Innovation

Highlight AI: $40 Million Raised To Build Shared Intelligence Layer For Agentic Work

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 24, 2026

Highlight AI, an AI software company developing an intelligent operating system for teams and AI agents, announced it has raised $40 million in a Series A funding round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from 359 Capital, General Catalyst, Valor Equity, Common Metal, Makers Fund, Collaborative Fund, Arcadia, and SV Angel.

Cambridge Mobile Telematics: $350 Million Raised To Expand AI-Driven Road Safety Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 24, 2026

Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a telematics and AI company focused on safer mobility, announced a $350 million strategic investment led by TPG and Allianz X, with participation from State Farm. The funding is aimed at accelerating the company’s global expansion and advancing its AI-powered road safety technologies.

Olympus Partners: $1.1 Billion Sale Of Retina Business Of EyeSouth Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 24, 2026

Olympus Partners announced it has agreed to sell the retina business of EyeSouth Partners for $1.1 billion, marking a significant transaction in the ophthalmology services sector. EyeSouth is an eye care-focused management services organization that partners with ophthalmologists and medical optometrists to deliver specialized medical and surgical care.

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

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 24, 2026

GCheck is a background screening company that provides fast, compliant, and transparent hiring solutions to help businesses verify candidates and make more confident hiring decisions. Pulse 2.0 interviewed GCheck founder and CEO Houman Akhavan to learn more.

Oryon Cell Therapies: $42 Million Raised For Autologous Neuron Replacement Therapies Targeting Parkinson’s Disease

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 23, 2026

Oryon Cell Therapies, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing autologous neuron replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, announced it has emerged from stealth with total funding of $42 million, including a newly closed $21 million Series A tranche backed by investors such as Neuro.VC and Byers Capital.

Jeffrey Stewart: A VC And Author Who Says Earlier Global IPOs Are Coming

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 23, 2026

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.

Grub Lab: $6 Million Raised To Bring Sports And Entertainment IP To Independent Restaurants Nationwide

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 23, 2026

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 ● Mar 23, 2026

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.

CrossCountry Mortgage: Summit Funding Acquisition Expands National Retail Lending Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 23, 2026

CrossCountry Mortgage has entered into an agreement to acquire Summit Funding, a privately held mortgage banker and servicer headquartered in Sacramento, California.

Microsoft: MAI-Image-2 Launches As New In-House AI Image Generation Model

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 22, 2026

Microsoft announced the launch of MAI-Image-2, a new text-to-image model developed by its AI Superintelligence team, marking a significant step in the company’s push to build its own in-house AI capabilities. The model positions Microsoft among the top three AI image-generation labs globally, according to the Arena.ai leaderboard.

Vesicor Therapeutics: Biotechnology Company Appoints Michael Tolentino As CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 22, 2026

Vesicor Therapeutics, an early-stage biotechnology company focused on developing p53-based cancer therapeutics using engineered microvesicles, has appointed Michael Tolentino, M.D., as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective March 17, 2026.