<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        EcoVadis, a French provider of business sustainability ratings, has raised USD 500 million in an investment round led by Astorg and BeyondNetZero. The funding round was also supported by GIC and Princeville Capital.&nbsp;
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        EcoVadis will utilize the funds to scale up its geographical footprint, through strategic acquisitions in North American and Asian markets. The company also expects to improve its AI and machine learning capabilities.&nbsp;
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Analyst QuickTake:</b>
         The round brings EcoVadis&rsquo; total funding to USD 735 million. It remains the highest-funded carbon management software company. The round follows EcoVadis' USD 200 million private equity round in January 2020.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <b></b>
    <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220614005321/en/EcoVadis-Secures-500M-Investment-to-Usher-in-New-Era-of-Sustainability-Led-Business-Decisions">
      Businesswire
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/sustainability-data-firm-ecovadis-joins-1-bln-club-after-fundraising-2022-06-14/">
      Reuters
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


Carbon Management Software

EcoVadis raises USD 500 million

Building future-ready applications in the cloud

Cloud-native Tech

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

<div>
 <p>The multinational IT and consulting firm, International Business Machines (IBM), is reportedly on the verge of acquiring HashiCorp, a leading provider of multi-cloud infrastructure automation software. IBM aims to enhance its cloud services through the acquisition of HashiCorp.</p>
 <p>HashiCorp, the maker of the highly demanded infrastructure automation software Terraform, is known for developing solutions which address real-world IT issues in multi-cloud environments, relating to infrastructure provisioning, security, networking, and application deployment.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> IBM’s <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/2981#strategy"> strategy </a> includes strengthening and promoting hybrid cloud solutions and AI adoption and pursuing M&amp;A opportunities to serve clients better. Its series of acquisitions focusing on AI and hybrid and multi-cloud solutions include <a href="https:<br>
//newsroom.ibm.com/IBM-acquires-Manta-Software-Inc-to-complement-data-and-AI-governance-capabilities"> Manta </a> , <a href="https:<br>
//newsroom.ibm.com/2023-06-26-IBM-to-Acquire-Apptio-Inc-,-Providing-Actionable-Financial-and-Operational-Insights-Across-Enterprise-IT"> Apptio </a> , <a href="https:<br>
//techcrunch.com/2022/07/06/ibm-acquires-databand-to-bolster-its-data-observability-stack/"> Databand </a> , and notably <a href="https:<br>
//www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/ibm-closes-landmark-acquisition-red-hat-34-billion-defines-open-hybrid-cloud-future#:<br>
~:<br>
text=IBM%20(NYSE%3AIBM)%20and,the%20cloud%20market%20for%20business."> RedHat </a> . This move could strengthen IBM's competitive position in the cloud market. HashiCorp is renowned for its tools that automate the provisioning, securing, and running of cloud infrastructure, which would complement and enhance IBM's existing cloud offerings.</p>

IBM gears up to acquire HashiCorp

Bringing fresh produce closer to consumers with efficient, advanced technology.

Vertical Farming

<div>

 <p>Hydroponic vertical farming company, Vertical Harvest Farms, located in Wyoming, has secured USD 59.5 million in project financing. The round of funding was led by Madison One and Genisys Credit Union, with contributions from the USDA Rural Development Business &amp; Industry Loan Guarantees, Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy, and other supporters.</p>
 <p>The company intends to use these funds to construct and run a 51,000 sq ft hydroponic vertical farm in downtown Westbrook, Maine, with ambitions to yield approximately 2.5 million pounds of fresh, leafy vegetables annually.</p>
 <p>With a focus on supplying fresh food to local communities, Vertical Harvest Farms' vertical farm project forms part of the New England Food Vision strategy. This strategy aims to have 30% of the region's food consumption locally produced by the year 2030.</p>
 
</div>

Vertical Harvest raises USD 59.5 million in project financing

<div>
 
 <p>A Canadian vertical farming company, Growcer, has raised CAD 3 million (~USD 2.19 million) in a series A funding round. The funding round was led by Modern Niagara, Jeff Westeinde and Farm Boy Co-CEO Jeff York.</p>
 <p>The raised finance will facilitate in expanding its market presence in the northeastern US and in broadening its product range. The company's main product is modular vertical farm structures, enabling customers including retailers, schools, and remote communities grow food all year round.</p>
 
</div>

The Growcer raises CAD 3 million to bolster growth

Clean, congestion-free air travel gets liftoff

Passenger eVTOL Aircraft

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 <p>Amprius Technologies, a company focused on the development of the next generation lithium-ion batteries, and Stafl Systems, a firm that offers battery management systems and telematics solutions, have decided to partner. The partnership aims to create high-performance battery solutions.</p>
 <p> As part of this partnership, Amprius will supply its high-energy SiCore battery cells to Stafl Systems. These will be used to design custom battery products and create specific battery packs with Amprius' cells. The aim of this collaboration is to speed up the process of adopting advanced battery solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and urban air mobility (UAM) applications.</p>
 
</div>

Amprius Technologies partners with Stafl Systems to offer high-performance battery solutions

Technology to explore opportunities beyond Earth

Space Travel and Exploration Tech

<div>

 <p>Rocket Lab, which is a company that specializes in space travel and launches, has successfully launched a South Korean Earth observation satellite and an Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) from NASA into orbit. The ACS3 uses sunlight to power its propulsion, presenting a fuel-free and efficient method of space exploration.</p>
 <p>The main goal of the ACS3 is to further develop solar sailing technology. Using the force of sunlight, it intends to propel spacecraft. A significant aspect of this launch is testing the deployment of new composite booms, which are used to unfurl the solar sail. With the data gathered from this mission, Rocket Lab has plans to design a larger solar sail system. This expanded solar sail system will be primarily used for tasks such as space weather prediction, asteroid reconnaissance, and observations of solar polar regions.</p>
 <p>According to Rocket Lab, the ACS3 is a crucial tool for efficient space exploration. It potentially makes fuel-free space missions a reality. Apart from this, it can also be employed in satellites that provide early warnings about space weather, surveillance missions that monitor asteroids and other minor astronomical objects, and missions that focus on studying the sun's polar regions.</p>

</div>

Rocket Lab launches South Korean Earth-observation satellite and NASA solar-sailing tech

Quantum information processing is slowly becoming a reality, ushering in a new technological era.

Quantum Computing

<div>
 
 <p>French quantum hardware company Pasqal is teaming up with quantum networking firm Welinq to create specific quantum interconnects for neutral-atom quantum computing. The terms or financial aspects of this partnership have not been made public.</p>
 <p>The collaboration will utilize Welinq's quantum interconnect technology to link various Quantum Processing Units (QPUs), a move that will assist Pasqal in addressing the problem of qubit scaling in fault-tolerant quantum computing.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>The partnership will lay the groundwork for large scale quantum networks and boost computational capacity by increasing the number of qubits. It will also facilitate secure quantum information exchange thanks to interconnected multi-QPU systems.</p>
 
</div>

Pasqal and Welinq partner to enhance quantum computing industry standards

Longevity Tech

<div>
 <p>Integrated Biosciences, a biotechnology firm with expertise in synthetic biology and machine learning (ML), has partnered with Project 8p Foundation to develop therapeutics for chromosome 8p disorders. The partnership will assist Project 8p Foundation in characterizing and correcting cellular stress response dysregulation in 8p cell lines, which could lead to new treatments for patients suffering from complex modifications of the chromosome 8p's short arm. Integrated Biosciences, which uses its proprietary technology to control cellular stress responses in conditions like neurodegeneration, cancer, and diabetes, hasn't revealed the financial terms and details of the partnership. </p>   
</div>

Integrated Biosciences and Project 8p Foundation partner to advance treatment for chromosomal disorders

Artificial intelligence is identifying and testing new therapies faster than ever.

AI Drug Discovery

<div>
 <p>Biotech company Integrated Biosciences has announced a strategic partnership with Project 8p Foundation to develop treatments for disorders related to chromosome 8p duplication, deletion, and inverted duplication deletion. Specific terms and financial details have not been revealed.</p>
 <p>Supported by this partnership, Integrated Biosciences will characterize and correct cellular stress responses in 8p cell lines, aiming to develop treatments for the related disorders. This effort could significantly help 8p patients who suffer from complex rearrangements of chromosome 8p's short arm.</p>
 <p>Using synthetic biology and AI, Integrated Biosciences specializes in the development of therapeutics for age-related illnesses. With their proprietary technology, they primarily control cellular stress responses. Such responses play a vital role in conditions like neurodegeneration, cancer, and diabetes.</p>
</div>

<div>
<p>Xaira Therapeutics, an AI-powered biotech startup, has successfully secured an investment of over USD 1 billion. The funding round was led by Foresite Capital and ARCH Venture Partners, with contributions from NEA, Lux Capital, Sequoia Capital, and F-Prime.</p>
<p>The raised capital will be allocated to amplify Xaira's drug discovery and development platform which employs ML research, a wealth of data generation, and breakthrough product development technologies. The goal is to advance multiple drug programs over a diverse range of disease areas.</p>
<p>As an integrated biotechnology enterprise, Xaira aims to incorporate leading-edge AI tools to aid in improving the process of drug discovery and development. It aspires to create more effective therapies from a combination of product development, detailed biological and clinical data generation, and the application of AI techniques throughout every phase of the drug discovery and development process.</p>
</div>

Xaira Therapeutics launches with more than USD 1 billion investment

<div>
 <p>Dublin-based digital pathology company Deciphex and Novartis are collaborating to develop AI tools to transform preclinical pathology evaluations in drug discovery and development. The partnership's specifics and financial details remain undisclosed.</p>
 <p>The primary focus of the collaboration lies in creating AI algorithms and tools to accurately detect and measure tissue lesions across multiple species. This advancement will help enhance the efficiency of pathology assessment in toxicological and efficacy studies. The companies are also striving for regulatory approval of the AI tools and digitizing Novartis's tissue slide collection.</p>
 <p>Deciphex, an Ireland-based company, specializes in developing digital pathology software solutions. Utilizing AI, it improves the efficiency of pathology services in clinical and research environments. Its primary product, Patholytix Preclinical, significantly accelerates the review process of pathology specimens by speeding up evaluations in drug safety assessments.</p>
 
</div>

All Updates

IBM gears up to acquire HashiCorp

Vertical Harvest raises USD 59.5 million in project financing

The Growcer raises CAD 3 million to bolster growth

Amprius Technologies partners with Stafl Systems to offer high-performance battery solutions

Rocket Lab launches South Korean Earth-observation satellite and NASA solar-sailing tech

Pasqal and Welinq partner to enhance quantum computing industry standards

Integrated Biosciences and Project 8p Foundation partner to advance treatment for chromosomal disorders

Integrated Biosciences and Project 8p Foundation partner to advance treatment for chromosomal disorders

Xaira Therapeutics launches with more than USD 1 billion investment

Deciphex and Novartis partner to advance preclinical pathology with AI technology