Innovation

Capital Power Signs $3 Billion Deal With Apollo

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Capital Power Corporation announced a significant expansion of its growth strategy during its 2025 Investor Day event in Toronto, outlining ambitious 2030 targets while securing two strategic agreements that reinforce its position as a leading North American natural gas power producer.

Alamo Group To Buy Petersen Industries In $166.5 Million Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Alamo Group has agreed to acquire Petersen Industries for $166.5 million, marking a significant expansion of its industrial equipment capabilities. The transaction, announced from the company’s headquarters in Seguin, Texas, will bring the Florida-based manufacturer of truck-mounted grapple loader equipment into Alamo Group’s Industrial Equipment Division once the deal closes in the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary conditions.

Perimeter Solutions To Buy Medical Manufacturing Technologies In $685 Million Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Perimeter Solutions announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Medical Manufacturing Technologies for approximately $685 million in cash, inclusive of certain tax benefits. The acquisition will add a high-growth, high-margin medical manufacturing platform to Perimeter’s portfolio and expand its presence into minimally invasive medical device production technologies.

Natura Resources Buys Shepherd Power And Forms Strategic Partnership With NOV

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Natura Resources has moved to expand and accelerate its commercial small modular reactor strategy through the acquisition of Shepherd Power and a new collaboration with NOV Inc.

Ball To Buy Majority Stake In Benepack’s European Beverage Can Operations For €184 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Ball Corporation has moved to expand its European manufacturing footprint through agreements to acquire a majority stake in Benepack’s beverage can production operations in Belgium and Hungary. The acquisition, valued at approximately €184 million for an 80 percent stake, represents a significant strategic investment intended to strengthen Ball’s position across Western and Eastern Europe. Benepack’s existing shareholders will retain the remaining 20 percent of the business.

Enova To Buy Grasshopper Bank In $369 Million Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Enova International has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Grasshopper Bancorp, including Grasshopper Bank, for approximately $369 million.

Blockstream Capital Partners Expands Institutional Platform With Acquisition Of Corbiere

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Blockstream Capital Partners announced plans to acquire Corbiere Capital Management, a Jersey-based equities hedge fund manager founded by Rodrigo Rodriguez, marking a significant expansion of its institutional investment platform. The deal strengthens BCP’s strategy of uniting traditional finance and Bitcoin-linked investment solutions, supported by its strategic partnership with digital asset custodian Komainu.

Tivic Acquires Scorpius Manufacturing Assets And Secures More Than $90 Million Financing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Tivic Health Systems has acquired the manufacturing and development assets of Scorpius Holdings, significantly expanding the company’s capabilities to advance its biologics pipeline, including its lead drug candidate, Entolimod. The transaction also enables the launch of Velocity Bioworks. This wholly owned Tivic subsidiary will operate as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization, providing cellular and biologic production services to Tivic and external biotechnology companies.

Runware: $50 Million Series A Raised To Advance Global Expansion Of Its Multi-Modal Inference Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Runware has secured a $50 million Series A funding round, marking a significant milestone for the rapidly scaling AI infrastructure company and cementing its position as a contender in global, low-latency multimodal inference. The round was led by Dawn Capital, with participation from Speedinvest and Comcast Ventures, alongside existing investors Insight Partners, a16z speedrun, Begin Capital, Zero Prime Ventures, and several early backers.

Hiro Capital Expands Leadership Team And Launches Hiro III Scaleup Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Hiro Capital has unveiled a significant expansion of its leadership team and the launch of Hiro III, a new multistage European fund aimed at accelerating growth in Spatial AI, robotics, longevity, games, space, and defence. As part of the initiative, Nick Clegg has joined the firm as General Partner, marking one of the most high-profile leadership additions to a European venture fund this year.

Cengage Group: Interview With Chief Digital Officer Darren Person About The Education Technology Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Cengage Group is an education and workforce technology company that provides digital learning solutions for students, educators, and employers. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Cengage Group Chief Digital Officer Darren Person to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Junevity: Seed Round Expanded To $20 Million To Advance siRNA Reprogramming Candidate Toward Clinical Trials

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Junevity has expanded its seed financing to a total of $20 million following a new $10 million investment led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital. The San Francisco based biotechnology company is developing therapeutics that use siRNA to reprogram cell states, with its lead program targeting type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Superblocks: Interview With Founder & CEO Brad Menezes About The Enterprise Software Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Superblocks is an enterprise software platform that lets companies rapidly build, deploy, and govern AI-powered internal applications across data, workflows, and integrations. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Superblocks founder and CEO Brad Menezes to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Sculptor Capital: $4.6 Billion Secured For Fifth Opportunistic Real Estate Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Sculptor Capital Management has closed its fifth opportunistic equity real estate fund with $4.6 billion in commitments, surpassing its original $3 billion target and reaching its hard cap. The firm also raised an additional $825 million in co-investment capital, enabling participating investors to commit alongside its flagship vehicle. The close marks one of the most significant capital raises in Sculptor’s real estate platform and reflects strong backing from both new and existing institutional LPs across global markets.

TIAA Wealth Management Launches New Brand Campaign To Broaden Access To Financial Advice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

TIAA Wealth Management has introduced a new brand platform titled Invest in Your Worth, representing a substantial repositioning of how the firm intends to deliver financial guidance to the millions of professionals it serves. The initiative reflects an expanded focus on technology investment, advisor support, and product innovation as the organization seeks to reach individuals who have accumulated meaningful retirement savings yet may not view themselves as candidates for professional financial advice.

Optilogic: Interview With Founder & CEO Don Hicks About The Supply Chain Design Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Optilogic is a company that provides a cloud-native supply chain design software platform. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Optilogic founder and CEO Don Hicks to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Triana Biomedicines: $120 Million Series B Secured To Advance Molecular Glue Degrader Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Triana Biomedicines has closed an oversubscribed $120 million Series B financing round that will accelerate development of its molecular glue degrader platform and advance its lead program, TRI-611, toward clinical proof-of-concept in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. The round was co-led by Ascenta Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from new investors including YK Bioventures, Regeneron Ventures, Invus, and Finchley Healthcare Ventures. Existing backers, including RA Capital Management, Atlas Venture, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Pfizer Ventures, and Surveyor Capital, also continued their support.

Natera Completes Acquisition Of Foresight Diagnostics For Up To $450 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Natera has completed its acquisition of Foresight Diagnostics in a transaction that expands its position in the fast-growing market for molecular residual disease testing and enhances its technological advantage across solid tumors and hematologic cancers. The deal includes an upfront all-stock consideration valued at $275 million, with an additional $175 million tied to revenue and reimbursement milestones.

SereneDB: $2.1 Million Pre-Seed Funding Raised To Advance Real-Time Search And Analytics Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

SereneDB, a Berlin-based database startup, has raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Entourage and High-Tech Gründerfonds. The company is developing a dedicated real-time search and analytics database designed to address the limitations of legacy systems that struggle with rapidly changing, complex data.

Bitstack: $15 Million Series A Raised For Expanding Across Europe And Launches New Bitcoin Rewards Card

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Bitstack has secured a $15 million Series A round that positions the French Bitcoin savings platform for broader European expansion and product growth. The round was led by 13books Capital, with participation from existing backers AG2R LA MONDIALE, Plug and Play Ventures, Serena, Stillmark and Y Combinator. The company, founded in 2021 and already a leading Bitcoin savings app in France, is now accelerating its continental ambitions after receiving MiCA authorization from the AMF in June 2025.

Righteous Felon: Investment Secured From GroundForce Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

GroundForce Capital has made a strategic investment in RTZN Brands, the parent company of Righteous Felon, marking a significant milestone for one of the fastest-growing brands in the better-for-you meat snack category. The new funding is intended to support Righteous Felon’s plans to broaden its national retail footprint, expand distribution partnerships, and introduce additional clean ingredient, high-protein meat snack innovations.

Solum Partners: Majority Investment In Greenyard Following €380 Million Takeover Bid

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Solum Partners has finalized its majority investment in Greenyard, marking one of the most significant private transactions in the European produce sector in recent years. The announcement comes after Greenyard’s delisting from Euronext Brussels in September, following a takeover bid at €7.40 per share that valued the company at approximately €380 million.

Akura Medical Raises $53 Million To Advance Thrombectomy Platform And Software Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Akura Medical has secured a $53 million first close for its Series C financing round, marking a significant step toward expanding its venous thromboembolism technology portfolio and accelerating commercial readiness. The round was led by Qatar Investment Authority, with participation from existing investors, and will also support the establishment of a new joint venture in Qatar.

Donna: $4.8 Million Raised To Advance Global Expansion Of Agentic AI Assistant For Field Sales Teams

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Donna, a fast-growing AI platform built for field sales professionals, has secured $4.8 million in new funding to expand internationally and strengthen its position in the sales enablement market. The new capital, announced in Ghent on December 3, 2025, was led by Frontline Ventures with participation from Pitchdrive, Fortino Capital, WeLoveFounders, Syndicate One, New School, Everywhere Ventures, and several experienced angel investors.

Pegasus Airlines To Acquire Czech Airlines And Smartwings In €154 Million Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Pegasus Airlines has reached an agreement to acquire Czech Airlines and its subsidiary Smartwings for €154 million, marking one of the most significant cross-border airline acquisitions in Europe this year. The deal includes the purchase of both companies and their associated receivables. Completion remains subject to regulatory approvals and additional transfer conditions.

Eikona: $5 Million Seed Round Raised To Advance GenAI-Driven Adaptive Marketing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Eikona, a Tel Aviv–based generative AI startup focused on lifecycle marketing, has raised a $5 million seed round to bring a new reinforcement learning–powered approach to A/B testing and automated content optimization. The round was led by StageOne Ventures with participation from Crescendo Venture Partners, Wix Ventures, and Clarim Ventures, as well as several industry and academic angel investors.

Qunnect: Interview With CEO Noel Goddard About The Quantum Networking Hardware Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Factorial Capital: $25 Million Fund II Closed To Advance Investments In Frontier AI Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Factorial Capital has closed Fund II at $25 million as the New York-based early-stage venture firm expands its model of backing technical founders building at the edge of what emerging AI technologies now make possible.

Marshall University Expands Digital Engagement With InScribe Partnership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Marshall University has launched a new partnership with InScribe Education to enhance connection, engagement, and resource accessibility for its online undergraduate students. The university will integrate InScribe’s digital community platform into its Marshall Online programming as part of a broader initiative to provide students with a unified, supportive digital ecosystem.

Holly Ventures: $33 Million Cybersecurity Fund Launched

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 11, 2025

Holly Ventures has officially launched its debut $33 million cybersecurity fund, introducing a solo-led model that gives early-stage cyber founders direct access to the firm’s decision-makers and a concentrated, high-value support network. The San Francisco-based fund, created by former YL Ventures Senior Partner John Brennan, is positioned as an alternative to significant platform funds that often emphasize capital scale or broad AI narratives over hands-on founder engagement.