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Leading FinOps automation platform extends rate optimization support to include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Azure customers.

AUSTIN, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2025 / ProsperOps, a leading FinOps automation platform, today announced the general availability of Autonomous Discount Management (ADM) for Microsoft Azure. ProsperOps ADM enables FinOps teams to achieve greater savings and commitment flexibility without additional resources. It uses advanced rate optimization strategies implemented via automation. By taking on the operational burden of rate optimization, ProsperOps allows FinOps teams to focus on higher-priority initiatives that require human decision-making.

Rate Optimization Challenges on Azure
Organizations face multiple challenges when optimizing rates on Azure.

• Dynamic, cyclical workloads: Organizations often have volatile usage that cannot be easily optimized without automation.

• Complex pricing schema: Pricing differs between Dev/Test and production environments, and organizations must take this into account when building out their rate optimization strategy.

• Misallocated costs and savings: Organizations cannot easily allocate commitment costs and savings equitably using native tooling.

• Differences between how resources are organized versus how they are billed: Azure organizes infrastructure resources under tenants, but a single tenant generally contains many subscriptions, each potentially tied to different billing profiles/accounts. This further complicates rate optimization.

Key Updates to ProsperOps ADM for Microsoft Azure
Building on insights from the Early Access launch in 2024, the general release of ProsperOps ADM for Microsoft Azure includes expanded capabilities and addresses the challenges above:

• Commitments Dashboard provides advanced insights into commitment flexibility. It includes Commitment Lock-In Risk (CLR) metric and commitment burndown chart. These KPIs and visualizations complement Effective Savings Rate (ESR) outcomes from the Savings Dashboard.

• Intelligent Showback support for Azure automatically reallocates commitment costs and savings equitably across subscriptions at a granular level for organizations using a centralized rate optimization strategy. (See blog post.)

• Enhanced Automation for Cyclical Workloads detects cyclical usage patterns, determines optimal coverage, and executes actions quickly to maximize ESR for organizations with highly variable workloads.

• Azure Marketplace integration enables customers to streamline procurement and billing. (See Azure Marketplace listing.)

• Expanded support for all currencies under Microsoft Customer Agreements (MCAs) and Enterprise Agreements (MEA) means that multinational enterprises can optimize using ProsperOps.

Achieving Success with Capita
Capita plc, a global professional services firm, operates in multiple countries in Europe. While it had a mature FinOps practice with a high ESR of 37%, its FinOps team wanted to further improve rate optimization, which was challenging with cyclical compute workloads.

Within two months of implementing ProsperOps ADM for Azure, Capita increased its Azure compute ESR from 37% to 49% and coverage from 40% to 79%, without additional overhead. ProsperOps used a blend of rate optimization strategies, including Adaptive Laddering, Coverage Optimization, and portfolio rebalancing of commitments to deliver maximized savings and flexibility for Capita.

“While we started with an exceptional 37% ESR, ProsperOps unlocked additional savings and pushed it to 49% while reducing management time and effort. I trust ProsperOps to optimize rates while our FinOps team tackles other top-priority initiatives as part of our mission to deliver better outcomes for our clients,” said Paul Hepple, Director of Professional Services at Capita plc.

Autonomous Discount Management for Microsoft Azure is now available to all organizations on Azure. Learn more:
https://www.prosperops.com/blog/autonomous-discount-management-for-microsoft-azure-is-now-generally-available/

About ProsperOps
ProsperOps is the leading FinOps Automation Platform for cloud cost optimization on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Eliminating waste and achieving cost savings goals is challenging when cloud usage is elastic but commitments are inelastic. Founded in 2018, ProsperOps automates and synchronizes rate optimizations with workload optimizations, eliminating waste, reducing costs and risk, and improving efficiency for FinOps teams. Customers achieve world-class Effective Savings Rates, lower Commitment Lock-In Risk, and maximize flexibility with ProsperOps’ intelligent algorithms.

ProsperOps is a founding member of the FinOps Foundation, a FinOps-certified platform, Google Advantage Partner, AWS Cloud Management Tool Competency & ISV-Accelerate Partner, Microsoft ISV Success Partner, and 2021 Gartner Cool Vendor in Cloud Computing. ProsperOps is backed by H.I.G. Growth Partners, Snowhawk, and other strategic investors.

SOURCE: ProsperOps

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Lendistry Insurance Fulfillment Team launched this month with relationships offering business and life insurance

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2025 / Lendistry announces this National Life Insurance Awareness Month that it has launched Lendistry Insurance Fulfillment Team (LIFT), an agency that connects small business owners with business and life insurance providers. Because insurance is required for many financing products, including SBA loans, LIFT has collaborated with leading providers to enable small business borrowers to acquire the needed policies in minutes without disrupting their loan application process or committing to the wrong policies.

According to a survey of over 500 business owners by Wakefield Research, 90% of small business owners are not sure they have adequate coverage, 29% don’t have coverage at all, and 53% say their main barrier to pursuing coverage is knowing what kind of insurance package their business needs.

“No one likes to think about insurance, but it’s one of those things business owners shouldn’t do without, especially when they have employees and loans to support. But just providing a connection isn’t enough-it should be easy for them to access online, after business hours,” says Everett K. Sands, CEO of Lendistry. “LIFT is our next step in becoming a trusted, one-stop partner for businesses, so they can protect what they’ve put so much heart and hard work into growing.”

In addition to providing coverage, LIFT’s providers will help business owners assess their current coverage to identify gaps and unnecessary expenses. All of LIFT’s services are also accessible to businesses that are not Lendistry applicants or customers. The fulfillment team will be adding more providers to its marketplace to make sure business owners can find the right coverage to support their current and future needs.

About Lendistry

Lendistry (lendistry.com) is a tech-enabled small business lender, grant administrator for private and public agencies, and a trusted resource for undercapitalized entrepreneurs including people of color, veterans, and those in rural communities. Founded in 2015, Lendistry has used technology and community partnerships to deploy over $10 billion in its first ten years. Lendistry was recently named the winner of the LA Area Chamber of Commerce Corporate Leadership Award, BankRate’s Best Minority-Led Business Lender, and one of American Banker’s Best Places to Work in Fintech. Lendistry has both Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certifications, is an SBA Preferred Lender and is now the #2 non-bank SBA 7(a) lender in the country. In collaboration with The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit business education organization, Lendistry helps business owners achieve their goals and prepare to scale.

Contact Information

Kate Kearns
Sr. Communications Manager
communications@lendistry.com

SOURCE: Lendistry

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IRVINE, CA / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2025 / enVVeno Medical Corporation (Nasdaq:NVNO) (“enVVeno” or the “Company”), a company setting new standards of care for the treatment of deep venous disease, today announced that it will file a request for supervisory appeal of the not-approvable letter from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) received on August 19, 2025, in response to its Premarket Approval (PMA) application for the VenoValve®, a surgical replacement venous valve for treating severe deep chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

The FDA provides several internal informal and formal mechanisms to challenge lower review staff decisions, including scientific controversies. One mechanism is a request for supervisory review in which an appeal is made to the next line of supervision. Supervisory appeals are required to be filed within 30 days of the decision being appealed, which is on or before September 18, 2025. These appeals involve a formal substantive request, an in-person meeting, and a decision. It also often includes multiple interactions even after an initial appeal decision is made.

“Due to our interaction with FDA to obtain our Breakthrough Device Designation (BDD), in which the FDA determined that the VenoValve will meet an unmet clinical need, and our clinical trial negotiations to obtain our Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), as well as during our PMA submission interactions, we have established a productive and collaborative working relationship with the FDA over the past several years. We view this supervisory appeal as an opportunity to extend that relationship,” said Robert Berman, enVVeno Medical’s Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing a true first-in-class device through the PMA regulatory process raises unique challenges, and it is not unusual to have sequential collaborative discussions with the Agency to address issues that arise during the review process. We are committed to our continuing interactions with the FDA and to the goal of bringing the VenoValve to the 2.5 to 3.5 million patients suffering from severe deep venous CVI in the U.S. and who have no effective treatment options.”

Internal Agency reviews are based on information already in the administrative file. Due to the variety of both physician reported and patient reported data generated by the VenoValve pivotal study and which is already a part of the file, the Company is confident that explaining this data to supervisory management in a focused appeal setting will lead to a positive outcome, with a decision expected by the end of 2025.

About enVVeno Medical Corporation

enVVeno Medical (NASDAQ: NVNO) is an Irvine, California-based, late clinical-stage medical device Company focused on the advancement of innovative bioprosthetic (tissue-based) solutions to improve the standard of care for the treatment of deep venous disease. The Company’s lead product, the VenoValve®, is a first-in-class surgical replacement venous valve being developed for the treatment of severe deep Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). The Company is also developing a non-surgical, transcatheter based replacement venous valve for the treatment of deep venous CVI called enVVe®. Both the VenoValve and enVVe are designed to act as one-way valves, to help assist in propelling blood up the leg, and back to the heart and lungs. The Company is currently performing the final testing necessary to seek IDE approval from the FDA to begin the U.S. pivotal trial for enVVe.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any statements of stockholders, directors, employees, representatives and partners of enVVeno Medical Corporation (the “Company”) related thereto contain, or may contain, among other things, certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements identified by words such as “projects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential” or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to that such FDA appeal is unsuccessful and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results and timing may differ significantly from those set forth or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the Company’s control). The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future presentations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

INVESTOR CONTACT:
Jenene Thomas, JTC Team, LLC
NVNO@jtcir.com
(908) 824-0775

MEDIA CONTACT:
Glenn Silver, FINN Partners
Glenn.Silver@finnpartners.com
(973) 818-8198

SOURCE: enVVeno Medical Corporation

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As AI reshapes the world and our schools, this report suggests student experience surveys can provide real-time impact data that correlates with long-term outcomes and can help schools redesign learning faster

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2025 / Transcend, a national nonprofit that works with communities to create and spread extraordinary learning for all students, has released the report Beyond “Fine”: How Students Really Feel About School and Why It Matters, analyzing more than 70,000 student responses to their validated Leaps Student Voice Survey. The survey data reveals that:

• How students experience school is significantly associated with a range of important outcomes including test scores, GPA, attendance, and disciplinary incidents.

• Students who report better school experiences achieve better outcomes.

• Students at schools which regularly seek and incorporate student feedback into how they “do” school have more positive school experiences and outcomes than the norm.

“AI is re-writing the world we live in, yet step into most schools, and you’ll see a different story: rigid schedules, siloed subjects, and little space for relevance or real-world connections,” says Aylon Samouha, CEO of Transcend. “Transcend’s Beyond Fine report shows us that many students are feeling locked in place by their learning experiences, and they’re asking, ‘How is this preparing me for what’s next?’ By understanding how students experience school and what’s important to them, educators can gather near-term data to fuel rapid improvement, giving more students the strong academic and behavioral outcomes they deserve.”

Beyond “Fine”: How Students Really Feel About School and Why It Matters finds that:

• Students who report higher quality learning experiences perform better on key learning and behavioral outcomes.

• Most students report that they are not having great experiences in school. School feels irrelevant, boring, and offers them few opportunities to take charge of their learning.

• The longer students spend in school, the less they like it. Middle and high school students are particularly dissatisfied with their school experiences.

• Innovative communities across the country are adopting new models that create extraordinary learning experiences. Many schools and districts with strong student experiences and outcomes feature design choices that differ from the “traditional” approach to school.

The report highlights successful examples of schools using student experience feedback to drive improvement:

• A Massachusetts school cut chronic absenteeism from 28% to 12% by adapting to student feedback.

• A North Dakota school adopted student-advocated “studios” to make instruction feel more relevant to the real world, growing from 18% of students reporting school felt relevant pre-studio to 89%.

Because student experience data is highly responsive to changes in instruction and culture, listening tools like Transcend’s Leaps Survey allow educators to make decisions about data-driven improvement in ways that important, but lagging, outcomes cannot. While it can take months or years for interventions by a school or district to influence standardized assessment scores, the Beyond Fine report suggests that educators do not need to wait that long to test impact±or make informed changes to learning.

SOURCE: Transcend

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Tech brands dominate, and the Tesla brand tumbles.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2025 / Disney ranks as the No. 1 most intimate brand according to MBLM’s 2025 Brand Intimacy Study, a comprehensive ranking of brands based on emotions. Netflix and Apple rank second and third, respectively, in the overall study. Brand Intimacy is the emotional science behind the bonds that consumers form with the brands they use and love.

The largest analysis of brands based on emotion, the 2025 Brand Intimacy Study is an AI-powered evaluation of 475 brands across 22 industries and 25 brand families. Built on paradigms established by Nobel Prize-winning scientists, the study reflects more than 15 years of research combining qualitative multicountry studies and quantitative consumer studies. This comprehensive analysis examines more than 4.38 billion words across the social internet and platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Quora and X (formerly Twitter).

Over the past 15 years, top-ranking intimate brands have consistently demonstrated superior financial performance. Comparing the top 25 intimate brands with the Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor’s indices over the past year reveals that intimate brands collectively achieved annual profit growth 18% higher than Fortune 500 brands and 13% higher than S&P brands. In dollar amounts, intimate brands generated $252 billion more in revenue than Fortune 500 brands and $222 billion more than S&P brands, underscoring that the stronger the emotional bonds between a brand and its consumers, the more its business outperforms.

“The world of information, and of marketing specifically, is being shaped by social consensus and algorithms in an environment of volatile politics and post-pandemic change,” said Mario Natarelli, Managing Partner at MBLM. “Today, the vast majority of consumers are guided and influenced by social conversations, even when not actively participating in them. Younger generations, in particular, increasingly base purchase decisions on what they see and sense online. For brands, this means love is harder than ever to earn and easier to lose, and collective intelligence now shapes brand reality. Brand Intimacy is a research-backed approach to understanding and leveraging emotion in the context of this evolving environment.”

Additional notable findings include:

Netflix continues its steady rise from 8th to 2nd in this year’s ranking, signaling maturation and dominance of the brand and of major streamers in general.

Previously placing 2nd after years of steady gains, Tesla dropped significantly to 41st, revealing Musk’s detrimental impact on the automaker’s consumer relationships.

In another sign of underperformance, Tesla (TSLA) is one of only two brands among the “Magnificent 7” that are not dominating in Brand Intimacy rankings, as it does in the market; the other is Nvidia (NVDA). The Magnificent 7¬ represents seven of the most influential and high-performing tech-focused companies in the U.S. stock market: Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), Nvidia (NVDA) and Tesla (TSLA).

The automotive industry as a whole ranked 3rd among 22 industries, but only one automaker, Honda, is represented in the top 10, signaling a weakening of the role of car brands in consumer mindshare.

Other notable declines include crypto as an industry falling from 8th to 22nd (last place); sports leagues, dropping from 10th to 17th; and gaming, falling from 5th to 13th.

To download the full 2025 Brand Intimacy Study or explore the Data Dashboard, click here.

Methodology

In 2024 and 2025, MBLM, in collaboration with Allen Advanced Analytics, conducted a comprehensive analysis of more than 475 brands and 4.38 billion words across the social internet. The study focused on U.S.-based audiences across seven major platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Quora and X (formerly Twitter). Each platform was weighted using a principal component and cluster-based model, incorporating factors such as demographic representation, platform usage patterns, and interaction dynamics. This approach allowed for a more balanced and representative analysis of brand engagement across generational and behavioral cohorts. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, natural language processing, sentiment analysis and MBLM’s proprietary Brand Intimacy measures, the study analyzed organic U.S. consumer discourse about brands over a rolling three- to six-month period.

To read a more detailed description of MBLM’s approach, visit its Methodology page.

About MBLM

MBLM invented Brand Intimacy, the emotional science behind the brands we use and love. For our clients, we deliver expertise and value through our agency insights, services and software offerings. With offices in New York City, Toronto, Dubai, and Seoul our multidisciplinary teams invent, transform and enhance brands for businesses of every kind. We deliver marketing that creates stronger emotional connections with stakeholders. These bonds drive better performance and long-term returns. To learn more about how we can help you create and sustain ultimate brand relationships, visit mblm.com.

Contact Information

Mario Natarelli
Managing Partner
mnatarelli@mblm.com
1 646 560 1981

SOURCE: MBLM

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