NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 06:55 ET — Premarket
- Strive shares were up about 1% in premarket trading after the company highlighted proxy-adviser support tied to its pending Semler Scientific deal.
- A filing showed Strive executives circulated a message saying Glass Lewis, following ISS, recommended Semler shareholders vote “for” the merger.
- Bitcoin was higher early Friday; investors are watching the Jan. 13 Semler vote and any updates to Strive’s bitcoin-accumulation plans.
Shares of Strive, Inc. (ASST) — parent of Strive Asset Management, LLC — rose about 1.1% in premarket trading on Friday.
The move puts fresh attention on Strive’s proposed all-stock acquisition of Semler Scientific, where shareholder voting mechanics and proxy-adviser guidance can swing sentiment quickly.
The deal’s timing matters because it is stock-for-stock: shifts in Strive’s share price can change the implied value offered to Semler holders day by day, even before anyone casts a vote.
In a Form 425 filing, Strive disclosed a repost on X by CFO Ben Pham of a message from CEO Matthew Cole. “Glass Lewis also recommends Semler Scientific shareholders vote FOR the merger with Strive,” Cole wrote, referencing earlier support he said came from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). 1
Bitcoin was up about 1.8% early Friday, while shares of Strategy (MSTR) were down about 2.3% in premarket trading. Bitcoin-tied equities often move with crypto prices because their balance sheets and funding plans can be linked to the token’s value.
Strive has described itself as a publicly traded “bitcoin treasury” company — shorthand for a firm that builds bitcoin holdings on its balance sheet — alongside an operating asset-management business. In a Dec. 15 release, Strive said it held about 7,525 bitcoins as of Nov. 7 and that Strive Asset Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary that has grown to manage more than $2 billion in assets. 2
Strive agreed in September to acquire Semler in an all-stock deal as it sought to scale its bitcoin strategy, Reuters reported at the time. 3
Semler is scheduled to hold a special shareholder meeting on Jan. 13 at 9:00 a.m. ET in a virtual meeting to vote on the proposed transaction, according to a prospectus filed with the SEC. 4
Proxy advisory firms such as ISS and Glass Lewis analyze mergers and publish voting recommendations that many institutions factor into their ballots, even though the guidance is nonbinding.
Investors are also tracking Strive’s preferred shares, which it has used as part of its financing toolkit. The company said in December it lifted the annual dividend rate on its SATA perpetual preferred stock to 12.25% and declared the next monthly dividend of $1.0208 per share, payable Jan. 15 to holders of record as of the close on Jan. 1. 2
What comes next is straightforward but market-moving: more merger communications as the Semler vote approaches, any shifts in deal expectations tied to Strive’s share price, and any new disclosures related to Strive’s bitcoin holdings or funding.
