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Betterness Closes $2.5m Seed Round and Launches Bett-i, the First Fully Autonomous Voice-First Life-Coaching System for Health and Performance

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A roster of leaders from health-tech, medicine, capital markets, elite athletic performance, and global culture join Betterness as investors and advisors, backing the company’s mission to build the agentic infrastructure for the $6 trillion global health and wellness industry.

MIAMI, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Betterness, Inc., the Augmented Wellness™ platform building agent-first infrastructure for the health and wellness industry, today announced the closing of its $2.5m seed round and the public launch of Bett-i™ — the first fully autonomous, voice-first AI life-coaching system ever created — available now at www.betti.bot.

The announcement marks a pivotal evolution for Betterness: from a longevity-focused consumer wellness platform into the company building the agentic operating layer on which the next generation of health and wellness products, services, and businesses will run. It follows the March 2026 debut of the Betterness MCP — the first agentic Model Context Protocol for real-world health and wellness services — and sets the stage for the upcoming launch of Betterness One, an enterprise solution that will fully automate health and wellness business operations on the same foundation.

“When we started Betterness, the question was whether AI could help any single person live better. Two years later the answer is obvious — and the real question has become whether AI can help every clinic, every gym, every longevity program, and every wellness brand run better. Our job now is to build the agentic infrastructure that makes that possible. Closing this round, launching Bett-i, and preparing Betterness One for enterprise is the trifecta that takes us there.”

— Demian Bellumio, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Betterness

Introducing Bett-i — the first fully autonomous voice-first life coach

Bett-i (www.betti.bot) is the first voice-first, fully autonomous AI life-coaching system designed to accompany a human being through an entire day — not as a chatbot, but as a continuously running team of specialist agents that can order a lab, interpret a result, adjust a training plan, cancel a class, or send a recovery check-in without being asked.

Where previous generations of AI health tools wait for the user to ask a question, Bett-i initiates. It reads signal, it pattern-matches across a person’s life, and it takes action — always under explicit consent, always audit-logged, always voice-native.

What Bett-i can do, out of the box

Voice-first every surface. Wake-word conversational access, phone and SMS fall-through, Telegram, e-mail, and any MCP-compatible agent as a client. No app required.Autonomous daily briefs. Morning recovery + sleep-readiness + day-priorities brief, delivered via the user’s chosen channel. Evening wind-down, supplement reminders, and sleep-optimization protocol activation.End-to-end lab ordering. Bett-i can order labs across major diagnostic networks — Quest, LabCorp, BioReference — schedule draws, track biomarker trends, and surface actionable changes the moment a result returns.Agent marketplace. Hundreds of specialist agents — nutrition, endurance, sleep, longevity, hormone, recovery, fertility, clinical — with more from top partners added weekly. Any specialist can be summoned by voice; many run continuously in the background.Native wearable integrations. Apple Health, Oura, WHOOP, Garmin, Withings, Eight Sleep, and more — all flowing into the same context so every recommendation is life-aware, not generic.Contextual, life-situation-aware coaching. If you’re training for a marathon, Bett-i layers endurance biomarkers and recovery protocols onto your panel. If you’re planning a pregnancy, it pivots to preconception optimization. If you’re on a GLP-1, it watches the specific markers that matter.HIPAA-grade governance and trust. Consent-gated access, full audit trail, end-to-end encryption, never sold. Every tool call and every agent interaction is logged.

Bett-i is powered natively by the Betterness MCP, meaning it can be plugged into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible agent, and extended by any developer building on Betterness’ open agentic infrastructure.

“Precision health has always existed — but only for those who could afford it. Bett-i was built to change that. Bett-i coaches people through the most important decisions they make about their own health and wellness — autonomously, in their voice, with the full context of their life. Not when they remember to open an app. Just continuously, proactively, in their corner, keeping up with their real life 24/7. That’s what everyone deserves. That’s what everyone wants. That’s what we built.”

— Ari Katz, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Betterness

The evolution of Betterness — an agentic infrastructure platform

The launch of Bett-i and the closing of this seed round complete the public picture of what Betterness has been quietly building: a coherent three-layer stack on which the global health and wellness industry can run.

Layer 1 — Betterness MCP (launched March 2026). The first agentic Model Context Protocol for real-world health and wellness services. Labs, biomarkers, wearables, provider networks, and specialist agents, accessible to any AI system under consent.Layer 2 — Bett-i (launching today at www.betti.bot). The first fully autonomous, voice-first life-coach ever deployed at consumer scale. Demonstrates the full surface area of the MCP in a product a human being can actually talk to and trust.Layer 3 — Betterness One (June 2026). The enterprise solution that takes the same agentic stack and automates the day-to-day operations of health and wellness businesses — clinics, gyms, longevity programs, wellness brands, med-spas. Zero missed leads, less admin work, members that stay. The business-side counterpart to Bett-i.

All three layers run on a shared enterprise-grade, HIPAA-compliant and SOC2-ready proprietary infrastructure platform.

Investors and advisors

The seed round and advisory board bring together operators, clinicians, capital-market builders, elite athletes, and cultural leaders across health-tech, medicine, capital markets, performance, and wellness lifestyle. Participating investors and advisors announced today include:

Health-tech founders & operators

Martin Varsavsky — Founder of Prelude Fertility and Certuma; one of Europe’s most prolific serial entrepreneurs in digital health and fertility.Justin Stone — Digital-health operator and general counsel to successive unicorn health-tech companies, including MDLIVE (acquired by Cigna), Thirty Madison, and Papa; long-time advisor to 40+ digital-health founders.

Medicine & longevity

Mark Rosenbloom, MD, MBA — Founder of Precision Performance Medicine℠, a concierge longevity and performance-medicine practice serving patients nationally; trained at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Stanford GSB. His forthcoming book, ALIVE AF, publishes May 2026.Rabin Rahmani, MD, FACG — Medical Director- Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn/South Brooklyn Endoscopy Center.Lloyd Camper, MD, MPH — Center Physician at Cenegenics Miami and board-certified Family & Sports Medicine physician; USC-trained, with a Sports Medicine fellowship at Kaiser Permanente where he cared for athletes from high-school through the pros, including the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) of MLS.

Capital markets & digital infrastructure

Carlos Domingo — Co-Founder & CEO of Securitize; the leading tokenization platform for real-world assets, bringing deep expertise in regulated digital infrastructure.David Garcia — CIO and Managing Partner at Borderless Capital; a leading global venture firm bridging traditional capital with programmable financial infrastructure.

Elite performance

Eduardo della Maggiora — Founder & CEO of Betterfly, Latin America’s first “social unicorn” and a purpose-driven insurance and wellness-benefits platform operating across Latam and Europe; four-time Ironman World Championship finisher and two-time runner-up at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.Apolo Ohno — Eight-time Olympic medalist, the most decorated American winter Olympian in history, and a long-time advisor to athletic-performance and longevity brands.

Culture, brand & wellness lifestyle

Vivie-Ann Bakos (BLOND:ISH) — BLOND:ISH is a globally touring DJ, producer, and movement-builder who left a small Canadian town to become one of electronic music’s most uncompromising forces. As founder of Abracadabra, Bye Bye Plastic, and the $NRG token, she operates on one principle: energy is the only real currency.Jose Molla — Co-Founder of La Comunidad (acquired by Publicis) and CEO & Co-Founder of Plural Doers Hub, the independent, minority-certified content-production studio.

About Betterness

Betterness is the Augmented Wellness™ platform building agent-first infrastructure for the global health and wellness industry. Its products — the Betterness MCP, Bett-i, and the upcoming Betterness One — run on a shared enterprise-grade, HIPAA-compliant and SOC2-ready stack designed to let developers, businesses, and individuals build and run the next generation of AI-powered health systems.

Learn more: www.betterness.aiwww.betti.bot

Media Contact

Jose Molla
Chief Marketing Officer, Betterness
jose@betterness.ai

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SOURCE Betterness, Inc.

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Changhong at IFA 2026: From Going Global to Going Local

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BERLIN, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At IFA 2026, Changhong unveiled a new lineup of AI-powered home appliances spanning TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners and laundry appliances. Centered on real-life scenarios, the company is bringing AI technologies designed to better understand everyday needs into the product experience, highlighting its transition from technological innovation toward more intuitive living experiences. The showcase also signals Changhong’s continued localization efforts.

The concept comes to life across Changhong’s latest AI products. The Q60S Pro TV features the Changhong LeDong AI sports platform, extending the TV beyond a traditional content screen into a space for family fitness and interaction. An AI human-sensing air conditioner can recognize users’ locations and habits and adjust airflow accordingly, while an AI refrigerator uses intelligent sensing to help users take a more proactive approach to food freshness. Rather than adding complexity, Changhong is making everyday life simpler.

This is at the heart of Changhong’s exploration of “seamless technology”—technology that works quietly in the background. The best technology does not always need to be seen; it simply helps people worry less.

A distinctive cultural element is also finding its way into Changhong’s smart product experience. The brand has incorporated the giant panda into AI assistant interactions, bringing greater warmth and approachability to AI-powered TVs and other home appliances. Closely associated with Changhong’s Sichuan heritage, the panda also provides a natural way to bring a recognizable element of Chinese culture into the technology experience.

Skiing offers another bridge to European lifestyles. In recent years, Changhong has continued to strengthen its presence in Europe with CHiQ as an important brand vehicle, building closer connections with local consumers through sports partnerships, including sponsorship of FIS Ski World Cup events in Germany, collaboration with the German Ski Association and its role as an official partner of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. More than a sporting platform, skiing allows CHiQ to connect the speed, passion and outdoor spirit of the sport with its product experience, bringing technology closer to the way European consumers live.

Behind these initiatives is a deeper commitment to localization. From product experience and brand expression to sports, culture and local lifestyles, Changhong is creating more diverse touchpoints with the European market. From “going global” to “going local,” the company is moving beyond products and channels toward a deeper integration of its brands, technology and the markets it serves.

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SOURCE Changhong

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Clean hydrogen investment reaches USD 130 billion as energy security and resilience rise up the global agenda

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BRUSSELS, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Clean hydrogen is no longer a future bet – it is being built now. According to the Hydrogen Council’s Global Hydrogen Compass 2026, released today, committed investment has surpassed USD 130 billion, corresponding to 6.9 Mtpa of committed capacity across more than 570 projects worldwide, 90% of which are under construction or already operational.

The new report, co-authored with McKinsey & Company and informed by the perspectives of some 70 global CEOs, highlights continued industry progress alongside a changing strategic context. Over the past year, global operational capacity has nearly doubled and is expected to double again next year as projects under construction come online.

At the same time, shifting geopolitical priorities are strengthening hydrogen’s role as a strategic resilience lever. As governments seek to strengthen energy security, build more resilient economies and support long-term industrial growth, hydrogen is receiving renewed attention for its ability to help address multiple strategic priorities alongside deep decarbonization, complementing growing electrification and use of renewable energy sources.

Geographically, China remains the largest market, accounting for more than half of global committed renewable hydrogen capacity, as well as 90% of new operational capacity globally added since 2025. Europe now follows as the second-largest market, leading in project count and relative investment growth (+35% since 2025). The United States continues to lead in low-carbon hydrogen deployment, accounting for approximately 75% of global committed low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia capacity.

The experience of these leading markets also points to the industry’s next challenge: projects move forward where policy and infrastructure are the most robust. Of the 11 Mpta of potential 2030 clean hydrogen demand that existing policies could unlock by 2030, around 6 Mtpa is firmed today by policies that have been enacted and enforced.  Unlocking the remaining 5 Mpta now requires urgent action from governments to deliver on existing policy commitments.  

For policymakers, the top priority is to implement enabling incentives and mandates, as well as robust carbon pricing instruments providing demand signals. For industry, the focus is to serve that demand cost effectively, which requires strong push to reduce cost and build the necessary infrastructure.

Combining comprehensive industry data with CEO perspectives and lessons learned from some of the world’s most significant clean hydrogen projects, Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 provides a fact-based assessment of the industry’s progress and the practical actions needed to accelerate deployment. The report was launched today for the first time through a dedicated global virtual event, featuring the Hydrogen Council Co-Chairs alongside CEOs from Baker Hughes, CF Industries, Port of Rotterdam and Sinopec, with its findings also presented at today’s Hydrogen Energy Ministerial in Japan.

Jaehoon Chang, Vice-Chair of Hyundai Motor Group and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, said: “The debate has shifted from whether hydrogen can deliver to how fast countries choose to build. While the pace varies by market, the principle is the same: identify where hydrogen creates the most value, build the ecosystem around it and prove it works. This year’s Compass highlights a clear lesson: wherever countries deploy hydrogen solutions suited to their context and support them with policy, competitive hydrogen ecosystems are taking hold. By learning from those examples, we can build on that momentum faster and with greater confidence.”

François Jackow, CEO of Air Liquide and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, said: “Hydrogen is not only a decarbonization solution; it is also the indispensable partner to renewable electricity. Through their synergies, hydrogen strengthens the resilience and improves the efficiency and affordability of the overall energy system. As countries accelerate electrification, recognizing hydrogen’s systemic role will be essential to building secure, competitive and affordable energy systems for the future.”

Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, said: “Decision-makers need both robust market data and practical experience from those delivering projects on the ground. Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 complements the IEA’s Global Hydrogen Review by bringing together the collective perspective of industry leaders. Together, they provide a more complete picture of where the industry stands today and the practical actions needed to accelerate deployment.”

Global Hydrogen Compass Launch
Join the Hydrogen Council for the launch of Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 on September 10, 2026 where you will hear directly from industry CEOs.

The event will be delivered in two live virtual sessions. Sign up here: https://hc.brrmedia.co.uk/

About Global Hydrogen Compass 

Global Hydrogen Compass is the Hydrogen Council’s annual publication tracking the progress and priorities of the global hydrogen industry. Authored in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, it combines comprehensive industry data with proprietary insights from Hydrogen Council members, direct perspectives from global CEO leaders, and lessons learned from key hydrogen projects worldwide.

Visit compass.hydrogencouncil.com for key insights, dynamic dashboards and global maps.

About The Hydrogen Council

The Hydrogen Council is the world’s largest and only CEO-led global hydrogen alliance, bringing together some 140 companies from 20+ countries across the entire hydrogen value chain. Representing some $9 trillion in market capitalization, 7.1 million in FTEs and some $6.4 trillion in revenues, the Council provides a unique, cross-sector platform for global leaders to align strategy, accelerate collaboration and shape the development of a globally integrated hydrogen sector.

To find out more visit www.hydrogencouncil.com and follow the Hydrogen Council on LinkedIn.

Media Enquiries
communications@hydrogencouncil.com

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SOURCE Hydrogen Council

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NatGold Digital Activates European Marketing Campaign for NATG

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bull markets media GmbH engaged by 78X to lead first major activation under expanded global marketing program

CORAL GABLES, Fla., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NatGold Digital Ltd. (“NatGold Digital” or the “Company”), a pioneering digital gold mining company with a patent-pending process for sustainably unlocking the intrinsic value of in-ground gold resources through its digital mining and blockchain-based tokenization platform, today announced the launch of its European marketing campaign for the NatGold Token (NATG).

The initiative represents the first major regional activation of NatGold Digital’s expanding global marketing strategy, moving from the establishment of international trading access and multilingual marketing infrastructure to direct market engagement across Europe.

78X Marketing Group, which is leading NatGold Digital’s global marketing efforts, has engaged Germany-based bull markets media GmbH to spearhead the Company’s European educational and market-awareness campaign. Bull markets brings an established financial-media ecosystem, digital marketing capabilities, investor communities and specialized experience across both commodity and cryptocurrency markets to the European program.

Through financial-market education and content, digital audience development and targeted market engagement, the program will introduce European audiences to NatGold’s sustainable digital mining model — designed to unlock the intrinsic value of technically verified in-ground gold resources through tokenization without physically extracting, processing or moving the gold. This non-extractive approach allows the gold to remain securely stored in Mother Nature’s Vault while providing a new digital pathway for realizing its intrinsic value.

“Gold and Bitcoin have demonstrated the enormous global demand for assets that offer an alternative to traditional fiat money,” said Matthias Abresch, Managing Director of bull markets media GmbH. “NatGold introduces something genuinely new to that category: the geological scarcity and monetary heritage of gold combined with the accessibility of a digital asset, while avoiding the environmental disruption associated with physically mining the gold. We believe this combination of sound-money principles, sustainability and digital innovation will resonate strongly with European investors, and we are excited to introduce the NatGold story across the region.”

The European initiative is being structured to operate in accordance with applicable European regulatory requirements, including MiCA requirements governing crypto-asset marketing communications.

NatGold Digital’s newly launched multilingual Web3 platform and professionally localized educational video library will support the campaign, with resources available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

“Europe brings together many of the characteristics that make the NatGold proposition particularly relevant — a deep understanding of gold as a monetary asset, strong expectations around sustainability and an increasingly sophisticated digital-asset marketplace,” said Andrés Fernández, Chief Executive Officer of NatGold Digital. “With the regional expertise and market reach now in place to engage European audiences directly, this campaign represents an important next step in building  international awareness and understanding of NatGold and NATG.”

NatGold Digital intends to progressively expand its marketing activities into additional international markets and languages while continuing to broaden global trading access to NATG.

About NatGold Digital Ltd.

NatGold Digital Ltd. is the global leader in digital gold mining and the architect and operator of a patent-pending, non-extractive platform designed to unlock the intrinsic value of technically verified in-ground gold resources that remain securely stored in Mother Nature’s Vault. NatGold Tokens are structured to represent standardized unit interests in NatGold Certified Resources, disclosed under internationally recognized geological Technical Reports — without physical extraction, processing, or movement of gold. The result is a superior fiat money alternative designed to help lead a global monetary reformation.

For additional background, please visit NatGold.com or our official YouTube channel for videos and information about our digital mining ecosystem: youtube.com/@NatGold_Digital.

About bull markets media GmbH

bull markets media GmbH is a Germany-based financial media company specializing in financial-market information, investor education and digital financial publishing, serving private investors and market participants across European markets.

Contact

Media@NatGold.com
InvestorServices@NatGold.com
+1 (646) 825-3038

The information presented in the above release has been compiled by NatGold with diligent effort to provide an accurate and realistic overview of the subject matter. Nonetheless, factors such as subjective judgment, reliance on circumstances beyond NatGold’s control, and external information sources inherently limit the exhaustiveness, completeness, and sufficiency of this information. Forward-looking statements are generally indicated by terms including “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “is expected”, “scheduled”, “budget”, “estimates”, “projects”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, “believes”, and similar expressions, or by references to potential actions, events, or outcomes that “may”, “can”, “could”, “would”, “might”, or “will” transpire or be achieved. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Numerous risks, uncertainties, and events may result in outcomes that differ substantially from those described in NatGold’s forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: alterations in economic conditions or sector trends; fluctuations in currency and financial markets; volatility in gold prices and AISC costs; changes in investment activity; legal proceedings; legislative developments; as well as environmental, regulatory, political, judicial, and competitive circumstances in regions where NatGold operates. Additionally, technological, mechanical, and operational challenges may arise during NatGold’s development operations. Prospective NATG tokens purchasers are strongly advised to consult with a qualified financial advisor prior to purchasing NATG tokens and to use discretion in relation to decisions to purchase NATG tokens. References above to mineral resources being “certified” are specific to NatGold’s tokenization eligibility standards and do not signify compliance with the JORC Code, NI 43-101, or S-K 1300; such resources are instead certified under NatGold’s criteria as NatGold Certified Resources. While NatGold deems current assumptions reasonable based on available data, these assumptions may ultimately prove inaccurate. Actual outcomes could vary from forward-looking statements due to diverse risks, uncertainties, and unforeseen events. The information herein serves solely for general informational purposes and does not constitute an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of NatGold shares or securities or for the purchase or sale of any NATG tokens, nor is any information contained herein intended to be construed as making a recommendation, endorsement, or solicitation to engage in any investment strategy. NATG tokens are not intended to be “securities” in any jurisdiction, and NatGold makes no claim or representation related to the value of NatGold or NATG tokens. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are current as of the date issued. Except where mandated by applicable securities laws, NatGold expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in response to new data, future developments, or otherwise. Furthermore, the Company assumes no commitment to address third-party expectations or statements regarding issues discussed in this document. Investing in early-stage digital assets entails considerable risk. Any such investment is speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including but not limited to loss of capital. An investment in the NATG tokens, or any other digital asset, may not be appropriate for everyone, and you should carefully consider the appropriate risks, your financial situation, risk tolerance, and investment goals before making any investment decisions. As a digital asset, NATG tokens are also subject to inherent risks related to blockchain technology, including but not limited to, regulatory uncertainty, market adoption, manipulation, volatility, and cyber security risks. Access to NATG trading will be available only to eligible participants in supported jurisdictions, with each participant subject to applicable jurisdictional eligibility, onboarding, regulatory, geographic, and platform requirements. Prospective purchasers should conduct their own due diligence and should consult with their respective financial, legal, tax, and/or other professional advisors.

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SOURCE NatGold Digital Ltd.

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