Innovation

Apax Digital Funds Invest In Inspectorio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Inspectorio, a production-chain management platform, announced a growth investment from the Apax Digital Funds, the growth equity arm of Apax Partners LLP. Inspectorio is an AI-powered SaaS platform that enables global brands, retailers, and their supplier networks to digitize the entire production chain, including quality lifecycle, product regulations compliance, supplier ESG audits, and multi-tier traceability workflows, overlaid with a network intelligence control tower to drive AI-powered scenario planning and execution.

Brightwood Capital Advisors Provides Financing For Critical Energy Infrastructure Services’ Refinancing And Strategic Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Brightwood Capital Advisors, a private credit firm focused on middle-market companies, announced it has provided senior secured financing to support Critical Energy Infrastructure Services, a portfolio company of White Wolf Capital Group, Inc. The deal refinanced the company's existing debt and provided acquisition financing to support its acquisition of One Tech Engineering, expanding its capabilities and strengthening its position as a provider of critical infrastructure services to the energy industry.

Wingspire Equipment Finance Backs Regional Air Travel Growth With $25 Million Aircraft Financing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Wingspire Equipment Finance announced a $25 million capital lease commitment for a private aviation and regional air travel company. An initial $8 million has been funded to support the acquisition and refurbishment of extended-range regional jet aircraft.

Forum Markets Acquires Aircraft Engine For Approximately $12 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Forum Markets, a digital asset platform modernizing capital markets through the tokenization of real-world assets, announced it has closed the acquisition of a commercial aircraft engine for approximately $12 million in cash, expanding the company's aviation portfolio to four income-generating engines under long-term leases with major U.S. airlines. The company is in the process of finalizing the purchase of an additional engine, with the transaction expected to close in the coming weeks, bringing its aviation portfolio to five engines.

Bunkerhill Health Raises $55 Million Series B To Scale Agentic AI Platform For Health Systems

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Bunkerhill Health, a San Francisco-based company that builds agentic AI infrastructure for hospitals and health systems, has closed a Series B funding round led by Khosla Ventures, with continued participation from Sequoia Capital, Felicis, Optum Ventures, and Y Combinator. The Series B brings total funding across all rounds to $55 million. The company's platform, Carebricks, is in production at Cleveland Clinic, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), and Intermountain Health.

Fireworks Raises $1.5 Billion Series D At $17.5 Billion Valuation As ARR Surpasses $1 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Fireworks, a San Mateo-based platform for building and serving specialized AI models, has raised a $1.505 billion Series D at a $17.5 billion valuation. The round was led by Atreides Management, Index Ventures, and TCV, with participation from existing investors Evantic, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and NVIDIA. Additional investors in the round include 20VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Lone Pine Capital, Menlo Ventures, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and others.

Citi Impact Fund Commits $25 Million To Housing Innovation Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

The Citi Impact Fund has announced a $25 million commitment to invest in companies developing technology-enabled solutions for housing access, supply, and affordability across the United States. The commitment is part of Citi's broader Blueprint for Housing Opportunity initiative, a five-year, $60 billion effort to enhance U.S. housing affordability and help create or preserve 250,000 units.

Whale Raises $40 Million Series C3 Extension, Bringing Total Series C to $100 Million For Enterprise AI Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Whale, a Singapore-headquartered enterprise AI company, has closed a $40 million Series C3 extension, bringing its total Series C financing to $100 million. The round was led by CMB International (via an CMBI investment fund focused on AI and frontier technology) and SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Additional participants include Krungsri Finnovate (the CVC arm of Krungsri/Bank of Ayudhya, part of MUFG), Singtel Innov8, Hyundai Motor Group, and Charisma Partners. Earlier Series C participants include Bosch Ventures, MTR Lab, MDI Ventures, Gentree Fund, and Linear Capital.

Fora Raises $60 Million Series D At $1 Billion Valuation As Travel Bookings Cross $3 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Fora, a New York-based platform for independent travel advisors, has closed a $60 million Series D at a $1 billion post-money valuation. The round was led by Forerunner and Tactile Ventures, with continued participation from Thrive Capital, Insight Partners, and Heartcore Capital. New investors include PLUS Capital — alongside Amy Schumer and members of its artist and athlete collective — BlackPines Capital Partners, and Tribeca Venture Partners. The financing brings Fora's total funding to $138.5 million.

Wonder Raises $650 Million Series D At $9 Billion Valuation To Accelerate Food Tech Platform Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Wonder, a vertically integrated food technology platform founded by Marc Lore, has raised $650 million in a Series D round at a $9 billion pre-money valuation. Existing investors Accel, GV (Google Ventures), and New Enterprise Associates participated alongside new investors including funds managed by AllianceBernstein, ARK Invest, and Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management. Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and J.P. Morgan acted as placement agents.

Syntetica Raises $30 Million Series A to Scale Dual-Stream Nylon Recycling Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Syntetica, a French green chemistry startup developing a process to recycle both Nylon 6 and Nylon 6.6 simultaneously, has closed a $30 million Series A led by Bpifrance Green Venture, with strategic participation from lululemon and MAS Holdings. Additional investors in the round include SWEN Capital Partners and the European Innovation Council, alongside returning backers EQT Ventures, 1st Kind, Volta Circle, MILINVEST, and Athletico Ventures.

beehiiv Launches Community, AI Copilot, Programmatic Ads, and Visual Editor in Major Platform Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

beehiiv, the newsletter-first publishing platform, has announced its most significant product expansion to date, introducing four major new capabilities: Community, Copilot, programmatic advertising, and a redesigned visual editor alongside enhancements across its podcast, website, and monetization tools. The announcements were made during the company's virtual Summer Release Event.

LightPath Technologies Receives $11 Million Follow-On Infrared Camera Order For Counter-Drone Applications

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

LightPath Technologies (Nasdaq: LPTH), an Orlando-based provider of optics and infrared imaging systems, has received an $11 million follow-on purchase order for infrared cameras from an undisclosed leading global technology customer, for use in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) applications. The order continues a purchasing relationship previously established through prior orders with the same customer and reflects growing demand for LightPath's infrared camera systems in public safety and defense markets.

Eden Capital Announces Kate Jhaveri As New Operating Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Eden Capital, a New York-based private equity firm focused on technology, business services, and education, announced Kate Jhaveri as a new Operating Partner. Jhaveri has an established background in marketing and analytics, with past leadership roles at Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, the National Basketball Association, and TikTok. She currently sits on the board of directors for Teads and has served as an advisor for a number of growing companies. In this new role, Jhaveri will play a key part in supporting Eden Capital's portfolio companies' marketing execution and driving their growth.

Raintree Acquires Spike Technologies, Bringing Genuinely Agentic AI Voice To Revenue Cycle And Patient Engagement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Raintree, the leading electronic health record and practice management platform for rehabilitation and physical therapy organizations, announced it has acquired Spike Technologies, a developer of genuinely agentic AI voice technology for healthcare. The acquisition embeds AI voice directly into Raintree's platform to take on manually intensive work in revenue cycle and patient engagement, including payer calls, claim follow-ups, eligibility and prior-authorization, and patient outreach, marking a step toward fully autonomous revenue cycle management. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

BIOTRONIK Neuro Acquires Spinal Cord Stimulation IP Portfolio From Soin Neuroscience

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

BIOTRONIK Neuro, the neuromodulation division of Berlin-based global medical device company BIOTRONIK, has acquired a portfolio of intellectual property related to spinal cord stimulation (SCS) from Soin Neuroscience, a Dayton, Ohio-based medical device innovator founded by pain management physician Amol Soin, M.D. Financial terms were not disclosed. Soin Neuroscience will continue to operate as an independent company, with the transaction limited to the intellectual property underlying its spinal cord stimulation program.

Orum Acquires Scout AI To Improve Phone Data Accuracy For Sales Teams

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Orum, an AI-powered calling platform used by more than 1,200 sales organizations, announced it has acquired Scout AI to help sales teams identify the most reliable phone number for reaching each prospect. Scout AI uses autonomous data agents to connect a company’s customer relationship management system with more than 30 external data sources and Orum’s proprietary calling intelligence. The system evaluates available phone numbers, identifies the one most likely to reach a live person, and continuously updates that information as new data becomes available.

FalconX Acquires bloXroute to Build Institutional Infrastructure for Onchain Capital Markets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

FalconX, a digital asset prime brokerage backed by investors including Thoma Bravo, Tiger Global, Lightspeed, and GIC, has acquired bloXroute, a blockchain networking and trading infrastructure company founded in 2017. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition combines FalconX's institutional trading platform with bloXroute's blockchain connectivity infrastructure as the two companies position themselves for the convergence of traditional and digital asset markets on-chain.

IBM Launches Power Autonomous Operations, IBM Bob for IBM i, and Entry-Level Power S1112 Server

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

IBM has announced three additions to its Power platform: IBM Power Autonomous Operations, an AI agent designed to monitor and self-resolve infrastructure issues; IBM Bob Premium Package for i, an agentic development assistant for IBM i application modernization; and the Power S1112, a new entry-level one-socket Power11 server built for compact on-premises deployment. The announcements extend IBM's strategy of embedding autonomous AI capabilities across its Power infrastructure stack, from hardware through operations and application development.

Stark Power Secures Up To NIS 146 Million (About $48 Million) To Accelerate Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Stark Power, a US-focused energy infrastructure and data center development company, announced an equity raise of up to approximately NIS 146 million (~$48 million), anchored by Migdal Insurance, one of Israel's largest institutional investors, along with the company's current largest shareholders.

Glacis Labs Raises $6.8 Million To Scale ZeroDelta Digital Asset Clearing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Glacis Labs raised $6.8 million in seed funding to expand ZeroDelta, its multichain clearinghouse designed to match, net, and settle digital asset transactions across blockchain networks. The round was led by Lightspeed Faction, with participation from Franklin Templeton, Coinbase Ventures, Again, formerly known as IDC Ventures, Protein Capital, and Techni Ventures. Glacis Labs plans to use the funding to expand its team, scale operations, and accelerate the commercial rollout of ZeroDelta.

Proaction Announces $4.2 Million In Funding To Build The Modern Alternative To Legacy Fleet Management Services

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Proaction, an AI-native fleet management technology and services company, announced $4.2 million in funding to build a modern alternative to the expensive, outdated methods commercial fleets are traditionally managed. New investors include GTMfund, Breakers, Aviso Ventures, and Iowa InnoVenture, with continued participation from Holman Growth Ventures and the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Neko Health Raises $700 Million Series C Ahead Of U.S. Launch

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Neko Health raised $700 million in Series C funding to open its first U.S. clinics and expand its technology-driven preventive healthcare platform across additional markets. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and co-led by O.G. Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors Atomico, General Catalyst, and Lakestar. New investors included Liberty City Ventures, Positive Sum, and BDT & MSD. David Ofer of O.G. Venture Partners is expected to join Neko Health’s board of directors, subject to regulatory approval.

Jacobs Secures Three UK National Highways Contracts For Viaduct Renewal And Project Management

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Jacobs, a Dallas-based global infrastructure and engineering firm with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue, has secured three new contracts with National Highways, the UK government company responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving England's motorways and major A-roads. The awards expand Jacobs' role across the strategic road network in design, asset renewal, and project management.

Invest in Women Taskforce Surpasses £115 Million Deployed Across 22 Deals

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

The Invest in Women Taskforce, a UK initiative backed by His Majesty's Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade, has announced that more than £115 million in capital has now been deployed through its funding pool across 22 deals, with additional transactions in the pipeline. The milestone marks the transition of the Taskforce's work from capital-raising to active deployment into women-led and mixed fund managers and businesses.

Fiduciary Services Group Acquires Retirement Plan Administrator RetireWell

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Fiduciary Services Group (FSG), the parent company of DWC – The 401(k) Experts, announced it has acquired RetireWell Administrators, a New Jersey-based third-party administrator (TPA) specializing in retirement plan administration and consulting services.

LatentView Analytics Appoints Sonal Ramrakhiani As Chief Executive Officer To Accelerate Global AI-Led Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Latent View Analytics, an AI-driven analytics, data engineering, and consulting firm, announced the appointment of Sonal Ramrakhiani as its Chief Executive Officer, effective July 15, 2026. Rajan Sethuraman, who has served as CEO since 2019, will transition to the role of Strategic Advisor to the CEO, working closely with Ramrakhiani and the Board for up to six months to ensure a seamless handover of leadership responsibilities.

Global Business Consultants: Interview With Senior Business Consultant Erick Parker

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Global Business Consultants is a business consulting firm that helps small business owners implement data-driven operational and financial management strategies, offering services like access to capital, bookkeeping, payroll, and personalized strategic roadmaps to grow revenue and improve efficiency from startup through exit. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Global Business Consultants Senior Business Consultant, Operations & Financial Management, Erick Parker, to learn more.

Google Renames NotebookLM As Gemini Notebook And Adds Native Code Execution

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

Google is renaming NotebookLM as Gemini Notebook, marking the next phase for the AI-powered research and learning product that was first introduced at Google I/O 2023 as Project Tailwind.

DeweyLearn Raises $5 Million Series A To Scale AI-Powered Skills Assessment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 16, 2026

DeweyLearn has raised $5 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round to expand its multimodal artificial intelligence platform for evaluating real-world skills and delivering expert-level feedback at scale. SJF Ventures led the round, with participation from Catalysis Capital, Morningside, Owl Ventures and other investors.