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

GCheck: Interview With Founder & CEO Houman Akhavan About The Background Screening Company

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

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 8:00 AM

Jeffrey Stewart is a serial founder who built Inc. 500 companies, an investor who’s backed ambitious entrepreneurs through GPO Fund, and a Fintech CEO who scaled across borders. At GPO Fund, his work focuses on helping founders accelerate international expansion and entry in the public markets. Most recently, after 3 years of research and over 100 expert interviews, Jeff published “Global IPO: The Great Rewiring of Capital Markets,” to showcase why there are great opportunities ahead for going public, as well as provide founders with an IPO playbook. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Jeffrey Stewart to learn more.

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

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday 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 ● Yesterday 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 ● Yesterday 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 ● Yesterday 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 ● Yesterday 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 ● Yesterday 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.