Ulupreneurs in the news

The Financial Times named Zum to their list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies 2026. Ernst and Young named Zum CEO Ritu Narayan as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 Bay Area Award.

TechStartups and a number of other outlets reported on TPG’s $100M investment in Zum to improve school transportation and raising the company’s valuation to $1.7B. 

StreetInsider highlighted the announcement of the LendingClub’s (NYSE:LC) new partnership with Wisetack for home improvement loans.

PV Magazine featured an article about how SPAN and Nvidia plan to develop small AI data centers in homes and businesses designed to lower electric bills.

The Block and other outlets reported that Figure’s monthly loan volume topped $1B for the first time.

TechSci,and other outlets, featured FarmRaise partnership with Avalo to scale AI technology for sustainable cotton farming.

Bloomberg and several other media outlets headlined Zum’s $333M revenue in 2025. Profits are up more than 35%.

Inc spotlighted Zum founder and CEO Ritu Narayan in a piece entitled “The Only Unicorns That Are Truly Rare? Female Billionaires”. Bloomberg and several other media outlets headlined Zum’s $333M revenue in 2025. Profits are up more than 35%.

Sports Business Journal featured Sequel’s partnership with the Yankees as the team hopes to attract more female fans by offering feminine hygiene products in the stadium.

Poets & Quants named Journify as one of the Most Disruptive MBA Startups to come out of Stanford School of Business.

Forbes and other outlets spotlighted Irrigreen’s new smart drip watering system.

StreetInsider, and other outlets reported on Figure’s first completion of tokenized equity trades on blockchain infrastructure, marking a notable milestone in digital capital markets.

Business Insider profiled FoodHealth CEO Samantha Citro Alexander, focusing on how she rebuilt her gut health through intentional dietary changes and how that journey informs her company’s mission.

Time 100 Health named Clair Tomkins, founder of Future Family to its 2026 cohort of influential leaders shaping the future of health.

Fast Company and other outlets, including the New York Times, highlighted Lisa Gelobter, CEO of TeQuitable, named as CTO of New York City — and what her appointment could signal about the city’s technology priorities.

Axios spotlighted Guild’s corporate experiment that could fuel Denver’s downtown revival.

Supermarket News highlighted Hy-Vee’s debut of the Food Health Score.

The New York Times quoted Samantha Citro Alexander CEO of Food Health regarding their Food Health Score in an article outlining how nutrition is gaining momentum over calorie counting.

Bloomberg and numerous media outlets highlighted Figure’s move to enable direct stock lending over blockchain.

Barron’s quoted Ellevest wealth manager Emily Green on common mistakes that could cost investment advisors their female wealth clients.

Inc. quoted a report by BetterUp about how managers need to adapt to handle blended human and AI teams.

Stanford Business Alumni Entrepreneurs Report named Zum CEO, Ritu Narayan, as one of the inspiring alumni entrepreneurs.

Axios profiled WellBeam’s $10M raise designed to accelerate growth and enable next-generation solutions for coordinated patient care.

Venture Capital Journal cited the IRR for LAFPP’s venture portfolio as twice as high as its benchmark. Ulu Ventures is one of the managers in the system’s VC portfolio.

FinsMes and other outlets highlighted MiSalud’s nearly $19m funding round. The funding will be used to expand access to health care across North America.

Good Housekeeping highlighted Irrigreen in its Home Reno Award 2026 list, recognizing the company for its innovative and water-efficient irrigation technology,

Fitt Insider profiled FoodHealth recent report on the health of America grocery carts.

Time Magazine highlighted Sequel’s spiral tampon as one the best inventions of 2025, a huge nod to innovation in women’ s health.

Newsweek cited Homelight’s “Top Agents Insight Report” in a story about the surge of homebuyers nationwide getting cold feet and backing out of deals

Business Insider featured a piece by Ellevest founder and CEO Sallie Krawcheck, who shared hard-won lessons from being fired from two Wall Street jobs.

CNN profiled Zum CEO Ritu Narayan in their series “Champions for Change.” And Zum won a 2025 Electric Innovation Award.

CNBC featured Tomo Credit CEO Kristy Kim, sharing her journey from struggling to access credit as an immigrant to building a company that helps others do the same.