Innovation

Augmodo Raises $21 Million At $350 Million Valuation To Scale Physical AI Assistants

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Augmodo has raised an additional $21 million in financing at a $350 million valuation to expand its artificial intelligence assistants for workers operating in retail, manufacturing, automotive, logistics and other physical environments. Existing investor TQ Ventures led the financing after approaching Augmodo to increase its investment in light of the company’s recent growth and customer adoption.

Dan Ye: An Interview With The John Hopkins Lecturer And Technologist

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Dan Ye is an entrepreneur and technology executive best known as the co-founder and CEO of CollegeNode, an online platform that provides college admissions guidance and educational technologies. He is a prominent commentator on how artificial intelligence is transforming education and actively advocates integrating AI into traditional learning systems. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Ye to learn more.

Rime Raises $24 Million Series A To Build Enterprise-Ready Speech-To-Speech AI Models

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Rime has raised $24 million in Series A funding to expand its enterprise voice AI platform and support the development of speech-to-speech models designed for complex and regulated environments. The round was led by M13, with participation from Twilio Ventures, Corazon Capital, Unusual Ventures and other existing investors. Morgan Blumberg, a partner at M13, will join Rime’s board of directors in connection with the financing.

Float Raises €4.5 Million Series A To Build AI-Native Financial Platform For European Tech SMEs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Float has raised €4.5 million in Series A funding to expand its revenue-based financing business and develop an AI-native financial platform for European technology companies. The round was led by Hamburg-based CHAPTERS Group AG.

Sagard Credit Partners III Holds $1 Billion First Close And Targets $2 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Sagard has announced the first close of Sagard Credit Partners III (SCP III), securing more than $1 billion in initial commitments toward the private credit fund’s $2 billion target.

Pivot Point Consulting: Interview With VP Of Managed Services Molly Kalinowski About Why Managed Services Is Healthcare’s Workforce Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Pivot Point Consulting is a healthcare-focused IT services and consulting firm that provides managed services, strategic advisory, and talent solutions to help providers, payers, and life sciences organizations navigate digital transformation and optimize their technology systems. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Pivot Point Consulting VP of Managed Services Molly Kalinowski to learn more.

Google Breaks Ground On Steel River Energy Center, Its Largest Solar And Battery Storage Project Ever

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Google has broken ground on the Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas, a solar and battery storage facility that will be the largest of its kind in the United States upon completion. The project is being developed in partnership with Cypress Creek Energy. Google is participating as both an anchor investor and an energy offtaker.

Frontier Airlines To Install Starlink On Fleet Beginning In Early 2027

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Frontier Airlines has announced an agreement to equip its aircraft with Starlink, SpaceX's low-Earth orbit satellite broadband service, with the first Starlink-equipped flight planned for early 2027. The deal is part of a broader commitment by Indigo Partners — Frontier's private equity owner — to deploy Starlink across more than 1,000 aircraft operated by its portfolio airlines worldwide.

StartUpNV: Interview With Executive Director Jeff Saling About The Business Incubator

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

StartUpNV is a non-profit business incubator and accelerator that supports early-stage and growing startups in Nevada by providing expert mentorship, structured business programs, and access to a network of affiliated venture capital funds. Pulse 2.0 interviewed StartUpNV Executive Director Jeff Saling to learn more.

Goldman Sachs Posts Record $7.42 Billion In Equities Trading Revenue

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

AdvanCell Closes $315 Million Series D Financing To Advance Targeted Alpha Therapies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

AdvanCell, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing targeted alpha therapies for cancer, announced the closing of an oversubscribed and upsized $315 million Series D financing. The round was led by Ally Bridge Group and co-led by Alpha Wave, alongside new investors Bain Capital Life Sciences, Fidelity Management & Research Company, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., a leading sovereign wealth fund, Eventide Asset Management, and Velosity Capital, with existing investors including Morningside, Eli Lilly and Company, SV Health Investors, Sanofi Ventures, Abingworth, SymBiosis, Tenmile, Brandon Capital, Piper Heartland, Catalio Capital Management, Proto Axiom, and Time BioVentures also participating.

LionLight Capital Closes Inaugural Fund At $215 Million Hard Cap In Ten Weeks

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

LionLight Capital, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based growth-oriented private equity firm, has closed its inaugural fund, LionLight Capital Fund I, at its hard cap of $215 million in capital commitments. The fund was oversubscribed and reached the hard cap in ten weeks. Pacenote Capital served as exclusive placement agent, and Cooley provided legal counsel.

SkyAlyne And PAL Aerospace Reach C$750 Million RCAF Training Agreement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

SkyAlyne and PAL Aerospace have reached an agreement for an approximately C$750 million contract covering aircraft modification, training and in-service support for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Future Aircrew Training program.

HB Wealth Launches Dedicated Institutional Advisory And OCIO Practice And Hires Two Senior Advisors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

HB Wealth, an Atlanta-based independent fee-only registered investment adviser managing more than $32 billion in assets, has launched a dedicated Institutional Advisory and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) practice. The new business segment formalizes and expands the firm's longstanding service relationships with nonprofit organizations, foundations, endowments, and corporate clients into a purpose-built advisory offering with dedicated personnel and infrastructure.

Oral Biolife Appoints Thomas J. Corrigan As Vice President Of Finance

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Oral Biolife has appointed Thomas J. Corrigan, CPA, as Vice President of Finance to strengthen its financial strategy and support the biotechnology company’s next phase of growth.

ICE USA Acquires Southeastern Land Company In Fourth Platform Add-On

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering USA (ICE USA), a transportation-focused engineering and consulting platform backed by lower middle-market private equity firm Godspeed Capital Management, has acquired Southeastern Land Company (SLC), a right-of-way and easement acquisition firm serving public infrastructure and utility clients across North and South Carolina. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is the fourth add-on acquisition under the ICE USA platform.

Aligned Climate Capital And Planted Solar Advance Innovative Community Solar Project

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Aligned Climate Capital has acquired Armoracia, a 7.3 MW DC community solar project in Collinsville Township, Illinois, through its Aligned Solar Partners strategy. The project will deploy Planted Solar's power deployment platform across a 16-acre site, serving subscribers through the Illinois Adjustable Block Program on the Ameren Illinois grid, with commercial operation expected later this year.

flyExclusive Completes Acquisition of Jet.AI Aviation Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

flyExclusive, a Kinston, North Carolina-based provider of private aviation services, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Jet.AI's aviation assets. The transaction delivers a mix of operating assets, future fleet positions, marketable securities, and cash, rather than a straightforward purchase of aircraft and customers alone. Financial terms were not separately disclosed.

Mitsubishi Electric Acquires HVAC Sales, Installation and Maintenance Companies Of APAC And COMPAC Groups In Netherlands

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Mitsubishi Electric announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A. acquired all shares of the APAC group and the COMPAC group, including their operating companies involved in HVAC sales, installation, and maintenance, on July 13. Both groups were headquartered in Utrecht Province in the Netherlands.

University Of Illinois Researchers Develop 3D Thermal Cloak That Hides Objects From Heat In Any Direction

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Technical University of Denmark have developed a three-dimensional thermal cloak that can conceal objects from infrared cameras while protecting them from extreme temperatures.

First Washington Realty Acquires Evergreen Village In Bellevue

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

First Washington Realty has acquired Evergreen Village, a 123,562-square-foot grocery-anchored community shopping center in Bellevue, Washington. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Daida Acquires Foveonics Document Solutions, Adding Market-Leading Platform to National Government Services Practice

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Daida, a national provider of business process services, document digitization, digital workflow, and enterprise content management services, announced the acquisition of Foveonics Document Solutions, a New Jersey-based leader in document scanning, digital records outsourcing, and enterprise content management solutions serving state and local governments. The transaction represents Daida's sixth add-on acquisition under the ownership of HiGro Group and its affiliates, and the first of two acquisitions Daida completed in 2026.

Marco Acquires Rocket Seals To Expand Industrial Sealing Products Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Marco Sealing Solutions, a portfolio company of Align Capital Partners, has acquired Rocket Seals, a Denver-based independent distributor of O-rings and other sealing products. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Meet The People Acquires The LOOMIS Agency, Advancing Its New Generation Agency Model

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Meet The People (MTP), the advertising holding company for big and mid-sized clients, announced its expansion into the South with the acquisition of The LOOMIS Agency, a Dallas-based, culture-driven challenger brand specialist, and its digital marketing arm, iluminere. The deal extends MTP's platform into one of the country's largest corporate markets, growing the group to 12 brands and over 850 employees across North America.

Wafra Closes Constellation Generation V At $2 Billion, Surpassing Target

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Wafra Inc., a New York-based alternative investment firm with approximately $30 billion in assets under management, has held the final close of Constellation Generation V (CG V) at $2.0 billion, exceeding the fund's $1.5 billion fundraising target. CG V is the largest vehicle raised for Wafra's Capital Constellation strategy since the platform launched in 2012. The fund has already begun deploying capital through strategic partnerships with Niobrara Capital and Gallatin Point Capital.

Walden Robotics Raises $300 Million At $1.1 Billion Valuation To Deploy General-Purpose Robots

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Walden Robotics has launched from stealth with $300 million in seed funding to develop and deploy general-purpose robots that can learn continuously while performing useful work in manufacturing, logistics and other industrial environments. The financing values the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based physical AI company at $1.1 billion. Toyota and Deviation Capital co-led the round. Toyota participated through Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Invention Partners and Toyota Ventures. Other strategic investors included NVIDIA, Boeing, AE Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Prologis Ventures and CoreWeave Ventures. Financial investors participating in the financing included Calibrate Ventures, Colle Capital, Shine Capital, NextView Ventures, Squarepoint Capital, One Madison Group, KAS Venture Partners and Menlo Ventures, among others.

Acumatica Acquires Vertrax To Expand Fuel And Energy Distribution Software

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Acumatica has acquired Vertrax, a longtime technology partner that provides cloud-based enterprise resource planning and business management software for the fuel and energy distribution industry. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Pulse Security AI: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Mike Armistead About The Cybersecurity Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Pulse Security AI provides an autonomous, AI-driven cybersecurity platform designed to instantly deploy a full security stack and autonomously manage it 24/7. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Pulse Security AI co-founder and CEO Mike Armistead to learn more.

Lightbeam: Interview With President Ben Stilwill About The Healthcare Technology Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Lightbeam Health Solutions is a healthcare technology company that provides an AI-powered population health platform. It aggregates fragmented medical and social data to help providers, payers, and health systems improve care quality, manage patient risk, and succeed in value-based care. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Lightbeam Health President Ben Stilwill to learn more.

Railmark Acquires Katahdin Railcar Services To Expand Tank Car Repair Network

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Railmark Holdings, a Henderson, Kentucky-based rail services company, has acquired Katahdin Railcar Services LLC, an Association of American Railroads (AAR)-certified tank car repair operation based in Derby, Maine. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition brings Railmark to 13 operating locations across 11 states, three of which are shortline railroads.