Latest news with #Scout
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Ex-Blackstone Investor Raises $7M for Meridian, Private Equity's New AI Operating System
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Meridian, the AI-powered deal management platform for the private markets, today announced its $7 million Series Seed fundraise. The round was led by 645 Ventures with participation from existing investor Chaac Ventures. Meridian also welcomed a group of high-impact angel investors – industry leaders from private equity, credit, and M&A law, many of whom have actively shaped Meridian as early users. "Private equity still runs on fragmented, manual systems: clunky software, Excel trackers, and scattered third-party data subscriptions. We're building software that finally reflects how top investment teams source and diligence deals." Founded by Alexander Sen, a former investor at Blackstone, Thoma Bravo, and CVC, Meridian is building the AI operating system for private market investors. The company combines modern CRM with deep workflow automation and proprietary AI agents to solve the core operational pain points of the world's leading investors – from deal origination to exit. 'Private equity still runs on fragmented, manual systems: clunky software, Excel trackers, and scattered third-party data subscriptions,' said Alexander Sen, founder and CEO of Meridian. 'We're building software that finally reflects how top investment teams source and diligence deals – and we've vertically integrated AI to enable workflows that were never possible before.' Meridian brings together a team of over 25 across New York and Miami, with experience spanning enterprise software, AI infrastructure, and capital markets. The company has also hired an experienced customer team who guide firms through the most important technological shift facing private markets today. At the heart of the platform is Scout, Meridian's AI engine. Scout powers intelligent agents that map markets, pinpoint the right companies, automate core evaluation workflows, and surface relationship signals where they matter most. It helps firms spot high-conviction deals before the market does – giving teams a decisive sourcing and diligence edge. Meridian has to date focused on the top of the market, helping some of the world's largest private equity and credit firms run better, more intelligent deal sourcing and evaluation processes. The platform is quickly gaining share at top 100 firms and is now expanding into LPs, investment banks, and global hedge funds – reflecting a broader shift toward modern infrastructure across every layer of private company investing. 'There's a generational shift happening in private markets – more complexity, more competition, and more data,' said Nnamdi Okike, Managing Partner at 645 Ventures. 'AI is a game changer for private market deal sourcing, due diligence and deal management. Firms that do not leverage AI in this new market will be left behind. We were particularly drawn to Alex's insights into how AI will transform private markets, which were developed through his experience in private equity. Meridian is arming investors with the system they'll need to win.' The funding will be used to expand Meridian's AI capabilities, accelerate product development, and scale go-to-market efforts globally. 'Private market firms are under pressure to move faster, operate leaner, and make sharper decisions,' said Sen. 'Software is no longer just overhead at private equity firms – it's become a source of edge. The best investors are treating technology and data as central to how they generate outsized returns.' To request a demo or learn more, visit About Meridian Meridian is the AI-native operating system for institutional private markets. The platform combines next-generation deal software, massive datasets, and intelligent agents into a single system that helps investors originate, evaluate, and execute with greater speed and precision. Founded by Alexander Sen, a former investor at Blackstone, Thoma Bravo, and CVC, Meridian serves private equity, credit, and broader financial services firms engaged in M&A. The company is headquartered in New York and Miami, with a team of product builders, engineers, and customer leaders with deep experience across enterprise software and private markets. Learn more at About 645 Ventures 645 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with exceptional founders building iconic companies. The firm invests at the Seed and Series A stages and supports founders through its proprietary software platform Voyager and deep Connected Network. 645 Ventures manages over $550M in AUM across five funds. Learn more at
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Needham Raises Yext, Inc. (YEXT) PT to $10 as New Product Launch Boosts Expectations
Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT) is on our list of the 10 best marketing stocks to buy right now. A content marketing website showing the audience reach of the company's products. On June 4, 2025, Ryan MacDonald from Needham reiterated a Buy rating on Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT), raising its price target to $10. The company's shares are trading at $8.12 as of the time of writing this article. The analyst attributes this optimism to the company's strong performance in the recent quarter and growing expectations from its new product offering, Scout. Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT) is one of the best advertising agency stocks to buy right now. The analyst expects macroeconomic factors to become more favorable for the company's performance, eventually resulting in increased revenue from the product once it achieves market traction. Additionally, the analyst believes the company is undervalued, as evident by its low sales multiple, making it an attractive investment opportunity. Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT), with its Digital Presence platform, helps customers manage information about their business, including landing page content, customer reviews, listings across maps, apps, search engines, digital assistance, and social media. While we acknowledge the potential of YEXT as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Best Marketing Stocks to Buy Right Now and 12 Best Gold Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Burnside Cubs pitch up for camping adventure
Members of the 113th Glasgow (Burnside) group had a memorable camping weekend, while their annual plant sale again proved a huge success. Cub Scouts from 113th Glasgow (Burnside) had a 'cool camping' experience to round off the session in style as they had a packed adventure weekend near Edinburgh. The eight- to 10-year-olds and their volunteer leaders pitched their tents in a field on the outskirts of the capital and tried new outdoor skills including firelighting and learning to use trangia stoves to prepare their own soup and sandwich lunch. A busy weekend also saw them take part in activities incuding walking in the Pentland Hills, archery, orienteering and even axe throwing – which 'went down a treat'. Their programme included outdoor games, a walk past an alpaca farm, first aid, an escape room challenge and making camp-oven pizzas, plus a movie inside their marquee during a torrential downpour which 'drenched the whole campsite' in the middle of the weekend. Cub leader Allan Whiteford said: 'This was a great adventure for our Cubs. Mixed weather, being self-sufficient in part for lunches and meeting new friends from the east coast helps develop the confidence of Scouts and prepares them for life.' The adventurous residential also allowed more of the Burnside troop's leaders the chance to develop their camp organisation and planning skills and work towards gaining the organisation's camp permits. Group Scout leader Graeme Hamilton said: 'Having a great team of adult volunteers who are prepared to take youngsters away for a weekend of fun and adventure is great and develops their life skills too. 'To do so in challenging weather makes me all the more proud of our Scout volunteers. I'd love more people to join us and be part of our community adventure here at the 113th.' It followed the success of the previous weekend's annual plant sale at the Scout hall on Crawfurd Road – where the group once again recorded a sellout success after doubling the number of plants for sale at the hugely popular community event. Supporters snapped up summer garden bargains – and enjoyed home baking provided by members' families in the tea room, plus children's activities including a bouncy castle and face painting run by Ace Place afterschool and nursery staff, celebrating their 15 years of operating from the venue. Graeme said: 'This has been a fixture in our community calendar for around 30 years and it gets better and better each year. 'It's a great opportunity for the whole of Burnside to get together, and we really do thank our volunteer helpers, other hall user groups and our plant suppliers."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The revival of Scout preserves its heritage through innovation
This story was originally published on Automotive Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Automotive Dive newsletter. NOVI, Mich. – Reviving a storied American truck brand was a task not taken lightly by Scout Motors. During a presentation at AutoTech 2025 last week, CTO Burkhard Huhnke detailed how the company is using the 'digital twin' design approach to develop and test its fully electric and extended-range EVs. Scout's goal is to preserve the vehicle's heritage through innovation and modern technology. The original Scout SUV was built by International Harvester from 1961 to 1980. Huhnke also confirmed that Scout vehicles will adopt a new zonal electrical architecture which was co-developed by joint venture partners Volkswagen and Rivian. The technique, which is also being used by Rivian, enables over-the-air updates, remote diagnostics and cloud connectivity to enhance customer value. For Rivian vehicles, the new architecture reduces the number of ECUs needed from 17 to seven and eliminates 1.6 miles of wiring from each vehicle, according to the company. 'So what we are using is the most modern electronics architecture, which allows us with the pipeline into the cloud, a real-time access to the car,' said Huhnke. Among the technologies Scout is utilizing includes high-performance computing, simulation technology and software to create a 'digital world' where various interactions — including crash tests — of vehicle designs can be simulated before physical testing in the real world. The automaker's goal is to reduce test hours through simulation to achieve a high level of accuracy before physical prototyping begins. 'You have to optimize your driving dynamics. You have to calibrate your brake system,' said Huhnke. 'You have to do propulsion and dynamics optimization, and that's how everyone does it. After the simulation phase, we run for physical testing.' According to Huhnke, Scout's vehicle development process will begin with the creation of a digital model. That environment also includes a 'digital wind tunnel' to test and optimize the aerodynamics of Scout vehicles. The process includes running various simulations, then using Use AI and machine learning to optimize vehicle designs to improve aerodynamics. Huhnke says this approach can reduce iteration times from 24 hours to just 5 seconds in some cases. 'What you're getting is very quick … an AI response or design variables within seconds,' said Huhnke. 'So you can run through multiple sessions within seconds to use AI and machine learning to optimize aerodynamics quite quickly. The highest accuracy in the digital world gives us the chance to reduce not just test properties, but also the test hours.' Huhnke noted that it's not just vehicle optimization in a digital environment, it's reusing test properties as well. The testing of digital designs by Scout can also be combined with real-world prototype tests to further validate the vehicle's design. The Scout CTO says that this process can help improve the final product. 'So you close the loop with a very comprehensive testing, instrumented version to compare the digital world with the physical world,' said Huhnke. 'And the better you get, the more accuracy you get.' Automaker Porsche has also adopted digital twin technology to design and test electric vehicle batteries. According to the company, the digital representation of a battery functions exactly as one in a production vehicle and provides data that includes its expected aging process. The automaker is also using a 'thermal model,' which can be used to predict how well a battery reacts to changes in temperature to improve the service life and performance. Scout is targeting the outdoor adventure vehicle market that's been revived in part by the return of the Ford Bronco SUV in 2021 after a 25-year hiatus, as well as Rivian's EVs, which will share some technology with Scout vehicles as a result of the EV maker's joint venture with Volkswagen Group. In April, Scout announced the appointment of Oliver Wollinsky as its chief production officer. Wollinsky previously served as plant manager for SAIC Volkswagen in China. In the role, he will oversee the completion and ramp-up of Scout's assembly plant in South Carolina and lead manufacturing of the company's Traveler SUV and Terra truck, with initial production targeted to start in 2027. Fully electric Scout models are anticipated to offer up to 350 miles of range, while extended range versions are projected to offer more than 500 miles of range using a gas-powered generator, according to the company. Disclosure: AutoTech 2025 is run by Informa, which owns a controlling stake in Informa TechTarget, the publisher behind Automotive Dive. Informa has no influence over Automotive Dive's coverage. Recommended Reading Scout Motors breaks ground on $2B EV plant after environmental delays Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Drive
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Defunct Audi Q8 E-Tron Could Be Revived in a US Factory
The latest car news, reviews, and features. With the recent tempering of EV enthusiasm and the specter of broader market instability lurking in the background, it should come as no surprise that Audi has been reluctant to commit to a strategy for replacing its flagship Q8 E-Tron SUV. The 2024 model was built in a Brussels facility that Audi no longer operates—a decision that left the EV's fate in up in the air—but Belgium's loss could be America's gain. Last month, Automotive News reported that Audi could move production of three models to the United States to offset tariffs. Sure enough, the Q8 E-Tron is among them. Curious, we reached out to Audi, not only to gauge the likelihood of such a move (with a considerable price tag and no immediate ROI), but also just to confirm that the Q8 E-Tron has a pulse at all. We expected the usual 'no comment.' Instead, Audi openly acknowledged the Q8 E-Tron's fate is still a matter of discussion. 'All future production options are being evaluated but nothing can be confirmed at this time,' a company spokesperson told The Drive via email. AN's report suggested that Q8 E-Tron production could move to sister company Scout's new Blythewood, South Carolina facility (which is still under construction), but that's not the only option, especially if the Q8 E-Tron is going to be built on the same platform (dubbed PPE) that will also underpin the Q6 E-Tron (another model AN said would potentially be built here). Like Q8, Q6 would need a home. Moving both to Blythewood would save Audi on redundant tooling since both could be built on the same assembly line, but since the Audis won't share any platform architecture with the body-on-frame, solid-axle Scouts, all the South Carolina facility really has to offer is space. There's another player in this game too: Porsche. It is believed that the Cayenne EV will also ride on the PPE chassis, opening up the door for cost-savings if they're built in the same facility. The third potential U.S. transplant, the Q4 E-Tron, is built on a modified version of VW's existing MEB platform, which it shares with the Chattanooga-built ID.4, making Tennessee the likely beneficiary should Audi pull the trigger on these moves. Got a tip? Send it our way at tips@
