Innovation

Kingsway Pharmaceuticals Acquires Minority Stake In CIGA Healthcare To Accelerate U.S. Diagnostic Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Kingsway Pharmaceuticals has acquired a strategic minority equity stake in CIGA Healthcare, a global diagnostics provider. This move positions the U.S.-based consumer healthcare company for a significantly larger role in the rapidly expanding at-home and retail diagnostic testing market.

TearOptix: Strategic Funding Raised And Scientific Advisory Board Formed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

TearOptix, a Silicon Valley contact lens innovator focused on next-generation solutions for presbyopia, has secured a strategic round of corporate financing backed by investors with strong expertise in ophthalmology. The funding will support the company’s clinical development program and accelerate plans to bring its proprietary multifocal contact lens technology to market.

Alembic: $145 Million Raised To Advance Enterprise Adoption Of Causal AI And Expand Supercomputing Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Alembic Technologies has raised $145 million in Series B and growth funding, marking one of the most significant recent financings in the enterprise artificial intelligence sector. The round represents a 15.7 times increase in valuation since the company’s Series A, positioning Alembic among the leading labs pushing the boundaries of next-generation enterprise intelligence. The funding was co-led by Prysm Capital and Accenture, with participation from Liquid 2 Ventures, NextEquity, Friends & Family Capital, WndrCo, and growth financing from SLW.

AlertD: $3 Million Pre-Seed Funding Raised And AI Agentic SRE And DevOps Platform Launched

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

AlertD has emerged from stealth with the launch of its AI-driven SRE and DevOps platform and the announcement of $3 million in pre-seed funding led by True Ventures partner Puneet Agarwal. The San Francisco Bay Area startup aims to redefine how engineering teams manage cloud operations by introducing specialized AI agents that instantly surface AWS insights, reduce operational toil, and provide verifiable system visibility through a natural-language interface.

Ramp: $32 Billion Valuation Achieved After $300 Million Raise And Tender Offer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Ramp announced that it has reached a valuation of $32 billion after completing a $300 million primary financing round alongside an employee tender offer, marking one of the most significant private funding events of 2025 in the financial operations sector. Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round, joined by a substantial roster of existing backers including Founders Fund, D1 Capital Partners, Coatue, GIC, Avenir Growth, Thrive Capital, Sutter Hill Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Khosla Ventures, ICONIQ, Glade Brook Capital Partners, Soma Capital, Emerson Collective, 8VC, Lux Capital, Definition Capital, 137 Ventures, General Catalyst, Box Group, Kultura Capital, Pinegrove Venture Partners, Anti Fund, and Stripes. New investors included Alpha Wave Global, Bessemer Venture Partners, Robinhood Ventures, 1789 Capital, Epicenter Capital, and Coral Capital.

Mate: $15.5 Million Seed Funding Closed To Advance AI-Driven Security Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Mate, a cybersecurity startup based in Tel Aviv, announced its launch from stealth with a $15.5 million seed round led by Team8 and Insight Partners. The funding will support rapid hiring across engineering, expand collaborations with design partners, and prepare the company for broader enterprise deployment as demand grows for more efficient and adaptive Security Operations Centers.

SubImage: $4.2 Million Raised To Expand Open-Core Cloud Security Graph Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

SubImage announced it has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its open-core cloud security graph platform, expand customer pilots, and grow its engineering team. FundersClub, Y Combinator, Phosphor Capital, and Transpose Platform participated in the round.

NAF Opens Nationwide $10,000 Real Estate Impact Competition For High School Students

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

High school students across the United States now have the opportunity to compete for a share of $10,000 by proposing new ways to demonstrate how Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can strengthen local communities. The Real Estate, Real Impact Challenge, launched by NAF on its free KnoPro digital learning platform and sponsored by Nareit, is open through December 7.

Energetic Capital Secures Permanent Financing For 400MW Solar Project In Texas

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Energetic Capital has enabled permanent financing for one of the most significant solar developments in the ERCOT market, supporting a nearly 400MW utility-scale project in Texas through its flagship EneRate Credit Cover insurance product. The project, backed by a significant renewable energy developer, is expected to generate enough clean power to supply more than 75,000 homes each year.

Solve Therapeutics: $120 Million To Advance Next-Generation ADC Pipeline For Solid Tumors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Solve Therapeutics has secured $120 million in new financing to accelerate the development of its clinical-stage antibody drug conjugates for solid tumors, marking one of the biotechnology sector’s notable funding rounds of the year. The San Diego-based company is advancing a portfolio built on its proprietary CloakLink linker system, designed to improve stability, reduce hydrophobicity, and enhance the therapeutic index of ADCs targeting difficult solid tumor indications.

Safe Pro Group: Over $20 Million Secured To Accelerate AI, Drone, And Ballistics Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Safe Pro Group announced a major operational update following the securing of more than $20 million in new strategic investments, which are fueling rapid development across its AI, autonomous drone services, and advanced ballistic protection divisions. The Aventura-based company, which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker SPAI, said the funding is enabling the faster commercialization of its technology platforms and strengthening its market position in defense, public safety, and humanitarian operations.

Artios: $115 Million Series D Raised To Advance Late-Stage DDR Oncology Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Artios Pharma Limited has closed an oversubscribed $115 million Series D financing to accelerate clinical development across its portfolio of DNA damage response therapeutics. The round was co-led by SV Health Investors and RA Capital Management, with participation from Janus Henderson Investors and strong support from existing backers.

Sealed Air To Be Acquired By CD&R In $10.3 Billion Buyout

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Sealed Air has agreed to be acquired by funds affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in an all-cash transaction valuing the company at $10.3 billion, marking one of the largest private equity takeovers in the industrial packaging sector this year. Under the terms of the agreement, Sealed Air stockholders will receive $42.15 per share in cash, representing a forty-one percent premium to the company’s unaffected share price as of August 14, 2025, and a 24% percent premium to its ninety-day volume-weighted average trading price as of November 12, 2025.

PayPal And KKR Sign New Agreement For Up To €65 Billion In European Buy Now Pay Later Receivables

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

PayPal and KKR have expanded their partnership through a new agreement that will enable KKR’s credit funds and accounts to purchase up to €65 billion of PayPal’s current and future European buy-now-pay-later receivables through March 2028. The renewed arrangement includes a loan commitment of up to €6 billion and covers BNPL loans originated in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Sakana AI: ¥20 Billion Series B Raised To Advance Sustainable AI In Japan

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Tokyo-based research company Sakana AI has secured ¥20 billion (approximately $135 million) in Series B funding to accelerate its work on sustainable, efficiency-focused AI technology and expand deployment across major Japanese industries. The round included participation from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Khosla Ventures, Factorial, Macquarie Capital, Fundomo, Mouro Capital, New Enterprise Associates, Geodesic Capital, Lux Capital, Ora Global, MPower Partners, Shikoku Electric Power, and In-Q-Tel.

Ancient Makes Strategic Investment In Superyacht Leader Burgess

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Ancient has taken a strategic stake in Burgess, the longstanding global leader in the superyacht industry, marking a significant partnership aimed at strengthening Burgess’s position as the foremost full-service platform in the sector. The deal aligns with Ancient’s approach of investing in category-defining businesses in specialty finance and specialized services.

AKA Foods: $17.2 Million Closed To Launch Secure AI Platform For Food Innovation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

AKA Foods has closed a $17.2 million seed funding round led by noted AI entrepreneurs Alex and Michael Bronstein, marking the official debut of AKA Studio, a secure AI system designed to accelerate and modernize product development for global food companies. The financing represents a notable early investment in a platform that aims to redefine how food is researched, formulated, and commercialized by integrating organisational knowledge, sensory evaluation, and advanced AI assistants into a unified environment.

Intellect Acquires Zaptic To Enhance AI-Powered Quality Management

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Intellect has announced its acquisition of the UK-based Connected Frontline Worker platform, Zaptic, in a move that significantly expands its global operations and strengthens its AI-powered Quality Management System capabilities. The deal brings together two complementary technologies aimed at unifying quality, safety, and frontline execution for manufacturers in Food and Beverage, consumer goods, and other regulated sectors.

Lone Star Funds Completes Acquisition Of Multi-Asset UK Real Estate Portfolio From St. James’s Place

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Lone Star Funds has finalized the purchase of a substantial multi-asset real estate portfolio from St. James’s Place and its Property Unit Trust and Life and Pensions Trust, marking one of the firm’s notable property acquisitions this year. St. James’s Place was advised by Invesco Real Estate, which managed the disposition process on its behalf.

Parseur: Interview With Co-Founder & CTO Sylvain Josserand About The Document-Processing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Parseur is a document-processing platform that automatically extracts structured data from emails, PDFs, and other documents. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Parseur co-founder and CTO Sylvain Josserand to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Talkdesk: Interview With VP Of Healthcare And Life Sciences Patty Hayward About The Customer Experience Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Talkdesk is a global cloud contact center and customer experience platform that utilizes AI to help businesses enhance customer interactions and improve service efficiency. Talkdesk is leading a new era in customer experience with Customer Experience Automation (CXA), a new category and platform designed to automate the full complexity of modern customer journeys. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Talkdesk's Vice President of Healthcare and Life Sciences, Patty Hayward, to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Hummink: €15 Million Raised To Advance Micronic Precision Printing For Next-Generation Electronics

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Hummink has raised €15 million in new funding to accelerate the global deployment of its micronic precision printing technology, positioning the Paris-based deep-tech company as a pivotal player in the future of semiconductor and advanced display manufacturing. The round was co-led by KBC Focus Fund, Cap Horn, and Bpifrance, with historic backers including Elaia Partners, Sensinnovat, Beeyond, and the French Tech Seed fund, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French government as part of France 2030. The European Innovation Council Fund also participated.

Inocras: Interview With CEO Jehee Suh About The Bioinformatics-Led Whole Genome Insights Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Inocras is a bioinformatics-led company redefining precision health through whole-genome data and proprietary analytics. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Inocras CEO Jehee Suh to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Ghanem: $7.1 Million Raised From Al-Romaih Group To Advance Fractional Ownership Expansion In Saudi Arabia

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Ghanem, a Riyadh-based digital real estate investment platform specializing in fractional ownership solutions, has secured USD 7.1 million in new funding from Al-Romaih Group. The investment marks a significant step forward for one of the Kingdom’s most active emerging real estate technology players, as it works to expand investor access to institutional-grade property opportunities.

Palatine Growth: Michael Ginn Joins As Investment Director

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 17, 2025

Palatine Growth Credit has expanded its Manchester-based team with the appointment of Michael Ginn as Investment Director. The hire strengthens the firm’s regional Growth Credit Fund, which launched in 2024 and focuses on providing non-dilutive capital to high-growth entrepreneurial companies across the United Kingdom.

Obello: $8.5 Million Seed Round Raised To Accelerate AI-Driven Creative Production For Leading Global Brands

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 16, 2025

Obello, a San Francisco-based AI graphic design platform founded by design leaders behind global brands such as Apple, DoorDash, Nike, Netflix, and Instagram, has raised $8.5 million in new seed funding led by Obvious Ventures. The round included continued participation from Baukunst as well as contributions from AVV and Preview Ventures, bringing the company’s total funding to $9.5 million.

CHAOS: €2 Million Closed To Accelerate AI-Driven Expansion Across Europe’s Real Estate Market

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 16, 2025

CHAOS, a Helsinki location intelligence company focused on transforming real estate decision-making through AI, has closed a €2 million funding round to expand its platform across the Nordics and the DACH region. The round included continued backing from its largest investor, Swedish investment company Nidoco, along with participation from Finnvera, the State of Finland’s specialized financing institution.

Gate Bioscience: $65 Million Series B Closed To Advance Oral Molecular Medicines Into Clinical Trials

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 16, 2025

Gate Bioscience has closed a $65 million oversubscribed Series B financing round to accelerate the advancement of its emerging class of oral small-molecule medicines, known as molecular gates. The round brings the company’s total capital raised to $135 million, positioning the Brisbane-based biotechnology company to enter the clinic with programs targeting high-value inflammatory and neurological disease proteins.

Scorbit: Over $5 Million Seed Funding Raised As Beta Launch Accelerates Market Momentum

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 16, 2025

Scorbit, a connected gaming platform merging physical arcade play with online community and competition, has closed a seed round totaling more than $5 million after achieving rapid traction in its beta phase. The round was led by Detroit Venture Partners, with participation from Grand Ventures, Weiser Family Office, Michigan Rise / Red Cedar, Invest Detroit Ventures, Eberg Capital, Ann Arbor SPARK Capital, Mudita Venture Fund II LLC, Precursor Ventures, Side Door Ventures, Wakestream, Gambit Ventures, and a broad mix of individual and angel investors.

Veritas Capital To Buy MetroStar In Major National Security Technology Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 16, 2025

Veritas Capital has agreed to acquire MetroStar Systems, a Reston, Virginia–based provider of digital transformation and AI solutions serving U.S. Defense and National Security agencies. The acquisition, executed through affiliates of The Veritas Capital Vantage Fund, strengthens Veritas’ position within mission-critical government technology while positioning MetroStar for accelerated growth and expanded innovation.