Fintech PR
It’s pothole season! Don’t just wish them away. Drive more skillfully
As Quebec drivers know all too well, the transition from winter to spring often involves an increase in potholes and uneven surfaces across the province’s roadways. These infamous road hazards can result in significant damage to vehicles, as well as potentially causing drivers to lose control. According to a new Léger poll conducted on behalf of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, 78 per cent* of Quebec drivers use the wrong techniques when approaching potholes.
”Potholes seem to have become a part of everyday life for Quebecers,” says André Parra, Regional Claims Director of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada. ”At times, they seem to almost sneak up on us, but if we remain focused on the road and learn a few techniques, we can help limit significant damage to our vehicles.”
According to the Allstate Canada survey results, almost half (47 per cent*) of Quebecers say their car has been damaged by driving over a pothole. For more than half of them (53 per cent*), the repairs ranged from $101 to $500. Not surprisingly, virtually all Quebecers (96 per cent*) agree potholes are an ongoing issue.
How should we approach potholes?
When it comes to potholes, only a fifth of drivers (20 per cent*) slow down on approach, while 78 per cent resort to swerving around them. This method of avoidance is higher among drivers whose vehicles were previously damaged due to a pothole (81 per cent*). Swerving, however, is not a recommended approach as it could result in a collision with another vehicle.
“I’m not surprised to see the results of the survey. It just shows how important it is for drivers to learn how to share the road with potholes,” says Jean-Denis Quenneville, Vice President at the Québec Association of Mechanics & Tire Specialists. ”You don’t want to slam on the brakes while going over a pothole. The tires, wheels, alignment, and suspension may take on more impact, and abruptly turning the steering wheel could cause even more damage because you risk hitting other cars and causing a collision. There are a lot of factors to consider simultaneously,” he adds.
Tips to safely minimize or avoid damage from potholes
With pothole season now here, Allstate Canada offers the following safety tips.
- Keep your eyes on the road – Watch for cars ahead of you that are swerving or braking unexpectedly to prepare for potential issues ahead.
- Hold on to the steering wheel – Always use both hands so you don’t lose control of the vehicle.
- Avoid sudden or harsh braking – If you are unable to avoid a pothole, the reaction might be to suddenly hit the brakes. Don’t. It can result in more damage or loss of control. Instead, take your foot off the gas to slow down.
- Avoid turning the steering wheel abruptly – You can damage your wheels, hit other cars or cause a collision.
- Make sure tires are properly inflated – Over or underinflated tires are at higher risk of getting damaged.
- Check your vehicle regularly – Monitor if there are dents in the rims or bulges in your tires. A car that pulls one way or the other could be a sign of bigger problems.
- Report potholes – To report a pothole of any size and request roadside repairs, get in touch with your local municipal services or call Transports Québec at 511.
For more safe driving tips, visit the GOOD HANDS® blog at goodhandsadvice.ca.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
NEW YORK, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As the global investment landscape shifts in response to AI breakthroughs, geopolitical flux, and a generational wealth transfer, one firm is emerging as a powerful force redefining what it means to lead with conviction: Beyond Alpha Ventures (BAV). Under the visionary leadership of Jacob Kobe Frankel, BAV has established itself as a multi-strategy family office and hedge fund with an eye on the future—and the world is taking notice.
Launched with a long-term thesis and institutional discipline, BAV has quietly built a portfolio that reads like a blueprint of the next decade’s technological infrastructure. The firm holds stakes in industry-defining companies such as SpaceX, Palantir, and X.AI, placing it at the core of frontier innovation—from space commercialization and AI governance to national security technology and large language model development.
“We don’t just invest in companies—we invest in the architecture of tomorrow’s society,” says Frankel. “At BAV, capital is not just fuel. It’s strategy, insight, and commitment to long-term impact.”
A Visionary at the Helm
At just 32, Jacob Kobe Frankel has emerged as one of the most compelling young voices in venture capital and asset management. Frankel combines technical fluency with macroeconomic insight, bringing a rare dual-lens perspective to capital allocation. His strategic thinking has led to early and bold moves into sectors now considered essential.
What sets Frankel apart is not just his eye for high-growth assets—but his deep belief that venture capital has a responsibility beyond returns. Under his leadership, BAV has championed an investment model that actively integrates ethical foresight, systems thinking, and technical diligence. The result: a firm with both impressive returns and a growing reputation for shaping purposeful innovation.
A Distinct Investment Strategy
BAV’s edge lies in its multi-strategy approach, balancing late-stage private equity, secondary market opportunities, and algorithmic public market strategies. The firm operates with the agility of a startup and the rigor of an institutional fund, using proprietary AI-assisted research tools to enhance due diligence, monitor portfolio performance, and uncover high-potential market inefficiencies before they become mainstream.
Frankel’s belief in precision capital is evident in the firm’s track record. By backing technologies with proven traction and transformative potential, BAV has aligned itself with ventures that are not only scalable, but foundational—positioning itself as a core player in the next wave of technological consolidation.
A Global Perspective with Long-Term Discipline
Beyond Alpha Ventures has been featured in discussions at the Nasdaq Innovation Series, the Mastercard AI Summit, and global finance panels where Frankel has been praised for his pragmatic vision of AI’s role in society. Unlike many firms chasing hype cycles, BAV invests with a generational lens—focusing on technologies that can enhance resilience, transparency, and societal scalability.
“AI is no longer a vertical—it’s the operating system of modern civilization,” Frankel stated at a recent investor conference. “At BAV, our role is to back the builders of that system—with capital, conviction, and long-term partnership.”
Poised for a Breakout Year
As 2025 unfolds, industry insiders and LPs alike are calling Beyond Alpha Ventures one of the most promising hybrid investment vehicles on the market. With a robust pipeline, a world-class portfolio, and a CEO whose clarity and courage continue to define the firm’s trajectory, BAV is not just a hedge fund to watch—it’s a blueprint for the next era of capital innovation.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2672681/BEYOND_ALPHA_VENTURES.jpg
Contact: Abigail Lincoln, +44 7856 126 983
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/beyond-alpha-ventures-the-multi-strategy-hedge-fund-to-watch-in-2025-302437684.html
Fintech PR
CapyFast and Bidwise forms strategic partnership involving over $40 million in payment volumes within performance marketing industry
MIAMI, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At PI Live US, CapyFast, the embedded payments provider for digital commerce, and Bidwise, a performance marketing platform, have announced a new strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to transform payments flow across the performance marketing — making it faster, cheaper, and more intelligent.
The agreement signed today, formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding, is expected to bring over $40 million in payment volumes to CapyFast and millions in available working capital for Bidwise. The cooperation will cover integrating real-time cross-border payment solutions along with smart liquidity services into newly developed infrastructure for Bidwise.
“The performance marketing industry is powered by results, but too often held back by legacy payment cycles,” said Oleg Chanchikov, CEO of CapyFast. “This is why CapyFast wants to remove this block. We’ve already built the infrastructure to support real-time liquidity and embedded funding. Our partnership with Bidwise will help more businesses profit from it.”
CapyFast has grown to be an important financial infrastructure provider to performance-based platforms and networks. By embedding real-time payments and revenue-based funding directly into digital platforms, CapyFast transforms how value is distributed across the industry.
“At Bidwise, we invest millions of dollars every year into media buying to fuel growth and customer acquisition for our partners,” said Simon Vielma, CEO of Bidwise. “Through this cooperation, we’ll have access to flexible financing that will help us scale faster and operate more efficiently.”
What changes with this cooperation?
- Bidwise and its partners receive real-time and cross-border payouts with dramatically reduced costs;
- Bidwise improves liquidity by accessing flexible working capital;
- Enhanced risk management with CapyFast’s proprietary scoring and payment intelligence;
- A roadmap with plan for infrastructure scale, with rollout starting in Q3 2025 and full deployment by Q1 2026.
This deal reflects a growing trend of fintech-meets-adtech, where modern financial infrastructure becomes essential to platform scalability and user trust.
Media Contacts
CapyFast PR
Email: press@capyfast.com
Web: www.capyfast.com
Bidwise Media
Milli Frigara
Email: milli@bidwise.com
Web: www.bidwise.com
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2672680/CapyFast_Logo.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/capyfast-and-bidwise-forms-strategic-partnership-involving-over-40-million-in-payment-volumes-within-performance-marketing-industry-302437615.html
Founded by ex-Optiver and IMC quants, the platform is backed by angels from Citadel, Jane Street, and JPMorgan
NEW YORK, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Theo, a novel network connecting onchain capital to global markets via institutional-grade trading infrastructure, today announced it has raised $20 million in funding. The round was jointly led by Hack VC and Anthos Capital, with participation from numerous other venture capital firms, including Manifold Trading, Mirana Ventures, Metalayer Ventures, Flowdesk, SCB, MEXC, Amber Group, and Selini Capital, as well as angels from a range of leading TradFi trading firms including Citadel, Jane Street, HRT, Optiver, IMC, 5 Rings, and JPMorgan.
Founded by former quant traders; Abhi Pingle, Arijit Pingle, and TK Kwon who honed their expertise at elite trading firms Optiver and IMC Trading, Theo was born from a recognition: while onchain capital is growing exponentially, access to traditional and institutional-grade strategies remain out of reach for everyday users. Theo aims to bridge this gap – delivering the sophistication of Wall Street to the retail investor.
Theo’s platform provides access to institutional-grade trading infrastructure that supports a wide range of strategies traditionally reserved for hedge funds and proprietary trading firms. At its core, Theo operates a custom low-latency validator set that ensures custodial guarantees for users, while enforcing rule-based access for institutional counterparties like market makers and trading firms.
These validators facilitate real-time execution across centralized exchanges (CEXes) and decentralized protocols (DeFi), while enforcing margin requirements and maintaining system-wide overcollateralization. Retail users can access these strategies via a simple deposit into strategy-specific vaults—without the complexity of multiple exchange accounts or algorithmic trading knowledge.
“Today’s crypto markets are fragmented and inefficient, preventing institutions and everyday users alike from accessing the full promise of global, permissionless finance,” says Abhi Pingle, co-founder of Theo. “Theo solves this by delivering robust, scalable infrastructure that seamlessly connects large traditional players and retail participants on-chain—unlocking new levels of capital efficiency.”
Theo strategies allow anyone to passively access professional trading strategies by simply depositing assets, with the platform handling execution, risk, and dynamic capital allocation across approaches like high-frequency arbitrage, cross-chain funding rate optimization, and advanced hedging.
As market conditions shift, Theo’s infrastructure dynamically reallocates capital to maintain performance, where single-strategy platforms often see returns diminish. This flexibility ensures greater stability and performance for retail participants.
For trading firms, Theo enables superior capital efficiency. By leveraging user capital through vault participation, firms can cross-margin strategy positions against their proprietary trades—unlocking alpha while users share in the upside. This creates a mutually beneficial ecosystem: institutional-grade strategies, retail accessibility, and shared value creation.
Theo’s architecture is uniquely positioned to connect traditional and crypto-native financial venues. As the industry evolves, Theo’s role as an infrastructure layer will be instrumental in bridging legacy markets and the onchain economy—democratizing access to advanced financial tools worldwide.
About Theo
Theo is an institutional-grade trading infrastructure platform founded by former quant traders from IMC Trading and Optiver. The platform enables retail users to access sophisticated high-frequency trading and market-making strategies previously available only to Wall Street firms, while providing trading firms with new opportunities to capture alpha through their market expertise with superior capital efficiency. Learn more at theo.xyz
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/theo-raises-20m-to-democratize-access-to-institutional-grade-trading-infrastructure-302437587.html
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