
COVU Announces Fifth Acquisition with Leland Insurance Services, Expands Operational Strength Across California
This acquisition marks the fifth in COVU's strategic rollout of agency partnerships designed to expand its AI-native servicing platform while offering agency owners flexible paths to scale or exit. Leland's operational discipline and seamless fit with COVU's hybrid model further solidify the company's foundation across California.
'Leland is a great example of a high-performing agency that fits naturally into the AI-native future we're building,' said Ali Safavi, CEO of COVU. 'They're already running with the kind of discipline, service quality, and customer retention we value—and we're excited to carry that legacy forward through our platform.'
Built for Alignment, Not Disruption
Led by Richard Herscowitz, Leland Insurance Services brings a stable book of personal and commercial P&C business, with exceptional retention and strong carrier relationships. The agency's structure and service model align tightly with COVU's remote-first, AI-supported infrastructure—making the transition both efficient and customer-friendly.
This move is part of COVU's broader mission to enable—not replace—agencies by giving them access to powerful technology, operational support, and an AI-native framework that enhances their ability to serve.
Carrier Strength and Book Stability
Leland partners with top national carriers including Nationwide, Safeco, Progressive, and Travelers, and maintains strong loss ratios across both personal and commercial lines. With consistent revenue growth and 102% year-over-year policy and revenue retention, Leland adds immediate value to COVU's carrier strategy and California portfolio.
Post-acquisition, the agency will fully integrate into COVU's operating model—eliminating traditional overhead while preserving the client experience.
Enabling Growth, Respecting Legacy
COVU's acquisition approach honors the work and relationships built by agency founders while unlocking a future powered by AI, human support, and operational excellence. Whether agencies want to modernize, retire, or simply park their book, COVU provides a solution that balances efficiency with empathy.
About COVU
COVU is a transformative platform designed to revolutionize the insurance servicing industry through AI-native solutions combined with human support. The company is dedicated to enhancing customer experiences and operational efficiency for insurance agencies while providing flexible servicing models to meet the demands of modern consumers.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What Makes Cloudflare (NET) a Compelling Long-Term Compounder?
Conestoga Capital Advisors, an asset management company, released its second-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The second quarter began with a historically poor start but gained momentum later as tariff fears subsided and market volatility dropped precipitously. Conestoga Mid Cap Composite returned 3.46% net-of-fees in the quarter, trailing the Russell Mid Cap Growth Index's 18.20% return. After a strong first quarter in 2025, investor enthusiasm shifted towards high-beta and AI stocks following the "Liberation Day" announcements, creating a narrow leadership group that posed challenges for the Mid Cap Strategy in the second quarter. Please review the fund's top 5 holdings to gain insight into their key selections for 2025. In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Conestoga Capital Advisors highlighted stocks such as Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET). Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) is a cloud services provider that delivers a range of services to businesses worldwide. The one-month return of Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) was 1.32%, and its shares gained 156.46% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 25, 2025, Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) stock closed at $198.42 per share, with a market capitalization of $68.774 billion. Conestoga Capital Advisors stated the following regarding Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter: "Based in San Francisco, Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) secures over 20% of global internet traffic. Its unified platform, running identical software across 330+ cities, creates a powerful structural edge in cost, scalability, and speed to market. We initiated a position in 2Q as this architecture fuels rapid expansion from its networking core into a large and growing $200B+ addressable market spanning cybersecurity, developer tools, and AI workloads. With new enterprise leadership accelerating platform adoption, we believe the company has visibility into durable 25-30% revenue growth and expanding margins, positioning it as a compelling long-term compounder." Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 65 hedge fund portfolios held Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) at the end of the first quarter, which was 55 in the previous quarter. Cloudflare, Inc.'s (NYSE:NET) revenue for the first quarter increased 27% year-over-year to $479.1 million. While we acknowledge the potential of Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) 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. In another article, we covered Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) and shared the list of best multibagger stocks to buy according to hedge funds. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Introducing Antigravity: The Future of Aerial Exploration and Storytelling
LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2025 /CNW/ -- Today marks the official launch of Antigravity, a new drone brand with a bold mission: to redefine aerial exploration and storytelling. Incubated by Insta360 in collaboration with third parties, Antigravity isn't content with simply releasing another drone into an already crowded sky. Instead, it's creating an entirely new category — combining the world's first 360 drone with true immersive capture. All packed into a sub-249g form factor, with 8K resolution to match. "Today, most drones are tools. With Antigravity, we're aiming higher," says BC Nie, Head of Marketing at Antigravity. "While others compete on specs, we've flipped the script, reimagining what a drone should be able to do. The result is something that empowers real emotion and enables experiences like freedom, creativity, and discovery for everyone." The Idea: 360 Immersive Flight At the heart of Antigravity's design philosophy is the concept of 360 immersive flight. The brand aims to own this space completely, and replace the technical complexity inherent in both drone flying and 360-degree videography with expressive, story-first experiences that are easy to master yet exceptionally powerful. Inspired by You. Made for Everyone. Ease of use is the starting point for all Antigravity products. Users don't need experience. They don't need a checklist — the drones are operated intuitively. While the rest of the industry is designing products for experts, Antigravity is building drones for everyone; beginners, experts, and everyone in between. A Collaborative Approach to Product Design Antigravity is also redefining how products are designed by making community and collaboration a core part of its ethos. Through the Antigravity Hub, the company's co-creation program, enthusiasts and community members are invited to help shape the future of Antigravity's products. Ideas that inspire future products or features will be rewarded. Technology Has Caught Up Antigravity — and its upcoming first product — launches when hardware, software, and user expectations have finally aligned. This drone is set to revolutionize the industry, introducing several world-firsts in drone design. To ensure that Antigravity products are used solely for exploration and storytelling, all drones will include safety features such as payload detection to prevent misuse or unauthorized modifications. Antigravity's first drone will be unveiled in August 2025. More information is available at About Antigravity Antigravity is a consumer drone company reimagining how people experience flight. Incubated by Insta360 in collaboration with third parties, Antigravity develops powerful 360 drones that are immersive, creator-ready, and easy for anyone to fly — whether capturing family moments, weekend adventures, or creative projects. Its mission is to make drone flight more inclusive, expressive, and fun. By combining 360 capture with intuitive control systems, Antigravity is pioneering a new category of aerial exploration and storytelling. Built by a global team of engineers, designers, and creators, the company will unveil its first drone in August 2025. Follow Antigravity on Facebook: Antigravity on X: Antigravity on Instagram: Antigravity on TikTok: Antigravity on LinkedIn: to Antigravity's YouTube Channel: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Antigravity View original content to download multimedia: Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data


Business Insider
21 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. Announces $450,000,000 Private Placement to Initiate Sui Treasury Strategy
Wayzata, United States / Minnesota, July 28th, 2025, Chainwire Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. Announces $450,000,000 Private Placement to Initiate Sui Treasury Strategy Upon the closing of the Private Placement, Mill City will adopt a Sui Treasury Strategy Mill City intends to continue its short-term non-bank lending and specialty finance business Marius Barnett and Stephen Mackintosh, Co-founders of Karatage, will become Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company and Chief Investment Officer of the Company, respectively, effective upon the closing of the Private Placement Industry-First Relationship with Sui Foundation Provides Institutional-Grade Gateway for Exposure to Only Blockchain Built for Mass Adoption Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. (" Mill City" or the ' Company ') (NASDAQ:MCVT), a non-bank lender and specialty finance company, today announced that it has entered into securities purchase agreements (the ' Securities Purchase Agreements ') for a private investment in public equity for the purchase and sale of 83,025,830 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) at a price of $5.42 per share for expected aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $ 450,000,000, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses (the ' Private Placement ', or the ' Offering '). Karatage Opportunities (' Karatage '), the London-based proprietary hedge fund specializing in digital assets and emerging technology investments, founded by Marius Barnett and Stephen Mackintosh, acted as the lead investor, with an equivalent investment from the Sui Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to the advancement and adoption of the Sui network. As a significant early investor in the Sui ecosystem, Karatage has established itself as a strategic partner to Mysten Labs, the original contributors to Sui, with deep operational experience across the Sui network. The Offering included participation by prominent firms and infrastructure providers Big Brain Holdings, Galaxy Digital Inc (Nasdaq: GLXY) and Dr Jack Kong – NLABS Fund as well as investment from Pantera Capital , M2, Electric Capital, GSR, Selini, Protagonist, ParaFi Capital, Borderless, dao5, Arrington Capital, Comma3 Ventures, FalconX, Paper Ventures and Maven 11 amongst others. Galaxy Asset Management will serve as the Asset Manager. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about July 31, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use approximately 98% of the net proceeds from the Private Placement to acquire the native cryptocurrency of the Sui blockchain commonly referred to as 'SUI', and approximately 2% of the net proceeds from the Private Placement to fund the Company's short-term lending business. SUI will serve as the Company's primary treasury reserve asset. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is acting as the sole placement agent in connection with the offering. Upon closing of the Offering, the Company intends to appoint two new members to the Company's board of directors (the ' Board '). The new Board members provide the strong and experienced leadership the Company needs as the Company pivots to a SUI treasury strategy: Marius Barnett (Co-Founder of Karatage) will serve as the Chairman of the Board. A veteran operator and investor in digital assets, Mr. Barnett has a track record in building businesses across real estate, infrastructure and energy. Dana Wagner will serve as an independent Board Director. As a current board member at Coinbase Custody Trust Company and former general counsel at Square, Mr. Wagner has served in senior-level legal roles for category-defining firms at the cutting edge of financial technology. Stephen Mackintosh (Co-Founder and General Partner at Karatage) will serve as the Company's Chief Investment Officer. With previous experience in artificial intelligence and deep tech, Mr. Mackintosh brings extensive experience across the Sui ecosystem as he manages the SUI treasury strategy for the Company. 'We're launching at a pivotal moment when both institutional crypto and AI are reaching critical mass — creating significant opportunities across blockchain infrastructure,' said Stephen Mackintosh, the proposed Chief Investment Officer of Mill City and General Partner at Karatage. 'We believe that Sui is well positioned for mass adoption with the speed and efficiency institutions require for crypto at scale, plus the technical architecture capable of supporting AI workloads while maintaining security and decentralization.' 'Sui was built to provide the scalability, speed, and security needed to support the next generation of decentralized applications and real-world crypto use-cases for consumers and institutions alike — from stablecoins to artificial intelligence to gaming and broader finance,' added Christian Thompson, Managing Director at the Sui Foundation. Mill City intends to acquire SUI tokens on the open market, as well as via institutional-grade deal flow typically reserved for crypto funds and a negotiated purchase and sale agreement with Sui Foundation — a treasury strategy now accessible through a publicly traded structure with daily liquidity. As the sole SUI treasury with support from the Sui Foundation, Mill City and the Sui Foundation team will share information about the technology and ecosystem growth, establishing it as one of the only foundation-supported crypto treasury strategies. 'The future belongs to crypto, AI, and stablecoins — and they all need infrastructure that can handle real scale. That's Sui,' said Adeniyi Abiodun, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Mysten Labs. 'We believe that everything has been leading up to the right time to make Sui's founding vision a reality — and in our view, the moment is now.' The Offering is being made in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " Securities Act"), and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder, and applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the securities offered in the Private Placement may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws. Pursuant to the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company will file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ' SEC ') registering the resale of the shares of common stock sold in the Private Placement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. Advisors Sullivan & Worcester LLP is acting as legal advisor to A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners. Loeb & Loeb LLP is acting as legal advisor to Mill City. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is acting as legal advisor to Karatage. O'Melveny & Myers LLP is acting as legal advisor to Sui Foundation. About Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. Founded in 2007, Mill City Ventures III, Ltd., is a specialty finance company focused on short-term lending and structured finance solutions. The company provides capital to businesses through secured loan agreements, offering investors attractive returns with a focus on security and risk mitigation. More information about the company can be obtained at or Upon closing of the Private Placement, the Company expects to adopt a SUI treasury strategy. About Karatage Opportunities Karatage is a London-based proprietary hedge fund specializing in emerging technology investments across digital assets, artificial intelligence, and gaming. Founded by Marius Barnett and Stephen Mackintosh, Karatage focuses on identifying and backing high-growth projects building next-generation technology with mass-market appeal. As a significant early investor in the Sui ecosystem, the Karatage team brings deep operational experience across the blockchain ecosystem. For more information about Karatage, please visit Upon the closing of the Private Placement, Marius Barnett and Stephen Mackintosh, Co-founders of Karatage, are expected to become Chairman of the Board and Chief Investment Officer of the Company, respectively. Forward-Looking Statement Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and these forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated closing of the Offering, the anticipated receipt of proceeds from the Offering, the Company's anticipated use of the proceeds from the Offering, opportunities that the Offering will create, Sui's capabilities as a blockchain and the opportunities Sui creates, the belief that the new Board members will provide strong and experienced leadership to the Company, the execution of the Company's treasury strategy, the anticipated filing of a registration statement and the Company's ability to cause it to be effective and maintain its effectiveness, and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words 'intends,' 'may,' 'will,' 'plans,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'projects,' 'predicts,' 'estimates,' 'aims,' 'believes,' 'hopes,' 'potential' or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including without limitation, the Company's satisfaction of closing conditions for the offering, fluctuations in the market price of SUI and any associated impairment charges that the Company may incur as a result of a decrease in the market price of SUI below the value at which the Company's SUI are carried on its balance sheet, changes in the accounting treatment relating to the Company's SUI holdings, the Company's ability to achieve profitable operations, government regulation of cryptocurrencies and online betting, changes in securities laws or regulations, customer acceptance of new products and services including our SUI treasury strategy, the risk that SUI is classified as a security under current or future regulatory frameworks and the risk that the Company is deemed an investment company as a result of its ownership of SUI, the demand for its products and its customers' economic condition, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the lengthy sales cycle, proprietary rights of the Company, changes in applicable laws or regulations, and its competitors, general economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company's annual report and other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this press release. Contact Chief Financial Officer Joseph A. Geraci