Innovation

Amphenol Closes Acquisition Of CommScope’s CCS Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Amphenol Corporation announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of CommScope’s Connectivity and Cable Solutions (CCS) business, expanding Amphenol’s footprint in fiber optic and industrial interconnect products across data communications, communications networks and building infrastructure connectivity markets.

Curi Bio Establishes Asia-Pacific Hub Following Full Acquisition Of South Korea’s Quvit Bio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Curi Bio announced it has formally established Curi Bio Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary that will serve as the company’s commercial and operational hub in the Asia-Pacific region, following its full acquisition of South Korea-based Quvit Bio.

FIS Closes $13.5 Billion Deal For Global Payments’ Issuer Solutions And Sells Remaining Worldpay Stake

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

FIS announced it has completed its acquisition of Global Payments’ Issuer Solutions business, formerly known as TSYS, in a transaction valued at $13.5 billion in enterprise value. The company said the deal carries a net purchase price of $12 billion, including $1.5 billion of net present value from tax assets.

Aspen Power Secures $200 Million Strategic Capital Commitment From Deutsche Bank

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Aspen Power announced it has closed a $200 million capital raise from Deutsche Bank, bolstering the Carlyle-backed distributed generation platform’s financial capacity as it scales development of solar and storage projects across the U.S.

Bakkt To Buy Distributed Technologies Research In Stablecoin Payments Push

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Bakkt Holdings announced it has agreed to acquire Distributed Technologies Research Ltd. (DTR), a global stablecoin payment infrastructure provider, in a deal the company says will accelerate its stablecoin settlement and programmable payments strategy.

VelaFi: $20 Million Series B Raised To Expand Global Stablecoin Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

VelaFi, a stablecoin-powered financial infrastructure platform under Galactic Holdings, announced it has raised $20 million in a Series B financing to expand its regulated payments and settlement capabilities across Latin America, the U.S., and Asia.

Vibrant Therapeutics: $61 Million Closed And Han Lee Named As Co-CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Vibrant Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech developing “logic-gated” therapeutics designed to activate selectively in diseased tissue, announced it has raised $61 million in new financing and appointed Han Lee, Ph.D. as co-chief executive officer as the company prepares to broaden global development of its lead solid tumor program. The round brought in new investors, Pfizer Ventures and Apricot Capital, and included participation from Bayland Capital, HSG, Northern Light Venture Capital, and First Principle Venture Limited, according to the company. With the latest proceeds, Vibrant said its total capital raised now stands at $100 million.

Mirador Therapeutics: $250 Million Series B Raised And Multi-Asset Immuno-Fibrotic Pipeline Advanced

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Mirador Therapeutics announced it is advancing multiple clinical-stage programs across Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, with more than 10 clinical readouts expected by the end of 2027.

Victra: Interview With Founder & CEO Rich Balot About The Largest Verizon Wireless Retailer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Victra is the largest exclusive authorized retailer for Verizon Wireless, operating nearly 1,800 stores across the U.S. to sell Verizon products, services, and accessories. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Victra founder and CEO Rich Balot to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Eli Health: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Marina Pavlovic Rivas About The Hormone Monitoring System

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Eli Health is the healthtech company behind Hormometer, the first-of-its-kind saliva-based hormone monitoring system that uses a smartphone-enabled test to deliver near real-time hormone insights for wellness and overall health. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Eli Health co-founder and CEO Marina Pavlovic Rivas to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

AccessiWay: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Amit Borsok About The Digital Accessibility Solutions Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

AccessiWay provides digital accessibility solutions that help organizations make their websites and digital products compliant with accessibility standards such as WCAG, ensuring inclusive access for people with disabilities. Pulse 2.0 interviewed AccessiWay co-founder and CEO Amit Borsok to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

AZIO AI Lands $107 Million Southeast Asia Government GPU Order

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

AZIO AI announced it has received a binding purchase order for 256 Nvidia B300 GPUs, a milestone the company said advances completion of a major government procurement program in Southeast Asia and represents approximately $107 million in contractual revenue.

GTCR Completes $24.25 Billion Sale Of Worldpay To Global Payments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

GTCR announced it has closed the previously announced sale of Worldpay to Global Payments in a three-way transaction that also includes FIS, marking what the firm described as one of the largest strategic sales in private equity history.

Autolus Posts $75 Million In First-Year AUCATZYL Sales, Guides Up To $135 Million For 2026

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Autolus Therapeutics announced it expects preliminary unaudited net product revenue from AUCATZYL (obecabtagene autoleucel; obe-cel) of about $24 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 and about $75 million for the full year, marking its first year of commercial sales following the CD19 CAR T therapy’s U.S. approval in November 2024.

FIS Unveils Agentic Commerce Platform For Issuing Banks, Expanding AI-Driven Card Transactions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

FIS announced it has launched what it calls an industry-first offering designed to help banks support “agentic commerce,” enabling artificial intelligence agents to initiate and complete transactions safely across card networks while remaining within existing bank and network controls.

Cytotheryx Lands Lead For $60 Million Series A And Adds Debt Financing To Expand Facilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Cytotheryx, a preclinical cell therapy company developing cell-based treatments for liver disease, said it has secured a lead term sheet for a $60 million Series A round and lined up additional debt financing aimed at expanding its manufacturing and operational footprint.

DaVinci Commerce Raises Strategic Financing, Rebrands From Jivox To Expand Agentic Commerce Marketing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

DaVinci Commerce, formerly known as Jivox, announced it raised a strategic financing round to accelerate growth of its AI-native platform for “agentic commerce marketing,” a category it says blends automated commerce creative optimization with rapid activation across retail and commerce media networks.

Trybe: $30 Million Series A Raised To Expand Spa And Leisure Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Trybe, a provider of software for spas, bathhouses, resorts, hotels, and other leisure operators, has raised a $30 million Series A investment from Five Elms Capital as it looks to scale internationally and deepen product capabilities across payments, bookings, and operations.

Tasq AI Merges With BLEND To Build Trust Layer For Global Enterprise AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Tasq AI and BLEND have agreed to merge, forming a unified company under the Tasq AI brand aimed at closing what the companies describe as the enterprise AI “trust gap” by improving the accuracy and reliability of production-grade AI systems.

Harmattan AI: $200 Million Series B Raised And Strategic Partnership With Dassault Aviation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Dassault Aviation and Harmattan AI announced they have formed a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the integration of controlled autonomy and artificial intelligence into combat aviation systems, with Dassault leading a $200 million Series B financing for the defense technology company.

West Pharmaceutical Selling SmartDose 3.5mL On-Body Delivery System Manufacturing Rights To AbbVie For $112.5 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

West Pharmaceutical Services has agreed to sell all manufacturing and supply rights for its SmartDose 3.5mL On-Body Delivery System, along with associated facilities, to AbbVie for $112.5 million at closing, the companies said. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026, subject to customary closing conditions, with the final price also subject to working capital and other adjustments.

Terra Industries Raises $11.75 Million To Scale Autonomous Security Systems For Africa’s Critical Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Terra Industries, a defense technology company developing autonomous security systems to protect critical infrastructure across Africa, has emerged from stealth with an $11.75 million funding round led by U.S. venture firm 8VC.

QXO Upsizes Convertible Preferred Equity Commitment to $3 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

QXO announced it has expanded a previously announced convertible preferred equity financing to $3 billion, increasing the commitment by $1.8 billion, as it seeks additional capacity to fund future acquisitions.

Avenue Biosciences: $5.7 Million Seed Extension Raised To Scale Secretory Pathway Platform For Therapeutic Protein Manufacturing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Avenue Biosciences, a Palo Alto-based protein engineering technology company, has raised $5.7 million in seed extension funding to scale a high-throughput platform designed to measure and modulate the protein secretory pathway, a core cellular process responsible for folding, modifying, and secreting therapeutic proteins.

Apheon: €1.25 Billion Closed For Sixth Flagship Midcap Buyout Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Apheon Management announced it has closed its sixth flagship mid-market vehicle, Apheon MidCap Buyout VI SCSp, at the €1.25 billion hard cap, with an additional €50 million commitment from the firm’s team and related families, bringing total fund size to €1.3 billion.

Atlantic Alumina Lands $450 Million U.S.-Backed Deal To Secure Domestic Alumina Supply

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Atlantic Alumina Company LLC (ATALCO), the only operating alumina refinery in the United States, said it has entered a $450 million strategic partnership with the U.S. Department of War and Concord Resources Holdings Limited aimed at sustaining and expanding U.S. alumina production while establishing what the company described as America’s first large-scale primary gallium production circuit.

Com Laude Completes Markmonitor Acquisition, Forming Markmonitor Group With $450 Million Enterprise Value

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Com Laude, a London-based corporate domain services provider owned by PX3 Partners, said it has completed its acquisition of U.S. corporate domain registrar Markmonitor, combining the businesses under a new entity called Markmonitor Group.

BrowserStack Launches $125 Million ESOP And Share Buyback Program For Employees and Early Investors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

BrowserStack announced a $125 million employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and share buyback program that will provide liquidity to more than 500 current and former employees as well as early investors. The transaction marks the company’s third buyback and brings BrowserStack’s cumulative buyback total to more than $275 million across the three programs.

Row64: Interview With CEO Marc Stevens About Their Real-Time Visual Intelligence Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Row64 provides a GPU- and CPU-accelerated, real-time visual intelligence platform that enables enterprises to explore and act on massive real-time data instantly. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Row64 CEO Marc Stevens about their visual business intelligence platform.

Nanochon: $4.1 Million Seed Prime II Round Raised To Advance Knee Cartilage Implant Into First-in-Human Study

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 12, 2026

Nanochon, a Washington, D.C.-based orthopedic device company developing an implant to treat articular cartilage defects in the knee, said it has secured commitments to close an oversubscribed $4.1 million Seed Prime II financing, bringing total capital raised to date to $11.3 million. The round was led by cultivate(MD), with participation from the University of Virginia UVA Seed Fund, WSGR, Wealthing VC Fund, and other investors. Nanochon said the majority of the financing came from existing backers, while also adding new individuals and funds to its investor base.