Innovation

Stratus Medical: $10 Million Series B Raised To Advance RF Ablation Technology For Chronic Pain And Fund BVNA Clinical Study

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Stratus Medical, a medical device company developing radiofrequency (RF) ablation technologies for chronic pain, has raised a $10 million in Series B financing to complete development work on new systems and fund a clinical study tied to a basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) program.

Imbed Biosciences: Strategic Investment Raised For Wound-Care Medical Device Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Imbed Biosciences announced it has secured a strategic investment from BioLab Holdings Inc. that it expects will expand Imbed’s reach in the U.S. market, with a particular focus on physician office settings, and speed development of its proprietary SAM Antimicrobial Technology platform aimed at reducing wound-care complications.

GenLogs: $60 Million Series B Raised For Freight Intelligence Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

GenLogs, a freight intelligence provider deploying its Truck Intelligence technology to improve supply chain efficiency and combat cargo theft, has closed a $60 million Series B financing. The round was led by Battery Ventures with participation from IVP, Cathay Innovation, and 9Yards, alongside existing investors including Venrock, Steel Atlas, HOF Capital, TitletownTech, and Autotech Ventures. The company said it has now raised $81 million across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds.

Vista Equity Partners: Suzanne Donohoe Named As COO And Chief Commercial Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Vista Equity Partners, a global technology investor focused on enterprise software, has appointed Suzanne Donohoe as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer in a newly created combined role. Donohoe will report to Founder, Chairman and CEO Robert F. Smith and will oversee the firm’s global fundraising, capital markets, investor engagement, and marketing strategies across Vista’s full investment platform, while also helping shape and execute the firm’s strategic agenda.

Texas Instruments Buying Silicon Labs For $7.5 Billion To Build Embedded Wireless Connectivity Leadership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Texas Instruments, a global semiconductor chipmaker, has agreed to acquire Silicon Labs, a specialist in secure embedded wireless connectivity, for about $7.5 billion in an all-cash deal that the companies say will create a global leader in embedded wireless connectivity solutions.

Bedrock Robotics: $270 Million Series B At $1.75 Billion Valuation Raised For Autonomous Construction Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Bedrock Robotics, an autonomous construction technology company, has raised $270 million in Series B funding at a $1.75 billion valuation as it pushes from single-machine deployments toward “system-level” autonomy that can coordinate connected fleets across large infrastructure and earthmoving jobs. The round was co-led by CapitalG and the Valor Atreides AI Fund, with participation from Xora, 8VC, Eclipse, Emergence Capital, Perry Creek Capital, NVentures, Tishman Speyer, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgian, Incharge Capital, C4 Ventures, and others. The financing brings Bedrock’s total funding to more than $350 million.

SNAK Venture Partners: Oversubscribed $50 Million Debut Fund Launched To Back Early-Stage Marketplaces

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

SNAK Venture Partners has closed an oversubscribed $50 million debut fund aimed at seed-stage investments in digital marketplaces that bring offline, fragmented industries online. Based in Chicago, the firm said Fund I will target marketplace businesses digitizing legacy sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and supply chain, where workflows remain largely offline, and modernization is still in early stages.

SynthBee: $100 Million Closed To Scale Collaborative Intelligence Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

SynthBee, a stealth startup building a proprietary “Collaborative Intelligence” (CI) platform, said it has completed $100 million in funding with Crosspoint Capital Partners following an initial $20 million seed round and an additional $80 million secured last week. The company said the investment will support expansion into new markets, ongoing hiring, and continued development of its CI technology.

Third Arc Bio: $52 Million Series A Extension Raised To Expand Oncology And Immunology Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Third Arc Bio announced it has closed a $52 million Series A extension financing, adding to a previously announced $165 million Series A as the company looks to broaden and accelerate its oncology and immunology and inflammation pipeline. The financing was led by new investor Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) alongside founding investor Omega Funds. The round also included participation from Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, BVF Partners LP, funds managed by abrdn. Inc., accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Marshall Wace, Hillhouse Investment, Galapagos NV, AbbVie Ventures, and Alderline Group. As part of the transaction, a16z General Partner Jorge Conde is joining Third Arc Bio’s board.

beHuman: $4 Million Seed Funding Raised To Scale AI-Driven Early Cancer Detection

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

beHuman, a physician-led preventive care platform focused on improving early cancer detection for underserved populations, has raised a $4 million seed round to expand nationally and grow its network of health insurance partners and end customers.

Corus Orthodontists Raises C$20 Million To Expand Its Doctor-Led Orthodontic Partnership Network

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Corus Orthodontists, a privately held North American orthodontic partnership network, has secured a C$20 million institutional equity investment led by ATB Financial’s private equity arm, with a co-investment from a prominent Canadian family office. The company said the financing is its inaugural institutional investment and represents a milestone in the continued evolution of its doctor partnership model.

Expert Intelligence: $5.8 Million Seed Funding Raised To Bring AI Decision Automation To Regulated Laboratories

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Expert Intelligence, a Santa Clara-based startup developing AI systems that automate expert decision making in regulated laboratory settings, has raised a $4.7 million seed round led by Sierra Ventures, with participation from TSVC and Acorn Pacific Ventures. The company positions its platform as “foundational infrastructure” for autonomous decision-making in high-compliance environments where data is scarce, tightly controlled, and difficult to use for conventional machine learning approaches.

Columbia Financial To Acquire Northfield Bancorp In $597 Million Deal Tied To Second-Step Conversion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Columbia Financial, a mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, and Northfield Bancorp (the holding company for Northfield Bank), announced they have signed an agreement and plan of merger under which Columbia will acquire Northfield in a transaction valued at approximately $597 million. The combined organization is expected to become the third-largest regional bank headquartered in New Jersey, with pro forma total assets of $18 billion based on financial data as of December 31, 2025.

VENU+ Acquires Tiburon Lockers To Expand Smart Locker Platform And North America Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

VENU+, a ZCG-backed provider of tech-enabled guest mobility, storage, and entertainment solutions for major amusement and entertainment destinations, has acquired Tiburon Lockers, a U.S.-based operator of electronic rental locker systems for high-traffic venues. The deal adds Tiburon’s custom locker rental capabilities to VENU+’s growing smart lockers business and is positioned as a step forward in VENU+’s broader growth strategy focused on scaling integrated, venue-facing storage and mobility offerings.

Formula Fixed: Interview With Founders James And Clare Grady About The Brakeless Cycling League

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Formula Fixed is a high-intensity, brakeless cycling league that brings urban fixed-gear racing to ticketed indoor stadiums and technical, short-track venues designed for spectator-first, digital-native entertainment. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Formula Fixed founders James and Clare Grady to learn more.

Devon Energy: $21.4+ Billion All-Stock Deal For Coterra To Create A $58 Billion Shale Operator

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Devon Energy and Coterra Energy have signed a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction that the companies say will create a “premier shale operator” anchored by a leading position in the economic core of the Delaware Basin. The combined company will be named Devon Energy, headquartered in Houston, and will maintain a significant presence in Oklahoma City.

Gibraltar Closes $1.335 Billion OmniMax Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Gibraltar Industries announced it has completed its all-cash acquisition of OmniMax International from funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, valuing the transaction at $1.335 billion, subject to customary adjustments. The company said the deal will close after it receives the required regulatory approvals and satisfies the customary closing conditions.

TITAN Completes Acquisition Of Vracs De L’Estuaire Cementitious Business In France

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

TITAN Group has completed its acquisition of Vracs de L'Estuaire, adding an established cementitious business in northern France and deepening the company’s operating footprint in one of Europe’s largest construction markets. TITAN cited the transaction as a practical step to accelerate the growth path outlined in its TITAN Forward 2029 strategy, particularly as the company seeks to broaden its offering of lower-carbon building materials across its core geographies.

Connect Media Acquires Networld Media Group, Expanding Commercial Real Estate News Into Adjacent B2B Verticals

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Connect Media, a privately held Los Angeles-based media company focused on commercial real estate news and related B2B businesses, has acquired Louisville, Kentucky-based Networld Media Group, a business-to-business media company that produces industry news and conferences across restaurant, retail, banking, and technology markets. The financial terms were not disclosed.

Consor Engineers Acquires Cavnue To Integrate Smart Road Delivery

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Miami-based Consor Engineers announced it has acquired Cavnue, positioning the combined organization to deliver a more integrated approach to planning, engineering, and deployment of “smart road” technologies for transportation agencies and other infrastructure owners.

Penzance Expands Multifamily Portfolio With $200 Million In Virginia And North Carolina Acquisitions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Penzance announced it acquired roughly $200 million of multifamily and residential assets totaling about 1,100 units and more than 1.2 million square feet during the fourth quarter of 2025, expanding its footprint across Virginia and the Carolinas. The firm said the four transactions span a mix of stabilized communities bought below replacement cost and a build-to-rent development project, allowing it to deploy capital across different risk profiles while diversifying its residential exposure.

Cumbuca: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Daniel Ruhman About The Fintech Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 4, 2026

Cumbuca is a Y Combinator-backed fintech that acts as the first regulatory proxy for Brazil's Open Finance and Pix ecosystem, enabling international and domestic firms to launch financial products and access local banking infrastructure without holding their own license. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Cumbuca co-founder and CEO Daniel Ruhman to learn more.

Slashwork Emerges From Stealth With $3.5 Million Round For Workplace Communications Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

London-based workplace communications startup Slashwork has emerged from stealth with a $3.5 million round led by 20VC, as the company positions a new communication platform built for distributed teams and an AI-shaped workplace. The company said the round included participation from senior operators and founders across Facebook, Slack, Intercom, Dropbox, and Microsoft, among others. Angel investors named by the company include Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners; Sheryl Sandberg; Cal Henderson; AJ Tennant; Carolyn Everson; David Fischer; Des Traynor; Will Shu; Soleio; Philip Su; Blaise DiPersia; and Olivia Calvert.

Invio Automation Buys Calvary Robotics To Expand High-Precision Automation Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Arsenal Capital Partners portfolio company Invio Automation has acquired Calvary Robotics in a deal expanding Invio’s engineering depth and manufacturing capacity across a set of fast-growing end markets. Terms were not disclosed.

Onyx Capital Names Billy Sheil President Of Onyx Americas And Launches New York Office

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Onyx Capital Group announced it has named Billy Sheil President of Onyx Americas as the firm expands internationally again and opens a new office in New York City. Sheil brings 20 years of experience in futures market making, beginning with crude futures and later trading a broader range of commodities. In the role, he will lead the build-out of Onyx’s U.S. operation and focus on developing relationships and partnerships as the company establishes its North American presence.

RapidFort: $42 Million Series A Raised To Advance Continuous Software Supply Chain Remediation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

RapidFort has raised $42 million in Series A financing to expand its platform for continuously analyzing, remediating, hardening, and protecting software artifacts across the delivery lifecycle. The round was led by Blue Cloud Ventures and Forgepoint Capital, with participation from prior lead investor Felicis Ventures. Additional investors included Alumni Ventures, Boulder Ventures, Gaingels, and others.

Santé Ventures Closes Record $330 Million Fund V To Back Early-Stage Biotech, Medtech, And Digital Health

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Santé Ventures has closed its fifth fund with $330 million in committed capital, surpassing a $300 million target and marking the firm’s largest fund to date. The early stage healthcare and life sciences investor said Fund V will continue backing biotechnology, medical technology, and digitally enabled healthcare companies aimed at significant unmet medical needs, supported by what it described as a broader and more diversified limited partner base.

GrubMarket: $50 Million Series H At $4.5 Billion Valuation Raised To Accelerate AI And Global E-Commerce Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

GrubMarket announced it has raised around $50 million in Series H financing, positioning the round as a significant up round that values the company at a $4.5 billion pre-money valuation. The company described itself as an AI-powered technology enabler for the American food supply chain and one of the largest private food technology and e-commerce businesses globally.

Construction Partners Completes GMJ Paving Acquisition, Adding 12th Houston-Area Asphalt Plant

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Construction Partners, a vertically integrated roadbuilder operating across Sunbelt markets, has acquired GMJ Paving Company, LLC, an asphalt paving contractor focused on public infrastructure work in the Houston region.

Heritage Financial Completes Olympic Bancorp Acquisition, Brings Kitsap Bank Into Heritage Bank

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Heritage Financial announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Olympic Bancorp, Inc., with the merger becoming effective January 31, 2026. As part of the transaction, Olympic merged into Heritage, and Kitsap Bank merged into Heritage Bank, expanding Heritage’s footprint and adding branches that will continue operating under the Kitsap Bank name.