Explore business insights, trends, and tips to boost success and stay competitive.
Energy
Blackstone has agreed to purchase the Hill Top Energy Center, a 620-megawatt natural gas power plant in Western Pennsylvania, for nearly $1 billion. The deal underscores the private equity giant’s strategy to invest heavily in U.S. electricity infrastructure as demand soars, driven by the rapid adoption of artificial
Retail
VF Corporation, the parent company of Vans, The North Face, and Timberland, announced Monday that it will sell its Dickies workwear brand to Bluestar Alliance for $600 million in cash. The transaction, expected to close by the end of 2025, marks the latest step in VF’s ongoing turnaround strategy.
Military & Defense
Amid a surge of investor interest in defense technology, advanced manufacturing company Divergent Technologies has raised $290 million to expand production of missile components and other specialized hardware for the U.S. military. The financing round, which includes $40 million in debt, values the Los Angeles–based company at $2.
Finance
Robinhood, the trading platform that shook up stock and crypto markets by bringing them to retail traders, is now betting big on venture capital. The company is preparing to launch a new investment vehicle that would give everyday investors access to privately held start-ups — a corner of the market traditionally
Cloud Computing
CoreWeave has signed a $6.3 billion initial order with long-time backer Nvidia, the data center operator announced Monday. The deal guarantees that Nvidia will purchase any unsold cloud capacity from CoreWeave through April 13, 2032, providing a major safety net for the New Jersey-based company as it expands its
Finance
Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, has reached a historic milestone, joining the exclusive group of companies valued at more than $3 trillion. The achievement underscores a renewed wave of investor optimism around the tech giant, fueled by advances in artificial intelligence and easing regulatory headwinds. On Monday, Alphabet
Style & Beauty
David Lauren, son of fashion icon Ralph Lauren and the brand’s chief branding and innovation officer, is steering the luxury label into the artificial intelligence era. On Tuesday, Ralph Lauren unveiled “Ask Ralph,” a conversational AI-powered fashion assistant available to users of its U.S. mobile app. The digital
Food
Black Rock Coffee Bar has successfully raised $294.1 million in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO), the company announced Thursday, marking a significant milestone for the fast-growing cafe chain. The coffee company priced roughly 14.7 million shares at $20 each, above its marketed range of $16 to
Business Insights
CVC Capital Partners is close to acquiring a majority stake in Namecheap, one of the world’s largest domain registrars and web-hosting providers, in a transaction that values the company at about $1.5 billion including debt, according to people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported. Deal
Crypto
Figure Technology (NASDAQ: FIGR) surged 44% in its market debut on Thursday, closing its first trading session with a valuation of $7.62 billion. The strong performance adds to a growing list of crypto-linked companies that have delivered standout IPOs, underscoring the digital-assets industry’s steady march toward mainstream acceptance.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Micro1, a fast-growing startup that helps AI companies source and manage human contractors for data labeling and training, has raised a $35 million Series A funding round at a $500 million valuation. The round was led by O1 Advisors, the venture capital firm founded by former Twitter executives Dick Costolo
Crypto
Gemini, the cryptocurrency company founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, priced its initial public offering at $28 per share late Thursday, topping its expected range of $24 to $26. The pricing gives the company a valuation of $3.3 billion. Gemini raised $425 million by selling 15.2 million shares