Innovation

Good Springs Capital Investing In Falasca Mechanical To Support Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Good Springs Capital, a private investment firm that partners with founders, families, and entrepreneurial management teams in the industrial and services sectors, announced that entities managed by the firm have completed an investment in Falasca Mechanical, a leading regional provider of HVAC and plumbing services based in Vineland, New Jersey.

Sotherly Hotels To Be Acquired By JV Backed By Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners And Ascendant Capital Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Sotherly Hotels announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by a joint venture led by affiliates of Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners (KWHP), with Ascendant Capital Partners LP serving as a strategic partner.

Insignia Capital: $500 Million Fund III Closed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Insignia Capital Group, a growth-focused private equity firm, announced the final close of its third fund, surpassing its $375 million target and reaching its hard cap with over $500 million in total capital commitments. The fund was oversubscribed, reflecting strong support from existing limited partners and participation from select new institutional investors.

WorkHero: $5 Million Seed Funding Closed To Bring AI-Based Back Office Automation To Small HVAC Contractors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

WorkHero, an AI-based back office platform designed for small HVAC contractors, announced it has raised a $5 million seed round led by Navitas Capital, with participation from Workshop Ventures, York IE, and several strategic angel investors, including a former ServiceTitan executive.

Onfire: $20 Million Raised To Build Vertical AI Platform For IT Revenue Teams

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Onfire, a Vertical AI platform redefining how IT revenue teams generate and accelerate sales, announced it has raised $20 million in initial funding, co-led by Grove Ventures and TLV Partners, with additional participation from IN Venture and Leumi Tech 77 by Bank Leumi. The round positions Onfire to scale its mission to build the first vertically focused, contextual AI go-to-market (GTM) platform for the $5 trillion IT market.

Vista Equity Partners To Buy Majority Stake In Nexthink At $3 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Nexthink, a global leader in Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management, announced it has signed a definitive agreement for a majority investment from Vista Equity Partners, a leading global technology investor specializing in enterprise software. The transaction, which values Nexthink at approximately $3 billion, marks one of the most significant deals in the rapidly growing digital workplace and AI-driven IT operations sectors.

Voyager Technologies Acquires ExoTerra Resource To Enhance U.S. Propulsion Manufacturing And Space Defense

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Voyager Technologies, a leading defense and space technology company, announced the acquisition of ExoTerra Resource, a pioneering developer of high-performance electric propulsion systems. The acquisition marks a significant step in bolstering America’s domestic propulsion manufacturing capacity and closing critical capability gaps for both defense and commercial space markets.

LegitScript Buys Kompliant To Build Unified AI-Driven Platform For Merchant Risk And Compliance Automation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

LegitScript, a global leader in merchant and product certification and monitoring, has announced the acquisition of Kompliant, a compliance orchestration platform serving banks and financial service providers. The acquisition combines LegitScript’s risk intelligence, market data, and AI-driven monitoring capabilities with Kompliant’s advanced automation technology to create an end-to-end compliance platform that enhances merchant onboarding, underwriting, and lifecycle risk management.

Haven Capital Partners And Altaline Capital Form Saratoga Compliance Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Haven Capital Partners, in partnership with Altaline Capital Management, has announced the formation of Saratoga Compliance Solutions, a next-generation insurance compliance platform created through the merger of 3H Compliance Group (3HCG) and National Licensing Compliance Group (NLCG). The new company will provide one of the most comprehensive compliance software and service suites in the insurance industry, serving more than 300 combined clients across the United States.

Tiny Health: Interview With Founder & CEO Cheryl Sew Hoy About The At-Home Microbiome Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Tiny Health is a health technology company specializing in at-home microbiome testing for individuals and families across all life stages—from infancy through adulthood. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Tiny Health founder and CEO Cheryl Sew Hoy to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

VSE To Buy Aero 3 In $350 Million Deal To Expand Global Wheel And Brake Aftermarket Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

VSE Corporation, a leading provider of aviation aftermarket distribution and repair services, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire GenNx/AeroRepair IntermediateCo Inc., the parent company of Aero 3, a global Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) service provider and distributor specializing in the commercial wheel and brake aftermarket. The deal, valued at $350 million in cash, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Mercor: $350 Million Series C Raised To Transform Work In The Age Of AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Mercor, a company pioneering the intersection of human expertise and artificial intelligence, announced a $350 million Series C funding round led by Felicis, with participation from Benchmark, General Catalyst, and Robinhood Ventures. The round values Mercor at $10 billion, a fivefold increase from its previous valuation, and marks one of the largest late-stage funding rounds in the emerging field of AI labor markets.

NVIDIA And Nokia Sign $1 Billion Strategic Partnership To Build AI Platform For 6G

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

NVIDIA and Nokia announced a strategic partnership to develop and deploy the world’s first AI-native 6G platform, combining NVIDIA’s accelerated computing and AI expertise with Nokia’s industry-leading radio access network (RAN) technology. The collaboration will deliver next-generation AI-RAN systems to power the evolution from 5G to 6G and enable operators to launch intelligent, adaptive, and efficient mobile networks.

OS Studios: Interview With CEO John Higgins About The Creative Agency

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

OS Studios is a creative agency that specializes in connecting brands with the next generation of fans, especially within the booming world of gaming, esports, and live entertainment. Pulse 2.0 interviewed OS Studios CEO John Higgins to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Citi And Coinbase Partnering To Expand Digital Asset Payment Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Citi and Coinbase have announced a strategic collaboration to develop digital asset payment capabilities for Citi’s institutional clients, marking a significant step toward integrating traditional banking infrastructure with digital finance. The partnership aims to streamline fiat pay-ins, pay-outs, and payments orchestration, enhancing Coinbase’s on- and off-ramps that connect fiat currencies to the digital asset ecosystem.

Cypress Equity Investments And LWK Partners: $100 Million Credit Facility Secured From AscentDS

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Cypress Equity Investments (CEI), a national multifamily developer and real estate investment firm, and LWK Partners (LWK), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on attainable multifamily housing, have secured a $100 million custom credit facility from Ascent Developer Solutions (AscentDS) to accelerate their Workforce Housing Density Addition strategy across the greater Los Angeles area.

SavvyMoney: $225 Million Raised For Advancing AI Innovation And Growth For Financial Institutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

SavvyMoney, a leading provider of financial wellness and growth solutions for banks, credit unions, and fintechs, announced a $225 million minority investment co-led by PSG and Canapi Ventures, with continued participation from Spectrum Equity. The round marks a significant milestone in SavvyMoney’s evolution, accelerating its product innovation and market expansion efforts to serve its growing network of more than 1,500 financial institutions.

Welltower: $23 Billion In Transactions Announced To Deepen Seniors Housing Focus

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Welltower has announced $23 billion in transactions designed to expand its presence in seniors housing and sharpen its strategic focus on rental housing for aging populations across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The transactions include $14 billion in acquisitions of more than 700 high-quality seniors housing communities encompassing over 46,000 units. They are expected to be fully funded through $9 billion of asset sales, loan repayments, and cash on hand.

Dracula Technologies: €30 Million Series A Raised For Battery-Free IoT Soutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Dracula Technologies, a French pioneer in battery-free Internet of Things (IoT) solutions powered by ambient light, announced the completion of its €30 million Series A funding round, including an extension led by Banque des Territoires acting on behalf of the French State under the “France 2030” program. The round also included participation from MGI Digital Technology Group, historical private investors, and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, which joined as a new strategic partner.

IBM Launches Digital Asset Haven Platform to Help Financial Institutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

IBM recently announced the launch of IBM Digital Asset Haven, a comprehensive platform designed for financial institutions, governments, and corporations seeking to securely manage and scale their digital asset operations across multiple blockchains. The new platform allows banks and regulated enterprises to oversee the full digital asset lifecycle from custody to transactions and settlement while maintaining compliance, security, and sovereignty standards.

American Water And Essential Utilities Merging In $63 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

American Water Works Company and Essential Utilities announced a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock and tax-free transaction that will create the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the United States. The combined company will serve approximately 4.7 million water and wastewater connections across 17 states, with a combined rate base of about $29.3 billion and a market capitalization of roughly $40 billion. Based on closing stock prices as of October 24, 2025, the merger implies a combined enterprise value of approximately $63 billion.

Blackstone: Michele Rabà Named As Head of European Private Equity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Blackstone announced that Michele Rabà will join the firm in April 2026 as Head of European Corporate Private Equity, succeeding Lionel Assant, who was recently promoted to Global Co-Chief Investment Officer of Blackstone.

Huntington To Buy Cadence Bank In $7.4 Billion All-Stock Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (Nasdaq: HBAN) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cadence Bank, a $53 billion regional institution headquartered in Houston, Texas, and Tupelo, Mississippi. The all-stock transaction, valued at $7.4 billion, represents a pivotal expansion for Huntington, establishing a significant presence across the South and immediate scale in Texas and Mississippi.

C1 Fund Expanding Digital Asset Portfolio With Strategic Investment In Kraken

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

C1 Fund, a public closed-end investment fund focused on private companies in digital asset services and technology, announced its investment in Kraken, one of the world’s largest and longest-operating digital asset trading platforms.

ASU: Accreditation And Nine-Figure Gift Secured To Launch The John Shufeldt School Of Medicine And Medical Engineering

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Arizona State University (ASU) announced a landmark moment for its rapidly growing health initiative, unveiling both preliminary accreditation for its new medical school and a nine-figure gift from alumnus and physician Dr. John Shufeldt, which will name the institution the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering.

Hovione: $100 Million Expansion Of New Jersey Manufacturing Site Completed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Hovione, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced the completion of its initial $100 million investment cycle to expand its New Jersey manufacturing site, marking a significant step in the company’s long-term strategy to scale U.S. operations and advance integrated drug substance and product manufacturing capabilities.

Breakwall Capital: $125 Million Closed For Inaugural Energy Credit Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Breakwall Capital, an independent energy-focused asset management firm, announced the initial close of $125 million for its flagship vehicle, Breakwall Energy Credit Partners Fund (BEC I). The fund will provide senior secured first lien direct lending to companies operating across energy infrastructure, infrastructure services, and the energy transition subsectors, supporting both conventional and next-generation energy businesses.

KPS Capital Partners To Buy Controlling Stake In Ketjen From Albemarle In $1.6 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

KPS Capital Partners announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Albemarle Corporation to acquire a controlling 51% stake in Ketjen Corporation’s refining catalyst solutions business, forming a new independent company that will become a global leader in advanced catalysts and additives for the refining and petrochemical industries.

Starlight Investments Expands UK Build-To-Rent Portfolio With Maidenhead Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Starlight Investments, a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm, has announced the acquisition of a build-to-rent (BTR) development in Maidenhead, Berkshire, marking a significant step in the company’s continued expansion across the UK rental housing market. The acquisition, part of the St Cloud Way regeneration scheme, was completed with Countryside Properties (UK) Limited, a subsidiary of Vistry Group, and brings Starlight’s UK BTR portfolio to 4,000 rental homes.

Gryphon Investors: $1.6 Billion Sale Of Shermco to Blackstone Completed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 28, 2025

Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private investment firm, announced the completion of the $1.6 billion sale of its portfolio company, Shermco, to funds affiliated with Blackstone. The deal, initially announced on August 21, 2025, marks one of the most notable middle-market private equity exits of the year.