Innovation

OTTO SPORT AI: $16.5 Million Seed Funding Raised To Build AI-Powered Operating System For Youth Sports

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

OTTO SPORT AI has raised $16.5 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its youth sports technology platform and expand its AI “Athlete Intelligence” Lab, as the company targets a market where organizers and families still contend with legacy software and manual workflows despite booming participation and spending.

HOLYWATER Raises $22 Million to Turn Microdramas Into Mainstream Entertainment In The U.S.

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

HOLYWATER, an entertainment technology company behind the vertical-series app My Drama and a suite of AI-enabled content products, has closed a $22 million financing round as it pushes to build what it describes as a mobile-first “Netflix” for vertical video in the U.S. and other Western markets.

Coxwave: $5 Million Pre-Series A Closed To Expand AI Reliability And Governance Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Coxwave, the company behind Coxwave Align, announced it has closed $5 million in Pre-Series A funding to accelerate development of reliability and governance capabilities for AI systems as enterprises push more agentic tools into high-stakes workflows.

Cyb3r Operations Raises £4 Million Seed Round

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Cyb3r Operations said it has raised £4 million in seed funding in a round led by Octopus Ventures, with follow-on investment from Pi Labs, as the company looks to accelerate product development and expand its team.

Avalon Healthcare Solutions Lands Majority Investment From WindRose

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Avalon Healthcare Solutions announced it has secured a new majority investment from WindRose Health Investors, a transaction the company plans to use to accelerate product development and broaden its reach across the payer ecosystem. Existing backer Francisco Partners will continue to support the business through a reinvestment, positioning the company for the next phase of growth in diagnostic intelligence. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Novo Nordisk Foundation Commits €736 Million To BioInnovation Institute to Scale Innovation Across Denmark And Europe

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is allocating up to DKK 5.5 billion (about EUR 736 million) to Copenhagen-based BioInnovation Institute (BII) in a long-term funding framework running from 2026 through 2035, aiming to expand Denmark’s life science and deep tech commercialization engine and extend its reach across Europe.

New Zealand SaaS Company Crossware Expands In Europe With Acquisition of Germany Email Signature Provider CI Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Crossware, a New Zealand-based email signature software provider, has acquired Germany-headquartered CI Solutions GmbH in a multimillion-dollar deal as it looks to deepen its footprint across the European Union.

Tulip: $120 Million Series D At $1.3B Valuation Closed For Frontline Operations Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Tulip, a frontline operations software company focused on manufacturing and industrial environments, said Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has invested in the company and signed a strategic alliance agreement aimed at accelerating digital transformation initiatives on factory floors.

Unifyr: $20 MIllion Raised To Scale AI-Driven Partner Experience Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Unifyr announced it has raised a $20 million strategic growth investment led by Investcorp, which is backing the company through Investcorp Technology Partners Fund V. The funding is intended to accelerate Unifyr’s international expansion while advancing product development tied to its AI-driven partner ecosystem platform.

RouteSense: $2 Million Pre-Seed Funding Raised To Bring Predictive Analytics And MID Health Intelligence To Payments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

RouteSense, a payments-focused data analytics company, launched publicly alongside an approximately $2 million pre-seed round led by Redbud VC with participation from FOVC, Cultivation Capital, Service Provider Capital, and the University of Missouri AACE Fund.

Olelo Intelligence: $1 Million Angel Round Closed To Scale AI Sales Coaching For Auto Repair Shops

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Olelo Intelligence, a Honolulu-based startup building an AI sales coaching platform for high-volume automotive repair shops, has raised a $1 million angel round to expand its product and scale deployments across North America.

Mytra: $120 Million Series C Raised To Scale Operating System For Supply Chain

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Mytra, a Brisbane, California-based industrial robotics startup positioning itself as an “operating system for supply chains,” has raised $120 million in a Series C financing led by Avenir Growth, pushing the four-year-old company to more than $200 million in total funding.

GracoRoberts Acquires Sky Mart To Advance Latin American Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

GracoRoberts has acquired Miami-based Sky Mart to expand its presence across Latin America and deepen its ability to support aerospace operators with faster fulfillment, expanded inventory, and stronger after-hours support. The deal positions GracoRoberts’ Miami headquarters as a central gateway for serving the Latin American region and targets growth in what the company described as a $6.5 billion Latin American MRO market.

TDK Ventures Backs Ethereal Exploration Guild Series A To Advance Fully Reusable Medium-Lift Rocket And Rocket Cargo Vision

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

TDK announced its corporate venture capital arm, TDK Ventures, will invest up to $5 million in the Series A round for Ethereal Exploration Guild, a Bengaluru-based space technology startup developing a fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle called Razor Crest Mk-1.

Lime Rock Partners Commits Equity To Athena Energy For Eagle Ford Acquisitions And Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Lime Rock Partners has closed an equity commitment to Athena Energy Partners, a Houston-based upstream oil and gas company targeting acquisitions and development opportunities along the Gulf Coast, with an initial focus on South Texas and the Eagle Ford Shale.

McDanel Advanced Materials And Richland Glass Complete Strategic Merger

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

McDanel Advanced Materials and Richland Glass, both portfolio companies of Artemis, said they have completed a strategic merger that combines advanced ceramics, optical technologies and specialty glass manufacturing into a single, more integrated materials-science platform.

Playlist And EGYM Agree To Merge In $7.5 Billion Deal With $785 Million In New Equity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Playlist, the newly launched parent brand that houses Mindbody, Booker and ClassPass, and EGYM, a provider of smart fitness equipment, AI-enabled training programs and corporate wellness solutions, said they have signed a definitive agreement to merge in a transaction that includes $785 million in new equity investments and values the combined enterprise at $7.5 billion.

Alojica And Royalton Hotels & Resorts Acquire The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Affiliates of Alojica, a Black Creek Mexico-sponsored lodging investment platform, and Royalton Hotels & Resorts have completed the acquisition of The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun from affiliates of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, the companies said. The buyers plan to execute a major capital improvement program that will convert the property into an All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy resort, operating under the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand.

Access Point Financial Closes And Invests In Approximately $1.6 Billion Of Hotel Financings During 2025

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Access Point Financial announced it closed and invested in approximately $1.6 billion of hotel financings in 2025, spanning refinancings, acquisitions, construction loans, mezzanine financings, and select hospitality CMBS investments.

Chicago Atlantic Provides $16.5 Million Term Loan To Ocular Science

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Chicago Atlantic has closed a $16.5 million senior secured term loan for Ocular Science, an affiliate of OSRX in a transaction where Chicago Atlantic served as sole arranger and administrative agent. Ocular Science and OSRX focus on compounded ophthalmic medications used across surgical vision correction care—pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative—as well as ongoing management of myopia and glaucoma.

CloudSEK Lands Strategic Investment From Connecticut Innovations in $10 Million Series B2 And Plans U.S. Hub

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

CloudSEK, an AI-driven predictive cyber threat intelligence company, said it has secured a strategic investment from Connecticut Innovations (CI) as part of its $10 million Series B2 financing, marking what the company described as the first time a U.S. state-backed venture fund has invested in an Indian-origin cybersecurity firm.

Turret Capital Launches Sable, A Biotech-Driven Beauty Brand Targeting Body Contouring And Aesthetic Longevity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Turret Capital Management announced it has launched Sable, a New York-based “biotech beauty” company backed by pre-seed funding from Turret Capital and SOSV, positioning the new brand at the intersection of consumer body care, aesthetic maintenance, and science-led product development.

Pinch AI: $5 Million Seed Round Raised To Help Retailers Combat Return Fraud

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Pinch, an AI-based post-purchase intelligence platform focused on returns, refunds, and customer trust, has raised a $5 million total seed round co-led by Dynamo Ventures and Infinity Ventures, with participation from Defined Capital and PayPal Ventures.

Partners Group Assets Rise To $184.9 Billion In 2025 As Fundraising And Realizations Accelerate

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Partners Group has generated double-digit growth across fundraising, investments, and realizations in 2025 despite what it described as a “demanding” private markets environment, lifting assets under management to $184.9 billion as of December 31, 2025, up from $152.3 billion a year earlier.

Hydrosat: $60 Million Series B Raised To Expand Thermal-Infrared Satellite Intelligence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Hydrosat, a provider of thermal-infrared satellite data and AI-driven analytics for water and resource management, announced it has closed $60 million in new financing to support expansion across commercial, civil government, and defense markets. The Series B round was led by Hartree Partners, Subutai Capital Partners, and Space 4 Earth, with new participation from Truffle Capital. Hydrosat said the financing also included follow-on investment from the Luxembourg Future Fund, OTB Ventures, Blue Bear Capital, Statkraft Ventures, Cultivation Capital, and Santa Barbara Venture Partners.

Equal1: $60 Million Closed To Bring Quantum Computing To Standard Semiconductor Fabs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Equal1 has raised $60 million in new funding to accelerate development and deployment of its silicon-based quantum computing systems, aiming to make quantum hardware manufacturable and deployable using existing semiconductor manufacturing and standard data center infrastructure. The round was led by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), with participation from Atlantic Bridge Ventures, the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Matterwave Ventures, Enterprise Ireland, Elkstone, and TNO Ventures. The financing brings Equal1’s total funding to more than $85 million.

AlphaLum Raises CHF 3.4 Million Seed Round To Scale AR Optics For Smart Glasses

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

AlphaLum, a Lausanne-based augmented reality optics and sensing company spun out of ams OSRAM’s corporate incubator, has raised CHF 3.4 million in seed financing to accelerate its push from advanced engineering into a supplier role for next-generation smart glasses and spatial-computing hardware. The round was led by Vsquared Ventures.

NEFCO Partners With Leonard Green & Partners To Back Next Phase of Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

NEFCO, a family-operated, value-added construction supply company serving professional contractors nationwide, has entered into a strategic partnership with private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners (LGP) aimed at accelerating the company’s long-term growth strategy.

TradingBlock to Join Nant Global Finance In Deal Tied To Blockchain-Based Capital Markets Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

TradingBlock, a Chicago-based online brokerage focused on active and professional traders, said it will join Nant Global Finance, Inc., a newly formed capital markets platform that aims to modernize public-market infrastructure using blockchain-enabled settlement technology, subject to final FINRA approvals.

Higgsfield Raises Series A Total Past $130 Million And Tops $200 Million Run Rate In Under Nine Months

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 15, 2026

Higgsfield announced it has raised an $80 million Series A extension, bringing its total Series A financing to more than $130 million and valuing the company at more than $1.3 billion, as the generative video startup reports reaching a $200 million annual run rate less than nine months after launch. The round included participation from Accel, AI Capital Partners (Alpha Intelligence Capital’s U.S.-based fund), Menlo Ventures and other investors, the company said.