Archives

Picogrid Raises $45 Million Series A To Build Open Integration Layer For Modern Defense

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:46 AM

Picogrid, a defense technology company building an open integration layer for modern military systems, announced the closing of a $45 million Series A funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The round also included participation from Washington Harbour, GSBackers, and existing investors Initialized Capital, Starburst Ventures, Credo Ventures, Giant Step Capital, and Alumni Ventures.

Inherent Raises $50 Million Seed Round To Build AI Agents For Scientific Discovery

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:45 AM

Inherent announced that it has closed a $50 million seed funding round to support its mission of building AI agents capable of discovering new knowledge. The company said it was created from the ground up as a research lab focused on developing AI systems that can drive scientific inquiry and innovation.

Arrival Appoints Gaming Veteran Kristofor Mellroth As SVP And Head Of Co-Development

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:43 AM

Arrival, the gaming division of Streamland Media, announced the appointment of Kristofor Mellroth as Senior Vice President and Head of Co-Development, a move aimed at expanding the company’s global game development capabilities and strengthening its partnerships with leading game publishers and developers.

NetCarrier Appoints Doug Derstine As President and Chief Executive Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:42 AM

NetCarrier announced the appointment of Doug Derstine as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 18, 2026. The leadership transition marks a new phase for the communications technology company as it accelerates growth, strengthens channel relationships, and advances its AI-enabled communications and automation strategy.

Tovala Appoints Chief Marketing Officer Scott Braun to Accelerate Customer and Brand Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:41 AM

Tovala announced the appointment of Scott Braun as Chief Marketing Officer as the company approaches 50 million meals delivered nationwide and continues expanding its smart oven and meal platform across the United States.

Rokt Appoints Bill Barton As Chief Operating Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:41 AM

Rokt, an e-commerce technology company that uses machine learning and AI to make transactions more relevant for shoppers, announced the appointment of Bill Barton as Chief Operating Officer. Barton previously served as the company's Chief Product and Engineering Officer and also acted as a strategic advisor to the business.

Owens & Minor Appoints Jim Marshall as Chief Executive Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:40 AM

Owens & Minor, a global healthcare solutions company providing essential products, services, and technology solutions to hospitals, health systems, and research centers worldwide, announced the appointment of Jim Marshall as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Alliance Franchise Brands Appoints Danielle Scott as Chief Development Officer to Drive Franchise Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:40 AM

Alliance Franchise Brands announced the appointment of Danielle Scott as Chief Development Officer, reinforcing the company's growth strategy as the franchising industry is projected to surpass $920 billion in 2026. Based in Plymouth, Michigan, Alliance Franchise Brands operates a network of nearly 500 independently owned locations across North America.

Binance Expands Beyond Crypto With Access to 8,000 U.S. Stocks and ETFs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:36 AM

Binance has launched access to more than 8,000 U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for eligible customers outside the United States, marking a significant step in the company's effort to evolve from a cryptocurrency exchange into a multi-asset financial platform.

Optimum Launches $500 Million Capital Raise and Restructuring Plan Ahead of Debt Negotiations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:36 AM

Optimum Communications announced a sweeping financial and corporate restructuring designed to protect shareholder value, strengthen operational flexibility, and support upcoming negotiations over approximately $21.8 billion of debt held at its subsidiary CSC Holdings.

Omniscient Raises $27.2 Million Series D To Advance AI-Powered Brain Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:35 AM

Omniscient, a company specializing in AI-driven brain analysis technology, announced that it has secured $27.2 million (AU$41.1 million) in an oversubscribed Series D funding round. The financing was co-led by OIF Ventures and the Australian National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), with participation from existing investors including Will Vicars and Gina Rinehart AO.

Alphabet Raises $80 Billion To Expand AI Infrastructure And Compute Capacity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:35 AM

SpeedLabs Raises $6.5 Million To Launch AI-Powered Momentum Markets For Sports

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:34 AM

SpeedLabs, a sports technology startup building a real-time market engine for sports, announced a $6.5 million seed funding round led by Parlay Capital, with participation from Bullpen Capital, TA Ventures, EdgeEquity, and other investors focused on sports, gaming, and consumer technology.

Sekai Raises $26 Million To Build A Social Platform For AI-Created Mini-Apps

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:34 AM

Sekai announced it has raised $26 million in funding to accelerate the growth of its social platform that enables users to create, play, and remix AI-generated mini-apps. The funding round was led by Khosla Ventures and Connect Ventures, with participation from Creative Artists Agency, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), a16z Speedrun, Mayfield, A*, MVP Ventures, 359 Capital, Parable VC, and 645 Ventures.

Gray Swan Raises $40 Million Series A To Scale AI Security Platform Trusted By Frontier Labs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:32 AM

Gray Swan, an AI security company founded by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, announced a $40 million Series A funding round co-led by Wing Venture Capital and Madrona, with participation from Obvious Ventures, Snowflake Ventures, Hudson River Trading, Samsung Next, and existing investor Magarac Venture Partners.

Clarity RCM: Interview with Co-Founder & CEO Ashwin Krishnan About the Medical Billing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:00 AM

Clarity RCM is a company that provides outsourced medical billing, credentialing, and revenue cycle management services exclusively for independent dermatology practices. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Clarity RCM co-founder and CEO Ashwin Krishnan to learn more.

Refer A Friend: Interview With Founder & CEO Ryan Zeleznak About The Local Service Provider Referral Service

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 8:00 AM

Refer A Friend is a personal marketplace app that rewards users for successfully referring trusted local service providers to their friends. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Refer A Friend founder and CEO Ryan Zeleznak to learn more.

Mecka Raises $60 Million To Build The Data And Deployment Layer For Physical AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:53 AM

Mecka announced that it has raised $60 million in funding as it looks to become the data and deployment layer for physical AI. The company said the new capital will be used to scale its data infrastructure, expand into new industry verticals, and accelerate the deployment of robots in real-world environments.

Mach Industries Raises $300 Million Series C At $1.8 Billion Valuation As Defense Tech Growth Accelerates

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:50 AM

Mach Industries, a defense manufacturing company focused on advanced unmanned systems, announced it has raised $300 million in Series C funding at a $1.8 billion valuation. The round was led by Infinite Capital and Ribbit Capital, with participation from existing investors Bedrock Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Khosla Ventures.

DriveNets Raises $410 Million Series D To Scale Ethernet Fabric For Large-Scale AI Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:49 AM

DriveNets announced it has secured $410 million in Series D funding, bringing its total capital raised to $1 billion. The company said the new capital will be used to expand inventory and accelerate deployment of its Ethernet-based AI fabric solutions as demand for large-scale AI infrastructure continues to grow. The funding round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Atreides Management, with new participation from AMD and Red Dot Capital alongside existing investors Pitango and D1 Capital Partners.

Why Lactalis Is Buying Protein Works

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:41 AM

French dairy giant Lactalis has acquired UK-based nutrition brand Protein Works as part of its strategy to expand further into the rapidly growing market for protein-rich foods, sports nutrition, wellness products, and meal replacement products.

Trilogy Metals: $35.6 Million U.S. Department Of War Investment Moves Forward As Closing Deadline Extended

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:39 AM

Trilogy Metals announced an update on the previously disclosed $35.6 million strategic equity investment from the U.S. Department of War, extending the targeted closing date from May 31, 2026, to July 31, 2026, to allow additional time to finalize definitive transaction documentation.

Ryan Buying Svalner Atlas Advisors To Expand Its European Tax Advisory Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:38 AM

Ryan, a global tax services and software provider, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Svalner Atlas Advisors, an independent tax and transaction advisory firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The deal is designed to expand Ryan’s presence across the Nordic and Benelux regions while strengthening its ability to provide integrated cross-border tax and advisory services throughout Europe.

Otovo Acquires SunSystem Technology In Seventh Deal Since December 2025

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:33 AM

Otovo announced it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire SunSystem Technology (SST), a U.S.-based provider of operations and maintenance (O&M) services for distributed energy generation assets. The proposed acquisition would expand Otovo’s U.S. presence with a nationwide service footprint and strengthen its position in solar asset maintenance, monitoring, and energy services.

Colliers Engineering Expands Québec Presence Through Pluritec Partnership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:32 AM

Colliers announced that its engineering division, through Canadian platform Englobe Corporation, has entered into an agreement to acquire Québec-based engineering consulting firm Pluritec Ltd. As part of the transaction, Pluritec’s senior leadership team will become shareholders of Englobe under Colliers’ partnership model and will help guide the combined organization’s future growth. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MYR Group: $328 Million Acquisition Of Valley Electric And Comet Electric Expands Western U.S. Reach

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:31 AM

MYR Group announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Valley Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Valley Electric Company and Comet Electric, for approximately $328 million, subject to net asset and other post-closing purchase price adjustments.

Four Corners Property Trust To Acquire Up To 102 Veterinary Properties For $268 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:30 AM

Four Corners Property Trust (FCPT), a real estate investment trust focused on net-leased restaurant and retail properties, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire up to 102 veterinary properties operated by Mission Pet Health for up to $268 million from Shore Capital Real Estate Partners Fund I.

CordenPharma Acquires AmbioPharm To Expand Global Peptide API Capacity

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:30 AM

CordenPharma announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire AmbioPharm, a U.S.-headquartered peptide API contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), in a move designed to strengthen its peptide manufacturing capabilities and expand its global production footprint.

Why Hiab Is Buying Labrie Environmental Group For $1.035 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:29 AM

Hiab announced an agreement to acquire Labrie Environmental Group for an enterprise value of $1.035 billion, significantly strengthening its position in the North American waste and recycling market. The deal adds a leading refuse collection vehicle manufacturer to Hiab’s portfolio and aligns with the company’s strategy of expanding into adjacent product categories and increasing its presence in North America.

Jump Partners With Equitable Advisors To Deploy AI-Powered Advisor Workflows

By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 7:28 AM

Jump announced a partnership with Equitable Advisors that makes Jump the firm's AI operating system, placing intelligent automation at the center of how advisors prepare for meetings, document client interactions, and manage follow-up activities at scale.