Pulse 2.0

Uber: $1.25 Billion Partnership With Rivian To Deploy Autonomous Robotaxis

Mastercard: $1.8 Billion BVNK Acquisition To Expand Stablecoin Payments Infrastructure

InfraVia Capital Partners: $50 Million Investment In Lithium Project To Support Australian Production

NIH: $150 Million Invested To Advance Human-Based Research And Reduce Animal Testing

BusRight: $30 Million Raised For Student Transportation Technology Platform Expansion

Hanwha Energy: Texas Gas-Fired Power Plant Acquisition To Expand U.S. Energy Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:58 PM

Hanwha Energy USA Holdings Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a natural gas-fired power generation facility in Texas, marking a continued expansion of the company’s footprint in the U.S. energy market.

Walker & Dunlop: $350 Million Debt Facility Arranged For Self-Storage REIT Platform Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:57 PM

Walker & Dunlop, a commercial real estate finance and advisory firm, announced that it has arranged a $350 million aggregation debt facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank for a self-storage REIT platform sponsored by a joint venture between Centerbridge Partners and Reframe Holdings.

Independent Bank: $70.2 Million Acquisition Of Community Bank HCB Financial

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:55 PM

Independent Bank announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire HCB Financial Corp., the parent company of Highpoint Community Bank, in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $70.2 million.

JPMorganChase Launches Athlete Council To Expand Wealth Management For Athletes

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:55 PM

JPMorganChase announced the launch of a new Athlete Council aimed at helping athletes manage their finances from early career stages through retirement, as the bank deepens its push into the growing sports wealth management market.

FingerMotion: Telecom Technology Company To Acquire Telforge In Share Exchange Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:54 PM

FingerMotion, a mobile services, data, and technology company, announced it has signed a share exchange agreement to acquire Telforge, Inc., a Nevada-based provider of cloud voice and messaging telecommunications services.

Making Space: $500,000 Grant From GitLab Foundation To Expand AI Tools And Workforce Pathways For Disabled Talent

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:50 PM

Making Space, a talent acquisition and learning platform focused on closing the disability employment gap, announced it has received a $500,000 grant from the GitLab Foundation to expand its Ascend Fellowship and accelerate development of responsible AI tools aimed at improving employment access and long-term economic mobility for disabled professionals.

Oracle: Java 26 Release Introduces AI Capabilities And Java Verified Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:48 PM

Oracle announced the release of Java 26, the latest version of its widely used programming language and development platform, introducing enhancements aimed at improving developer productivity, strengthening AI and cryptography capabilities, and modernizing the broader Java ecosystem.

Eternal.ag: €8 Million Raised For Autonomous Greenhouse Robotics Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:43 PM

Eternal.ag, a German agritech startup developing autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouses, announced it has raised €8 million in funding to accelerate its European expansion and advance its robotics platform across additional crop types.

Candela: $32 Million Raised To Scale Electric Ferry Production

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:42 PM

Candela announced that it has raised €30 million ($32 million) in its largest funding round to date to scale production of its electric ferries and accelerate the commercialization of its hydrofoiling technology. The company said the new capital will be used to expand manufacturing capabilities, strengthen its global supply chain, and support entry into additional international markets as demand for its vessels continues to grow.

Google DeepMind: Strategic Leadership Expanded As Jasjeet Sekhon Joins From Bridgewater

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:41 PM

Google DeepMind has appointed Jasjeet Sekhon as Chief Strategy Officer, marking a significant leadership addition as the company intensifies its efforts to advance artificial general intelligence and scale its impact across research, commercialization, and policy.

Hosted.ai: $19 Million Raised To Transform GPU Infrastructure Economics

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:18 PM

Hosted.ai announced it has raised $19 million in seed funding to advance its mission of making AI infrastructure more efficient, accessible, and cost-effective for service providers, developers, and enterprises. The round was led by Creandum, with participation from Repeat VC and existing investors including People Ventures, Z21 Ventures, Golden Sparrow, Hersir Ventures, and Tekton.

Logitech Promotes Yalcin Yilmaz To Chief Commercial Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:16 PM

Logitech announced the appointment of Yalcin Yilmaz as Chief Commercial Officer, effective April 1, 2026. He succeeds Quin Liu, who is stepping down after 16 years of global leadership with the company.

Vena Group: $141.5 Million Battery Deal Signed With InCommodities For Australia Project

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:15 PM

Vena Group has signed a long-term battery storage agreement with Danish energy trading company InCommodities for the Bellambi Heights Battery Energy Storage System in New South Wales, Australia, in a deal valued at approximately A$200 million, or about $141.5 million.

InfraVia Capital Partners: €8 Billion Infrastructure Fund VI Reaches Hard Cap Amid Strong Global Demand

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:13 PM

InfraVia Capital Partners announced the successful closing of its sixth-generation infrastructure fund, InfraVia European Fund VI, reaching its €8 billion hard cap following strong global investor demand. The fund was oversubscribed and closed in just 18 months, exceeding its original €7 billion target and marking a significant increase from its €5 billion predecessor.

Ezra: $3.2 Million Raised By Voice AI Recruiting Platform To Rebuild Hiring Around Conversations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:16 PM

Ezra, a voice AI interviewing platform focused on transforming hiring through structured voice conversations, announced it has raised $3.2 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by Penny Jar Capital and LMNT Ventures, with participation from a16z Speedrun and Telegraph Hill Capital.

Datavault AI: Acquisition Of NYIAX To Expand AI-Driven Data And Digital Asset Exchanges

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:12 PM

Datavault AI announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NYIAX, a blockchain-based trading platform operator, in a move aimed at combining AI-driven data monetization capabilities with institutional-grade market infrastructure.

Perplexity: Comet For iOS Launch And Perplexity Health Debut Expand AI Into Browsing And Healthcare

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:11 PM

Perplexity has announced two major product developments, launching its Comet AI browser for iOS while also introducing Perplexity Health, signaling a broader push to embed AI across both everyday internet use and specialized domains like healthcare.

Raymond James Financial Names Kirk Bell President Of Independent Contractor Division

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:10 PM

Raymond James Financial has appointed Kirk Bell as president of its Financial Services Independent Contractor Division, effective April 1, marking a key leadership transition within the firm’s private client group.

Games2gether: $4.9 Million Raised For Community-Driven Game Development Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:07 PM

games2gether, a player-centric co-creation platform spun out of Amplitude Studios, announced it has raised €4.5 million, approximately $4.9 million, in a Series A funding round led by Griffin Gaming Partners.

Findem: AI Talent Platform Acquires Glider AI To Deliver Hire-Ready Candidates

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:07 PM

Findem announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Glider AI, a skills validation platform, in a move aimed at creating an end-to-end AI-powered hiring solution that delivers verified, hire-ready candidates.

Paraform: $65 Million Raised For Agentic Hiring Platform Expanding AI-Driven Recruiting

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:06 PM

Paraform announced that it has raised a Series B round, bringing its total funding to $65 million as it looks to scale its AI-powered recruiting platform and expand its network of recruiters and customers. The round was led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Felicis, A* Capital, and Liquid 2 Ventures, as well as a group of prominent technology leaders, including executives and founders from Palantir, Canva, YouTube, Stripe, Shopify, and Uber.

Meadow Memorials: $11 Million Raised For Digital Funeral Planning Platform Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:04 PM

Meadow Memorials announced that it has raised $11 million in Series A funding, led by Lachy Groom and Haystack, as the company continues building a national brand in the deathcare industry.

Ringtime: €1.8 Million Raised To Automate Blue-Collar Hiring Conversations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 2:03 PM

Ringtime, a recruitment technology platform focused on blue-collar hiring, has raised €1.8 million in funding to scale its automation-driven approach to candidate engagement. The round was led by Volta Ventures, with participation from Syndicate One, JK Invest, NewSchool.vc, and Allusion.be.

Alsco Uniforms: Acquisition Of Linen And Laundry Services Provider Advanced Linen Service Expands California Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:57 PM

Alsco Uniforms announced that it has acquired Advanced Linen Service, a regional provider of uniform and linen services across California’s Bay Area, Central Valley, and Monterey Bay. The transaction is aimed at strengthening Alsco’s footprint across Northern and Central California while enhancing service capabilities for customers in the region.

DHL Group Expands North America Logistics Infrastructure To Support Data Center Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:56 PM

DHL Group announced a major expansion of its North America data center logistics infrastructure, adding 10 dedicated warehouse sites totaling more than 7 million square feet of capacity. The facilities are expected to go live in 2026 and are designed to support hyperscale and colocation data center operators as global demand for AI and cloud infrastructure accelerates.

Redbud VC: $25 Million Raised For Fund II To Back ‘Outsider’ Founders

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:55 PM

Redbud VC has announced the close of its $25 million Fund II, marking a significant step up from its $5 million inaugural fund and underscoring growing investor confidence in its strategy of backing founders from non-traditional backgrounds.

3M: $1.95 Billion Fire And Safety Joint Venture Formed With Bain Capital And Madison Fire & Rescue Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:51 PM

3M announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Madison Fire & Rescue in partnership with Bain Capital, forming a new joint venture focused on fire, safety, and rescue solutions. The transaction values Madison Fire & Rescue at $1.95 billion and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary conditions.

Oasis Health Partners Acquires Premier Health To Expand Independent Primary Care Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:48 PM

Oasis Health Partners announced it has acquired Premier Health, a healthcare administrative services organization specializing in revenue cycle management and practice operations, as part of its strategy to build a leading platform for independent primary care.

Veza Manufacturing Acquires Tornik Mexico Facility To Expand Global Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:46 PM

Veza Manufacturing, a manufacturer of wire and cable harnesses and electromechanical assemblies, announced the acquisition of Tornik, LLC’s manufacturing operations in Tijuana, Mexico, marking a strategic expansion of its global footprint.

QHP Capital: $1.1 Billion Continuation Vehicle Raised For Azurity Pharmaceuticals

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:45 PM

QHP Capital has closed a $1.1 billion single-asset continuation vehicle to support its portfolio company Azurity Pharmaceuticals, providing liquidity to existing investors while positioning the business for continued long-term growth.