Archives

Reel Power International: New Investment Secured From StoneTree

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

StoneTree Investment Partners, a private equity firm focused on lower-middle-market industrial businesses, has invested in Reel Power International, an Oklahoma City-based manufacturer of engineered equipment used in wire, cable, and flexible-material handling applications.

Amca Acquires Aerospace Control Products To Expand Hydraulic Pressure Switch Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Amca, a Los Angeles-based aerospace and defense company, has acquired Aerospace Control Products, Inc. (ACPI), a Davenport, Iowa, manufacturer known for flight-critical pressure and liquid-level switches, as the buyer continues to build out a broader hydraulics-focused components platform. The transaction adds custom pressure measurement capabilities and expands Amca’s presence in hydraulic components used across major commercial aircraft programs.

Avocet Partners Launches With $500 Million Equity Commitment And Buys EMC National Life

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Avocet Partners has launched a new insurance-focused investment and operating platform backed by $500 million of committed equity capital from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management and Lane42 Investment Partners. The New York-based firm said it was formed to acquire, operate, and grow life insurance platforms while establishing an ecosystem of related investment and service entities.

MML Capital: Over €630 Million Raised For Debut Continuation Fund

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

MML Capital has closed its debut continuation vehicle, MML Dorchester SCSp, with more than €630 million of investor commitments after what the firm described as a significantly oversubscribed fundraising. MML said the continuation fund was created to acquire interests in two European business services companies currently held across prior MML Partnership Capital funds, alongside stakes owned by other shareholders. Under MML’s ownership, the firm said both companies delivered strong performance during the hold period, more than doubling EBITDA through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management: First Tokenized Money Market Fund Launched

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

J.P. Morgan Asset Management has launched its first tokenized money market fund, My OnChain Net Yield Fund (MONY), making it available on the public Ethereum blockchain. The firm said qualified investors can access the 506(c) private placement fund by subscribing through Morgan Money, its open-architecture trading and analytics platform for liquidity management that now integrates traditional and on-chain assets into a single institutional workflow.

Lumotive Expands Global Footprint And Adds Senior Leaders

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Lumotive is expanding internationally and adding executive leadership as it scales commercial adoption of its Light Control Metasurfaces (LCM) platform across robotics, industrial automation, and smart infrastructure markets.

eAgronom: Interview With Co-Founder & CEO Robin Saluoks About The Climate Tech Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

eAgronom is a climate-tech platform that helps farmers and agri businesses manage regenerative farming practices while generating and monetizing high-quality carbon credits. Pulse 2.0 interviewed eAgronom co-founder and CEO Robin Saluoks to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Turnkey: Interview With VP Of Revenue Ali Faivus About The Programmable Wallet Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Turnkey is a company that provides secure, scalable, and programmable crypto infrastructure for embedded wallets and on-chain transaction automation. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Turnkey VP of Revenue Ali Faivus to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

Philips Agrees To Buy SpectraWAVE To Expand AI-Enabled Coronary Imaging And Physiology Portfolio

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Philips has agreed to acquire SpectraWAVE, a Bedford, Massachusetts-based company developing enhanced vascular imaging and AI-enabled coronary physiology assessment tools. Philips said the deal is intended to strengthen its image-guided therapy business and broaden its offering for interventional cardiology teams treating coronary artery disease.

Sidley: 29 New Partners And 15 New Counsel Named Across The U.S. And Europe

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Sidley Austin has elected a partnership class of 29 and promoted 15 lawyers to counsel, a year end set of leadership moves that will take effect January 1, 2026. The new appointments span multiple U.S. offices as well as key European markets and cover a wide mix of transactional, finance, disputes, regulatory, and investigations practices.

Dentons: Craig Kenny Hired As Dublin Real Estate Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Dentons has appointed Craig Kenny as a partner in its Real Estate practice in Dublin, adding an experienced adviser on major Irish property transactions as the firm continues to build out its Ireland offering. Dentons said Kenny has advised on some of the largest and most significant real estate transactions in the Irish market over the past decade.

Soverli: $2.6 Million Pre-Seed Raised To Launch A Sovereign OS Layer That Runs Alongside Android And iOS

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Soverli, an ETH Zurich spin-off building what it describes as a sovereign operating system layer for commercial smartphones, has raised $2.6 million in pre-seed funding as it looks to bring auditable, high-assurance mobile environments to governments, enterprises, OEMs, and consumers without requiring new hardware.

Finance Of America Lands $2.5 Billion Blue Owl Partnership Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Finance of America Companies has expanded its strategic partnership with funds managed by Blue Owl Capital in a move the company expects will accelerate product innovation and distribution for retirement-age borrowers seeking access to home equity. The companies said the enhanced arrangement includes a $2.5 billion commitment intended to provide scale and liquidity to support origination growth across multiple asset classes, along with a $50 million equity investment in Finance of America designed to deepen alignment between the two firms.

Why Meta Is Buying AI Wearables Company Limitless

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Meta has acquired Limitless, a company known for an AI-based pendant that records and transcribes real-world conversations, in a deal that underscores CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s growing focus on AI-enabled wearables as a primary way consumers will access AI tools. The terms were undisclosed.

Storen Financial Aligning With Dynasty To Expand Independent Wealth Platform With $500 Million In Client Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Storen Financial has established a strategic alliance with Dynasty Financial Partners to expand its wealth management capabilities, broaden investment opportunities, and streamline operations while maintaining independence. Dynasty said it is welcoming Storen Financial, an Indiana-based comprehensive financial services firm that manages approximately $500 million in client assets and serves more than 5,000 business, tax, and investment clients.

LPL Recruits Advisor Melissa Mirabile To Launch Forest Lake Wealth Partners At Linsco With $280 Million In Assets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

LPL Financial announced financial advisor Melissa Mirabile has joined its employee advisor channel, Linsco by LPL Financial, to launch Forest Lake Wealth Partners, bringing approximately $280 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets. Mirabile joined LPL from UBS and will be based in Albany, New York, according to the firm.

Focus Financial Partners: Adam Birenbaum Named As Incoming CEO As Michael Nathanson Transitions To Chairman

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Focus Financial Partners said it has named Adam Birenbaum as its incoming chief executive officer as part of a succession strategy that will also move current CEO Michael Nathanson into the role of chairman. The company said Birenbaum will become CEO and a member of Focus’s board of directors effective February 1, 2026, while Nathanson will continue to serve on the board as he transitions to chairman.

Destination XL And FullBeauty Brands Agree To Merger To Create $1.2 Billion Inclusive Apparel Retailer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Destination XL Group and FullBeauty Brands have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in a merger of equals that the companies said will create a scaled, category-defining retailer focused on inclusive apparel across plus-size women and Big + Tall men. The deal is structured as an all-stock transaction and is expected to close in the first half of Destination XL’s fiscal year 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and approval by Destination XL shareholders.

UKG To Buy Inova Payroll To Expand Outsourced HR And Benefits Support For SMBs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

UKG has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Inova Payroll, a U.S.-based human capital management and payroll services provider focused on small and mid-sized businesses. UKG said the transaction will strengthen its ability to directly serve the SMB market with expanded offerings that include outsourced HR support and full benefits brokerage services. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in early 2026.

AIR: $6.1 Million Seed Funding Closed To Bring Daily AI Credit Ratings To Private Credit And Public Markets

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

AIR Platforms has raised a $6.1 million seed round co-led by Work-Bench Ventures and Lerer Hippeau as it builds an AI-powered credit intelligence platform designed to deliver continuous, bias-free credit ratings for both public and private companies. The New York-based company said its goal is to replace legacy credit ratings systems with autonomous, daily evaluations of corporate financial health.

MetaComp: $22 Million Pre-A Raised To Scale Web2.5 Fiat And Stablecoin Settlement Network For Cross-Border Payments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

MetaComp, a Singapore-licensed stablecoin cross-border payments and treasury management provider, said it has raised US$22 million in a Pre-A funding round to expand StableX Network, a hybrid fiat-and-stablecoin settlement layer designed for regulated, real-time cross-border payments.

ChemLex: $45 Million Raised To Open Singapore Headquarters And Self-Driving Lab For Drug Discovery

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

ChemLex, an AI-for-science company focused on accelerating chemical discovery for the pharmaceutical industry, said it has established its global headquarters and a self-driving laboratory in Singapore and closed a $45 million funding round led by Granite Asia.

Phia: $30 Million In Funding At $180 Million Valuation Raised To Expand AI Shopping App

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Phia, an AI-powered shopping app co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, has raised $30 million in new financing that values the company at about $180 million, according to Bloomberg. A Phia spokesperson confirmed the round. The funding round was led by Notable Capital. Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures also reportedly participated in the round along with several celebrity backers, including Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, and Sara Blakely .

Outset: $30 Million Series B Raised To Advance AI-Native Customer Experience Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Outset has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round led by Radical Ventures as the company moves beyond AI-moderated research studies into what it calls the world’s first AI-native Customer Experience Management platform. The San Francisco-based company said the financing brings its total funding to $51 million and follows its Series A by six months. The round included participation from M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, along with returning investors Y Combinator, Adverb Ventures, and 8VC. Outset said the new capital will support continued development of its AI-moderated research technology while extending that capability across the entire customer journey through a new CXM category.

Esusu: $50 Million Series C At $1.2 Billion Valuation Raised To Expand Rent Reporting And Rental Data Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Esusu announced it has raised $50 million in Series C financing at a $1.2 billion valuation as it expands its platform for credit building and economic mobility, with a focus on scaling rent reporting and using verified rental data more broadly across financial services. The New York-based fintech said the financing brings its total capital raised to more than $200 million.

InduPro Therapeutics Secures Sanofi Strategic Equity Investment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

InduPro, a biotechnology company developing therapeutics that leverage membrane protein spatial relationships, has entered into a strategic equity investment and research collaboration with Sanofi to advance a novel bispecific PD-1 agonist program for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. The Seattle and Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said the program is currently in preclinical development and that Sanofi will fund preclinical and IND-enabling research activities as part of the collaboration.

ECP: Major Level Equity Growth Investment Raised To Advance AI Development For Assisted Living Software Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

ECP, a software platform built specifically for assisted living communities, has secured a significant growth investment led by Level Equity, with participation from existing investors and the company’s management team. The Milwaukee-based company said it will use what it described as the largest growth investment in assisted living software history to accelerate product development, with a focus on AI, value-based care, and ease of use.

Corpay Finalizes Mastercard’s $300 Million Minority Investment Valuing Cross-Border Business At About $13 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Corpay, the corporate payments company listed on the NYSE as CPAY, said it has completed Mastercard’s $300 million minority investment in Corpay’s cross-border business, concluding a transaction that Mastercard first announced in April and that places an enterprise valuation of approximately $13.0 billion on the unit.

Blue Current: Over $80 Million Series D Extension Anchored By Amazon To Commercialize Silicon Solid-State Batteries

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Blue Current, a Hayward, California-based developer of silicon solid-state batteries, has closed a Series D extension funding round of more than $80 million, anchored by Amazon, with participation from Koch Disruptive Technologies, Piedmont Capital, Rusheen Capital Partners, and Allen & Company. The company said the financing is intended to accelerate the commercialization of its silicon composite solid-state battery platform for mobility and stationary energy storage applications, positioning the technology as a safer, higher-performing alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Westwood Financial Expands Corporate Credit Facility By $145 Million To $470 Million Total

By Amit Chowdhry ● Dec 15, 2025

Westwood Financial, a Los Angeles-based retail real estate investment firm, has raised additional capital by closing a recast and $145 million upsize to its corporate credit facility, increasing the total facility to $470 million. The 55-year-old firm said the expanded financing strengthens liquidity and flexibility as it pursues a long-term growth strategy centered on neighborhood retail, particularly grocery-anchored assets.