Latest news with #Agora
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Health
- Associated Press
From Happiest Nation to Healthiest World: Is Agora the Next Unicorn
Female-led startup introduces Build Your Own Doc, turning preventive wellness into a data-driven gamified experience HELSINKI, FI / ACCESS Newswire / July 23, 2025 / Finnish-Australian health technology company Agora, founded by Elizabeth Angel and Dr Olivia Lesslar, has officially launched Build Your Own Doc, a new platform feature that creates personalized AI-driven wellness solutions. The tool can integrate more than one billion biomarkers and over five thousand years of ancient wisdom. Additionally, it draws on two hundred million research papers to create bespoke programs in response to a user's labs and wearables. Agora aims to make proactive wellness more accessible through evidence-based guidance. Elizabeth Angel, CEO of Agora, leads launch of AI wellness platform Build Your Own Doc. 'Wellness is the next human right,' said Angel, Agora's chief executive. 'Agora is not merely software. It is a cultural movement designed to make thriving normal.' With global wellness spending projected to rise from 6.3 trillion to more than 9 trillion US dollars by 2028, the company sees growing demand for preventive tools. Research suggests stress may contribute to 90 percent of illness. Agora addresses this challenge by offering proactive insights for leading causes of chronic disease including heart conditions, cancer, stroke, and Alzheimer's. Agora's leadership reflects a wide range of experience. Angel has worked in humanitarian aid, defense innovation, and applied science. Dr Lesslar, trained in psychoneuroimmunology, brings clinical depth. The idea for the platform was first developed in a Finnish forest, where the team envisioned a technology that blends nature, tradition, and modern science to support healthier habits. The company emphasizes data privacy and user empowerment. Agora's zero-trust architecture ensures personal health data remains under individual control. Users can opt to license anonymized data for research, receive incentives for meeting wellness milestones, or access insurer discounts. 'Health data is the battleground of trust,' Angel said. 'Agora ensures users remain the primary beneficiaries of their own information.' Agora logo The platform's gamified health adventures include sleep tracking, nutrition challenges, and reflective activities. Pilot users reported a 42 percent increase in healthy behavior adherence compared to traditional apps. Other features include community groups and fun support groups focused on healthspan vs lifespan and emotional well-being. Unlike single-focus platforms, Agora combines biometric feedback from both the body and brain, lab results, the user's own assessments and contextual inputs to generate cohesive recommendations through an interactive experience. The goal is to unify fragmented wellness tools into a single, user-friendly system. Since March 2023, Agora has launched across six continents, working with veterans, nonprofits, and educational groups. The platform's free Library tier includes neuroscience-informed music by Ravyn Lyte, an AI-generated artist designed to support calm and focus. Agora's enterprise pilots are scheduled to begin in Q3 with several Fortune 500 companies, targeting workplace burnout and stress. Additional testing with military teams includes gamified adventures for consolidating resilience. Research is also underway to evaluate its benefits for frontline workers and trauma response. Stress-related productivity losses cost the global economy nearly one trillion US dollars each year. Companies face an additional 18 percent payroll impact due to employee disengagement. Agora's approach offers a scalable method to improve well-being and quality of life. Analysts highlight the platform's low acquisition cost and strong alignment with demand for alternative wellness solutions. Angel emphasized mission over market value. 'The goal is to help billions thrive. Subscription revenue from enterprises helps us offer access to the people who need it most.' Agora continues to expand its partnerships across public and private sectors. If adoption accelerates, Finland may soon be known not only as the world's happiest nation but also as a leader in preventive health innovation. About Agora Agora is a global innovation company that accelerates groundbreaking solutions by cross-pollinating emerging technologies across traditionally siloed industries, from health to defense to music and everything in between. Fueling a worldwide movement that spans six continents, Agora creatively bridges the gap between innovation and the critical resources needed, such as funding and distribution channels, all with the aim of uplifting humanity. Media Contact Amy Wellington Agora [email protected] Explore Agora Registration is now open at SOURCE: Agora press release
Eater
6 days ago
- Business
- Eater
The Days Are Numbered for D.C. Institution Steak ‘n Egg Diner
Steak 'n Egg, the iconic upper Northwest greasy spoon patronized by American University students after last call, neighborhood regulars, politicians, and Hollywood celebrities alike since 1993, is officially on the market (4700 Wisconsin Avenue NW). All-day Steak 'n Egg keeps customers full with hefty plates of country-fried steak and gravy, potato hash patties, whimsical funnel cake fries, and burgers. Steak 'n Egg Diner Developer Constandinos Economides tells Eater that 'labor costs' induced by Initiative 82 — an under-debate D.C. law in effect since 2023 that requires businesses to gradually pay tipped staff more — is one reason cited for the closing. Taxes are the other cause for pulling the plug. A new lease listing for the 2,340-square-foot space shows availability as soon as July 31, but Economides says 'we're continuing to operate' with no set closing date. The retro-styled diner expanded on-site in recent years to include a 50-seat patio, room for 92 inside, and modernized touches like a dish-toting robot. Steak 'n Egg, once a 24/7 operation with quite the late-night crowd, is now only open until 8:45 p.m. The Tenleytown corner's diner roots date all the way back to 1931 as now-defunct breakfast chain Toddle House; a Steak 'n Egg Kitchen franchise took over decades later before locally owned Steak 'n Egg slid in the same year President Bill Clinton took office. Agora completes the DMV trifecta Agora, D.C.'s Mediterranean mainstay since 2010 that expanded to Northern Virginia in 2019, debuts its third area location next spring in Maryland. Tucked at the foot of Bethesda's Hyatt Regency Hotel (7400 Wisconsin Avenue), executive chef Ismet Sahi continues to spotlight Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese flavors across a meze menu that shows love for Maryland farms. A familiar selection of flame-grilled kebabs, cold-pressed olive oil, fresh seafood, and house-made künefe and pistachio souffle. Urbane Architects, behind Agora's recently renovated Dupont flagship and Tysons Corner outpost, will also design the dining room, full bar, sunlit patio, and private rooms in Bethesda. Navy Yard's Ama is a 'bipartisan hot spot': NYT All-day Ama offers aperitivo hour at the bar. Giada Paolini/Ama The New York Times did a deep dive this week on D.C.'s year-old northern Italian standout Ama, calling the Eater 38-designated restaurant a bright bipartisan light amidst the polarizing political climate on nearby Capitol Hill. Both sides of the aisle are apparently breaking bouncy focaccia here as of late, from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. NYT hypothesizes that chef Johanna Hellrigl's 'anti-additive menu and a vow to bar all manner of toxicity' – in the food, water, and even the cleaning supplies – is one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on. (Also, maybe it helps that 'ama' means 'love' in Italian?) Eater DC All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Come For The Rosé, Stay For The Proprietary Gin At This Luxe Provençal Hotel
Coquillade Provence First opened in 2008 in the Luberon region of southeastern France, Coquillade Provence has long embodied the quintessential scenes of the destination. Sprawling lavender fields, vineyards growing grapes for the region's famed rosé and ensuite plunge pools to enjoy the plentiful sunny days. Still, after a property-wide renovation in 2021, Matthieu Nectoux, food and beverage manager for Coquillade Provence, noticed the local spirits scene felt 'somewhat limited' especially as it pertained to their bar offerings (despite offering their estate wines). 'Our goal was to become a local reference with one of the most refined selections, featuring both rare and exceptional bottles,' shared Nectoux. This undertaking led Nectoux to seek a proprietary partnership with a local producer, of which they discovered Agora, a distillery in Carpentras, and Théo Gabriel. Originally a beer brewer, whose creations Coquillade Provence features exclusively on their menus, Nectoux said it was a natural fit 'not only for the exceptional quality of their products and expertise, but also due to a personal connection—we are both trained sommeliers,' he said. The duo teamed up to create a customary gin for Coquillade Provence, using the region's Pyrenean spring water and hops from the Drôme at the distillery's Mont Ventoux locale (an area rich in botanicals like citrus and cedar). 'The gin captures a true sense of place,' said Nectoux of the 'sun-kissed' Coquillade Gin that features seven local aromatic herbs. 'The first blend was perfect—no adjustments were needed.' Below, Nectoux shared more about the connection between gin and Coquillade Provence's guests as well as the nuances that make their gin so unique to their property. Coquillade Gin is the hotel's proprietary spirit. Coquillade Provence Jillian Dara: What about the gin is most unique to the hotel brand and the Provence property? Matthieu Nectoux: It's a family story—ours and theirs—linked by Mont Ventoux. The mountain, beloved by cyclists and dear to our late founder Andy Rihs, is a powerful symbol that connects the gin to the spirit of our hotel. JD: What is the most unique botanical used? What does it add to the gin? MN: Cedar. Found throughout the Provençal mountains, it adds a raw, resinous scent—comforting and reminiscent of childhood. It's bold, but balanced by citrus and seven aromatic herbs (our secret blend). JD: Does the hotel offer a proprietary way to experience the gin onsite? MN: Yes. Our signature cocktail, the Fragrance Wellness , combines our gin with jasmine oleo saccharum, Club Maté, rose and juniper bitters, and lemon—served post-treatment in our spa. We also age Negronis in a five-liter oak barrel using our gin, and soon we'll offer tasting sessions comparing it to others. Guests are also encouraged to visit Théo's distillery. Bar Coquillade THOMAS EUGSTER JD: Can you explain the unique presentation of the bottle? MN: Our gin is presented in its original bottle; however, we have modified the label. The upper right and left corners of the label feature wooden ornaments that echo the octagonal woodwork decorating our bar, as a nod to our magnificent bar. The flowers on the label are a reference to the seven botanicals used in crafting the gin. The chosen color is inspired by lavender, a symbol of Provence, which blooms in our fields from mid-June to mid-July every year. We wanted to highlight this iconic element, but also chose it because the soft hue fits perfectly with the overall concept. JD: Why do you think it's important to offer this type of amenity for guests MN: It creates a lasting, place-based memory—something guests can only experience here (or take home). Like our estate wines, the gin captures a true sense of place. Also, gin is a spirit highly appreciated by our guests, whether in a gin and tonic or as part of a cocktail. This enthusiasm inspired us to embark on the project. JD: Do you see a shift in guest demand when it comes to bar offerings? MN: Absolutely. Guests want authenticity and discovery—like Petit Grain gin, created by a former teacher and voted best in France. Still, iconic premium spirits remain relevant for those drawn to familiarity. Our aim is to blend both worlds.
Axios
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Summer School Tour returns with Warped Tour ethos, emerging acts
Pop-punk fans looking to scratch their Warped Tour itch since the touring festival ended in 2019 should attend the Summer School Tour. The intrigue: The show, featuring emerging acts like Taylor Acorn, Rain City Drive and Charlotte Sands, stops at the Agora on Sunday. Summer School embodies a similar ethos to Warped by featuring up-and-coming artists while promoting advocacy through partnerships with organizations like peta2 and Save the Music Foundation. Flashback: The tour is the brainchild of longtime music manager Michael Kaminsky (3OH!3, Neck Deep) and Hopeless Records executive Eric Tobin. Fittingly, the duo brought Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman on board to help launch Summer School last year. What they're saying:"When Warped ended, the culture and community built around it no longer had this pillar to hold it up," Kaminsky tells Axios. Tobin sees Summer School as "an opportunity to raise awareness, give back and create a functional, positive culture younger people can identify with." What's next: The tour runs through Aug. 10 and includes a stop at Lyman's revamped Warped Tour on July 26 in Long Beach, California.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Stablecoin startup Agora raises $50 million Series A led by crypto VC giant Paradigm
On Thursday, Agora became the latest stablecoin company to attract the attention of deep-pocketed venture investors, as the crypto startup announced a $50 million investment led by the blockchain-focused VC firm Paradigm. Cofounded by Nick van Eck—the son of the prominent investment management CEO Jan van Eck—along with crypto veterans Drake Evans and Joe McGrady, Agora is competing in an increasingly crowded space dominated by rivals including Circle and Tether. But with the new funding, which follows a $12 million seed round last year, Agora hopes to build up AUSD, its own stablecoin, or a type of cryptocurrency that is pegged to an underlying asset such as the U.S. dollar. Agora offers a white-labeling service to other companies, allowing them to launch their own, self-branded version of AUSD that is able to take advantage of the underlying stablecoin's interoperability and liquidity. 'What we wanted to do is really something novel, which is start by building the network,' van Eck told Fortune. 'We always had the view that we were going to do white-labeled issuance in a different way to how existing peers had done it.' Though the blockchain industry has long been dominated by the leading cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum, stablecoins have emerged over the past year as a target for venture investment. The sector has long sought a 'killer app' that will drive adoption beyond speculation, with stablecoins promising a kind of digital dollar that allows near-instantaneous and low-fee transactions between people and companies, and across borders. After announcing its seed round last year, Agora immediately faced stiff competition from incumbents Tether and Circle, whose respective stablecoins have market capitalizations of $158 billion and $62 billion, respectively. Agora's sits at just $130 million. But as more companies, including non-crypto giants like Meta and Apple, dip their toes into stablecoins, Agora is making the bet that there will be multiple winners, especially if they help foster adoption. Unlike Tether and Circle, Agora's business model is built around helping other companies launch their own stablecoins, similar to Paxos, another early mover in the space that worked with PayPal to launch PYUSD. But unlike Paxos, any company working with Agora will launch its stablecoin on top of AUSD, reinforcing its own moat and benefiting from broader network effects, like liquidity and interoperability. Agora has worked with crypto companies like Polygon to help them launch bespoke stablecoins for decentralized finance projects, but van Eck said that Agora expects to work with non-blockchain companies as well moving forward. When Agora launched last summer, the regulatory outlook for stablecoins was still uncertain in the U.S., with the company looking abroad for customers. That could change as Congress considers legislation that would regulate the sector, with the Senate passing a bill in June that the House is currently considering. Van Eck said he expects Agora to start serving U.S. entities if the legislation is enacted and that the company has been acquiring state money transmitter licenses. Even so, he told Fortune that the company's focus will continue to be outside the U.S., where there is more demand for stablecoins due to the volatility of local currencies and the need for cross-border payments. 'A lot of different financial institutions outside of the U.S., I would say, are looking more aggressively and will be quicker to move than some of the companies in the U.S.,' van Eck said. 'A lot of companies in the US are talking about it because it's the topic du jour.' Unlike leading stablecoins like Tether and USDC, Agora is designed to share the yield of the dollar-like assets backing the stablecoin with its partners. 'One of the things we believed in the very beginning was that stablecoins should be run like public goods, which to us meant the lion's share of the revenue gets passed to the people who are providing value within this monetary network,' Evans told Fortune. Agora works with State Street and VanEck, the eponymous investment firm run by van Eck's father to manage its reserves. Though seed investor Dragonfly participated in the Series A, the vast bulk of the investment comes from Paradigm, the crypto venture firm started by Coinbase cofounder Fred Ehrsam and Sequoia alum Matt Huang. General partner Charlie Noyes described Agora's product as a 'batteries-included stablecoin' that will allow companies to quickly create their own version without needing to hire 10 engineers to design it. While Noyes acknowledged the aggressive landscape, with companies spending large sums of money and employing more ruthless tactics to drive adoption for their own products, he said that Agora's combination of white-label service, interoperability, and revenue sharing will make it an attractive option to companies exploring the red-hot space. 'It's competitive, but obviously not that many have broken out,' he said. Updated to clarify Dragonfly's investment in the Series A. This story was originally featured on 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
