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Flashpoint Therapeutics: $10 Million Closed To Develop Therapeutics For Cancer And Other Diseases

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2023

Flashpoint Therapeutics - a company developing nanotechnology-enabled therapeutics for cancer and other diseases - recently announced a $10 million seed funding round led by Beta Lab, a leading deep tech venture capital firm headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with participation from leading private equity investor Russell Carson’s CS Venture Opportunities Fund.

Castellum.AI: SaaS Compliance Platform Company Closes $4 Million In Funding

By Annie Baker ● Oct 27, 2023

Castellum.AI recently announced a $4 million seed investment led by Spider Capital with participation from NewFund, Remarkable Ventures, Cameron Ventures and new and existing angel investors. The funding round was oversubscribed by $1.5 million.

Flash Pack: Adventure Travel Company Secures $6.2 Million

By Annie Baker ● Oct 27, 2023

Flash Pack - an adventure-travel company specializing in boutique trips for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s - recently announced a $6.2 million funding round led by JamJar Investments and participation from existing investors PPF. Driven by a loneliness epidemic and the need for connection, the U.S. has become Flash Pack's fastest-growing market, with 60% of its total trip sales driven by demand from U.S. travelers. And the recent investment comes almost exactly three years after the pandemic forced the business into bankruptcy following a series of travel restrictions.

CoverForce: Independent Insurance Company Secures $5 Million

By Dan Anderson ● Oct 27, 2023

CoverForce - the first independent insurance platform bringing streamlined comparisons and one-click buying to commercial insurance - recently emerged from stealth mode, unveiling its comprehensive suite of products made specifically for agency networks, wholesalers, and software companies. And the company's infrastructure and easy-to-integrate API aim to provide digital access and one-stop comparison in an offline market with speed and accuracy.

Eden: Natural Resource Recovery Company Closes $12 Million

By Annie Baker ● Oct 27, 2023

Eden - a leader in sustainable natural resource recovery - recently announced that it has closed an oversubscribed $12 million seed funding round. The company has raised $21.3 million to date, including $9.2 million in non-dilutive grants.

Agrology: Phase IIB Funding Received From The NSF

By Noah Long ● Oct 27, 2023

Agrology recently announced that the company received $500,000 in Phase IIB Funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop further Agrology’s real-time soil carbon and nitrous oxide emission monitoring technology. America’s Seed Fund is powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact.

Databricks To Acquire Arcion: Details

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2023

Data and AI company Databricks announced it has agreed to acquire Arcion, which is a Databricks Ventures portfolio company that helps enterprises quickly and reliably replicate data across on-prem, cloud databases and data platforms. And this will enable Databricks to provide native solutions to ingest data from various databases and SaaS applications into the Databricks Lakehouse Platform. The transaction is valued at over $100 million, inclusive of incentives.

Eve: Legal AI Assistant Raises $14 Million

By Annie Baker ● Oct 27, 2023

Eve has officially launched the industry's first personalized AI legal assistant fully trainable to suit the specific needs of law practice. Built with the latest large language models (LLMs) and pre-built legal skills, Eve automates away tasks like document review, case analysis, and legal research, enabling teams to focus on more strategic, high-value initiatives.

Censys: Intelligence Platform Company Raises $75 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2023

Censys - a leading Internet Intelligence Platform for Threat Hunting and Exposure Management - recently announced it secured $75 million in new funding. The funding consisted of a $50 million Series C led by Decibel Partners, GV, Greylock, and Intel Capital - and included new investors Ascension Ventures, Four Rivers, and accounts managed by Hamilton Lane. Additionally, the $25M in debt funding was led by SVB Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, a Division of First Citizens Bank.

Auction.io: Auction And E-Commerce Solutions Company Receives Funding

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2023

Auction.io - a leading B2B SaaS provider of auction and e-commerce solutions - recently announced a substantial capital infusion that will propel its aggressive growth plans. The funding, sourced from a group of prominent investors and Venture Capital funds, including Agya Ventures, Adam Neumann (166 2nd Financial Services), Liquid 2 Ventures, Sam Parr (founder of The Hustle), SRM Development, and more, underscores the confidence in Auction.io's innovative technology and market potential.

Canopy Connect Secures $6.5 Million To Monitor Insurance Information

By Annie Baker ● Oct 27, 2023

Canopy Connect - a leading platform for collecting, verifying, and monitoring insurance information - recently announced it has closed a $6.5 million Series A funding round. The new funding round will enable the company to accelerate growth, increase product velocity, and build upon their success with the platform powering more than 3,500 companies across a broad range of verticals. Nevcaut Ventures led the round, with participation from Elefund, Nimble Partners, LocalGlobe, 9Yards Capital, Global FinTech Venture Partners, and more.

GOZEN: Biomaterials Company Secures $3.3 Million In Seed Funding

By Noah Long ● Oct 27, 2023

GOZEN - a transformative biomaterials startup that is set to disrupt the fashion, automotive and home furnishings industries - recently announced $3.3 million in a seed funding round. This funding round comes from forward-thinking investors like Happiness Capital (lead investor), Accelr8, Astor Management, and SOSV - who recognized GOZEN's unique potential to transform the world of materials through biology. This funding round will enable GOZEN to accelerate research, development, and scaling efforts for its breakthrough biomaterial LUNAFORM, and fuel the creation of new materials.

Sidework: Over $10 Million Raised And Rebrands From Backbar

By Annie Baker ● Oct 27, 2023

Sidework - a pioneering beverage technology company (formerly known as Backbar) - recently announced that it has closed new funding to bring their total raised to over $10 million. The new funding round was led by Cherubic Ventures with continuing participation from Finistere Ventures, SOSV, Outlander Labs, and Pathbreaker Ventures.

Rymedi: Blockchain-Backed Healthcare Data Company Raises $9 Million

By Dan Anderson ● Oct 27, 2023

Rymedi - a healthcare data exchange platform with advanced blockchain security - recently announced a Series A totaling $9 million with plans to expand the reach of their platform. The funding round was co-led by RW3 Ventures and White Star Capital, with participation from Blockchange Ventures, Avalanche's Blizzard Fund, and strategic angel investors from the healthcare industry.

Why EDB Is Buying Splitgraph

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2023

EnterpriseDB (EDB) - a leader in accelerating Postgres in the enterprise - recently announced its acquisition of Splitgraph. This early-stage disruptor offers a Postgres-compatible serverless SQL API for building data-driven applications from hundreds of data sources. This move is considered a meaningful step in EDB's evolution and highlights its commitment to delivering Postgres solutions to customers' evolving challenges across a diverse data landscape.

Trua: Providing Reusable Identity And Risk-Screening Solutions In Over A $30 Billion Market

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 27, 2023

Trua is a technology company that provides privacy-preserving reusable identity and risk-screening solutions that assure trust and safety in digital environments, sharing economy, employment, and workforce background screening. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Trua CEO Raj Ananthanpillai to learn more about the company.

Yourco: $2 Million Closed To Bridge The Communication Gap Between Non-Desk Employees

By Annie Baker ● Oct 26, 2023

Yourco - a pioneering SMS-based platform designed to bridge the communication gap between non-desk employees (those who work in the field, on the plant floor, or frontlines rather than behind a desk to do their job) and the front office - recently announced it successfully raised $2 million in a seed funding round. Indianapolis-based Ground Game Ventures led the funding round with additional support from Allos Ventures, Start Something Ventures, Elevate Ventures, and Flywheel Fund. This funding round will accelerate the company's mission to empower the 2.7 billion employees working outside an office with effective workplace communication and automation tools.

Waverly Advisors Buying Rainsberger Wealth Advisors: Details

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023

Waverly Advisors, LLC - a registered investment advisor (RIA) that specializes in investment management, financial planning and wealth management solutions for a diverse group of high-net-worth individuals, corporate retirement plans and institutional clients - recently announced that it has acquired Rainsberger Wealth Advisors based in Colorado Springs, CO. And with ongoing expansion efforts underway, Waverly has recently added offices in Texas and Mississippi, and now Colorado, in addition to their long-time presence in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

OnsiteIQ: Construction Intelligence Platform Company Raises $14 Million

By Annie Baker ● Oct 26, 2023

OnsiteIQ - a leading construction intelligence platform for commercial real estate investors, developers, and owners - recently announced the completion of a $14-million Series B financing round. The funding round was led by existing investor Vertical Venture Partners (joined by several its Limited Partners), with additional participation from leading real estate technology VC RET Ventures and Interplay VC.

PhaseV: $15 Million Closed To Optimize Clinical Trial Design And Analysis

By Dan Anderson ● Oct 26, 2023

PhaseV - a pioneer in causal machine learning (ML) technology that optimizes clinical trial design and analysis - recently announced that it has raised $15 million in funding, led by Viola Ventures and Exor Ventures, including participation from LionBird and a group of prominent angel investors.

hostU Receives Investment From Thirteen Castles

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023

Thirteen Castles (a technology-focused investment firm) recently announced that it has agreed to lead an equity investment and establish a technology partnership to build the second phase of hostU's marketplace. hostU was launched out of Northwestern University's Entrepreneurship center called The Garage.

Palladium Energy: $10 Million Closed In Corporate Equity From Ultra Capital

By Annie Baker ● Oct 26, 2023

Palladium Energy - a leading utility-scale solar and storage developer within the U.S. - recently announced the closing of a $10 million corporate equity investment from Ultra Capital. This private investment firm provides growth equity and asset capital to companies focused on the energy transition and de-carbonization. And the funding will be utilized to accelerate the growth of the Palladium team and development pipeline with a continued focus on originating, acquiring and developing high-quality solar and storage projects.

OrbiMed: $4.3 Billion In Commitments Raised

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023

OrbiMed - a global healthcare investment firm - recently announced it has raised over $4.3 billion in commitments for its latest private investment funds, including OrbiMed Private Investments IX, OrbiMed Asia Partners V, and OrbiMed Royalty & Credit Opportunities IV. Consistent with their predecessors, the new funds enable OrbiMed to invest globally, from the seed stage for start-ups incubated by OrbiMed through growth capital opportunities.

Studio X Reveals New Accelerator Cohort To Support Next-Gen Climate Tech Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023

Studio X recently announced Cohort 3 of its Energy and Climate Tech Accelerator Program: AI Technology Systems, Austere Environmental, Economical Energy, Flexergy, Onvol, Project Geminae, and SeisWave. These startups are engaging in the 16-week program and gain access to cohort-exclusive programming and content, customized support and hands-on mentorship, actionable guidance, access to world-class industry experts, monetary support in the form of investment, etc. Through this accelerator program, Studio X seeks to propel these startups' growth and the resulting impact of their innovations.

Michigan Innovate Capital Fund Awards $18 Million To Startups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II recently announced four Michigan nonprofit organizations will receive initial awards from the Michigan Innovate Capital Fund (MICF), a new program to continue growing a vibrant and robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Michigan. Ann Arbor SPARK, Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center (BRCC), Invest Detroit, and InvestUP will receive $18 million in funding from the program, which the MSF Board approved in June 2023.

Noodle Cat Games: $12 Million Raised In Round Led By Hiro Capital

By Annie Baker ● Oct 26, 2023

Noodle Cat Games - a leading independent game development studio - recently announced the completion of its Series A funding round of $12 million led by Hiro Capital, with additional participation from Makers Fund, KRAFTON, and Sony Innovation Fund. Headed by gaming industry veterans from renowned studios such as Epic Games, Electronic Arts, and BioWare, the team has worked in leadership roles on legendary titles like Fortnite, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Infinity Blade. Noodle Cat is excited to push forward development on their first original IP title, an innovative multiplayer Action RPG.

Sequoia Financial Group Buying M Capital Advisors: Details

By Dan Anderson ● Oct 26, 2023

Sequoia Financial Group - a leading SEC-registered wealth manager with over $15 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2023 - recently announced it has agreed to acquire M Capital Advisors - which has been providing customized portfolio management services to individuals and institutions for more than three decades. The firms expect the deal to close by October 31. The financial terms were not disclosed.

Stonepeak Buying Textainer For $7.4 Billion: Details

By Annie Baker ● Oct 26, 2023

Textainer Group Holdings Limited - one of the world’s largest lessors of intermodal containers - recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Stonepeak (a leading alternative investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets). Upon completing the deal and the redemption of Textainer’s Series A and B cumulative redeemable perpetual preference shares, Textainer will become a privately held company.

NorthRock And Sammons Financial Group Partnering To Transform the Wealth Management Industry

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023

NorthRock Partners, a full-service financial and lifestyle advisory firm, and Sammons Financial Group, a leading financial services company, recently announced an industry-setting partnership to enhance and expand the innovative client-centric approach that has made NorthRock a leader in the wealth management industry.

Aqua Metals: How This Company Is Advancing Sustainable Lithium Battery And Clean Metals Recycling In A $5+ Billion Market

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 26, 2023