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Prosek Partners acquires a stake in Blue Dot Capital, a boutique sustainable finance consulting firm with expertise and experience in advising investment-management firms on developing comprehensive ESG and impact investing capabilities. Combining the two firms, which have been working together for close to two years, will allow them to offer a full spectrum of ESG advisory services encompassing ESG policy, governance, integration, investment strategy, reporting, investor relations, narrative-building, and strategic marketing and communications. “We have developed a team that can build and measure the investment programs and also communicates them to stakeholders,” said Prosek Partners CEO and managing partner Jennifer Prosek. “Blue Dot will expand Prosek's already robust ESG offering to include strategic ESG and impact investment program advisory.”
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| Dan Simon |
Qwoted, a platform that uses AI to connect the media with matching sources and PR pros, closes a $3 million Series Seed round of funding. Prosek Venture Partners and Vested, both pre-seed investors in the platform, are part of this round of funding, along with a consortium of communications firms including Integral, Caliber Corporate Advisers, Haymaker PR, FHS Partners and Red Lab. Qwoted plans to use this investment to enhance its technology capabilities and add talent to its sales, marketing and media success teams. “This funding will directly support Qwoted’s mission to help journalists and industry experts to find each other more easily and build long-term relationships,” said Qwoted CEO & co-founder Dan Simon, who is also CEO of Vested. “Securing this investment is a testament to the value that Qwoted is bringing to its users.”
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Praytell teams up with insight and strategy firm Kelton Global to produce its 2021 Optimism Index. The index assesses sentiment from 250 U.S. respondents who have decision-making authority in marketing roles to find out their motivations and the outcomes they’re seeing. The index finds that almost nine out of ten respondents (88 percent) want to see more positive messaging in ads. In addition, more than 70 percent say that optimistic ads are more effective and memorable than pessimistic ads. However, only 37 percent thought that society is becoming more optimistic and slightly over half (52 percent) say there are too many negative ads. The agency is also launching Praytell Advance, a reputation practice led by chief reputation officer Adam Warrington, who joined the agency in February 2021 from Anheuser-Busch. “Perhaps the most precious resource available to marketers is optimism, and with today marking the summer solstice, we chose to launch our inaugural Optimism Index on a day that inherently inspires people across the world,” said Warrington.
TEAM LEWIS starts up its AI Practice... Thunderly launches a year-long storytelling campaign focused on how franchising can provide a pathway to business ownership... JIN, a European communications consulting group, introduces "AI Campaigning", a corporate offering designed to model and anticipate stakeholder behavior.
Karsh Hagan and Madden Media join forces as KHM... Endeavor Communications opens an office in the Harbor Point neighborhood of Stamford, CT... Big Red Oak, a Toronto-based communications firm, and D.C. area-based PA firm New Hill Consulting have launched a joint service exclusively for companies in the nuclear energy sector... The Pollack Group has partnered with Brandi AI, a platform for enterprise brand intelligence, AI visibility and Generative Engine Optimization.
Real Chemistry acquires Spurwing Communications, which advises pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations—as well as clients across a broader range of industries—throughout APAC... 5W AI Communications (5WPR) is moving its headquarters from New York to Florida (Miami, Tampa)... Valence Communications, which will focus on biopharmaceutical companies, launches under Matt Middleman, who was founder and CEO at LifeSci Communications.
Moburst, which specializes in digital marketing and AI-powered solutions, acquires Amazon marketing agency Hyperzon... The Public Relations Global Network launches its Health Practice Group, which brings together more than 20 independent agencies across four continents to support health care, life sciences and pharma organizations... ICR’s newly released Q2 2026 SPAC Market Update & Outlook shows a healthy environment for IPOs... Red Banyan, a senior-level crisis management, litigation PR, and reputation management firm, makes its first appearance in the Chambers and Partners listings.
Deerfield Group, a marketing, communications and media firm focused on the healthcare and life sciences sectors, receives a strategic majority investment from Martis Capital, a private equity firm... Bospar and market research firm Propeller Insights release the results of a study that shows public understanding of AI and the role it plays in brand discoverability is lagging behind the progress of the technology itself... Highwire launches AcroIntelligence, a proprietary Large Media Model designed to help companies identify emerging narratives, understand competitive shifts, and make faster, more informed decisions.
