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SecureAuth believes more security shouldn’t mean more obstacles. Since 2005, SecureAuth has helped leading companies simplify identity and access management for customers and employees, creating experiences that are as welcoming as they are secure. SecureAuth is redefining authentication for the modern enterprise. Today’s evolving threat landscape demands innovative, adaptive security solutions. As the first-to-market provider of continuous facial authentication, the company goes beyond the initial authentication to deliver ongoing security throughout the entire session. SecureAuth’s mature AI-driven risk engine delivers dynamic (and often invisible) authentication, making enterprises more effective than ever at eliminating threats while ensuring frictionless, secure access for employees and customers. “Welcome to Better Identity.” Pulse 2.0 interviewed SecureAuth CEO Joseph Dhanapal to learn more about the company. 

NextSTEP (NextEnergy Sustainable TEchnology for the Planet) is an investment initiative dedicated to the capitalization and growth of innovative early-stage startups in the field of Environmental Sustainability (CleanTech). Pulse 2.0 interviewed NextSTEP Claudio Colombo to learn more about the company.

Archetype AI is a physical AI company pioneering a new form of technology that is capable of perceiving, understanding, and reasoning about the world. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Archetype AI co-founder, CEO, and CTO Dr. Ivan Poupyrev to learn more about the company.

OpenAI announced it is recruiting Jony Ive, who is known as the designer behind the Apple iPhone, Apple Watch, and MacBook Pro. Jony Ive will oversee a new hardware project for OpenAI. As part of the deal, OpenAI will be buying io Products for $6.5 billion, which is a product and engineering company that was co-founded by Ive.

Addepar, a leading technology and data platform for wealth, investment, and asset management, announced the acquisition of Arcus, an innovator in enterprise AI workflows. This strategic deal accelerates Addepar's technology roadmap to embed sophisticated AI and machine learning (ML) more deeply across its platform, supported by the company's ongoing investment of $100+ million annually to research and development.

Leading growth-focused private equity firm Bregal Sagemount announced a strategic growth investment from its Basecamp fund, in Opex Technologies, a trusted advisor that helps businesses navigate and optimize complex technology procurement decisions. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Final Boss Sour, a gaming-themed healthier snack alternative brand known for its bold, retro-gaming-inspired sour snacks, and built in studio by Science Inc., announced that it has raised $4 million in a Seed 2 funding round.

Seeds (previously Seeds Investor) is a fintech company enabling advisors to create a personalized investing experience and streamline portfolio operations. The company recently announced a $10 million Series A funding round led by Portage, with continued participation from investors Social Leverage and Blank Ventures.

Siro, an AI-powered conversation intelligence platform for in-person sales, announced it has raised $50 million in Series B funding led by SignalFire, with participation from 01 Advisors, StepStone Group, and existing investors CRV, Fika Ventures, and Index Ventures.

Legora announced an $80 million funding round led by ICONIQ and General Catalyst, with continued support from existing investors Redpoint Ventures, Benchmark, and Y Combinator. This latest funding round is a significant endorsement of Legora’s product quality, velocity, and the traction it has achieved globally.

North Hudson Resource Partners, a Houston-based energy investment firm, announced the final closing of its fifth non-operated oil and gas fund, North Hudson Production Partners V LP. The fund closed at its hard cap with $344 million in equity commitments, including the general partner's commitment. This closing brings the firm's total assets under management to $1.4 billion.

Creator Ventures announced it has raised a $45 million Fund II, more than double the size of its prior fund. This brings the firm’s total assets under management to $65 million.

Mura, an AI platform transforming commercial field service operations through dark software, announced it has emerged from stealth with $6 million in total funding. Level One Fund and Lerer Hippeau co-led the seed funding round with participation from notable angels and strategic investors. This comes after a $1.5 million pre-seed funding round led by Lerer Hippeau, completed several months prior.

Maryland-based private equity firm Mauloa announced it has introduced a first-of-its-kind accelerator program for middle market companies, where the winning company receives an investment offer of at least $10 million.

Anumana is a company that is harnessing industry-leading AI and translational science to decode electrical signals from the heart as never before, empowering healthcare providers to transform patient care throughout the cardiac clinical pathway. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Anumana CEO Maulik Nanavaty to learn more about the company.

Coworker.ai has announced the launch of the world's first AI agent that can independently research, plan, and execute complex work just like an experienced colleague. The launch is backed by a $13 million seed round led by Jeff Huber, former SVP of Google Ads, Maps, and Workspace, now at Triatomic Capital. Other investors include Ramtin Naimi (Abstract Ventures), Mallun Yen (Operator Collective), Tim Young (Eniac Ventures), and Clark Golestani, Ken Hausman, and Jack Greenfield (K2 Access Fund). They join pre-seed investors Soma Capital, Focal VC, Mischief, and Karman Ventures, taking the total amount raised to date to $16.5 million.

Awardco announced a $165 million Series B round of funding with a valuation that surpassed $1 billion, enhancing its leadership and innovation in the employee rewards and recognition industry.

Rad AI announced an additional $8 million strategic investment to its latest funding round, led by four of the nation's most respected health systems: Advocate Health, Memorial Hermann Health System, Corewell Health, and Atlantic Health System.

Barndoor AI has launched as the first control plane to allow enterprises to take control of their AI workforce and announced its seed funding of $13.6 million, led by Crosslink Capital, with participation by Preface Ventures, Precursor Ventures, Gaingels, Rob Hayes, Natalie Diggins, Scott & Cyan Banister, and others.

Blues, a leader in Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity solutions, announced the closing of its latest $25 million funding round, led by Sequoia Capital

VUZ, an immersive media company, announced it has secured the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to invest in its $12 million Pre-Series C funding round. This funding round also includes participation from Al Jazira Capital, Crosswork VC Success fund (a pre-IPO venture capital fund), multiple existing investors, and several high-profile Saudi family offices, supporting VUZ's presence in key markets across the world.

True Markets announced that it has raised $11 million in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to $20 million. The funding round was co-led by Accomplice and RRE Ventures, with participation from Reciprocal Ventures, Variant, and PayPal Ventures. Paxos Ventures and the Solana Foundation, seed investors, continue to support the company.

AskElephant—the AI orchestration platform purpose-built for customer-facing teams—announced that it has raised $6 million in seed funding. Jump Capital led the round, which included participation from High Alpha, Tandem, SaaS Ventures, and a group of existing investors.

Stackpack, which is the first intelligent Vendor Stack Management platform helping companies regain control over their growing network of third-party vendors, announced it has raised $6.3 million. Freestyle Capital led the funding, with additional participation from Elefund, Upside Partnership, Nomad Ventures, Layout Ventures, MSIV Fund and strategic angels from Intuit, Workday, Affirm, Snapdocs and xAI.

Remedy Plan Therapeutics - a privately-held clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel and hyperbolic NAMPT inhibitors - announced the company has raised over $18 million in an oversubscribed insider financing round. The funding round includes participation from Schooner Capital and Alexandria Venture Investments. This brings the company’s total funding to date to $55 million.

Complement 1, a health tech company transforming cancer care through personalized lifestyle medicine, announced a $16 million oversubscribed seed funding round led by Owl Ventures and Blume Ventures. It also includes participation from healthcare-focused angel investors, reflecting widespread investor confidence in the company’s impact and market potential.

Stablecorp, a leading Canadian fintech firm and digital money infrastructure player, announced today that it recently received $1.8 million in strategic growth capital from Coinbase Ventures, Side Door Ventures and certain other existing investors.

Keyfactor, an industry leader in digital trust for modern enterprises, announced it has acquired InfoSec Global, a leader in cryptographic posture management, and CipherInsights, an advanced cryptographic discovery solution by Quantum Xchange.

Stylus Medicine - a biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative in vivo genetic medicines - announced it emerged from stealth with $85 million in financing. And Stylus’ funding includes a $45 million Series A extension financing with participation from RA Capital Management, Khosla Ventures, and six new investors including Chugai Venture Fund, Eli Lilly and Company, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC. This funding follows a $40 million Series A investment from founding investors RA Capital and Khosla Ventures.

Hightower announced that it has invested strategically in Lindbrook Capital, a financial planning and wealth management practice with about $3.8 billion in assets under management and offices in Los Angeles, Calabasas, California, and New York City.