Innovation

Copper Sky Capital Rebrands From AZ-VC To Expand North America Investment Mandate

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Arizona-based venture capital firm AZ-VC has rebranded as Copper Sky Capital as it broadens its platform to back early-stage technology companies across North America, with a sector-agnostic strategy and a focus on AI software products.

Abram Scientific: $11.75 Million Series A Raised For Portable Coagulation Diagnostics Platform CoagCare

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Abram Scientific announced it has secured $11.75 million in Series A financing to accelerate development of its proprietary portable coagulation diagnostics platform, CoagCare™. The round was led by global pharmaceutical company Octapharma AG, with additional participation from existing and new investors affiliated with the University of Colorado Anschutz.

Rollins College: $200 Million Innovation Triangle Completed With Launch Of The Rick Goings Institute

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Rollins College has launched The Rick Goings Institute for Management and Executive Leadership, completing its transformative $200 million Innovation Triangle and establishing a new standard for advanced leadership and management education.

Cicada: $13.5 Million Raised To Modernize Local-Currency Latin American Bond Trading

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Cicada, a U.S.-regulated electronic trading platform connecting institutional capital to local-currency markets in Latin America, announced it has raised $13.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Citi. The round included participation from the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3) through its independent venture capital arm, L4, as well as Kaszek, Dila, and Crestone. The financing also includes a parallel strategic equity program aimed at anchoring liquidity through committed market makers, with leading Wall Street institutions joining as early participants.

Croissant: $28 Million Raised To Scale Intentional Commerce Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Croissant announced it has raised $28 million in capital to accelerate growth and deepen partnerships with leading brands and retailers, bringing its total capital raised to $52 million.

Profitmind: $9 Million Series A Raised For Retail Agentic AI Platform Led By Accenture Ventures

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Profitmind, an agentic AI decision intelligence platform built for retail teams, has raised $9 million in a Series A financing round led by Accenture Ventures. The round included participation from new investor Thorndale Farm, along with reinvestment from existing backers Magarac Venture Partners, AI Fund led by Profitmind Chairman Andrew Ng, and Lightscape Partners. Several individual investors also joined the round, including board member Mario Ciampi, former President of Disney Store and former COO of The Children’s Place.

CPL Acquired By GHK Capital Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

GHK Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm, has acquired CPL, a provider of architecture, engineering, and consulting services for the built environment. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Stanley Martin Homes: $221 Million All-Cash Deal To Acquire Public Homebuilder United Homes Group

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Stanley Martin Homes has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire United Homes Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: UHG) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $221 million in enterprise value.

Frankenburg Technologies: €30 Million Raised To Build Europe’s Next-Generation Missile Manufacturing Capacity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Frankenburg Technologies, a European defence technology startup focused on affordable, mass-manufacturable missile systems and sovereign production capacity, has raised €30 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Plural and followed by SmartCap, bringing the company’s total funding to €40 million.

Harvest Commercial Capital Merges With Community Development Investor Crossroads Impact

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Harvest Commercial Capital, LLC (HCC), a nationwide originator of owner-occupied small business real estate loans, announced that it has merged with Crossroads Impact Corp (CRSS), combining commercial lending capabilities with residential community development expertise to expand access to capital in low- to moderate-income communities.

Hexagon Completes €2.7 Billion Sale Of Design & Engineering Business To Cadence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Hexagon AB announced it has completed the previously disclosed sale of its Design & Engineering business to Cadence Design Systems for an aggregate purchase price of approximately €2.7 billion, consisting of cash and Cadence common stock.

The Lockwood Group Acquires Total Health To Expand Oncology Medical Education Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

The Lockwood Group, a global health care services and pharmaceutical communications organization, announced it has acquired Total Health, a leading provider of free, in-person oncology medical education for cancer care professionals in the United States. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The HWP Group: Acquisition Of Market Access Consultancy Global Market Access Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

The HWP Group (HWP), a medical communications and strategic consulting partner to the life sciences industry, announced it has acquired Global Market Access Solutions (GMAS), a market access and health economics consultancy with global operations. The transaction marks a key milestone in HWP’s long-term growth strategy.

OneMagnify Acquires Optimal’s Performance Marketing Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

OneMagnify, an AI-enabled marketing solutions platform backed by private equity firm Crestview Partners, announced it has acquired the Performance Marketing business of Optimal, a digital marketing partner specializing in performance media and audience data solutions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Virginia Green Lawn Care Acquires DVH Turf Management To Expand Coastal Delaware Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Virginia Green Lawn Care announced the rebranding and acquisition of DVH Turf Management as part of its continued expansion into coastal Delaware, marking the next phase of a year-long partnership between the two companies. The move strengthens Virginia Green’s presence in the region, following its March 2025 launch of service to Delaware’s coastal communities.

Facilitron: Acquisition Of Facilities Software Firm MC²

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Facilitron announced it has acquired Management and Communication Consultants (MC²), a facilities software and consulting firm that has served school districts since the early 1980s, as the public spaces facility management platform expands its national footprint and deepens its role in facilities governance, maintenance, and lifecycle oversight.

AntGen: Interview With Founder & CEO Arun Upadhyay About The Wireless Dealer Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

AntGen is a leading National Master Agent that supports wireless dealers across the US by providing comprehensive, authorized, and strategic support for launching and operating Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, and Verizon Prepaid stores. Pulse 2.0 interviewed AntGen founder and CEO Arun Upadhyay to learn more.

Meridiam: €2.2 Billion Europe Core Fund Closed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Meridiam has closed its Meridiam Infrastructure Europe Core Fund at €2.2 billion, marking a major milestone for the global infrastructure investor as it strengthens its long-term ownership strategy across Europe and launches its first retail-dedicated investment vehicle.

Feltman Brothers: Interview With Design Director Sarah Fischer About The Children’s Apparel Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Feltman Brothers is a heritage children’s apparel company known for designing and manufacturing classic, heirloom-quality clothing for babies and young children, with a focus on timeless craftsmanship and traditional styles. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Feltman Brothers Design Director Sarah Fischer to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Vendis Capital: €100 Million First Close For €150 Million Transition Small-Cap Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Vendis Capital has announced the successful first closing of Vendis Transition, its new €150 million small-cap fund, securing commitments of more than €100 million.

Baker Street Advisors Appoints Christopher Wilkens As CEO, Names Peter Hand Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Baker Street Advisors, a San Francisco-based SEC-registered investment advisor with $20 billion in client assets under advisement, has appointed Christopher Wilkens, CFA, to the newly created role of chief executive officer and named Peter Hand, the firm’s chief investment officer, as partner, effective immediately. The wealth management firm’s partnership now includes 11 executives.

Wing: Interview With Co-Founder & CMO Roland Polzin About The B2B Marketplace

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Wing Assistant is a managed B2B marketplace that connects small and medium-sized businesses with vetted, AI-enhanced remote talent for administrative and operational tasks. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Wing Assistant co-founder and CMO Roland Polzin to learn more.

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners Acquires Security 101

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, the middle-market private equity buyout team within Morgan Stanley Investment Management, have acquired Security 101, a provider of commercial security integration services headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.

On Track Partners Acquires Carey’s Seamless Gutters & Overhead Doors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

On Track Partners has acquired Carey's Seamless Gutters & Overhead Doors, a provider of seamless gutter systems and garage door installation, service, and repair serving southern Wisconsin. The transaction marks a continued expansion effort across the Midwest for the garage door services platform.

Hilb Group Marks 200th Deal For Insurance Brokerage

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

The Hilb Group has completed its 200th acquisition with the addition of a South Carolina-based property and casualty insurance and employee benefits agency, further expanding its footprint across the Southeast.

Evoke Security: $4 Million Pre-Seed Raised For Cybersecurity Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

Evoke Security, a cybersecurity startup focused on securing the agentic workforce, has raised $4 million in pre-seed funding led by Crosspoint Capital Partners, with participation from Red Cell Partners. The company said the capital will support its mission to provide security teams with visibility and control over AI agents operating across enterprise environments.

YVL Capital Partners Launches In Dubai

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 25, 2026

YVL Capital Partners, an AI-native venture capital firm and studio, has officially launched in Dubai after building significant pre-launch momentum through ecosystem partnerships and global engagements across the Middle East and leading innovation hubs worldwide.

Kris@Work: $3 Million Seed Raised By AI-Native GTM Execution Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 24, 2026

Kris@Work, an AI-native go-to-market execution platform for enterprise revenue teams, announced it has raised $3.0 million in seed funding led by InfoEdge Ventures, with participation from JN Capital & Growth Advisory and several angel investors.

Koah: $20.5 Million Series A Raised For AI-Native Monetization Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 24, 2026

Koah has raised $20.5 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-native advertising infrastructure, positioning itself as what it calls the “AdSense for AI.” The round was led by Theory Ventures and brings the company’s total funding to more than $26 million following a $5 million seed round in September 2025.

Handl Health: $14.2 Million Series A Raised To Reform Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 24, 2026

Handl Health, a technology platform focused on redesigning employer-sponsored health insurance to lower costs and improve patient outcomes, has raised $14.2 million in a Series A funding round to accelerate structural change across the U.S. healthcare system.