Innovation

Valero Energy To Acquire Former LyondellBasell Houston Refinery For $320.5 Million And Restart 165,000 Barrels Per Day Of Capacity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Valero Energy Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the former LyondellBasell petroleum refinery in Houston, Texas, for $320.5 million. The transaction will expand Valero's refining footprint along the Houston Ship Channel and provide opportunities for additional crude oil processing capacity.

Nooks Secures $500 Million From General Catalyst To Expand AI Revenue Agents And Launch Node Sales Assistant

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Nooks, an artificial intelligence company developing autonomous sales and revenue management tools, has secured $500 million in growth financing from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund (CVF). The funding will support the expansion of Nooks' Revenue Agent Platform and the introduction of Node, an AI personal assistant designed to help sales representatives manage opportunities, improve productivity, and close deals.

Ocient Raises $100 Million In Series C Funding Co-Led By BOKA Capital And OCA Ventures To Expand Agentic AI Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Ocient, a Chicago-based provider of agentic AI and large-scale data analytics technology, has raised $100 million in Series C funding co-led by BOKA Capital and OCA Ventures. The financing brings the company's total capital raised to $260 million and will accelerate the expansion of OcientAIQ, its platform for deploying AI solutions across petabyte-scale data environments. The round included participation from all existing investors, with significant backing from Greycroft, In-Q-Tel, Blue Bear Capital, Buoyant Ventures, PSP Growth, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, and Eron Wolf.

Anaheim Bio Raises €40 Million In Series A Funding To Advance Treatment For Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Anaheim Bio, a Leiden, Netherlands-based biotechnology company developing treatments for calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD), has launched with an oversubscribed €40 million Series A financing. The investment will support the development of ANA-1, a small-molecule therapeutic candidate designed to address the underlying cause of the inflammatory joint condition.

Laza Medical Raises Up To $160 Million In Series B Financing Led By GE HealthCare To Advance AI-Powered Cardiac Imaging

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Laza Medical, a medical technology company developing artificial intelligence-powered robotic imaging systems for cardiovascular procedures, has raised up to $160 million in structured Series B financing led by GE HealthCare. The round also included participation from returning investors Unorthodox Ventures, PA MedTech, and AMED.

Soter Insure Expands Series B Funding With Investments From SC Ventures, SBI, And Token Bay

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Soter Insure, an Abu Dhabi-headquartered insurance company specializing in digital assets, has expanded its Series B financing with strategic investments from SC Ventures, the innovation and investment division of Standard Chartered, and Japan's SBI Group. The second close also includes follow-on investment from Token Bay Capital, which previously backed Soter during its Series A financing.

CVS Health Announces Plan To Split Into Two Publicly Traded Companies By 2028

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

CVS Health has announced plans to split into two independent, publicly traded companies: a healthcare solutions business focused on insurance, pharmacy benefits, specialty pharmacy, and care delivery, and a national retail pharmacy and community healthcare company. The company expects to complete the separation in the first half of 2028.

Clarion Partners Raises €552 Million For European Sale-Leaseback Fund III

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Clarion Partners has closed Clarion Europe Sale-Leaseback Fund III with €552 million in equity commitments, giving the real estate investment manager approximately €1.1 billion of available investment capacity for its European sale-leaseback strategy.

QSimulate: Interview With Co-Founder And CEO Toru Shiozaki About Accelerating Drug Discovery With Quantum Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

QSimulate is a Boston-based quantum simulation technology company developing physics-powered solutions to accelerate drug discovery, improve molecular modeling, and reduce research and development timelines, with additional offices in Ghent and Tokyo. Pulse 2.0 interviewed QSimulate Co-Founder and CEO Toru Shiozaki to learn more about his scientific background, the company's quantum simulation technology, pharmaceutical industry partnerships, $11 million in funding, and plans to expand applications across drug discovery, advanced materials, and life sciences.

Embarc Advisors: Interview With Founder Jay Jung About Middle-Market M&A Advisory, CFO Services, And Maximizing Business Valuations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Embarc Advisors is a financial advisory firm providing mergers and acquisitions advisory, CFO services, and sell-side Quality of Earnings analysis to founder-led middle-market businesses preparing for growth or a potential sale. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Embarc Advisors Founder Jay Jung to learn more about his background, the firm's advisory approach, expansion into CFO services, successful transactions, competitive advantages, and plans to support more business owners throughout the financial lifecycle.

Collective: Interview With Co-Founder, CEO, And Chairman Hooman Radfar About AI-Powered Financial Services For Entrepreneurs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 5, 2026

Collective is an AI-native financial platform that helps self-employed entrepreneurs and small business owners manage accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, and other financial operations through integrated technology and human expertise. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Collective co-founder, CEO, and Chairman Hooman Radfar to learn more about his entrepreneurial background, the company's origins, AI-powered financial infrastructure, $100 million financing, business growth, and plans to transform how entrepreneurs manage their finances.