Archives

QBurst: Interview With CEO Arun Ramchandran About The Digital Transformation Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

QBurst is a High AI-Q company delivering differentiated and digital experiences to its clients and their end customers. Pulse 2.0 interviewed QBurst CEO Arun Ramchandran to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Zarminali Pediatrics Raises $110 Million Series A To Transform Pediatric Care

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Zarminali Pediatrics, an outpatient pediatric provider focused on integrated primary and specialty care, has raised a $110 million in Series A funding to scale its clinic network and expand its proprietary technology platform. The round was led by Healthier Capital, with participation from existing investor General Catalyst and new investor K2 HealthVentures.

British Business Bank Commits £25 Million To Kraken Technologies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

The British Business Bank has committed to invest £25 million in Kraken Technologies as part of Kraken’s $1 billion demerger from Octopus Energy Group, in a deal done in partnership with Octopus Group and facilitated by Octopus Ventures.

Cosmos: $15 Million Series A Closed As It Expands Social Discovery And Attribution Features

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Cosmos, a visual bookmarking and discovery app built for saving and organizing images, has raised a $15 million Series A financing round co-led by Shine Capital and Matrix as the startup rolls out a redesigned product aimed at making saving faster, discovery more social, and image credit more durable across the web. The round included participation from prior backers GV and Accel, as well as Plug and Play and Squarespace founder and CEO Anthony Casalena, according to McCune. Shine’s Ethan Daly has joined Cosmos’ board.

ErVimmune: €17 Million Series A First Close To Advance Off-The-Shelf Cancer Vaccine Into The Clinic

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

ErVimmune, a Lyon, France-based biotechnology company developing next-generation therapeutic cancer vaccines targeting “unconventional” tumor antigens derived from human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), has raised €17 million ($19.8 million) in the first closing of its Series A financing. The round included participation from existing shareholder Seventure Partners and new investor SPRIM Global Investments, and is expected to be supplemented by additional non-dilutive funding support tied to Bpifrance and the France 2030 program.

INSPIRED: Interview With Founder & CEO Maximilian Werner About The Community Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

INSPIRED is a Zürich-based, impact-driven innovation community/social platform that connects visionaries with investors and collaborators to help groundbreaking ideas get visibility and support. Pulse 2.0 interviewed INSPIRED founder and CEO Maximilian Werner to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

BrightInsight: $13 Million Closed To Expand AI-Enabled Medication Adherence Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

BrightInsight has raised $13 million in funding to accelerate the development of its AI-enabled medication persistence and adherence solutions and scale patient support programs globally. The San Jose-based digital health company said the round included both existing and new backers: Eclipse, General Catalyst, Insight Partners, Mayo Clinic, and New Leaf Venture Partners.

Fracttal: $35 Million Closed To Advance Global Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Fracttal announced it has closed a $35 million financing round led by Riverwood Capital, with participation from existing backers including Seaya Ventures, as the company looks to speed up international growth and deepen investment in AI-driven maintenance and asset-management capabilities.

Finst: €8 Million Series A Raised For Crypto Investing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

European crypto investing platform Finst has raised €8 million in a Series A funding round led by Endeit Capital, with continued support from returning backers Eelko van Kooten, founder of Spinnin’ Records, and Mark Fransen, co-founder of DEGIRO. The new financing brings Finst’s total funding to €15 million.

Upscale AI: $200 Million Series A Raised To Build Open AI Networking Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Upscale AI announced it has raised $200 million in an oversubscribed Series A round as it works to establish what it calls the first pure-play AI networking infrastructure company, positioning networking as a primary constraint on scaling modern AI systems. The financing was led by Tiger Global, Premji Invest, and Xora Innovation, with participation from Maverick Silicon, StepStone Group, Mayfield, Prosperity7 Ventures, Intel Capital, and Qualcomm Ventures. The company said the new round brings its total funding to more than $300 million and follows a rapid fundraising trajectory, characterized by moving from a $100 million seed round to “unicorn” status within months.

RouteMyPlan: Interview With Founder Timothy Zaide About The Workforce Accountability Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

RouteMyPlan is a workforce accountability platform that helps operations teams schedule employees, track departures, and verify on-site arrivals using real-time navigation and geofencing. Pulse 2.0 interviewed RouteMyPlan founder Timothy Zaide to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Assurant Acquires RL Circular Operations To Expand APAC Reverse Logistics Footprint

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Assurant has acquired RL Circular Operations and related subsidiaries, the reverse logistics division of Australia- and New Zealand-based TIC Group, as it pushes deeper into post-purchase services and circular economy solutions across Asia-Pacific. The deal, announced January 18, 2026, adds a major regional operator—formerly known as TIC Reverse Logistics—to Assurant’s Connected Living platform, strengthening returns management, device lifecycle services, and asset recovery capabilities for retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers.

ConnectWise Acquires zofiQ To Add Agentic AI Automation Across MSP Service Desk Workflows

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

ConnectWise has acquired zofiQ, an agentic AI company designed to automate high-volume managed service provider (MSP) service desk operations, as the company pushes what it calls the “Age of Autonomous Service.” The deal brings zofiQ’s AI agents deeper into ConnectWise’s professional services automation (PSA) workflows, with ConnectWise positioning the technology as a horizontal automation layer that will expand across its broader platform over time.

NEOintralogistics: €3 Million Seed Round Raised To Scale Robotics-As-A-Service For Warehouses

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

NEOintralogistics has raised €3 million in seed funding to expand its “democratized” approach to warehouse robotics, targeting operators that have been slow to automate due to high upfront costs and lengthy deployments. The company said that the round was co-led by Amadeus Capital Partners, APEX Ventures, and Cetus.

Brickeye: $10 Million Series B Closed To Expand IoT Construction Risk Mitigation Platform Across North America

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Brickeye has raised $10 million in a Series B financing to scale its construction IoT monitoring and risk mitigation services across North America and accelerate expansion into additional international markets. The Toronto-based construction technology company said the round was led by GreenSky Ventures, Brightspark Ventures, Graphite Ventures, Export Development Canada (EDC), Beauchamp Construction, and one of the largest building materials suppliers in North America.

Datarails: $70 Million Series C Raised To Bring AI Into The Heart Of The CFO’s Office

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Datarails has raised $70 million in Series C funding in a round led by growth equity firm One Peak, as the company bets that finance teams want AI capabilities embedded directly into the tools they already use (especially Excel) rather than forcing a tradeoff between spreadsheets and standalone AI products.

Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation To Launch New Cancer Center At UChicago Medicine

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will open its first Midwest cancer center through a new grant to the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, expanding the foundation’s effort to establish or expand five Ralph Lauren-named centers across the United States.

Infinitopes Expands Seed Round To $35.1 Million To Advance Precision Cancer Vaccine Into First-In-Human Trial

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Infinitopes has expanded its seed financing to $35.1 million, adding $15.4 million in a second close that the company says will accelerate clinical development of its lead precision cancer vaccine candidate, ITOP1. The financing was co-led by Octopus Ventures and new investor Amplify Bio, with additional participation from new investor Macmillan Cancer Support and existing backers Cancer Research Horizons and Manta Ray Ventures.

Gillson Sciences Expands Into Environmental Testing With SanAir Technologies Partnership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Gillson Sciences has partnered with SanAir Technologies Laboratory, adding accredited environmental testing and consulting capabilities to its analytical services platform as it broadens its focus from life sciences into a more integrated view of human health. The move reflects Gillson’s view that environmental conditions—such as air and water quality and broader community safety factors—can meaningfully influence long-term health outcomes, and that earlier identification of environmental risk can help strengthen prevention efforts.

VIA Names Matt O’Rourke Chief Creative Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

VIA has appointed award-winning creative leader Matt O’Rourke as chief creative officer, effective immediately, as the Portland, Maine-based advertising and marketing agency looks to sharpen its creative vision and support continued growth. O’Rourke will report to CEO Leeann Leahy, join VIA’s executive leadership team, and oversee creative direction across the agency’s client roster, which includes brands such as Arm & Hammer, Klondike, and Golden Corral.

Miami International Sells 90% of MIAXdx To Robinhood-Susquehanna Joint Venture

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Miami International Holdings has completed the sale of a 90% stake in its MIAX Derivatives Exchange (MIAXdx) to a joint venture created by Robinhood Markets in partnership with Susquehanna International Group, while retaining a 10% ownership interest in the exchange and clearinghouse. MIAXdx operates as a Designated Contract Market and Derivatives Clearing Organization with CFTC approval to list and clear fully collateralized futures, options on futures and swaps, giving the new owners a regulated platform to expand in derivatives and so-called prediction markets.

Cloover Lands $1.222 Billion Capital Commitment To Scale AI Operating System For Home Energy Upgrades In Europe

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Cloover, a Berlin-based climate software and financing platform for residential electrification projects, announced it has secured a combined $1.222 billion in new capital commitments, pairing $22 million in Series A equity with a $1.2 billion debt facility designed to fund homeowner and installer financing for clean-energy installations. The equity round was led by MMC Ventures and QED Investors, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, BNVT Capital, Bosch Ventures, CENTROTEC SE, and Earthshot Ventures.

Swissto12: €73 Million Secured In ESA-Backed Support For HummingSat Compact Telecom Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

SWISSto12 has secured €73 million ($84.8 million) in financial support from European Space Agency (ESA) member states to advance HummingSat, its next-generation, compact geostationary satellite platform designed to deliver lower-cost and more agile commercial and sovereign communications capabilities. The support is being provided through ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) HummingSat Partnership Project, part of ESA Connectivity and Secure Communications.

Yale Realty: Virginia Beach Landstown Commons Acquired For $102 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

An affiliate of Yale Realty Services Corp. has acquired Landstown Commons Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for $102 million, expanding the firm’s portfolio of open-air retail centers.

Energy Fuels To Acquire Australian Strategic Materials In $299 Million Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Energy Fuels announced it has signed a Scheme Implementation Deed to acquire Australian Strategic Materials Ltd. in a transaction the company values at about US$299 million, aiming to create what it describes as the largest fully integrated rare earth “mine-to-metal & alloy” producer outside of China.

LightPath Technologies To Acquire Amorphous Materials, Expanding Infrared Optics Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

LightPath Technologies has acquired the assets of Amorphous Materials, Inc. (AMI), adding proprietary chalcogenide glass melting capabilities designed to support large-diameter infrared optics and expand the company’s U.S.-based manufacturing footprint. The deal was completed for $7.0 million in cash, with the potential for up to $3.0 million in additional equity consideration tied to technical milestones.

enGene Expands Hercules Debt Facility To $125 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

enGene Holdings, a clinical-stage developer of non-viral genetic medicines, said it has expanded its debt facility with Hercules Capital to up to $125 million, adding what the company described as non-dilutive financing as it prepares for a planned U.S. regulatory submission for its lead program, detalimogene voraplasmid, in high-risk, BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ.

Precision53 Acquires The Iron Factory’s Club Machining And Chroming Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Precision53 (P53), a luxury U.S.-based golf equipment maker known for producing forged irons domestically, said it has acquired substantially all assets related to club machining, refinishing, and chroming from Arizona-based The Iron Factory. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $96.7 Million Refinancing For Newly Built Louisville Multifamily Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

Walker & Dunlop arranged $96.7 million in refinancing to recapitalize a three-property, newly built Class A multifamily portfolio totaling 640 units in Louisville, Kentucky, on behalf of developer Highgates Group.

Sylvan: KKR-Led Group Backs Additional Investment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 21, 2026

KKR has completed an additional investment in Sylvan, a global mushroom spawn and fungal biotechnology company, as the firm continues to fund the company’s expansion plans and broaden its investor base. The new round includes participation from a group of global and China-based investors, alongside a follow-on investment from Novo Holdings, which increased its ownership stake. KKR will remain Sylvan’s majority investor following the transaction.