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Waymo Confirms $16 Billion Round At $126 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Waymo confirmed it raised a $16 billion investment round valuing the company at $126 billion post-money, marking what it described as a shift from proving autonomous driving to scaling it commercially. The company said the financing was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price, alongside additional investors including BDT & MSD Partners, CapitalG, Fidelity Management & Research Company, GV, Kleiner Perkins, Perry Creek Capital, and Temasek. Waymo said Alphabet remains its majority investor.

Vanguard Targets More Than $500 Million in Investor Savings With Broad Fund Fee Cuts

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Vanguard announced it is rolling out broad-based expense-ratio reductions across its fund lineup, projecting the changes will deliver more than half a billion dollars in investor savings in 2025 and 2026. The company said the latest round includes lower expense ratios for 84 mutual fund and ETF share classes across 53 funds, representing nearly $250 million in fee reductions expected in 2026.

Singapore Gulf Bank Launches Regulated Platform Linking USD And Stablecoins For Near Real-Time Settlement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a fully licensed bank backed by Whampoa Group and Mumtalakat, said it has launched what it described as a first-of-its-kind, regulated, bank-operated network that brings U.S. dollars and stablecoins together on a single platform, enabling near-real-time settlement and streamlining treasury workflows across regions.

Aura To Buy Qoria, Targeting ASX Listing For Combined Digital Safety Group

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Aura, an AI-based online safety platform focused on individuals and families, said it has signed a binding agreement to acquire Qoria, an Australia-based provider of student safety and wellbeing tools, in a deal that would create a larger global digital safety business spanning home, school, and workplace use cases.

Tharimmune Adds Jill Sommers And William Wiley To Board As Canton Network Strategy Expands

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Tharimmune has appointed Jill Sommers and William Wiley, CFA, to its board of directors, effective February 1, 2026, as the company advances its effort to support the Canton Network and its associated financial market infrastructure strategy.

Pepper Advantage Closes Computershare Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Pepper Advantage has completed its acquisition of Computershare’s UK mortgage servicing business, Computershare Loan Services, strengthening its position as a scaled credit management and servicing platform in the UK. Backed by J.C. Flowers & Co., Pepper Advantage framed the deal as a strategic expansion that increases both its managed asset base and the breadth of servicing capabilities it can deliver to institutional clients.

K2 International Expands Financial Lines With Acquisition Of Rising Edge Management Liability Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

K2 Group Holdings Limited (K2 International) has acquired the management liability underwriting business of Rising Edge, adding a dedicated management liability team and establishing a new division in the London market.

Stellar Cyber: Interview With Founder & CTO Aimei Wei About The Open XDR Security Operations Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Stellar Cyber provides an AI-driven, Open XDR security operations platform that unifies tools like SIEM and NDR to help lean security teams visualize, detect, and automatically respond to threats across IT, cloud, and OT environments. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Stellar Cyber founder and CTO Aimei Wei to learn more.

Principle: $2 Million Pre-Seed Funding Closed To Bring Military Wargaming Style Simulations To Corporate Strategy Teams

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Principle, a strategic foresight platform that uses AI to simulate competitive futures, has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding as it moves from bespoke pilots toward a repeatable product aimed at corporate strategy teams. The round was led by SMRK VC and SMOK VC, with participation from RideHome AI Fund, a16z Scout Fund, Bain Capital Scout Fund, and Unpopular Ventures.

DC Capital Acquires Majority Stake In Applied AI Provider Knexus

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

DC Capital Partners said it has made a majority investment in Knexus, a Vienna, Virginia-based provider of applied artificial intelligence capabilities supporting mission-critical U.S. government programs. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Breezy: $10 Million Pre-Seed Funding Raised For AI Operating System For Residential Real Estate

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Breezy has officially launched what it calls the world’s first independent AI operating system built specifically for residential real estate professionals, positioning the platform as a productivity layer for an industry the company sizes at $500 billion in services. The Los Angeles-based startup says it was founded in early 2024 by top-producing agent James Harris alongside Afterpay co-founders Nick Molnar and Anthony Eisen, with the stated goal of consolidating agent workflows into a single AI-powered workspace that reduces administrative load and accelerates client-facing output.

Augmentus: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Daryl Lim About The Robotics Software Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Augmentus is a deep-tech robotics software company that provides an AI-powered, no-code platform to help manufacturers automate complex industrial processes like welding and finishing, significantly reducing programming time and technical barriers. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Augmentus co-founder and CEO Daryl Lim to learn more.

WR Valuation Debuts With Faster ANd Lower-Cost Middle-Market Valuation Alternative

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

WR Valuation (WRV) has launched as an independent valuation and advisory firm, positioning itself as a speed-and-cost alternative to large accounting firms' valuation practices, as middle-market deal activity shows signs of re-accelerating.

Fifth Third Closes Comerica Merger, Creating Ninth Largest U.S. Bank With $294 Billion in Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Fifth Third Bancorp announced it has completed its merger with Comerica, forming what the company described as the ninth largest U.S. bank with approximately $294 billion in assets. The combined organization is positioning the deal as a scale and footprint expansion that pairs Fifth Third’s retail banking and digital capabilities with Comerica’s middle market banking franchise and geographic presence.

OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners Adds $700 Million Minneapolis Firm Voyage Wealth Architects

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners has acquired Voyage Wealth Architects, a Minneapolis based wealth management firm overseeing $700 million in assets under management, in a deal that further scales OnePoint BFG’s national platform and deepens its emphasis on planning led advice in the Midwest.

Intesa Sanpaolo Targets €50 Billion Shareholder Returns Through 2029 As It Unveils New Growth Plan

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Intesa Sanpaolo has laid out a new multi-year strategy that combines high shareholder distributions with a push to expand fee-led revenue, reduce structural costs, and continue investing heavily in technology.

BlueFive Capital Closes $3 Billion Onyx Fund I For Opportunistic US And Europe Tech Bets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

BlueFive Capital announced it has closed its $3 billion Onyx Fund I, a vehicle registered with the Abu Dhabi Global Market that will pursue opportunistic technology and growth capital investments across the United States and Europe. The firm said the fund will focus on businesses operating at the frontier of innovation, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and advanced computing, where it sees disruptive potential increasingly translating into scalable commercial applications.

Patria Investments Buying WP Global Partners, Adding $1.8 Billion In Fee-Earning AUM

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Patria Investments announced it has agreed to acquire WP Global Partners, a U.S.-based private equity solutions manager focused on the lower middle market, in a move aimed at deepening Patria’s North American footprint and strengthening its middle-market primary, secondary, and co-investment capabilities.

CVC To Sell FineToday To Bain In About $1.29 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

CVC Asia Fund V and other shareholders have reached an agreement for Bain Capital to acquire 100% of FineToday's outstanding shares, positioning the personal care and beauty company for its next phase of growth under new ownership.

DXC Taps Rob Le Busque To Lead Asia Pacific And Japan Growth Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

DXC Technology has appointed Rob Le Busque as President of Asia Pacific and Japan, effective immediately, expanding its regional leadership bench as the company seeks to deepen executive client relationships and accelerate go-to-market execution across APJ.

MicroVision To Acquire Luminar Lidar Assets For $33 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

MicroVision announced it has agreed to acquire certain assets from Luminar Technologies that it believes will accelerate its commercial strategy and broaden its lidar product lineup. The company said the deal includes intellectual property and inventory tied to Luminar’s Iris and Halo lidar sensors, along with key engineering and operations talent and certain commercial contracts and orders.

Polestar Secures $400 Million Equity Investment From SMBC And Standard Chartered

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Polestar announced it has agreed to a $400 million equity financing backed by two financial institutions, with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited each investing $200 million. The transaction is structured with put option arrangements that provide investors with a potential exit in three years, via a wholly owned subsidiary of Geely Sweden Holdings AB, with certain returns as part of the overall financing package.

BCKD Capital’s SVCV Holding Company Acquires Hong Kong Media Firm Hyped Media

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Global financial hybrid firm BCKD Capital said it is acquiring Hyped Media, a Hong Kong-based media company with a portfolio of digital outlets, including TheBritExpress, CelebDispatch, TheWorldExpress, The Pose, and Le Protagonist. The deal is described as the first acquisition in the media portfolio of SVCV's newly launched multinational holding company.

LeadDesk Acquires Fluentic To Expand Multilingual Customer Service Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

LeadDesk announced it has acquired the Finnish AI-powered translation solution Fluentic from Fluentic Oy in a trade sale, adding AI-based translation and automation tools aimed at helping contact centers deliver more consistent customer service across multiple languages while improving efficiency.

Diald AI: Interview With COO Samantha Um About The AI-Based Investment Analysis Platform for Real Estate

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Diald AI is an AI-powered investment analysis platform used by teams making real estate and site selection decisions. The platform acts as an automated analyst, scanning over 1.7 million data sources–including zoning filings, market comps, public records, local news–to generate comprehensive, institutional-grade due diligence and underwriting reports in just hours rather than weeks. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Diald AI's COO Samantha Um to learn more.

J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s 2026 Family Office Report Finds AI Interest High And Portfolio Exposure Still Limited

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

J.P. Morgan Private Bank published its 2026 Global Family Office Report, a study of 333 family offices across 30 countries with an average participant net worth of $1.6 billion.

IAB Names NBCUniversal’s Alison Levin As 2026 Board Chair And Amazon Ads’ Alan Moss As Vice Chair

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), a trade association representing the digital advertising industry, has appointed Alison Levin, President of Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal, as Chair of its 2026 Board of Directors. Levin has served on the IAB Board since 2022 and most recently served as Vice Chair, with IAB citing her leadership experience across streaming, television, and digital advertising, including prior experience at Roku.

Spring Health To Acquire Alma, Pairing Employer And Payer Benefits With Clinician Insurance Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Spring Health announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Alma, bringing together two mental health companies on opposite sides of the care-delivery equation: Spring Health’s employer and health plan benefit platform and Alma’s membership model that helps independent clinicians accept insurance and operate in-network private practices.

Dentons Launches Thailand Combination With Pisut & Partners, Expanding ASEAN Footprint To Seven Economies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 2, 2026

Dentons has officially launched its combination with Pisut & Partners, bringing one of the world’s largest global law firms into Thailand and extending its on-the-ground reach across seven of ASEAN’s largest economies. The move adds Thailand to Dentons’ existing ASEAN presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, positioning the firm to deliver cross-border legal support with local execution across one of the world’s most active regional trading blocs.

Ovintiv Appoints Gregory P. Hill To Board of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 1, 2026

Ovintiv announced it has appointed Gregory P. Hill as an independent member of its board of directors, effective January 30, 2026, adding a veteran upstream operator with decades of global exploration and production leadership.