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Natural Raises $30M Series A to Build Payments Infrastructure for AI Agents

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Natural today announced that it has raised a $30 million Series A led by Kirsten Green at Forerunner, with continued participation from all major investors. The round was raised when the company was 193 days old and brings Natural’s total funding to more than $40 million.

The round was supported by Aarmaan Ali and Baris Akis, Founders of Human Capital; Ramtin Naimi, Founder of Abstract; Nichole Wischoff, Founder of Wischoff Ventures; Darragh Buckley, CEO of Increase; Pablo Palafox, CEO of HappyRobot; Paul Klein IV, CEO of Browserbase; Akshay Kothari, Co-founder of Notion; Henri Stern and Max Segall, CEO and COO of Privy; Pete Koomen, GP of Y Combinator; Dylan Babbs, CTO of Profound; Art Levy, CBO of Brex; Jake and Logan Paul, GPs of Antifund; and others.

Natural is building the foundational payments stack for AI agents.1

Agents are becoming financial actors. They will hold and move money, request and accept payments, make purchases, pay invoices, charge for work, and transact across currencies, banks, networks, and payment rails. They need a financial stack built specifically for how they operate.

“Agents are going to become one of the most, if not the most, important financial actors in the global economy,” said Kahlil Lalji, CEO and Co-founder of Natural. “The question is not whether agents will move money. The question is who builds the infrastructure that makes agentic payments safe, reliable, compliant, and useful at scale. That is what we are building at Natural.”

Natural is building 13 products. Today, six hit general availability. Available now:

Wallets — FDIC-insured wallets for agents 2
Vaults — One-way accounts. Agents move money in, never out
Pay — Send money to an agent, business, or consumer
Request — Collect money from an agent, business, or consumer
Transfer — Move funds between internal and external accounts
Connect — Build platforms and marketplaces on Natural

Natural is also rolling out Voice, Accept, and Cards over the coming months. Voice will allow agents to collect PCI information, including card details, over the phone. Accept will allow companies to turn agents into merchants. Cards will allow companies to issue debit and charge cards for agents.

In Q4, the company plans to launch Charge, Credit, Direct, and Billing. Charge will support per-API-call billing on top of Natural wallets. Credit will allow companies to issue lines of credit for agents. Direct will allow agents to call specific payment rails at runtime. Billing will support success-based billing for agents.

“We made a bet on agentic payments a year ago, when no one was talking about it,” Lalji said. “We knew that we needed to own that entire stack. Natural builds and operates the primitives directly: ledgering, money movement, multi-bank settlement, multi-currency, fraud & compliance, agent identity & observability, and more.”

The company noted that it has built its banking and payments infrastructure with significant direct ownership in less than a year since founding. Natural was started by Lalji and co-founders Eric Wang and Walt Leung 342 days ago. The company now has a team of 17 and is hiring aggressively across every function.

“We are moving with an unbelievable level of intensity because the market is moving extremely quickly,” Lalji said. “The shift from human-executed payments to agent-executed payments is already underway, and Natural is building the infrastructure required to support that shift.”

About Natural
Natural (www.natural.com) is building payments infrastructure for AI agents. The company has raised more than $40 million from investors including Forerunner, Human Capital, Abstract, Bridge, Brex, Mercury, Privy, Vercel, Notion, Increase, Unit, Figure, and so many others.

¹ Natural is a financial technology company, not a bank. Wallet Account and banking services are provided by Column N.A., Member FDIC.

² Natural is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured depository institution. FDIC deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured depository institution. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through FDIC insurance to apply. Deposits in Wallet accounts are FDIC-insured through Column N.A., Member FDIC, and Column’s Sweep Program Network Banks.

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SOURCE Natural AI, Inc.

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GIGABYTE AI TOP ATOM 64GB Unified Memory Version Expands Possibilities for Desktop AI Development

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TAIPEI, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GIGABYTE today announced the launch of a new 64GB unified memory version of GIGABYTE AI TOP ATOM, expanding its existing 128GB offering. Available starting October 23, the new configuration retains the hardware design of AI TOP ATOM, based on the NVIDIA DGX Spark platform, giving developers, researchers, and enterprise teams greater flexibility to select the configuration that best fits their AI workloads and memory requirements, while enabling dedicated on-premises AI development environments.

As generative AI and agentic AI applications continue to evolve, model testing, data processing, and application validation are becoming increasingly integral to everyday development workflows. GIGABYTE AI TOP ATOM integrates AI computing capabilities into a compact desktop form factor, enabling users to perform model inference, prototype development, and data analysis in offices, laboratories, and educational environments. By running models and processing data locally, users can maintain greater control over development resources and project data while reducing reliance on cloud computing resources.

The new 64GB unified memory version, together with the existing high-capacity 128GB version, creates a more comprehensive AI TOP ATOM product lineup. Users can evaluate and select the memory capacity that best matches their model sizes, workflows, and multitasking requirements, enabling them to develop AI applications on the same platform and progress from early proof-of-concept development to practical deployment. With built-in ConnectX-7 networking, developers can cluster up to 4 units with NVIDIA Sync for larger memory pool and compute capability.

On the software side, AI TOP ATOM integrates NVIDIA CUDA accelerated AI software ecosystem with GIGABYTE AI TOP Utility, providing capabilities including model downloading, inference, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to help users establish local AI workflows. Developers can explore open models, test AI assistants, or leverage their own documents to build knowledge-based question-and-answer applications, allowing them to continuously refine and validate solutions based on project requirements and accelerate the transition from ideas to real-world applications.

GIGABYTE is also continuing to explore the potential of AI TOP ATOM for agentic AI applications. In a multi-node scientific computing demonstration, GIGABYTE integrated NVIDIA Nemotron open models with the NVIDIA NemoClaw open agent blueprint to connect research hypothesis generation with simulation workflows, demonstrating the potential of AI agents to support scientific research. Through the continued integration of hardware platforms, software tools, and real-world applications, GIGABYTE is committed to expanding the use cases for desktop AI computing.

With the addition of the 64GB unified memory version, AI TOP ATOM is now available in both 128GB and 64GB configurations, addressing the needs of users across different stages of AI development and application scales. GIGABYTE will continue to expand its AI TOP product portfolio and software ecosystem, helping individuals and enterprise teams build on-premises AI capabilities and bring AI from technology exploration into everyday applications.

The GIGABYTE AI TOP ATOM 64GB unified memory version is officially available starting October 23, 2026. Product availability, sales channels, and pricing may vary by region. Please refer to GIGABYTE’s official announcements and authorized local distributors for details.

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SOURCE GIGABYTE

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MEXC and Payward Signal Intent to Explore Broader Collaboration Ahead of TOKEN2049

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MUTSAMUDU, Comoros, Oct. 5, 2026 /CNW/ — MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, and Payward, the parent company of Kraken, are in discussions to explore a collaboration as both platforms look at how exchanges can better serve users across evolving global markets. The two companies will bring the conversation to TOKEN2049 Singapore, where MEXC CEO Vugar Usi Zade and Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi will join a panel on the MEXC Stage to discuss the next phase of trading platforms and share further perspectives on collaboration between exchanges.

The discussion comes as trading platforms respond to several shifts happening at the same time. Users are seeking broader access across crypto and traditional markets, AI is changing how investors research and interact with trading tools, and social trading is creating new ways to discover and participate in market opportunities. Against this backdrop, exchanges are increasingly looking beyond individual products toward how market access, infrastructure, liquidity and user experience can work together more effectively. As platforms evolve, exchange security and user asset protection will also remain an important part of the conversation.

As the exchange industry evolves, platforms are building different strengths across user experience, market access, infrastructure and trading capabilities. MEXC has focused on retail user experience, deep liquidity and perpetual trading across crypto and TradFi assets, while Payward brings global compliant financial infrastructure, professional trading capabilities and a strong U.S. market presence. These different strengths create room to explore where broader collaboration could add value for users.

“Users increasingly expect broader market access without more complexity,” said Vugar Usi Zade, CEO of MEXC. “The next stage of trading will require strong user experience, liquidity, infrastructure and market access to work more closely together. As exchanges continue to evolve, there is growing room to explore where collaboration across the industry can create more value for users.”

The TOKEN2049 panel will take place on October 7 from 12:30 to 13:00 at the MEXC Stage, and will explore the trends reshaping trading, how exchanges are preparing for changing user expectations, and where greater collaboration between platforms could create value. The conversation will also look at the convergence of crypto and TradFi, the growing role of AI in trading, and how global trading platforms may evolve as markets and infrastructure become more connected.

About MEXC

Founded in 2018, MEXC is a leading global multi-asset trading platform built as your 0-fee gateway to infinite opportunities. Serving users across 170+ markets, MEXC provides simple and efficient access to crypto, stocks, tokenized assets, derivatives, and a growing range of TradFi-linked opportunities through one account and one gateway.

With 0 trading fees, deep liquidity, broad asset coverage, and a high-performance trading experience, MEXC is designed for retail users who want to discover earlier, act faster, and trade with fewer barriers. As crypto and traditional finance continue to converge, MEXC is committed to making global opportunities more accessible, helping users trade freely and MEXCmize every opportunity.

MEXC Official Website| X | Telegram |How to Sign Up on MEXC

Risk Disclaimer:

This content does not constitute investment advice. Given the volatility of financial markets, including digital assets, tokenized assets, and traditional financial products, investors should carefully assess market conditions, underlying asset fundamentals, and potential financial risks before making any investment or trading decisions.

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SOURCE MEXC

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Solidion Technology (NASDAQ: STI) Remains Firm on Flux Power (NASDAQ: FLUX) Below Market Offer in Response to Flux Board Rejection

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Sees no Basis to Increase Its Offer as Flux Power Continues to Face Highly Dilutive Financing Requirements, Regulatory Issues, and Default Risk

DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Solidion Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: STI) (“Solidion Technology” or “the Company”), an advanced battery technology solutions provider, today responded to the decision of the Board of Directors of Flux Power Holding, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLUX) (“Flux Power” or “Flux”) to reject Solidion’s previously announced acquisition proposal. Solidion considers its bid to be best and final.

“Solidion strongly disagrees with the Flux Power Board’s assertion that its proposal ‘significantly undervalues’ the company,” said Jaymes Winters, Chairman and CEO of Solidion Technology. “This offer takes into account the capital and execution required to stabilize the business, and Solidion has no intention of increasing its offer at this time.”

Winters continues, “Solidion is and always will be an opportunistic acquirer of companies it believes will complement and amplify its existing technology. In doing so, we will be resolute custodians of our shareholder value and not seek opportunities that are overpriced, beyond repair or not related to Solidion’s growth strategy. We will continue to pursue other prospects in parallel with FLUX.”

In Solidion’s opinion:

Flux Power still faces an immediate need for capital, resulting in highly discounted equity issuance: Private placements, equity lines of credit or other highly dilutive capital facilities used in this distressed manner (which may have been utilized on 10/02/2026) will only accelerate the loss of shareholder value. If the Board believes that its strategy offers greater shareholder value, Solidion believes that shareholders deserve to know how much additional capital will be required, where it will come from, and what it could cost existing shareholders.In order to meet their stated objectives, Flux Power requires, at minimum, $10 million in fresh capital: In order to achieve this without substantial shareholder dilution, the only alternative financing path is an acquisition of Flux by a stronger company.Flux Power continues to face NASDAQ listing pressure: On July 24, 2026, Flux Power received notice from NASDAQ that its common stock had closed below the $1.00 minimum bid price for 30 consecutive business days, providing an initial 180-day period to regain compliance. Additionally, in the event that a reverse stock split becomes necessary, the post-stock split decay risk has historically resulted in a 20-40% decline in the price per share.Changing macroeconomic winds remain a significant risk: Flux Power’s expectations for easing headwinds overlook continued uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment, particularly with regard to the significant tariff exposure facing its supply chain. In order to overcome these challenges, a company with a strong balance sheet is far better suited to weather macroeconomic uncertainties.

Solidion believes that Flux Power shareholders should be given the transparency and information necessary to make an informed assessment of the condition of Flux’s ability to continue as a going concern, and deserve a clear choice between an acquisition that provides a large degree of certainty or continuing to fund a turnaround whose ultimate cost, dilution, and outcome remain critically uncertain.

About Solidion Technology, Inc.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas with pilot production facilities in Dayton, Ohio, Solidion’s (NASDAQ: STI) core business includes manufacturing of battery materials and components, as well as development and production of next-generation batteries for energy storage systems, including UPS systems serving the artificial intelligence (AI) data center market and electric vehicles for ground, aerospace, and sea transportation. Solidion holds a portfolio of over 385 patents, covering innovations such as high-capacity, silane gas free and graphene-enabled silicon anodes, biomass-based graphite, advanced lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal technologies.

For more information, please visit www.solidiontech.com or contact Investor Relations.

Important Information Regarding the Proposed Transaction

Solidion has expressed its interest in pursuing a potential acquisition of Flux Power Holdings, Inc. No assurance can be given that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that any transaction will ultimately be commenced or consummated. This is not a legally binding obligation, offer, or commitment by either party. No past, present, or future expression of intent, proposal, discussion, or course of conduct shall give rise to any legally binding contract or obligation to proceed with or close the proposed transaction unless and until a definitive written acquisition agreement has been fully executed. Any proposed transaction would be subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, the completion of due diligence, financing considerations, required approvals and other customary conditions.

This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. Additionally, this communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. This communication relates to a proposal which Solidion has made for a business combination transaction with  Flux. This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement, registration statement, tender offer statement, prospectus or other document the parties may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.  This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. If and when a transaction is commenced, Solidion expects to file applicable materials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors and security holders are urged to read such materials carefully and in their entirety when and if they become available because they will contain important information.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Solidion Technology Inc., (NASDAQ: STI) (the “Company,” “Solidion,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Please follow us on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solidion-tech 

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