Pulse 2.0

OpenAI Reportedly Raises $11 Billion At $1.25 Trillion Valuation As Funding Round Targets $20 Billion

Shield To Buy Echodyne For $5.3 Billion And Raise $2.5 Billion At $28.8 Billion Valuation

Actian: Interview With CTO Emma McGrattan About Trusted AI And Data Intelligence

Levine Leichtman Capital Partners: Five Star Franchising Acquisition Adds 870-Plus-Location Platform

Cohen & Steers: West Street Shopping Center Acquisition Expands Grocery-Anchored Retail Investments

Paul Smith’s College: $2.8 Million Federal Grant Supports Work College Model

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:25 AM

Paul Smith’s College has received a $2.8 million federal grant to support the initial development of a Work College model that integrates structured, paid employment with students’ academic studies.

XPRIZE: $6 Million Competition Targets Foundational Learning Improvements In India

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:23 AM

XPRIZE has launched a $6 million global competition to accelerate foundational reading and mathematics skills among first-grade students in India, working with the British Asian Trust and ShikshaNext.

Trinity Consultants: Encotech Acquisition Expands Texas Engineering And Built Environment Services

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:20 AM

Trinity Consultants has acquired Encotech Engineering Consultants, expanding its mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural engineering capabilities while strengthening its presence in Texas.

Cogent: Specular Acquisition To Expand Autonomous Cyber Defense Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:19 AM

Cogent has announced an agreement to acquire Specular, a Google-backed AI security company, to strengthen its platform for discovering, validating and remediating enterprise vulnerabilities.

Firmament: Scientific Safety Alliance Receives Growth Debt Investment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:18 AM

Firmament has made a growth debt investment in Scientific Safety Alliance, supporting the next phase of expansion for a testing, inspection, certification, calibration and maintenance services provider.

Silver Point Capital: $130 Million Financing Supports Riverside’s Hoover CS Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:17 AM

Silver Point Capital's Direct Lending business has provided a $130 million financing facility supporting The Riverside Company’s acquisition of Hoover Circular Solutions, a provider of packaging, fleet management and logistics services.

Rebuild Capital: Three Deals Expand Real Estate And Construction Technology Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:16 AM

Rebuild Capital has completed three transactions in the nine months since its public debut, building a portfolio of real estate and construction technology companies that fall between traditional venture capital and private equity investment models.

Scalestack: Alysio Acquisition And Leonis-Led Funding Expand Enterprise AI Agent Controls

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:10 AM

Scalestack has raised new funding led by Leonis Capital and acquired AI agent workspace Alysio, expanding its platform for controlling how autonomous agents access enterprise data, execute tasks and interact with business systems. Zapier, Deel and AAF participated in the financing. Scalestack will use the capital to grow its engineering and go-to-market teams and develop additional governance and orchestration capabilities.

Tufts University: $11 Million Bequest To Support Chemical And Biological Engineering Research And Students

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:07 AM

Tufts University has received a commitment for an $11 million bequest from an anonymous couple that will ultimately establish an endowed fund supporting faculty and students in its Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The gift is intended to expand research opportunities, strengthen academic programs, and provide long-term financial flexibility for the university's School of Engineering.

Rice University: Nearly 200,000-Square-Foot Arc Research Hub Breaks Ground In Houston

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:03 AM

Rice University has broken ground on the Arc, a nearly 200,000-square-foot research and corporate innovation building in Houston’s Ion District that will house university researchers, industry partners and a new AI Foundry.

University Of North Dakota: Vorbeck Materials Partnership To Connect Aerospace Research With Operational Applications

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:02 AM

The University of North Dakota and Vorbeck Materials have announced plans to establish a research and development partnership spanning advanced materials, aerospace, unmanned systems and defense-related technologies.

Toutix: $3 Million Seed Funding Supports Fan Data Platform Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:36 AM

Toutix has raised $3 million in seed funding from Evolution Equity Partners to expand sales and marketing for its platform, which helps sports teams, artists and venues capture and use data generated at live events.

University At Albany: Up To $250,000 Research Fund Expands University Of Puerto Rico Collaboration

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:35 AM

The University at Albany is investing up to $250,000 in a new research accelerator fund supporting joint projects with the University of Puerto Rico, targeting energy resilience, extreme weather, artificial intelligence and health equity.

Duke University: Network Bio Partnership To Build Multi-Omics Datasets For Precision Medicine Research

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:32 AM

Duke University School of Medicine has announced a partnership with Network Bio to generate molecular datasets that researchers can use to develop artificial intelligence models for disease detection, treatment selection and drug discovery.

UA Little Rock: $266.5 Million Centennial Campaign Exceeds Fundraising Goal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:31 AM

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has completed its Centennial Campaign with $266.5 million raised, surpassing its $250 million goal and setting a fundraising record for the university.

Orrick: Mark Jansen Joins New York Trademark And Technology Brand Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:30 AM

Orrick has added Mark Jansen as a partner in New York, expanding its trademark counseling and disputes capabilities for technology businesses and other companies.

Eversheds Sutherland: Peter Cheng To Lead Hong Kong Equity Capital Markets Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:29 AM

Eversheds Sutherland has appointed Peter Cheng as a partner in its Corporate Finance practice and leader of its equity capital markets offering in Hong Kong.

Mintz: Melinda Roberts Joins New York Life Sciences Patent Litigation Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:29 AM

Mintz has added Melinda Roberts as a member of its Intellectual Property Practice in New York, continuing the firm’s expansion in life sciences and pharmaceutical patent litigation.

Milbank: Joo Hee Lee Joins Seoul Energy And Infrastructure Finance Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:28 AM

Milbank has appointed Joo Hee Lee as a partner in its Seoul office and the Global Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance Group, adding cross-border transaction experience spanning Korean investments and international financing.

Goodwin: Thomas Henry To Co-Lead Real Estate Industry Group In New York

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:27 AM

Goodwin announced that Thomas Henry will join the firm as a partner and co-leader of its Real Estate industry group, adding more than 27 years of experience advising real estate companies, investment funds and institutional capital providers.

Morgan Lewis: Edward DeLisle Joins Philadelphia Construction Litigation Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:26 AM

Morgan Lewis has added Edward DeLisle as a partner in Philadelphia, expanding its capabilities in construction litigation, federal government contracting and transactional counseling.

Kelley Drye: Ashley Tan Joins New York Privacy Practice As Special Counsel

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:26 AM

Kelley Drye & Warren has added Ashley Tan as special counsel in its Privacy and Information Security Practice Group in New York, bringing together experience in state regulation and corporate privacy programs.

Influence Media Partners: Over $600 Million Anthem Catalog Acquisition Expands Music Rights Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:25 AM

Influence Media Partners has completed its acquisition of substantially all of Anthem Entertainment’s assets in a transaction valued at more than $600 million, adding a substantial collection of music and entertainment rights to its portfolio.

NXT Capital: Runyon Surface Prep Acquisition Receives Senior Credit Financing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:22 AM

NXT Capital has closed a senior credit facility supporting Pfingsten Partners’ acquisition of Runyon Surface Prep, a distributor of equipment and consumables used in concrete surface preparation, polishing and resinous flooring applications.

PNC: Alexander Overstrom To Succeed Robert Reilly As CFO In March 2027

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:20 AM

PNC Financial Services Group has announced a chief financial officer succession plan that will move Alexander E.C. Overstrom into the role on March 1, 2027, while current CFO Robert Q. Reilly becomes executive vice chairman.

Macfarlanes: Edward Prestwich Returns As Partner In Credit Fund Formation Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:19 AM

Macfarlanes announced that Edward Prestwich has joined its Fund Formation team as a partner, returning to the firm where he previously worked as an associate between 2014 and 2021.

Miami University: Up To $100 Million Farmer Family Foundation Gift Sets University Fundraising Record

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:17 AM

Miami University has announced a commitment of up to $100 million from the Farmer Family Foundation to support its Farmer School of Business over the next decade, representing the largest philanthropic gift in the university's 217-year history. The commitment begins with $55 million expected over the next three years and will support student success, academic innovation, experiential learning, and career development.

Kirkland & Ellis: 40-Lawyer Private Equity And Debt Finance Team To Join In January 2027

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:15 AM

Kirkland & Ellis announced that 40 lawyers from Weil, Gotshal & Manges will join the firm in January 2027, adding a team spanning private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and debt finance.

University Of Notre Dame: $25 Million Gift Establishes Sports And Human Performance Institute With $50 Million Total Commitment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:14 AM

The University of Notre Dame has received an additional $25 million gift from Pat and Jana Eilers to establish the Eilers Family Sports and Human Performance Institute, increasing the couple's total investment in sports performance and related research initiatives to $50 million. The new institute will bring together Notre Dame Athletics and academic researchers to advance scientific understanding of athletic performance, human health, injury prevention, and recovery.

University Of Chicago: $10 Million Laude Institute Grant To Expand AI Weather Forecasting Across Developing Economies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:12 AM

The University of Chicago has received a $10 million grant from the Laude Institute to advance artificial intelligence-powered weather forecasting and develop an open-source platform for meteorological agencies, governments, and nonprofit organizations. The investment will support research aimed at providing more accurate and actionable forecasts for farmers, public health officials, and communities in low- and middle-income countries.