Pulse 2.0

atNorth: $4 Billion Acquisition By Equinix And CPP Investments

OpenAI: $110 Billion Raised At $730 Billion Valuation To Scale AI Globally

Michigan State University: Research Introduces Novel Method To Improve Prediction Of US Cropland Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Cresset: MeMe McNairy-Glenn Promoted To Managing Director, National Strategic Growth

GDS Associates Partners With Littlejohn To Support Next Phase Of Growth

Chatham Lodging Trust: $92 Million Acquisition Of Six Hilton-Branded Hotels

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 3:25 PM

Chatham Lodging Trust announced it has acquired six Hilton-branded hotels totaling 589 rooms for $92 million, representing approximately $156,000 per room. The company also increased its quarterly common dividend by 11 percent to $0.10 per share, marking the second consecutive year of double-digit dividend increases.

GI Partners: Data Center Portfolio Acquisition Expands Digital Infrastructure Footprint In Maryland

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 3:20 PM

GI Partners announced that it has completed the acquisition of two data centers located in Laurel, Maryland, and Severn, Maryland, strengthening the firm’s presence in one of the fastest-growing digital infrastructure markets in the United States.

Estée Lauder To Acquire Remaining Stake In Forest Essentials

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 3:19 PM

The Estée Lauder Companies announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining shares of Indian luxury beauty brand Forest Essentials, deepening a partnership that began nearly two decades ago. The deal, which remains subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

RB Global: BigIron Acquisition Expands Reach Into U.S. Agriculture

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 3:15 PM

RB Global announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire BigIron Auction Company, a move aimed at accelerating the company’s strategic expansion into the U.S. agriculture sector. The deal will strengthen RB Global’s marketplace ecosystem by adding an agriculture-focused online platform that connects buyers and sellers of farm equipment, land, livestock, and other rural assets.

Svante Acquires Carbon Alpha To Advance BECCS Carbon Removal Projects

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 3:13 PM

Svante Technologies, a carbon capture and removal solutions provider based in Vancouver, announced that it has acquired Calgary-based Carbon Alpha Corporation and its related subsidiaries to accelerate commercial-scale carbon dioxide removal and expand its carbon capture and storage project development capabilities in Western Canada.

Royal Cup Coffee And Tea: $28 Million Acquisition Of Coffee Roaster Farmer Brothers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:57 PM

Royal Cup Coffee and Tea announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the publicly traded coffee roaster, wholesaler, and distributor Farmer Brothers Coffee Co. in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.29 per share.

Infinitas Capital Launches New Swedish Investment Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:53 PM

Infinitas Capital, the Swiss single-family office led by Robin Lauber, announced the launch of a new Swedish investment platform with plans to pursue a listing on Nasdaq Stockholm in 2026. The initiative is designed to give public market investors access to private market opportunities that are typically limited to investors with specialized networks or significant capital resources.

Ryan Acquires Property Tax Consulting Firm Hucke And Associates

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:52 PM

Ryan, a global tax services and software provider, announced it has acquired New York City–based property tax consulting firm Hucke and Associates. The deal is aimed at strengthening Ryan’s property tax advisory capabilities and expanding the firm’s ability to support commercial real estate owners facing complex property tax challenges across major markets.

HRSoft: Majority Investment From Gryphon Investors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:50 PM

Gryphon Investors announced it has completed a majority investment in HRSoft, a provider of enterprise compensation management software designed to help organizations manage complex pay programs. Existing investor Bow River Capital will retain a minority stake in the company, while the current executive team, led by CEO Joe Poxson, will continue to manage the business.

Social Links: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Ivan Shkvarun About Fighting AI Fraud

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:55 AM

Social Links is an OSINT (open-source intelligence) company that builds a modular security-tech product to protect organizations from AI-driven digital risks that threaten their people, assets, brands, and operations. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Social Links co-founder and CEO Ivan Shkvarun to learn more.

Horatio: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Jose Herrera About The Customer Experience Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:49 AM

Horatio is a tech-enabled customer experience and business process outsourcing company that builds dedicated customer support teams for fast-growing companies. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Horatio co-founder and CEO Jose Herrera to learn more.

Advocacy: $3.5 Million Raised For AI-Native Litigation Workspace

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:44 AM

Advocacy, an AI-native litigation technology company focused on context-driven legal workflows, has emerged from stealth with $3.5 million in seed funding to expand its platform designed specifically for litigation teams. The round was led by Relentless with participation from Relativity through Relativity Labs, Fenwick & West, leading legal scholars from top law schools, and a consortium of partners that includes Big Law firms and specialized litigation boutiques.

Intercontinental Exchange: Strategic Investment In Crypto Trading Platform OKX To Expand Tokenized Markets And Regulated Futures

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:42 AM

Intercontinental Exchange, the operator of the New York Stock Exchange and a global provider of financial market technology and data, announced a strategic investment in crypto trading and blockchain technology company OKX. The investment values OKX at $25 billion, though the specific financial terms were not disclosed.

Portside: New Investment Raised From Vista Equity And Brandon Holden Named As Chief Executive Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:40 AM

Portside, a provider of cloud-based software solutions for the global aviation industry, announced a new investment from Vista Equity Partners to accelerate platform integration, advance its AI-enabled product roadmap, and expand its global go-to-market capabilities. Existing investor Insight Partners will remain a significant shareholder in the company.

BlackSky: Seven-Figure Award Secured For NGA Luno A Facility Monitoring Delivery Order

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:38 AM

BlackSky, a real-time space-based intelligence company, announced that it has secured a seven-figure award under its National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Luno A Facility Monitoring Delivery Order. The funding renews support for the company’s four-year award and reflects customer satisfaction with the performance of BlackSky’s high-cadence, AI-enabled change detection analytics.

Cheer Games: $4.5 Million Raised For Mobile Puzzle Game Studio Building Franchise Titles

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:37 AM

Cheer Games, a mobile gaming studio focused on puzzle titles, has raised $4.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Makers Fund with participation from Play Ventures and a group of strategic angel investors.

Vor Systems: $3 Million Raised For AI Platform For Complex Renewable Energy Transactions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:32 AM

Vor Systems, an AI-enabled transaction platform designed to streamline complex renewable energy deals, announced it has raised $3 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Gigascale Capital, with participation from Virta Ventures and a group of technology and energy industry leaders, including Christopher Payne, Hank Couture, Badrul Farooqi, Joe Song, Paul Grana, and Titiaan Palazzi.

HighBrook Investors: $266 Million Raised For Inaugural Data Center Fund Targeting Northern Virginia Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:30 AM

HighBrook Investors has closed its inaugural data center fund, HighBrook US DCF, LP, with $266 million in total commitments. The private equity real estate firm said the vehicle will support the development of data center assets in Northern Virginia, one of the world’s most prominent digital infrastructure hubs.

Sound Point Capital: $1.5 Billion Raised For Strategic Capital Fund III

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:28 AM

Sound Point Capital Management announced the final close of Strategic Capital Fund III with $1.5 billion in total capital commitments, reaching the fund’s hard cap after being substantially oversubscribed.

Investcorp: $1.25 Billion Raised For Second GP Staking Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:25 AM

Investcorp announced that its GP staking arm, Investcorp Strategic Capital Group (ISCG), has closed its second flagship vehicle, Investcorp Strategic Capital Partners II (ISCP II), and associated vehicles, with commitments totaling more than $1.25 billion.

Morningstar: $5 Million Strategic Collaboration With University Of Illinois Gies College Of Business To Expand Real-World Investing Education

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:22 AM

Morningstar announced a multiyear strategic collaboration valued at nearly $5 million with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Gies College of Business aimed at bringing real-world investing tools and industry experience directly into the classroom. The initiative is designed to strengthen the Midwest’s finance talent pipeline while preparing students with practical skills in investment analysis, fintech, and data-driven finance.

Wingspire: $45 Million Asset-Backed Financing Supports Tier One Automotive Supplier

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:20 AM

Wingspire Equipment Finance has provided a $45 million equipment term loan to an established international Tier One automotive parts manufacturer. The loan is secured by the manufacturer’s core operating assets and was structured to support a strategic transaction between two major automotive suppliers, enabling the integration of their operations.

BakerHostetler: Adam Baas Joins As Partner To Expand West Coast Environmental And Product Liability Litigation Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:20 AM

BakerHostetler announced that veteran environmental and product liability litigator Adam Baas has joined the firm as a partner in its San Francisco office, strengthening the firm’s litigation capabilities and continuing its strategic expansion on the West Coast.

Voomi Supply: $10 Million Raised For B2B E-Commerce Platform Modernizing HVAC And Industrial Supply Procurement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:53 AM

Voomi Supply, a technology-driven B2B eCommerce platform serving HVAC and industrial trades, announced it has raised $10 million in Series A funding to accelerate the modernization of procurement across fragmented supply markets.

Evervault: $25 Million Series B Raised For End-To-End Sensitive Data Protection

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:04 PM

Evervault, a developer-first platform focused on encrypting and orchestrating sensitive data, announced it has raised $25 million in Series B financing. The round was led by Ribbit Capital with participation from Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins and Operator Partners, bringing the company’s total funding to $46 million.

University Of Maine: Researchers Develop Mycelium-Based Plastic-Free Food Packaging

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:02 PM

Researchers at the University of Maine have developed a biodegradable food packaging material made from mushroom mycelium and wood-derived cellulose nanofibrils, offering a potential alternative to conventional plastic packaging while maintaining resistance to water and oil.

Specialty Fenestration Group Acquired By Victor Capital Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:00 PM

Specialty Fenestration Group, a Houston-based specialty fenestration platform and portfolio company of River Associates Investments, has been acquired by Victor Capital Partners. The transaction was advised by BlackArch Partners, which served as the company’s exclusive financial advisor.

Seal Shield: Acquisition Of Vioguard Expands UV-C Sanitization Solutions For Healthcare

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:59 PM

Seal Shield, a provider of hygienic healthcare technology and medical-grade devices, announced the strategic acquisition of Vioguard, a Washington State-based company known for its ultraviolet C keyboard sanitization systems and device sanitization technologies.

Solabia: Biotechnology Platform Expands With Three Strategic Acquisitions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:58 PM

Solabia, a Paris-headquartered biotechnology platform focused on natural active ingredients and diagnostics solutions, has agreed to acquire three complementary businesses as it accelerates its international expansion strategy following investment from Astorg in October 2025.

Sectra: Acquisition Of AI Radiology Company Oxipit To Advance Autonomous Diagnostic Imaging

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:57 PM

International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra has agreed to acquire Oxipit, a Lithuanian developer of artificial intelligence solutions for radiology, in a move aimed at expanding autonomous AI capabilities in diagnostic imaging.