Innovation

NuuEnergy Raises €4.3 Million Seed Round To Scale Regional Heat-Pump Installation Model

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Munich-based EnergyTech startup nuuEnergy has raised €4.3 million in a seed funding round to accelerate the expansion of its regional heat-pump installation businesses and further digitize its operations. The round was led by amberra, the corporate venturing studio of the Cooperative Financial Network Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, with participation from EnjoyVenture and existing investors High-Tech Gründerfonds, Vireo Ventures, better ventures, and Bynd Venture Capital.

Lightworks: Up To $12 Million Secured For Advancing Deployment For Highly Regulated Enterprises

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Canadian enterprise AI consultancy Lightworks has secured up to $12 million in financing to fast-track the large-scale deployment of AI solutions for some of the world’s largest and most highly regulated enterprises. The round was led by Round13 Capital.

Nakamoto Signs Definitive Agreements To Buy BTC Inc And UTXO Management In All-Stock Deal Valued At $107 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Nakamoto announced it has signed definitive merger agreements to acquire BTC Inc, a global Bitcoin-focused media and events company, and UTXO Management GP, LLC, an investment firm focused on private and public Bitcoin companies. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Realta Fusion Secures $9.5 Million Growth Capital Facility From Silicon Valley Bank

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Realta Fusion has secured a $9.5 million growth capital facility from Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, to advance its magnetic mirror fusion technology toward commercialization.

Portland General Electric Expands Into Washington With $1.9 Billion PacifiCorp Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Portland General Electric Company announced it has agreed to acquire select Washington state generation, transmission, and electric utility operations from PacifiCorp for $1.9 billion, a transaction representing a purchase price multiple of 1.4x the estimated 2026 rate base. The deal will expand PGE’s customer base to approximately 140,000 in Washington and is expected to be accretive in the first full year after closing, enhancing long-term earnings per share and dividend growth.

Tactile Systems Acquires LymphaTech To Expand Lymphedema Solutions Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Tactile Systems Technology, which does business as Tactile Medical, announced it has acquired LymphaTech Inc. for an upfront cash payment of $6.8 million, plus potential additional consideration tied to future milestone achievements. The transaction is aimed at expanding the company’s portfolio of solutions for lymphedema and strengthening its position in conditions associated with lymphatic dysfunction.

Kennedy-Wilson To Be Acquired By Management-Led Consortium And Fairfax Financial In $1.65 Billion All-Cash Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Kennedy-Wilson Holdings announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired in an all-cash transaction by an entity affiliated with a consortium led by Chairman and CEO William McMorrow and certain other senior executives, alongside Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

American Exchange Group Acquires Watchmaker E. Gluck To Form E. Gluck Holdings

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

American Exchange Group, a global fashion accessory design, manufacturing, and distribution company, announced it has acquired the assets of E. Gluck Corporation, a longstanding name in the watch industry. The transaction brings the two companies together to form E. Gluck Holdings, which will operate as what the companies describe as the premier and largest wholesale fashion watch and jewelry company in the industry.

IHS To Be Acquired By MTN Group In $6.2 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

IHS Holding Limited announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by MTN Group Limited in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.2 billion in enterprise value. Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders of IHS Towers will receive $8.50 per ordinary share in cash.

Sverica Announces Sale Of Cybersecurity Solutions Provider Defy Security To Booz Allen Hamilton

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Sverica Capital Management LP announced that its Fund V portfolio company, Defy Security, LLC, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Booz Allen Hamilton. The transaction follows a five-year partnership between Sverica and Defy and is expected to close in the second quarter of the Company’s fiscal year 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Avenue Z Acquires Shopify Premier Partner Varfaj To Form Full-Funnel Growth Platform For DTC Brands

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Avenue Z, a hybrid agency focused on influence and revenue growth for fast-moving brands, announced it has acquired Varfaj, a recognized Shopify design and technology premier partner. The transaction positions Avenue Z to expand its full-funnel capabilities and deepen its focus on AI-powered, agent-led commerce experiences.

Jack Altman Joins Benchmark As General Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Benchmark has announced that Jack Altman is joining the firm as its newest General Partner, a move that underscores both Altman’s rising influence in venture capital and Benchmark’s ongoing focus on deepening its leadership ranks.

Integra Resources Acquires 6,600-Acre Ranch Adjacent To DeLamar Project For $12.5 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Integra Resources announced it has acquired a strategically located 6,600-acre ranch contiguous with its DeLamar Project in Owyhee County, Idaho, for $12.5 million.

The Heritage Group Acquires Fiber Reinforcement Leader FORTA

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

The Heritage Group announced it has acquired FORTA, a Pennsylvania-based leader in synthetic fiber reinforcement for asphalt and concrete, from Riverarch Equity Partners. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

BrightSpire Capital Closes $955 Million CRE CLO And Plans Redemption Of Prior Securitization

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

BrightSpire Capital announced that it has closed BRSP 2026-FL3, a $955 million managed commercial real estate collateralized loan obligation, marking the company’s fourth managed CRE CLO transaction. The securitization, which closed on February 17, 2026, reflects the company’s continued use of structured financing to support the growth of its loan portfolio.

NANDO Secures €3.3 Million To Advance AI-Powered Waste Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

NANDO has announced the closing of a €3.3 million funding round aimed at accelerating the transformation of waste management through artificial intelligence. The round was led by Maia Ventures through the Maia I fund and CDP Venture Capital SGR via the Acceleratori Fund. Additional participation came from Fondo Piemonte Next and existing investors, including Club degli Investitori, LA4G, and EMBA Capital Partners.

SatVu Raises £30 Million In NATO Innovation Fund-Backed Round To Scale Multi-Satellite Constellation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

SatVu, a UK-based thermal intelligence company that reveals operational activity and infrastructure performance from space, has closed a £30 million ($40 million) funding round, bringing its total equity funding to £60 million ($80 million). The round includes a strategic investment from the NATO Innovation Fund, alongside the British Business Bank, Space Frontiers Fund II (managed by SPARX Asset Management Co. Ltd.), and Presto Tech Horizons. Existing investors also participated, including Molten Ventures as the lead investor, Adara Ventures, Ridgeline Ventures, NOA, Lockheed Martin, Seraphim Space Fund, and Stellar Ventures. The raise supports the company’s transition from a single-satellite demonstration to the execution of a multi-satellite constellation.

DIC Partners With Emerald To Accelerate Physical AI Business Creation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

DIC Corporation announced it has established a $62 million investment portfolio to accelerate business creation in the rapidly expanding Physical AI domain. The initiative will focus on technologies including sensors, wearables, robotics, and automation, areas that are increasingly shaping next-generation industrial and consumer applications.

HealthCentral Acquires Influencer Relationship Management Platform Medfluencers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

HealthCentral announced it has acquired Medfluencers, a physician-founded influencer relationship management platform, as the company accelerates its transition into a technology-enabled health experience platform. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Bria: Interview With Founder & CEO Dr. Yair Adato About The Visual GenAI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Bria gives enterprises full control over how visual GenAI is trained, deployed, and governed, enforcing brand, data, and compliance rules at scale.. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Bria founder and CEO Dr. Yair Adato to learn more.

Madison Square Garden Approves Plan To Explore Spin-Off Of Knicks And Rangers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Madison Square Garden Sports announced its board of directors has unanimously approved a plan to explore a potential spin-off that would separate its New York Knicks business from its New York Rangers business, creating two distinct publicly traded companies.

Arrcus Reports 3x Bookings Growth And Launches AI-Policy-Aware Inference Network Fabric

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Arrcus announced a record 3x increase in bookings in 2025 across datacenter, telco, and enterprise customers, alongside the launch of its Arrcus Inference Network Fabric, a purpose-built networking solution designed to accelerate real-time and agentic AI applications.

Octopus Deploy: AI Pulse Report Warns Of Senior Developer Shortage As AI Reshapes Hiring And Productivity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Octopus Deploy has released its 2026 AI Pulse Report: AI adoption and its impact on developer productivity, finding that while AI tools are delivering measurable productivity gains for software teams, they are also accelerating a structural shift in junior hiring that could result in a senior developer shortage within the next three to five years.

Substantial Group To Be Acquired For £2 Billion By InfraVia, Liberty Global And Telefónica

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global, and Telefónica have agreed to acquire Substantial Group for £2 billion through their existing joint venture, nexfibre, in a move designed to create a scaled wholesale challenger in the UK broadband market.

Cherry Bekaert Acquires LA-Based CPA Firm RKE

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Cherry Bekaert announced it has acquired the business of Richardson Kontogouris Emerson LLP, a public accounting and advisory firm serving clients since 2006.

Pine Environmental Services Acquires Terratech

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Pine Environmental Services announced the acquisition of Terratech Environmental Equipment & Supplies, expanding its presence in the Arizona environmental market.

SGT Capital Closes Artificial Intelligence Co-Investment Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

SGT Capital announced the successful closing of its SGT Capital Artificial Intelligence (AI) Co-Investment Fund, which was 25% oversubscribed. The fund expands the firm’s strategy of investing in market-leading data analytics, cybersecurity, and med-tech companies, while responding to rising institutional investor demand for exposure to AI-driven business models.

Circuit: $30 Million Raised For Manufacturing And Service AI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Circuit, an Austin-based company building a purpose-built AI platform for manufacturing and service organizations, announced it has raised $30 million from individual investors in one of Texas' largest angel rounds. The funding comes as manufacturers contend with increasing product complexity and a growing skills gap driven by retirements and workforce shortages.

99 Kids Holdings Raises $5 Million Series A To Relaunch THE 99 Superhero Franchise

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

99 Kids Holdings Co., a dual Canada–UAE entertainment company, announced it has closed a $5 million Series A funding round led by Exponential Ventures to reboot THE 99, the comic book and animated franchise that introduced Islam-inspired superheroes based on universal values when it first launched in 2006.

Vanguard Renewables Acquires E-Z Recycling To Expand Midwest Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 18, 2026

Vanguard Renewables, a national leader in organics recycling and renewable energy production, announced the acquisition of E-Z Recycling, a Minnesota-based food and beverage waste recycling company. The deal strengthens Vanguard Renewables’ presence in the Midwest and adds critical depackaging capabilities to its expanding anaerobic digestion network, further enabling the conversion of food waste into renewable energy.