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U.S. Bank: Former NFL Player Steven Israel Hired As Wealth Management Consultant To Serve Professional Athletes

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

U.S. Bank has hired former NFL cornerback and veteran financial services professional Steven Israel as a Wealth Management Consultant, where he will serve as an ambassador for the bank's efforts to support professional athletes' banking and wealth management needs. Israel joins from J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he served as an executive director and banker for approximately three years, advising entrepreneurs, college endowments, and sports and entertainment professionals on investments, lending, estate planning, and philanthropy. He will be based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Blackstone: President Jon Gray Predicts Major IPO Year Driven By AI As Firm Posts 25% Earnings Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Blackstone president Jon Gray expressed confidence in a strong IPO market for 2026, citing artificial intelligence as the primary driver, according to a Yahoo Finance report. Gray, the expected eventual successor to longtime CEO Stephen Schwarzman, made the comments during the firm's first quarter earnings call.

Waterland Private Equity: €4 Billion Raised Across Two New Funds In Four Months

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Waterland Private Equity Investments has announced the closing of two new funds, raising a combined €4 billion in capital in just four months. The firm's ninth institutional flagship fund, Waterland Private Equity Fund IX, closed at its hard cap of €3.5 billion, while the newly launched Waterland Partnership Fund I closed at its hard cap of €500 million. Both funds were oversubscribed, with demand significantly exceeding their respective fundraising targets.

Project Prometheus Reportedly Closes $10 Billion Funding Round At $38 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Project Prometheus, the physical AI laboratory co-led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former Google X scientist Vikram Bajaj, has closed a $10 billion funding round valuing the company at roughly $38 billion, according to a Bloomberg report. JPMorgan and BlackRock are among the firms participating in the round, which has no lead investor. The company may announce the full investor list in the coming months.

Cognition: AI Coding Startup In Funding Talks At $25 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Cognition, the San Francisco-based AI coding startup behind autonomous software engineer Devin, is in early talks to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in a new funding round that would value the company at $25 billion, according to a Bloomberg report. The discussions are ongoing and terms could change, but the round would more than double the company's current valuation of $10.2 billion, set just months ago.

Verda: $117 Million Raised To Scale AI Cloud Infrastructure Across Europe, The US, And Asia

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Verda, a Helsinki-based AI cloud infrastructure company formerly known as DataCrunch, has raised $117 million in new funding to accelerate product development and expand internationally. The round comprises equity funding led by Lifeline Ventures with participation from byFounders, Tesi, and Varma, alongside debt financing from a group of Nordic financial institutions. The company plans to hire more than 100 new employees and launch in the UK, the United States, and Asia this year.

Microsoft: A$25 Billion Investment In Australia To Expand AI Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, And Workforce Skills

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Microsoft has announced its largest-ever investment in Australia, committing A$25 billion (approximately USD 18 billion) in digital infrastructure, national cyber defense capability, and workforce skilling programs by the end of 2029. The announcement was made by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Sydney stop of Microsoft's global AI Tour.

Kurma Partners: €215 Million Biofund IV Closes As Total AUM Reach €1 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Kurma Partners, a Paris-based European healthcare venture capital firm and Eurazeo group company, has announced the final closing of Biofund IV at €215 million, bringing total assets under management across all Kurma Partners franchises to €1 billion. The fund is backed by cornerstone investors CSL, the European Investment Fund, and Bpifrance, alongside other European institutional investors and family offices. Parent company Eurazeo is also an investor in the fund.

Anthropic: Implied Valuation Reaches $1 Trillion On Secondary Markets, Surpassing OpenAI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Anthropic, the AI safety company and maker of the Claude family of AI models, has reached an implied valuation of roughly $1 trillion on Forge Global, a private share marketplace, according to the platform's CEO Kelly Rodriques, putting it ahead of OpenAI, which trades at an implied $880 billion on the same platform.

Cyera Acquires Ryft To Extend Agentic AI Security Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Cyera, a New York-based AI security platform valued at $9 billion, has acquired Ryft, a secure and automated data lake built for AI agents, in its fourth acquisition in five years. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is designed to accelerate Cyera's roadmap for providing instantly traceable, secure data access for agentic AI at scale.

Northern Gritstone: £20 Million Rolling Close Anchored By British Business Bank

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Northern Gritstone, a Leeds-based deeptech and life sciences venture capital firm, has announced a £20 million rolling close of additional ordinary share commitments, bringing its total permanent capital to £382 million. The close was anchored by a £10 million cornerstone investment from the British Business Bank, which increases its total commitment to Northern Gritstone to £40 million. Additional investment came from existing shareholders, including Andrew Law, chief executive of hedge fund Caxton Associates.

Palantir: $300 Million USDA Contract Signed To Modernize Technology Infrastructure And Support American Farmers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Palantir Technologies has signed a $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the National Farm Security Action Plan and modernize how the agency delivers services to American farmers. The agreement advances two priorities: strengthening farm security as a national security imperative and accelerating program delivery across USDA's Farm Production and Conservation mission areas.

TheStorage: €3.6 Million In Seed Funding Raised To Commercialize Sand-Based Renewable Heat Storage For Industry

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

TheStorage, a company developing sand-based thermal energy storage for industrial heat applications, has raised €3.6 million in seed funding to accelerate commercialization and expand its team. The round was led by Voima Ventures, with participation from Superhero Capital, 2C Ventures, and Momentum.

UNIVITY: €27 Million Raised To Build High-Speed Space-Based Internet Infrastructure For Telecom Operators

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

UNIVITY, a Paris-based operator of space-based connectivity services, has raised €27 million in a Series A funding round to complete its VLEO 5G demonstration program, develop its product offering for telecom operators, and prepare for industrial and commercial scale-up from 2028. The round was backed by Blast, Expansion, and the Deeptech 2030 fund managed on behalf of the French State by Bpifrance as part of the France 2030 investment plan, alongside two family offices.

Clough Capital: Actively Managed ETF Platform Surpasses $100 Million In Assets Under Management

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Clough Capital Partners L.P. announced that its actively managed ETF platform has surpassed $100 million in assets under management, reflecting growing investor demand for research-driven, active equity strategies.

908 Devices: Appoints Kola Otitoju As Chief Business & Strategy Officer And Grants Inducement Equity Awards

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

908 Devices announced the appointment of Kola Otitoju as Chief Business & Strategy Officer, a newly created executive role aimed at accelerating the company’s next phase of growth. In this position, Otitoju will lead product and corporate strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and partnership initiatives as the company expands across public health, safety, and defense technology markets.

NeoCognition: $40 Million Raised For Specialized AI Agent Platform Advancing Expert Intelligence

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

NeoCognition, a research lab focused on building self-learning AI agents, has emerged from stealth with a $40 million seed funding round to advance specialized intelligence and expert-level automation. The oversubscribed round was co-led by Cambium Capital and Walden Catalyst Ventures, with participation from Vista Equity Partners and several other investors. Notable angel investors and advisors include Lip-Bu Tan, Ion Stoica, and leading AI researchers such as Dawn Song, Ruslan Salakhutdinov, and Luke Zettlemoyer.

OpenAI: $1.5 Billion Reportedly Committed To Private Equity Joint Venture To Accelerate Enterprise AI Adoption

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

OpenAI is set to commit up to $1.5 billion to a new joint venture with private equity firms designed to accelerate the adoption of its workplace and business-focused AI tools, according to a Reuters report. The venture, known internally as DeployCo and structured as a Delaware-based limited liability company, is expected to be valued at $10 billion in a funding round anticipated to close in early May.

Decade Energy: €22 Million Raised To Scale Depot Power Infrastructure For European Truck Electrification

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Decade Energy, a Paris-based company building power infrastructure at logistics depots, has raised €22 million to scale deployment across France, expand its product offering, and enter new international markets. The round was led by Eiffel Investment Group and SET Ventures, with continued backing from existing investors Ananda Impact Ventures and Contrarian Ventures.

Gold Telegraph: Interview With Founder And Publisher Alex Deluce On The Making Of Judy Shelton Documentary

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Gold Telegraph is one of North America's fastest-growing platforms focused on gold, global macroeconomics, and the evolving monetary system. Deluce recently sat down with Dr. Judy Shelton, a conservative economist, former Trump advisor, and occasional WSJ contributor known for her advocacy to return to the gold standard. To learn more, Pulse 2.0 interviewed Alex Deluce, the founder, publisher, and lead voice behind Gold Telegraph.

Harbinger Sports Partners: $450 Million Raised In Initial Closing Of Fund I Strategy For Professional Sports Ownership

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Harbinger Sports Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm focused exclusively on minority stake investments in professional sports franchises, has secured over $450 million in assets under management following the initial closing of its Fund I strategy. The closing was anchored by leading private wealth platforms, alongside family offices and institutional capital investors seeking long-term exposure to professional sports ownership.

Cloudsmith: $72 Million Series C Raised To Secure The AI-Powered Software Supply Chain

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 24, 2026

Cloudsmith, a universal artifact management platform based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has raised $72 million in a Series C financing round to accelerate product development and expand its go-to-market capabilities as enterprises increasingly adopt AI-driven software development. The round was led by TCV and included participation from Insight Partners, along with other existing investors.

Rilian: $17.5 Million In Seed Funding Raised To Advance Agentic AI For Cyber And Defense Operations

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Rilian, a McLean, Virginia-based provider of AI-native cybersecurity and defense systems integration, has raised $17.5 million in seed and seed extension funding to expand its agentic AI platform across the United States, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and other Allied nations. The round was led by 8VC, First In, and Tamarack Global, with participation from 8090 Industries, Liquid 2 Ventures, Perot Jain, and Protego Ventures. Proceeds will support go-to-market efforts, engineering talent acquisition, and research and development in agentic AI-powered cyber and defense technology solutions for commercial markets and nation-scale environments.

Ameriprise Financial: $140 Million Firm Fair Oaks Wealth Management Joins

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Ameriprise Financial announced that Fair Oaks Wealth Management, a financial advisory practice managing more than $140 million in client assets, has joined its independent advisor channel from Edward Jones.

Focus: Acquisition Of Progressive Solutions Expands Healthcare IT Platform Into Dental Market

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Focus, a unified healthcare technology partner delivering managed IT, security, and data services, announced it has acquired Progressive Solutions, a dental IT services company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Fenton, Missouri. The transaction, which closed in January, represents Focus’s first expansion into the dental sector and strengthens its broader push to serve healthcare practices across specialties.

Snap: Derek Andersen Departing As CFO And Doug Hott Steps Into Role

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Snap Inc. is undergoing a leadership transition in its finance organization, as Chief Financial Officer Derek Andersen prepares to depart after nearly eight years with the company. In an internal note shared on April 20, 2026, Evan Spiegel confirmed that Andersen’s final earnings call will take place on May 6, with his last day scheduled for May 8.

The Many: Majority Stake In CatalystXR Expands Global Immersive Technology Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

The Many announced it has acquired a majority stake in CatalystXR, expanding its capabilities in XR, VR, and AR as part of its global growth strategy.

Behavox: Mizuho Securities Deploys AI-Powered Communications Monitoring Platform To Strengthen Compliance

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Behavox announced that Mizuho Securities has implemented its Quantum AI platform to enhance communications surveillance and compliance operations.

Hyperscale Data: $50 Million Bitcoin Treasury Milestone Reached As AI Data Center Company Advances Toward $100 Million Goal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Hyperscale Data announced that its Bitcoin treasury has surpassed $50 million for the second time, marking a key milestone in its strategy to build a $100 million digital asset reserve. The company reported holdings of approximately 663.3130 Bitcoin, valued at about $50.3 million based on a closing price of $75,872 on April 20, 2026.

Firenze: £6 Million Raised For Wealth Management Credit Infrastructure Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Apr 23, 2026

Firenze, a fintech platform focused on credit infrastructure for wealth management, has secured £6 million in an oversubscribed funding round led by AlbionVC, with follow-on backing from existing investors including Outward VC and Form Ventures. The raise comes just 12 months after its £2.5 million seed round and reflects accelerating institutional adoption of its Lombard lending technology.