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BrightPlan Fuels Next Chapter of Growth with Series C Funding Led by ABS Capital Partners

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Investment Acknowledges BrightPlan’s AI-First, Enterprise-Grade Financial Wellness Platform, Recently Ranked No. 125 in Software on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list.

BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BrightPlan, an AI-powered financial wellness platform built for global enterprises, today announced the first closing of its Series C funding round, led by ABS Capital Partners, a growth equity firm with more than three decades of experience investing in B2B software and technology-enabled software companies. Additional investors are expected to join the round over the next 90 days ahead of a final close.

BrightPlan secures Series C funding to accelerate AI-first innovation, global growth in enterprise financial wellness.

As BrightPlan marks its 10th anniversary, the Series C round provides capital to fund the company’s next phase of growth, building on more than 230% revenue growth over the past three years. BrightPlan now serves more than 10 million employees across 50+ countries, with 0% enterprise customer churn, underscoring its effectiveness in improving financial wellness for its customers’ employees globally.

“A few weeks ago, Inc. recognized us for our remarkable growth and innovation, and this latest funding round will fuel our scale and cement our market leading position for years to come,” said Marthin De Beer, Founder and CEO of BrightPlan. “The additional capital will enable us to accelerate our vision to make AI-first financial wellness possible for everyone by bringing trusted, always-on financial guidance to even more employees around the world.”

Built for the Global Enterprise

The Series C round will support continued innovation in BrightPlan’s AI-driven platform, expansion of its enterprise distribution and partner network, and deepening of its global advisory capabilities, reinforcing the company’s position as a category leader in financial wellness.

“What set BrightPlan apart in our diligence was quality and customer satisfaction, in addition to strong growth. This is a platform delivering meaningful AI-driven outcomes and data for both the employees using it and the employers paying for it, a level of impact we haven’t seen matched elsewhere in financial wellness,” said Jennifer Krusius, Partner at ABS Capital Partners. “With the category projected to reach over $7 billion by 2031, BrightPlan is poised to dominate the category, and that is exactly what this investment is built to fuel.” As part of the investment, Krusius is joining BrightPlan’s Board of Directors.

Growing BrightPlan’s partner network accelerates its mission to make financial wellness possible for everyone. At a higher level, the partner ecosystem is built around the relationships and technology employers already use to support their people in other ways, integrating financial wellness into the retirement, benefits, and HR platforms already embedded in the employee experience to make it more accessible through channels employees already trust.

BrightPlan takes a disciplined approach to expanding into new countries. While others in the category check the box with educational content alone, BrightPlan’s holistic approach accounts for the cultural, regulatory and data privacy nuances that shape real financial decisions in every market. This investment will support continued enhancement of BrightPlan’s patented AI-first employee experience and expansion into additional countries as its global enterprise customer and partner base grows.

To learn more about this milestone and BrightPlan’s continued growth, visit https://www.brightplan.com/press-release/.   

For investor or media inquiries, visit: www.brightplan.com/contact-us/.

About BrightPlan

BrightPlan brings AI-powered personalization and trusted in-country advisors together in one global financial wellness platform, helping deliver a consistent, engaging employee experience across more than 50 countries and supporting over 10 million employees worldwide. Recently named No. 125 in Software on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, BrightPlan transforms workforce data into workforce intelligence, helping employers align people strategy with business priorities to improve workforce performance at scale. For more information, visit www.brightplan.com

About ABS Capital Partners

ABS Capital Partners is a growth equity firm investing in B2B software and technology-enabled services companies. Founded in 1990 and based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Hunt Valley, Maryland and San Francisco, the firm has invested more than $2.5 billion in over 130 companies, pairing capital with hands-on operating expertise to help management teams scale. Its portfolio includes growth-stage software companies such as ValidiFi, Cariloop, and Greenspace Health. For more information, visit www.abscapital.com

Disclosures

BrightPlan LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that may offer digital and human investment advice to US residents. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training nor does it imply endorsement by the SEC. BrightPlan is neither registered with any international agency to provide, nor does it provide, any specific investment advice or recommend specific securities or financial products to non-U.S. residents. Local financial advisors may be made available through firms in BrightPlan’s advisor network. All investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. BrightPlan is a registered trademark of BrightPlan, LLC. © 2026 BrightPlan LLC

BrightPlan paid Inc. a non-refundable application fee in connection with its submission for consideration. The ranking was based on Inc.’s applicable eligibility criteria and percentage revenue growth over the relevant three-year period.

CONTACT: pr@brightplan.com

 

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SiriusXM Names Sean Gibbons Chief Product and Technology Officer

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Longtime SiriusXM leader will advance the Company’s product experiences and technology strategy 

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SiriusXM (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced that Sean Gibbons has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Product and Technology Officer, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Witz and joining the Company’s Executive Leadership Team. In this role, Gibbons will lead product and technology across SiriusXM and Pandora, with responsibility for product strategy and development, technology platforms and engineering, automotive and streaming distribution partnerships, and advertising technology.

“Sean has helped shape SiriusXM through some of our most important product and technology transformations, including the development and successful rollout of SiriusXM with 360L,” said Jennifer Witz, Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM. “He brings more than two decades of experience, deep knowledge of our business and a strong track record of bringing together teams, technology and partnerships to deliver for consumers. Sean is a highly respected leader and the right person to help us accelerate innovation, improve the customer experience and advance the products, platforms and partnerships that will support our growth.”

Gibbons’ key priorities will include advancing SiriusXM with 360L and the Company’s next generation of in-car experiences; shaping the long-term technology roadmap supporting SiriusXM’s satellite, broadcast and streaming platforms; applying AI to improve personalization, discovery and customer service; and creating more dynamic, connected and participatory experiences across SiriusXM’s in-vehicle and streaming platforms.

“SiriusXM has a unique set of assets and a tremendous opportunity to make them work together even more powerfully for listeners,” said Gibbons. “We can pair the reach and reliability of satellite with the flexibility of streaming and the intelligence of AI to make it easier for people to discover what they love, stay connected wherever they listen and participate more deeply in the content and moments that matter to them. I’m excited to take on this role and help shape the next generation of the SiriusXM experience.”

Gibbons joined Sirius in 2000, before the company’s first satellite launch, and has held leadership roles spanning product management, engineering, automotive, streaming, content technology and strategic partnerships. During his tenure, he established SiriusXM’s first formal Product Management organization and later founded and led its first Streaming organization, expanding the SiriusXM experience across mobile, web and connected-home platforms.

Most recently, Gibbons led SiriusXM’s Automotive organization, bringing together product, user experience, engineering and automotive partnerships to advance the company’s in-vehicle experiences and relationships with leading automakers. Across more than two decades at SiriusXM, he has played a central role in many of the Company’s most significant product and technology transformations, including its evolution toward connected, software-defined vehicle experiences and hybrid satellite-and-IP services.

About Sirius XM Holdings Inc.
SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment company in North America, with a portfolio of audio businesses including its flagship subscription entertainment service SiriusXM; the ad-supported and premium music streaming services of Pandora; an expansive podcast network; and a complete ecosystem of advertising solutions through SiriusXM Media and AdsWizz. SiriusXM offers live, on-demand, and human-curated programming across music, talk, news, sports, and podcasts, and the company reaches approximately 255 million monthly listeners across its platforms. With deep automotive manufacturer relationships and unique spectrum assets, SiriusXM is built to reach listeners wherever they are. The company connects fans to the voices, creators, and moments they love – creating communities where listeners engage, participate, and belong. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: https://www.siriusxm.com/

Source: SiriusXM

Investor Contact:
Investor.Relations@siriusxm.com

Media Contact: 
Zak Paget
zak.paget@siriusxm.com

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Bluepeak Names Ken Johnson as Chief Executive Officer

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Rich Fish to Retire After Leading Bluepeak’s Growth into a Multi-State Fiber Provider

DENVER, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bluepeak, a leading provider of fiber internet, today announced that Ken Johnson has been named the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective October 19, 2026. Johnson joins Bluepeak from Cable One, Inc., where he most recently served as Chief Operating Officer. He succeeds Rich Fish, who will be retiring after leading Bluepeak for six years, during which time he guided the company’s growth into a fast-expanding, multi-state fiber internet provider, and will be transitioning to an advisory role with the company.

Johnson brings more than 30 years of telecommunications and broadband industry experience to the role, with a career-long focus on operational excellence, technology-driven growth, and expanding connectivity. At Cable One, he oversaw Residential and Business Services, Technology Services, Field and Call Center Operations, and Digital Evolution and Integration for a company serving more than one million customers across 24 states. He joined Cable One in 2018 following its acquisition of NewWave Communications, where he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer. Earlier in his career, Johnson held Chief Technology Officer roles at SureWest Communications and Everest Broadband. He was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers Class of 2025.

“Bluepeak has built a strong foundation and a clear reputation for delivering fast, reliable fiber internet with a local, customer-first approach,” said Johnson. “I am honored to lead this team into its next chapter. I look forward to building on the momentum Rich and the entire Bluepeak organization have created, to completing the fiber transformation of Bluepeak communities, and to continuing to expand access to best-in-class connectivity across the communities we serve.”

“Ken’s deep operational expertise and his track record of scaling broadband businesses make him the right leader for Bluepeak’s next phase of growth,” said Mark Prybutok, Managing Director and Head of Data Infrastructure at GI Partners. “His experience revitalizing and expanding networks, combined with his focus on the customer experience, align closely with what Bluepeak has built under Rich’s leadership. We are confident he will carry that work forward.”

Rich Fish has served as Bluepeak’s Chief Executive Officer since the company’s acquisition by GI Partners in early 2021, leading the company through its rapid buildout across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Texas, and overseeing its evolution into a whole-home connectivity provider offering speeds up to 5 Gig for residential customers and 10 Gig and beyond for businesses. 

“Leading Bluepeak has been one of the great privileges of my career,” said Fish. “Together, this team built a company defined by speed, reliability, and genuine local service, and we did it while expanding Bluepeak’s operating footprint into twenty-eight new markets across six states and now reach over 515,000 homes passed. I’m proud of what we’ve built and confident that Ken is the right person to lead Bluepeak forward. I want to thank our employees, our customers, and our communities for the trust they’ve placed in us.”

About Bluepeak

Bluepeak is a new kind of internet provider bringing fast, reliable, affordable internet to places that have needed better options for too long. The company has roots serving Great Plains and Midwest communities going back more than 30 years. As the need for internet in the region has evolved, so has Bluepeak, upgrading and expanding service to several markets in Oklahoma, South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, Wyoming, North Dakota and Texas with the newest cutting-edge technology. These expansion efforts include multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects, community involvement, and growth through local hires. Bluepeak is earning the trust of customers and businesses through simple, affordable offerings, responsive, reliable customer service, and transparent pricing. The company’s unique approach to delivering internet service has earned Bluepeak accolades for customer satisfaction, network performance, workplace culture, and meaningful community partnerships.

About GI Partners

Founded in 2001, GI Partners is a private investment firm with over 150 employees and offices in San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Greenwich, Scottsdale, and London. The firm has raised more than $50 billion in capital and invests on behalf of leading institutional investors around the world through its private equity, real estate, and data infrastructure strategies. The private equity team invests primarily in companies in the healthcare, services, and software sectors. The real estate strategy focuses primarily on technology and life sciences properties as well as other specialized types of real estate. The data infrastructure team invests primarily in hard asset infrastructure businesses underpinning the digital economy. For more information, please visit www.gipartners.com.

Media Contact:

Jaime Gardner
jgardner@novitascommunications.com
or 970-597-0696

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ValleyStar Credit Union Celebrates Denise Ratliff’s Graduation from Southeastern Regional Credit Union School

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Denise Ratliff, Senior Vice President of Lending, has successfully graduated from the Southeastern Regional Credit Union School

MARTINSVILLE, Va., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — ValleyStar Credit Union is proud to announce that Denise Ratliff, Senior Vice President of Lending, has successfully graduated from the Southeastern Regional Credit Union School (SRCUS) and earned her Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation.

The CCUE designation is awarded to graduates who complete the rigorous three-year SRCUS program, an immersive leadership development experience designed to strengthen operational knowledge, strategic thinking, and leadership skills for credit union professionals. Throughout the program, participants engage in weeklong classroom sessions, online coursework, team projects, and examinations while learning from University of Georgia faculty and experienced credit union executives.

“Denise’s achievement is a reflection of her unwavering commitment to professional growth and to serving our members with excellence,” said Woody Windley, Interim President/CFO of ValleyStar Credit Union. “Throughout her career, Denise has demonstrated strong leadership, dedication, and a passion for continuous learning. We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment and know the knowledge and experience she has gained through SRCUS will continue to strengthen our organization, our team, and the exceptional service we provide to our members.”

Reflecting on her experience, Ratliff shared how the program challenged and inspired her throughout the past three years.

“The last three years of SRCUS have been a challenging and wonderful experience. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from incredibly talented professors and instructors while developing relationships with my classmates that will last a lifetime. I am truly grateful for the experience and am excited to put everything I’ve learned into practice.”

ValleyStar Credit Union believes investing in employee development is an investment in its members and communities. By supporting continuing education opportunities like SRCUS, ValleyStar equips its team with the knowledge and leadership skills needed to deliver exceptional service and meet the evolving financial needs of its members.

About ValleyStar Credit Union

Serving businesses and families across Virginia since 1953, ValleyStar Credit Union is committed to making banking simple, convenient, and focused on what matters most to its members. Whether helping members purchase a home, finance a vehicle, grow a business, or achieve long-term financial goals, ValleyStar is dedicated to providing trusted financial solutions with exceptional service.

As a member-owned financial cooperative, ValleyStar returns earnings to its members through competitive loan rates, higher returns on deposits, and fewer fees. The credit union is equally committed to strengthening the communities it serves through financial education, community partnerships, and volunteerism, helping members and neighborhoods thrive together.

Media Contact

Kristen Roberson, ValleyStar Credit Union, 1 800.475.6328, kristenr@valleystar.org, https://www.valleystar.org/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/valleystar-credit-union-celebrates-denise-ratliffs-graduation-from-southeastern-regional-credit-union-school-302868684.html

SOURCE ValleyStar Credit Union

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