Innovation

Pulse Security Raises $8 Million Seed Funding And Launches AI Platform For CISOs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Pulse Security AI has raised $8 million in seed funding and launched from stealth with an operational management platform designed to help chief information security officers oversee cybersecurity programs, automate workflows and communicate business risk to executives and boards. Foundation Capital led the funding round, with participation from Zetta Venture Partners. Pulse plans to use the capital to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams as it responds to demand from enterprises seeking a more centralized way to manage cybersecurity operations.

Nebius Raises $775 Million In First Secured Debt Financing To Expand AI Cloud Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Nebius Group has entered into its first senior secured debt facility, raising approximately $775 million to accelerate the global expansion of its full-stack artificial intelligence cloud platform. The Amsterdam-headquartered company plans to use the proceeds to increase the computing capacity available to AI developers, startups and enterprise customers. Nebius provides infrastructure and software supporting the AI development lifecycle, including data processing, model training and production deployment.

Clarivoy Appoints Yuriy Demidko As Chief Technology And Product Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Clarivoy has appointed Yuriy Demidko as chief technology and product officer, bringing in a former Apple engineering leader and automotive technology executive to guide the company’s product strategy, engineering organization and artificial intelligence initiatives.

Cytronic Raises $13.5 Million Seed Funding To Automate E-Commerce Fulfillment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Cytronic has raised $13.5 million in seed funding to develop robotic fulfillment facilities that help direct-to-consumer brands reduce shipping costs, deliver orders faster and scale without building their own warehouse infrastructure. Slow Ventures led the round through partner Will Quist. Geek Ventures, Failup Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Spacecadet, Weekend Fund, Mana Ventures, Rice Capital and Script Capital also participated. Individual investors in the round included Adam Nash and Gokul Rajaram, along with several other backers.

Meticulous Raises $15 Million Series A To Accelerate AI-Powered Software Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Meticulous has raised $15 million in Series A funding to expand its automated software testing platform and help engineering teams release AI-generated code more quickly without compromising product quality.

Kish Insurance Welcomes the Shuck Agency And Andy Cipar Of Huntingdon

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Kish Bancorp, parent company of Kish Bank, announced that the Shuck Agency will join Kish Insurance, the property and casualty insurance subsidiary of Kish Bank, effective August 1, 2026. The collaboration unites two organizations with a shared commitment to local, personalized service, trusted relationships, and strong community ties, enhancing the Shuck Agency's ability to serve its clients while strengthening Kish Insurance's reach across the region.

Visa Introduces Platform for Stablecoin Minting, Movement, And Management

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Visa announced the Visa Stablecoin Platform, a new enterprise platform designed to help financial institutions, fintechs, and crypto natives access stablecoin capabilities through a single Visa-managed environment. Building on Visa's broader crypto strategy, the platform gives financial institutions, fintechs, and other payment providers a way to access, store, and redeem stablecoins, beginning with Open USD, a new stablecoin recently introduced by Open Standard, including onchain wallet infrastructure through a newly introduced Wallet-as-a-Service offering and connectivity for minting and burning Open USD.

ReefHaven Ventures: UCSD Bioengineering Alumnus Garrett Smith Launches Fund Focused On San Diego MedTech Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Garrett Smith, a University of California San Diego bioengineering PhD alumnus, has launched ReefHaven Ventures as founding managing partner, a San Diego-focused venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage medical technology startups with a focus on reinvesting in the local innovation ecosystem. Smith previously founded his first company as a doctoral student, stewarded technologies through FDA approval, led multiple startups to successful acquisition, directed early innovation partnerships for Johnson and Johnson Innovation, and oversaw a corporate venture capital fund for MedeonBIO.

Kennesaw State’s Mookerji Innovation Fund Reaches 50 Startup Investments After Deploying Nearly $700,000

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Kennesaw State University’s Mookerji Innovation Fund has completed its 50th startup investment, reaching a milestone established when the university launched the student-focused funding program slightly more than five years ago.

Google Partners With Georgia Public Library Service to Offer No-Cost Career and AI Training to State Residents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Google has announced a partnership with the Georgia Public Library Service to provide Georgia public library cardholders with no-cost access to Google Career Certificates and professional artificial intelligence courses.

Choreo Acquires $700 Million Firm Resource Financial Group Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Choreo announced it has acquired all the assets of Resource Financial Group, a Wilmette, Illinois-based registered investment adviser with approximately $700 million in assets under management as of April 30, 2026. RFG is led by wealth managers Peter M. Maris, Founding Partner, and Brian Pugal, Partner, and is supported by a six-person client service team led by Alexandra Moise, working primarily with closely held business owners and families on business transitions, liquidity events, and retirement planning.

ZetaDisplay Acquires Retailmediatools To Expand Retail Media Software Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

ZetaDisplay has agreed to acquire retailmediatools, a Berlin-based software company that provides an API-first, cloud-native retail media platform. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the acquisition and the transfer of ownership remain subject to customary closing conditions.

Verdane Acquires Portfolio Of Technology Businesses From Trifork Group

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Verdane, the European specialist growth buyout investment firm, announced that it has acquired a portfolio of ownership stakes in four technology businesses from Trifork Labs, the venture-financed R&D division of Trifork Group. The transaction will see Verdane partner with Axoniq, the pioneer in event-sourcing architecture; Dawn Health, a patient-centric digital health business; and Frameo, the biggest software provider for WiFi photo frames in the world, enabled by a joint ownership structure alongside Trifork Group. Verdane has also directly acquired an ownership stake in XCI, a cybersecurity business delivering communication intelligence solutions.

Airhive Acquires Carbyon To Create European Direct Air Capture Technology Leader

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Airhive has acquired Carbyon, combining two European direct air capture technology developers to create a larger Anglo-Dutch company focused on reducing the cost of removing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

MoonPay Acquires Glide To Strengthen Crypto Deposits Infrastructure In Sixth Deal Of 2026

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

MoonPay, the global crypto financial technology company, has acquired Glide, a crypto deposit technology company that enables apps to accept deposits in any token, wallet, exchange, or payment card without requiring users to manually convert assets before transacting. Glide's team, technology, and customer base are joining MoonPay, with the technology folding into MoonPay Deposits. Financial terms were not disclosed.

RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Advances Engine Inspections With AI-Powered Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is expanding its engine inspection capabilities with AI-assisted borescope software through the acquisition and integration of Amsterdam-based Aiir Innovations. The technology enables a step change in how inspections are performed, enhancing consistency and efficiency across global maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations for commercial, civil, and military engines.

Whatnot Acquires Shaped To Accelerate AI-Powered Discovery Across Live Commerce

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Whatnot has acquired Shaped, an artificial intelligence company specializing in recommendation and ranking infrastructure, to strengthen product discovery across its live shopping platform. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Grant Drive Group: Interview With Founding Partner Katelyn Gallanty About The Advisory Firm

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Grant Drive Group is a business development and capital advisory firm that helps small to mid-sized companies scale, raise venture capital, and prepare for exit or acquisition. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Grant Drive Group Founding Partner Katelyn Gallanty to learn more.

Cambium Acquires General Woodcraft, Adding 77-Year-Old Specialty Wood Distributor to Its National Wood Market Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Cambium, a technology-driven platform modernizing how wood is sourced, priced, and distributed across the United States, has acquired General Woodcraft, a Connecticut-based specialty wood products company founded in 1949. The deal marks Cambium's fifth acquisition in five years, following Lumber Tracker, OE Custom, Forward Forestry, and Intectural, and further builds out the company's ambition to create a single national network connecting regional wood suppliers with architects, builders, and enterprise buyers. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Fluor Divests ICA-Fluor Daniel Stake To ICA For $175 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Fluor Corporation has sold its equity interest in ICA-Fluor Daniel to its longtime joint venture partner ICA for $175 million, ending a business relationship that has supported major infrastructure and industrial projects across Mexico for more than three decades.

Brunner Acquires AdSkate, Expanding AI-Powered Marketing Intelligence And Creative Performance Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Brunner, a leading independent integrated marketing agency, announced its acquisition of AdSkate, an AI-powered creative analytics and marketing intelligence platform that helps brands and agencies optimize advertising performance through advanced creative insights. Brunner's client ecosystem includes national brands such as Aerie, Church's Texas Chicken, Fred Rogers Institute, and Mitsubishi North America, while AdSkate has worked with brands including Infosys, Abbott Labs, and Illinois Lottery.

Apaluma Raises $5.55 Million Seed Funding To Scale Unified Government Data Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Apaluma has raised $5.55 million in seed funding to expand its platform for transforming fragmented government and environmental records into searchable, connected and actionable data. Crosslink Capital and Kickstart led the round, with Haven Ventures and Overwater Ventures serving as co-leads. Orange DAO and NM Vintage Fund also participated as pre-seed and seed investors.

Bernhard Capital Partners Sells EPIC Piping Platform To One Equity Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Bernhard Capital Partners has agreed to sell United WELD Holdings — the parent company of EPIC Piping and BendTec — to One Equity Partners in a transaction expected to close by the fourth quarter of 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed. Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Bernhard on the transaction.

Big Brand Tire & Service Announces Strategic Acquisition Of Belle Tire

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Big Brand Tire & Service, one of the largest and fastest-growing providers of non-discretionary automotive services in the United States, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Belle Tire, the Midwest's premier tire and automotive service provider. The transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.

Elutia To Divest SimpliDerm Business For Up to $11 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Elutia Inc. (Nasdaq: ELUT) has signed a definitive agreement to sell its SimpliDerm human acellular dermal matrix business to Cellution Biologics Inc. for total consideration of up to $11 million. The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based company will receive $8 million in cash at closing, with up to an additional $3 million in technology transfer and commercial milestone payments payable over the following 18 months. Closing is expected in the second half of 2026, subject to customary conditions.

CodePath: $2 Million Philanthropic Investment Will Help Charlotte Cultivate New Tech Talent

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

National nonprofit CodePath announced a $2 million philanthropic investment from Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation to accelerate the number of local college students prepared to participate in Charlotte's growing technology economy. In the span of just five years, Charlotte's tech sector has grown nearly 20%, far outpacing national averages, with some of the largest tech companies in the U.S., including Apple, Microsoft, and IBM, opening hubs in the city.

FIS And Anthropic Expand Partnership To Apply Frontier AI To Financial Infrastructure Security

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

FIS has expanded its partnership with Anthropic by joining Project Glasswing, an initiative that uses advanced artificial intelligence models to identify and address potential vulnerabilities in software supporting critical infrastructure.

EKHO Infrastructure Solutions Acquires GIS, SSI, And ARES Retaining Wall System

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

EKHO Infrastructure Solutions has announced three strategic additions to its mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) and retaining wall business: the integration of Ground Improvement Systems (GIS) and Structured Soils Inc. (SSI), two specialized geotechnical engineering firms, and the acquisition of the ARES geosynthetic retaining wall system from Tensar Corporation. The moves collectively accelerate EKHO's expansion into the U.S. retaining wall and earth retention market, a sector the company has only recently begun targeting as a strategic growth priority. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Trive Capital Announces Sale of Kittyhawk

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Trive Capital announced it has closed on the sale of Kittyhawk, Inc. to Machine Sciences, a portfolio company of Viking Global. Founded in 1981, Kittyhawk is a leading provider of Hot Isostatic Pressing services for mission-critical applications across the space, commercial aerospace, defense, and power generation end-markets, specializing in densifying cast and additively manufactured parts for high-temperature, high-pressure, high-cost-of-failure applications such as rocket and jet engine componentry.

NINJIO Acquires SafeStack To Expand Human Risk Management Platform With Secure Code Training

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

NINJIO has acquired SafeStack, a developer security and application security training platform, expanding its human risk management offering beyond employee awareness programs and phishing simulations. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.