Venture Capital

Sapphiros Secures $12.4 Million BARDA Award to Advance Rapid Molecular Diagnostics for Biothreat Detection

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Sapphiros announced it has been awarded a multi-year project agreement through the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle, a consortium funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to advance rapid, portable, connected molecular diagnostic platforms for detection of biothreats and emerging infectious diseases.

Highline Warren To Invest $170 Million In Georgia Logistics And Operations Center

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Highline Warren plans to invest $170 million in a new logistics and operations center in McDonough, Georgia, creating 160 jobs in Henry County through a multi-year development project.

Pact Labs: Tether Backs Startup to Put Digital Dollars in Every American Paycheck

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Pact Labs announced its Series A financing, anchored by a strategic investment from Tether, the world's largest company in the digital asset ecosystem, with participation from Blockchange Ventures and Lasagna. The $7 million round will accelerate the buildout of infrastructure bringing USA₮, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A. that Tether has collaborated to launch, to payroll, earned wage access, credit, and payments for millions of American workers.

Hillwood Invests in Hexivon to Accelerate Commercialization of PFAS Destruction Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Hexivon, a Dallas-based water technology company, has received a strategic investment from Hillwood, a Perot company with an extensive infrastructure development portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed. The investment is intended to accelerate the commercial rollout of Hexivon's technology, which destroys polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly known as PFAS or "forever chemicals" — in water at the molecular level rather than filtering and relocating them.

Starlight Engine Raises JPY 6.06 Billion To Advance Fusion Power Project

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Starlight Engine has raised JPY 6.06 billion, equivalent to approximately $37.4 million, in its first external financing round to accelerate the development of its Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak project.

Gauntlet Raises $125 Million Series C To Expand On-Chain Risk Infrastructure

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Gauntlet Networks, a New York-based digital asset risk and optimization firm, has closed a $125 million Series C financing led by SBI Holdings through its U.S. subsidiary, SBI Holdings USA.

Augmodo Raises $21 Million At $350 Million Valuation To Scale Physical AI Assistants

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Augmodo has raised an additional $21 million in financing at a $350 million valuation to expand its artificial intelligence assistants for workers operating in retail, manufacturing, automotive, logistics and other physical environments. Existing investor TQ Ventures led the financing after approaching Augmodo to increase its investment in light of the company’s recent growth and customer adoption.

Rime Raises $24 Million Series A To Build Enterprise-Ready Speech-To-Speech AI Models

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Rime has raised $24 million in Series A funding to expand its enterprise voice AI platform and support the development of speech-to-speech models designed for complex and regulated environments. The round was led by M13, with participation from Twilio Ventures, Corazon Capital, Unusual Ventures and other existing investors. Morgan Blumberg, a partner at M13, will join Rime’s board of directors in connection with the financing.

Float Raises €4.5 Million Series A To Build AI-Native Financial Platform For European Tech SMEs

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Float has raised €4.5 million in Series A funding to expand its revenue-based financing business and develop an AI-native financial platform for European technology companies. The round was led by Hamburg-based CHAPTERS Group AG.

Sagard Credit Partners III Holds $1 Billion First Close And Targets $2 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Sagard has announced the first close of Sagard Credit Partners III (SCP III), securing more than $1 billion in initial commitments toward the private credit fund’s $2 billion target.

StartUpNV: Interview With Executive Director Jeff Saling About The Business Incubator

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

StartUpNV is a non-profit business incubator and accelerator that supports early-stage and growing startups in Nevada by providing expert mentorship, structured business programs, and access to a network of affiliated venture capital funds. Pulse 2.0 interviewed StartUpNV Executive Director Jeff Saling to learn more.

AdvanCell Closes $315 Million Series D Financing To Advance Targeted Alpha Therapies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

AdvanCell, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing targeted alpha therapies for cancer, announced the closing of an oversubscribed and upsized $315 million Series D financing. The round was led by Ally Bridge Group and co-led by Alpha Wave, alongside new investors Bain Capital Life Sciences, Fidelity Management & Research Company, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., a leading sovereign wealth fund, Eventide Asset Management, and Velosity Capital, with existing investors including Morningside, Eli Lilly and Company, SV Health Investors, Sanofi Ventures, Abingworth, SymBiosis, Tenmile, Brandon Capital, Piper Heartland, Catalio Capital Management, Proto Axiom, and Time BioVentures also participating.

LionLight Capital Closes Inaugural Fund At $215 Million Hard Cap In Ten Weeks

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

LionLight Capital, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based growth-oriented private equity firm, has closed its inaugural fund, LionLight Capital Fund I, at its hard cap of $215 million in capital commitments. The fund was oversubscribed and reached the hard cap in ten weeks. Pacenote Capital served as exclusive placement agent, and Cooley provided legal counsel.

SkyAlyne And PAL Aerospace Reach C$750 Million RCAF Training Agreement

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

SkyAlyne and PAL Aerospace have reached an agreement for an approximately C$750 million contract covering aircraft modification, training and in-service support for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Future Aircrew Training program.

Carlyle AlpInvest Closes AlpInvest Atom Fund II At $1.7 Billion Hard Cap

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Carlyle AlpInvest, a leading global private equity investor with $107 billion in assets under management, has held the final close of AlpInvest Atom Fund II (AAF II) at its hard cap of $1.7 billion, exceeding its $1 billion fundraising target. The fund is dedicated exclusively to single-asset continuation vehicle (SACV) transactions — a fast-growing segment of the GP-centered secondaries market. Combined with the firm's evergreen vehicles, AlpInvest Secondaries Program VIII, and related sidecar vehicles, AAF II brings Carlyle AlpInvest's total SACV investment capacity to $7 billion during the fund's investment period.

Wafra Closes Constellation Generation V At $2 Billion, Surpassing Target

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Wafra Inc., a New York-based alternative investment firm with approximately $30 billion in assets under management, has held the final close of Constellation Generation V (CG V) at $2.0 billion, exceeding the fund's $1.5 billion fundraising target. CG V is the largest vehicle raised for Wafra's Capital Constellation strategy since the platform launched in 2012. The fund has already begun deploying capital through strategic partnerships with Niobrara Capital and Gallatin Point Capital.

Walden Robotics Raises $300 Million At $1.1 Billion Valuation To Deploy General-Purpose Robots

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Walden Robotics has launched from stealth with $300 million in seed funding to develop and deploy general-purpose robots that can learn continuously while performing useful work in manufacturing, logistics and other industrial environments. The financing values the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based physical AI company at $1.1 billion. Toyota and Deviation Capital co-led the round. Toyota participated through Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Invention Partners and Toyota Ventures. Other strategic investors included NVIDIA, Boeing, AE Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Prologis Ventures and CoreWeave Ventures. Financial investors participating in the financing included Calibrate Ventures, Colle Capital, Shine Capital, NextView Ventures, Squarepoint Capital, One Madison Group, KAS Venture Partners and Menlo Ventures, among others.

SkinMedica Deepens Commitment To Regenerative Science With Continued Investment In R&D

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, announced SkinMedica's expanded commitment to regenerative science, with investments advancing innovation, research, clinical insight, and patient experience. The initiatives include a new Regenerative Science Advisory Board, an expanded research and development facility, and new flagship retail experiences.

AstraZeneca Licenses Zegfrovy From Dizal In Deal Worth Up To $1.5 Billion

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

AstraZeneca has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement with Dizal Pharmaceutical for Zegfrovy, an oral targeted therapy approved in the U.S. and China for certain patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

I Squared Capital To Sell Minority Stake In TIP Group to IMCO And GCM Grosvenor

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

I Squared Capital, a leading independent global infrastructure investor, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a 25% minority interest in TIP Group, one of Europe's leading transportation equipment leasing and services platforms, to the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario and GCM Grosvenor.

ReElement Technologies Raises $25 Million From U.S. Department Of War To Expand Rare Earth Refining

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

ReElement Technologies Corporation, a rare earth and critical mineral refiner based in Indiana and a minority holding of American Resources has received a $25 million investment from the United States Department of War through its Economic Defense Unit and the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. The funding comes from the Department's Industrial Base Fund and is directed at expanding domestic refining capacity at ReElement's Marion, Indiana Refining Campus.

Ensysce Biosciences Awarded $5.3 Million To Advance Overdose-Protected Opioid

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Ensysce Biosciences has received a $5.3 million installment from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support the development of its MPAR overdose-protection technology and lead product candidate, PF614-MPAR.

Vedanta Oil & Gas To Invest $5 Billion To Boost Production Fivefold

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Vedanta Oil & Gas plans to invest $5 billion to increase its oil and gas production by more than fivefold, supporting India’s broader effort to reduce its dependence on imported energy, according to Bloomberg.

MDA Space Closes Upsized $819 Million Bought Deal Offering of Common Shares

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

MDA Space, a trusted mission partner to the rapidly expanding global space industry, announced the closing of its previously announced upsized bought deal offering of common shares in Canada and the United States. A total of 23,000,000 common shares were issued and sold at a price of $35.60 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $819 million to the company.

Linker Finance Secures $5 Million Seed To Accelerate Growth Engine for Community Banks

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Linker Finance, a modular platform purpose-built for community banks, announced it has secured an additional $5 million in Seed funding, bringing its total Seed funding to $8.7 million following its previously announced $3.7 million round. The financing includes continued participation from existing investors Chingona Ventures, Ten One Ten Ventures, Audaz Capital, and Angeles Investors, alongside new strategic investment from 22nd State Banking Company.

Goodfin Launches QSBS Venture Fund Targeting 0% Federal Capital Gains Tax On Startup Investments

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Goodfin, a Y Combinator-backed agentic wealth platform founded in 2022, has launched the Goodfin QSBS Venture Fund, a vehicle designed to give accredited investors access to early-stage startups that have been pre-vetted for eligibility under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code — the provision governing Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). The fund is structured to help investors potentially exclude up to $15 million or more in capital gains per investment from federal taxes, targeting an effective federal capital gains rate of 0% on qualifying exits. State tax treatment varies by residence.

Skalar Raises €12 Million To Build AI-First Tax Advisory Firm

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Skalar has raised €12 million through its pre-seed and seed financing rounds to expand an AI-first tax advisory firm designed to address Germany’s growing shortage of tax consultants. Headline led the financing, with participation from futurepresent, QED Investors, Repeat Ventures, MS&AD Ventures, Foreword Fund, and several angel investors.

Nopan Raises €7.2 Million To Expand Account And Wallet Payments Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Nopan, a performance platform for account and digital wallet payments, has raised €7.2 million in total funding, including a new investment round led by Newion. Existing investors Crane and Seedcamp participated in the latest financing, along with a group of angel investors with experience across merchant payments and financial technology.

Meta Expands Louisiana Data Center In Over $50 Billion Investment for Richland Parish

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Meta's data center expansion represents an investment of more than $50 billion in the Richland Parish region, one of the largest investments in AI infrastructure in the world built in America. The project supports infrastructure projects, workforce development programs, and an energy agreement expected to save Entergy Louisiana customers more than $2 billion over 20 years, on top of $650 million in savings from a first agreement. Meta pays the full costs of the energy, water, and related infrastructure the data center uses so consumers aren't paying the cost.

Intel Invests €5 Billion to Expand Manufacturing in Europe

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 15, 2026

Intel announced a €5 billion ($5.7 billion) capital investment at its Leixlip campus in Ireland, marking the next phase in the site's capacity expansion. Global demand for AI and high-performance computing is driving the need for advanced silicon to power AI Factories, and Intel is scaling capacity in Ireland to deliver Intel Xeon 6 and next-generation Intel Xeon processors built on its Intel 3 node.