Pulse 2.0

IBM Buying Confluent In $11 Billion Deal

Netflix To Buy Warner Bros. In $82.7 Billion Deal (Updated)

Fitz Gate Ventures: Third VC Fund Closed, Bringing AUM To About $70 Million

Tetra Tech: $500 Million USACE Contract For Environmental Remediation Services

Noovo: $2.2 Million Raised To Advance Manufacturing Expansion In Las Vegas

Bright Power: Interview With EVP Andrea Mancino About The Renewable-Energy Solutions Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 4:02 PM

Bright Power is an energy-efficiency and renewable-energy solutions firm that helps buildings reduce costs and emissions. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Bright Power Executive Vice President Andrea Mancino to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Xposure Music: $42.5 Million Raised To Advance Artist Financing And Catalog Investments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:05 PM

Xposure Music has raised $42.5 million in new debt and equity funding to scale its artist financing programs and expand its catalog acquisition efforts. The Montreal-based company, founded in 2021, operates a technology-driven platform that provides independent artists with access to capital, catalog valuation, and direct pathways to industry professionals.

xLight: $150 Million LOI Signed With U.S. Department Of Commerce To Advance Semiconductor Lithography

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:58 PM

xLight has entered a Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for $150 million in proposed federal incentives intended to accelerate development of next-generation semiconductor lithography. The company announced the agreement on December 1, marking the first award issued by the Trump Administration’s CHIPS Research and Development Office. The move signals that advancing domestic lithography capabilities is a central priority in the administration’s broader effort to strengthen American semiconductor manufacturing.

PayJoy: $140 Million Debt Facility Secured To Advance Global Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:54 PM

PayJoy has secured a $140 million corporate debt facility from funds managed by Neuberger Berman, marking a significant step in the company’s ongoing global expansion efforts. The financing deepens a partnership that began in 2022 with Neuberger’s Specialty Finance business and is designed to strengthen PayJoy’s capital structure while supporting key growth initiatives.

EquipmentShare: $2.75 Billion Credit Facility Secured For Construction Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:40 PM

EquipmentShare has closed a $2.75 billion senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued expansion within the construction technology and equipment rental sector. The new facility, led by Wells Fargo as administrative agent and primary lender, strengthens the Missouri headquartered company’s capital structure while extending debt maturity to 2030 and improving pricing terms.

New Mountain Net Lease Completes $493 Million Inaugural ABS Issuance

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:36 PM

New Mountain Net Lease has finalized its first asset-backed securities transaction, marking a significant capital markets milestone for the New Mountain Capital-affiliated platform. The $493.4 million issuance, designated NMNL 2025 1, drew substantial interest from institutional investors and was meaningfully oversubscribed. Many participants had previously invested in other New Mountain-sponsored transactions, reinforcing their ongoing confidence in the firm’s approach to net-lease real estate.

CVC To Acquire Smiths Detection For £2 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:30 PM

CVC has agreed to acquire Smiths Detection, the global security screening and threat detection company, in a £2 billion transaction. The deal marks one of the firm’s most significant recent corporate carve-outs and highlights its continued interest in aviation, defense, and critical infrastructure technologies. The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2026. CVC will invest through CVC Capital Partners IX.

Canadian Venture Capital And Private Equity Association Appoints Benjamin Bergen As New CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:28 PM

The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association has named Benjamin Bergen as its next chief executive officer, marking a significant leadership transition for the national organization representing private capital investors across Canada. Bergen will assume the role on January 5, 2026.

Rail-Flow: €12.5 Million Series A Raised To Advance AI Innovation And International Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:25 PM

Rail-Flow has closed a €12.5 million Series A financing round to strengthen its transport management platform for rail freight and intermodal logistics. The round was led by Trill Impact and Bonsai Partners, with participation from Climentum Capital, several business angels, and existing backers Rethink Ventures and Futury Capital. The company said the investment will support its growth strategy, which focuses on scaling AI-driven capabilities, entering new markets, and enhancing platform stability.

Parallel: $20 Million Series B Raised After Students Achieve 98% IEP Goal Success

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:18 PM

Parallel has secured $20 million in new Series B funding following the release of outcomes data showing that 98% of K-12 students using the company’s virtual special education and teletherapy services met or exceeded their Individualized Education Program goals during the 2024–2025 academic year.

Ray Studios: €10.25 Million Raised To Accelerate European Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:09 PM

Ray Studios has raised €10.25 million ($12 million) in new funding to expand its medical tattoo removal network across Europe and advance its technology and clinical protocols. The round was co-led by Factory Capital and Nickleby Capital, with participation from existing investors, including Gaingels and several international business angels.

ContractPodAi: Interview With President and CTO Anurag Malik About The Enterprise AI and Contract Lifecycle Management Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:03 PM

Vista Equity Partners Acquires Majority Stake In LogicMonitor

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:54 PM

LogicMonitor announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners, giving the private equity firm a majority ownership position in the SaaS-based IT infrastructure monitoring company. Providence Strategic Growth, the existing owner, will retain a minority stake in the transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.

AngelEye Health: $9 Million Closed To Advance NICU And Pediatric Care Innovation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:47 PM

AngelEye Health has closed a $9 million Series C funding round that will support the company’s expansion and the advancement of its neonatal and pediatric care technology. Alongside the equity raise, the company also secured a debt facility from Live Oak Bank, extending its capital base and enabling it to continue developing its suite of hospital solutions. The company plans to use the combined capital to accelerate product innovation, strengthen its commercial reach, and further build intelligent, connected care environments across neonatal and pediatric inpatient units.

South 8 Technologies: $11 Million Closed To Advance LiGas Battery Production For Defense And Aerospace

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:45 PM

South 8 Technologies has secured an additional $11 million in follow-on funding to expand production of its LiGas liquefied gas electrolyte battery technology and advance commercialization efforts across defense and aerospace programs that demand reliable power in extreme environments. The funding round was co-led by the venture arm of W. L. Gore and Associates and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Anzu Partners, IQT, LG Technology Ventures, Porsche Ventures, Foothill Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and Galvion.

Diald AI: $3.75 Million Raised To Expand AI-Based Real Estate Due Diligence And Underwriting Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:43 PM

Diald AI has raised $3.75 million in early-stage funding to accelerate the expansion of its AI-driven real estate due diligence and underwriting platform. The round included participation from institutional backers such as Feedback Ventures of Singapore, alongside strategic angels and sector-focused funds.

Opifex-Synergy Secures $1.05 Billion To Accelerate Expansion And Enters Public Bond Markets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 12:11 PM

Opifex-Synergy has raised $1.05 billion in new capital through a financing package that includes its first issuance in the public bond market and a substantial asset-based lending facility, marking a major step forward in the company’s national growth strategy.

Fal: $140 Million Series D Raised To Advance Real-Time Generative Media Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 12:10 PM

Fal announced the completion of a $140 million Series D financing round led by Sequoia, marking its third capital raise in 2025 and signaling strong momentum for the generative media infrastructure company. The round also included significant participation from Kleiner Perkins and new backing from NVentures, NVIDIA’s venture capital arm, alongside Alkeon Capital. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Kindred Ventures, Meritech, Bessemer Venture Partners, Notable Capital, Shopify Ventures, and Salesforce Ventures also joined the round, reaffirming broad support for the company’s rising role in real-time generative media.

Amazon Commits $35 Billion To India Through 2030 To Accelerate AI Infrastructure And Create One Million Jobs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 12:07 PM

Amazon announced that it will invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030 as part of a large-scale expansion effort designed to accelerate AI adoption, strengthen digital and physical infrastructure, and support economic growth across the country. The commitment builds on nearly $40 billion the company has already invested in India, which has contributed to the digitization of more than 12 million small businesses, generated $20 billion in cumulative ecommerce exports, and supported approximately 2.8 million direct, indirect, induced, and seasonal jobs across industries in 2024.

Mercer Advisors Expands In PNW With Acquisition Of $260 Million Firm Thompson Advisory Services

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 12:05 PM

Mercer Global Advisors has widened its footprint in the Pacific Northwest with the acquisition of Thompson Advisory Services, a Portland-based Registered Investment Adviser overseeing approximately $260 million in client assets. The transaction brings a multigenerational, planning-first wealth management team into Mercer Advisors’ national platform and deepens the firm’s presence in the Portland market.

LexisNexis Expands Legal AI Capabilities With Next-Generation Protégé General AI Release

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 12:04 PM

LexisNexis Legal & Professional announced a significant expansion of its legal AI platform with the next-generation release of Protégé General AI. This unified environment now blends authoritative LexisNexis legal content, customer documents, and open web data. The upgraded system is designed to give legal professionals broader analytical capabilities, improved drafting tools, and more advanced reasoning features within the secure Lexis+ AI environment.

BrainChip: $25 Million Raised To Advance Commercialization Of Neuromorphic Edge AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:57 AM

BrainChip has raised $25 million to expand development and commercialization of its neuromorphic AI technology as the company prepares to showcase a growing product portfolio at CES. The funding strengthens BrainChip’s efforts around its Akida 2 platform, Akida GenAI initiatives, and new chip and module offerings designed for low-power, on-device intelligence.

Aneli Capital Launches €35 Million Early Stage Venture Fund For Baltic And CEE Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:54 AM

Aneli Capital has officially launched a €35 million early-stage venture fund aimed at accelerating startup growth across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and the broader Central and Eastern European region. The launch marks a significant addition to the region’s investment landscape, particularly for founders building in Information and Communication Technology, robotics, space, photonics, energy, and smart manufacturing.

SuperCircle: $24 Million Series A Closed To Expand Its AI-Powered Retail Waste Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:49 AM

SuperCircle announced that it has raised $24 million in Series A financing to scale its AI-driven operating system designed to help retailers manage and monetize textile waste. The funding round was led by Foundry, with participation from BBG Ventures, Renewal Fund, and Elemental Impact.

Shapes: $24 Million Raised To Advance AI Native PeopleOS For Global Workforce Transformation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:47 AM

Shapes, a Tel Aviv-based startup developing an AI-native operating system for people operations, announced that it has raised $24 million across its Seed and Series A rounds. Entrée Capital led the Series A financing with participation from NFX and F2 Venture Capital, which previously led the company’s Seed round. The funding will support team expansion, platform enhancements, and broader global market entry as demand accelerates for adaptable workforce management technologies.

Boom Supersonic: $300 Million Raised And 1.21GW Order Secured For New Superpower Turbine

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:00 AM

Shippo Launches Agentic Shipping Platform To Automate Real-Time Delivery Workflows

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:00 AM

Shippo announced the debut of Shippo MCP, a new agentic shipping platform designed to translate natural language requests into real shipping actions, including label creation, package tracking, returns, and address validation. The company described the launch as a significant step forward in making advanced shipping workflows more intuitive for e-commerce businesses.

Prime Security: $20 Million Raised To Advance Agentic Product Security Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 8:58 AM

Bennie: $50 Million Strategic Investment Raised From LNC Partners To Accelerate Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 8:56 AM

Bennie has received a $50 million strategic investment from LNC Partners in a move designed to accelerate the company’s national expansion, strengthen its benefits technology platform, and support future acquisitions. The New York-based employee benefits firm, which serves medium and large businesses across the United States, said the new capital will help scale its sales and consulting teams, advance both its employee-facing and employer-facing technology, and drive a targeted M&A strategy focused on owner-operated brokerages.

401GO: $33 Million Raised To Advance Expansion Of Its Fully Owned 401(k) Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 8:54 AM

401GO has secured a $33 million Series B funding round led by Centana Growth Partners, with additional participation from existing backers Next Frontier Capital, Rally Ventures, and Impression Ventures. The company, based in Sandy, Utah, plans to use the funding to scale its vertically integrated 401(k) technology, strengthen its retirement infrastructure, and deepen its advisor and embedded partner ecosystem.