Archives

The White House Introduces Project Vault, A Critical Minerals Stockpile for U.S. Manufacturers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

The White House released a short video introducing “Project Vault,” an initiative billed as a critical minerals stockpile designed to help American companies maintain access to essential industrial inputs during periods of disruption. The concept is framed as a strategic backstop for supply chains that have become more vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, export restrictions, and sudden price spikes across materials used in advanced manufacturing and other critical industries.

Fleet Reaches €100M Valuation In First Capital Opening with ISAI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Fleet announced it has reached a €100 million valuation and is opening its capital for the first time through a leveraged buyout transaction alongside ISAI Expansion, marking a shift from years of fully self-funded expansion to a new phase backed by an institutional partner.

RapidFort: $42 Million Series A Raised To Advance Continuous Software Supply Chain Remediation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

RapidFort has raised $42 million in Series A financing to expand its platform for continuously analyzing, remediating, hardening, and protecting software artifacts across the delivery lifecycle. The round was led by Blue Cloud Ventures and Forgepoint Capital, with participation from prior lead investor Felicis Ventures. Additional investors included Alumni Ventures, Boulder Ventures, Gaingels, and others.

One Inc Unveils Model Context Protocol To Speed Insurance Payments Integrations And Secure AI Data Access

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

One Inc announced new AI-driven capabilities intended to help insurance carriers integrate more quickly with its platform while securely analyzing and managing payment data. At the center of the update is Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open protocol designed to work with a client’s own corporate LLM-based AI assistants to accelerate integration and raise service standards.

Santé Ventures Closes Record $330 Million Fund V To Back Early-Stage Biotech, Medtech, And Digital Health

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Santé Ventures has closed its fifth fund with $330 million in committed capital, surpassing a $300 million target and marking the firm’s largest fund to date. The early stage healthcare and life sciences investor said Fund V will continue backing biotechnology, medical technology, and digitally enabled healthcare companies aimed at significant unmet medical needs, supported by what it described as a broader and more diversified limited partner base.

GrubMarket: $50 Million Series H At $4.5 Billion Valuation Raised To Accelerate AI And Global E-Commerce Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

GrubMarket announced it has raised around $50 million in Series H financing, positioning the round as a significant up round that values the company at a $4.5 billion pre-money valuation. The company described itself as an AI-powered technology enabler for the American food supply chain and one of the largest private food technology and e-commerce businesses globally.

Canyon Partners Real Estate And MG Properties Buy Shift Apartments In Downtown San Diego

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Canyon Partners Real Estate and MG Properties said they have acquired Shift Apartments, a multifamily community in San Diego’s Downtown submarket, expanding the buyers’ exposure to a core coastal market where they see durable demand drivers tied to jobs, transit access, and ongoing neighborhood investment.

Construction Partners Completes GMJ Paving Acquisition, Adding 12th Houston-Area Asphalt Plant

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Construction Partners, a vertically integrated roadbuilder operating across Sunbelt markets, has acquired GMJ Paving Company, LLC, an asphalt paving contractor focused on public infrastructure work in the Houston region.

Heritage Financial Completes Olympic Bancorp Acquisition, Brings Kitsap Bank Into Heritage Bank

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Heritage Financial announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Olympic Bancorp, Inc., with the merger becoming effective January 31, 2026. As part of the transaction, Olympic merged into Heritage, and Kitsap Bank merged into Heritage Bank, expanding Heritage’s footprint and adding branches that will continue operating under the Kitsap Bank name.

Novacore To Acquire CP Insurance Associates, Expanding Lender-Placed Insurance And Compliance Services For Financial Institutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Novacore agreed to acquire CP Insurance Associates in a deal aimed at expanding its specialty platform for financial institutions and lender-focused insurance services. The acquisition is set to add CP Insurance Associates’ insurance tracking, investor property coverage, lender-placed insurance, and compliance-oriented services to Novacore’s suite of specialty solutions, strengthening Novacore’s reach across banks, mortgage servicers, credit unions, and other lending channels nationwide.

Hogan Lovells: Thibault Dupont-Nougein Named To Paris Funds Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Hogan Lovells has appointed investment funds lawyer Thibault Dupont-Nougein as a partner in its Private Equity & Funds practice in Paris, adding fund-formation and secondary-market expertise as the firm continues to invest in its broader private capital offering. Dupont-Nougein joins from Willkie Farr & Gallagher and will advise asset managers across the full fund lifecycle, from launches and primary activity through GP- and LP-led secondary transactions.

New Jersey Weighs Up To $300 Million For Ardian ASF IX Infrastructure Secondaries Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

New Jersey’s Division of Investment is proposing a real assets commitment totaling up to $300 million to Ardian’s ASF IX Infrastructure secondaries platform, split between up to $150 million for Ardian Secondaries Fund (ASF) IX Infrastructure B, L.P., and up to $150 million for a co-investment sidecar vehicle alongside the fund. The proposal was presented to the State Investment Council in a memorandum dated January 22, 2026, with staff indicating they expected to discuss the investment at the Council’s January 28, 2026, meeting.

Encore Closes Oversubscribed Fund V At $350 Million In Accelerated Raise

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Encore Consumer Capital has closed Encore Consumer Capital Fund V LP and related vehicles, raising $350 million in limited partner commitments and marking an oversubscribed raise completed in less than five months. The San Francisco-based firm said the new fund expands its capacity to pursue lower-middle-market opportunities in consumer staples, a sector where Encore has historically focused on building brands and scaling operating capabilities across manufacturing, distribution, and go-to-market execution.

GCM Acquires Kettmann Machining To Expand MedTech Manufacturing Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

GCM, an outsourced manufacturer of precision components and assemblies for medical technology end markets, has acquired Kettmann Machining, a manufacturer of precision-machined plastic and metal parts serving MedTech customers. GCM is backed by middle market healthcare private equity firm Avista Healthcare Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed.

AT&T Completes $5.75 Billion Acquisition of Lumen’s Mass Markets Fiber Business, Adding Over 1 Million Subscribers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

AT&T has completed its previously announced all-cash acquisition of substantially all of Lumen Technologies’s Mass Markets fiber business for $5.75 billion, subject to customary adjustments. The transaction expands AT&T’s fiber home internet footprint across 32 states and adds more than 1 million fiber subscribers spread across more than 4 million fiber locations, including new major metro areas such as Denver, Seattle, and Salt Lake City.

Teciem Launches As Apax Completes Purchase Of Finastra Treasury And Capital Markets Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Teciem launched as a new standalone provider of treasury and capital markets software following the completion of Apax Funds’ acquisition of Finastra’s Treasury and Capital Markets (TCM) division. Backed by a significant investment commitment from Apax, Teciem said it will prioritize product development and innovation while expanding and supporting its specialist talent base.

Vision Innovation Partners Buys Ophthalmic Associates Of Alexandria To Expand Mid-Atlantic Eye Care Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Vision Innovation Partners has acquired Ophthalmic Associates of Alexandria, adding a comprehensive ophthalmology practice in downtown Alexandria to its regional network. The deal extends VIP’s footprint in one of its largest metropolitan markets and represents the platform’s 27th add-on acquisition since the company was founded in 2017.

Crestview Partners Acquires Tailwind Hospitality In Airport Concessions Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Crestview Partners has completed the acquisition of Tailwind Hospitality, an aviation services company focused on food, beverage, and retail concessions in non-hub and regional airports, from Palladin Consumer Retail Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Huntington Closes Cadence Bank Merger, Building $279 Billion Franchise And Expanding Across Texas And The South

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Huntington Bancshares has completed its merger with Cadence Bank, uniting two regional banking franchises in a deal the company says immediately scales its footprint across Texas and the broader South while strengthening its competitive position in key growth markets.

Stoneridge Sells Control Devices Segment To Center Rock For $59 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Stoneridge announced it has completed the sale of its Control Devices segment to an affiliate of Center Rock Capital Partners. The deal carried a base purchase price of $59 million. Stoneridge said it plans to use net cash proceeds, after taxes and transaction-related expenses, to repay debt and strengthen its balance sheet.

Bidbus: Interview With Co-Founder & COO Ellson Chen About Car Marketplace Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Bidbus is the infrastructure that enables dealerships to source consumer-owned used cars at scale through competitive private-party auctions. Bidbus runs three weekly auctions where hundreds of dealers compete for vehicles, creating a consistent supply of quality vehicles for dealers and higher payouts for sellers by matching each car to the right demand in real time. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Bidbus co-founder and COO Ellson Chen to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

careCycle: Interview With Founder & CEO Alex Doonanco About The Medicare-Focused Voice AI Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

careCycle is a company that provides a comprehensive suite of voice AI teams for medicare advantage and ACA distributors. Pulse 2.0 interviewed careCycle founder and CEO Alex Doonanco to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Gradiente SGR Closes €180+ Million Gradiente III Fund, Growing 33% Versus Prior Vehicle

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Elm Capital announced Gradiente SGR has reached a final close for Gradiente III, the Italian private equity firm’s third fund, with total commitments exceeding its €180 million target. The firm said the vehicle is 33% larger than its predecessor and drew support from a mix of new and existing institutional investors and family offices across Europe and North America, including public pension funds, foundations, funds of funds, and banks.

XSML Capital Closes $142 Million African Rivers Fund IV Above Hard Cap

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

XSML Capital announced it has reached a final close of African Rivers Fund IV at $142 million, exceeding the fund’s $135 million hard cap, as the manager pointed to sustained investor appetite for SME-focused strategies in African frontier markets despite a tougher fundraising backdrop.

Western Digital Rebrands As WD And Unveils 100TB+ HDD Roadmap And New AI-Era Storage Technologies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Western Digital announced it is repositioning itself for what it calls the AI-driven data economy, including a corporate rebrand to WD and a set of product and platform announcements aimed at raising hard drive capacity, improving performance for AI workloads, and reducing power consumption at scale. The company presented the updates at its Innovation Day 2026 event.

Safe To Eat: Interview With Founder Devin August Sailer About The Food Awareness Nonprofit

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Safe To Eat is a youth-led initiative that advocates for and helps implement allergen-safe food options, labeling, and emergency protocols (like epinephrine awareness) in domestic violence and homeless shelters, especially in crisis settings. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Safe To Eat founder Devin August Sailer to learn more.

Revena: $8 Million Raised To Cut Hospital Revenue Losses With AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Revena, an artificial intelligence platform focused on automating the hospital revenue cycle, has raised a US$8 million seed round backed by Canary, Flourish Ventures, and Caravela Capital. The company said the financing comes after deployment across more than 60 hospitals and a 20x growth in 2025, as providers seek ways to reduce revenue leakage and administrative burden associated with complex billing processes.

Desjardins Global Asset Management Launches DGAM Global Private Equity Fund With Ardian Partnership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Desjardins Global Asset Management is expanding its private markets lineup with the launch of the DGAM Global Private Equity Fund, a new vehicle designed to give accredited Canadian investors streamlined access to private equity through a flexible structure and diversified exposure.

Disney: Josh D’Amaro Named As Next CEO, With Dana Walden Set for New Chief Creative Role

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

The Walt Disney Company board has elected Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro to become the company’s next chief executive officer, with the appointment set to take effect at Disney’s Annual Meeting on March 18, 2026. D’Amaro will succeed Robert A. Iger, who has led Disney for much of the past two decades and returned to the top job in 2022.

Claros Mortgage Trust Closes $500 Million Secured Term Loan With HPS To Refinance 2026 Debt Maturity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 3, 2026

Claros Mortgage Trust has closed a $500 million, four-year secured term loan credit facility provided by investment funds and accounts managed by HPS Investment Partners. The new facility carries a floating interest rate of SOFR plus 675 basis points and can be prepaid at any time, subject to certain conditions.