Innovation

Ormat Technologies Signs Up To 150 Million MW Portfolio PPA With NV Energy To Support Google Data Centers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 24, 2026

Ormat Technologies announced it has signed a long-term geothermal portfolio power purchase agreement for up to 150 MW with NV Energy to support the Nevada data center operations of Google.

World Labs Raises $1 Billion To Advance Spatial Intelligence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 24, 2026

World Labs, the spatial intelligence startup co-founded by renowned AI expert Fei-Fei Li, announced it has secured $1 billion in new funding to accelerate the development of its “world models” — artificial intelligence systems designed to perceive, generate, reason and interact with three-dimensional environments.

ZaiNar: $100 Million Raised At $1 Billion Valuation For Physical AI Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

ZaiNar, a physical AI infrastructure company, has emerged from nine years in stealth with more than $100 million in funding at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. The company says it has developed a breakthrough platform that transforms existing wireless networks into a sensing system capable of continuously determining the precise location of devices and objects without relying on satellites, cameras, or additional device power and computing.

General Catalyst Commits $5 Billion To India Over Five Years

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Venture capital firm General Catalyst announced it is committing $5 billion to India over the next five years, marking one of the largest dedicated venture capital commitments to the country.

ESS Tech Acquires VoltStorage IP And Assets To Advance Iron-Salt Battery Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

ESS Tech has acquired the intellectual property and assets of VoltStorage GmbH in a move designed to expand its technology portfolio and accelerate the development of flexible, lower-cost long-duration energy storage solutions.

Erie Strayer Receives Strategic Investment Led By CQL Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Erie Strayer, a fourth-generation, family-owned leader in concrete batching solutions, announced that it has received a strategic investment led by CQL Capital, a private equity firm focused on partnering with founder- and family-owned businesses. The investment is designed to support Erie Strayer’s long-term growth initiatives while preserving its legacy, family values, leadership, and customer-first culture.

Axol Bioscience Acquires Newcells Biotech’s Ophthalmology Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Axol Bioscience, a provider of induced pluripotent stem cell technologies for drug discovery and research, announced that it has acquired the ophthalmology business of Newcells Biotech. The transaction expands Axol’s portfolio of iPSC-derived retinal organoid and retinal pigment epithelium models and strengthens its position as an independent provider of physiologically relevant in vitro retinal models for ophthalmology drug discovery and safety testing.

Armstrong World Industries Acquires Eventscape To Expand Design And Fabrication Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Armstrong World Industries announced it has acquired Eventscape, Inc., a design and fabrication company recognized for delivering complex, design-driven architectural environments. The transaction strengthens Armstrong’s architectural specialties portfolio and expands its custom design and fabrication capabilities across commercial building projects.

HKW Acquires Material Handling Systems Provider Handling Systems And Conveyors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

HKW has acquired Handling Systems and Conveyors, expanding its portfolio of technical industrial businesses serving aerospace, defense, and manufacturing markets.

Peak XV Partners: $1.3 Billion Raised Across Three New Funds To Back Founders In India, APAC And Beyond

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Peak XV Partners announced it has closed $1.3 billion across three new funds focused on supporting exceptional founders in India, the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The capital raise includes an India Seed Fund, an India Venture Fund and an APAC Fund, reinforcing the firm’s multi-stage investment strategy across early and growth phases.

Zero Homes: $16.8 Million Raised For Home Upgrade Technology Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Zero Homes has raised $16.8 million in a Series A round to expand its digital platform that streamlines home upgrades for homeowners and contractors. The funding was led by Prelude Ventures, with participation from SJF Ventures, Watsco Ventures, and existing investors VoLo Earth Ventures, Overture VC, and FJ Labs.

Microsoft And Responsible AI Leaders Pledge $50 Billion To Bridge The Global AI Divide

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Microsoft’s leadership is urging swift action to confront what it describes as a widening artificial intelligence divide between developed and developing regions of the world, outlining a multiyear commitment to expand access, opportunity and skills in emerging markets.

Amazon Selects Louisiana For $12 Billion Data Center Campuses Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Amazon announced plans to invest $12 billion to construct new, state-of-the-art data center campuses in Louisiana, marking the company’s first data center presence in the state and a major expansion of its U.S. cloud and AI infrastructure footprint.

Opensity Solutions Launches Serving Legal, Financial And Professional Services Firms

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Opensity Solutions has officially launched as a newly combined managed services organization formed through the integration of K2 Services, Epiq GBTS, and Forrest Solutions. Originally announced in November 2025, the combination creates, the company says, the largest end-to-end, tech-enabled managed services organization focused on serving sophisticated legal, financial, and professional services firms.

Giant: $8 Million Seed Funding Raised For Interactive Storytelling Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Giant, an interactive storytelling platform that enables children to become cartoon characters and design their own worlds, has raised $8 million in seed funding. The round was led by Matrix, Decasonic, and Griffin Gaming Partners, with participation from Perceptive Ventures, Flex Capital, Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Unpopular Ventures, and LightShed Ventures.

Sensei Biotherapeutics Acquires Faeth Therapeutics And Raises $200 Million In Private Placement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Sensei Biotherapeutics announced it has acquired Faeth Therapeutics and secured approximately $200 million in gross proceeds through a concurrent private placement, positioning the combined company to advance its oncology pipeline through key clinical milestones in endometrial and breast cancer.

Yorkville America Equities To Acquire America First ETF Into Truth Social Funds Suite

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Yorkville America Equities, LLC announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Point Bridge America First ETF (MAGA) into the Truth Social Funds product lineup, expanding the America First-themed exchange-traded fund offerings under the Truth.Fi brand of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp..

Scale Computing Acquires Adaptiv Networks To Expand Managed Network And SASE Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Scale Computing, an edge computing and network solutions provider, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Adaptiv Networks, a cloud-native software-defined wide-area network and secure access service edge provider.

Nokken Acquires Finnish Cabin Maker Space Of Mind To Expand Into Design-Led Wellness

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Nokken, a global modular cabin provider, announced it has acquired Finnish specialist cabin company Space of Mind as part of a strategic expansion into design-led wellness. The deal brings Space of Mind’s modular cabin and sauna range into The Nokken Group Limited’s ecosystem, formally broadening its offering into wellness-focused ritual and recovery experiences.

AlayaCare: $50 Million Growth Capital Raised From CIBC Innovation Banking

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

CIBC Innovation Banking has provided a $50 million growth capital facility to AlayaCare, a provider of home and community care software solutions, to support continued expansion and strategic acquisitions.

Salesforce To Acquire Momentum For Expanding Conversational Intelligence And Revenue Orchestration

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Salesforce announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Momentum, expanding its capabilities in conversational intelligence and revenue orchestration. The acquisition is designed to strengthen Salesforce’s ability to capture and analyze unstructured customer interaction data and embed actionable insights directly into its broader platform.

Vizzia: €30 Million Series B Raised For Public Safety Technology Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Vizzia, a European public safety technology platform focused on sovereign video surveillance solutions for local authorities, has raised €30 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Base10 Partners, with continued support from Headline and SISTAFUND.

happyhotel: €6.5 Million Series A Closed For Revenue Management Software Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

happyhotel, a Germany-based revenue management software provider for independent hotels and hotel groups, has raised €6.5 million in Series A funding as it pivots from a traditional software platform toward a more autonomous AI-driven agent model. The round was led by Reimann Investors, with participation from existing backers including Start-up BW Innovation Fund, seed + speed Ventures, and Wecken & Cie.

Cognee: $7.5 Million Seed Funding Raised For Building Enterprise Grade Memory Layer For AI Agents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Berlin based AI infrastructure startup Cognee has announced it has raised $7.5 million in a seed funding round to scale its enterprise grade memory technology designed to help artificial intelligence systems retain structured, long term context. The round was led by Pebblebed, with participation from 42CAP and Vermilion Ventures, along with angel investors from Google DeepMind, n8n, and Snowplow.

Vectorworks Acquires Mobile Design App Developer Morpholio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Vectorworks, a global design and BIM software provider and part of the Nemetschek Group, announced it has acquired Morpholio, the developer of the award-winning Morpholio Trace, Morpholio Board, and Morpholio Journal apps for iPad and iPhone. The deal marks a strategic move to expand Vectorworks’ product lineup with leading mobile design applications that support architects, interior designers, and creative professionals from early concept development through documentation and delivery.

Incorta Acquires AI Coding Platform Layout.dev To Accelerate Agentic Workflows

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Incorta announced it has acquired Layout.dev, a no-code AI application-building platform, as enterprises increasingly move beyond static dashboards toward AI-driven decision workflows.

Poppulo: Interview With CEO Ruth Fornell About The Communications And Digital Signage Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Poppulo provides an omnichannel employee experience and digital signage platform that helps large organizations personalize communications, boost employee engagement, and manage workplace environments. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Poppulo CEO Ruth Fornell to learn more.

Venice Security: $33 Million Funding Raised For Adaptive Privileged Access Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Venice Security, formerly known as Valkyrie, has officially launched with $33 million in total funding, including a $25 million Series A round, as it aims to modernize privileged access management for enterprises navigating increasingly complex, AI-driven environments.

Heron Power: $140 Million Series B Raised For Building Next-Generation Power Grid

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

Heron Power announced it has closed $140 million in Series B financing to accelerate development of its solid-state transformer technology and expand U.S.-based manufacturing. The round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz through its American Dynamism Fund and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, with participation from existing investors Capricorn Investment Group, Energy Impact Partners, Valor Atreides AI Fund, and Gigascale Capital.

SpatialChat Acquires Teemyco To Accelerate AI-Powered Cloud HQ Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 23, 2026

San Francisco-based video collaboration platform SpatialChat has acquired Teemyco, a European virtual collaboration company, as it looks to accelerate the development of its AI-powered Cloud HQ and expand its footprint in the distributed work market.