• Published on

    Stopwatch Creative: The Agency Turning Strategy into Standout Design

    by Sharon V

    In a crowded creative landscape where attention spans are shrinking and brand noise is louder than ever, one agency is proving that timeless strategy still beats fleeting trends.

    Meet Stopwatch Creative — a full-service creative studio built on precision, storytelling, and impact.

    A Fresh Take on Creativity
    Founded on the idea that “good ideas deserve great execution,” Stopwatch Creative bridges the gap between design and direction. Their team combines branding, digital marketing, and content strategy to help organizations not only look good but also grow stronger.

    From startups looking to launch with clarity to established brands seeking a fresh voice, Stopwatch Creative tailors each project around one core principle: strategy drives creativity, not the other way around.

    “Anyone can make something look nice — we make it make sense,” says a member of the Stopwatch team. “Our goal is to build brands that last longer than the latest trend.”

    What Sets Them Apart
    Stopwatch Creative has built a reputation for translating complex ideas into cohesive visual and digital experiences.

    Their work spans:
    • Brand Identity Development – From logos to full-scale rebrands.
    • Marketing Strategy – Data-driven campaigns with measurable results.
    • Content Creation – Visual storytelling that connects with real audiences.
    • Web & Digital Design – Clean, functional, conversion-focused experiences.

    Their clients appreciate the agency’s collaborative process — one that blends analytical thinking with creative intuition. Stopwatch Creative isn’t just about producing content; it’s about crafting a narrative that resonates and drives action.

    Designing for Results
    What makes Stopwatch Creative stand out is its balance of creativity and accountability. The team treats every brand like a living, evolving story — one that deserves a strong foundation, a compelling visual language, and a marketing strategy that delivers real-world ROI.

    Their portfolio showcases everything from community-driven campaigns to brand overhauls for tech startups and cultural organizations. The common thread: straightforward storytelling and consistent execution.

    Manny Larcher, co-founder and CEO of Stopwatch Creative, brings a rare combination of marketing expertise, startup experience, and venture insight to the agency. Having co-founded successful startups, guided clients through multi-million-dollar exits, and launched global growth platforms, Manny ensures every project at Stopwatch Creative is grounded in strategy, impact, and measurable results.

    In an era where creative agencies often chase trends, Stopwatch Creative is earning attention by doing something rare — building brands with meaning, purpose, and measurable momentum.

    If your organization is ready to refine its message, reimagine its look, or rethink how it connects with audiences, Stopwatch Creative might be the partner to get you there — on time and on point.

    👉 Learn more at stopwatchcreative.com
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    HiOctave, cofounded by Golan Agmon, raises $15M in Funding led by Khosla Ventures

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    HiOctave, a San Francisco, CA-based AI software company helping small and mid‑sized businesses (SMBs) automate and personalize customer experiences, announced its launch and $15M in funding.

    The round was led by Vinod Khosla and Khosla Ventures. Additional investors and shareholders included Celesta Capital, Anthology Fund, operated jointly by Anthropic and Menlo Ventures, and Carya Venture Partners.

    The company intends to use the funds to accelerate product development and go‑to‑market as HiOctave delivers enterprise‑grade automation, at SMB‑friendly price points, to help business owners rebuild direct, durable relationships with their customers.

    Led by CEO Golan Agmon, HiOctave combines AI speed and human care to deliver efficient, personal customer engagement. Its products suite offers:
    • Agentic AI assistants;
    • Real human agents;
    • Insights and reports;
    • Knowledge bases generations
    source; FinSMEs
  • Published on

    Invigilator, founded by Nicholas Riemer, Raises $11M in Funding led by Kaltroco

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    Invigilator, a South African-founded remote assessment platform provider, raised $11M in international equity funding.

    The round was led by Kaltroco.

    The company intends to use the funds to advance its expansion in both the UK and the US.

    Founded in South Africa in 2020, and led by CEO Nicholas Riemer, Invigilator provides a platform that is already used by more than 100 institutions worldwide, supporting over 850,000 registered students and processing more than six million results across 75,000 assessments. Its secure, data-light architecture combines mobile and PC proctoring with live AI monitoring, AI assistance detection, identity verification, configurable authentication, and anti-plagiarism tools – all designed to protect assessment integrity while remaining inclusive and accessible.

    source; FinSMEs
  • Published on

    Cookiy AI, led by Davin YC Dong, Raises Over $7M in Pre-Seed Funding

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    Cookiy AI, a Palo Alto, CA-based agentic voice AI company, raised over $7M in Pre-Seed funding.

    Backers included Liquid2, Converge, GoAhead, and UpHonest, alongside other venture funds and strategic angels.
    The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts.

    Founded by CEO Davin YC Dong, Cookiy AI is a company building Agentic Voice AI to put consumer voices back at the center of business decisions. By turning large-scale conversations into structured, decision-ready intelligence, it helps teams move faster, reduce risk, and build products people actually want.
    For individuals, the company delivers a better experience: more natural conversations, fairer compensation, and the assurance that their voices directly shape the products and services they care about. With it, research becomes a strategic advantage.

    source; FinSMEs
  • Published on

    Supabase Raises $100M in Series E at $5B Valuation

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    Supabase, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a postgres development platform, raised $100M in Series E funding at a $5 Billion valuation.

    The round was led by Accel and Peak XV with participation from Figma Ventures and others.

    The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its work on “Multigres”, an enterprise-scale version of its platform designed for large, data-intensive applications.

    Led by CEO Paul Copplestone, Supabase is a postgres development platform provider.

    Platforms like Lovable and Bolt use it, alongside more than 100,000 customers, from over 50% of the latest Y Combinator batch, to enterprises such as PwC, McDonald’s, and Github Next, allowing them to quickly spin up a backend that instantly updates itself with commands from AI.

    The round followed its Series D, bringing their total funding to over $500M.

    source; FinSMEs
    image source; TechCrunch

  • Published on

    Colaeb member, Alex Zhovtaliuk , founder of TITL, helps a client raise $500K in 5 hours, $1M in 3 days!

    by Colaeb

    "Over the past 5 months we’ve been working side-by-side with
     Anthony Longo and the Firesale team at full startup pace — lean, rapid, and focused — to bring this idea to launch. Today it’s finally live on Wefunder!" - Alex Zhovtaliuk, TITL Founder

    Meet Firesale — the 1-tap resale engine.

    Like the most iconic apps of our time, Firesale removes every ounce of friction to create an experience that feels like magic:

    — Uber: push a button, car arrives
    — DoorDash: choose a dish, food delivered
    — Venmo: one tap, money transferred
    — Netflix: click, ta-dum, movie starts
    — Firesale: tap, listed for sale

    AI-powered. Uber-delivered. From stuff → sold in seconds.

    Mission — Make Resale Effortless.

    Firesale isn’t open to the public yet, but the team is announcing it to the world while also opening a Wefunder campaign. That means anyone can invest alongside the incredible investors already backing them.
    ​Join Firesale on Wefunder!
    "Thanks Alex, you and the TITL team are a big part of this initial success. Congrats to us all, and it's just the beginning!! 🚀" - Anthony Longo, Firesale Founder

    ​About TITL
    We design brands and software products from portfolios behind Uber, Slack, Stripe, Snowflake, Ramp, and more. Early stage → enterprise scale. Learn more on www.titl.agency www.titl.agency