Innovation

Digital Asset And Kinexys By J.P. Morgan Plan To Issue USD JPM Coin Natively On Canton Network

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Digital Asset and Kinexys by J.P. Morgan said they intend to collaborate to bring J.P. Morgan’s USD-denominated deposit token product, JPM Coin (ticker: JPMD), to the Canton Network through native issuance, in a move aimed at enabling regulated digital money to circulate across privacy-enabled public blockchain infrastructure.

Babylon Raises $15 Million From a16z Crypto To Enable Native Bitcoin Collateral

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Babylon announced that it has raised $15 million from a16z crypto to develop Babylon Trustless BTCVaults, an infrastructure system designed to let native Bitcoin be used as collateral across on-chain financial applications without relying on wrapping, custodians, or intermediaries.

Swap: $100 Million Series C Raised To Expand Global Commerce Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Hack The Box: Interview With Founder & CEO Haris Pylarinos About The Cybersecurity Readiness And Upskilling Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Hack The Box is the leading AI-powered cybersecurity readiness and upskilling platform, trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises, government organizations, and MSSPs to build effective cyber resilience and mastery at scale. Through AI-enhanced intelligence, gamified labs, live-fire simulations, and the power of one of the world’s largest cybersecurity communities, it helps teams master offensive and defensive skills in the age of AI through real-world scenarios. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Haris Pylarinos, Founder and CEO of Hack The Box, to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Atmus Filtration Closes $450 Million Koch Filter Deal And Launches Industrial Solutions Segment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Atmus Filtration Technologies has completed its acquisition of Koch Filter Corporation, expanding beyond vehicle and equipment filtration into industrial air filtration and related end-markets such as commercial and industrial HVAC, data centers, and power generation.

Captura Acquires Studio Source Yearbooks

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Captura, a software ecosystem for high-volume photography studios, said it has acquired Studio Source Yearbooks, aiming to fold yearbook production support and operational execution into Captura’s platform and give studios a single workflow to manage yearbooks from setup through delivery.

WPP Media Launches Sports Arm To Unify Sponsorship, Content, And Measurement For Modern Fan Engagement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

WPP Media said it is launching WPP Media Sports, a unified sports and gaming practice designed to help brands plan, activate, and measure sports marketing investments across live events, streaming, social, creators, gaming, and broader culture as fan behavior and commerce shift across platforms.

AllianceHCM Adds Former Paylocity President Michael Haske To Board To Support AI-Driven Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

AllianceHCM has appointed Michael Haske, a longtime SaaS and human capital management executive and former president and chief operating officer of Paylocity, to its board of directors as the company accelerates platform innovation and expands its national footprint.

CentralReach: Interview With CEO Chris Sullens About The Autism Support Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

CentralReach provides software and technology solutions that help autism and IDD care providers manage clinical, administrative, and practice-management workflows. Pulse 2.0 interviewed CentralReach CEO Chris Sullens to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

commercetools Names John Lentine Chief Revenue Officer, Adds Paul Applegate to Lead Partners and Alliances

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

commercetools, a digital commerce platform provider for global enterprises, said it has appointed John Lentine as chief revenue officer and named Paul Applegate vice president of partners and alliances as it looks to scale its next phase of growth and meet increasing demand for unified commerce across markets, channels, and business models.

NanOlogy Names John Goldberg Fractional Chief Medical Officer to Advance LSAM Oncology Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

NanOlogy, a clinical-stage oncology company developing intratumoral therapies using its Large Surface Area Microparticle (LSAM) approach, said it has appointed John M. Goldberg, MD as fractional chief medical officer to help advance its preclinical and clinical investigational drug portfolio, including a program targeting diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

Magic EdTech Names Runu Jain Chief Human Resources Officer as It Expands Globally

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Magic EdTech, a digital learning company focused on building technology and services for education providers, said it has appointed Runu Jain as chief human resources officer to lead its global people strategy as the company scales AI-enabled offerings and broadens its international footprint.

Quility: Eric Brickman Named As Chief Product Officer To Expand Insurtech Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Quility, an insurtech company focused on modernizing insurance distribution, said it has appointed Eric Brickman as chief product officer to lead product vision, strategy, and execution as the company increases investment in scalable, intelligent platforms aimed at empowering agents and driving distribution growth.

Acuitas Therapeutics: Interview With President & CEO Dr. Thomas Madden About The Biotech Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Acuitas Therapeutics is a biotech company that develops and provides lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems to enable nucleic acid-based therapies and vaccines. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Acuitas Therapeutics President and CEO Dr. Thomas Madden to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Coalfire Names Brad Little As CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Coalfire, a cybersecurity services and solutions company backed by funds advised by Apax Partners, announced it has appointed Brad Little as chief executive officer as it looks to scale its position in cybersecurity, cloud modernization, and AI-led transformation.

Silicon Labs Names Ian Dawson As Chief Information Security Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Silicon Labs announced it has appointed Ian N. Dawson as chief information security officer, tasking him with leading the company’s global cybersecurity strategy and governance as it strengthens cyber resiliency, protects intellectual property, and advances security-by-design practices across silicon, software, and cloud-connected products.

Eleven Eleven Wines: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Ellie Anest About The Winery

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Eleven Eleven Wines is a company that produces premium small-lot Napa Valley wines crafted through meticulous vineyard sourcing and attention to detail, offering curated tasting experiences at its estate. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Eleven Eleven Wines co-founder and CEO Ellie Anest to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Sigrid: $5 Million Raised To Scale Non-Systemic Metabolic Health Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Sigrid, a Swedish consumer health company focused on metabolic health through non-systemic science, announced it has raised $5 million to accelerate commercialization and platform expansion, bringing its total capital raised to about $27 million.

Linker Vision Raises $35 Million Series A To Expand Physical AI Platform Globally

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Linker Vision said it has closed a $35 million Series A financing to accelerate deployment of its AI software platforms for smart cities and smart spaces, as the company pushes to broaden its presence across major international markets.

WashU Startups Draw Record $1.7 Billion In Private Investment As Commercialization Accelerates

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Startup companies built on Washington University in St. Louis discoveries attracted a record $1.7 billion in private-sector investment over the past year, funding that WashU leaders say is speeding the path from campus research to diagnostics, therapeutics and medical devices.

8×8 Buys Mobile Marketing And Messaging Company Maven Lab

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

8x8 has acquired Maven Lab, a Singapore-based mobile marketing and enterprise messaging provider, as the communications software company pushes to deliver more end-to-end customer engagement capabilities across the Asia-Pacific region. Financial terms were not disclosed.

UBC Buys Evidinno to Bolster Real-World Evidence and HEOR Offering

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

United BioSource (UBC) has acquired Evidinno Outcomes Research Inc., adding outcomes research, evidence synthesis, and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) depth to UBC’s evidence generation platform as biopharma sponsors face rising demands for regulatory- and payer-ready data.

PAI Pharma Buys Nivagen Pharmaceuticals To Scale Ready-To-Use Sterile Injectables For Hospitals

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

PAI Pharma, an Olympus Partners portfolio company focused on U.S.-made generic medicines, has acquired Nivagen Pharmaceuticals in a move aimed at expanding domestic sterile injectable manufacturing capacity and accelerating development of ready-to-use (RTU) products for the hospital market.

Libertas Funding Surpasses $5 Billion In Funding In Under A Decade

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Libertas Funding announced it has surpassed $5 billion in total funding in less than 10 years, a milestone the Greenwich, Connecticut-based growth capital provider framed as evidence of rising demand among small and mid-sized businesses for faster, more customized financing solutions.

Title21 Health Solutions Acquires MyCellHub To Add MES Platform For Cell And Gene Therapy Manufacturing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Title21 Health Solutions, a provider of enterprise quality management systems and orchestration software for cell and gene therapy workflows, has acquired MyCellHub, adding a cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES) to its product portfolio as it pushes to deliver more integrated digital infrastructure for regulated life sciences and advanced therapies.

Photonic Raises C$180 Million First Close To Push Distributed Quantum Toward Commercialization

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Photonic, a Vancouver-based quantum technology company focused on distributed quantum computing and quantum networking, said it has raised $180 million CAD (about $130 million USD) in the first close of its latest financing round. The raise was led by Planet First Partners, with new participation from Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), TELUS, and other investors, while existing backers including BCI and Microsoft also returned.

Russell Investments Secures $1.225 Billion Apollo Financing To Refinance Debt And Support Long-Term Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Russell Investments announced it has completed a $1.225 billion strategic financing provided by funds and affiliates managed by Apollo that are associated with Apollo’s hybrid and credit strategies. The firm said the transaction is designed to provide long-term capital and greater balance sheet flexibility as it continues to execute its growth strategy.

DayOne Data Centers Secures Over $2 Billion Series C To Advance Hyperscale Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

DayOne Data Centers Limited announced it has entered into definitive agreements for more than $2.0 billion in Series C equity financing, a fundraising total the company described as one of the largest private capital raises in the data center sector. The Singapore-headquartered platform said the new capital is intended to accelerate development of next-generation, AI-ready digital infrastructure across key markets in Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Orano Secures $900 Million DOE Funding For Planned U.S. Uranium Enrichment Plant in Tennessee

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Orano announced it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $900 million in funding to help build a new enriched uranium production facility in the United States, a project the company estimates will cost nearly $5 billion in total.

Flexera Buys ProsperOps And Chaos Genius

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 7, 2026

Flexera is expanding its FinOps portfolio through the acquisitions of ProsperOps and Chaos Genius, aiming to deliver a more autonomous, AI-enabled cost optimization layer across both public cloud infrastructure and fast-growing data platforms. The company said the two deals strengthen its ability to help enterprises not only track and allocate cloud spending, but also take automated action to reduce waste and optimize commitments and workloads across major environments, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Snowflake, and Databricks.