Pulse 2.0

ALLETE To Go Private In $6.2 Billion Deal

EQT Buying Perficient In A Deal Valued At About $3 Billion

Panax: AI-Based Cash Flow Management Platform Raises $15 Million

Provable Markets: Securities Finance Solutions Company Raises $8 Million

Meati Foods: $100 Million Raised And 2,000 Retail Locations Added

Lagrange Labs: Blockchain Computation Scaling Company Secures $13.2 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:55 PM

Blockchain computation scaling company Lagrange Labs announced a $13.2 million seed funding round led by Founders Fund. The round, which included Archetype Ventures, 1kx, Maven11, Fenbushi Capital, Volt Capital, CMT Digital, Mantle Ecosystem Fund, and various angels, will further support the development and deployment of Lagrange’s Zero-Knowledge (ZK) Coprocessing technology.

Iconic Arts Raises $3.1 Million And Opens Entertainment Studio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:49 PM

Iconic Arts, a new transmedia entertainment studio launched by Steven Haddadian, Alec Roth, Matthew Medney, Mo Yazdani, and Jack Sheehan, announced it raised $3.1 million in funding at a $20 million pre-seed valuation. The company also opened its doors in LA and Tokyo.

RunPod: $20 Million Raised To Help Developers Deploy Custom Full-Stack AI Applications

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 4:14 PM

RunPod, a launchpad enabling developers to deploy custom full-stack AI applications, announced it raised $20 million in seed funding, co-led by Intel Capital and Dell Technologies Capital with participation from Julien Chaummond, Nat Friedman, and Adam Lewis. In connection with the funding, Mark Rostick (Vice President and Senior Managing Director at Intel Capital) will join RunPod’s board of directors.

Pascal: $8 Million Secured To Develop Climate-Friendly Heat Pumps, ACs, And Refrigerators

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:54 PM

Pascal, a startup developing high-efficiency climate-friendly heat pumps, air conditioners, and refrigerators based on solid refrigerants, announced its novel technology and raised an $8 million seed round led by Engine Ventures, with Khosla Ventures and previous investor Blindspot Ventures participating.

ArkeaBio: $26.5 Million Raised To Develop Vaccine For Reducing Livestock Methane Emissions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:39 PM

ArkeaBio, a leading ag-biotech startup that is developing a vaccine to reduce livestock methane emissions, announced the closing of a $26.5 million Series A funding round. This funding round was led by current investor Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), and additional investors, including The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, AgriZeroNZ, Rabo Ventures, Overview Capital, and The51 Food & AgTech Fund.

Kindo: The Story Behind This Rapidly Growing AI Security Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:32 PM

Kindo is a company that provides a way to securely adopt and centrally manage AI across your entire workforce. Pay only once for AI access from any model, use it across your organization, all in one easy-to-use interface. Supporting commercial, open source, and private AI models as well as 200+ SaaS integrations, Kindo empowers AI workforce productivity while keeping everything secure, compliant, and centrally managed for IT and Security teams. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Kindo co-founders Bryan Vann (CTO) and Ron Williams (CEO) to learn more about the company.

Electric Hydrogen: $100 Million Credit Facility Secured

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:13 PM

Electric Hydrogen announced $100 million in corporate credit financing to support manufacturing and deployment of its 100MW electrolyzer plants, which enables the lowest cost production of green hydrogen. This funding round was led by HSBC, with participation from J.P. Morgan, Stifel Bank, and Hercules Capital.

Soaak Technologies: Optimizing Health And Wellness In A $500+ Billion Market

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 8:00 AM

Soaak Technologies is a company that provides transformational health solutions that use a whole-person approach to optimize health and wellness. And the company believes that everyone should have 24/7 access to the help and support they need. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Soaak Technologies executive chairman and co-founder Henry Penix to learn more about the company.

CoverTree: $13 Million Secured To Develop Manufactured Home Insurance Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 7:38 AM

CoverTree, an insurtech company specializing in manufactured home insurance solutions, announced the completion of a $13 million Series A funding round led by Portage, with participation from investors like AV8, Distributed Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, Ludlow Ventures, Annox Capital, and others.

Sikich: Tech-Enabled Professional Services Company Raises $250 Million From Bain Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 7:22 AM

Sikich, a global technology-enabled professional services company, today announced it has received a minority growth investment of $250 million from Bain Capital. This funding positions Sikich to utilize Bain Capital’s resources while accelerating continued and aggressive growth, enhancing operational excellence, and solidifying its professional services leadership position in an industry undergoing rapid consolidation.

Atlan: AI-Based Governance Company Raises $105 Million At $750 Million Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 7:12 AM

Atlan—a company emerging as a fast-growing force in data and AI governance—announced a $105 million Series C funding round led by GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund) and co-investor Meritech Capital, early backers of disruptors like Snowflake and Datadog. Existing investors Salesforce Ventures and PeakXV Partners also joined the round. With this funding round, Atlan is valued at $750 million, and the company has raised over $206 million.

Oshkosh To Buy AUSA

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 6:44 AM

Oshkosh, a leading provider of purpose-built vehicles and equipment, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AUSACORP S.L. (AUSA), which is a privately held international company and manufacturer of wheeled dumpers, rough terrain forklifts and telehandlers for the construction, material handling, agriculture, landscape, and specialty equipment industries. Following the deal’s closing, AUSA will become part of the Oshkosh Access segment.

TPG Rise Climate To Buy Olympus Terminals

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 6:29 AM

TPG Rise Climate (a dedicated climate investing strategy of TPG’s global impact investing platform TPG Rise) has signed a deal to buy Olympus Terminals. Olympus Terminals is a leading independent storage provider for renewable fuels and refined products in Southern California. It is majority owned by an affiliated investment fund of Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP and an affiliated investment fund of Intrepid Investment Management.

Embroker: Transforming The Digital Insurance-Buying Experience

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 6:27 AM

Embroker is a company that intelligently insures any business. And by pairing technology and broker expertise, Embroker helps growing businesses save time and find the best value on the right coverage. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Embroker CEO Ben Jennings to learn more about the company.

Inkbit: Additive Manufacturing Solutions Company Raises $19 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 6:15 AM

Advanced additive manufacturing solutions company Inkbit announced it raised $19 million in funding with participation from Future Labs Capital, GC Ventures America, iGlobe Partners, Ocado, Phoenix Venture Partners, Stratasys, Zeon Ventures, and other private investors. The company also revealed that Jason Weber, Vice President of Engineering, Compressor Systems and Services, North America, and Henry Ford III, Director at the Ford Motor Company and Trustee at the Ford Foundation, will join the Inkbit Board of Directors.