Pulse 2.0

McDonald’s Commits $8.5 Billion To NEXT Strategy And Targets Higher Margins And Restaurant Efficiency By 2030

AMD Reaches $1 Trillion Market Value As AI Demand Accelerates

TEKEVER Raises $580 Million Series D At $6.4 Billion Valuation Led By UC Investments And Baillie Gifford

IonQ Demonstrates Real-Time Quantum Error Decoder Running On A Single CPU Across 31.5 Million Operations

Creatio Commits $300 Million To Bank.AI Platform Through 2028

Heidi Secures $340 Million At $900 Million Valuation To Expand AI Across Healthcare Systems

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:46 PM

Heidi, an Australian healthcare technology company developing AI-powered clinical assistance software, has secured $340 million in new funding, comprising a $100 million Series C led by Blackbird at a $900 million valuation and a separate $240 million growth investment led by General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund. The capital will support the company's global expansion and development of AI agents designed to handle administrative and clinical workflows under physician supervision.

Energy Vault Acquires 2.3 GW Battery Storage Portfolio From Goshe And Secures Up To $40 Million From S2G

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:44 PM

Energy Vault Holdings has acquired a portfolio of U.S. battery energy storage projects from Goshe Energy Storage, adding more than 2.3 gigawatts of development capacity across 15 projects to its Asset Vault platform. The transaction includes 350 megawatts of ready-to-build projects that are expected to generate approximately $30 million in combined annual run-rate EBITDA once operational. Energy Vault has also secured a credit facility commitment of up to $40 million from S2G Investments to support the portfolio's development, construction, and operations.

Platinum Equity Completes $6.6 Billion Sale Of Urbaser To Blackstone And EQT

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:42 PM

Platinum Equity has completed the sale of Urbaser, a global environmental infrastructure and waste management company, to Blackstone and EQT for approximately $6.6 billion (€5.6 billion). The transaction follows a multiyear operational and financial transformation of the Madrid-based business, which Platinum Equity acquired in October 2021 for approximately $4.2 billion (€3.5 billion). As part of the transaction, Platinum Equity has retained Urbaser's waste management operations in Argentina, which generated approximately $90 million (€80 million) in EBITDA during 2025.

StandardX Raises £10 Million Seed Round To Develop Rare Isotopes For Cancer Treatment And Fusion Energy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:41 PM

StandardX, a UK-based deep technology company developing advanced isotope production systems, has raised £10 million in seed funding led by Vsquared Ventures and East X Ventures. Additional investors include firstminute capital, UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), Brevan Howard Macro Venture, and Geometry. The financing will support the development of what StandardX describes as the world's first scalable isotope refinery, initially focused on producing rare materials for cancer diagnostics and treatment before expanding into fusion energy applications.

Brahma AI Raises $150 Million To Expand Enterprise AI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:40 PM

Brahma AI, a developer of AI-powered technology for enterprise audiovisual content, has raised $150 million through the issuance of preferred shares, including a $100 million investment from Multiples Alternate Asset Management. The company has also received an additional $100 million in investor interest, which is separate from the completed financing. The funding will accelerate research and development, global expansion, and the establishment of a significant Silicon Valley presence.

Snorkel AI Raises $350 Million At $3.5 Billion Valuation To Expand Agentic Data Factory

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:39 PM

Snorkel AI, a San Francisco-based company developing advanced data infrastructure for artificial intelligence, has raised $350 million at a $3.5 billion valuation in a financing round co-led by Insight Partners and S32. Existing investor Addition also participated significantly. The funding will support the expansion of Snorkel's agentic data factory, which supplies the specialized datasets, environments, and evaluation frameworks used to train and assess increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

Prospanica Acquires Techqueria, Combining 50-Plus Chapters With Network Of Over 20,000 Technology Professionals

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:38 PM

Prospanica, the Association of Hispanic MBAs and Business Professionals, has completed its acquisition of Techqueria, a nonprofit organization supporting Latiné professionals in technology. The combination brings together Prospanica's more than 50 chapters nationwide with Techqueria's community of over 20,000 members across 48 states and 84 countries, creating an expanded professional network spanning business, technology, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ande Raises More Than $52 Million To Launch AI-Powered Corporate Entertainment Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:37 PM

Ande, a New York-based AI-powered corporate entertainment platform, has emerged from stealth with more than $52 million in combined seed and Series A funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Duration Ventures, and Sierra Ventures, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures. The financing will support the expansion of Ande's technology platform, which helps enterprises manage corporate entertainment spending while connecting businesses directly with hospitality venues and other entertainment providers.

Fever Raises $250 Million Led By EQT To Expand Global Live Entertainment Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:35 PM

Fever, a global technology platform for culture and live entertainment, has raised $250 million in a primary equity financing round led by EQT, with significant participation from Point72 Private Investments, Baillie Gifford, and other existing investors. Announced on September 17, 2026, the financing will support Fever's international expansion, technology development, and partnerships across sports, concerts, museums, festivals, and other live entertainment categories. The company described the transaction as the largest financing round ever raised by a live entertainment technology company.

EUCLYD Raises Over €200 Million In Series A Funding For AI Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:33 PM

EUCLYD has signed a Series A financing round of more than €200 million to develop infrastructure for foundation AI models. The Eindhoven, Netherlands-based company said the funding will support its silicon and systems roadmap and preparations for commercial deployment.

Open Cosmos Raises €300 Million To Expand Satellite Intelligence And Connectivity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:25 PM

Open Cosmos has secured €300 million in funding to expand satellite manufacturing and build out its intelligence and connectivity services. Lightrock led the round, according to the company’s release, with participation from investors including ETF Partners, Institut Català de Finances, Entrepreneurs First, and two major international pension funds.

Bessemer Venture Partners Raises $5.75 Billion For Seed And Growth Investments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:10 PM

Bessemer Venture Partners has raised $5.75 billion in new capital in a single close, including $1.75 billion for seed and early-stage investments and $4 billion for growth investments. The financing will support the venture capital firm's strategy of backing technology companies from inception through later stages of development, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and emerging technologies.

Monetary Metals Raises $10.5 Million, Bringing Total Funding To Nearly $25 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:30 AM

Monetary Metals, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based financial technology company operating a marketplace for precious metals financing, has raised $10.5 million in equity financing, exceeding its original $10 million target. The investment brings the company's total funding to nearly $25 million and will support the continued development and expansion of its Gold Yield Marketplace. The financing included participation from existing shareholders and new strategic investors.

Chamelio Raises $26 Million Series A Led By Entrée Capital To Expand AI-Powered Legal Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:23 AM

Chamelio, a New York-based developer of AI-powered software for corporate legal departments, has raised a $26 million Series A led by Entrée Capital, with participation from existing investors Work-Bench and Emerge Ventures, as well as Bright Pixel Capital. The financing follows significant growth at the company, which reported that its annual recurring revenue has quadrupled in the five months since its seed round. Chamelio will use the capital to develop its proprietary legal action model, expand its legal engineering and product teams, and improve its technology for onboarding customers migrating from legacy contract management systems.

Baselayer Raises $35 Million Series A Led By M13 To Launch Identity Infrastructure For AI Agents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:08 AM

Baselayer, a New York-based identity verification and risk infrastructure company, has raised a $35 million Series A led by M13, with participation from Torch Capital, Picus Ventures, Afore Capital, and Matt Thompson of Socure. Alongside the financing, the company launched its Agentic Identity Suite, a platform designed to help financial institutions and businesses verify AI agents, establish their authorization to act on behalf of customers, and manage fraud risks associated with autonomous financial transactions.

Fistula Foundation: Interview With CEO Pam Lowney About Expanding Access To Childbirth Injury Surgery

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:07 AM

Fistula Foundation is focused on connecting women with life-changing surgical treatment for obstetric fistula and severe childbirth injuries, working through local partners across Africa and Asia to expand access to care and strengthen surgical capacity. Pam Lowney became CEO after spending seven years with the organization in various roles and seeing firsthand how focused investment in treatment could help more women regain their health and lives. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Fistula Foundation CEO Pam Lowney to learn more about the organization’s growth, global health strategy, local partnerships, and approach to leadership.

CAPTRUST Onboards Compass And LIWM, Bringing In $1.2 Billion In Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:03 AM

CAPTRUST Financial Advisors has expanded its New York presence with the addition of Compass Advisors and Long Island Wealth Management, two affiliated advisory firms based in Melville, New York. The firms bring seven professionals and approximately $1.2 billion in combined assets to CAPTRUST, strengthening its presence in the Long Island wealth management and institutional advisory markets.

Basecamp Research Raises $140 Million Series C Led By S32 To Advance AI-Designed Therapeutics

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:59 AM

Basecamp Research, a London-based biotechnology company developing AI-designed medicines, has raised an oversubscribed $140 million Series C financing led by S32, with participation from NVIDIA, Anthropic's Anthology Fund, Catalio Capital Management, NATO Innovation Fund, The Rockefeller Foundation, True Ventures, and other investors. The funding will support the development of a new generation of the company's EDEN biological foundation models and advance its pipeline of AI-designed therapeutics toward clinical development, beginning with in vivo cell therapy.

EnergyCAP Secures Strategic Investment From LLR Partners To Expand Utility And Energy Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:58 AM

EnergyCAP, a State College, Pennsylvania-based utility and energy management software provider, has secured a strategic investment from LLR Partners to accelerate product development and market expansion. Resurgens Technology Partners, which initially invested in EnergyCAP in 2021, will remain an active investor alongside LLR. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Enveda Raises $311 Million Series E Led By Catalio Capital Management, Bringing Total Funding To Over $845 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:56 AM

Enveda, a Boulder, Colorado-based clinical-stage biotechnology company using artificial intelligence to discover medicines from naturally occurring molecules, has raised a $311 million Series E financing led by Catalio Capital Management. The round brings the company's total funding since inception to more than $845 million and will support the advancement of three clinical-stage drug candidates, the development of additional therapies, and the continued expansion of its AI-driven drug discovery platform.

Juniper Square And Nasdaq eVestment Launch AI-Powered Capital Intelligence Platform For Private Markets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:53 AM

Juniper Square and Nasdaq eVestment have launched Capital Intelligence, an AI-powered investor intelligence platform designed to help private markets investment managers identify prospective investors and manage fundraising relationships. The product integrates Nasdaq eVestment Market Lens directly into Juniper Square's Investor CRM, giving fund managers access to institutional investment data covering more than 30,000 firms, 70,000 mandates, and 100,000 professionals.

Numeral Raises $100 Million Series C Led By Insight Partners, Bringing Total Funding To $157 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:47 AM

Numeral, a San Francisco-based AI-powered sales tax compliance platform, has raised a $100 million Series C led by Insight Partners, with participation from Salesforce Ventures, Geodesic, Benchmark, Mayfield, FCVC, Y Combinator, and Uncork. The financing brings Numeral's total funding to $157 million and will support product development, expansion into additional industries, international growth, and hiring across engineering, sales, marketing, and product teams.

MoonPay To Acquire North Capital, Expanding Into Tokenized Securities And Onchain Capital Markets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:46 AM

MoonPay has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire North Capital Investment Technology, a private markets infrastructure company whose platform has supported more than $8.7 billion in primary and secondary securities transactions. The proposed acquisition would combine North Capital's regulated brokerage and investment advisory businesses with MoonPay's global financial infrastructure platform, supporting the company's expansion into tokenized securities and onchain capital markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.

NG.CASH Raises $15 Million Led By Blockchain Capital, Bringing Total Funding To Over $65 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:44 AM

NG.CASH, a Brazilian financial technology company serving younger consumers, has raised $15 million in strategic financing led by Blockchain Capital, bringing its total funding since its founding in 2021 to more than $65 million. The investment will support the company's continued expansion into consumer credit and digital financial services as it grows its platform, which now serves more than 10 million users.

MCO Secures More Than $100 Million In Growth Financing From Accel-KKR Credit Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:42 AM

MCO, also known as MyComplianceOffice, has secured more than $100 million in strategic growth financing from Accel-KKR Credit Partners, a private credit fund managed by software-focused investment firm Accel-KKR. The financing will support MCO's product development, artificial intelligence initiatives, technology team expansion, and growth as financial institutions seek more integrated solutions for managing increasingly complex compliance requirements.

Metycle Secures $150 Million Credit Facility From Rivonia Road Capital To Expand Recycled Metals Supply

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:41 AM

Metycle, a Cologne, Germany-based supplier of secondary copper and aluminum, has secured a $150 million credit facility from Rivonia Road Capital, a global private capital manager specializing in asset-backed lending. The financing will support Metycle's expansion by providing capital for larger commodity transactions, increasing its ability to source and process recycled metals, and strengthening deliveries to industrial customers and smelters worldwide.

Total Metals Appoints Andrew Ramcharan As CEO And Board Director

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:17 AM

Total Metals has appointed Dr. Andrew J. Ramcharan as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of its Board of Directors, effective September 22, 2026. He succeeds Tyler Thorburn, who is stepping down as CEO, President, and director. Ramcharan brings 25 years of mining, exploration, corporate development, and investment banking experience as the company advances its Canadian gold and critical mineral portfolio.

Highwire Appoints Kona Barrasso And Nyla Saleh To Expand Senior Leadership Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:15 AM

Highwire, a strategic marketing and communications agency, has appointed Konajilo "Kona" Luseni Barrasso as Managing Director of Business Services and Nyla Saleh as Executive Vice President, Executive Client Partner. The appointments expand the agency's senior leadership capabilities across financial services, professional services, and other industries as it scales its integrated communications and marketing platform.

Project Management Institute Names Johannes Heinlein As Interim CEO As Pierre Le Manh Steps Down

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:13 AM

Project Management Institute (PMI) has announced that Pierre Le Manh will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer on September 30, 2026, after four years leading the organization. Johannes Heinlein, PMI's Chief Growth Officer, has been appointed Interim President and CEO, effective the same day. The organization's board will conduct a search for a permanent successor.

Abridge Selected For VA Ambient AI Contract With $775.72 Million Multi-Vendor Ceiling

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:10 AM

Abridge has been selected to provide ambient artificial intelligence technology to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through its distribution partner, expanding the company's opportunity to support clinical documentation across the nation's largest integrated healthcare system. The five-year, multiple-award enterprise contract has a total ceiling of $775.72 million across all eligible vendors, which will compete for individual task orders. The value of Abridge's potential share was not disclosed.