Pulse 2.0

Microsoft: $10 Billion Investment To Expand AI Infrastructure In Japan

KKR: $23 Billion North America Private Equity Fund Closed For Regional Investments

Repay: $372 Million Acquisition Of KUBRA To Build Scaled Bill Payment Platform

Savant Wealth Management Partners With Exencial Wealth Advisors To Expand National Footprint

The Home Depot: Franziska Bell Appointed EVP And Chief Technology Officer

Acrisure: Acquisition Of Vave From Canopius Expands U.S. Property Insurance Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:29 PM

Acrisure announced it has completed the acquisition of Vave, a technology-driven managing general agent focused on property insurance, from Canopius Group. The deal brings Vave into Acrisure Underwriting, a platform comprising 12 MGAs operating across U.S. insurance markets.

Dimension Energy: $650 Million Financing Closed For Community Solar Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:27 PM

Dimension Energy has secured $650 million in construction and term financing to support a 132 MW portfolio of 25 community solar projects across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. The financing represents the company’s largest to date and underscores continued momentum in distributed solar development as electricity costs rise across the U.S.

Sona: $45 Million Raised To Expand AI Platform For Frontline Workforce Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:24 PM

Sona, an AI platform focused on frontline and “real economy” businesses, has raised $45 million in a Series B funding round led by N47, with participation from Felicis, Northzone, Gradient, and Italian Founders Fund. This latest round brings the company’s total funding to over $100 million as it accelerates expansion in the United States and advances its AI-driven operational platform.

Paysend: $25 Million Follow-On Investment From Claret Capital To Scale Global Payments Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:22 PM

Claret Capital Partners announced a $25 million follow-on investment in Paysend to support the continued expansion of its global payments infrastructure and product suite. The funding builds on Claret’s initial investment in 2020 and reflects ongoing confidence in the company’s growth trajectory and international scale.

Endform: €1.5 Million Raised By Playwright Testing Platform To Accelerate End-To-End Test Execution

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:18 PM

Endform, a developer tooling company focused on accelerating Playwright end-to-end testing, has raised €1.5 million in pre-seed funding to further build its parallel test execution platform. The round was led by Alliance VC, with participation from First Fellow, Greens, and Antler, alongside angel investors from Netlify, Wolt, Voi, and CTO Roundtable.

University Of Southern California: Graphene Memristor Breakthrough Enables Memory Chip To Operate At 700°C

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:15 PM

The University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering has announced a breakthrough in high-temperature electronics with the development of a graphene-based memory chip capable of operating at 700 degrees Celsius, far exceeding the long-standing thermal limits of conventional semiconductor devices.

Covalo: €3.5 Million Raised To Build Data Backbone For Personal Care Industry

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:01 PM

Covalo has secured a €3.5 million funding extension to accelerate its transition from an ingredient discovery marketplace into a foundational data infrastructure platform for the personal care industry. The round was led by Hi inov, with participation from existing investors HTGF and seed + speed Ventures.

Goldman Sachs: Acquisition Of ETF Provider Innovator Capital Management Completed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:59 PM

Goldman Sachs announced that it has completed its acquisition of Innovator Capital Management, a pioneer in defined outcome exchange-traded funds. The deal strengthens Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s position in the fast-growing active ETF market and significantly expands its product offerings.

Elwood Technologies: Michael Abib Named CEO As Digital Asset Infrastructure Firm Advances SaaS Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:58 PM

Elwood Technologies has appointed Michael Abib as Chief Executive Officer, marking a leadership transition as the company enters its next phase of growth following its shift to a SaaS-based model.

Glimpse: $35 Million Raised For AI Platform Powering CPG And Retail Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 6:15 PM

Glimpse, an AI platform focused on automating operations for consumer packaged goods and retail brands, announced that it has raised $35 million in Series A funding, bringing its total capital raised to $52 million.

CarniStore: $12.2 Million Strategic Investment To Scale Premium Protein Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 6:13 PM

CarniStore, a UAE-based digital-first premium protein platform, has secured a $12.2 million strategic minority investment from Emirates Growth Fund (EGF), according to an official announcement via Wamda. The funding marks a significant step in the company’s growth as it looks to expand operations and strengthen its position in the regional food sector.

Long Tail: Growth Investment Secured To Expand AI Healthcare Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 6:06 PM

Long Tail, a Chicago-based AI-native healthcare technology company focused on utilization management and physician advisory services, has received a strategic growth investment from Eir Partners Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

SV Health Investors Acquires EpiVax To Expand Tech-Enabled Pharma Services Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 6:04 PM

SV Health Investors, a healthcare and life sciences-focused private investment firm, announced the acquisition of EpiVax, a Providence, Rhode Island-based bioanalytical contract research organization specializing in immunogenicity risk assessment for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Stewart Valuation Intelligence: Acquisition Of Nationwide Appraisal Network To Expand Valuation Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:34 PM

Stewart Valuation Intelligence, a division of Stewart Information Services Corporation, announced that it has acquired Nationwide Appraisal Network, a national appraisal management company with more than two decades of experience in the industry. The transaction is aimed at expanding Stewart’s appraisal scale, strengthening its valuation platform, and enhancing its ability to serve clients across the mortgage and real estate ecosystem.

AccuQuant: $20 Million Raised To Advance AI-Driven Financial Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:29 PM

AccuQuant, a fintech platform focused on artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies, announced that it has secured $20 million in funding to support the development of its AI-driven financial infrastructure.

Bed Bath & Beyond To Buy The Container Store To Expand Home Services Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:28 PM

Bed Bath & Beyond announced it has signed definitive agreements to acquire The Container Store, along with Elfa and Closet Works, as part of its broader strategy to build an integrated “Everything Home” ecosystem. The move follows an extended evaluation period and comes after The Container Store emerged from bankruptcy restructuring, positioning it as a strategic asset aligned with the company’s long-term vision.

Savant Wealth Management Onboards $550 Million Firm Heller Wealth Management

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:26 PM

Savant Wealth Management has announced a partnership with Heller Wealth Management, bringing approximately $550 million in assets under management into the national firm and expanding its footprint in New York.

Morgan Lewis Hires Benjamin Davis To Expand Miami Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:24 PM

Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP announced the continued expansion of its global labor and employment practice with the addition of Benjamin C. Davis as a partner in its Miami office. Davis joins the firm from Baker McKenzie and brings significant experience representing employers in complex employment and commercial disputes.

University Of Colorado Boulder: Partnership With Techstars To Accelerate Startup Ecosystem

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:24 PM

The University of Colorado Boulder and Techstars have announced a strategic partnership to expand opportunities for founders and strengthen Colorado’s innovation economy.

Sundial Media: Amanda Butler Named First Chief Marketing Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:22 PM

Sundial Media & Technology Group has appointed Amanda Butler as its first chief marketing officer, marking a strategic shift as the company elevates marketing into a central driver of growth across its portfolio.

EssilorLuxottica Acquires Stake In Top Charoen To Strengthen Thailand Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:19 PM

EssilorLuxottica announced it has acquired a meaningful stake in Top Charoen, formalizing a strategic partnership and reinforcing its presence in Thailand.

Clifford Chance: Paris Partner Hires Strengthen Private Capital, Energy And Infrastructure Practices

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:15 PM

Clifford Chance has hired two partners from Orrick to strengthen its private capital capabilities in Europe, adding Patrick Tardivy and Paul Loisel to its Paris office as part of a broader global expansion strategy.

Microsoft Launches Three New MAI Models For Speech, Voice, And Image Generation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:14 PM

Microsoft announced three new in-house AI models, MAI-Transcribe-1, MAI-Voice-1, and MAI-Image-2, expanding its capabilities across speech recognition, voice generation, and image creation. The models are now available through Microsoft Foundry and the MAI Playground, with the company emphasizing improved performance, speed, and cost efficiency.

Backpack Exchange: Nathan Smith Appointed COO To Scale Global Crypto Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:09 PM

Backpack Exchange announced the appointment of Nathan Smith as Chief Operating Officer, reinforcing its leadership structure as the company accelerates global expansion of its regulated, on-chain financial platform.

Morgan Lewis: Three-Partner Tax Team Added In New York To Expand Global Tax Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:06 PM

Morgan Lewis announced that it has added a three-partner tax and transfer pricing team in New York, strengthening its capabilities in international tax planning, controversy, and cross-border transactions. The group includes Julia Medynskaya, Daniel Rosen, and Brendan Sponheimer, along with principal economist Joshua Nixt.

TerraClear Appoints Eric Rombokas As Director Of Robotics And Hardware

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:06 PM

TerraClear, an agricultural automation company focused on turning field data into actionable insights, announced the appointment of Eric Rombokas as Director of Robotics and Hardware. The move comes as the company accelerates development of its autonomous systems for large-acre row crop operations.

Transit Technologies: CFO Appointment To Support AI-Driven Platform Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:03 PM

AI Demand Pro Aaron Davies Named As CEO To Scale Legal AI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 5:02 PM

AI Demand Pro has appointed Aaron Davies as its new chief executive officer, signaling a push to accelerate growth and expand adoption of its AI-powered platform for personal injury law firms.

JERA: MOU Signed With University Of California, Berkeley To Advance Energy Innovation And Collaboration

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:58 PM

JERA announced that its U.S. subsidiary has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the University of California, Berkeley, to establish a framework for collaboration across education, science, and energy innovation.

Morgan Lewis: Paris Expansion With Five-Lawyer International Trade And Investigations Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:55 PM

Morgan Lewis has expanded its Paris office with the addition of a five-lawyer international trade and investigations team, strengthening its capabilities across sanctions, export controls, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, ESG, and cross-border investigations.