<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Corelight, a network detection and response (NDR) startup, has raised USD 75 million in a Series D funding round led by Energy Impact Partners (EIP), with participation from Accel, General Catalyst, Insight Partners, Osage University Partners, H.I.G. Growth Partners, Capital One Ventures, CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, and Gaingels. Corelight&rsquo;s total funding following this round stands at USD 160 million.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        The company expects to use the funding to develop new data and cloud solutions, grow its presence in the global NDR market, and expand its team globally.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Corelight indicated that it expects to remain private for the next few years and raise additional funding before it considers going public. The investment in Corelight also marks the second growth investment of cybersecurity startup CrowdStrike&rsquo;s Falcon Fund. The fund invests in companies developing solutions that can be integrated with its endpoint protection platform.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://corelight.com/company/corelight-secures-75-million-series-d-funding">
      Company press release
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/02/corelight-secures-75m-series-d-to-bolster-network-defense-offering/">
      TechCrunch
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.channelfutures.com/security/75-million-corelight-funding-round-includes-crowdstrike-investment">
      Channel Futures
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://siliconangle.com/2021/09/02/corelight-secures-75m-detect-hacking-attempts-open-source-technology/">
      SiliconAngle
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


Next-gen Cybersecurity

Corelight secures USD 75 million in Series D funding

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

A new industry proving that digital connectivity and mental health can co-exist.

Digital Wellness

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 <p>Headspace, a California-based company, has launched a new mental health coaching service which provides one-on-one support to help users overcome various challenges in life. This service is accessible to its direct-to-consumer subscribers at $99.99 per month.</p>
 <p>The coaches utilise clinically validated techniques to provide personalised, action-oriented care. They are trained in setting realistic goals, promoting new habits, and motivating change, all the while holding the individuals accountable for their progress. Headspace maintains that this service is a more affordable and accessible alternative to therapy.</p>
 <p>Beyond coaching, Headspace also offers meditation mindfulness tools, stress management programmes, and sleep therapy solutions. These are delivered via a smartphone app. Additionally, the company runs a business-to-business program known as “Headspace for Work".</p>
 
</div>

Headspace introduces direct-to-consumer mental health coaching services

Climate Risk Analytics

<div>
 
 <p>An AI-powered property risk analytics provider, ZestyAI, has entered into a partnership with homeowners insurance provider, Florida Peninsula Insurance. This partnership is aimed at enhancing Florida Peninsula's understanding and analysis of property-level risk.</p>
 <p>The deal outlines that Florida Peninsula will utilize ZestyAI's solution, Z-PROPERTY Location Insights. This solution employs advanced machine learning and computer vision to gather property data from various sources.</p>
 <p>The collaboration is expected to improve underwriting accuracy and operational efficiency. Specifically, the use of ZestyAI's platform, which can identify high-risk landscape features without needing site visits, will provide increased transparency for policyholders and reinsurers.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> This partnership follows ZestyAI’s collaboration with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/24446"> Cytora </a> , a UK-based insurance company, to integrate ZestyAI's solution into Cytora's platform to augment underwriters with climate-related risk data. As a result, Cytora was able to make informed underwriting decisions through a comprehensive assessment of a property's exposure to natural disasters.&nbsp;</p>

ZestyAI partners with Florida Peninsula Insurance to enhance property risk analytics

<div>
 <p>Wiz, a cloud security company, is planning to acquire another player in the sector, Lacework, for an amount between USD 150 million and 200 million. Lacework's previous valuation was USD 8.3 billion during its last funding round.</p>
 <p>Lacework's product is a cloud-native application security platform. Its functionalities include safeguarding applications from their creation to their operational phase, detection of abnormal behavior, and assurance of compliance across multiple cloud environments, containers, and workloads.</p>
 <p>Although Wiz and Lacework are both active in the cloud security sector, reportedly, they do not pose significant competition to each other. Hence, Wiz's acquisition of Lacework is believed to be an initiative for customer acquisition and consolidation in the market.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> This is Wiz’s second acquisition this year:<br>
 The company closed a <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/27562"> deal </a> to acquire cloud detection and response (CDR) firm <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/2632731"> Gem Securit </a> y earlier in April at an estimated USD 350 million.</p>

Wiz in talks to acquire Lacework in cloud security consolidation move

Democratizing financial technology with a suite of API-based solutions

FinTech Infrastructure

<div>
 <p>Payment processing platform Episode Six (E6) has joined forces with DCS Card Centre, a Singapore-licensed financial institution. Their aim is to help FinTech companies launch their own branded credit cards through their customer interfaces.</p>
 <p>E6 intends to use DCS's expertise to introduce a unified platform that simplifies the process of launching a new credit card. By addressing regulatory, operational, and technical issues, this unified platform will reduce the time to launch a new credit card from four to six months to just a few weeks.</p>
 <p>The new platform will initially be launched in Singapore before being expanded to other markets in the Asia Pacific region.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> With this launch, E6 enters the space of cards as a service, a market catered to by several players in our coverage, such as <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23011"> Marqeta </a> and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23012"> Highnote </a> , who provide credit card issuing and management offerings targeting consumer and commercial card programs.</p>

Episode Six partners with DCS Card Centre to launch a card-as-a-service platform

Leveraging personal data for custom-fit diagnosis and treatment

Precision Medicine

<div>
 <p>SOPHiA GENETICS has entered a partnership with Syndicate Bio, based in Nigeria, to roll out a new tech, MSK-ACCESS in Africa. The technology is bolstered by SOPHiA DDM liquid biopsy testing, initially to be implemented in Nigeria. </p>
 <p>This collaboration aims to offer exhaustive genomic profiling and liquid biopsy in Africa, potentially enabling significant advancements in both cancer treatment and research. Syndicate Bio will employ SOPHiA’s platform to execute profound sequencing of genes associated with cancer using a small blood sample, enabling fast and comprehensive reports generation. The innovative technology is considered as a non-invasive method for patient monitoring and is projected to enhance precision oncology diagnosis and treatment throughout Africa.</p>
 
</div>

SOPHiA GENETICS partners with Syndicate Bio to introduce cancer diagnostics technology across Africa

<div>
 <p>GeneDx has formed a strategic alliance with Komodo Health to share access to their broad dataset of rare diseases, encompassing data from over half a million exomes. The dataset will be integrated into Komodo Health's proprietary Healthcare Map platform through the MapEnhance feature.</p>
 <p>This collaborative venture leverages GeneDx's extensive rare disease data and Komodo Health's holistic interpretation of patient journeys. The main goal is to promote the advancement of precision medicine, offering biopharmaceutical entities access to a wealth of genetic data, which will help them pinpoint new therapeutic targets and hasten clinical trials. </p>
 <p>Komodo Health, a biotech entity, leverages AI to assemble and arrange large volumes of healthcare data gathered from more than a hundred medical sources and over 330 million individual patients. They have devised a “healthcare map,” which aggregates healthcare data throughout a patient’s journey, producing invaluable insights which can be utilized by life sciences companies, drug developers, and insurance providers.</p>
</div>

GeneDx partners with Komodo Health to expand access to one of the largest rare disease datasets globally

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

<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>

All Updates