Pulse 2.0

Texas Instruments Buying Silicon Labs For $7.5 Billion To Build Embedded Wireless Connectivity Leadership

SpaceX Acquires xAI In Deal Reportedly Valuing Combined Company At $1.25 Trillion

RISR Partners With Allworth Financial To Expand Business Owner Planning

Accrual: $75 Million Raised For AI-Native Accounting Automation Platform

Power Sustainable’s Infrastructure Credit Platform Tops $1 Billion With Final Close of Debut Fund

Turnstile: $29 Million Closed For AI-First Quote-To-Cash Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:25 PM

Turnstile has launched an AI-first quote-to-cash platform aimed at sales-led B2B SaaS startups, debuting with $29 million in funding from First Round, OMERS Ventures, Illuminate Financial, and a group of angel investors.

Advance: $8.55 Million Seed Funding Raised For Turning Premium Flows Into Yield and Revenue

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:11 PM

Advance, a financial platform built for insurance, announced it raised $8.55 million in seed funding to modernize how insurance intermediaries manage and move money, aiming to reduce operational friction while keeping premium dollars controlled, compliant, and earning.

Morpheus Space: $15 Million Raised For Electric Propulsion Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:06 PM

Morpheus Space has secured a $15 million strategic investment to accelerate the buildout of its mass-production footprint and support its next phase of growth in electric propulsion systems for in-space mobility. The company said the round was led by Alpine Space Ventures and the European Investment Fund, with continued support from Lavrock Ventures, Morpheus Ventures, Pallas Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, and other new and existing investors.

BRG Adds Former FERC Economist Hans Leonard As Energy & Climate Director

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:00 PM

BRG announced Dr. Hans Leonard, a former economist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has joined the firm as a director in its Energy & Climate practice, based in Washington, DC.

Flock AI: $6 Million Seed Funding Closed To Scale One-to-One Visual Commerce For Fashion and Retail

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:58 PM

Flock AI, an AI-native visual commerce platform built for fashion and retail, has raised a $6 million seed round led by Work-Bench, bringing total funding to $7.5 million. The round also included participation from January Ventures, Red Bike Capital, Outlander VC, AI Furnace, and strategic angels.

SiTime To Buy Renesas Timing Business For $1.5 Billion Cash Plus Stock

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:49 PM

SiTime, a pure-play precision timing company focused on MEMS-based programmable timing solutions, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets related to Renesas’ timing business in a deal designed to materially expand its clocking portfolio and deepen its exposure to high-growth AI datacenter and communications markets.

Duna: €30 Million Series A Raised For AI Native Business Identity Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:44 PM

Duna, an identity fintech founded by two Stripe alumni, has raised a €30 million Series A to expand its AI native business identity platform for regulated enterprises. The round was led by CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund, with participation from existing investors Index Ventures and Puzzle Ventures, as well as Snowflake Chairman Frank Slootman.

GoodLife Group Secures Strategic Minority Investment From Apollo Funds

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:38 PM

The GoodLife Group, Canada’s largest fitness operator, has secured a strategic minority investment led by Apollo-managed funds and affiliates associated with Apollo’s hybrid strategies, as the company looks to accelerate its long-term growth plans.

Otro Capital: Sports-Focused PE Firm Closes $1.2 Billion Debut Buyout Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:35 PM

Otro Capital announced it has closed its inaugural sports fund with $1.2 billion of committed capital across Fund I and affiliated investment vehicles, exceeding the fund’s initial target. The New York-based firm described Fund I as the largest first-time dedicated sports buyout fund ever raised globally, positioning the raise as a marker of growing institutional appetite for scaled strategies focused on sports properties and the broader sports economy.

Brookfield Asset Management Names Connor Teskey As CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:34 PM

Brookfield Asset Management announced its board has appointed Connor Teskey as chief executive officer, formalizing a leadership transition at the global alternative asset manager as it reported record financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2025.

Shore Capital Closes $400+ Million Industrials Fund II

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:33 PM

Shore Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on the lower middle market, has closed its second dedicated industrials vehicle, Shore Capital Industrial Partners Fund II, with more than $400 million in capital commitments, reflecting what the firm described as strong demand from both existing and new limited partners for its sector-focused strategy.

Evan Weiss Named As CEO Of New Jersey Economic Development Authority

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:12 AM

New Jersey’s economic development agency has a new leader. The board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved Evan Weiss as the Authority’s next chief executive officer, following a recommendation earlier in January from Governor Mikie Sherrill.

Batbox: Interview With VP Of Marketing Brandon Gabay About The Sports Technology Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:00 AM

Batbox is a sports technology company reinventing how the world plays, experiences, and connects through baseball. Its proprietary simulation platform and gameplay engine power a growing network of flagship venues, licensed installations, and self-serve units worldwide. With immersive technology, real-time analytics, and a unified player ecosystem, Batbox makes baseball accessible, social, and unforgettable. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Batbox VP of Marketing Brandon Gabay to learn more.

Ares Reports Record U.S. Direct Lending Originations With $622 Billion AUM

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:53 AM

Ares Management Corporation said its credit funds delivered record U.S. direct-lending origination activity in the fourth quarter and for the full year 2025, underscoring the scale of the platform, which ended 2025 with more than $622 billion in assets under management.

Eterna Growth Partners Spins Out From Charlesbank As Independent Middle-Market Tech Private Equity Firm

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:12 AM

Eterna Growth Partners, the newly independent private equity firm previously housed inside Charlesbank Capital Partners’ Technology Opportunities Fund strategy, has completed its spinout and will now operate as a standalone middle-market technology investment platform.

CAZ Launches Registered Interval Fund to Broaden Access To GP Stakes Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:09 AM

CAZ Investments has officially launched the CAZ GP Stakes Fund, a registered interval fund structured to give a wider range of investors access to minority ownership stakes in private asset managers, a strategy commonly known as GP Stakes. The company said the vehicle is designed to combine private-markets exposure with features investors typically associate with registered products, including daily subscriptions, quarterly redemptions, 1099 tax reporting, and a management-fee-only structure with no performance fees.

HighVista Strategies Closes $800 Million Private Equity Fund XI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:07 AM

HighVista Strategies, an employee-owned specialty alternatives asset manager, said it has closed $800 million in capital commitments for HighVista Private Equity Fund XI, L.P., exceeding the fund’s $725 million target. The Boston-based firm said the final close followed a strong first close in December 2025 and was supported by a very high re-up rate from existing investors, alongside commitments from new limited partners.

Aditya Birla Housing Finance Raises $304.3 Million Growth Round At $2.13 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:04 AM

Aditya Birla Capital Limited and Aditya Birla Housing Finance Limited said their boards have approved a proposal for a primary capital infusion of Rs. 2,750 crore ($304.3 million) into Aditya Birla Housing Finance Limited (ABHFL), the housing finance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital. The investment is set to be made by Indriya Limited, an entity of Advent International, and would bring a new minority shareholder into ABHFL while keeping Aditya Birla Capital as the controlling owner.

Eurazeo And Pantheon Set Up Nearly €500 Million Private Debt Continuation Vehicle

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:59 AM

Eurazeo has closed a €480 million bespoke private debt continuation vehicle backed by Pantheon, adding fresh capital to a portfolio of performing European senior credit assets and extending lending capacity for European middle market borrowers.

Meiji Yasuda Acquires U.S. Life And PRT Insurer Banner Life In $2.3 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:39 AM

Banner Life Insurance Company and William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York, together known as the Banner Life family of companies, announced they have been acquired by Japan’s Meiji Yasuda Group.

Terex Completes REV Group Merger To Create Specialty Equipment Manufacturer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:37 AM

Terex announced it has completed its merger with REV Group, forming a combined specialty equipment manufacturer that the company says will have a broader, more resilient portfolio and improved capacity to drive profitable growth. The transaction brings together complementary product lines across specialty vehicles and equipment that serve end markets including emergency services, waste and recycling, utilities, and construction.

Simplicity Group Buys Disability-Insurance Specialist Source Brokerage To Expand Institutional DI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:36 AM

Simplicity Group, a holistic financial planning firm that blends wealth accumulation and financial protection solutions, has acquired Indianapolis-based Source Brokerage, a disability insurance specialist brokerage general agency (BGA). The transaction expands Simplicity’s national disability insurance (DI) platform and adds specialized institutional-market expertise, including Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) programs.

OpenText To Sell Vertica Analytics Unit To Rocket Software For $150 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:34 AM

OpenText has agreed to divest Vertica, part of its non-core Analytics portfolio, to Rocket Software for $150 million in cash, before taxes, fees, and other adjustments. The transaction is structured as a definitive agreement and is expected to close during OpenText’s fiscal year 2026, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions.

Kings League Raises $63 Million To Advance Global Expansion in Creator-Led Sports

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:28 AM

Kings League, the creator-led sports competition founded by Gerard Piqué, has secured a $63 million investment round led by Alignment Growth, a U.S.-based media and entertainment investor, with participation from existing shareholders. The new capital is intended to accelerate Kings League’s next phase of international growth, combining organic expansion with selective M&A as the organization looks to broaden its global footprint and deepen its platform across both its men’s and women’s properties.

Synthpop: $15 Million Series A Closed For Healthcare-Focused Multi-Agent Workflow Automation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:26 AM

Synthpop, a healthcare AI company focused on agentic automation for payer, provider, and patient operations, raised a $15 million in Series A funding to scale automation across administrative workflows throughout the patient journey. The financing brings Synthpop’s total funding to $23 million.

Apeiron Labs: $9.5 Million Series A Raised For Scaling Global AUV Network

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:17 AM

Apeiron Labs announced it has closed a $9.5 million Series A financing to scale its real-time ocean intelligence platform and expand deployments of its autonomous underwater vehicle networks. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said the round was co-led by S2G Investments, RA Capital Management’s Planetary Health Fund, and DYNE Ventures, with participation from Assembly Ventures, TFX Capital, and Bay Bridge Ventures.

Una Software: $13 Million Total Funding Raised Following Seed Round For AI-Native FP&A Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:39 AM

Una Software announced it has closed its seed financing, bringing total funding raised to $13 million, as the Toronto-based company looks to scale its AI-powered financial planning and analysis platform for midmarket and enterprise finance teams. The company also announced that Michael Morrison, previously CEO of Fluence Technologies and Jirav, has been appointed chief executive officer.

Cerebras: AI Chipmaker Raises $1 Billion Series H At About $23 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:29 AM

Cerebras Systems, an AI chipmaker focused on wafer-scale processors for training and inference, said it has closed a $1 billion Series H financing at a post-money valuation of approximately $23 billion. The company said the round was led by Tiger Global and included participation from Benchmark, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Atreides Management, Alpha Wave Global, Altimeter, AMD, Coatue, and 1789 Capital, among others.

Machina Labs: $124 Million Series C Closed For Large-Scale Intelligent Factory

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:27 AM

Machina Labs, a Los Angeles-based advanced manufacturing and robotics company, announced it has closed a $124 million Series C financing round as it transitions from technology development to deploying its software-defined manufacturing infrastructure for defense, aerospace, and advanced mobility applications.

Osmo: $70 Million Series B Closed For AI-Based Olfaction Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:25 AM

Osmo, a digital scent design company, announced it has completed a $70 million Series B funding round, bringing total capital raised to $130 million. The round was led by Two Sigma Ventures, with participation from new investors including Valor, Atreides, Amplo, Alumni Ventures, Collab Fund, Lumina Partners, and Patrick Collison, alongside existing investors.