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The University of California San Diego has received a $500,000 gift from Qualcomm Technologies to establish the AI in Microelectronic Systems (AIMS) initiative, a research collaboration focused on using artificial intelligence to improve semiconductor and computing system design. The university's Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing will provide an additional $250,000 in matching funds, bringing the combined support to $750,000.

UltraViolet Cyber is the only security operations partner that unifies red, blue, and purple team capabilities into one integrated team, finding what's vulnerable, stopping active threats, and validating that your defenses hold under real pressure. Its approach brings together threat detection and response, managed services, offensive security testing, and what the company calls the “power of purple,” which connects offensive and defensive security teams to drive continuous improvement. Pulse 2.0 interviewed UltraViolet Cyber CEO Ira Goldstein to learn more.

Oryx Dental is an AI-powered dental practice management software platform that brings together clinical care, practice management, patient communication, imaging, revenue cycle management, and business intelligence. Founder and CEO Dr. Rania Saleh created the company after experiencing firsthand the limitations of traditional dental software while operating her own multi-site practice. Just as Toast transformed the restaurant industry by giving restaurants an operating system for their whole business, Oryx gives dental practices their own OS in the cloud. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Oryx Dental Founder and CEO Dr. Rania Saleh to learn more about the company's origins, AI strategy, growth, and vision for the dental office of the future.

Advanced Micro Devices reported record third-quarter 2026 revenue of $13.4 billion, representing a 45% increase from $9.2 billion in the prior-year period. The semiconductor company's performance was driven primarily by a 97% increase in Data Center revenue, reflecting strong demand for AMD Instinct graphics processing units (GPUs) and EPYC server processors.

Volante Technologies provides cloud-native payment technology that helps financial institutions modernize their payment infrastructure, support real-time and cross-border transactions, and manage evolving industry standards such as ISO 20022. Its platform supports banks and other financial institutions as they transition from legacy payment systems toward more flexible, automated operations. The company is also investing in AI and emerging payment technologies, including stablecoins. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Volante Technologies Global Head of Product and Strategic Business, Nadish Lad, to learn more about the company's technology, its role in the development of real-time payments, and its vision for the future of the payments industry.

C.J. Lawrence, a New York-based investment management firm and division of Apollon Wealth Management, has launched the Buffered Bulldog ETF (ACJL), an actively managed exchange-traded fund combining its longstanding Bulldog equity investment strategy with an options overlay designed to mitigate certain market losses.

Penn Medicine has launched a $35 million initiative to advance brain tumor research and patient care, supported by a foundational philanthropic gift from John Gabriele Troiano and Rosanna Troiano. Their contribution establishes the Troiano Brain Tumor Center at the University of Pennsylvania, creating a multidisciplinary program focused on developing new therapies, expanding clinical research, and improving treatment options for patients with brain tumors.

Mesirow, a Chicago-based independent, employee-owned financial services firm with $410.3 billion in assets under supervision as of September 30, 2026, has appointed Shawn Beber as its next Chief Executive Officer. The appointment follows an extensive executive search and a unanimous vote by the firm's Board of Directors.

Beacon Pointe Advisors, a Newport Beach, California-based registered investment adviser, has acquired ACT Wealth Management, a financial advisory firm with offices in Allen, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina, overseeing approximately $637 million in assets under management. The acquisition increases Beacon Pointe's total assets under advisement to approximately $71 billion and expands its specialized financial planning capabilities for airline professionals and their families.

Bluespring Wealth, an Austin, Texas-based acquirer and partner of independent wealth management firms, has acquired the wealth management business of Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers, a Wooster, Ohio-based advisory firm overseeing approximately $920 million in client assets. The transaction expands Bluespring's Ohio River Valley platform to approximately $2.4 billion in client assets.

TechRiot.io is a cybersecurity media, research, education, and advisory organization focused on helping security professionals understand emerging threats and develop practical approaches to securing cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence systems. Pulse 2.0 interviewed TechRiot.io Co-Founder and CISO Ashish Rajan to learn more about his cybersecurity background, the company's research initiatives, his book AI Security Engineering, the challenges of securing autonomous AI agents, and the future of enterprise AI security.

Carson Group, an Omaha, Nebraska-based wealth advisory organization managing more than $66 billion in assets, has added Marietta Wealth Management to its integrated advisory channel as a Carson Wealth office in Marietta, Georgia. The partnership brings a multigenerational financial advisory firm overseeing approximately $1.6 billion in assets under advisement into Carson's national network.

Hyatt Hotels, a global hospitality company headquartered in Chicago, has priced a public offering of $400 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2033. The notes will carry a fixed annual interest rate of 5.950%, providing the company with additional financing as it prepares to repay existing debt.

Cars24, a global automotive technology company operating across India, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, has joined forces with Dubai-based premium used vehicle retailer Alba Cars to expand its presence in the UAE automotive market. As part of the transaction, Alba Cars' operating businesses have become part of the wider Cars24 global group, combining the companies' technology, financing, retail, and automotive infrastructure capabilities.

Authentic Brands Group has completed its acquisition of the intellectual property of Lee from Kontoor Brands, adding the established denim and casual apparel brand to its global portfolio of consumer, lifestyle, and entertainment properties.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison has expanded its Private Equity M&A Group with the addition of Max Oppenheimer and Jamie MacDonagh as partners in London. The appointments strengthen the firm's capabilities in European private equity transactions, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and complex corporate investments.

Hunton Andrews Kurth has expanded its commercial litigation practice with the addition of Chalon N. Clark as a partner in Dallas. Clark brings nearly two decades of experience representing clients in complex business disputes, including matters involving commercial lending, construction, real estate, financial services, product liability, and employment.

Crowell & Moring has expanded its Corporate Group with the addition of Jeryl A. Bowers as a partner in Los Angeles, strengthening the firm's mergers and acquisitions capabilities in Southern California. Bowers brings more than 30 years of experience advising businesses on complex corporate transactions, strategic investments, and commercial matters.

Dakarai Larriett is a Birmingham, Alabama native whose career has included corporate supply chain work, community service, and a campaign for the U.S. Senate. His advocacy has increasingly focused on interactions between motorists and law enforcement, including a proposed Motorist Bill of Rights calling for standardized rules during traffic stops and faster access to police video evidence. Larriett says that advocacy was shaped by his own April 2024 encounter with the Michigan State Police, allegations that he has subsequently pursued through legal and civil rights channels. He has also written about the experience in his book Don't Flush!. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Larriett to learn more about his background, his conversations with voters, his proposed Motorist Bill of Rights, and the experiences that shaped his current advocacy.

Shield, a defense technology company developing autonomous systems and mission-critical software, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire radar manufacturer Echodyne in a transaction valued at $5.3 billion. The company also announced plans to raise $2.5 billion through equity and debt financing, including a $1 billion Series H round at a $28.8 billion post-money valuation.

Germany has reportedly reached an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Franco-German defense manufacturer KNDS for approximately $6.5 billion, according to Bloomberg. The proposed acquisition would transfer the ownership interest held by German industrial families to the federal government, giving Germany and France equal ownership of one of Europe's major armored vehicle manufacturers.

Crowell & Moring has expanded its Health Care Group with the addition of Jeff McSorley as a partner in Washington, D.C., strengthening the firm's capabilities in healthcare litigation, False Claims Act investigations, and government enforcement defense. McSorley joins after serving for approximately a decade as senior trial counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.

CVR Energy, a diversified energy holding company headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire two petroleum refineries and a related marketing business from subsidiaries of Marathon Petroleum Corporation for approximately $4.2 billion, plus net working capital. The transaction would significantly expand CVR Energy's refining capacity, establish a presence in additional U.S. markets, and strengthen its petroleum refining and marketing operations.

Reed Smith has expanded its Labor & Employment practice with the addition of Angeles Garcia Cassin as a partner in Houston, strengthening the global law firm's employment litigation and workplace counseling capabilities. Cassin brings extensive experience representing businesses in complex employment disputes, commercial litigation, and regulatory compliance matters.

Walker & Dunlop, a commercial real estate finance and advisory services firm, has arranged approximately $109.9 million in acquisition financing for Wyndchase Aspen Grove, a 560-unit multifamily residential community in Franklin, Tennessee. The financing was provided by Wells Fargo on behalf of an institutional client.

Newleos Therapeutics, a Boston-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, has received a five-year grant of up to $15.5 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The company also announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to its investigational therapy NTX-2001 for alcohol use disorder.

Kirkland & Ellis has expanded its Litigation Practice Group by adding Alex Kaplan as a partner, bringing more than two decades of experience handling complex commercial disputes across major industries. Kaplan joins from Susman Godfrey, where he built a strong trial practice and held several leadership roles.

Waters Corporation, a global life sciences and diagnostics company, has acquired MOBILion Systems, a developer of high-resolution ion mobility separation technology. The acquisition expands Waters' mass spectrometry portfolio and strengthens its position in proteomics research, with potential applications in AI-driven scientific discovery, protein biomarker identification, and clinical diagnostics.

Fox Swibel has strengthened its Construction Law and Real Estate practices with the addition of Lisa Rispoli and Sophia B. Popovic as partners. The appointments expand the firm's capabilities in complex construction contracting, commercial real estate transactions, and hospitality-related legal matters.

Blue Moon Metals has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Norwegian mining subsidiary, Blue Moon Norway AS, to London Stock Exchange-listed ACG Metals Limited in an all-share transaction valued at approximately $220 million. The deal will transfer ownership of the construction-stage Nussir copper mine and the exploration-stage NSG property to ACG while allowing Blue Moon to retain significant equity exposure to the assets.