Innovation

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.

Wafra Deepens Strategic Partnership With Ardian

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Wafra, a leading New York-based alternative investment firm, announced it is increasing its shareholding in Ardian, a world-leading private investment firm with $200 billion of assets under management. This commitment builds on Wafra's initial strategic investment from November 2025 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, with the transaction expected to close between late 2026 and early 2027.

Fractal Education Acquires Little Learning Academy In Houston OpCo-PropCo Transaction

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Fractal Education, a growing operator of early childhood education schools, has acquired Little Learning Academy, a two-location childcare provider serving the greater Houston metropolitan area. The deal, structured as an integrated OpCo-PropCo transaction, included both the operating company and the underlying real estate — a structure that gives Fractal full control of the physical assets and positions the schools for long-term capital investment. Financial terms were not disclosed. SchoolWise Partners served as exclusive sell-side advisor to the former owners.

Google Partners With Screwfix To Bring AI Skills Training To UK Tradespeople

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Google has announced a partnership with Screwfix, the UK's leading trade retailer, to deliver practical AI skills education to tradespeople across the country through Screwfix's network of stores nationwide, spanning locations from Newcastle to Belfast. The collaboration aims to bring AI literacy directly to the physical spaces where tradespeople already shop and gather, rather than relying solely on online resources or formal training programs that may not reach this audience.

Elon Musk Reportedly Acquires APR Energy In Deal Estimated At More Than $1 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 17, 2026

Elon Musk has acquired APR Energy, a provider of rapidly deployable gas- and diesel-powered generation systems, in a transaction estimated at more than $1 billion. The acquisition was disclosed through a Federal Trade Commission early termination notice dated May 14, 2026. The filing identified Musk as the acquiring party, CF APR Super Holdings as the acquired party, and New APR Energy as the acquired entity.

Spotify Introduces ‘Talk to Spotify,’ A New Conversational AI Feature For Personalized Music And Podcast Discovery

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Spotify announced Talk to Spotify, a new conversational way to interact with the app that allows eligible Premium users to type or speak directly within the platform to shape what's playing, learn about their music, revisit their listening history, and go deeper on podcasts and audiobooks. The feature appears across Home and the Now Playing view on mobile.

Google Brings Connected Apps To AI Mode In Search, Starting With Instacart, Canva, And YouTube Music

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Google is rolling out connected app integrations directly within AI Mode in Search, beginning this week in the United States. The feature allows users to securely link third-party services to their Google Search experience and take action within those apps without leaving the AI Mode interface.

Risk Ledger Raises £24 Million Series B To Expand Network-Based Supply Chain Security Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Risk Ledger, a UK-based supply chain cybersecurity company, has raised £24 million in Series B funding led by Axiom Equity, a specialist B2B SaaS growth equity fund, with participation from Mercia Ventures, a returning investor from the Series A. The funding will be used to deepen Risk Ledger's customer network in the UK, develop AI-powered supply chain security tools, and fund expansion into the United States.

Pursuit Acquires Eagle Wing Tours, Entering Victoria’s Marine Wildlife Tourism Market

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality, an attractions and hospitality company operating in the United States, Canada, Iceland, and Costa Rica, has acquired Eagle Wing Tours, a Victoria, British Columbia-based whale watching and marine wildlife operator. The transaction closed July 14, 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition marks Pursuit's entry into the Vancouver Island market and advances its Vision 2030 strategy of investing in iconic, market-leading experiences in destinations with strong long-term tourism fundamentals.

Inflexion To Acquire Primed Group, A German Medical Consumables And Sterilization Specialist

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Inflexion, a leading European mid-market private equity firm, has agreed to acquire Primed Group, a specialist German manufacturer and distributor of single-use medical consumables and operator of one of Europe's largest medical sterilization platforms. The business is being acquired from Paragon Partners, a DACH-focused private equity firm. The investment is being made from Inflexion's Buyout Fund VI and represents the firm's sixth investment in the DACH region and its third healthcare investment there, following minority stakes in Proteros and Tierarzt Plus Partner. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bruker Acquires DISQVER Metagenomic Sequencing Platform From Noscendo to Expand Infection Diagnostics Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Bruker has acquired the DISQVER clinical metagenomics platform from Noscendo GmbH, adding whole-genome sequencing-based pathogen detection directly from blood samples to its microbiology and infection diagnostics portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed, and DISQVER is not expected to be material to Bruker's full-year 2026 financial results. The platform currently remains available for research use only, while Bruker advances regulatory registration for diagnostic applications.

Too Lost Acquires GYRO.Group To Establish APAC Presence In Independent Music Distribution

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Too Lost, a global music technology and rights management company, has acquired GYRO.Group, Australia's largest independent music distribution and artist services company, in its first acquisition following a recent strategic investment led by GoldState Music and TA Associates. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction marks Too Lost's first move into the Asia-Pacific region.

Travel + Leisure Co. Acquires Yes& Vacations And Spinnaker Resorts For $343 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Travel + Leisure Co. has closed the acquisition of Yes& Vacations and entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Spinnaker Resorts, in two transactions totaling a combined upfront purchase price of $343 million, subject to customary adjustments and up to $10 million in contingent performance-based payments. The Spinnaker Resorts acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026. The company is funding both deals through cash and existing debt capacity and expects to end the year at a 3.2x leverage ratio while sustaining share repurchases at levels comparable to 2025.

Global Infrastructure Partners To Acquire Majority Stake In Summit Ridge Energy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of BlackRock and one of the world's largest infrastructure investors with over $200 billion in assets under management, has agreed to acquire a majority and controlling interest in Summit Ridge Energy, one of the leading commercial solar power companies in the United States. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.