Archives

Pilot Protocol Launches With $4.5 Million To Build The Internet For Agents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Pilot Protocol announced it has launched from stealth with $4.5 million in seed funding led by Version One Ventures, with participation from Precursor Ventures, Night Capital, Todd & Rahul Capital, and angel investors Lenny Rachitsky and Ben Tossell.

Cetera Names Craig Bartlett Community Leader Of Cetera Financial Specialists

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Cetera announced that Craig Bartlett, CFP, has been named Community Leader of Cetera Financial Specialists, a community of tax-focused financial professionals within Cetera's Tax & Accounting channel.

Conversica Launches Ignite And Announces Majority Recapitalization Led By Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Conversica announced the launch of Ignite, an AI-native Revenue Activation Engine for automotive dealers and dealer groups, alongside a majority recapitalization led by a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital. Under the deal, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital acquires a majority stake while Conversica's management team continues to lead the business and retains a significant ownership position.

Dopl Technologies Raises $6.3 Million To Advance Telerobotic Ultrasound Toward FDA Clearance

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Dopl Technologies announced it has closed a $6.3 million seed round led by SpringTide Ventures, bringing the company's total funding to more than $8 million. The oversubscribed round included more than a dozen strategic, institutional, and community-focused investors.

Pagaya Issues AAA-Rated Upsized $900 Million Personal Loan ABS Transaction

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Pagaya Technologies Ltd. announced the closing of an upsized $900 million AAA-rated personal loan ABS transaction, PAID 2026-5, marking the company's largest personal loan ABS transaction since 2022.

Seven Hills Realty Trust Closes $24.3 Million First Mortgage Loan For Park City, Utah Retail Property

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Seven Hills Realty Trust announced the closing of a $24.3 million first mortgage loan to refinance Kimball on Main, a 25,000 square foot retail property located in Park City, Utah's historic Main Street shopping district.

KKR And Energy Capital Partners Consortium Agrees To $7.7 Billion Takeover Of DCC Energy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

DCC Energy has agreed to a recommended £5.75 billion, or approximately $7.7 billion, all-cash acquisition by a consortium led by KKR and Energy Capital Partners, which would end its run as a publicly listed company if the deal is completed. Gibson Dunn is acting as counsel to KKR and co-counsel to the consortium on the transaction, which represents KKR's largest public-to-private deal in Europe in more than a decade.

OpenAI Launches Health In ChatGPT

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

OpenAI announced the launch of Health in ChatGPT to U.S. users, allowing people to securely connect Apple Health and supported medical records so that ChatGPT can help them understand their health information in context, track changes over time, and have more personalized conversations. The feature is rolling out today to logged-in ChatGPT users 18 and older in the U.S. on web and iOS, across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, though it is not yet available in Codex.

Simplilearn Collaborates With Duke University To Prepare Professionals For The AI Era Of Business Analysis

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Simplilearn, a global upskilling platform, announced a collaboration with Duke University to launch the Professional Certificate in AI-Powered Business Analysis, a 20-week program designed to prepare professionals for the evolving demands of AI-driven business analysis. The curriculum was vetted and approved by Duke University faculty and includes hands-on projects, practical tools, and an Agentic AI workshop, as well as five live online masterclasses led by Duke faculty, totaling 10 hours of academic engagement.

University Of Missouri Innovation Speeds Up Detection Of Deadly Tick-Borne Disease

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

University of Missouri researchers have developed a new method that can detect Rocky Mountain spotted fever in just 40 minutes, a breakthrough the university says could help patients receive treatment sooner. The test involves mixing DNA from a blood sample with specialized reagents in two 20-minute steps and can be completed at room temperature without complex or costly laboratory equipment. After 40 minutes, a change in the liquid's color indicates a positive detection of the bacteria.

SwiftConnect Acquires HID SAFE

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

SwiftConnect announced the acquisition of HID's Workforce Business Unit, including HID SAFE, a platform for automating identity lifecycle management in the physical world. The transaction builds on HID's prior participation in SwiftConnect's Series B funding round, and HID will hold a minority, non-controlling interest in SwiftConnect following close, which remains an independent company controlled and managed by its existing leadership team.

JM Test Systems Acquires Alltite, Expanding Calibration Capabilities Across The Central United States

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

JM Test Systems announced the acquisition of Alltite, LLC, a calibration and torque equipment services provider headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

University Of Waterloo Researchers Develop 3D-Printed Contact Lenses For Your Eyes Only In Just 20 Minutes

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a digital manufacturing platform combining new silicone materials with 3D printing technology that can produce patient-specific contact lenses in as little as 20 minutes, potentially allowing specialized lenses to be designed, manufactured, and dispensed during a single optometrist visit.

HSBC To Establish Global AI Centre Of Excellence In Singapore

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

HSBC announced it is launching a Global AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore in the second half of 2026, aimed at developing artificial intelligence capabilities that can be scaled across the bank's global network. The centre will initially focus on enhancing customer wealth journey conversations, introducing agentic treasury solutions, and developing AI-enabled digital payments.

MetaOptics To Deploy Its Direct Laser Writer At University Of Arizona’s Center Of Semiconductor Manufacturing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

MetaOptics announced an agreement to deploy its metalens Direct Laser Writer system at the University of Arizona's Center of Semiconductor Manufacturing, marking a step in the company's U.S. expansion strategy. Installation is expected to begin in 2027.

QPerfect And University Of Strasbourg Partner To Support France’s First Public Neutral-Atom Quantum Computing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

BTQ Technologies announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, QPerfect, has entered into a research collaboration with the University of Strasbourg in support of aQCess, France's first publicly accessible neutral atom quantum computing platform. The aQCess platform, led by co-coordinators Shannon Whitlock and Guido Pupillo at the Centre Européen de Sciences Quantiques, is targeting more than 400 qubits and is supported by the French National Strategy for Quantum Technologies.

Paul, Weiss Adds Rachel Phillips As Capital Markets Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced that Rachel Phillips has joined the firm as a partner in its Capital Markets Group within the Corporate Department, resident in New York. Phillips advises public companies, private equity sponsors, and underwriters on a range of capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, and mergers and acquisitions.

LPL Financial Welcomes $340 Million Firm Williams Tax & Financial Services

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

LPL Financial announced that the advisors of Williams Tax & Financial Services have joined its broker-dealer and Registered Investment Advisor platform, moving from Cetera. The team reported serving approximately $340 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets.

KMM Group Raises Funding From RS2 Healthcare Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

KMM Group, a vertically integrated precision contract manufacturer for the medical device industry, announced the completion of an investment from RS2 Healthcare Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Huper: Interview With CEO Michael Anton About Building the Superhuman Leaders of Tomorrow

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Huper is building a self-organizing, always up-to-date external brain for enterprises that consumes real-time progress data across an organization and helps senior and middle managers focus on the most important priorities. The company is led by CEO Michael Anton. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Huper CEO Michael Anton to learn more.

Vusion To Acquire In-Store Media, Accelerating Digital In-Store Retail Media Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Vusion announced it has signed an agreement to acquire In-Store Media, a Barcelona-based in-store retail media company with a track record of designing, deploying, and monetizing retail media networks across physical stores. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and completion remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, expected to be financed with debt.

Vanguard: Kenneth Jacobs Elected As Chairman Of Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Vanguard announced that Mark Loughridge will retire from its board of directors and the board of trustees for each Vanguard fund effective December 31, 2026. Kenneth Jacobs has been elected by the boards to succeed Loughridge as nonexecutive Chairman, while John Murphy has been elected to serve as Lead Independent Director.

Calix: Interview With Chief Product Officer Shane Eleniak About Agentic AI For Broadband Providers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Calix provides a vertical platform built specifically for broadband service providers, spanning access networks and customer premises systems through cloud software, managed services, and agentic AI. The company focuses on helping providers grow their businesses, simplify operations, and improve subscriber experiences. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Calix Chief Product Officer Shane Eleniak to learn more.

NPD Logistics Acquires Urban Direct

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

NPD Logistics, a national logistics and supply chain solutions provider, announced it has completed the acquisition of Urban Direct, a New York City-based Priority Overnight shipping company specializing in 10:30 a.m. next-day delivery. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bain Capital To Acquire Vitabiotics, The UK’s No. 1 Vitamin Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Bain Capital announced it has agreed to acquire Vitabiotics, the UK's leading vitamin company, along with its wider VB Group operations, including Meyer Organics in India and its operations across Africa, including VB Egypt. The transaction marks a significant milestone in Vitabiotics' 55-year history and is intended to support the company's next phase of international growth. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ideagen Expands EHS Portfolio With Acquisition Of Work Wallet

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Ideagen, a global provider of software solutions for regulated industries, announced it has acquired Work Wallet, a UK-based developer of mobile-first environmental, health, and safety software. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Tindall Corporation Completes Acquisition Of Atlanta Structural Concrete

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Tindall Corporation, one of the largest providers of precast concrete solutions, announced it has completed the acquisition of Atlanta Structural Concrete, which will now operate as ASC, A Tindall Company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

AstraZeneca Reports First-Half 2026 Revenue Of $30.7 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

AstraZeneca reported first-half 2026 revenue of $30.7 billion, up 9 percent on a reported basis and 6 percent at constant exchange rates, with core operating profit and core earnings per share both rising 11 percent. Core earnings per share for the first half rose 12 percent to $5.21, while reported earnings per share increased 4 percent to $3.60. In the second quarter alone, revenue rose 6 percent to $15.4 billion, while core earnings per share climbed 21 percent to $2.63.

Profusa Announces Signing Of Non-Binding Term Sheet For Acquisition Of Commercial-Stage Diagnostics Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Profusa announced the signing of a non-binding term sheet to acquire a privately held, commercial-stage health diagnostics and toxicology testing company.

argenx To Acquire Forte Biosciences For $2.2 Billion, Adding Anti-CD122 Antibody FB102 To Immunology Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

argenx and Forte Biosciences, Inc. announced a definitive agreement under which argenx will acquire Forte Biosciences for $77 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of approximately $2.2 billion and a premium of approximately 86 percent to Forte Biosciences' volume-weighted average price since it reported positive Phase 1b vitiligo data on July 9, 2026. The deal builds on argenx's prior strategic investment in Forte Biosciences.