Meeker’s BOND leads round for Asaas

An investment firm headed by a Portland native led a fundraising round for a Brazilian technology firm.

BOND Capital led a $148 million investment round for Asaas, a company that makes financial software for small- and medium-sized businesses. PitchBook reported the fundraising round last week.

Jay County High School graduate Mary Meeker is a principal with BOND Capital.

Other participants in the round for Asaas included SoftBank, Endeavor Catalyst and 23s Capital. The company had last raised $16.75 million in June 2023.

Bank holding drives

First Financial Bank will host a food drive from Oct. 7 through 25.

Bank branches will accept canned and non-perishable boxed food donations in bins at:

•Portland — 112 N. Meridian St.

•Hartford City — 101 W. Washington St.

The items donated will be distributed to local organizations.

Last year, First Financial Bank associates and volunteers donated over 6,600 food items throughout its four states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois.

Job fairs set

The U.S. Postal Service is hosting job fairs this week.

Job fairs are set for 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the USPS District Conference Center, 8765 Guion Road, Indianapolis.

There will also be fairs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Thursday, Oct. 24, for the following offices that are hiring rural carriers:

•Winchester — 130 N. Meridian St.

•Berne — 215 W. Main St.

The job fairs are designed to provide information and answer questions about open positions. Applications are accepted online only at usps.com/careers.

Position created

Indianapolis pharmaceuticals firm Eli Lilly and Company announced last week that it has appointed Thomas J. Fuchs as its first chief AI officer.

In the new role, Fuchs will “provide vision, strategic direction and overall leadership of AI initiatives across Lilly, including drug discovery, clinical trials, manufacturing, commercial activities and internal functions.” He will start in his new position Monday.

Fuchs previously served as the dean and inaugural department chair for AI and Human Health at Mount Sinai.

“In this new era of technology, the potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning to revolutionize health care is immense,” said Diogo Rau, Lilly executive vice president and chief information and digital officer, in a press release. “Dr. Fuchs will contribute to Lilly’s breakthroughs in AI, aiding in the discovery and development of new medicines while enhancing patient outcomes. We are committed to leveraging these cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation and make a meaningful impact on lives around the world.”

Donated for relief

Walmart announced Thursday that it will provide an additional $6 million to hurricane relief efforts while Dollar General announced Friday that it will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross in support of the hurricane response.

Walmart also launched a nationwide campaign allowing customers and members to donate to the American Red Cross’ hurricane relief efforts at checkout in stores, clubs and on Walmart.com.

“We are heartbroken for our communities dealing with the damage caused by Hurricane Milton,” said Walmart U.S. president and CEO John Furner in a press release. “Walmart, our associates and our customers always step up when there’s a need, and the support we’ve seen throughout the past two storms has been overwhelming. Florida can expect us to continue to step up for them, just as we’ve been doing for those in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.”

“In the wake of the devastating impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we are proud to support the Red Cross’ efforts to help restore hope during this time of recovery and rebuilding,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, in a press release. “We continue to leverage our vast store and distribution center footprint across the impacted areas in addition to our various non-profit partnerships and initiatives to help our neighbors and communities impacted by the recent storms.”

Ardagh launches

Ardagh Glass Packaging – Europe announced last week that it has launched a new range of lightweight standard wine bottles.

The new bottles, which will be 360 grams compared to the previous 410 grams, will be produced in Germany. They will be available in both screw cap and cork styles.

Ardagh operates glass manufacturing facilities in Dunkirk and Winchester.

Training scheduled

ServSafe training is held at John Jay Center for Learning in Portland.

The next session is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29. 

Another session is set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 26.

The certification course is open to all food service employees and emphasizes safe food- and beverage-handling practices to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses.

For more information, or to register, call (260) 729-5525.

Awards are scheduled

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13.

The dinner will be held at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. NBC chief political analyst Chuck Todd will be the guest speaker.

To register, visit indianachamber.com.

Also, the chamber’s 2025 Indiana Safety and Health Conference has been scheduled for Feb. 24 through 26 at the Indiana Convention Center. The event will feature the Indiana forklift rodeo, various speakers, educational breakout sessions and an innovation showcase featuring safety tools and products. Continuing education credits will be available for wastewater operators.

To reserve a spot, visit insafetyconf.com/registration.

Chicken Mac introduced

McDonald’s introduced the Chicken Big Mac for the first time last week.

The sandwich features traditional Big Mac toppings — special sauce, lettuce, cheese and pickles — but with tempura-battered chicken patties instead of beef. The sandwich was originally launched at the company’s McDonnell’s L.A. dining experience.

Deal reached

Comcast and Fox reached an agreement Thursday that will make the Big Ten Network available on a basic cable tier on the west coast.

The television companies had been in a dispute since the summer. The agreement makes the Big Ten Network available to Comcast customers in Oregon, Washington and California.

Fox owns the Big Ten Network.

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