Connect with us

Technology

Axiad Raises $25M in Private Equity Round from Invictus Growth Partners

Published

on

Funds Will Accelerate the Growth and Expansion of the Identity Security Company, Including Driving Product Innovation, Hiring Top Talent and Advancing the FedRAMP Certification Process

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Axiad, an identity-first enabler of the zero-trust enterprise, today announced it has raised $25 million in funding from Invictus Growth Partners (“Invictus”). The investment funds will be used primarily to fuel product development innovation, hire additional top talent, bolster sales and marketing efforts, and aid in the company’s journey to achieve Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) Authority to Operate (ATO). The current round brings the company’s total capital raised to $45 million, which includes Invictus’s previous $20 million private equity investment in 2021.

“According to an IDSA survey, 91% of organizations experienced an identity-based attack in 2024, and while multifactor authentication (MFA) has been around for decades, most implementations are weak and do not provide true phishing resistance,” said David Canellos, CEO of Axiad. “This latest funding round from Invictus further demonstrates its confidence in our mission in the identity security space, which is to enable enterprises and government organizations to deliver an identity-first zero-trust future through advanced authentication solutions, including phishing-resistant MFA, that will help better protect our rapidly growing customer base.”

The funding news comes on the heels of Axiad’s announcement last week that a federal agency has agreed to sponsor Axiad and its flagship product, Axiad Cloud, to finalize its progress through the FedRAMP process. Axiad Cloud provides an advanced authentication toolset to customers, including federal government agencies, that combines MFA, cloud-based PKI and robust credential management that utilizes x.509 certificates and FIDO passkeys. The toolset helps organizations deploy and manage strong authentication processes across people, non-human identities and applications without replacing existing systems, resulting in lower IT costs, happier users and increased security by protecting organizations against identity-based attacks.

“Axiad is a trusted leader in the identity security market, and this additional investment will drive continued innovation for our customers and the industry overall,” said John DeLoche, co-founder of Invictus and a member of Axiad’s board of directors. “David has brought exceptional leadership, vision and new operating talent to the company, and we look forward to working with him to successfully execute on Axiad’s growth strategy.”

The investment also builds on the company’s recent momentum of the appointments of Alex Au Yeung as chief product officer and Sergey Starzhinskiy as vice president of systems engineering, who are both continuing to drive Axiad’s identity-first product direction and innovation, as well as the aforementioned announcement of a new federal agency customer and FedRAMP sponsor.

About Axiad
Axiad delivers identity-first authentication technologies that help organizations secure people, machines and applications. Axiad’s customers in the federal government, finance and banking, healthcare, manufacturing and technology sectors optimize existing cybersecurity investments while navigating modern IT complexities like disparate identity and access (IAM) solutions, a mix of cloud, on-prem and hybrid infrastructures, and regulatory requirements like FedRAMP, CMMC and AAL3. The company’s flagship offering, Axiad Cloud, provides an advanced authentication toolset that allows organizations to manage strong authentication processes without replacing existing systems. Axiad Cloud combines multifactor authentication, cloud-based PKI and robust credential management utilizing x.509 certificates and FIDO passkeys, while supporting the widest range of credentials in the industry, including FIDO, mobile MFA, Windows Hello for Business, YubiKeys, smart cards, TPM and biometrics. With Axiad Cloud, customers benefit from lower IT costs, increased user satisfaction and continual mitigation of identity-based attacks. Visit axiad.com to learn more.

About Invictus Growth Partners
Invictus Growth Partners is a buyout and growth equity firm that invests in outstanding bootstrapped and capital efficient, automation-enabled cloud software, cybersecurity and fintech companies that seek capital and strategic resources to accelerate their growth. The firm and all its professionals are based in San Mateo, CA. Please visit at invictusgrowth.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axiad-raises-25m-in-private-equity-round-from-invictus-growth-partners-302208861.html

SOURCE Axiad IDS, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Tuya Smart Unveils Doova at IFA 2026, an AI Home Companion Robot Designed to Support Independently Living Seniors

Published

on

By

BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391), a global AI cloud platform service provider, today unveiled Doova, its new AI home companion robot, at IFA 2026. Designed for seniors living alone, Doova moves beyond the traditional roles of security devices and household robots, combining proactive safety protection, emotionally intelligent companionship, and seamless smart home coordination to support a safer, more connected, and more comfortable daily life.

For many seniors living independently, the greatest concern is not simply an accident itself, but the time that passes before anyone realizes something is wrong.

Doova is equipped with LDS LiDAR, a four-microphone sound source localization system, and AI vision-based skeletal recognition algorithms. If a user falls or encounters another emergency, they can call out, “Hey Tuya, help,” and Doova will quickly locate the user, move to their side, and assess the situation in real time.

If no response is detected within 60 seconds, Doova automatically initiates an emergency response workflow, sending a two-way live video call alert to family members so assistance can be arranged without delay.

An AI Companion for Everyday Life

Doova combines emotional companionship, daily assistance, and wellness support in a single AI-powered home companion designed specifically for older adults. Its conversational ability is powered by a multimodal large language model, allowing it to hold natural, free-flowing conversations rather than respond only to fixed commands.

During quiet moments at home, Doova can hold conversations, offer company, and play entertainment content to ease feelings of loneliness. In day-to-day life, it can help interpret complex bills and letters, identify potential scam risks, and guide users through operating smart appliances. For health and routine management, Doova can provide reminders for medication, weather updates, and schedules, while also engaging users with light interactive games.

Over time, Doova learns user preferences and becomes more personally helpful in everyday areas such as meal suggestions, gardening advice, and outfit recommendations. In the future, Tuya also plans to introduce value-added services including autonomous item-finding throughout the home, helping reduce anxiety around misplaced belongings.

Smarter In-Home Monitoring for Greater Peace of Mind

When users are away from home, Doova helps make home monitoring simpler and less intrusive.

Unlike conventional patrol-style security devices that follow walls in fixed routes and can feel like overt surveillance, Doova uses a node-oriented coverage strategy designed around the center of each room. It can move from space to space on a dual-wheel drive with caster wheels, perform a 360-degree scan at each location, and automatically generate a safety report that is delivered to the user’s mobile phone, making it easier to stay informed about conditions throughout the home from anywhere. Doova also supports autonomous docking and recharging, so monitoring continues without day-to-day intervention.

A Gentle Smart Home Hub Built for Daily Living

Powered by Tuya’s mature AIoT ecosystem, Doova also serves as a central smart home control hub. With simple voice commands, users can coordinate connected devices across the home, including lighting, curtains, kitchen appliances, and bathroom devices, without complicated setup or operations, lowering the barrier to smart living for seniors.

Doova is also designed to feel like a natural part of the household rather than a piece of equipment. Its soft, curved form moves away from the cold, mechanical look often associated with robots, allowing it to blend more naturally into living spaces. The device height is optimized for interaction whether a user is standing, seated, or reclining, while a 10.1-inch high-definition display and dynamic facial expressions make conversations feel warmer and more engaging.

Doova has drawn strong interest from attendees at IFA 2026, reflecting growing demand for AI solutions that support independent living. With Doova, Tuya continues to extend its AI+IoT ecosystem into new areas of daily life, bringing safety, companionship, and connected living together for seniors who choose to age independently.

About Tuya Smart

Tuya Inc. (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391) is a leading global AI cloud platform service provider dedicated to bringing AI into everyday life. Through its TuyaOpen open-source development framework and universal AI Agent engines, including the AI Agent development platform, Tuya integrates multimodal AI capabilities to lower barriers for AI development, efficiently advancing the realization of AI-driven lifestyles and accelerating AI integration with the physical world. Tuya offers innovative physical AI solutions for smart devices, commercial applications, and industry developers through its cloud computing and spatial intelligence capabilities. It also provides a complete, open, and neutral global AIoT ecosystem.

As of June 30, 2026, the Tuya AI Developer Platform had over 2,092,000 registered AI developers from more than 200 countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tuya-smart-unveils-doova-at-ifa-2026-an-ai-home-companion-robot-designed-to-support-independently-living-seniors-302870623.html

SOURCE Tuya Smart

Continue Reading

Technology

NonPublic delivers over 10x return on SpaceX investments for early investors

Published

on

By

Private markets technology investment platform NonPublic delivered over a 10x return to early investors, after they saw SpaceX’s valuation soar to a peak of 2.6 trillion following the biggest IPO in history.

SYDNEY, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Private markets technology investment platform NonPublic has delivered over a 10x return to early investors, after they saw SpaceX’s valuation soar to a peak of 2.6 trillion following the biggest IPO in history.

“What this outcome illustrates is that the most significant growth in today’s leading technology companies increasingly belongs to private market investors. Most of the money is made before the bell rings, and as companies stay private for longer, that window only widens.”

The NonPublic Group ran 14 vehicles across SpaceX, and xAI which merged into SpaceX, growing US $4.4 million of investor capital into around US$16 million at the IPO price and US$24 million at the June peak, before fees.

SpaceX stock surged 67 percent above its IPO valuation within days of listing, and total market cap still currently sits at over US $2 trillion, but the vast majority of investor returns were realised well before the public markets were granted access.

Direct access to US private placements like these has historically required Australian investors to hold US SEC accreditation or qualified purchaser status, leverage a US-licensed broker, and commit a minimum of US$1 to 5 million per deal.

These requirements are operationally and legally impractical for most eligible Australian investors to meet directly, however NonPublic gave eligible wholesale Australian investors access to the deal by pooling funds through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

This access was critical given SpaceX remained private for 24 years accruing value before listing, as the average time from founding to IPO for major US technology companies has grown from around four years in the early 2000s to 12 years today.

SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 on 7 July. NonPublic believes its investors already captured the bulk of the company’s value creation before public markets opened.

Milan Reinartz, founder and CEO at NonPublic, said: “When we first accessed SpaceX in 2021 at a US$108 billion valuation, many people thought the ceiling was closed. They missed what Starlink represented as a commercial engine, and the long-term mission that gives SpaceX a purpose no competitor can replicate.

“What this outcome illustrates is that the most significant growth in today’s leading technology companies increasingly belongs to private market investors. Most of the money is made before the bell rings, and as companies stay private for longer, that window only widens.

“For eligible Australian wholesale investors, that opportunity has historically been out of reach. Our goal is to provide access to these companies at transparent fee structures through familiar Australian structures, while being clear that disciplined diversification across a portfolio is how investors manage the genuine risks of this asset class.”

Please contact Priyanka Dogra for any interview requests: 0410 593 587

NonPublic (www.nonpublic.com) is an Australian-licensed investment platform providing sophisticated/accredited and professional investors with curated access to exclusive pre-IPO and private market opportunities, with a focus on leading US technology companies. Through a transparent, technology-enabled platform, NonPublic connects investors with high-growth private companies, secondary transactions, and alternative investment opportunities that have traditionally been difficult to access.

NonPublic Pty Ltd holds Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) 482668.

Media Contact

Priyanka Dogra, NonPublic, 61 0410593587, priyanka@thirdhemisphere.agency, https://nonpublic.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/nonpublic-delivers-over-10x-return-on-spacex-investments-for-early-investors-302868905.html

SOURCE NonPublic

Continue Reading

Technology

CHiQ Wins AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award, Exploring New Smart Living Experiences Through AI Innovation

Published

on

By

BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CHiQ, a global smart home brand, received the AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award at IFA 2026 in recognition of its continued innovation in AI technology and smart home ecosystems. The award further highlights CHiQ’s pioneering work in AI-powered smart homes and its ongoing efforts to enhance the user experience through technological breakthrough.

Presented jointly by IDG and IFA, the award is one of the technology innovation honors closely watched by the global consumer electronics and home appliance industry during IFA. It recognizes notable advances in cutting-edge AI technology across the sector, with a focus on practical innovations and applications that contribute to industry development.

“Receiving the AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award is a recognition of CHiQ’s continued exploration of AI-powered smart homes,” said Vinson Fan, Deputy General Manager of Changhong International Brand Business Center. “The value of AI should be reflected not only in the smart features of individual products, but also in understanding users’ needs and enabling different devices and scenarios to work together naturally. CHiQ will continue to deepen the integration of AI into everyday home life, making smart home technology more responsive to users and delivering more convenient, intuitive and personalized experiences to consumers worldwide.”

At this year’s IFA, CHiQ unveiled a range of flagship AI-powered smart home products across key categories, including TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. The RGB MiniLED AI TV features an AI Sports Platform that expands opportunities for exercising at home, while the AI refrigerator uses AI-powered precision control technology to improve food preservation. The washing machines and air conditioners employ intelligent sensing to further optimize garment care and indoor climate control.

Beyond its products, CHiQ continues to explore the intersection of technology, culture and lifestyle. The brand has incorporated panda-inspired elements into its AI interactions to engage users in a more approachable way. Through sports partnerships such as the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, CHiQ is also connecting its brand with sports and lifestyles familiar to European consumers, further strengthening its localized brand presence.

In recent years, CHiQ has continued to advance the development and application of AI technology, extending its AI capabilities from individual products to a broader range of home appliances and everyday scenarios while steadily strengthening its technological and product innovation capabilities. Building on this award, CHiQ will further expand the role of AI in everyday home life. Through a more open ecosystem and continued technological development, the brand aims to strengthen its global presence and bring more personalized smart living experiences to consumers worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/chiq-wins-ai-home-ecosystem-brand-award-exploring-new-smart-living-experiences-through-ai-innovation-302870186.html

Continue Reading

Trending