Archives

First Ascent Biomedical: $6 Million Raised For Personalized Cancer Treatments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

First Ascent Biomedical, a pioneer in personalized cancer treatment, announced a $6 million investment from Vidal Duart Enterprises, with an additional co-investment from Techstars. And the funding round will accelerate First Ascent Biomedical’s mission to transform medical oncology with highly individualized, prospective treatment planning technologies that improve patient survival.

Fermata: $10 Million (Series A) Raised For Computer Vision Agriculture Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Fermata, a data science company specializing in computer vision agriculture solutions, announced it closed $10 million in a Series A funding round backed by Raw Ventures. This funding will support the company's vision of developing a centralized digital brain for the horticulture industry, enabling autonomous management of crops through advanced data analysis and creating a system that continuously learns from available data.

Caidya: Clinical Research Organization Raises $165 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Caidya, a leading global mid-sized clinical research organization (CRO), announced the closing of a strategic growth investment of $165 million from funds managed by Rubicon Founders, a U.S.-based healthcare investment firm focused on building transformational companies.

Windward Bio: Drug Development Company Raises $200 Million (Series A)

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Novo Holdings, a leading life science investor, announced that it has invested in a $200 million Series A launch financing for Windward Bio. This oversubscribed Series A launch financing was co-led by OrbiMed, Novo Holdings and Blue Owl Healthcare Opportunities, and joined by SR One, Omega Funds, RTW Investments, Qiming Venture Partners, Quan Capital, and Pivotal bioVenture Partners.

Xapien: Interview With Co-Founder & COO Dan Secretan About The Research And Due Diligence Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Xapien is a research and due diligence platform that combines artificial intelligence and natural language processing to emulate the traditionally complex research and report writing process. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Xapien co-founder and COO Dan Secretan to learn more about the company.

RAAPID: Series A Funding Raised From Microsoft’s M12

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Healthcare AI company RAAPID announced a significant Series A investment from M12, which is Microsoft's venture fund. And this strategic funding positions RAAPID to expand its groundbreaking Neuro-symbolic AI platform that reshapes healthcare risk adjustment.

Alphi Capital: Inaugural Fund Closed At C$295 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Alphi Capital - a lower middle-market private equity firm focused on partnering with service-based companies in Canada - announced the final closing of its debut fund, Alphi Capital I, LP with total limited partner commitments of C$295 million. This fund had strong interest from investors and significantly exceeded its C$200 million target.

Recognize Announces Majority Investment in Sprout

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Recognize - a private equity firm focused on investing in digital services businesses - announced that it has made a majority investment in IT asset disposition (ITAD) provider Sprout. And New Capital Partners, an investor in Sprout since 2019, will continue as a minority investor.

The Vistria Group: $3 Billion In Commitments Closed For Fifth Flagship Private Equity Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

The Vistria Group, LP, a middle market private investment firm seeking to deliver superior financial returns and meaningful societal impact, announced that it completed the final closing of Vistria Fund V, LP, its most significant private equity fund with $3 billion of total capital commitments. And Vistria now manages almost $16 billion across its funds and co-investment vehicles, more than doubling its AUM in just over three years.

EQT To Buy Distributed Energy Company Scale Microgrids

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

EQT announced that EQT Transition Infrastructure agreed to buy Scale Microgrids, a leading vertically integrated developer, acquirer, owner, and operator of microgrids and distributed energy resources for commercial & industrial, EV fleet, data center, municipal, university, hospital, and agricultural customers, developers and communities, from Warburg Pincus and other existing shareholders.

AEP: Stake Sold Of Transmission Companies For $2.82 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Investment funds managed by KKR and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), which is one of Canada’s largest pension investors, announced an agreement to acquire a 19.9% interest in American Electric Power’s (AEP) Ohio and Indiana & Michigan transmission companies for $2.82 billion.

Palm Beach Capital: Strategic Investment In MBI Companies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Palm Beach Capital Fund VI - through one of its investment entities - announced that it has made a strategic investment in MBI Companies, a leading architecture and engineering design firm based in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Luster: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Christina Brady About The Predictive Enablement Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Luster is a company enabling the world’s top sales teams with Predictive Enablement technology. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Luster co-founder and CEO Christina Brady to learn more about the company.

512Financial Buying HR And Recruiting Firm AustinPeopleWorks

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Fractional business services company 512Financial announced the acquisition of AustinPeopleWorks (APW), a respected HR and recruiting firm serving growing businesses and nonprofits nationwide and internationally. And this strategic acquisition expands 512Financial’s overall HR capacity and client list while boosting service offerings to include recruiting and talent sourcing.

Timberlyne: $180 Million (Series A) Raised To Develop Novel Therapies For Autoimmune Disorders

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Timberlyne Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for autoimmune disorders, announced the closing of a $180 million Series A financing to advance CM313, a potentially best-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting CD38, for diseases of high unmet medical needs. The funding was led by investors Abingworth, Bain Capital Life Sciences, and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, with participation from Boyu Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Braidwell LP, and 3H Health Investment.

Swift Ventures: Interview With General Partner Brett Wilson About The AI-Focused Firm Of Founders Backing Founders

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Swift Ventures is a venture capital firm with roots in Berkeley, California that primarily invests in early-stage AI startups. Investments by Swift include Arize AI, Dash Bio, GrayMatter Robotics, Superhuman, SafelyYou, Tubi (acquired), and others. Started by the founders of TubeMogul – which was acquired by Adobe in 2016 – Swift touts “garage-to-IPO building and scaling expertise.” Pulse 2.0 interviewed Swift Ventures general partner Brett Wilson to learn more about the firm after its recent launch of a new AI Index.

Perigon Enhances Advisor Support Through Goldman Sachs Partnership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Perigon Wealth Management - a rapidly growing independent wealth management firm with offices nationwide and about $8.7 billion in client assets as of Dec. 31, 2024 - announced it enhanced advisor support by engaging with Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions (GSCS). And Perigon's custodial addition deepens the firm's engagement with Goldman Sachs, building upon its existing relationship with Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

nsave: $18 Million (Series A) Raised For Launching Investment Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

nsave, a provider of compliant accounts abroad to people from countries with high inflation, announced launching an investment product, enabling people at risk of financial exclusion to protect and grow their wealth. The company also confirmed an $18 million Series A funding led by TQ Ventures with participation from Sequoia Capital, Y Combinator, ACE Ventures, and Proton Foundation to drive their growth.

RhyGaze: $86 Million (Series A) Raised To Develop Gene Therapies For Retinal Diseases

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

RhyGaze, a biotechnology company based in Basel, Switzerland, and Philadelphia, PA, announced that it has raised a Series A funding round of $86 million. The funding round was led by GV (Google Ventures), alongside Arch Venture Partners, F-Prime Capital, and founding investors BioGeneration Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund, who contributed $11 million to an earlier seed round.

Kardigan: $300 Million Raised For Modernizing Cardiovascular Drug Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Kardigan - a heart health company modernizing cardiovascular drug development - announced it launched with a mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel, bringing people with cardiovascular diseases closer to the cures they deserve. The company also recently closed a $300 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Advisors, ARCH Venture Partners, and Sequoia Heritage.

Andreessen Horowitz Partnering With Lilly On $500 Million Biotech Ecosystem Venture Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health announced a newly formed and first-of-its-kind venture capital fund to fuel broader innovation in human health in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly). The Biotech Ecosystem Venture Fund aims to drive transformative progress in healthcare by investing in therapeutic platforms and technology companies that can bring new medicines and disease treatments to improve patients’ lives.

Saluda Medical: $100 Million Of Financing Closed

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Saluda Medical - a commercial-stage medical device company focused on developing treatments for chronic neurological conditions utilizing a novel closed-loop and dose-control neuromodulation platform - announced the closing of a $100 million financing.

Tools For Humanity: Interview With CISO Adrian Ludwig About The Identity And Financial Network Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Tools for Humanity is a technology company building tools for humans in the age of AI and a core contributor to World Network. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Tools for Humanity’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Adrian Ludwig to learn more about the company.

JCPenney Merging With SPARC To Create Catalyst Brands

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

JCPenney and SPARC Group announced that they have combined to form a new organization, Catalyst Brands, creating a portfolio of six iconic retail banners. Catalyst Brands brings together SPARC Group’s brands Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica with JCPenney and its exclusive private brands, including Stafford, Arizona and Liz Claiborne.

Normunity: $75 Million (Series B) Raised For Broadening Pipeline Of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Normunity, a biotechnology company creating novel anti-cancer therapies, announced today that it closed a Series B funding round of $75 million. The funding was co-led by Samsara BioCapital and Enavate Sciences, alongside other new investors Regeneron Ventures, Pfizer Ventures and YK Bioventures, as well as existing investors Canaan Partners, Sanofi Ventures, Taiho Ventures, Osage Venture Partners, HongShan Capital Group, and Connecticut Innovations. And the Board of Directors will be expanded to include David Parry, PhD (Samsara), Sara Nayeem, MD (Enavate), and Marie-Clare Peakman, MD (Pfizer Ventures).

booster: Interview With Co-Founders Scott Birnbaum & Ryan Simkin About The Student-Athlete Brand Manager

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

booster is a newly launched groundbreaking social platform that empowers student-athletes to take control of their personal brands. Pulse 2.0 interviewed co-founders Scott Birnbaum and Ryan Simkin to learn more about the company.

BragHumble: Interview With Founder Dominic Pritham About The AI-Based Fitness App Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

BragHumble is an AI-based accountability and fitness app that automatically uses your camera to count your reps without wearables and journals your progress while dropping knowledge about fitness. Pulse 2.0 interviewed BragHumble founder Dominic Pritham to learn more about the company.

InterVision: Interview With CEO Jonathan Lerner About The Managed Services Provider Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

InterVision is a leading managed services provider, delivering and supporting complex IT solutions for mid-to-enterprise and public sector organizations. Pulse 2.0 interviewed InterVision CEO Jonathan Lerner to learn more about the company.

Tidal Cyber Buying Zero-Shot Security

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Tidal Cyber, the Threat-Informed Defense company, announced the acquisition of Zero-Shot Security, the creator of an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) solution that simplifies and speeds the processing and analysis of threat intelligence.

ICE Buying The American Financial Exchange (AFX)

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jan 13, 2025

Intercontinental Exchange announced that it has acquired the American Financial Exchange (AFX), an electronic exchange for direct lending and borrowing for American banks and financial institutions. And ICE has acquired 100% of AFX from 7RIDGE. This acquisition is not expected to have a material impact on ICE’s 2025 financial results or ICE’s deleveraging or capital return plans.