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Fulcrum and Woolpert Connect Utility Vegetation Risk Data Straight to the Crews Who Act on It

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Partnership turns lidar-based risk scores into scoped fieldwork with auditable proof-of-work

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fulcrum, the Field Operations Management platform for almost 3,000 organizations, and Woolpert, the global leader in architecture, engineering, and geospatial (AEG) services for the utility industry, today announced a partnership that connects lidar-based vegetation risk data to the field crews who need it, which enables them to take the actions that drive down actual risk.

Most power utilities manage transmission and distribution infrastructure without an up-to-date, condition-based view of it. That gap forces reactive maintenance: Crews get sent to low-risk spans while encroachment goes undetected somewhere else, outages climb, and regulators take notice. Meanwhile, expectations keep rising — storms shouldn’t mean days without power, dry conditions shouldn’t mean wildfire risk, and utilities are expected to show they’re in control of their network, not reacting to it.

Key capabilities from Woolpert and Fulcrum address the needs of utility companies and their service partners

Woolpert’s advanced lidar and imagery build a precise, connected 3D model of a utility’s corridors, scoring vegetation encroachment and clearance risk down to the span and canopy level.

Fulcrum, the platform field organizations use to run, record, and close out their work, takes that scored data into the field. Crews see which spans need attention first, execute the work, and close it out with a documented record. Completed work flows back to Woolpert, closing the loop between what was surveyed, what got done, and what’s ready for the next compliance cycle.

Instead of giving every span the same attention on the same schedule, the approach works the highest-risk spans first, replacing cycle-based vegetation management with risk-based management. Clearance documentation and hazard-tree identification, captured as structured data rather than trailing paperwork, cut wildfire and safety exposure for crews and the public and leave utilities with a defensible record when regulators ask for one.

“Woolpert enables utilities to get vegetation data, but those organizations need a reliable path from a risk score to the crew standing at the right pole,” said Mike Lambert, Chief Product Officer, Fulcrum. “This partnership puts that path in place, with field teams getting the best possible outcome at the pole by working off the same prioritized, current picture the office is looking at, and the results feeding straight back into it.”

“We built this because managing vegetation risk is a continuous, significant effort that requires a closed loop from observation to action and back again,” said Sam Acheson, Market Director, Woolpert. “Bringing Fulcrum into the workflow means the risk we identify from the air turns into documented action on the ground, which generates additional data that further improves risk mitigation.”

The Fulcrum-Woolpert integration is live today, and is the first of several anticipated use cases for the companies’ combined technology and expertise. The next extension of these capabilities will bring the same lidar-to-field-action model to facilities management by verifying clearance between buildings and high-voltage lines.

About Fulcrum

Fulcrum is the Field Operations Management platform that replaces the many narrow point solutions and paper still common in the field. Field organizations use Fulcrum to run, record, and close out their work. Electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities, and the engineering, construction, and inspection firms that serve them, run asset management, vegetation management, linear construction, and emergency response and disaster recovery on Fulcrum, capturing an AI-ready record of every job. Almost 3,000 companies use Fulcrum today. Fulcrum is developed by Spatial Networks, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California. Learn more at fulcrumapp.com.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is a global leader in architecture, engineering, and geospatial (AEG) services, with over a century of experience driving innovation and delivering impact. Woolpert fuses deep technical expertise with a forward-thinking mindset to solve complex challenges across the public, private, and government sectors. Woolpert is proud to be a certified Great Place to Work, a Top 10 Building Design+Construction firm, a Top 50 Engineering News-Record Design firm, and a Global Top 100 Geospatial company. Woolpert operates from more than 75 offices across five continents — building smarter, more resilient communities around the world. Learn more at woolpert.com.

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SOURCE Fulcrum

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Visier Expands Workforce Intelligence with the Launch of New Integration with Microsoft Viva Glint

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Visier’s new connector brings Viva Glint survey engagement data & insights into Visier, creating unified workforce context for analytics and AI

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Visier, the award-winning industry leader and creator of Visier Workforce AI, has brought a new data connector to market in collaboration with Microsoft Viva Glint, a leading enterprise employee listening and engagement platform. Through this integration, leaders within the enterprise have the data-backed confidence to strategically act and implement change within the workforce that will drive the most impact.

With Visier’s connector for Viva Glint, employee sentiment is no longer isolated within survey results. Insights captured through Viva Glint pulse surveys, lifecycle listening programs, and other engagement signals are seamlessly integrated into Visier’s Workforce Intelligence platform, creating a unified people data foundation.

By bringing employee engagement and satisfaction directly into workforce analytics, leaders gain a richer understanding of how employee experiences influence business outcomes. This holistic view enables organizations to connect workforce sentiment with performance, productivity, retention, and organizational change, turning insights into action.

The result is a powerful bridge between what employees are experiencing and the decisions leaders need to make. By closing the gap between employee voice and workforce strategy, organizations can respond faster, drive meaningful change, and achieve stronger business results.

The data connector between Visier and Viva Glint operates through the following:

Survey Closes – Engagement data is collected within the Viva Glint platform.

Connector Triggers Automated Transfer – Data is exported using Viva Glint’s API as prompted or scheduled.

Engagement Data Joins Your Workforce Data Model – Visier ingests and aligns the Viva Glint data to existing company workforce metrics and parameters, creating unified, org-specific context.

Actionable Insights Delivered – HR leaders and teams can immediately analyze engagement results alongside other workforce metrics within Visier.

“Every organization’s most valuable asset is its workforce, and we’re excited to collaborate with Microsoft Viva Glint to ensure that workforce engagement and satisfaction insights are prominently featured in the overall landscape of holistic Workforce Intelligence,” said Ike Bennion, Vice President of Product Management, Platform, at Visier. “As this collaboration continues and we explore the depths of what’s possible together, the market can expect innovation on a level synonymous with two of the most respected names in workforce intelligence and engagement. As excited as we are now, the best is yet to come.”

“Microsoft Viva Glint serves as a trusted source of employee engagement and listening insights for organizations around the world,” said Liz Pierce, Head of Product for Viva Glint. “Through our growing ecosystem of partners and integrations, customers can extend the value of those insights across their workforce technology landscape. Visier’s connector is a strong example of how organizations can leverage Viva Glint engagement data as part of a broader workforce intelligence strategy.”

Multiple data sources working together in a seamless, automated, and tailored analytical environment is how enterprises connect talent, from across the entire workforce, to business outcomes. Employees will tell you their thoughts, feelings, and wishes if you’re fast enough to receive, analyze, absorb, and react to their input. Visier’s integration with Viva Glint cuts the time between workforce input to leadership action, all while delivering a deeper level of Workforce Intelligence.

If your organization is running both Microsoft Viva Glint and Visier, the connector integration is available today for early access. To learn more, visit Visier.com.

About Visier

Visier Workforce AI gives leaders, business executives, and managers, the trusted insights and contextual guidance to make confident workforce decisions and lead workforce transformation at scale. The company’s award-winning technology expands beyond analytics, connecting insights to action during the workforce decision moments that matter most to an organization.

Our mission is to help businesses lead with insight at scale while continuously transforming in a rapidly changing workforce landscape.

Founded in 2010 by the pioneers of business intelligence, we have over 85,000 customers in 75 countries—including enterprises like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Domino’s Pizza, Experian, Amgen, eBay, and Ford Motor Company.

Discover more at visier.com.

Walker Sands
visierpr@walkersands.com

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Airbility Secures KRW 6.5 Billion Series A Led by Sazze Partners, Bringing Total Funding to USD 7.6 million

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Funding will accelerate commercialization of an integrated, high-speed eVTOL counter-UAS portfolio and build production capacity for global deployment

SILICON VALLEY, Calif. and SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Airbility, a deep-tech aerospace and defense company developing high-speed electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, today announced that it has raised USD 4.7 million (KRW 6.5 billion) in Series A funding led by a Silicon Valley-based global VC Sazze Partners. The round brings Airbility’s total funding to USD 7.6 million (KRW 10.5 billion). The company’s valuation was not disclosed.

Existing investor Stonebridge Ventures participated with a follow-on investment, and Industrial Bank of Korea joined as a new shareholder. Airbility’s existing investors also include Samho Green Investment, Mashup Ventures, BASS Ventures and 500 Global. The funding represents Sazze Partners’ first investment in the defense sector. Founded in 2018, Sazze Partners has backed more than 100 companies across artificial intelligence, software and consumer technology, including Korean AI company Upstage.

Funding to Scale an Integrated Counter-UAS Portfolio

Airbility will use the proceeds to advance an end-to-end counter-unmanned aircraft system (counter-UAS), designed to physically defeat hostile drones in the air, while establishing the production infrastructure required for scale. The architecture is built around the company’s high-speed eVTOL platforms and pairs airborne interceptors with onboard autonomy and external sensing assets.

The portfolio includes the net-gun-equipped AB-U10, which is designed for speeds of approximately 180 kilometers per hour, and the AB-U60 mothership platform. Airbility is also developing two new interceptors: the AB-U2, a compact kinetic interceptor deployed from the mothership, and the AB-U4L, a fixed-wing, launcher-deployed interceptor designed for speeds of approximately 300 kilometers per hour. The company plans to commercialize the AB-U10 by the end of 2026 and the AB-U2 and AB-U4L in the first half of 2027, creating a three-interceptor lineup. The AB-U60 is targeted for launch in 2027.

Airbility will also enhance the onboard AI that powers its interceptors. The goal is to enable independent mission execution in communications-limited environments and connect the aircraft with external detection assets, including radar, electro-optical and infrared sensors. This will allow detection, interception and post-engagement assessment to operate as one coordinated system. Airbility will strengthen its manufacturing system in parallel, drawing on its in-house capabilities in 3D printing, composite airframes, battery packs and flight-control software.

Built for Speed, Affordability and Exportability

Airbility was co-founded in November 2023 by researchers who helped develop Korea’s KT-1, T-50 and KF-21 aircraft at the Agency for Defense Development, together with professionals from Hyundai Motor, the MIT Media Lab, LG Electronics and Genesis Design. Three of the company’s senior technical leaders each spent between 25 and 31 years at the Agency for Defense Development. Of Airbility’s 26 employees, approximately 80 percent work in research and development.

In December 2025, two years after its founding, Airbility completed transition-flight demonstrations across three prototype aircraft, validating the core design, flight-control logic and system integration behind its high-speed eVTOL platform. The 4-kilogram-class AB-U4 entered commercialization in 2025.

The company is positioning its counter-UAS system to address a widening cost asymmetry in drone defense. A Shahed-type one-way attack drone is often cited at approximately USD 35,000, while a Patriot interceptor can cost about USD 4 million. Airbility estimates that its air-to-air approach can reduce the cost of an engagement to approximately USD 50 to USD 3,000, depending on configuration. The company also expects the domestically developed AB series to be priced at roughly one-tenth of comparable overseas systems, while offering greater flexibility for export customers facing origin restrictions and lengthy procurement processes.

Airbility is currently in commercial discussions with counterparties in more than nine countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Four memoranda of understanding and two joint-venture initiatives are in progress. In Korea, Airbility recently secured USD 2.2 million (KRW 3 billion) in R&D support through the Korea AeroSpace Administration’s 2026 Scale-Up TIPS program and is building domestic references through projects with the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

“Airbility is tackling the cost asymmetry in counter-drone defense with a system that combines a high-speed eVTOL mothership with small interceptors,” said Kiha Lee, Partner at Sazze Partners. “We were impressed by the team’s experience leading indigenous aircraft programs in Korea and by the speed with which it has moved from development to flight validation. If Airbility converts today’s rapidly growing global demand into contracts, we believe it can become a defining Korean defense technology company.”

“This investment gives us the resources to move faster,” said Jinmo Lee, co-CEO of Airbility. “We will build on our validated high-speed eVTOL platform, commercialize our first counter-UAS aircraft this year, and establish a three-interceptor portfolio in the first half of next year. From there, we intend to expand from aircraft sales to integrated system sales, convert our overseas pipeline into contracts, and target KRW 50 billion in cumulative revenue by 2028.”

About Airbility
Founded in November 2023, Airbility is a South Korean deep-tech aerospace and defense company developing AI-powered, high-speed eVTOL systems for air security and future mobility. The company’s aircraft combine optimized eVTOL geometries and flight systems with distributed electric fanjet propulsion, variable-inlet technology and modular hybrid-energy propulsion. Airbility brings together experience in manned and unmanned aircraft, autonomy, propulsion, vehicle engineering and industrial design. For more information, visit airbility.co.kr.

About Sazze Partners
Sazze Partners is a Silicon Valley venture capital firm founded in 2018 to support globally ambitious founders across East Asia and North America. The firm invests in exceptional entrepreneurs and combines capital with operating experience, mentorship and a cross-border network. For more information, visit sazze.vc.

Media Contact
Airbility
contact@airbility.co.kr

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SOURCE Airbility

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Konko AI Secures $6 Million to Scale Interoperable AI Platform that Gives Doctors More Time for Patient Care

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With support from Hi Ventures, NYC-based Harvard team expands definitive platform for AI in clinics across Latin America, already managing 2 million+ patient interactions in 90 healthcare institutions

NEW YORK and SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Konko AI, LatAm’s leading AI platform to manage patient journeys for healthcare clinics and hospitals, today announced $6 million in funding led by Hi Ventures, with participation from LifeX Ventures, SquareOne Capital, GroundUp Ventures, Phoenix Fund and angels from Harvard, MIT, Google and Tesla.

The funding fuels product development and growth expansion in LatAm to advance its mission of delivering personalized healthcare to the 5.6 billion people in the Global South.

Co-founder and CEO Jean-Marc Goguikian witnessed his wife, Dr. Juliana Vallejo, spend years training to save lives, only to be consumed by paperwork instead of patient care. He partnered with Harvard classmate and AI expert Michael Haddad to create Konko AI and give doctors more time.

Konko AI launched in Costa Rica to help overwhelmed clinics with their workloads. Its first deployment was at the clinic Goguikian founded with his wife. From there it expanded to Mexico and Colombia. In one year, Konko AI has become the most widely used platform in its category, with 2M+ patient interactions managed across 90 healthcare institutions and 60 specialties in Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica – 75% are handled end-to-end by AI.

“Applying AI to healthcare is more complex than most companies realize. Every clinic has unique workflows across dozens of systems, that’s why we’ve spent years working with providers to build AI that understands how healthcare operates,” said Goguikian.

Providers implement Konko AI when operational complexity outgrows their tools. What began as an AI for appointment scheduling evolved into a medical-grade AI platform automating patient journeys from first contact through follow-ups. Clients experience up to 30% revenue growth, +50% productivity and +30% patient NPS. As it automates, Konko AI unifies patient context into a continuous and interoperable record for each patient.

Konko AI’s platform includes:

Front Office: autonomously handles patient messages, triage and scheduling in any language.Reactivate: reaches patients proactively to close referral loops and recover no-shows.Unify: consolidates each patient’s context into a continuous and interoperable record.Analyze: equips teams with real-time analytics plus agentic evaluation that assesses patient needs.

Media Contact: contact@konko.ai 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/konko-ai-secures-6-million-to-scale-interoperable-ai-platform-that-gives-doctors-more-time-for-patient-care-302866518.html

SOURCE Konko AI

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