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Blackstone has announced that Kimberly Kim will be joining the firm as a Senior Managing Director. In her new role, she will lead the APAC Insurance Institutional Client Solutions division for Blackstone Credit & Insurance (BXCI). This position has been created specifically to support the firm’s strategic initiative of expanding its footprint in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which is becoming increasingly vital for its business growth.

Andrea Traversone has recently been appointed as the Managing Partner at Jolt Capital, which is in conjunction with the firm announcing its initial commitments for Jolt Capital V. One of the first significant contributions comes from the European Investment Fund, which has invested €260 million, setting a strong foundation for the fund's future endeavors.

Apollo has officially launched Apollo Sports Capital (ASC), a dedicated investment venture that will provide innovative capital solutions tailored to the expansive global sports and live events ecosystem. For this initiative, Al Tylis, a highly experienced sports investor and executive with a distinguished background, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of ASC. Joining him in leadership are Apollo Partners Rob Givone and Lee Solomon, who will serve as co-portfolio managers, and Sam Porter, who has taken on the role of Chief Strategy Officer.

AURELIUS has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire the EMEA metering business from SIX Swiss Exchange-listed Landis+Gyr for an enterprise value of $215 million. Xylem, a leading global water solutions company, has also entered into a definitive agreement for AURELIUS to acquire the assets of its water and heat metering business outside North America.

Monterro, known as one of the largest B2B software investors in the Nordics, has launched two new funds, named M5 and G2, which together total €1.725 billion. This new round of fundraising has more than doubled Monterro's assets under management, bringing the total to €3.1 billion.

OpenAI - the pioneering artificial intelligence company known for introducing the world to the conversational tool ChatGPT - has reportedly seen its valuation surge to $500 billion, according to sources with Reuters. This figure was achieved following a transaction in which a group of current and former employees sold about $6.6 billion worth of their company shares.

Terakeet is a reputation management company that specializes in search and AI. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Terakeet co-founder and CTO Patrick Danial to gain a deeper understanding of the company.

BuildOps is a company that builds and sells an all-in-one operational software platform specifically designed for modern commercial contractors to manage their entire business, integrating field service management, project management, invoicing, and customer relationship management into a single cloud-based system. Pulse 2.0 interviewed BuildOps CEO Alok Chanani to gain a deeper understanding of the company. 

H.I.G. Capital, a leading global alternative investment firm that manages $70 billion in assets, has acquired the France Workwear business from Rentokil Initial.

Dentalcorp Holdings, recognized as Canada’s foremost network of dental practices and one of the fastest-growing in North America, has announced its intention to be acquired by funds linked to GTCR. This significant move is supported by key figures within the company, including its Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Graham Rosenberg, alongside President and CFO, Nate Tchaplia, and investment partner L Catterton. The acquisition is structured as an all-cash transaction, valuing Dentalcorp at approximately C$2.2 billion based on its equity and around C$3.3 billion when considering its enterprise value. 

Berkeley Partners, a private equity real estate investment manager with a concentrated focus on light industrial assets, has proudly announced the successful final closing of the Berkeley Partners Value Industrial Fund VI. This fund has secured a total of $610.5 million in equity commitments, including associated sidecar capital, which significantly exceeds its original fundraising target of $500 million. This achievement reflects strong investor confidence and the growing demand for light industrial properties.

Hughes & Company, a private equity firm with a focus on healthcare software and technology-enabled services, announced the closing of its second private equity fund, known as Hughes Growth Equity Fund II, L.P. This fund reached its hard cap of $260 million, surpassing its initial target of $200 million.

Perigon Wealth Management, an investment advisory firm with offices nationwide and approximately $9.3 billion in client assets, has announced the acquisition of Gitterman Wealth Management and Gitterman Asset Management.

Toyota Motor Corporation has recently announced the launch of a new strategic investment subsidiary called Toyota Invention Partners Co., Ltd. (TIP). This subsidiary is equipped with ¥100 billion, approximately equivalent to $670 million, to facilitate its operations. In addition to TIP, Woven Capital, which serves as Toyota’s growth-stage venture investment arm, has announced the establishment of Fund II. This new fund boasts financial backing of $800 million, equivalent to approximately ¥120 billion, matching the initial Fund I that was launched in 2021.

Global asset management firm Avenue Capital Group has announced the successful final closing of the Avenue Sports Fund, which has garnered over $1 billion in capital commitments. This substantial amount reflects strong investor confidence in the potential of the sports industry.

Verdane, an investment firm specializing in the European lower mid-market, announced the final closing of its latest fund, Verdane Freya XII, at its maximum hard cap of €2 billion. This achievement not only sets a record as the largest fund in Verdane's 22-year history but also elevates the total capital raised by the firm since its establishment to an impressive €9 billion.

Gemspring Capital Management, a leader in the middle-market private equity sector, announced the successful closing of its latest fund, Gemspring Growth Solutions II (GGS II). This new fund has achieved $1.1 billion in capital commitments. The fundraising for GGS II was completed in just three months and was oversubscribed, reaching its hard cap in its inaugural and final closing.

Nanofiber Quantum Technologies (NanoQT) is a company at the forefront of quantum computing, focusing on the innovative development of ultra-low-loss nanofiber cavity-QED (quantum electrodynamics) interconnects specifically designed for quantum processors. In a significant milestone, the company announced the successful first closing of its Series A financing round, securing $14 million in capital. The round was led by Phoenix Venture Partners (PVP) and included participation from Brevan Howard Macro Venture Fund. Additional backing came from existing investors: WASEDA University Ventures, Inc. (WUV), JAFCO Group Co., Ltd., Mirai Creation Fund III (managed by SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd.), and Keio Innovation Initiative (KII).

Inspiren, a leader in AI-powered solutions that are redefining senior living, has announced it has raised $100 million in Series B funding. This financing round was led by global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from Avenir, Primary Venture Partners, Scale Venture Partners, Story Ventures, Third Prime, and Studio VC. With this new funding, Inspiren’s total funding now stands at $155 million.

Prelude Security, an endpoint protection platform, has recently announced an investment of $16 million. This funding round was led by Brightmind Partners and includes contributions from existing backers such as Sequoia Capital and Insight Partners. With this latest infusion of capital, Prelude’s total funding now stands at an impressive $45 million.

Sunrise Group, known as a leader in sleep health technology, has announced a funding round of $29 million dedicated to expanding Dreem Health, its innovative digital sleep clinic, to ensure its services reach all 50 states in the U.S. This funding round was led by Eurazeo, and it attracted investment from a diverse array of other participants, including Amazon's Alexa Fund, WE International, Kurma Partners, Vives Fund, Majycc (an investment fund under UI Investissement), Namur Invest, Seventure Partners, Investsud, Sambrinvest, Noshaq, IMBC, and Invest.BW. 

Hub.xyz has emerged as a programmable bandwidth network that leverages the idle internet connections of everyday users to provide real-time data streams designed for AI systems. The company recently announced the closing of a pre-seed funding round, as well as the commencement of its seed funding round, paving the way for further growth and development. 

Bonsai Health, a pioneering AI platform dedicated to automating complex healthcare workflows, has recently secured $7 million in seed funding, led by Bonfire Ventures and Wonder Ventures. Since its launch, Bonsai has positively impacted the healthcare landscape by engaging over 235,000 patients across more than 100 healthcare groups and specialty practices. The platform has scheduled over 36,000 appointments, ensuring that patients receive timely and necessary medical care, alleviating staff workload by eliminating repetitive tasks, and fostering predictable growth for healthcare practices.

Amplio, an innovative AI company dedicated to revolutionizing how enterprise manufacturers manage their surplus inventory, has recently announced it raised $11.1 million in a Series A funding round. This funding round was led by prominent investors Hitachi Ventures and Yamaha Motor Ventures, with crucial participation from existing backers such as Construct Capital, Slow Ventures, Alpaca VC, and High Alpha Capital.

Gain, a deeptech startup specializing in intelligent AI Employees for hire, has officially emerged from stealth operations and raised a $12 million seed funding round. This funding was led by The Garage, with contributions from BlueRed Partners and Bazan Group. The primary goal of this investment is to propel Gain's next phase of research and development, focusing on the launch of additional AI Employees, expanding its product teams, and enhancing overall business growth across the United States and Europe.

Expert Systems, a leading provider in drug discovery acceleration, has recently announced a Series A funding round and the launch of Mondego Bio, an innovative company focused on immuno-oncology. Mondego Bio is headquartered in Biocant Park, located in Cantanhede, Portugal, a hub that fosters biotechnology research and development. This new venture is backed by notable investment firms, including Biovance Capital, Torrey Pines Investment, and OrbiMed, all of which are recognized for their strategic investments in the life sciences.

OXCCU, a spin-out from the University of Oxford specializing in innovative carbon recycling technologies, has announced the successful completion of a £20.75 million ($28 million) Series B funding round, which was oversubscribed. This funding round attracted a diverse group of new investors, including Orlen VC, Safran Corporate Ventures, International Airlines Group (IAG), Hostplus, and TCVC. Additionally, OXCCU continues to enjoy the support of existing investors, including Clean Energy Ventures, IP Group/Kiko Ventures, Aramco Ventures, Eni Next, Braavos Capital, and the University of Oxford itself. 

Bite Stream, the flagship software platform developed by Bite Investments—an industry-leading provider of innovative technology solutions for the alternative investments sector—has made headlines by securing $25 million in strategic growth capital from NewSpring Growth. This capital comes from NewSpring Capital’s dedicated growth equity strategy, which focuses on investing in rapidly expanding technology companies poised to transform their industries.

Tie, previously known as Revenue Roll, has established itself as a player in the realm of AI-based identity solutions, specifically designed to help e-commerce brands transform their anonymous website visitors into high-value customers. Recently, the company secured a $10 million Series A funding round. This funding was led by Innovating Capital and included contributions from Stage 2 Capital, Hawke Ventures, and several influential angel investors, who feature top executives from notable companies such as Brex and Share Local Media. With this latest investment, Tie has successfully raised a total of $17 million since its inception.

Commcrete, an innovative leader in tactical satellite communication systems, has recently announced that it has secured $29 million in funding through its Seed and Series A investment rounds. The latest funding of $21 million in the Series A round was spearheaded by Greenfield Partners, with notable contributions from Redseed Ventures and existing investors.