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TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
With Varda Space, leading Silicon Valley players make big bet on making drugs in space
Pharmaceutical scientists come up against a hard limitations here on Earth: gravity. Varda Space wants to change that. The company has raised a massive new round to turn space into the 'ultimate high ground' for the production of critical pharmaceutical components that can be brought back to Earth and used to make finished drugs. The company's $187 million Series C funding round announced Thursday will be used to build out a new laboratory facility that could transform Varda's orbital manufacturing process into a lucrative intellectual property-generating machine. The 10,000-square-foot-lab space in El Segundo, California will enable Varda pharmaceutical scientists to determine which biologics, like proteins and antibodies, are the most promising candidates for space-based crystallization. They will essentially perform 'the upfront work' to determine which assets are good candidates for an orbital mission, and what conditions to put them through in space, Varda co-founder Delian Asparouhov explained in an interview with TechCrunch. 'The company can go and do process engineering to understand at what temperatures and what conditions do the biologics crystallize ahead of time, so that when we get up in orbit the bioreactor knows what to do,' Asparouhov said. Varda is in conversation with leading pharmaceutical manufacturers that are struggling with particular problems, like crystallizing a particular ingredient, or issues with drug purity or shelf-life stability. The company's aim is to use its lab and orbital spacecraft to solve those problems, and in the process generate IP that can be patented and licensed to drugmakers. The lab will provide opportunity for the company to generate intellectual property that could prove valuable further down in the drug production life-cycle. Asparouhov said he expects to see a much greater volume of Varda patents filed as the lab comes online. Techcrunch event Save up to $475 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW The new funding was led by firms Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, with additional contribution from Peter Thiel, Lux Capital, Khosla Ventures and Caffeinated Capital. Asparouhov is a partner at Founders Fund, the firm Thiel co-founded twenty years ago, and he as previously a principal at Khosla. Varda has launched and returned three successful missions so far since 2023; the company anticipates completing four missions this year alone. For its first three missions, Varda housed its in-space manufacturing module inside a Rocket Lab-made spacecraft. The company has since taken all of the spacecraft manufacturing in-house. Varda built two spacecraft this year and aims to double that manufacturing cadence to four next year. The company also generates revenue by turning its spacecraft into a hypersonic flight testbed for the U.S. Department of Defense. Historically, hypersonic flight testing had a long lead time and sky-high prices, but Varda is proposing a launch-and-return cadence and the novel opportunity to recover tested material.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Modern Wealth buys California advisory firm Kaye Capital Management
RIA firm Modern Wealth Management has announced the acquisition of Kaye Capital Management's (KCM) assets, further enhancing its service offerings. Based in El Segundo, California, KCM is a fee-only advisory firm managing over $700m in assets and an additional $300m in assets under advisement. Founded in 2000, KCM serves a diverse clientele, including corporate executives, public servants, physicians, attorneys, entrepreneurs, film directors, writers, and retirees, while also providing institutional retirement planning services for corporations and nonprofits. Led by Ken Watten, and David Hilton, who will join Modern Wealth as managing directors, KCM oversees more than $300m in assets for over 200 households and more than $400m in retirement plan assets for over 400 companies. KCM's team of four has fully transitioned to Modern Wealth and adopted its brand. Hilton said: 'Michelle and the Modern Wealth retirement plan services team bring a distinct level of depth and expertise that elevates our offerings for corporations and nonprofit organisations.' With this acquisition, Modern Wealth Management's assets under management have surpassed $8.5bn, marking its fourth acquisition in 2025. The integration of KCM's retirement plan services will enhance Modern Wealth's offerings, providing institutional-quality consulting and co-fiduciary services for various qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), profit sharing, 403(b), and 529 plans, according to the company. This complements Modern Wealth's existing retirement plan advisory business, established in March 2024 through the acquisition of Beltz Ianni. By joining Modern Wealth, KCM gains access to an expanded wealth management platform, allowing it to offer integrated services such as financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, and investment management. The firm will also leverage Modern Wealth's 'Organic Growth Hub' for strategies in lead generation, client onboarding, and support in marketing and operations. Modern Wealthco‑founder and president Jason Gordo said: 'KCM joining Modern Wealth marks another significant milestone as we deepen our reach in California, strengthening our ability to deliver comprehensive wealth and retirement solutions for individuals and corporations in one of the nation's most sophisticated markets.' This acquisition marks Modern Wealth's third in California this year, following the asset purchases of Wade Financial Advisory and Planned Asset Management. "Modern Wealth buys California advisory firm Kaye Capital Management" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. 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
Forbes
3 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Draft These 4 Rookie RBs In 2025 Fantasy Football
El Segundo, CA - May 09: Running back Omarion Hampton of the Los Angeles Chargers during Los ... More Angeles Chargers rookie minicamp at The Bolt in El Segundo on Friday, May 9, 2025.(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) Each year, there's plenty of value to take advantage of in fantasy football. One of the most common ways to get a leg up on your leaguemates is by properly valuing rookies. Due to the fact that there's no sample size in the NFL, many casual fans don't know how to value these players. Yet these rookies have some of the most upside in fantasy football. We've talked about two of these players in an earlier article but my argument still holds true even after an update in ADP. Below, we'll be outlining which five rookie running backs you should draft in fantasy football based on ADP from FantasyPros. Yes, I'm aware that Ashton Jeanty isn't here, RB5 is a bit too rich for me. Draft These 4 Rookie RBs in 2025 Fantasy Football Despite being drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, Omarion Hampton is going 11 running back spots lower than Jeanty. Many are going to argue that Najee Harris will have a significant role, but Hampton was drafted after the team already had Harris. Hampton is a great prospect who was selected 22nd overall in the NFL Draft after showing great contact balance and burst. While Harris should start the year as the RB1, Hampton can easily take over his job in just a few weeks. Having the RB1 on the Los Angeles Chargers is going to be very advantageous with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman emphasizing the run game. Especially when you consider that DraftKings (per Sharp Football Analysis) has the Chargers projected to score the 13th most points in the NFL. After skipping over RJ Harvey, it's a better idea to take TreVeyon Henderson one spot later. Many believe that Harvey is stepping into a much better situation, but J.K. Dobbins is a talented running back. Dobbins is still 26 years old, and he's coming off a season where he had 905 rushing yards on 4.6 YPC. Rhamondre Stevenson, on the other hand, only had 801 rushing yards on just 3.9 YPC. The New England Patriots invested heavy draft capital into Henderson because he has the full skill set you want out of a running back. Henderson has great hands, fantastic burst, and he's also a very good pass protector. The ability to protect Drake Maye will allow Henderson to get on the field early and often, which will then turn into fantasy points. With Maye stepping into year two, combined with the additions of Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams, this is an offense you want to be a part of. BEREA, OHIO - JUNE 04: Quinshon Judkins #10 of the Cleveland Browns runs a drill during Cleveland ... More Browns OTA offseason workouts at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 04, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by) For the rest of these players, there's a veteran running back who can limit them in year one. Not Quinshon Judkins. The Cleveland Browns drafted Judkins 36th overall, showing that they believe in him a ton. Jerome Ford is the only running back ahead of Judkins, but he's never produced. Ford doesn't have the talent to become a starting caliber back, as in the only year he had over 10 starts, he disappointed. That was back in 2023, when Ford had 12 starts but was able to muster just 813 yards on four YPC. Judkins is clearly the better talent and should start from day one. The main issue is that Judkins is a bruiser, and the Browns offense isn't great. In fact, DraftKings has them projected to score the fewest points next year. That being said, Shedeur Sanders was a 1st round talent in my scouting evaluations, and he can help elevate this team if given a shot. If things break right for Judkins, the talent is there for him to easily crush his ADP in fantasy football. If Cam Skattebo wants to have a monster year, all he has to do is beat out Tyrone Tracy for the starting job. Tracy had a good rookie season, but he's a much better pass catcher than a pure runner. Last season, Tracy had 839 rushing yards on 4.4 YPC, but he also had five fumbles. Not being able to hold onto the ball is the easiest way to get benched in the NFL, which should open the door for Skattebo. While Skattebo doesn't have great draft capital being selected 105th overall, Tracy was actually selected much lower at 166th overall. When you compare the two as prospects, Skattebo edges out Tracy due to his great hands, contact balance, and ability to make defenders miss. As for the New York Giants, they're projected to be the 31st-best offense in the NFL, but they have upside with Jaxson Dart being added to the mix and Malik Nabers going into year two. Skattebo is set up to finish much higher than the RB37 in fantasy football.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Chargers mailbag: Big training camp for Quentin Johnston? More moves on the way?
Summer break is winding down, and training camp is swiftly approaching. The Los Angeles Chargers' rookies will report to camp Saturday, while the veterans report on July 16. The opening practice of camp will be held July 17 at The Bolt, the team's practice facility in El Segundo, Calif. And with that, version 2.0 of Jim Harbaugh's Chargers will begin to crystallize in earnest. Advertisement It is time to start setting the stage for what will be a fascinating and consequential six weeks. What better way to kick that off than with your questions? You ask. I answer. It's the mailbag. Do you think the coaching staff will give Quentin Johnston too many chances to hold his starting spot? — @marti61590 I do not think the Chargers coaching staff will give Johnston too many chances. The 2023 first-round pick is going to have to earn his chances. That has been the case for every player since Harbaugh took over as head coach. Harbaugh wrote as much in the message that was hanging on posters around the locker room last season: 'We predict those who produce will stay.' The simple phrase is the foundation of the culture. Johnston will have to perform. Johnston will have to produce. And if he does those things, he will earn a spot on the roster and potentially a starting job. That road will be exceedingly more difficult this year for Johnston because of the moves the Chargers made in the offseason. They signed Mike Williams in free agency, and Williams is one of Justin Herbert's all-time favorite targets. They drafted two receivers in second-rounder Tre' Harris and fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith. All three of those receivers play primarily on the outside, where Johnston plays. In June, receivers coach Sanjay Lal said this of Johnston: 'I told him he's a starter, because he is. And he's operating that way.' The moves the Chargers made indicate, at minimum, they wanted more competition at this position. Johnston improved from Year 1 to Year 2. But he still had frustrating moments in 2024, including a monumental drop in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. It is not hard to draw a through line from that drop to the way the Chargers approached receiver this offseason. Johnston also did not have a catch on five targets in the Chargers' playoff loss at the Houston Texans. Receiver is going to be a highly competitive position in training camp. I see at least eight receivers in competition for six spots: Ladd McConkey, Williams, Harris, Lambert-Smith, Derius Davis, Johnston, Jalen Reagor and Brenden Rice. Those who produce will stay. Do you think there are gonna be trade targets as the season gets closer like the late addition of Elijah Molden last year? — @TreRober1213 General manager Joe Hortiz views roster building as a 365-day process, and I do not think that approach will change as long as he is in this role. As such, I think the Chargers will be monitoring markets throughout camp — and especially toward cutdown day when potential value-add options become available via trade or the waiver wire. Last year, the Chargers made several August moves. They signed defensive lineman Teair Tart midway through camp to beef up their interior depth. In late August, they traded for backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke, and they traded for Molden, as our question-asker mentioned. Advertisement All three of those moves came after the Chargers had a firmer grasp on the state of their roster. And I think they will want to see a similar sample size this year before they make any sort of move. In the case of Heinicke, the Chargers gave Easton Stick an extended audition in training camp before they went shopping for an upgrade. Herbert sat out three weeks of training camp with a plantar fascia injury. Stick was QB1 for that stretch. He struggled. The Chargers then made the move. With Molden, the Chargers had a sense that they would need an upgrade at the third safety spot to give them flexibility to move Derwin James Jr. around. But they still gave A.J. Finley a chance to earn that spot in training camp. When Finley did not claim that job convincingly, they made a move. And so I think the Chargers will see how the players on the roster perform before making any moves this year. If Zion Johnson makes a smooth transition to center, and Bradley Bozeman looks comfortable at left guard, then it might not be necessary for the Chargers to make a move on the interior offensive line. If the opposite happens, the Chargers could be forced to look into the trade or free agent markets to find another interior piece — perhaps veteran guard Brandon Scherff. Wait for the pads to come on, and then make an evaluation. Is there any reason to believe some of the offensive additions will mask the lack of investment on the interior OL? — @milesrwilliams In theory, the increased options on offense should have a positive impact on the offensive line. How much of an impact? I think that is where there is room for debate. On one hand, the Chargers will have more players on the field who can consistently beat man coverage. And that should give Herbert more places to go with the ball, particularly on third down, when defenses generally play more man. Third down is also when defenses can get more creative with their blitzes, simulated pressures and stunts. The Chargers struggled to block these looks on the interior last year. It was one of their biggest weaknesses. Herbert was sacked on 9.3 percent of his third-down dropbacks in 2024, the highest rate of his career, according to TruMedia. Herbert also ranked 28th in expected points added per dropback on third downs against man coverage last season, according to TruMedia. For reference, Herbert averaged -0.23 EPA per dropback on third down when facing man coverage in 2024. From 2020 to '23, Herbert averaged 0.32 EPA per dropback in those situations and never posted a season average below 0.16, his rookie year. More receiving options will not hurt the Chargers' performance in these situations. On the other hand, the Chargers added receiving options who are at their best attacking down the field, from Harris to Williams to Lambert-Smith to rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden. To attack down the field, an offense must protect to give the quarterback time. This gives me a little bit of pause in terms of how much the added playmakers can truly mask the interior issues. The Chargers believe free agent addition Mekhi Becton will drastically improve the play of the interior. They also made a calculated decision in terms of the roster build. They could have shopped more aggressively in the free agent guard market. Instead, they made one move with Becton, whom they signed to a solid value deal. They could have taken an interior offensive lineman earlier in the draft. Instead, they invested pretty heavily in their pass-catching option between Harris, Lambert-Smith and Gadsden. In the end, the Chargers walked away from the Houston game with two primary weaknesses they had to address in some capacity. They needed help on the interior offensive line. They needed more receiving options outside of McConkey. They did address both, though they clearly leaned more heavily in one direction. We will see if the pass-catching additions are enough to elevate the offense, or if the protection on the interior continues to have a hamstringing effect. Advertisement The No. 1 position battle you will be following closest is? — @DanielO93512328 Receiver is in the conversation. So is interior defensive line, where the Chargers have a deep group that lacks a clear top-end producer. But I will go with cornerback, because ultimately I believe it will be the most contested battle in camp. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still both return coming off solid rookie seasons. Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste enter the picture as veteran free agent additions. Ja'Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard return as veteran holdovers. And the Chargers also drafted a corner in Trikweze Bridges, who has intriguing size-speed skills. That amounts to seven corners for what will likely end up being six spots. Hart missed most of the spring program as he rehabbed from offseason shoulder surgery, so it was hard to get a read on where the rotations actually stood during OTAs and minicamp. I will be keeping a close eye on this early in camp, partly because of how defensive coordinator Jesse Minter framed the battle in June. 'Some weeks you play these giant receivers, some weeks you play different types,' Minter said then. 'And so I think at corner nowadays sometimes you're trying to create a little bit of a basketball team, where you can match up differently on different people.' The Chargers could have a package with bigger bodies on the outside, Hart and St-Juste. They could have a package with smaller ball-hawking types in Jackson and Still. They could mix and match. The rotations also depend on how much nickel James plays. Early indications are he will be playing there often, as he did in the second half of last year. If James plays more safety, though, that could mean more playing time in the slot for Still or Taylor. It is a puzzle, and the pieces will start to fit together next week. (Top photo of Quentin Johnston: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is PHYSX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?
If investors are looking at the High Yield - Bonds fund category, PIA High Yield Institutional (PHYSX) could be a potential option. PHYSX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. PHYSX is classified in the High Yield - Bonds segment by Zacks, an area full of investment possibilities. High Yield - Bonds funds come in below investment grade, and are referred to as " junk " bonds for this reason. Compared to their investment grade peers, these funds are at a higher default risk, but typically pay out higher yields while posing similar interest rate risks. Pacific Income is based in El Segundo, CA, and is the manager of PHYSX. Since PIA High Yield Institutional made its debut in December of 2010, PHYSX has garnered more than $90.55 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by Lloyd McAdams who has been in charge of the fund since November of 2013. Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 7.45%, and it sits in the top third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3 -year annualized total return of 7%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame. It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Over the past three years, PHYSX's standard deviation comes in at 6.72%, compared to the category average of 7.05%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 6.5% compared to the category average of 6.73%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Modified duration is a measure of a specific bond's interest rate sensitivity, and is an excellent way to judge how fixed income securities will respond to a shifting rate environment. For those that believe interest rates will rise, this is an important factor to consider. PHYSX has a modified duration of 2.9, which suggests that the fund will decline 2.9% for every hundred-basis-point increase in interest rates. This fund has a beta of 0, meaning that it is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. Taking this into account, PHYSX has a positive alpha of 6.94, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis. As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, PHYSX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.80% compared to the category average of 0.86%. From a cost perspective, PHYSX is actually cheaper than its peers. Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $1,000; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50. Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included. Overall, PIA High Yield Institutional ( PHYSX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now. This could just be the start of your research on PHYSXin the High Yield - Bonds category. Consider going to for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (PHYSX): Fund Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
