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Chptr Raises $5.5M Series A to Build the Infrastructure for Timely, Hyperlocal Media Distribution Across TV, Radio, and Digital

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CityRock leads with participation from Tribute Technology as well as strategic partnerships with iHeartMedia, Sinclair and Hearst as broadcasters back a new model for delivering real-world, time-sensitive community stories to local audiences

NEW YORK, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chptr, the company building the new distribution layer for community stories, today announced it has raised $5.5 million in Series A funding led by CityRock, with participation from Tribute Technology as well as strategic partnerships with iHeartMedia, Sinclair and Hearst. By bringing together the largest operators across television, radio, and local media at a moment when the industry is actively searching for new models to deliver relevant, community-based information at scale. In a time where algorithm-based news delivery is the default, Chptr aims to restore the reach of people’s most important announcements to America’s most trusted local media platforms, starting with end-of-life memorial content.

Chptr’s proprietary technology enables local, time-sensitive stories to move from origin to distribution in less than 24 hours, reaching audiences across broadcast, digital, and now radio through direct integrations with major media networks. With its Series A funding, Chptr is introducing a subscription-based model that enables SMBs to effectively engage their local communities across local TV, radio and digital channels. Chptr is now live in 132 U.S. television markets, covering the majority of American households, and has already delivered thousands of localized broadcasts across all major metropolitan areas. With iHeartMedia’s partnership, that distribution now extends into radio, creating a multi-platform system that reaches audiences throughout the day, not just during scheduled news cycles.

At the core of Chptr’s platform is a rethinking of how local content is created and distributed. Historically, many forms of community-based information – from memorials to local events to service announcements – have been fragmented, delayed, or inaccessible due to production constraints and limited distribution channels. Chptr transforms those inputs into ready-to-air segments that can be deployed across television, radio, and digital platforms almost immediately, unlocking a category of content that has been largely absent from modern media. Chptr’s approach to AI is intentionally constrained and human-centered: the platform does not generate source content or scrape data, and leverages AI for formatting, production, and distribution, with all content reviewed by humans prior to broadcast.

“Chtpr is solving not just one, but many very important challenges, and our team is honored to invest in this vision,” said Oliver B. Libby, Managing Partner and co-founder of H/L Ventures and CityRock Venture Partners. “Anyone who has lost a loved one knows how frustrating, expensive, distracting, and analogue the process of memorializing our departed family in obituaries, death notices, and digital formats—at a very vulnerable and tragic time for a family. At the same time, the local news—broadcast and print—are all looking for revenue streams and for ways to connect authentically with viewers and readers. Chptr bridges these gaps, updating the memorialization process, and doing so with business sense and with heart.”

The company’s traction to date has come from rebuilding memorial announcements as a content category, working directly with funeral homes as a trusted source of structured, time-sensitive information. That use case has proven both the demand and the scalability of Chptr’s model, serving as a foundation for broader expansion into other forms of local content. As the end-of-life industry’s trusted leader in tech-enabled memorial announcements, Chptr provides an invaluable service to the families and communities of loved ones, while also directly empowering local funeral businesses who offer clients access to Chptr’s technology.

As algorithmic feeds prioritize engagement over relevance, local audiences are increasingly disconnected from the timely, real-world information that directly affects their daily lives – from community events and services to critical life announcements. Generative AI has introduced new risks in sensitive life events, including fabricated obituary details, data scraping, and automated content lacking oversight. Chptr addresses both challenges by rebuilding memorial announcements as a broadcast content category while deploying ethical, human-reviewed AI tools designed specifically for funeral service to create professional-grade memorial videos from family-provided photos and stories. Family data is never sold or repurposed, and local funeral homes remain the authoritative source of service information.

“Memorials are the starting point, not the end state,” said Rehan Choudhry, founder and CEO of Chptr. “What we’ve built is a system for distributing real, human stories that matter in a specific place, at a specific moment in time. Media companies are investing because they see this as the future of local – timely, trusted, and deeply connected to the communities they serve.”

The company’s integration with Tribute Technology, which serves more than 9,000 funeral homes across North America, demonstrates how Chptr can plug into existing local workflows and turn them into immediate distribution pipelines without adding operational burden. The Series A will fund expansion into remaining U.S. markets, deeper integrations across broadcast and audio networks, and the development of additional content categories beyond memorials, including other forms of time-sensitive local information that have historically lacked scalable distribution.

“Radio connects people during defining moments,” said David Ellis, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Venture Capital, and Emerging Initiatives of iHeart Media. “By supporting Chptr, we’re ensuring remembrance and celebration reaches communities where they already listen.”

About Chptr
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in New York, Chptr is the community storytelling company that helps funeral homes bring modern memorialization to the families they serve. Through its Broadcast, Social, and Video offerings, Chptr transforms photos and memories into video tributes that reach thousands, helping communities gather, show support, and honor every life properly. Chptr partners with funeral homes and media companies across the United States, coordinating directly with families to keep workflows simple for funeral directors. Learn more at www.chptr.com.

Media Contact:
Jenny Knizner
434-260-1162
416664@email4pr.com 

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SIG SAUER to Highlight Global Defense Innovation at Eurosatory

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Premier firearms manufacturer to showcase its broad range of combat-proven
capabilities at major international defense exhibition

NEWINGTON, N.H., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SIG SAUER, an industry-leading manufacturer of cutting-edge firearms, optics, and ammunition, will showcase its premier military product lineup at the Eurosatory defense and security exhibition in Paris June 15 – 19.

SIG SAUER and its team of experts will highlight the company’s defense technology and capabilities, ranging from world-class firearms to the most advanced drone and remote-controlled weapon systems (RCWS).

“Our team is proud to design, manufacture, and deliver the latest technology and products to our partners and customers around the world,” said Paul Strebel, Managing Director, Global Defense Sales, Europe. “We are uniquely positioned with a fully integrated portfolio of modern technologies for today’s battlefield, and we look forward to sharing the latest SIG SAUER lineup with military leadership and decision-makers at Eurosatory.”

In addition to serving as the official handgun provider to all branches of the U.S. military and delivering America’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program, SIG SAUER has a global presence in more than 90 countries, across North America, Europe, Central America, Asia and Africa, and is the preferred partner to top militaries around the world.

SIG SAUER product experts will share at the exhibition the latest product specifications from the SIG lineup of handguns, rifles, machine guns, suppressors, drones, RCWS, optics, and ammunition. SIG SAUER is exhibiting in Hall 6 at Stand #D26. 

About SIG SAUER Inc.
SIG SAUER Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, airguns, suppressors, remote-controlled weapons stations, and training. For over 250 years SIG SAUER Inc. has evolved and thrived by blending American ingenuity, German engineering, and Swiss precision. Today, SIG SAUER is synonymous with industry-leading quality and innovation which has made it the brand of choice amongst the U.S. Military, the global defense community, law enforcement, competitive shooters, hunters, and responsible citizens. Additionally, SIG SAUER is the premier provider of elite firearms instruction and tactical training at the SIG SAUER Academy. SIG SAUER is certified a Great Place to Work™. For more information about the company and product line visit sigsauer.com.

Media Contact
Phil Strader
Vice President, Consumer Affairs
media@sigsauer.com

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CINC Systems and HOA Invest Partner to Automate Off-Book Reserve Visibility for Community Association Management

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New integration brings HOA Invest account balances, transactions, and statements directly into CINC, giving management companies a more connected view of off-book reserves without disrupting existing banking relationships.

DULUTH, Ga., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CINC Systems, the AI-native platform for community association management, today announced a new integration and partnership with HOA Invest, a platform which grants access to investment advisory solutions built for community associations.

The integration addresses one of the most persistent financial visibility challenges in community association management: off-book reserve accounts held outside a management company’s partner banking relationship.

A non-partner account is a reserve investment account held outside the management company’s integrated banking partners—typically a brokerage or custodial account at a broker-dealer (for example, Merrill Lynch “ML”, Morgan Stanley “MS”, LPL Financial, or UBS, etc.)—so balances, transactions and statements are not automatically visible inside the management company’s accounting platform.

The integration is intended for associations that have moved their reserves into non-partner investment accounts (i.e. ML, MS, UBS, etc), self-managed associations seeking more structured reserve investment support, and accounting teams currently reconciling off-book reserve accounts by hand. HOA Invest supports these accounts through advisory affiliates and preferred institutional custodial platforms, including Charles Schwab and Fidelity Institutional.

Today, many associations maintain reserve funds across off book non-partner investment accounts (i.e. ML, MS, UBS, etc) or investment accounts that are not directly visible inside their management software. Managers and accounting teams often have to wait for monthly statements, collect updates from boards or advisors, log into separate portals, and manually enter balances into CINC. That process creates delays, increases the risk of errors, and makes it harder to deliver timely board reporting.

Through the integration, account balances, transactions, statements and fixed income reports managed through the HOA Invest platform can flow directly into CINC, giving management companies a more automated, centralized view of reserve information without interrupting an associations existing banking relationships. Investment holdings visibility is expected to be added in a future phase, to include underlying holdings such as CDs and U.S. Treasuries.

“Community association management is becoming more complex, and financial visibility is one of the places where that complexity shows up most clearly,” said Ryan Davis, Chief Executive Officer of CINC Systems. “Boards need timely, trusted information to make better decisions. Managers need less manual work standing between them and the communities they serve. This partnership with HOA Invest helps bring off-book reserve visibility into the same connected platform where management companies already manage accounting, banking, payments, operations, and board reporting.”

The partnership gives management companies a way to reduce the manual work associated with tracking off-book reserves while strengthening transparency for boards and communities. With HOA Invest and CINC, balances can be updated automatically, transactions can be integrated, statements can be centralized, and reserve-related records can be easier to access for audits, board packets, financial reviews, and reporting.

For boards, the integration provides greater confidence that reserve information is easier to see, easier to review, and connected to the financial workflows their management company already uses. For managers and accounting teams, it reduces the need to chase statements, key in balances, and reconcile information across disconnected systems.

“Reserve management has always required trust — trust that the information is accurate, that the funds are protected, and that the right people have visibility at the right time,” said Jessica McConnell, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of HOA Invest. “This partnership gives management companies and boards a more modern way to manage that visibility. HOA Invest gives, through its affiliates, access to fiduciary guidance and tailored investment support, while CINC brings the integrated accounting and operational platform management companies rely on every day. Together, we provide a solution where associations can manage reserve funds with greater transparency, efficiency, and confidence.”

HOA Invest affiliated fiduciary investment advisors work directly with managers and boards to review financials and provide tailored reserve investment recommendations. Unlike approaches that require associations to move operating or reserve accounts away from existing relationships, the CINC and HOA Invest partnership is designed to support reserves already held beyond the primary bank, giving boards and management companies a more connected way to manage investment visibility while maintaining continuity in their broader banking structure.

The integration reflects CINC’s broader strategy to bring accounting, operations, resident engagement, board governance, banking, payments, and workflow intelligence into one connected platform for community association management.

The CINC and HOA Invest integration is available for eligible customers. To learn more, CINC customers can contact their Client Growth Manager or connect with HOA Invest to review reserve investment needs and activation steps.

About CINC Systems

CINC Systems is the AI-native platform for community association management, trusted by more than 1,000 management companies serving 55,000+ associations and 6 million+ doors. Built on more than twenty years of integrated platform data spanning accounting, operations, resident experience, banking, and payments, CINC processed more than $25 billion in community payments in 2025. Cephai, CINC’s intelligence system, is woven natively into that foundation to help management companies reduce tedious work, increase visibility, and operate with greater efficiency. CINC is backed by Hg and Spectrum Equity. For more information, visit www.cincsystems.com.

About HOA Invest

HOA Invest helps homeowners associations and community associations simplify reserve investment management through technology and its affiliation to Registered Investment Advisers who provide fiduciary guidance, and tailored investment strategies. With more than 25 years of industry experience, including 16 years dedicated to HOAs and association management, HOA Invest provides communities with tools designed to improve visibility, streamline financial management, support informed decision-making, and help align investments with applicable regulatory guidelines and governing documents. Through its proprietary HOA Invest Technology, paired with its affiliated SEC-registered investment advisors, HOA Invest offers daily updates, customized investment strategies, and expert guidance tailored to each community’s goals. For more information, visit www.hoainvest.com.

Disclosure

HOA Invest is a technology and referral platform and is not itself a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, custodian, or bank. Investment advisory services made available through HOA Invest are provided by affiliated SEC-registered investment advisers, which are under common ownership with HOA Invest. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. References to custodians, broker-dealers, banking relationships, or institutional platforms are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement, affiliation, or sponsorship unless expressly stated.

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SOURCE CINC Systems

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VIAVI Wins Best of Show Awards at Interop Tokyo 2026

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Network infrastructure validation and testing solutions for AI and enterprise secure Best of Show Prizes at Japan’s leading ICT event

CHANDLER, Ariz., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — VIAVI Solutions Inc. (VIAVI) (NASDAQ: VIAV) today announced that it has won two awards at Interop Tokyo 2026 in collaboration with partner TOYO Corporation. The Best of Show Awards recognize VIAVI’s innovative technologies for testing and validating AI, enterprise, cloud and other advanced network infrastructure deployments.

The Interop Tokyo awards are presented to companies that demonstrate the most innovative products, solutions, and services during the three-day conference and exhibition. This year, VIAVI secured a Best of Show Grand Prize award in the Network Infrastructure/Security/Testing category for its MCP Server Framework for Custom AI Workflows1 and a Runner Up award for its TestCenter D2 1.6T Appliance2 high-speed Ethernet test platform.

“We are honored to be selected for two prestigious prizes,” said Tom Fawcett, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Lab and Production, VIAVI. “These awards, which go to the most innovative digital infrastructure technologies, further demonstrate VIAVI’s ongoing leadership in advanced testing solutions that accelerate and enhance the deployment, validation and security of AI, data center and enterprise network infrastructure.”

Since its inception in 1984, Interop Tokyo has become one of the largest ICT (information and Communication Technology) events in Asia. The conference showcases the latest networking products, solutions and services and attracts over 150,000 attendees each year. Award submissions are reviewed by a panel of expert judges that selects winners based on cutting-edge technology and commercial value, highlighting annual IT trends in networking, AI, security and cloud computing.

VIAVI’s Best of Show Winners

1. VIAVI MCP Server Framework for Custom AI Workflows

VIAVI MCP Server Framework for Custom AI Workflows (part of VIAVI’s NITRO® AI portfolio of solutions) delivers MCP servers for TestCenter (network performance testing), CyberFlood (security and application performance testing) and TeraVM (secure access/ZTNA and SSL/IPsec VPN testing). Each MCP server exposes product-specific operational testing capabilities as standardized tools and resources for AI agents, enabling natural-language-driven test execution, results analysis and test automation across custom AI workflows.

2. VIAVI TestCenter D2 1.6T Appliance

The VIAVI TestCenter D2 1.6T Appliance is a high-performance high-speed Ethernet test platform purpose-built to validate and accelerate rollout of next-generation AI data center infrastructure. Designed for 1.6T Ethernet and AI workloads, it delivers high-capacity traffic generation, AI workload emulation and multivendor interoperability testing, enabling hyperscalers, cloud providers and network equipment manufacturers to accelerate deployment of scalable, high-performance AI-ready networks.

About VIAVI
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global leader in test and measurement and optical technologies. Our test, monitoring, assurance, and resilient position, navigation and timing solutions enable and secure critical infrastructure ranging from data center ecosystems and communication networks to military, aerospace, railway and first responder communications. In addition, we develop and advance technologies used in high-volume optical applications across anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, aerospace, industrial and automotive end markets.

Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Media Inquiries:
Grand Bridges
Emma Jenkins
emma@grandbridges.com
+1 415 800 4529

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viavi-wins-best-of-show-awards-at-interop-tokyo-2026-302797850.html

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