Innovation

Volta: €11 Million Raised To Advance AI-Based Transformation Of European B2B Commerce

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Volta, a French-Italian startup building an AI-powered commerce platform for B2B distributors and suppliers, announced today that it has secured €11 million in funding, including a recent €5 million extension to its prior round. This funding round was led by RTP Global, with participation from existing investors including Emblem, Robin Capital, Founders Future, and new strategic backer Pascal Houillon (former CEO of Cegid and Sage) who has joined as an investor and advisor.

Ceres AI: Growth Financing Raised From Decathlon To Expand Global Agricultural Analytics Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Ceres AI, a leading provider of AI-powered agricultural risk analytics, announced that it has received a multi-million-dollar growth financing package from Decathlon Capital Partners. The investment will enable Ceres AI to expand its platform and support a growing portfolio of enterprise clients across the global agricultural sector.

The Adult And Pediatric Institute: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Nicole Clark About The Specialized Health Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

The Adult and Pediatric Institute is a private mental and behavioral health practice that provides psychiatric services, including evaluations, medication management, and therapy, for children, adolescents, and adults, with a specialization in autism evaluation and support and a focus on evidence-based, compassionate, and integrated care. Pulse 2.0 interviewed The Adult and Pediatric Institute co-founder and CEO Nicole Clark to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

OSAA Innovation: Interview With Founder & CEO Ahmed Hessam About The Intravenous Therapy Device Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

OSAA Innovation develops innovative medical devices and smart connected solutions to revolutionize intravenous (IV) therapy, focusing on improving patient mobility, convenience, safety, and overall quality of life. Pulse 2.0 interviewed OSAA Innovation founder and CEO Ahmed Hessam to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Dawson: Portfolio Finance 6 Closed At Over $7.7 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Dawson Partners announced the final closing of Dawson Portfolio Finance 6 LP (PF6) and its affiliated co-investment vehicles, securing more than $7.7 billion in total capital commitments. The fund, which exceeded its $6 billion target and reached its $7 billion hard cap, represents Dawson’s largest fund since inception and marks a significant milestone as the firm surpasses $25 billion in assets under management (AUM) just over a decade after its founding.

Woodland Gourmet Buys International Spices For Expanding Custom Seasoning Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Woodland Gourmet, a provider of custom culinary solutions and specialty ingredients, announced it has acquired International Spices, a developer of custom seasoning blends designed for snacks, proteins, and prepared foods. The acquisition broadens Woodland’s portfolio with high-impact blends—from potato chip seasonings and mozzarella stick coatings to signature wing dry rubs and sauce mixes. It deepens its ability to deliver value-added and customized solutions at scale.

MTX Buys VerifyID.ai For Expanding AI-Based Digital Identity Verification For The Public Sector

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

MTX Group, a global technology consulting firm, announced the acquisition of VerifyID.ai, an AI-based digital identity verification platform designed for the public sector. The acquisition is aimed at enhancing MTX Group’s artificial intelligence and cybersecurity capabilities while deepening its footprint in trusted digital identity solutions for government agencies and enterprises.

Amalgamated Bank Committing $250 Million To FASTPACE Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Amalgamated Bank announced a capital commitment of up to $250 million to fund commercial real-estate projects originated through the FASTPACE platform, operated by Allectrify. The investment will expand access to long-term, flexible Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing across the United States—especially for middle-market projects ranging from $250,000 to $10 million.

Venus Aerospace: Strategic Investment Raised From Lockheed Martin To Advance Propulsion Innovation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Venus Aerospace, a startup developing next-generation rocket and hypersonic propulsion systems, announced a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin through its venture arm, Lockheed Martin Ventures. The funding was disclosed at the Axios Future of Defense Summit in Washington, D.C., and follows Venus Aerospace’s May 2025 high-thrust test flight of its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE), described as a “world first.”

Canopy: Interview With Founder & Executive Director Nicole Rycroft About The Environmental Nonprofit Organization

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Canopy (sometimes styled as Canopy Planet) is an international solutions-based environmental nonprofit organization with a mission to protect the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests, advance the rights of Indigenous communities, and shift major industrial supply chains toward sustainable, circular materials. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Canopy founder & Executive Director Nicole Rycroft to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental nonprofit organization.

Krilogy: Investment Raised From Rise Growth Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Rise Growth Partners, a firm that provides non-controlling minority capital and strategic expertise to exceptional wealth-management firms, announced it has entered into a long-term partnership with Krilogy, a St. Louis-based RIA managing approximately $4.1 billion in client assets. Launched in 2009, Krilogy is guided by its principle of the art of accomplishment, a philosophy rooted in relentless effort, thoughtful solutions, and a commitment to serve clients well now and for generations to come.

Redwood Materials: $350 Million Series E Raised To Advance U.S. Energy Storage Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Redwood Materials announced the close of its $350 million Series E funding round, led by Eclipse with participation from new strategic investors, including NVentures, NVIDIA’s venture capital arm. The oversubscribed round underscores strong investor confidence in Redwood’s mission to build a vertically integrated domestic supply chain for energy storage and critical materials.

Iris Ventures: €100 Million Fund Closed For New Consumer Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Growth-equity investor Iris Ventures announced the first closing of its second fund, IRIS Fund II, securing approximately €100 million toward a larger target of €200 million. This fund was completed in record time and it is backed by a select group of family offices, many of whom have deep expertise in the consumer space.

Plymouth Industrial REIT To Go Private In $2.1 Billion With Makarora and Ares

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Plymouth Industrial REIT announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which entities affiliated with Makarora Management and Ares Management Corporation’s alternative credit funds will acquire all outstanding shares of Plymouth common stock and the limited partnership interests of Plymouth Industrial OP for $22 per share in cash, in a transaction valued at approximately US$2.1 billion, including the assumption of certain debt.

FalconX Buying Crypto Investment Company 21Shares

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Institutional digital asset prime brokerage FalconX announced it has agreed to acquire the crypto-ETP/ETF leader 21shares, a strategic transaction intended to combine FalconX’s trading infrastructure with 21Shares’ product suite and global distribution. The move highlights FalconX’s ambition to converge listed markets and digital assets while expanding its presence across the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

Endowus: $70 Million In Funding And $10 Billion In Client Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2025

Wealth technology platform Endowus has announced a significant milestone: client assets under management and advice have surpassed US$10 billion (S$13 billion), driven by strong growth in the high-net-worth segment and increased demand for alternatives, including hedge funds and private markets. Simultaneously, the company closed a new funding round exceeding US$70 million (S$90 million), led by Illuminate Financial, with participation from existing investors, including Prosus and Citi Ventures, as well as several Asian family offices. This latest funding brings Endowus’ total funding raised to over US$130 million since its founding.

Valthos: $30 Million Raised For Biotechnology Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Valthos, a newly launched biotech company, announced recently that it has emerged to safeguard humanity from the accelerating threat of programmable biology. In a company blog post, Valthos stated that as artificial intelligence continues to advance, life itself has become increasingly programmable with access to dual-use biotechnologies that could be used either to eliminate disease or to create it. Valthos announced that it has raised $30 million from a consortium of prominent investors, including OpenAI Startup Fund, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund.

Valink Therapeutics: $11.8 Million Raised To Advance Bispecific ADC Pipeline And Expand U.S. Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Valink Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation oncology therapeutics, announced it has closed an $11.8 million pre-A financing round to accelerate development of its bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (bsADC) pipeline and expand its presence in the United States with new headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Milvus Advanced: $6.9 Million Seed Funding Raised For Scaling Industrial-Scale Substitution Of Critical Elements

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Oxford-based startup Milvus Advanced, a company focused on creating rare metal alternatives through “modern alchemy,” announced it has raised approximately $6.9 million in a seed funding round led by Hoxton Ventures, with participation from LQD Ventures, Übermorgen, Tuesday Capital, Mark Leslie Enterprises, van Den Bosch Dynasty Fund, Bluebirds, Md One, EQT Foundation, and returning investor Lowercarbon Capital.

Dialogue AI: $6 Million Seed Funding Closed For AI-Based Customer Research

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Los Angeles-based Dialogue AI announced that it has secured a $6 million seed funding round, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and joined by Seven Stars, Uncommon Projects, the Tornante Company, and a group of notable angel investors, including the CPO of Discord, the former CPO of Nextdoor, and the former CTO of Match Group.

Fourier Health: $8.4 Million Closed To Modernize Clinical Care Intake And Unstructured Data Processing With AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Miami-based health-tech company Fourier Health, a clinician-in-the-loop artificial-intelligence platform that streamlines and consolidates patient clinical data into use-case specific summaries to reduce administrative burden, announced it has raised $8.4 million in seed funding, led by Yosemite, with participation from Innospark Ventures, NextGen Venture Partners, and Tau Ventures, and pre-seed funding from Lasagna, NextGen Venture Partners, Myelin, and Despierta.

Creditstar Group: $10 Million Facility Secured From Kilde

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Creditstar Group, a European consumer finance and investment fintech operating across eight lending markets, has secured an additional $10 million in funding from Singapore-based Kilde, bringing the total commitment to $20 million. The new facility builds on the initial $10 million agreement signed in November 2024, deepening the two-year relationship between the two firms.

Hyperlayer: £30 Million Closed To Power Faster Financial Innovation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Fintech company Hyperlayer is dedicated to helping banks, wealth managers, and asset managers launch innovative financial products more efficiently and rapidly. Recently, the company announced it has successfully raised £30 million (around US$40 million) in venture funding, marking a significant milestone in its growth trajectory.

LuxQuanta: €8 Million Series A Closed For Advancing Deployment Of Quantum-Safe Cybersecurity Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Barcelona-based deep-tech company LuxQuanta recently announced that it has closed a Series A funding round of €8 million, led by Big Sur Ventures and with A&G as the largest investor. New participants in the round include GMV, Wayra and the EIC Fund, alongside renewed support from existing investors Corning and GTD, and soft-financing from the European Innovation Council (EIC) via the EIC Accelerator program after a €2.5 million grant awarded in March 2024.

Sage Care: $20 Million Raised For AI-Based Care Navigation System

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Sage Care, a newly publicly-launched platform aimed at addressing inefficiencies in healthcare navigation, announced it has raised $20 million in funding. Yosemite led the round with support from General Catalyst, Metrodora (backed by Chelsea Clinton), OVTR.VC, SV Angel, Liquid 2, Seven Stars, Refract Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, and Apollo Ono.

Force Electrical Services: Strategic Growth Investment Raised From SkyKnight Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Force Electrical Services, a leading provider of electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure services across the South-Central United States, has secured a growth investment from SkyKnight Capital. SkyKnight partners with entrepreneurs in industry-defining businesses.

Novartis Buying Avidity Biosciences In $12 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Biopharmaceutical company Avidity Biosciences has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Novartis, pending customary closing conditions and the planned separation of Avidity’s early-stage precision cardiology programs into a new publicly-traded entity. Under the terms of the deal, Avidity shareholders will receive $72 per share in cash, valuing the company at approximately $12 billion on a fully diluted basis.

Chemstream And Synthex Organics Announce Strategic Merger

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Chemstream, a provider of advanced chemical manufacturing and distribution for the energy and industrial sectors, announced its merger with Synthex Organics, a specialist in high-quality specialty chemical products for the pulp and paper, energy, and mining industries. The combined company will operate under the Chemstream name to strengthen its standing as one of North America’s most innovative and integrated chemical solution providers.

CoreStack: $50 Million Raised To Help Enterprises Manage And Govern Multi-Cloud Environments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

CoreStack, a platform specializing in multi-cloud governance and automation spanning CNAPP, SecOps, FinOps, and CloudOps, announced it has secured a $50 million growth financing led by Post Road Group, with potential additional capital to fuel its global ambitions. The deal, structured as funded debt, is designed to optimize CoreStack’s capital structure while supporting product innovation, accelerated market expansion, and inorganic growth, all without sacrificing operational agility.

Northwest Biotherapeutics: Acquisition Of Advent BioServices Finalized For Enhancing Manufacturing Scale And Integration

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2025

Northwest Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Advent BioServices. With the deal now closed, Advent becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBio).