Archives

Lightspeed Commerce Divests Upserve U.S. Hospitality Product Line To Skyview Equity

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Lightspeed Commerce has announced the sale of its non-core Upserve U.S. hospitality product line to Skyview Equity for total cash consideration of up to $81 million USD, with $37 million subject to an earnout tied to performance targets over 24 months. The divestiture is consistent with Lightspeed's strategy to streamline its portfolio and concentrate on its two core growth engines: retail in North America and hospitality in Europe.

DLA Piper Appoints Leading LNG Partner Nikki Van Der Meer In Perth

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

DLA Piper has appointed Nikki van der Meer as a Projects partner in its Perth office, effective June 2, 2026, strengthening the global law firm's Energy and Natural Resources team at a pivotal moment for the Australian LNG sector and the broader energy transition.

Spirit Airlines Collapse Strands Thousands Of Travelers As Budget Carrier Shuts Down Overnight

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Spirit Airlines has halted all operations, stranding thousands of travelers midtrip or scrambling to rebook after the budget carrier shut down with little notice, leaving check-in counters empty, customer service lines unavailable and many passengers arriving at airports with no prior warning. The shutdown, which took effect immediately upon announcement, prompted a swift response from competing carriers and travel industry experts as the full scope of the disruption became clear.

GameStop Proposes To Buy eBay In $55.5 Billion Cash-And-Stock Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

GameStop has submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire 100% of eBay Inc. at $125.00 per share in a combination of cash and stock, valuing the e-commerce giant at approximately $55.5 billion on an undiluted basis. The offer represents a 46% premium to eBay's unaffected closing price on February 4, 2026, the day GameStop began accumulating its position in the company. GameStop has since built a 5% economic stake in eBay through derivatives and beneficial ownership of common stock, and is filing a Schedule 13D and HSR notification concurrently with the proposal.

Inszone: Acquisition Of Mena Insurance Agency Expands Arkansas Presence

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Inszone Insurance Services has acquired Mena Insurance Agency, a long-standing Arkansas-based insurance provider, as part of its strategy to expand its footprint in the state. The transaction brings a century-old agency with deep community roots into Inszone’s growing national platform.

Pappas Family Of Restaurants Acquires On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Pappas Restaurants, one of the nation's largest family-owned and operated restaurant groups, has completed the acquisition of On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, uniting two Texas-born dining institutions under a single roof. The deal, which closed in May 2025, brings together brands with deep roots in Lone Star hospitality and a shared passion for bold Tex-Mex flavors.

Redwood AI Announces Enhanced AI Models, Increasing Evaluated Chemical Reactions

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Redwood AI has announced preliminary results from a research initiative conducted in collaboration with Professor Jolene Reid at the University of British Columbia, aimed at significantly enhancing Reactosphere, the company's AI-driven chemical synthesis platform. The initiative has produced new models that expand the platform's evaluated chemical reaction universe from approximately 4 million training examples to more than 21 million — a 425% increase.

ŌURA Announces Hormonal Birth Control Support And Menopause Insights

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

ŌURA, maker of the world's leading smart ring, has announced two new experiences designed to help women navigate the hormonal shifts that shape most of their lives: Hormonal Birth Control support and Menopause Insights. The features, rolling out globally beginning May 6, mark the company's most significant expansion into hormonal health and reflect a broader commitment to building science-backed tools for life stages that have long been underserved by both medicine and technology.

ADB Launches $70 Billion Plan For Energy And Digital Infrastructure In Asia-Pacific

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

The Asian Development Bank has announced a $70 billion program to expand energy and digital infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region by 2035, with the dual aim of strengthening power grid links and increasing broadband access across some of the world's most underserved communities. The announcement was made in Hanoi on Sunday, with ADB President Masato Kanda framing energy and digital connectivity as essential pillars of the region's long-term economic growth.

The Marzetti Company Completes Acquisition Of Bachan’s

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

The Marzetti Company has completed its acquisition of Bachan's, Inc., the fast-growing Japanese Barbecue Sauce brand known for its clean-label, family-recipe-inspired products, in a transaction valued at $400 million. The deal reinforces Marzetti's expanding position in the condiment and sauce category and is expected to create new opportunities through the company's retail and foodservice distribution network, supply chain capabilities, and culinary expertise.

Salesforce Launches Agentforce Operations To End Back-Office Bottlenecks

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Salesforce has introduced Agentforce Operations, a new solution designed to transform slow, fragmented back-office processes into automated, agent-driven workflows that can cut cycle times by up to 70% and eliminate as much as 80% of manual tasks such as data entry, compliance checks, and approval routing. The launch marks a significant expansion of the company's Agentforce platform beyond customer-facing applications and into the internal operational systems that govern how businesses run day to day.

Ask.com Calls It Quits After Nearly Three Decades Online

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Ask.com, the veteran search engine formerly known as Ask Jeeves that once stood among the most visited destinations on the early internet, has officially shut down its operations, closing the chapter on a platform that helped introduce millions of users to the possibilities of web-based search. The closure marks the end of a nearly 30-year run for a brand that, at its peak, was synonymous with accessible, conversational search at a time when navigating the internet was still a novel experience for most consumers.

Annex Brands Acquires Postal Connections To Surpass 800 Franchise Locations Across North America

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Annex Brands, a leading franchisor in the packing, shipping, and office services industries, has acquired Postal Connections of America, franchisor of 34 Postal Connections packaging and shipping franchises across the United States.

Spring Health And Alma Complete Combination To Create First Lifelong Mental Health Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Spring Health, a global mental health company, has announced the successful closing of its acquisition of Alma, a membership-based platform that helps independent mental health clinicians accept insurance and build private practices. The combined company now supports more than 170 million lives globally across employers and health plans.

The Pete Store Acquires G.L. Sayre To Expand Mid-Atlantic Peterbilt Network Into Philadelphia And Wilmington

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

The Pete Store, a four-time Peterbilt North American Dealer of the Year and one of the largest privately owned Peterbilt dealer groups in North America, has acquired G.L. Sayre, a family-owned Peterbilt dealership with locations in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania and New Castle, Delaware.

Legacy Capital Appoints Chris Bradford To Advisory Board

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Legacy Capital Advisors, a boutique sell-side advisory firm headquartered in Naples, Florida, specializing in business transitions and succession planning for closely-held middle-market companies, has appointed Chris Bradford to its Advisory Board. The addition strengthens the firm's bench of expertise as demand for sophisticated transition planning continues to grow among privately held businesses navigating generational ownership changes and evolving market conditions.

Gardiner Service Company Acquires IntelliTech Fire And Security To Expand Life Safety Capabilities In Northern Ohio

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Gardiner Service Company, a leader in Northern Ohio for HVAC and building technology, has acquired IntelliTech Fire and Security, a Medina, Ohio-based full-service provider specializing in fire protection and building safety systems. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Kiely Family Of Companies Acquires M. O’Herron Company, A 123-Year-Old Utility Contractor

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Kiely Family of Companies, a multi-discipline design-build enterprise with more than 2,200 team members across the United States and India, has acquired M. O'Herron Company, a family-owned utility contractor specializing in natural gas distribution throughout the Pittsburgh Metro area and West Virginia since 1903. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Barclays: Acquisition Of Best Egg Completed To Expand U.S. Personal Lending Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Barclays has completed its acquisition of Best Egg, a U.S.-based direct-to-consumer personal loan origination platform, marking a key milestone in the bank’s U.S. growth strategy. The transaction was carried out through Barclays Bank Delaware, its U.S. consumer banking subsidiary.

Green Cabbage: Launch Of Harvest AI Platform Advances Procurement Intelligence

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Green Cabbage has launched Harvest, an agentic AI platform designed to enhance procurement intelligence and enable faster, more informed decision-making across organizations. The platform integrates market, supplier, and commercial data into a unified experience aimed at improving negotiation outcomes and cost efficiency.

Tech Mahindra: Acquisition Of Avant Techno Solutions Strengthens Payments And Wealth Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Tech Mahindra has acquired Avant Techno Solutions, a Canada-based firm specializing in payments modernization and wealth platforms, to enhance its capabilities in the banking, financial services, and insurance sectors.

MC Bancshares: $225 Million Capital Raise And Merger With DMMS Strengthen Regional Banking Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

An investor group led by former IBERIABANK executives has completed the merger of MC Bancshares with DMMS Purchaser, alongside a capital raise exceeding $225 million from more than 550 investors. The combined entity will operate as MC Bancshares.

PointsKash: Acquisition Of Keating Rewards Platform Expands Fintech Infrastructure Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

PointsKash has acquired Keating Software’s rewards program development and reporting platform in a cash and stock transaction, bringing key technology in-house to enhance its fintech ecosystem.

Gates Corporation To Acquire Timken’s Belts Business

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Gates Industrial Corporation, a global manufacturer of power transmission and fluid power solutions listed on the NYSE under the ticker GTES, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the belts business from The Timken Company, including select manufacturing assets. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.

Prosperity Capital Advisors Unifies Five Firms Under One Brand With $4.7 Billion In Combined AUM

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Prosperity Capital Advisors, an SEC-registered investment advisor dedicated to holistic wealth management, has announced the unification of five firms under the Prosperity brand: JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management, Alison Wealth Management, OneTeam Financial, Hammer Financial Group, and FSC Wealth Advisors. The combined organization represents 152 front- and back-office professionals, including 98 investment advisor representatives and $4.7 billion in assets under management.

CBL Properties Completes $97.5 Million Refinancing Of Fayette Mall In Lexington, Kentucky

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

CBL Properties, a publicly traded mall REIT listed on the NYSE under the ticker CBL, has completed the refinancing of Fayette Mall, a dominant super-regional enclosed mall in Lexington, Kentucky, securing a new $97.5 million, five-year non-recourse CMBS loan at a fixed interest rate of approximately 7.25%.

Datavault AI And CyberCatch Sign Binding Letter Of Intent For All-Stock Acquisition

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Datavault AI, a provider of data monetization and digital engagement technologies listed on Nasdaq under the ticker DVLT, and CyberCatch Holdings, a cybersecurity company listed on the TSXV under CYBE, have entered into a binding letter of intent under which Datavault AI will acquire 100% of CyberCatch in an all-stock transaction. The implied aggregate value to CyberCatch's outstanding common shares is CAD $136.8 million. The parties have agreed to negotiate a definitive agreement during a 45-day mutual exclusivity period.

Cliffwater Appoints Sean Murray As Head Of Retirement Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Cliffwater, a leading private markets interval fund manager with $44.5 billion in net assets across its platform as of March 31, 2026, has appointed Sean Murray to its distribution team as Head of Retirement Solutions.

Lightedge Acquires 3MW Tier III Data Center In Kansas City

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Lightedge, a leading provider of secure hybrid cloud and colocation solutions backed by private equity firm GI Partners, has acquired a 3 megawatt, Uptime Institute Tier III certified data center in Kansas City, Missouri, expanding its footprint in one of the Midwest's most active enterprise infrastructure markets.

KKR Appoints Lauren Goodwin As Chief Investment Strategist For Global Wealth Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

KKR, a leading global investment firm listed on the NYSE under the ticker KKR, has appointed Lauren Goodwin as Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist for its Global Wealth Solutions business. Goodwin, an experienced economist and portfolio strategist, will lead efforts to develop practical tools for financial advisors and adapt KKR's market insights for wirehouses, RIAs, private banks, and independent broker-dealers.