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ALEPH CAPITAL PARTNERS AND CRESTVIEW PARTNERS ANNOUNCE SIGNIFICANT EQUITY INVESTMENT IN SABER INTERACTIVE – ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING INDEPENDENT GAME DEVELOPERS

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–Strategic Investment Underscores Aleph’s and Crestview’s Commitment to Backing Industry-Leading Companies with Tremendous Potential for Growth and Value-creation–

–Capital Will Be Used to Accelerate Saber Interactive’s Growth Initiatives and Fully Repay Embracer Debt–

LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aleph Capital Partners and Crestview Partners, leading private equity firms based in London and New York, respectively, today announced a significant equity investment in Saber Interactive, a global leader in interactive entertainment and video game development. This strategic investment underscores Aleph’s and Crestview’s commitment to backing industry-leading companies with tremendous potential for growth and value-creation.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Saber Interactive is one of the world’s leading independent game developers for all major platforms based on original and licensed IPs, including successful titles such as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (just released on September 9, 2024), World War Z, SnowRunner, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, Insurgency: Sandstorm, and an exciting slate of upcoming titles including Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jurassic Park: Survival, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, RoadCraft, Tempest Rising, and many others.

With this investment, Saber Interactive will pay off all debt owed to Embracer Group AB in connection with its recent management-led buyout and will accelerate growth initiatives, leveraging its experienced management team and core development strengths from 13 tightly integrated studios located across Western and Eastern Europe, the United States, and South America.

Jamie Rahamim, Managing Director and Head of Media at Aleph, commented, “We are excited to partner with Saber, a unique platform with exceptional capabilities and a robust portfolio of major games to be released over the next several years. This investment is aligned with our strategy of supporting dynamic companies that have the potential to shape the future of their industries. We look forward to partnering with Saber’s talented leadership team to help them achieve even greater success on a global scale.”

Brian Cassidy, President and Head of Media at Crestview, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Saber and its talented team on this compelling investment opportunity. Saber is well-positioned to capitalize on the dynamic changes playing out in the media, entertainment, gaming and technology sectors, and we look forward to helping the company achieve its full potential through organic growth initiatives and M&A.”

Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, added, “It’s hard to believe that Saber has been in business for nearly a quarter of a century. While we have grown to over 3,000 developers across the globe, we still feel like a startup with tremendous opportunity for rapid growth.” 

“Aleph and Crestview’s investment in Saber is a testament to what we have built, and more importantly, to what we can still achieve in the coming years as creators and providers of some of the best game content in the world,” added Mr. Karch. “I have been doing this long enough to know that the most important aspect of any investment is who your partners are, and I can state with tremendous confidence that Jamie and Brian and their respective teams at Aleph and Crestview are the right fit for Saber’s future. Saber has a lot to celebrate these days, and this partnership is at the top of the list.”

As part of this transaction, Jamie Rahamim and Brian Cassidy will be joining Saber’s Board of Directors, along with Matthew Karch and Andrey Iones.

Octagon Capital Group LLC served as strategic and financial advisor to Saber Interactive, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Aleph and Crestview in connection with this transaction.

About Aleph Capital Partners
Aleph Capital is a London-based independent investment firm which was founded by Hugues Lepic, former head of Goldman Sachs’ Merchant Banking Division in Europe. Established in 2013, its mandate is to provide flexible capital solutions to ambitious companies seeking to unlock their growth potential. Aleph looks to back companies driven by strong secular industry themes primarily in the Telecom, Media and Technology sectors, working closely with management teams as a long-term investor to deliver value growth. For more information, please visit www.aleph.com.

About Crestview
Founded in 2004, Crestview is a value-oriented private equity firm focused on the middle market. The firm is based in New York and manages funds with approximately $10 billion of aggregate capital commitments. The firm is led by a group of partners who have complementary experience and distinguished backgrounds in private equity, finance, operations and management. Crestview has senior investment professionals focused on sourcing and managing investments in each of the specialty areas of the firm: media, industrials, and financial services. For more information, please visit www.crestview.com.

About Saber Interactive
Saber Interactive is one of the world’s leading independent game developers for all major platforms based on original and licensed IPs, including successful titles such as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, World War Z, SnowRunner, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, Insurgency: Sandstorm, and an exciting slate of upcoming titles including Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jurassic Park: Survival, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, RoadCraft, Tempest Rising, and many others.  With over 3,000 employees, Saber operates 13 studios located across Western and Eastern Europe, the United States, and South America. For more information, please visit https://saber.games/.

Media Contact:  
Jeffrey Taufield or Daniel Yunger
Kekst CNC
(212) 521-4800
jeffrey.taufield@kekstcnc.com / daniel.yunger@kekstcnc.com

Rob Fleischer
Saber Interactive
rfleischer@saber3d.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aleph-capital-partners-and-crestview-partners-announce-significant-equity-investment-in-saber-interactive–one-of-the-worlds-leading-independent-game-developers-302247611.html

SOURCE Crestview Partners; Aleph Capital Partners; Saber Interactive

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AI-Powered Earbuds Transforming North American Smart Offices: Exclusive Insights from viaim CPO at CES 2025

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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Liu Da, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of viaim, an AI technology hardware company deeply rooted in the smart office sector, gave an exclusive interview, sharing valuable insights into viaim’s exploration of the field of AI-powered earbuds, its innovative product concepts, and how the technology addresses common workplace challenges in North America. Mr. Liu also delved into the market potential of AI-powered earbuds and viaim’s strategic blueprint for shaping the future of smart offices, especially in the North American market.

North American business professionals have widely embraced remote and hybrid work models. The rise of multilingual communication has fostered a highly digitalized consumer landscape with diverse user needs, particularly for smart office solutions. In response, viaim is dedicated to developing practical AI solutions that alleviate repetitive and tiring office tasks. By addressing the evolving demands of North American professionals with its AI-driven innovations, viaim is advancing its global mission to transform work efficiency and productivity.

Unique advantages of AI-powered smart earbuds

In the interview, Mr. Liu said earbuds, being close to the user’s senses, are seamlessly integrated into daily life and serve as an ideal platform for AI technology. Unlike traditional office hardware, AI-powered earbuds are portable and versatile, fitting various scenarios such as remote meetings, commuting, and entertainment. He highlighted that viaim’s AI-powered smart office solutions position the Company to bridge the gap between people and devices, transforming earbuds from simple audio tools into smart office partners. 

viaim’s technology and design challenges during the R&D  phase

Mr. Liu detailed the challenges the Company faced during the R&D phase, including integrating AI computing power, storage, and sensors into earbuds with limited space while maintaining portability and battery life. He also highlighted the difficulty of balancing human auditory sensitivity with machine signal processing to ensure a natural user experience. To tackle these challenges, viaim employed multi-terminal collaboration, integrating earbuds, apps, and cloud services to ensure seamless voice processing and secure data management tailored to the needs of North American professionals.

Market potential, insights, and positioning in North America

A report from Upwork, the world’s largest work marketplace, projects 36.2 million Americans will work remotely in 2025, marking an 87% increase from pre-pandemic levels. AI-powered earbuds, with capabilities including meeting recording and follow-up task management, cater to the digitalized and multilingual North American market. As remote and hybrid work rises, AI earbuds are becoming vital for workplace efficiency and language learning. viaim stands out with a competitive strategy focused on technological innovation and market segmentation, offering unique value beyond traditional earbud brands.

Future strategy and product vision

Mr. Liu believes technology’s true value lies in solving real-world problems. “When users actively engage with our AI solutions, it demonstrates their true value,” he stated. AI earbuds remain the Company’s core focus, empowering professionals to shift their attention from routine tasks to meaningful creative endeavors. Looking ahead, viaim plans to expand its product lineup to include smart glasses and office accessories, creating a comprehensive AI office ecosystem. The Company aims to rapidly iterate based on user feedback, expanding AI earbuds from niche to mass markets and advancing industry development.

Media Contact: 

Qian Wang
+86-15321782927
wangqian@vision-intelligence.tech

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-powered-earbuds-transforming-north-american-smart-offices-exclusive-insights-from-viaim-cpo-at-ces-2025-302347888.html

SOURCE VIAIM

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Steller Unveils Group Trip Planning

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KIRKLAND, Wash., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Steller, a video-based, travel planning platform that allows travelers to discover, connect and book based on experiences shared by creators, introduced its most requested feature yet: group trip collaboration. The feature transforms how travelers plan group trips by consolidating everything—discovery, communication, organized planning, and booking—into one platform. 

Steller launches group trip planning, streamlining discovery, communication, and booking into one collaborative platform.

Traditional Trip planning involves multiple surfaces and when traveling with others, multiple communication channels. It is difficult to stay organized when communication is spread across text messages, social DMs, email, etc.  

Steller’s new collaboration feature eliminates communication chaos and streamlines trip planning by offering a central group hub for organizing every piece of the process. Travelers can invite others to join their Trip itinerary, keeping communication, discovery, and booking in one place. With Steller’s library of more than 30 million pieces of user generated travel content, groups can share videos of activities, dining spots, attractions, add notes, and co-create custom itineraries. Flexible itinerary views—list, map, and video—give everyone a complete picture of the plan to share and edit with their travel companions.

“Collaborative trip planning has been a top request from our community.  When we launched Trips by Steller   last January, we knew it would resonate, but the response has far exceeded expectations. In a short time, over 50,000 users have planned and booked trips by incorporating their favorite user-generated travel videos into personalized itineraries. For our destination clients,  Trips by Steller has seamlessly connected travel influencer marketing to planning and commerce. Steller clients see more than 18% of viewers who engage with their influencer campaigns planning trips to their destination—a result that sets a high bar in the travel industry. Adding collaboration to the mix amplifies that impact, inspiring more people to explore, engage and transact together!” said Pete Bryant, CEO of Steller. 

How It Works  

Whether it’s a getaway for two or a large group adventure, collaboration makes organizing travel plans easy with an all-in-one solution. 

Build Your Itinerary Together: Group members can contribute by adding things to do, activities, and notes.Stay Organized: Add notes and structure by day, activity, or group to eliminate confusion.Flexible Views: View your itinerary as a detailed list, on a map, or through video for a fully customizable planning experience.Real-Time Updates: Keep track of changes, additions, and edits made by group members.On-the-Go Access: Everyone can access the itinerary on their phone.

Steller continues to lead the charge in innovative travel planning, ensuring that its platform evolves based on user feedback. Collaborative trip planning is the latest step in its mission to evolve travel. 

About Steller 

Steller, headquartered in Kirkland, Wash., is the market leading travel planning platform that guides travelers from inspiration to planning and booking through authentic experiences of their favorite creators. Steller’s patent pending platform distributes millions of pieces of bespoke, worldwide video content that can be found and booked on the Steller app. Learn more at www.steller.co  and  stellerforbusiness.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/steller-unveils-group-trip-planning-302347630.html

SOURCE Steller

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RAAPID Raises Series A from M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund to Scale Next-Generation Healthcare Risk Adjustment

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Company reports 300% revenue growth in 2024 and advances partnerships with nation’s leading health systems

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — RAAPID, the industry-leading healthcare AI company, announced today a significant Series A investment from M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. This strategic funding positions RAAPID to expand its groundbreaking Neuro-symbolic AI platform that is reshaping healthcare risk adjustment.

RAAPID’s explosive growth – marked by a 300% revenue increase in 2024 – demonstrates the market’s strong validation of its advanced technology platform. The company has quickly established itself as a trusted partner for major health plans and provider., At the core of RAAPID’s success is its pioneering VisionAI technology, which tackles one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges: making sense of unstructured medical data. While over 70% of medical records exist as unstructured data when shared outside EHRs, RAAPID’s AI engine transforms this complex information into actionable insights, enabling unprecedented accuracy in risk capture and care gap identification.

“Our vision extends beyond traditional risk adjustment,” states Chetan Parikh, Founder and CEO of RAAPID. “We’re creating a future where AI augments healthcare professionals’ capabilities, leading to better patient outcomes and more accurate appropriate reimbursements. This investment from M12 accelerates our mission to transform healthcare through advanced AI.”

RAAPID’s purpose-built Risk Adjustment platform has achieved remarkable results:

Slashing chart review time by 60-80%Surpassing industry standards with 95%+ coding accuracyGenerating additional appropriate and compliant revenue per memberImproving risk capture accuracy by 25%

The HITRUST-certified platform stands out for its unique Neuro-symbolic AI approach, combining neural networks with an extensive medical knowledge graph containing over 4 million clinical entities and 50 million relationships. This sophisticated technology enables both retrospective analysis and prospective risk adjustment, helping organizations identify and address care gaps to positively impact patient health.

“Healthcare organizations are increasingly seeking innovative solutions to manage risk and improve care delivery in value-based arrangements,” said Todd Graham, Managing Partner at M12. “RAAPID’s AI-driven risk adjustment platform aligns perfectly with our investment strategy. Through M12, we are committed to providing our portfolio companies with access to Microsoft’s resources and expertise to drive significant impact in the healthcare sector.

Led by a team with over 25 years of healthcare technology expertise, RAAPID has collaborated with experts from the top 4 tech giants in developing its clinical AI solutions. RAAPID continues to push the safe boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare AI. The company’s selection as an M12 portfolio company validates its position as a leader in healthcare technology innovation.

As value-based care becomes increasingly important, RAAPID’s AI-powered solutions are becoming essential tools for healthcare organizations striving to improve timeliness and quality of care all patients expect. With this new funding, RAAPID is poised to further advance its technology and expand its positive impact on patients, providers and payers.

About RAAPID
RAAPID develops AI-powered solutions for healthcare payers, providers, and supporting organizations. The company’s cloud-based risk adjustment platform uses neuro-symbolic AI to identify chronic conditions, determine HCC codes, calculate risk scores, and analyze population health trends. RAAPID serves organizations that participate in Medicare Advantage, ACA, Medicare ACO, and Medicaid programs.

For more information about RAAPID’s AI-powered risk adjustment solutions, visit www.raapidinc.com

CONTACT:
Mayur Vyas
(502) 699-3044
388583@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/raapid-raises-series-a-from-m12-microsofts-venture-fund-to-scale-next-generation-healthcare-risk-adjustment-302348014.html

SOURCE RAAPID

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