Archives

MetaOptics To Deploy Its Direct Laser Writer At University Of Arizona’s Center Of Semiconductor Manufacturing

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

MetaOptics announced an agreement to deploy its metalens Direct Laser Writer system at the University of Arizona's Center of Semiconductor Manufacturing, marking a step in the company's U.S. expansion strategy. Installation is expected to begin in 2027.

QPerfect And University Of Strasbourg Partner To Support France’s First Public Neutral-Atom Quantum Computing Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

BTQ Technologies announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, QPerfect, has entered into a research collaboration with the University of Strasbourg in support of aQCess, France's first publicly accessible neutral atom quantum computing platform. The aQCess platform, led by co-coordinators Shannon Whitlock and Guido Pupillo at the Centre Européen de Sciences Quantiques, is targeting more than 400 qubits and is supported by the French National Strategy for Quantum Technologies.

Paul, Weiss Adds Rachel Phillips As Capital Markets Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced that Rachel Phillips has joined the firm as a partner in its Capital Markets Group within the Corporate Department, resident in New York. Phillips advises public companies, private equity sponsors, and underwriters on a range of capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, and mergers and acquisitions.

LPL Financial Welcomes $340 Million Firm Williams Tax & Financial Services

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

LPL Financial announced that the advisors of Williams Tax & Financial Services have joined its broker-dealer and Registered Investment Advisor platform, moving from Cetera. The team reported serving approximately $340 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets.

KMM Group Raises Funding From RS2 Healthcare Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

KMM Group, a vertically integrated precision contract manufacturer for the medical device industry, announced the completion of an investment from RS2 Healthcare Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Huper: Interview With CEO Michael Anton About Building the Superhuman Leaders of Tomorrow

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Huper is building a self-organizing, always up-to-date external brain for enterprises that consumes real-time progress data across an organization and helps senior and middle managers focus on the most important priorities. The company is led by CEO Michael Anton. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Huper CEO Michael Anton to learn more.

Vusion To Acquire In-Store Media, Accelerating Digital In-Store Retail Media Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Vusion announced it has signed an agreement to acquire In-Store Media, a Barcelona-based in-store retail media company with a track record of designing, deploying, and monetizing retail media networks across physical stores. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and completion remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, expected to be financed with debt.

Vanguard: Kenneth Jacobs Elected As Chairman Of Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Vanguard announced that Mark Loughridge will retire from its board of directors and the board of trustees for each Vanguard fund effective December 31, 2026. Kenneth Jacobs has been elected by the boards to succeed Loughridge as nonexecutive Chairman, while John Murphy has been elected to serve as Lead Independent Director.

Calix: Interview With Chief Product Officer Shane Eleniak About Agentic AI For Broadband Providers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Calix provides a vertical platform built specifically for broadband service providers, spanning access networks and customer premises systems through cloud software, managed services, and agentic AI. The company focuses on helping providers grow their businesses, simplify operations, and improve subscriber experiences. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Calix Chief Product Officer Shane Eleniak to learn more.

NPD Logistics Acquires Urban Direct

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

NPD Logistics, a national logistics and supply chain solutions provider, announced it has completed the acquisition of Urban Direct, a New York City-based Priority Overnight shipping company specializing in 10:30 a.m. next-day delivery. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bain Capital To Acquire Vitabiotics, The UK’s No. 1 Vitamin Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Bain Capital announced it has agreed to acquire Vitabiotics, the UK's leading vitamin company, along with its wider VB Group operations, including Meyer Organics in India and its operations across Africa, including VB Egypt. The transaction marks a significant milestone in Vitabiotics' 55-year history and is intended to support the company's next phase of international growth. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ideagen Expands EHS Portfolio With Acquisition Of Work Wallet

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Ideagen, a global provider of software solutions for regulated industries, announced it has acquired Work Wallet, a UK-based developer of mobile-first environmental, health, and safety software. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Tindall Corporation Completes Acquisition Of Atlanta Structural Concrete

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Tindall Corporation, one of the largest providers of precast concrete solutions, announced it has completed the acquisition of Atlanta Structural Concrete, which will now operate as ASC, A Tindall Company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

AstraZeneca Reports First-Half 2026 Revenue Of $30.7 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

AstraZeneca reported first-half 2026 revenue of $30.7 billion, up 9 percent on a reported basis and 6 percent at constant exchange rates, with core operating profit and core earnings per share both rising 11 percent. Core earnings per share for the first half rose 12 percent to $5.21, while reported earnings per share increased 4 percent to $3.60. In the second quarter alone, revenue rose 6 percent to $15.4 billion, while core earnings per share climbed 21 percent to $2.63.

Profusa Announces Signing Of Non-Binding Term Sheet For Acquisition Of Commercial-Stage Diagnostics Company

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Profusa announced the signing of a non-binding term sheet to acquire a privately held, commercial-stage health diagnostics and toxicology testing company.

argenx To Acquire Forte Biosciences For $2.2 Billion, Adding Anti-CD122 Antibody FB102 To Immunology Pipeline

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

argenx and Forte Biosciences, Inc. announced a definitive agreement under which argenx will acquire Forte Biosciences for $77 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of approximately $2.2 billion and a premium of approximately 86 percent to Forte Biosciences' volume-weighted average price since it reported positive Phase 1b vitiligo data on July 9, 2026. The deal builds on argenx's prior strategic investment in Forte Biosciences.

PGIM To Acquire Remaining Interest In Deerpath Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

PGIM announced it has agreed to acquire the remaining 25 percent interest in Deerpath Capital, bringing its ownership to 100 percent. The transaction follows PGIM's initial acquisition of a 75 percent stake announced in May 2023 and is subject to regulatory approval.

UnityAI: Interview With CEO & Co-Founder Edmund Jackson About Scaling Healthcare Operations With AI Agents

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

UnityAI builds AI agents for autonomous healthcare operations, centered primarily around scheduling and coordination. Many of those agents are voice-enabled, handling everything from referral queues and rescheduling and load-balancing to pre-visit prep and post-visit surveys. The company is led by CEO and Co-Founder Edmund Jackson. Pulse 2.0 interviewed UnityAI CEO & Co-Founder Edmund Jackson to learn more.

Vireo Growth To Acquire Planet 13 Holdings

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Vireo Growth and Planet 13 Holdings announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Vireo will acquire all outstanding equity interests of Planet 13. Under the agreement, each share of Planet 13 common stock will convert into the right to receive 0.015383618 of a Vireo subordinate voting share, representing a 16.6 percent premium over Planet 13's 20-day volume-weighted average price as of July 24, 2026, and a 24 percent premium over its closing price that day.

Keyfactor Announces Intent To Acquire Cofide To Bring Verified Identity To AI Agents And Cloud Workloads

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Keyfactor announced its intent to acquire UK-based Cofide, an identity platform that secures software workloads and AI agents across cloud environments. The acquisition is intended to extend the Keyfactor Trust Control Plane to workloads and AI agents, giving security teams a single system to manage non-human identities across the enterprise. Financial terms were not disclosed, and Cofide's team and technology are expected to join Keyfactor immediately.

Way Security Raises $20 Million In Funding Led By Insight Partners And Glilot Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Insight Partners and Glilot Capital announced a $20 million investment in Way Security, a company aiming to fix the operational costs of deploying and running enterprise identity and access management systems. Way Security was founded by former security leaders Yossi Barishev and Yonatan Rosenberg, who serve as CEO and CTO, respectively.

Ominimo Closes Series B Funding Led By EBRD At A $1.6 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Ominimo announced the closing of its Series B round at a $1.6 billion valuation, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development serving as lead investor. Just over two years after launch, the company said it is approaching one million customers across four European markets and has already surpassed an annualized $350 million in gross written premium.

Beelzebub Raises €3 Million To Arm Enterprises With AI-Powered Hacker-Trapping Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Beelzebub announced a €3 million seed round exclusively led by Italian deep tech VC United Ventures. The capital will fund the expansion of Beelzebub's research team, the opening of new commercial offices in Rome and San Francisco by the end of the year, and client acquisition across Europe, with particular emphasis on organizations regulated under the EU's NIS2 directive.

The Exploration Company Reportedly In Talks To Raise $300 Million At A $2 Billion Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

The Exploration Company, a Munich-based startup building what it describes as Europe's first reusable space capsule, is in talks to raise at least $300 million, according to reporting from the Financial Times. The round would value the six-year-old firm at more than $2 billion, more than quadrupling its previous valuation, though people familiar with the discussions cautioned that the financing has not been finalized and terms could still change or the deal could fall through entirely.

Nuclear Turbines Emerges From Stealth With £15 Million Funding

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Nuclear Turbines, a company spun out of Europe's largest aerospace and defense company, BAE Systems, announced it has emerged from stealth after raising £15 million in funding led by IQ Capital, with participation from Rhapsody Venture Partners, Zero Carbon, and Empirical Ventures, along with continued support from BAE Systems.

Multiverse Computing Announces Series C Fundraising Targeting Up To $570 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Multiverse Computing announced a $570 million, or €500 million, Series C funding round at a $1.7 billion pre-money valuation, a five-fold step-up from its Series B. The round is co-led by Forgepoint Capital International, BNPP SIVF, and Bullhound Capital, with additional commitments from investors including Santander Alternative Investments, Tikehau Capital, HP Inc., Orange Ventures, Scania Invest, NAventures, Qatar Development Bank, Zouk Capital, SETT, EIC Fund, the Basque Government's Hazten Scale-Up Fund, and Kutxa Fundazioa. Advised by JP Morgan and Santander CIB, the round is expected to bring the company's total funding to $800 million and may remain open to additional strategic investors.

Ridgeview Offers To Buy UK’s Pinewood Technologies At £545 Million Valuation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

U.S. tech private equity firm Ridgeview offered to buy Britain's Pinewood Technologies for 448 pence per share, valuing the automotive service provider at £545 million (or approximately $726.10 million), according to Reuters. The offer represents a premium of about 42 percent to Pinewood's closing price of 315 pence on Friday, when the announcement was made, and comes as private equity interest in the company continues even after an earlier bid fell through.

EQT Lifts Perpetual Bid To $1.78 Billion In Third Approach This Month

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Australian asset manager Perpetual said it received a higher offer of A$2.55 billion, or approximately $1.78 billion, from Swedish private equity firm EQT AB after rejecting two earlier bids in July, according to Reuters. The new approach adds pressure on the Australian financial services firm as it works to reshape its business.

Nvidia Reportedly In Talks With OpenAI To Guarantee $250 Billion Financing For Data Center

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

Nvidia is in talks to provide roughly $250 billion in financing guarantees for OpenAI as part of a massive data center project, the Wall Street Journal reported. The backstop would help the ChatGPT maker lease a 10-gigawatt project in southern Ohio being developed by SoftBank's energy subsidiary, according to people familiar with the matter.

NVIDIA To Invest $1 Billion As NAVER, NVIDIA, And Brookfield Expand Korea’s National AI Factory Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 27, 2026

NAVER, NVIDIA, and Brookfield announced a proposed expansion of Korea's sovereign AI factory infrastructure, with planned investments to grow the initial NVIDIA DSX AI factory deployment at NAVER's GAK Sejong data center from 55 megawatts to 200 megawatts by 2028, more than tripling last month's announced buildout. NAVER intends to expand its deployment of NVIDIA AI infrastructure to 1 gigawatt over time. The announcement came during Korea President Jae Myung Lee's visit to San Francisco for the AI Summit.