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SIAA is the nation’s leading alliance of independent insurance agencies. For over 30 years, the organization has helped agencies build, grow, and evolve while enabling carriers to reach and perform with local independent agencies at scale. Today, SIAA is advancing that mission through SIAA NXT, an integrated insurance distribution platform designed to improve execution, alignment, opportunity, and innovation through enhanced services and benefits, including business intelligence across P&C independent agency distribution. Pulse 2.0 spoke with CEO Matt Masiello about SIAA’s origins, the evolution of independent agency distribution, and how the company is positioning itself for the next chapter of growth.

ALORA Innovations, an agricultural biotechnology company developing gene-edited crop traits that redirect plant energy from stress defense to yield, announced the appointment of Adam Helms as Chief Executive Officer and the close of a funding round led by the Neglected Climate Opportunities Fund, a subsidiary of the Grantham Environmental Trust, with participation from Toyota Ventures.

Grow Therapy, a mental health platform that enables providers to deliver in-person and online therapy and psychiatric care, announced it has raised $150 million in a Series D round as it expands partnerships with health plans, employers, and health systems. The financing was led by existing investors TCV and Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with new participation from BCI and Menlo Ventures, alongside existing backers Sequoia, SignalFire and Transformation Capital. The company said the round reflects investor confidence in its strategy to improve access to and outcomes in mental health care.

ElastixAI, a Seattle-based AI infrastructure startup founded by former Apple and Meta machine learning researchers, has emerged from stealth with $18 million in seed funding to address the systemic inefficiencies and high costs of generative AI inference.

Alpa, a London-based hospitality-focused fintech startup, announced that it has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding to build what it describes as the financial layer for hospitality businesses. The round was led by daphni, with participation from True., 2100 Ventures, firedrop, OPRTRS CLUB, Kima Ventures, Sonorcap, and several industry leaders including Jerome Tafani, former CEO of Burger King France. The company was founded by Anton Soulier, who previously scaled Taster across more than 100 cities, and is building a platform designed to bring real-time financial visibility to one of Europe’s largest and most operationally complex sectors.

Gushwork announced it has raised $9 million in seed funding in a round led by Susquehanna Asia VC, with participation from Lightspeed, B Capital, Seaborne Capital, Beenext, Sparrow Capital, and 2.2 Club. The investment will accelerate development of AI Feeds, the company’s AI-native content management system designed to help B2B businesses dominate discovery in AI search engines and generate real qualified leads rather than just traffic or impressions.

Flux, an AI-powered hardware design platform, announced $37 million in new investment, including a $27 million Series B round led by 8VC with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures, and Outsiders Fund. The company also disclosed a previously unannounced $10 million Series A led by Outsiders Fund and co-led by Bain Capital Ventures.

Onetag, a global exchange and smart curation platform, announced  that it has acquired Aryel, an Italian ad tech company specializing in immersive and interactive advertising experiences.

GameSquare Holdings announced it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with BENlabs to acquire TubeBuddy, an AI-enabled software and workflow platform designed to help creators and brands optimize YouTube channel performance and accelerate audience growth.

RLWRLD, a physical AI company developing robotics foundation models trained directly in real industrial environments, announced it has closed a $26 million Seed 2 funding round, bringing its total seed investment to approximately $41 million. The latest raise follows a $15 million Seed 1 round and was structured not only to secure capital but also to expand the company’s coalition of industry-based strategic investors as demand for collaborative robotics deployments accelerates.

STS Digital, a regulated principal trading firm specializing in digital asset derivatives and institutional market access, announced it has closed a $30 million strategic funding round to accelerate the growth of its crypto options trading platform. The round was led by CMT Digital, with participation from Payward, Strobe Ventures, Arrington Capital, F-Prime and BitRock Capital. The new capital will be used to rapidly scale the company’s institutional-grade spot and options platform, expand its market-making capabilities, and strengthen its balance sheet and liquidity position as it seeks to deepen its presence in core markets.

RenoFi, an AI-enabled renovation financing platform, announced it has closed a $22 million series b funding round, bringing its total capital raised to $65 million to date. The round was led by Fifth Wall, with meaningful participation from Progressive Insurance and support from HighSage Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Flintlock Capital and Gaingels. Existing investors including Canaan, First Round Capital, Curql, TruStage Ventures and a network of credit union partners also participated.

Alvarez & Marsal announced the launch of A&M Private Wealth Partners, a registered investment advisor established as an independent affiliate of the global professional services firm. The new entity is designed to provide comprehensive family office services to entrepreneurs, multi-generational families and financial sponsor principals, aligning with the firm’s legacy as trusted advisors focused on value preservation and creation for complex businesses.

US BioTek Laboratories, a Seattle-based functional laboratory specializing in advanced immunological and integrative diagnostics, has completed its merger with Australian functional pathology provider NutriPATH Pathology, marking a significant expansion of its global footprint in personalized and root-cause-focused healthcare testing.

Interluxe Group announced that North & Warren, a luxury media and digital marketing agency, Quinn, a luxury-focused strategic communications agency, and Interluxe Group’s experiential marketing business have united under a single brand, creating a fully integrated luxury marketing platform.

Blue Fire Equity, a Washington, D.C.-based private investment firm focused on the defense and government technology sector, announced it has made a strategic investment in Jovian Concepts, a Maryland-headquartered intelligence and engineering services provider supporting the U.S. defense and intelligence community.

Community Capital, a creator-focused investment firm, has acquired Creator’s Corner in a multi-million dollar deal aimed at accelerating growth for TikTok Shop affiliates and brands.

Albemarle Corporation has completed the sale of a controlling stake in its Ketjen refining catalyst solutions business to affiliates of KPS Capital Partners, marking another step in the specialty chemicals company’s portfolio optimization strategy.

IAC has agreed to sell Care.com to an affiliate of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $320 million, marking a strategic move to streamline its portfolio and focus on core holdings.

Select Medical Holdings Corporation, one of the largest operators of critical illness recovery hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and outpatient rehabilitation clinics in the United States, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium led by Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Robert A. Ortenzio, Senior Executive Vice President of Strategic Finance and Operations Martin F. Jackson, and private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe.

Palmdale Oil Company, a Florida-based fuels, lubricants, chemicals, propane and diesel exhaust fluid provider, has acquired the assets of Fleetwing, a long-standing fuel and lubricants distributor serving commercial and industrial customers across the state. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

ASSA ABLOY has acquired Sennco Solutions, a US-based provider of asset protection technology and retail security solutions focused primarily on the health and beauty segment. The acquisition strengthens ASSA ABLOY’s Retail business area within its Global Solutions division, adding complementary anti-theft capabilities and expanding its footprint in retail security technologies.

Expandi Limited has acquired 100% of Kompass in a deal that creates what the companies describe as the largest independent European provider of B2B data, technology, media and services. The transaction brings together more than 250 employees across eight countries and positions the combined group to deliver end-to-end solutions for companies seeking to promote and sell products and services to business customers worldwide.

Galaxy Service Partners, a commercial door, automatic gate, and access control platform focused on maintenance, service and installation, announced the completion of its partnership with Sylvester’s Maintenance & Mechanical LLC, a commercial dock and door service company based in Denver, Colorado, with an additional location in Chesapeake, Virginia.

New State Capital Partners has acquired Vast Coworking Group, one of the largest coworking platforms in the world, as a carve-out from United Franchise Group. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Field Digital Corp., a publicly listed blank check company, announced that Digital Investment Strategy has acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding equity interests of Slam Sponsor, LLC, the sponsor of Slam Corp., with Slam set to change its name to Field Digital Corp. and transition into an integrated operating company focused on institutional digital-asset infrastructure.

Thoma Bravo announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire WWEX Group, a third-party logistics provider of parcel and freight services, and to combine it with its existing portfolio company, Auctane, to form a global logistics and shipping technology platform.

American Securities has entered into a definitive agreement to sell CPM Holdings and MW Components to Rosebank Industries in a transaction valued at an enterprise value of $3.25 billion, including up to $200 million in potential earnout payments tied to fiscal year 2026 performance targets.

Noble Investment Group announced the acquisition of the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel & Spa, a premium riverfront property in the heart of downtown Reno, Nevada, reinforcing the firm’s strategy of investing in high-growth U.S. markets with diversified economic drivers.

Nickolas Asset Management announced it has acquired Associated Plastics Corporation, a plastics manufacturing company based in Ada, Ohio, in a move that expands the firm’s manufacturing and distribution footprint across the state.