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

Lead Edge Capital: $3.5 Billion Raised For Growth Equity Fund VII

Oryon Cell Therapies: $42 Million Raised For Autologous Neuron Replacement Therapies Targeting Parkinson’s Disease

Jeffrey Stewart: A VC And Author Who Says Earlier Global IPOs Are Coming

QCraft: $100 Million Series D Raised For Physical AI And Autonomous Driving Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:57 AM

QCraft, a global leader in autonomous driving AI, announced the completion of a $100 million Series D funding round as it accelerates development of physical-world AI and expands its global mobility footprint.

Grub Lab: $6 Million Raised To Bring Sports And Entertainment IP To Independent Restaurants Nationwide

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:54 AM

Grub Lab, an Australia-founded restaurant technology startup, announced it has raised $6 million in funding from Quantaco to accelerate its expansion across the United States and support a national rollout tied to major sports leagues and entertainment studios. The company is positioning itself as a modern solution to help independent restaurants compete for family dining traffic through interactive, branded experiences.

Fresh Del Monte: $285 Million Acquisition Of Del Monte Foods Assets Completed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:51 AM

Fresh Del Monte Produce, a global producer and marketer of fresh and prepared foods, announced that it has completed the acquisition of select assets from Del Monte Foods Corporation II Inc. and its affiliates in a transaction valued at approximately $285 million. The deal was approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey as part of a court-supervised sale process under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

OpenAI: Desktop ‘Superapp’ Planned To Combine ChatGPT, Codex, And Browser, Says Report

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:49 AM

OpenAI is planning to consolidate its core products into a single desktop “superapp,” aiming to simplify the user experience and streamline internal operations, according to a company statement confirming earlier reporting.

CrossCountry Mortgage: Summit Funding Acquisition Expands National Retail Lending Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:43 AM

CrossCountry Mortgage has entered into an agreement to acquire Summit Funding, a privately held mortgage banker and servicer headquartered in Sacramento, California.

Ramp Acquires Juno To Expand Guest Travel Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:41 AM

Ramp, a financial operations platform, announced that it has acquired Juno, a guest travel platform focused on managing travel for non-employees. The deal expands Ramp’s travel capabilities as it builds a more comprehensive solution for businesses managing both employee and guest travel.

Mayer Brown: Six-Partner Team Added To Strengthen Energy And Litigation Practice In Texas

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:29 AM

Mayer Brown announced the addition of six prominent lawyers as partners, reinforcing its energy and litigation capabilities while deepening its long-standing commitment to Texas. Yasser Madriz, Meghaan Madriz, Gregory Krock, Miles Indest, Jason Huebinger, and Wolfgang McGavran have joined the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Corporate & Securities practices, with placements across Houston and Washington, DC. The team joins from McGuireWoods and focuses heavily on energy-sector litigation and related advisory work.

Microsoft: MAI-Image-2 Launches As New In-House AI Image Generation Model

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 11:25 AM

Microsoft announced the launch of MAI-Image-2, a new text-to-image model developed by its AI Superintelligence team, marking a significant step in the company’s push to build its own in-house AI capabilities. The model positions Microsoft among the top three AI image-generation labs globally, according to the Arena.ai leaderboard.

Reledo: SPV Led By Schroders Capital Supports Continued Nordic Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:53 AM

Celero Capital has closed a special purpose vehicle to acquire interests in its portfolio company Reledo, providing liquidity to certain existing investors while securing new capital to support the company’s next phase of growth.

Embecta: £150 Million Acquisition Of Owen Mumford To Expand Drug Delivery Platform Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:50 AM

Embecta, a diabetes care technology company, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Owen Mumford Holdings Limited, a UK-based medical device innovator, for up to £150 million. The deal includes an upfront cash payment of £100 million at closing, along with up to £50 million in performance-based payments tied to net sales of the Aidaptus auto-injector platform over the three years following closing.

Sazerac: Spirits Company Acquires Dirty Shirley RTD Cocktail Brand

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:48 AM

Sazerac announced it has acquired Dirty Shirley, a ready-to-drink cocktail brand that offers a vodka-spiked version of the classic Shirley Temple. The deal reflects growing consumer interest in nostalgic beverages reimagined for adult audiences, as the Shirley Temple experiences a resurgence with a modern twist.

AirX Climate Solutions Acquires Northern Air Systems To Expand Mission-Critical HVAC Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:45 AM

AirX Climate Solutions has acquired Northern Air Systems, Inc., strengthening its position in mission-critical and specialty HVAC solutions. The transaction marks the company’s fifth acquisition as it continues to expand its capabilities and market reach.

Apollo And Realty Income Sign $1 Billion Strategic Partnership For Retail Real Estate Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:42 AM

Realty Income announced a $1 billion strategic partnership with Apollo, marking a significant step forward in its private capital initiative. Under the agreement, Apollo-managed funds will acquire a 49% equity interest in a newly formed joint venture that will own a diversified portfolio of approximately 500 U.S. single-tenant retail properties.

Apollo.io Acquires Pocus To Advance AI-Native GTM Operating System Vision

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:41 AM

Apollo.io announced it has acquired Pocus, an enterprise-grade revenue intelligence platform designed to help teams convert buying signals into prioritized action, as the company continues its push to build an AI-native go-to-market operating system.

Adenia Partners: $180 Million Raised For Entrepreneurial Fund Targeting African SMEs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:28 AM

Adenia Partners announced that it has reached a $180 million hard cap at the first close of its Adenia Entrepreneurial Fund I, marking a one-and-done fundraising achieved in under a year. The fund exceeded its original $150 million target and brings the firm’s total capital raised to over $1 billion.

University Of Houston: Record Startup Launches Driven By Innov8 Hub Accelerator

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:19 AM

The University of Houston announced that it launched 10 startups in 2025, marking its second consecutive record-setting year for venture creation and underscoring growing momentum in turning research and innovation into market-ready businesses.

Goldman Sachs: Sara Naison-Tarajano Named Head Of Ayco Wealth Management Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 10:15 AM

Goldman Sachs announced that Sara Naison-Tarajano has been appointed as Head of Goldman Sachs Ayco, the firm’s company-sponsored financial planning and wealth management business, overseeing approximately $26 billion in assets under management. She succeeds David Fox, who is retiring from the firm after a long tenure.

Oshkosh Introduces AI-Based Material Contamination Detection Technology For Waste Collection

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:57 AM

Oshkosh announced the launch of a new artificial intelligence-enabled technology designed to detect material contamination in real time during refuse and recycling collection, marking a significant step toward more data-driven and sustainable waste management operations across North America.

Pompeian: $10 Million Investment To Accelerate U.S. Growth With Baltimore HQ Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:55 AM

Pompeian announced a nearly $10 million investment to expand its headquarters in Baltimore, marking a significant step in scaling its U.S. operations and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy. The investment centers on the launch of a new high-speed production line designed to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and supply chain resilience while meeting increasing demand from retailers and consumers nationwide.

Vesicor Therapeutics: Biotechnology Company Appoints Michael Tolentino As CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:51 AM

Vesicor Therapeutics, an early-stage biotechnology company focused on developing p53-based cancer therapeutics using engineered microvesicles, has appointed Michael Tolentino, M.D., as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective March 17, 2026.

Bioliberty: $10.2 Million Raised For Functional Intelligence Platform In Post-Acute Care

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:43 AM

Bioliberty, a healthtech startup focused on transforming physical and occupational therapy delivery, announced it has raised $10.2 million in financing to advance its functional intelligence capabilities for post-acute care. The funding will support continued development and U.S. commercialization of its Lifehub platform, including expanded computer vision and care coordination features, as well as the rollout of Lifehub Home to extend therapy and monitoring into patients’ homes.

KEWAZO: $35 Million Raised To Scale Heavy-Industry Robotics And AI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 9:41 AM

KEWAZO, a Munich and Houston-based robotics and AI company focused on automating heavy industry, announced it has secured new funding that brings its total capital raised to $35 million. The round was led by Schooner Capital and included participation from Chevron Technology Ventures, Asahi Kasei, Benson Capital, Mana Ventures, Gaingels, Atlas Ventures, and existing investors True Ventures and Cybernetix Ventures.

Novartis: $2 Billion Acquisition Of PI3Kα Inhibitor To Strengthen Breast Cancer Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 21, 2026

Novartis announced that it has agreed to acquire a next-generation PI3Kα inhibitor program from Synnovation Therapeutics in a deal valued at $2 billion upfront, with up to $1 billion in additional milestone payments. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Amazon: RIVR Acquisition Advances Physical AI Delivery Vision

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 21, 2026

Amazon has acquired robotics company RIVR, marking a strategic move to accelerate the development of physical AI systems designed for real-world deployment, particularly in last-mile delivery.