Innovation

UC San Diego Receives $500,000 From Qualcomm Technologies To Launch AI-Driven Semiconductor Design Initiative

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

The University of California San Diego has received a $500,000 gift from Qualcomm Technologies to establish the AI in Microelectronic Systems (AIMS) initiative, a research collaboration focused on using artificial intelligence to improve semiconductor and computing system design. The university's Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing will provide an additional $250,000 in matching funds, bringing the combined support to $750,000.

Oryx Dental: Interview With Founder And CEO Dr. Rania Saleh About AI-Powered Dental Practice Management

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Oryx Dental is an AI-powered dental practice management software platform that brings together clinical care, practice management, patient communication, imaging, revenue cycle management, and business intelligence. Founder and CEO Dr. Rania Saleh created the company after experiencing firsthand the limitations of traditional dental software while operating her own multi-site practice. Just as Toast transformed the restaurant industry by giving restaurants an operating system for their whole business, Oryx gives dental practices their own OS in the cloud. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Oryx Dental Founder and CEO Dr. Rania Saleh to learn more about the company's origins, AI strategy, growth, and vision for the dental office of the future.

AMD’s $13.4 Billion Q3 Revenue Highlights AI Momentum As Data Center Sales Surge 97%

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Advanced Micro Devices reported record third-quarter 2026 revenue of $13.4 billion, representing a 45% increase from $9.2 billion in the prior-year period. The semiconductor company's performance was driven primarily by a 97% increase in Data Center revenue, reflecting strong demand for AMD Instinct graphics processing units (GPUs) and EPYC server processors.

Volante Technologies: Interview With Global Head Of Product And Strategic Business Nadish Lad About Payments Modernization, AI, And Stablecoins

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Volante Technologies provides cloud-native payment technology that helps financial institutions modernize their payment infrastructure, support real-time and cross-border transactions, and manage evolving industry standards such as ISO 20022. Its platform supports banks and other financial institutions as they transition from legacy payment systems toward more flexible, automated operations. The company is also investing in AI and emerging payment technologies, including stablecoins. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Volante Technologies Global Head of Product and Strategic Business, Nadish Lad, to learn more about the company's technology, its role in the development of real-time payments, and its vision for the future of the payments industry.

C.J. Lawrence Launches Buffered Bulldog ETF (ACJL) With Active Equity Strategy And Downside Protection Overlay

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

C.J. Lawrence, a New York-based investment management firm and division of Apollon Wealth Management, has launched the Buffered Bulldog ETF (ACJL), an actively managed exchange-traded fund combining its longstanding Bulldog equity investment strategy with an options overlay designed to mitigate certain market losses.

Penn Medicine Launches $35 Million Brain Tumor Research Initiative With Foundational Gift From John And Rosanna Troiano

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Penn Medicine has launched a $35 million initiative to advance brain tumor research and patient care, supported by a foundational philanthropic gift from John Gabriele Troiano and Rosanna Troiano. Their contribution establishes the Troiano Brain Tumor Center at the University of Pennsylvania, creating a multidisciplinary program focused on developing new therapies, expanding clinical research, and improving treatment options for patients with brain tumors.

TechRiot.io: Interview With Co-Founder And CISO Ashish Rajan About AI Security Engineering And Securing Autonomous AI Agents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

TechRiot.io is a cybersecurity media, research, education, and advisory organization focused on helping security professionals understand emerging threats and develop practical approaches to securing cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence systems. Pulse 2.0 interviewed TechRiot.io Co-Founder and CISO Ashish Rajan to learn more about his cybersecurity background, the company's research initiatives, his book AI Security Engineering, the challenges of securing autonomous AI agents, and the future of enterprise AI security.

Hyatt Hotels Prices $400 Million Senior Notes Offering At 5.950% Interest Rate

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Hyatt Hotels, a global hospitality company headquartered in Chicago, has priced a public offering of $400 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2033. The notes will carry a fixed annual interest rate of 5.950%, providing the company with additional financing as it prepares to repay existing debt.

Cars24 Acquires Alba Cars Operations To Expand UAE Used Vehicle Retail Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Cars24, a global automotive technology company operating across India, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, has joined forces with Dubai-based premium used vehicle retailer Alba Cars to expand its presence in the UAE automotive market. As part of the transaction, Alba Cars' operating businesses have become part of the wider Cars24 global group, combining the companies' technology, financing, retail, and automotive infrastructure capabilities.

Authentic Brands Group Completes Acquisition Of Lee, Expanding Global Denim And Apparel Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Authentic Brands Group has completed its acquisition of the intellectual property of Lee from Kontoor Brands, adding the established denim and casual apparel brand to its global portfolio of consumer, lifestyle, and entertainment properties.

CVR Energy To Acquire Two Marathon Petroleum Refineries And Marketing Business For $4.2 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

CVR Energy, a diversified energy holding company headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire two petroleum refineries and a related marketing business from subsidiaries of Marathon Petroleum Corporation for approximately $4.2 billion, plus net working capital. The transaction would significantly expand CVR Energy's refining capacity, establish a presence in additional U.S. markets, and strengthen its petroleum refining and marketing operations.

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $110 Million In Financing For 560-Unit Multifamily Property In Tennessee

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Walker & Dunlop, a commercial real estate finance and advisory services firm, has arranged approximately $109.9 million in acquisition financing for Wyndchase Aspen Grove, a 560-unit multifamily residential community in Franklin, Tennessee. The financing was provided by Wells Fargo on behalf of an institutional client.

Newleos Therapeutics Receives Up To $15.5 Million NIH Grant And FDA Fast Track Designation For NTX-2001

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Newleos Therapeutics, a Boston-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, has received a five-year grant of up to $15.5 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The company also announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to its investigational therapy NTX-2001 for alcohol use disorder.

Waters Corporation Acquires MOBILion Systems To Expand Mass Spectrometry And AI-Powered Proteomics Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 6, 2026

Waters Corporation, a global life sciences and diagnostics company, has acquired MOBILion Systems, a developer of high-resolution ion mobility separation technology. The acquisition expands Waters' mass spectrometry portfolio and strengthens its position in proteomics research, with potential applications in AI-driven scientific discovery, protein biomarker identification, and clinical diagnostics.