Innovation

Highperformr: Social Media Platform Company Raises $3.5 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 21, 2024

GenAI company Highperformr announced that it has secured $3.5 million in seed funding and launched its product Highperformr for Teams, which is a modern social media management platform designed to help B2B businesses maximize their return on investment (ROI) from social media efforts by amplifying their social presence and driving meaningful engagement.

Scale AI: Data Engine Company Raises $1 Billion At $13.8 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 21, 2024

AI data foundry company Scale AI announced it had closed a $1 billion financing transaction, bringing the company to a valuation of $13.8 billion. Existing investor Accel led the funding round with participation from returning investors, including Y Combinator, Nat Friedman, Index Ventures, Founders Fund, Coatue, Thrive Capital, Spark Capital, NVIDIA, Tiger Global Management, Greenoaks, and Wellington Management. The new investors include Cisco Investments, DFJ Growth, Intel Capital, ServiceNow Ventures, AMD Ventures, WCM, Amazon, Elad Gil, and Meta.

Sona: Frontline Workforce Management Company Raises $27.5 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 21, 2024

Sona, a next-generation and intelligent workforce management platform for frontline enterprises founded by Steffen Wulff Petersen, Oli Johnson, and Ben Dixon, announced a $27.5 million Series A funding round. Felicis led the funding round with participation from Northzone, Gradient (Google's AI fund), SpeedInvest, Antler, BAG Ventures, and several notable angels participated in the round.

Subeca: End-To-End Water Management Platform Company Raises $6 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Subeca, an Internet of Things (IoT) startup that offers low-cost and easy-to-use water technology, announced it raised $6 million in Series A funding. The Series A funding round was led by SUEZ, a leader in digital and circular solutions in waste and water services, with participation from Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund (Amazon's sustainability-focused corporate venture fund) and Burnt Island Ventures (a leading water sector-focused venture investor).

Token: $7 Million Raised To Launch Machine-First Identity Security Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Token Security emerged from stealth mode and launched its machine-first identity security platform. The company also announced $7 million in Seed funding led by TLV Partners with participation from SNR and a range of angel investors, including Shlomo Kramer, one of the founding fathers of cybersecurity in Israel.

280 Earth: Direct Air Capture Company Raises $50 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

280 Earth announced that it has completed construction and started operating a direct air capture (DAC) facility to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere, mitigating climate change. 280 Earth’s scale-up of direct air capture technology is led by an investor team such as Builders VC, Gideon Yu, and Alphabet. And the company also announced that it has officially filled and closed a $50 million Series B Round of investment.

Teal: $8 Million Secured To Build Accounting Infrastructure For Vertical SaaS Companies

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Teal, a rapidly growing company specializing in accounting infrastructure for Vertical SaaS businesses, announced $8 million in seed funding today. Launched in 2023 by Ian Crosby, former Head of Financial Services at Shopify and CEO and co-founder of Bench Accounting, Teal enables Vertical SaaS businesses to build their accounting suites to offer to their SMB customers. Torch Capital led the funding round with participation from Basis Set Ventures, General Advance, Dash Fund, and angel investors, including executives at Service Titan, Plaid, Brex, Unit, and Gusto.

Rev1 Ventures: $6 Million FVFII Closed To Support Central Ohio Companies

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Rev1 Ventures, a venture studio that helps entrepreneurs and corporations accelerate innovation, announced it is launching the Future Value Fund II (FVFII), a $6 million pre-seed and seed capital fund to support Central Ohio companies, focusing on tech companies underserved by venture capital. Rev1 Ventures is providing $3 million in private investment, which is being matched by the Ohio Department of Development State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Ohio Early Stage Focus Fund Program.

Patron Capital: Over €860 Million Raised For Seventh Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Patron Capital, a pan-European institutional investor focused on property-backed investments, has closed its seventh flagship fund at over $920 million, including more than $215 million of Patron discretionary co-investment capital for more significant opportunities.

Coder: The Story Behind This Rapidly Growing Browser-Based Cloud Development Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Coder is a company that has completely transformed software development with its browser-based cloud development environment (CDE). Pulse 2.0 interviewed Coder CEO Rob Whiteley to learn more about the company.

Progentos Therapeutics: $65 Million Raised To Address Unmet Needs To Regenerate Myelin And Restore Function For Patients With MS

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Progentos Therapeutics, a biotechnology company addressing the unmet need to regenerate myelin and restore function for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases, announced its launch and the closing of a $65 million series A round. This funding round will enable Progentos to advance its MS program through human proof-of-concept studies and expand its pipeline in additional degenerative diseases.

Switchboard Health: $6.5 Million Secured To Help Deliver Value-Based Specialty Care

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Switchboard Health, the creator of a high-value specialty care network and software platform, announced it secured $6.5 million in series seed funding. First Trust Capital Partners’ investment led the round, with participation from founding investor Route 66 Ventures, InnovateHealth Ventures, Capital Eleven, and Ikigai Growth Partners.

97212 Ventures: $20 Million Fund Closed To Help Israeli Tech Founders Grow Businesses

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

97212 Ventures, a NY next-generation VC and day-one partner for Israeli founders, announced the closing of a $20 million fund focused on investing in new Israeli pre-seed and seed startups, providing them instant access to a pool of rich New York resources to grow their businesses including key senior advisors, early customers and channel partners, paving the way to US product-market fit and early growth.

Chapter: Medicare Navigation Platform Company Raises $50 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Chapter, a rapidly growing Medicare navigation platform, announced that it raised $50 million in Series C funding, led by XYZ Venture Capital and with participation from existing investors Narya Capital, Addition, Susa Ventures, and Maverick Ventures.

RCP Fund XVIII: About $285 Million In Aggregate Capital Commitments Closed

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

RCP Advisors, a private equity investment firm that offers access to North American small buyout fund managers through primary funds, secondary funds, and co-investment funds, announced the final closing of RCP Fund XVIII. This fund closed on about $285 million in aggregate commitments.

Battery Ventures: C$150 Million Acquisition Of TrueContext Completed

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Battery Ventures announced it has closed its take-private acquisition of field-service workflow company TrueContext (formerly known as ProntoForms). The Canadian software company was delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange yesterday after Battery acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares for C$1.07 per share, valuing TrueContext at approximately C$150 million.

Cheetah Technologies: Restaurant Supply Tech Company Raises $14 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Cheetah Technologies, a restaurant supply technology and food distribution innovator, announced the appointment of their new CEO Kim Spalding. In the last few months, Spalding and the Cheetah board collaborated on an additional $14 million funding round, focused on the continued development and scaling of the company's technology platform.

Fairgen: $8 Million Secured To Generate Accurate AI Responses To Surveys

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Fairgen, a company generating accurate AI responses to surveys, announced it had raised $8 million to date in Seed funding, led by Maverick Ventures Israel, with participation from Tal Ventures, IGNIA, and Creator Fund to move consumer insights into the AI era. And the company is launching FairBoost, its flagship solution that doubles the size of under-sampled segments using predictive synthetic responses.

Attovia Therapeutics: $105 Million Raised To Create A Pipeline Of Biotherapeutics With A Focus On Immune-Mediated Diseases

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

Attovia Therapeutics announced the closing of a $105 million oversubscribed Series B financing, bringing the total funding raised by the company since its launch in June 2023 to $165 million. The proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the Company’s lead programs ATTO-1310 and ATTO-002 through initial clinical data readouts, expand the company’s immunology and inflammation pipeline, and further develop the Attobody platform.

FV Bank: An Interview With Co-Founder And CEO Miles Paschini

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 20, 2024

FV Bank is a Puerto Rico-based global digital bank that provides business and individual accounts globally. FV Bank supports multiple currencies, international payments, and investment accounts along with debit and prepaid cards. Pulse 2.0 interviewed FV Bank co-founder and CEO Miles Paschini to learn more about the company.

LPL Financial Brings In $215 Million Financial Advisor Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

LPL Financial announced that financial advisor Tara Blair, CFP, CPA, has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. And she reported serving approximately $215 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets and joins LPL from Lincoln Financial.

C3 Rentals: Trailer Rental And Ownership Solutions Company Secures $100 Million Debt Facility

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

C3 Rentals, a leader in trailer rental and ownership solutions, announced it secured a $100 million debt facility funded by WhiteHawk Capital Partners and arranged by Ankura Capital Advisors. This strategic funding will increase liquidity and support the company's future working capital needs, enabling further expansion across the US.

Canopy: $35 Million Secured To Help Accountants Build Sophisticated Firms

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

Canopy - a firm-wide operating system helping accountants build the firms they always wanted - announced it raised $35 million in an oversubscribed funding round. This funding round was led by Ten Coves Capital and Ankona Capital, with participation from Pelion Venture Partners, Tenaya Capital, and NewView Capital. The $35 million funding round will be channeled towards doubling down on Canopy’s vision for leveraging AI to make firms exponentially more efficient.

Mercer Advisors: Martine Lellis Transitions To M&A Partner Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

Mercer Global Advisors, a national Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm, announced the move of Martine Lellis, Chief Talent Officer since 2020, to a newly created Principal, M&A Partner Development role.

May Health: $25 Million Secured To Help Those Living With PCOS

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

May Health, a clinical-stage medical device company dedicated to helping those living with the endocrine disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), announced it has closed a $25 million Series B financing round, co-led by Bpifrance and Trill Impact with participation from founding investor Sofinnova Partners, and Avestria Ventures and Kidron Capital Assets LP.

Bluejay Therapeutics Secures $182 Million in Series C Financing to Propel Clinical Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

Bluejay Therapeutics, a leader in developing novel therapeutics, today announced the successful closure of a $182 million Series C financing round. This capital infusion will accelerate the clinical development of BJT-778, as the treatment for chronic hepatitis D (HDV). The funds will also support the progression of additional promising candidates in Bluejay’s robust pipeline for the treatment for chronic hepatitis B. As previously announced, BJT-778 has received PRIME designation from EMA based on early results from the Phase 1/2 study in HDV.

Pepper: Food Distribution Sector Company Raises $30 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

Pepper, a trusted technology partner for the food distribution sector, announced the successful closing of a $30 million Series B funding round. This significant funding round was led by ICONIQ Growth, with continued participation from existing partners at Index Ventures, Greylock, Imaginary, and Harmony Partners.

Wiz: Cloud Security Company Raises $1 Billion At $12 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 19, 2024

Cloud security company Wiz recently raised $1 billion at a $12 billion valuation, bringing the company's total funding to $1.9 billion. The current round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Thrive Capital, with participation from Greylock, Wellington Management, and existing investors Cyberstarts, Greenoaks, Howard Schultz, Index Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, and Sequoia Capital.

Johnson & Johnson Buying Proteologix For $850 Million In Cash

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 18, 2024

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Proteologix, a privately-held biotechnology company focused on bispecific antibodies for immune-mediated diseases, for $850 million in cash, with the potential for an additional milestone payment.

Permira Taking Squarespace Private In $6.9 Billion All-Cash Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 18, 2024

Squarespace, a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to go private by global private equity firm Permira in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.9 billion.