Archives

Handshake Acquires Cleanlab To Build Data Quality And Evaluation Capabilities For Frontier AI Models

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Handshake has acquired Cleanlab in a deal aimed at strengthening AI research and data quality for training frontier models. In a CEO letter announcing the transaction, Cleanlab said its team will focus on leading Handshake’s AI research efforts, with an emphasis on producing higher-quality training data and improving reliability across AI systems.

University Of Denver And Pivot Energy Complete Colorado’s First Off-Site Solar Project

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

The University of Denver and Pivot Energy announced they have completed Colorado’s first off-site net metering solar project, marking a milestone in the state’s shift toward policy-enabled renewable energy that can serve customers without enough space or flexibility for on-site generation.

Voyager Ventures: $275 Million Fund II Closed To Back Next-Generation Energy, Industry, And Applied AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Voyager Ventures has closed a $275 million Fund II to invest in early-stage companies across energy, industrials, and climate technology that the firm believes will underpin long-term economic growth. With the new fund, Voyager said it now manages $475 million across North America and Europe and will continue targeting technologies that modernize core economic systems, including energy production and distribution, advanced manufacturing, critical materials, physical AI, and compute.

Pollen Street Agrees Acquisition of Tutman

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Pollen Street Capital has agreed to acquire Thesis Holdings Limited, known as Tutman, a fund services platform providing fund administration, corporate service, and transfer agency services to institutional investors, wealth managers, and family offices. The deal positions Tutman for its next phase of growth as demand rises for outsourced governance and administration amid increasing regulatory complexity.

CVC Global Sport Group To Acquire Controlling Stake In Equine Network

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

CVC announced it has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Equine Network, describing the business as the largest for-profit equestrian-based sports league in the U.S. The stake is being acquired from Growth Catalyst Partners, and the deal is expected to close in Q2 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Basis Set Announces $250 Million Fund IV

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Basis Set has announced the close of its $250 million Fund IV, positioning the new vehicle as fresh capital for the firm’s long-standing strategy of partnering with founders at the earliest point in a company’s life, when the idea is still more conviction than consensus. In a post dated January 26, 2026, the firm framed its approach around backing “independent thinkers” and teams building foundational systems before markets, categories, or narratives fully form around them.

Epidarex Capital Secures $145+ Million First Close For Fund IV To Invest In Life Science Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Epidarex Capital announced it has reached a first close of Epidarex Capital IV, LP, with more than $145 million in commitments, as the transatlantic life sciences venture firm looks to expand its company creation and early-stage investing across the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ambienta Closes Sustainable Credit Strategy Above €500 Million Target

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Ambienta announced it has reached a final close for its Ambienta Sustainable Credit Opportunities vehicles, with total commitments across the strategy surpassing its original €500 million target. The firm said the credit platform is designed to support European mid-market companies whose growth is driven by environmental sustainability, and positions Ambienta to accelerate financing for “environmental champions” across the region.

Rinchem Announces Combination With Dupré Logistics And Secures $100 Million Financing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Rinchem announced it is combining with Dupré Logistics in a deal that expands Rinchem’s specialty chemical and gas logistics platform with Dupré’s transportation, distribution, and capacity brokerage capabilities across the chemical supply chain. The companies said the combined organization will maintain each business’s headquarters, brands, and leadership teams, and financial terms were not disclosed.

Boyne Capital Forms Single Asset Continuation Fund To Extend Pilot Energy Partnership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Boyne Capital announced it has closed a single asset secondary transaction that establishes a continuation vehicle for Pilot Energy, extending Boyne’s ownership and providing new capital to support Pilot’s acquisition strategy and organic growth initiatives.

Bluespring Wealth Partners Onboards $600 Million Firm Coghill Investment Strategies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Bluespring Wealth Partners, an acquirer of registered investment advisors and wealth management firms, has partnered with Coghill Investment Strategies, adding the Pittsburgh-based advisory firm to its network of independent partner firms. Financial professionals at Coghill Investment Strategies oversee approximately $600 million in assets under management.

AEA Elevate Invests in 829 Studios To Expand Digital Marketing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

AEA Elevate, AEA Investors’ growth buyout strategy focused on professional services companies across business services, healthcare services, and software, has made an investment in 829 Studios, an integrated, technology-enabled digital marketing firm. AEA Elevate acquired its position from CIVC Partners, with significant reinvestment from 829’s founder, management team, and employees. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Symmetry Laser Acquires ArcRev To Expand Precision Laser Cutting And Lean Manufacturing For Medical Devices

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Symmetry Laser has completed the acquisition of ArcRev, adding specialized laser cutting expertise and additional production capacity as it scales its precision manufacturing platform for the medical device industry.

CherryRoad Media Buys The Carrollton Democrat, Completing Main Street Media’s Exit From Missouri Newspapers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

CherryRoad Media acquired The Carrollton Democrat from Main Street Media, completing the transition of Main Street Media’s final Missouri newspaper title out of its portfolio.

Conscious Capital Growth And Petra Capital Partners Acquire RD Nutrition Consultants

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Conscious Capital Growth, in partnership with Petra Capital Partners, has acquired RD Nutrition Consultants, a national provider of specialized dietitian consulting services for healthcare facilities across the United States. The buyers said the transaction positions RD Nutrition for faster growth and expansion of its clinical reach.

MediVisuals + High Impact Buys Jury Impressions To Add Mock Jury Research To Visual Trial Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

MediVisuals + High Impact, a provider of visual demonstratives for litigation, announced it has acquired Jury Impressions, a jury research firm founded by trial attorney Irv Cantor.

Cellares: $257 Million Series D Closed To Scale Automated Cell Therapy Manufacturing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Cellares has raised $257 million in a Series D financing co-led by investment funds managed by BlackRock and Eclipse, bringing total capital raised to $612 million. The round brings in a slate of new investors, including accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Baillie Gifford, Duquesne Family Office, Intuitive Ventures, EDBI, and Gates Frontier, alongside existing backers DC Global Ventures, DFJ Growth, and Willett Advisors.

Eliyan: $50 Million Raised To Scale AI Interconnect Chiplets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Eliyan, a Santa Clara-based developer of high-performance connectivity technology for AI and high-performance computing systems, said it has secured $50 million in strategic investments from a group that includes AMD, Arm, Coherent, and Meta, alongside returning backers Samsung Catalyst Fund and Intel Capital.

Sokin: $100 Million Debt Facility Raised From Oxford Finance To Scale Embedded Payments Globally

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Sokin, a London-headquartered business payments company, has secured a $100 million long-term debt facility from Oxford Finance, adding structured capital it says will accelerate its international expansion and product roadmap as demand grows for payments infrastructure integrated directly into enterprise workflows.

PaleBlueDot AI: $150 Million Series B Raised At Over $1 Billion Valuation Closed To Scale Global AI Compute Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

PaleBlueDot AI, a Silicon Valley-based AI compute platform founded in 2024, has closed a $150 million Series B financing round that values the company at more than $1 billion. The round was led by B Capital, an investment firm headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore with more than $9 billion in assets under management.

Mesh Security: $12 Million Series A Raised To Build ‘Execution Layer’ For Cybersecurity Mesh At Enterprise Scale

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Mesh Security, a Palo Alto and Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity startup positioning itself as the “execution layer” for Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA), has raised $12 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Lobby Capital, with participation from S Ventures (SentinelOne’s corporate venture arm) and Bright Pixel Capital.

BoldVoice: $21 Million Series A Raised To Scale AI Voice Coaching For Non-Native English Speakers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

BoldVoice, an AI-based voice coaching platform designed to help non-native English speakers improve pronunciation and clarity, has raised a $21 million Series A round led by Matrix, with participation from Flybridge, Xfund, Corazon Capital, Alumni Ventures, Umami Capital, and Y Combinator.

Outtake: $40 Million Series B Raised To Build a Unified Digital Trust Platform for the AI Era

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Outtake, a digital trust platform designed to protect organizations from AI-driven impersonation and identity-based abuse, has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round led by ICONIQ. The round also included participation from CRV, S32, and a group of technology and security executives investing as angel backers, including Satya Nadella, Nikesh Arora, Bill Ackman, Shyam Sankar, Trae Stephens, Bob McGrew, Guillermo Rauch, and John Donovan.

Genspark: $300 Million Series B Raised, $100 Million ARR Crossed, And AI Workspace 2.0 Launched

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Genspark announced the launch of AI Workspace 2.0, positioning the release as a step toward “operational autonomy,” in which AI agents can plan and execute multi-step work end-to-end across common knowledge-worker outputs. The Palo Alto-based company said the platform is designed to reduce friction in modern work, which often involves repeated prompting, tool switching, manual formatting, and handoffs between drafts and systems.

Heritable Agriculture: $5 Million Gates Foundation Grant Secured To Build Climate-Resilient Crops For Smallholder Farmers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Heritable Agriculture, an AI-driven crop improvement company spun out of Google X, has secured a $4.98 million grant from the Gates Foundation to develop a new initiative aimed at accelerating climate-resilient crop development for smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries.

Decagon: $250 Million Series D At $4.5 Billion Valuation Raised For AI-Based Customer Experience Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Insigneo Teams With Karta To Launch Global Charge Card For International Clients With U.S. Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Insigneo, an international wealth management firm headquartered in Miami, announced a partnership with fintech startup Karta to launch a co-branded global charge card for high-net-worth international clients holding U.S.-based assets. The companies said the agreement gives Insigneo exclusive rights as the first wealth management firm to offer a co-branded charge card with Karta, positioning the launch as part of Insigneo’s broader push to add new tools and services tailored to cross-border clients.

Stifel Scales Wealth Platform As Fee-Based Assets And Client Balances Hit New Highs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Stifel Financial reported continued progress in its wealth management strategy in 2025, pointing to advisor growth, rising fee-based assets, and record client asset levels as key drivers in its Global Wealth Management business. The company said Global Wealth Management delivered record fourth-quarter net revenues of $933.2 million, up from $865.2 million a year earlier, as higher asset management revenue, improved client activity, and balance-sheet growth supported results. Pre-tax net income for the segment totaled $330.1 million for the quarter.

Fidelity To Launch First Stablecoin Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD) For Retail And Institutional Investors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

Fidelity Investments announced it will launch its first stablecoin, Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD), expanding its digital asset investment lineup with a fiat backed token designed to maintain a one dollar value per unit. The company said FIDD will be issued by Fidelity Digital Assets, National Association, with availability for retail and institutional investors expected in the coming weeks.

CMA CGM And Stonepeak Form United Ports JV In $2.4 Billion Terminal Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 29, 2026

CMA CGM Group and infrastructure investment firm Stonepeak have agreed to form UNITED PORTS LLC, a U.S. joint venture designed to acquire 10 major CMA CGM operated port terminals around the world. Under the agreement, Stonepeak will invest $2.4 billion for a 25% minority stake, while CMA CGM will hold 75% and retain full operational control of the terminals.