Innovation

AImoji: Interview With Founder & CEO Aoi Minamoto About The Brain Health Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:03 PM

AImoji is a U.S.-based AI startup focused on human-centered innovations, especially in digital health and interaction technologies. Pulse 2.0 interviewed AImoji founder and CEO Aoi Minamoto to gain a deeper understanding of the company. AImoji’s flagship product is the KinaBot, which is a voice-and-conversation-based brain health barometer.

Evertune: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Brian Stempeck About The Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) And AI Marketing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:37 PM

Evertune is a GEO and AI marketing company that helps brands measure, optimize, and gain visibility in AI search. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Evertune co-founder and CEO Brian Stempeck to learn more about the company and why brands need to gain a deeper understanding of how they appear in AI-search recommendations.

JumpCloud: Interview With Director Of Product Marketing Chase Doelling About The Open Directory Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:57 PM

JumpCloud is a cloud-based open directory platform that provides unified identity, device, and access management for organizations. It helps IT teams securely manage users, devices, and access to IT resources such as applications, networks, and infrastructure, all from a single platform. Pulse 2.0 interviewed JumpCloud Director of Product Marketing Chase Doelling to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Google Working With I Squared Capital And LCI To Develop Broadwing Energy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 4:50 PM

I Squared Capital and its portfolio company, Low Carbon Infrastructure (LCI) announced a clean energy partnership with Google to develop Broadwing Energy, a 400-megawatt natural gas-fired cogeneration power plant integrated with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. This project will also generate more than 1.5 million pounds of steam per hour and is designed to capture and permanently store over 90% of its CO₂ emissions, marking a significant step forward in advancing low-carbon, firm power generation in the US.

Streetbeat: $15 Million Series A Closed To Scale Agentic AI Trading For Wealth Managers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 1:07 PM

Streetbeat, an AI-based intelligence platform for financial professionals and retail investors, has raised $15 million in Series A funding to accelerate the rollout of agentic AI for trading, risk management, and portfolio analysis. The funding round was led by CDP Venture Capital through the AI Fund, with participation from TTV Capital, Monte Carlo Capital, and 3Lines VC. The new financing brings Streetbeat’s total funding to $25 million.

Anthropic Expands Partnership With Google For Access Up To One Million TPUs For Claude Training

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:52 PM

Anthropic announced a significant expansion of its collaboration with Google Cloud, providing access to unprecedented compute capacity for training and deploying future generations of its Claude AI models. The deal grants Anthropic access to up to 1 million Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chips, marking its most significant TPU commitment to date and representing computing power valued at tens of billions of dollars. The total infrastructure will exceed 1 gigawatt of capacity, with capacity coming online in 2026.

VestGen Launches Retirement Services Division, Expanding National Platform For Supporting Plan Sponsors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 12:50 PM

VestGen Wealth Partners, a national wealth management firm focused on advisor succession and client continuity, has announced the launch of VestGen Retirement Services, a new division aimed at redefining how retirement plan sponsors manage fiduciary oversight, participant engagement, and long-term wealth outcomes.

senswork: Interview With CEO & Managing Director Roman Rieger About The Automation Innovation Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:57 AM

senswork is a Germany-based company specializing in turnkey machine vision, inspection, and optical measurement systems for industrial manufacturing. Pulse 2.0 interviewed senswork CEO and Managing Director Roman Rieger to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Crusoe: $1.375 Billion At $10 Billion Valuation Raised To Advance Future Of AI Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:43 AM

Crusoe, known as “the AI factory company,” announced the initial close of its $1.375 billion Series E funding round, valuing the company at over $10 billion. The oversubscribed round was co-led by Mubadala Capital and Valor Equity Partners, with participation from a broad group of investors including NVIDIA, Founders Fund, Fidelity Management & Research Company, T. Rowe Price, Tiger Global Management, Salesforce Ventures, Franklin Templeton, Lowercarbon Capital, and StepStone Group. Additional participation from funds managed by Blue Owl is expected in a subsequent closing.

Partners Group Exiting Minority Stake In Apex Logistics In $4 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 11:21 AM

Partners Group, one of the world’s largest private markets investment firms, announced that it has agreed to sell its 24.9% stake in Apex Logistics to majority shareholder Kuehne+Nagel, one of the leading global logistics companies. The deal values Apex at more than $4 billion in enterprise value. It represents a complete exit for Partners Group on behalf of its clients, generating a strong return since its initial investment in 2021. The deal is expected to close in 2025, pending customary approvals.

Lightspeed Commerce: Interview With President JD Saint-Martin About The Cloud-Based Commerce Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:44 AM

Lightspeed Commerce is a technology company that offers a cloud-based commerce platform targeted at merchants in retail, hospitality (restaurants/bars), and related industries. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Lightspeed Commerce president JD Saint-Martin to gain a better understanding of the company.

Darwin AI: $15 Million Series A Raised For Advancing Responsible AI Adoption In Government

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:40 AM

Darwin AI, a leading platform enabling governments to adopt artificial intelligence safely, responsibly, and at scale, announced the close of a $15 million Series A funding round led by global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors UpWest and Resolute Ventures.

Piper Sandler Buying MENA Growth Partners To Expand In Middle East

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:39 AM

Piper Sandler announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MENA Growth Partners, an Abu Dhabi–based merchant bank. The acquisition will establish Piper Sandler’s strategic investment banking hub in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, significantly strengthening its presence across the Middle East.

Findhelp Buying Uno Health For Benefit Enrollment And Social Care Coordination

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:38 AM

Findhelp, a leading social care technology company, has announced its acquisition of Uno Health, a digital enrollment platform specializing in government benefits. The combination establishes the first fully integrated platform capable of managing eligibility, enrollment, recertification, and social service coordination through one longitudinal record—modernizing how millions of Americans access essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP.

GammaTime: $14 Million Closed To Launch Micro-Drama Streaming Platform for U.S. Audiences

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:35 AM

GammaTime, a Hollywood-backed micro-drama streaming startup, announced a $14 million seed round to launch the first premium short-form entertainment platform designed for American audiences. The funding round was led by vgames and Pitango, with participation from Alexis Ohanian, Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Traverse Ventures. The company was founded by Bill Block (former CEO of Miramax), Slava Mudrykh (former Google Gaming executive), and Alex Montalvo (former Quibi executive).

Generation Lab: $11 Million Seed Round Raised To Advance Adoption Of SystemAge Longevity Diagnostic

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:33 AM

Generation Lab, a pioneer in longevity science, announced the completion of an $11 million seed funding round, bringing its total funding to $15 million and placing it among the top 1% of all startup seed raises. The funding round was led by Accel, with participation from Samsung Next, Zone2, Aoki Labs (founded by EDM artist Steve Aoki), Build Your Legacy Ventures (founded by NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo), and Markham Valley Ventures (founded by actor Simu Liu).

Cascade Services Buying East Coast Mechanical To Expand Florida Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:28 AM

Cascade Services, a leading residential services platform specializing in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical solutions, announced its 10th acquisition in Florida—and 13th overall—with the purchase of East Coast Mechanical (ECM) from Air Pros Solutions. The acquisition marks another significant step in Cascade’s growth strategy to expand its footprint across the Gulf States and strengthen its network of home service providers.

ASUENE USA Completing Acquisition Of Iconic Air To Enhance Leadership In Carbon And Methane Tracking

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:27 AM

ASUENE, a leading global climate-tech company, announced that its U.S. subsidiary, ASUENE USA, has completed the acquisition and integration of Iconic Air, a U.S.-based SaaS company specializing in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring and methane leak detection. This acquisition strengthens ASUENE’s foothold in the North American market and significantly enhances its data-driven decarbonization capabilities, particularly across the oil and gas sector.

super{set}: Interview With Founding General Partner Tom Chavez About The Startup Builder

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 9:00 AM

super{set} is a company builder specializing in data and AI-native software companies, meaning they focus on businesses built from the ground up around data and artificial intelligence. Pulse 2.0 interviewed super{set} founding general partner, Tom Chavez to gain a deeper understanding of how they operate.

Apriority: $2.3 Million Raised To Improve Debt Management Through AI And Automation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:01 AM

Apriority Financial, an AI-based debt optimization platform, announced a $2.3 million seed round led by Techstars, Valhalla, Bridge, CAN, Illini Angels, and Keiretsu. The company has also joined the Techstars & Samvid Economic Mobility Accelerator, signaling a new phase in its mission to turn debt from a financial burden into a pathway for wealth creation.

SK pharmteco Investing $6.1 Million To Expand Peptide Manufacturing Capabilities In California

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 5:11 PM

SK pharmteco, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced a $6.1 million investment to expand its Rancho Cordova, California facility. The funding will establish a new laboratory and CGMP kilo-scale facility dedicated to Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) and purification.

Dawson Partners: Oversubscribed Portfolio Finance 6 Closed At $7.7 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 5:07 PM

Dawson Partners, a leading global alternative asset manager specializing in structured liquidity and portfolio financing solutions, announced the successful closing of its latest flagship fund, Dawson Portfolio Finance 6 LP (PF6), along with affiliated co-investment vehicles. The fund closed oversubscribed at over $7.7 billion, exceeding its initial target of $6 billion and achieving its $7 billion hard cap, marking the largest fundraise in Dawson’s history.

Natural: $9.8 Million Seed Funding Raised For Building Financial Infrastructure For AI Agents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:59 PM

Natural, a fintech startup creating the core infrastructure for AI-driven financial transactions, has emerged from stealth with a $9.8 million seed round co-led by Abstract and Human Capital. The funding also saw participation from Forerunner Ventures, Terrain, Restive Ventures, Genius Ventures, and several notable tech founders and executives, including Zach Abrams (Bridge), Immad Akhund (Mercury), Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh (Ramp), Guillermo Rauch (Vercel), Itai Damti (Unit), and Matt Michaelis (Emprise Bank).

Big Leap: Interview With CEO Bryan Phelps About The Digital Marketing Agency

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 3:56 PM

Big Leap is a digital marketing agency based in Lehi, Utah, that helps B2B, B2C, e-commerce, SaaS, and franchise businesses with search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, paid advertising (PPC), conversion rate optimization (CRO), marketing automation, and the alignment of marketing with revenue operations. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Big Leap CEO Bryan Phelps to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Janus RX: Investment Raised From FFL Partners To Expand Behavioral Pharmacy Services Nationwide

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:51 PM

Private equity firm FFL Partners has completed a strategic investment in Janus RX, a rapidly growing behavioral pharmacy headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama. The funding will support Janus’s continued expansion into new markets and strengthen its ability to meet the rising demand for specialized pharmacy services tailored to patients with serious mental illness (SMI). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

NEMO Industries To Build $3 Billion AI-Based Pig Iron Facility In Louisiana

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:47 PM

NEMO Industries, an AI-powered ironmaking company, announced plans to develop Ironworks I, the first phase of an $8 billion industrial project in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. The initial $3 billion phase will establish what the company describes as the world’s most efficient pig iron facility, producing 2.3 million metric tons per year of granulated pig iron for domestic and international markets.

CipherOwl: $15 Million Raised To Advance AI-Based On-Chain Compliance For Financial Institutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 2:39 PM

CipherOwl, a San Francisco-based defense and compliance technology company founded by former Coinbase executives, has exited stealth with $15 million in seed funding. The funding round was co-led by General Catalyst and Flourish Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Sancus Ventures, Enlight Capital, OKX Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Road Capital, and Predictive VC.

Clerq: $21 Million Closed To Transform High-Ticket Payment Processes With Account-To-Account Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:10 PM

Clerq, a New York-based financial technology company modernizing payments for high-value transactions, has secured $21 million in new funding to accelerate its mission of transforming how large purchases are made. The investment includes a $12 million Series A round led by 645 Ventures, with participation from existing investors FirstMark Capital, Fika Ventures, Commerce Ventures, and Dash Fund, as well as new strategic backers Friedkin and Yossi Levi, founder of Car Dealership Guy.

JumpCloud Enhances Identity Security Capabilities With Acquisition of Breez

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:09 PM

JumpCloud announced the acquisition of Breez, a leading Identity Threat Detection, Investigation, and Response (ITDR) platform, to strengthen its security roadmap and reinforce its commitment to protecting modern, cloud-forward IT environments.

Vermeer: $10 Million Series A Raised To Advance GPS-Free Drone Navigation Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 1:07 PM

Vermeer, an American-Ukrainian defense technology startup specializing in vision navigation and autonomy systems, has announced the close of its $10 million Series A funding round. The funding was led by Draper Associates, with participation from AeroX Ventures, Boscolo Intervest, High Point Ventures, Rockaway Ventures, and the U.S. Air Force Techstars program.