Archives

Lingokids: Interview With Founder & CEO Cristobal Viedma About The Play & Learn Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 12, 2025

Lingokids is a company on a mission to Help parents raise amazing kids through Playlearning. The company combines the entertainment that kids love with an exceptional curriculum of many different subjects to complement children’s education. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Lingokids founder and CEO Cristobal Viedma to learn more about the company.

Alchemer: Interview With CEO Martin Mrugal About The Feedback Program Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Alchemer is a company that empowers you to do more with feedback. Ranging from a one-time survey to a powerful feedback program, Alchemer provides customer-obsessed teams with the clarity to move from asking to action, driving your business forward. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Alchemer CEO Martin Mrugal to learn more about the company.

Celestial AI: $250 Million (Series C1) Raised For Transforming AI Infrastructure With Photonic Fabric

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Celestial AI, creator of the Photonic Fabric optical interconnect technology platform, announced today that it has raised $250 million in its Series C1 funding round led by Fidelity Management & Research Company, bringing the total capital raised to date to more than $515 million. Along with Fidelity Management & Research Company, new investors include funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Maverick Silicon, Tiger Global Management and Lip-Bu Tan, and participation from existing investors including AMD Ventures, Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), Temasek, Temasek’s wholly-owned subsidiary Xora Innovation, Porsche Automobil Holding SE and The Engine Ventures.

Clifford Chance: Gianluca Bacchiocchi Joins As Partner In US Energy & Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Global law firm Clifford Chance has hired Gianluca Bacchiocchi as a partner in its Global Financial Markets team as it expands its US energy and infrastructure financing offering. Bacchiocchi returns to Clifford Chance, having previously been a partner at the firm from 2015-2021.

Dentons: 34 Partners Promoted Across US Region

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Dentons announced the promotion of 34 lawyers to partner/shareholder and three to counsel across 18 offices in the firm’s US Region.

Northleaf: Over $1 Billion Raised For Global Cross Capital Structure Private Credit Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Northleaf Capital Partners - a leading global private markets investment firm - announced that it held the final closing for Northleaf Private Credit III (NPC III). In aggregate, Northleaf raised over $1 billion in capital commitments for NPC III and separately managed accounts that invest alongside the fund. The closing also included a rated note that was structured to meet the needs of insurance companies investing in the fund.

Honeywell Buying Sundyne In $2.16 Billion Deal

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Honeywell recently announced that it has agreed to acquire Sundyne from private equity firm Warburg Pincus for $2.16 billion in an all-cash transaction. This deal represents approximately 14.5x 2024 EBITDA on a tax-adjusted basis. Sundyne is a leader in the design, manufacturing, and aftermarket support of highly engineered pumps and gas compressors used in process industries.

Baker McKenzie: Chris Milliken Named As Partner In Vietnam

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Baker McKenzie announced that leading transactional lawyer Chris Milliken has joined the firm as a partner, based in Ho Chi Minh City. Chris's arrival validates the continued growth of the firm's transactional team in the region, which has seen the addition of M&A partners Shirin Tang and Ang Lip Kian in Singapore, Bima Sarumpaet in its member firm, HHP Law Firm, in Indonesia and Banking & Finance partner Bryan Paisley in Sydney.

Mews: $75 Million Raised For Hospitality Technology Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Mews, a leading hospitality technology platform, announced it has raised $75 million. Tiger Global led the round, alongside existing investors Kinnevik, Battery Ventures, and Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives.

Latham & Watkins: Serena Lee Joins London Office As Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Latham & Watkins announced that Serena Lee has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the Transactional Tax and Investment Funds Practices. And Lee advises companies, asset managers, and financial institutions on all aspects of corporate tax, with expertise in investment fund work ranging from fund formation and management business structuring, through to structuring acquisitions and disposals of investments.

AIceberg: $10 Million (Seed) Closed For AI Trust Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

AIceberg, a leading innovator of AI Trust; safety, security, and compliance technology, announced $10 million in Seed funding and the launch of their AI trust platform that provides enterprise-grade security with real-time, automated validation of all AI application traffic, from speech and text to images and source code. The funding - which was led by SYN Ventures and Sprout & Oak - further establishes the company's leadership position in pioneering AI transparency and compliance for enterprise and public entities.

Zocks: $13.8 Million (Series A) Raised For AI-Based Client Intelligence For Financial Advisors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Zocks, a privacy-first AI platform for financial advisors that analyzes conversations with clients to capture key information and integrates with key business and records systems to accelerate workflows, announced it has raised a $13.8 million Series A round led by Motive Ventures with participation from existing investor Lightspeed Venture Partners. And additional investors in the round include Expanse Venture Partners, Entrée Capital, and 14Peaks. The funding will accelerate Zocks' mission to empower advisory firms with data-driven insights while maintaining the personal touch essential to client relationships.

Polen Capital: First CLO Closed At $407.15 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Polen Capital Management - a global investment management firm specializing in growth equity and credit - announced the closing of its debut collateralized loan obligation (CLO). And Polen Capital CLO 2025-1, Ltd., a $407.15 million CLO that is secured primarily by a pool of broadly syndicated first-lien loans represents an important step in Polen’s strategy to expand its credit and structured finance offerings to serve a wider range of investors.

Ria Health: Growth Capital Raised To Advance Access To AUD Treatment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Ria Health - a leading telehealth provider of evidence-based alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment - announced the closing of a Series B growth equity round led by Peloton Equity, with participation from existing investors including SV Health Investors, BPEA Private Equity, and SOSV.

Spiritus: $30 Million (Series A) Secured To Transform Direct Air Capture

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Spiritus, a climate-tech disruptor redefining direct air capture (DAC), announced a $30 million Series A funding round, led by Aramco Ventures and joined by Khosla Ventures, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, and TDK Ventures. This funding round will turbocharge Spiritus’ goal of eliminating carbon emissions from the built and energy economies — without stalling the expansion necessary for America’s growth.

Turing: $111 Million (Series E) Raised At $2.2 Billion Valuation For AGI Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Turing, which is one of the world’s fastest-growing AGI infrastructure companies, announced that it has secured $111 million in committed capital for its Series E financing at a valuation of $2.2 billion. And Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, led the round with participation from WestBridge Capital, Sozo Ventures, UpHonest Capital, AltaIR Capital, Amino Capital, Plug and Play, MVP Ventures, Fortius Ventures, Gaingels, and Mastodon Capital Management.

EP Wealth Advisors Buying $190 Million Firm The Holben Group

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

EP Wealth Advisors - a leading fee-only registered investment adviser (RIA) with a growing national footprint - has announced their partnership with The Holben Group in Denver, Colorado. This alignment builds on EP Wealth’s long-time presence in Colorado, adding over $190 million in assets under management (AUM).

Duetti: Music Catalog Services Company Raises $200 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Duetti, a leading music financing and catalog services company, announced it is expanding its offerings to support royalty, publishing catalog deals, and masters deals. Along with purchasing royalty and publishing rights, this expansion provides catalog management and marketing opportunities for a broader set of recording artists, songwriters, producers, and other collaborators, allowing them to unlock financial value from their work through simple, transparent cash deals - ultimately making it easier for independent creators to earn money.

Sidley: Jason Mills And Alana Genderson Join Regulatory And Enforcement Group As Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Sidley announced that Jason Mills and Alana Genderson have joined the firm’s Regulatory and Enforcement group as partners in the Environmental practice in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., respectively. Mills and Genderson join from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, where they were co-leaders of the firm’s workplace health and safety practice.

HeyMilo: $2.2 Million (Seed) Raised For AI-Based Candidate Screening Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

HeyMilo, an AI-based candidate screening platform, announced $2.2 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Canaan Partners and underscores the growing demand for innovative technologies that streamline recruitment and unlock efficiencies in talent acquisition. Additional participation was from Alumni Ventures and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator.

Viam: $30 Million (Series C) Raised For Advancing Power Of Data And AI In The Physical World

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Viam, the engineering platform for data, AI, and automation, announced $30 million in Series C funding. It was led by existing investor Union Square Ventures and participated in by Battery Ventures, Neurone, and other existing investors. Viam has raised a total of $117 million to date.

Garnett Station Partners: Fund 5.0 Closed At $1.2 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Garnett Station Partners, a New York-based principal investment firm, announced the closing of GSP 5.0 Fund, L.P., with a total committed capital of $1.2 billion. GSP now manages over $3.5 billion in assets. Fund 5 was significantly oversubscribed and closed at its hard cap in a four-month fundraise, with commitments from a diverse group of new and existing investors.

Flosonics Medical: C$7.5 Million Raised For Scaling Transformative Wearable Ultrasound Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Canadian medical device innovator Flosonics Medical announced it has secured C$7.5 million in venture debt financing from RBCx. The financing and specialized support will advance Flosonics Medical’s mission to improve patient outcomes through noninvasive and data-driven solutions that empower clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions at the bedside.

Blackstone: Majority Stake In CMIC Acquired

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Blackstone announced that private equity funds managed by Blackstone have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in CMIC Co. CMIC Co is Japan’s leading contract research organization (CRO) that provides comprehensive end-to-end services across clinical trial phases and therapeutic areas. Blackstone will acquire a 60% stake, while CMIC HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. (CMIC HD) will retain the remaining 40% stake.

Cloudsmith: $23 Million (Series B) Closed For Transforming Supply Chain Security

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Cloudsmith, a cloud-native artifact management platform redefining software supply chain security, announced it has raised a $23 million Series B funding round led by TCV, with participation from Insight Partners and existing investors. Existing investors MMC, Frontline, Techstart, Sorenson, Tapestry, and Shasta continued their support, while increasing their investments in Cloudsmith as part of this funding round.

Daupler: $15 Million (Series B) Closed For Utility Response Management Solution

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Daupler, a leading response management solution for utilities and municipalities, announced that it has closed a $15 million Series B round. And Aqualateral, a New York City-based multi-asset investment vehicle focused on water, led the round with participation from existing investors Burnt Island Ventures and KCRise Fund, and others.

GovEagle: $2.5 Million Raised For AI-Based Proposal Platform For Government Contractors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

GovEagle, an AI-based proposal platform for government contractors, today announced that it has raised $2.5 million in funding from Strategic Cyber Ventures, Y Combinator, and a group of angel investors. This funding round will support the expansion of GovEagle's engineering team, further enhancing the platform's ability to streamline and automate the complex government bidding and proposal drafting process.

PetScreening: $80 Million (Series B) Raised For Pet Policy Management Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

PetScreening, a company that offers the rental housing industry's first and leading pet policy management software at no cost to property owners and managers, announced it has received $80 million in Series B funding. This funding round was led by leading technology-focused investment firms Volition Capital and Guidepost Growth Equity.

Microblink: Interview With President & COO Hartley Thompson About The Computer Vision Software Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Microblink is a global leader in AI-based computer vision software. And with a bold vision to bring the benefits of AI to every person on earth, we partner with organizations that believe speed, ease of use, and customer experience are the primary drivers of value. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Microblink president and COO Hartley Thompson III to learn more about the company.

Blaze: Interview With CEO Adam Nathan About The Top AI Marketing Tool

By Amit Chowdhry ● Mar 11, 2025

Blaze is an AI tool that helps teams of one create better content in half the time, all in their brand voice. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Blaze CEO Adam Nathan to learn more about the company.