includes WIN027, a clinical-stage, long-acting bispecific antibody targeting TSLP and IL-13 with potential applications across multiple inflammatory and immunological diseases. Windward Bio holds exclusive global rights (excluding Greater China and certain Asian countries) to WIN378 through a licensing agreement with Kelun-Biotech and Harbour BioMed, and has separately licensed WIN027 from Qyuns Therapeutics.

“Qiming Venture Partners invests in differentiated, globally competitive biotech innovation designed to address significant unmet needs for patients, and Windward Bio exemplifies this approach. We believe novel, long-acting biologics will reshape the treatment of severe chronic respiratory and skin diseases, and that WIN378 and WIN027 have the potential to expand and meaningfully improve the treatment options available to patients. In the hands of Luca and his team, with their expertise and proven track record, Windward is well-positioned to deliver on this potential, and we look forward to supporting the company through its next phase of growth,” said Alexander Sinclair Wilson, Principal at Qiming Venture Partners.

About Qiming Venture Partners

Qiming Venture Partners was founded in 2006. Currently, Qiming Venture Partners manages eleven US Dollar funds and seven RMB funds with $9.5 billion in capital raised. Since our establishment, we have invested in outstanding companies in the Technology and Healthcare industries at the early and growth stages.

Since our debut, we have backed over 630 fast-growing and innovative companies. Over 290 of our portfolio companies have achieved exits through IPOs at the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX, Shanghai Stock Exchange, or Shenzhen Stock Exchange, or through M&A or other means. There are also over 110 portfolio companies that have achieved unicorn or super unicorn status.

Many of our portfolio companies are today’s most influential firms in their respective sectors, including Xiaomi, Meituan, Bilibili, Zhihu, Roborock, Hesai Technology, UBTech, WeRide, HyperStrong, Insta360, Unisound, Biren Technology, Z.AI, Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals, Tigermed, Zai Lab, CanSino Biologics, Schrödinger, APT Medical, Sanyou Medical, AmoyDx, SinocellTech, Insilico Medicine, AusperBio, Yuanxin Technology, Medilink Therapeutics, LaNova Medicines, StepFun, among many others.

 

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SOURCE Qiming Venture Partners

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