Innovation

Gesa Credit Union To Acquire Willamette Valley Bank

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Gesa Credit Union and Willamette Valley Bank, together with the bank's parent company, Oregon Bancorp, Inc., announced a definitive agreement under which Gesa will acquire the Salem, Oregon-based community bank in an all-cash transaction. Gesa would acquire substantially all of Willamette Valley Bank's assets and assume substantially all of its liabilities. The deal was unanimously approved by the boards of all three organizations and remains subject to regulatory approval and approval by Oregon Bancorp shareholders, who are expected to receive an estimated $43.00 to $45.00 per share. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027.

Tikva Allocell Closes $8 Million Series A Financing For EBV-Specific T-Cell Therapy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Tikva Allocell, a biotechnology company developing engineered, allogeneic cell therapies for solid tumors, announced the closing of an $8 million Series A financing led by Kantharos Capital. Proceeds will fund activities required to enable an Investigational New Drug application and support a planned year-end 2026 IND submission for TAVST01, the company's lead candidate targeting B7-H3-positive solid tumors.

Crystalys Therapeutics Announces $130 Million Series B Financing To Advance Gout Treatment Dotinurad

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Crystalys Therapeutics Inc. announced the closing of an oversubscribed $130 million Series B financing to support late-stage global clinical development and commercialization preparation of dotinurad, a next-generation, once-daily, oral URAT1 inhibitor for the treatment of gout. The round was led by Frazier Life Sciences, with participation from Wellington Management, HBM Healthcare Investments, Soleus Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, Trails Edge Capital Partners, Pivotal bioVenture Partners, KCap Biotechnology Fund, and a group of existing investors including Novo Holdings and SR One.

StrongestLayer Reaches $9.3 Million In Total Seed Funding To Address AI-Era Email Attacks

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

StrongestLayer, an AI-native email security company, announced it has raised $4.1 million in new funding, bringing its total seed funding to $9.3 million. The round was led by Inovia Capital, with participation from existing investor Sorenson Capital and new investors LaunchPod, Alumni Ventures, and Chris Key, former Chief Product Officer of Mandiant. The company said production deployments have grown more than eightfold over the past year, and the new capital will support go-to-market investment, platform expansion, and preparation for a planned Series A.

Circeus Acquires Dondy And Adds WhatsApp Commerce Platform To Shop Circle

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Circeus, an AI-native holding company, announced it has acquired Dondy, a conversational commerce platform ranked the number one WhatsApp app on the Shopify App Store. Dondy will become part of Shop Circle, Circeus's agentic commerce software division. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

VANE Announces Investment In PawPay

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

The Veterinary Angel Network for Entrepreneurs announced that PawPay has become its newest portfolio company following investments from VANE members. PawPay is a point-of-care payment platform that allows insured pet owners to pay only their deductible and coinsurance at the time of a veterinary visit, rather than paying the full invoice upfront and waiting for reimbursement from their insurer.

Connecticut Innovations Generates Record $66.5 Million In Proceeds In FY2026

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Connecticut Innovations, the state's strategic venture capital arm, announced a record fiscal year, generating $66.5 million in cash proceeds from a series of portfolio exits and a combined $76.1 million from all investment activities. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, CI invested $59.3 million across 75 early-stage companies and venture funds, with those deals leveraging an additional $1.2 billion in outside capital.

Aampere Closes €4.2 Million Late Seed Round To Build Used EV Market Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Aampere announced it has closed a €4.2 million late seed funding round backed by Trind Ventures, Vend, GIMIC Ventures, G-FUND, Maverick Ventures GmbH & Co. KG, and a group of experienced automotive founders. The financing marks another step in the company's push to modernize how used electric vehicles are bought and sold across Europe.

Genius AI Announces Series D At $1.15 Billion Valuation And Rebrands From GlossGenius

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Genius AI, formerly known as GlossGenius, announced a Series D funding round at a $1.15 billion valuation, bringing the company's total capital raised to more than $125 million. The round was led by Lux Capital, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Imaginary Ventures, 2048 Ventures, L Catterton Growth Fund, and StepStone Private Ventures. Alongside the funding announcement, the company introduced its new name, which it said reflects a customer base and product that have grown beyond its original focus on the beauty and wellness industry.

Yope Raises $12.3 Million Pre-Series A Led By Northzone For AI-Native Private Social Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Yope, an AI-native private social platform built for micro communities, announced it has raised $12.3 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Northzone, with participation from Inovo, Redseed, and Geek Ventures. The round brings the company's total funding to $20 million.

ABL Diagnostics Selected By Évry Commercial Court To Acquire TEXCELL’s Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

ABL Diagnostics announced that it has been selected by the Évry Commercial Court to acquire the assets and business operations of TEXCELL, a company with expertise in viral safety, biosafety, genomic analysis, and immunological monitoring for biotechnology and innovative therapies. The selection follows an industrial plan submitted by ABL Diagnostics aimed at ensuring business continuity and preserving TEXCELL's scientific expertise.

TeamViewer And ServiceNow Launch Strategic Partnership To Accelerate Autonomous IT Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

TeamViewer and ServiceNow announced a multi-year strategic technology partnership under which TeamViewer's Digital Employee Experience and Remote Connectivity solutions will be integrated with the ServiceNow AI Platform. The companies said the partnership includes joint go-to-market investments aimed at delivering end-to-end autonomous IT solutions for enterprise customers.

Cyllene Therapeutics Expands Leadership Team To Support Corporate Growth And Clinical Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Cyllene Therapeutics announced the appointment of Alyssa Levin to its Board of Directors, where she will also serve as Chair of the Audit Committee, alongside two new leadership hires: Clara Cambon-Thiebaud as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Céline Breda as Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls. The additions come as the company advances its lead candidate, EG110A, toward late-stage clinical development for neurogenic bladder-related incontinence.

Voya Extends Nearly 50-Year Partnership As Retirement Plan Provider With The City And County Of Honolulu

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Voya Financial announced it has been selected to continue serving as the retirement plan provider for the City and County of Honolulu's Deferred Compensation Plan, extending a relationship that began in 1979 through a new five-year contract. The renewal followed a competitive Request for Proposal process in which Wealthspire Retirement Advisory served as the City and County's independent retirement plan advisor.

Cleveland-Cliffs Promotes CFO Celso Goncalves To President And Appoints Him To Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Cleveland-Cliffs announced that its Board of Directors has promoted Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Celso Goncalves to President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately, and appointed him to the company's Board of Directors. As part of the promotion, Lourenco Goncalves will continue to lead the company as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, relinquishing the title of President.

Welltory: Interview With Founder & CEO Jane Smorodnikova About The Stress Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Welltory is a consumer health and stress-management platform that analyzes heart rate variability (HRV) and multi-signal data from your smartphone and wearable devices to provide personalized insights on your stress, energy levels, and recovery. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Welltory founder and CEO Jane Smorodnikova to learn more.

Eos Energy Enterprises Completes Rights Offering And Raises $263 Million For Frontier Power USA JV

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Eos Energy Enterprises announced the expected initial capitalization of Frontier Power USA, its joint venture with Cerberus Capital Management formed to develop, finance, own, and operate long-duration energy storage projects using Eos technology. The capitalization includes proceeds from a rights offering that expired on July 21, 2026, raising gross proceeds of approximately $37.7 million, along with a previously announced equity offering, exceeding the company's original $250 million equity target for the platform.

Scancell And Neuphoria Therapeutics Announce Merger Agreement And Up To $89 Million Financing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Scancell Holdings and Neuphoria Therapeutics announced an all-share merger agreement in which Scancell will acquire Neuphoria, with the combined company expected to operate under the Scancell name and list on Nasdaq under the symbol "SCLT" in addition to Scancell's existing AIM listing. Under the agreed terms, existing Scancell shareholders are expected to own approximately 85.5% of the combined company, with Neuphoria shareholders owning approximately 14.5%, excluding the impact of new shares issued through the associated financing.

K25.ai Secures Series A Investment From Amber Group And Valuation Doubles To $200 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

K25.ai, an AI-native prediction market platform for live digital content, announced the closing of its Series A investment round with strategic support from Amber Group at a post-money valuation of $200 million, doubling the company's valuation in under 60 days. The round follows K25.ai's recently closed Pre-A round, which was led by Nasdaq-listed NewGenIVF Group Limited.

Zimperium: Interview With CFO Alistaire Davidson About The Cybersecurity Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 24, 2026

Zimperium is a global cybersecurity company that provides AI-driven Mobile Threat Defense and application protection, safeguarding enterprise environments against mobile malware, phishing, and zero-day attacks across devices and apps. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Zimperium CFO Alistaire Davidson to learn more.

Enova Reports 22% Revenue Growth And Record $5.5 Billion In Loans For Q2 2026

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Enova International reported second quarter 2026 financial results, with total revenue rising 22 percent year over year to $929 million and net income increasing 38 percent to $105 million, or $4 per diluted share. Adjusted earnings per share rose 33 percent to $4.31, marking the company's eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year adjusted earnings per share growth of 30 percent or more. Total company combined loans and finance receivables increased 28 percent from the prior-year quarter to a record $5.5 billion, with total company originations of $2.3 billion during the quarter.

Omio Receives $10 Million Investment From Granite-Integral To Fuel Japan And Southeast Asia Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Omio, a multimodal travel booking platform, announced a $10 million strategic investment from Granite-Integral aimed at accelerating its expansion in Japan and strengthening its presence across Southeast Asia. The investment comes as the Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing travel market globally over the next five years, with nearly half of travelers planning journeys that combine multiple modes of transport.

Matador Resources Announces $1.275 Billion Paloma Permian Acquisition And Successful Woodford Exploration Results

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Matador Resources Company announced two catalysts for 2026: a definitive agreement to acquire Paloma Permian LLC, a portfolio company of EnCap Investments, for a cash payment of $1.275 billion, along with successful test results from its first exploratory well in the Woodford formation in southeast Lea County, New Mexico. The Paloma acquisition, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, includes 16,235 net undeveloped acres in Eddy and Lea Counties, New Mexico, and third quarter estimated production of approximately 11,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day, 57 percent of it oil.

Kubota: Interview With GM Of The Urban Agriculture Marketing Office Harutoshi Niki About The Agricultural Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Kubota is a multinational corporation that manufactures and sells a wide range of agricultural and construction machinery, heavy-duty engines, and industrial equipment, and provides vital infrastructure solutions for water purification and environmental systems. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Kubota General Manager of the Urban Agriculture Marketing Office, Harutoshi Niki, to learn more.

The BSV Association: Interview With Managing Director Ásgeir Óskarsson About The Non-Profit

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

The BSV Association is a non-profit organization that acts as the global advocate for the BSV blockchain. It supports developers, enterprises, and governments in utilizing the network by providing technical standards, educational resources, and regulatory guidance to promote real-world blockchain adoption. Pulse 2.0 interviewed BSV Association Managing Director Ásgeir Óskarsson to learn more.

Office Beacon: Interview With Founder & CEO Pranav Dalal About The BPO Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Office Beacon is a global remote staffing and business process outsourcing company that recruits, trains, and manages dedicated virtual assistants to handle back-office tasks like customer service, marketing, and finance. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Office Beacon founder and CEO Pranav Dalal to learn more.

GCM Grosvenor Raises $1.2 Billion For Inaugural Credit Secondaries Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

GCM Grosvenor Inc. announced the final close of its inaugural Credit Secondaries Fund, raising $1.2 billion in commitments across the fund and related strategies. The offering marks the firm's formal entry into the credit secondaries market, a segment the company said has seen rapidly growing investor interest.

USDA Announces $80 Million Investment To Expand Timber Production In Nevada And Oregon

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is guaranteeing $80 million through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program and the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to support timber processing businesses in Oregon and Nevada. The announcement, made by Acting Under Secretary Todd Lindsey, is aimed at expanding domestic timber production, reducing wildfire risk, and strengthening rural wood processing capacity.

Savano Capital Partners Closes Oversubscribed $252 Million Fund IV

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Savano Capital Partners announced the final close of Savano Capital Partners IV, L.P., raising $252 million in capital commitments and exceeding its original target. Fund IV is the largest in the firm's history, roughly 60 percent larger than its predecessor, and brings the firm's total capital commitments across its funds and co-investment vehicles since inception to more than $600 million.

Partners Group Closes Infrastructure Secondaries Program At Over $5.5 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 23, 2026

Partners Group has completed the final closing of its infrastructure secondaries program at more than $5.5 billion, making it one of the largest dedicated fundraises focused on the strategy. The program consists of a $1.7 billion closed-ended fund, customized mandates and additional investment vehicles that participate alongside the main fund.