The tie-up would add cybersecurity to the business entity Cohere is assembling through its merger with Germany’s Aleph Alpha, a combination reported to be worth about $20 billion, and extend its European footprint with AISLE’s engineering hub in Prague.

Cohere said the acquisition reflected its continued investment in Europe and would deepen its presence across the region, strengthening European AI.

The deal is aimed at boosting the combined group’s security and threat detection capabilities for enterprise and public sector clients, with private deployment available on the customer’s own system.

“Increasingly capable AI systems are transforming both cybersecurity and the threats organizations face, and defensive capabilities must advance just as quickly,” Cohere said.

AISLE was founded in 2025 by Ondrej Vlcek, former CEO of Czech antivirus maker Avast, with co-founders from Google DeepMind and Anthropic.

AISLE said its AI found more than 500 new bugs in widely used software in its first year, including 12 vulnerabilities in OpenSSL, a free program that encrypts internet traffic for banks, governments and messaging apps, which were fixed after their discovery.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Thoma Bravo-owned cybersecurity company Proofpoint will buy ‌data security firm Varonis Systems in an all-cash deal valued at about $6.3 billion, the companies said on Thursday.

Under the agreement, Varonis shareholders will receive $49.75 per share in cash, a 52% ​premium to the company’s closing share price on June 22, the ​day before speculation about a possible sale first emerged, the ⁠companies said.

The offer values Varonis’ equity at $5.71 billion. Its shares rose ​about 2.7% in extended trading.

The deal, expected to close in the first ​half of 2027, comes as businesses ramp up spending on cybersecurity to combat cybercrime, where AI is being increasingly used to steal data.

Miami-based Varonis offers digital security services, ​including data classification on cloud storage systems and employee behavior tracking.

“Our mission ​is to secure AI and the data that powers it. By joining forces with ‌Proofpoint, we ⁠can achieve this mission faster than ever,” Varonis co-founder and CEO Yaki Faitelson said.

Reuters had reported in September that Proofpoint was in discussions to acquire Varonis Systems. In June, media outlets had reported that Varonis was weighing a ​sale after fielding ​takeover interest from ⁠private equity firms, sending the company’s shares surging about 30%.

Proofpoint, which sells software that helps companies defend against cyberattacks, ​was bought by Thoma Bravo in 2021 in a take-private deal ​that ⁠valued the company at about $12.3 billion.

Goldman Sachs & Co was the financial advisor to Varonis, while BofA Securities, Morgan Stanley & Co, J.P. Morgan Securities, UBS Securities, ⁠and Mizuho ​Securities USA advised Proofpoint.

Varonis said it ​will announce its financial results for the third quarter on November 3, but will not hold ​an earnings conference call.

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The Knot, which is owned by investment firm Permira, helps couples find local wedding vendors and create personalized wedding websites.

Zola offers similar ​services such as wedding and registry sites, invitation design ​and guest-list management. Zola will continue to operate as ⁠a standalone brand within The Knot’s portfolio of global brands, ​the people said.

The companies and Permira declined to comment. Financial ​terms of the deal were not immediately available.

The Knot launched in the 1990s and Permira has been invested in it since 2018.

Last year, the company ​appointed outsider and former Etsy executive Raina Moskowitz as its ​CEO to help reorganize the business and launch new AI tools in ‌the ⁠face of rapid technological transformation. This year, for example, it launched an app within ChatGPT, which it called the first of its kind within the wedding industry.

Zola launched in 2013 and raised $100 ​million in a ​Series D ⁠financing round in 2018 at a reported valuation of around $600 million. That round was led by ​existing investor Comcast Ventures, with new investors NBCUniversal ​and ⁠Goldman Sachs Investment Partners also participating. Zola’s co-founders Shan-Lyn Ma and Nobu Nakaguchi remained significant owners.

Zola will become the 14th brand in ⁠The ​Knot’s portfolio. The deal is subject to ​customary closing conditions, including any required regulatory clearances, the people said.

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Luxury group Richemont, owner of Cartier, is in talks to join a consortium bidding for diamond miner ​De Beers, which was put up for sale by controlling shareholder Anglo American and is valued at about $1 billion, a person familiar with the matter said ‌on Thursday.

A deal would give the Swiss luxury goods group greater influence over a core element of its supply chain as natural diamond player De Beers grapples with the rapid ascent of cheaper lab-grown gems.

Richemont, which is cash-rich and also owns luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, is discussing joining the Global Diamond Consortium, a group led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny that is vying for Anglo American’s 85% stake in the world’s most ​famous diamond miner, the person told Reuters, confirming a Bloomberg News report.

Richemont, worth around $113 billion, did not respond to requests for comment. Anglo American declined to comment.

Filings show ​Richemont had around €9 billion ($10.09 billion) in net cash at the end of June, a treasure chest worth several times the entire value of De ⁠Beers.

“We view Richemont’s potential participation as strategically meaningful but more about optics and long-term natural diamond category positioning than a financial event,” RBC analysts said in a note.

Bloomberg reported that negotiations ​were advanced, although there was no guarantee Richemont would join the consortium.

CONSORTIUM INCLUDES SEVERAL PLAYERS

Other investors are lining up.

Antwerp, Belgium-based diamond-manufacturing company Pluczenik is also bidding for a stake, the company told Reuters, ​without disclosing the size of the stake.

And US jewellery retailer Signet is in talks to join the consortium, said a source familiar with the company. Signet declined to comment.

The company, which owns retail brands including KAY Jewelers, Zales and Jared, has worked with De Beers in recent years on natural diamond marketing campaigns. Shares of Signet were up 3.3% at $111.63 in US trading on Thursday.

Any bid for De Beers would also depend on Botswana’s ​government, which owns 15% of the miner and has yet to say whether it intends to exercise a first right of refusal.

A spokesperson for Botswana’s presidency said on Tuesday that the government ​would not comment until a transaction had been concluded and signed. Officials said this summer a deal was likely to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.

LONG SEARCH FOR A BUYER

Anglo put De Beers up ‌for sale in ⁠2024 as part of a wider restructuring amid falling diamond prices and growing demand for synthetic stones. De Beers has mining and exploration operations in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, South Africa and Canada.

Richemont Chairman and controlling shareholder Johann Rupert has affirmed his commitment to natural diamonds in high-end jewellery for his brands, as the industry works to maintain the gems’ reputation as a true luxury worth the higher price.

‘MONEY ​PIT’

Richemont shares have held up this year ⁠and outperformed the struggling luxury sector thanks to strong sales of jewellery, which consumers see as a store of value.

Dan Mano, CEO of natural diamond pricing and market advisor Rapaport, said the fact so many parties were involved shows individual groups are reluctant to take a large risk ​in De Beers.

And while Richemont is likely one of its biggest customers, there is a risk the investment becomes “a money pit,” RBC analysts ​said.

De Beers has been loss-making ⁠since 2023. Last year, it reported an underlying EBIT loss of $787 million on revenue of nearly $3.5 billion.

Much depends on whether demand for mined diamonds recovers.

Tobias Kormind, managing director and co-founder of jewellery brand 77 Diamonds, said that if the market is at its lowest ebb, De Beers could offer a “completely historic” opportunity.

But “if this is not cyclical but structural, the demand does not improve, they waste a lot of ⁠money initially, ​and there’s no impact,” he added.

De Beers CEO Al Cook told Reuters in June that the miner has been steadily ​cutting its supply of stones to the market and that diamonds would become more rare. He sees higher-quality diamonds increasingly sought after, while the price of lower quality gems remains depressed.

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The business, backed by private equity firm Great Hill Partners, is working with investment bank ​Jefferies on the process, the people said, requesting ​anonymity to discuss a private matter.

Custom Ink, Great ⁠Hill and Jefferies declined to comment.

The company generates upwards ​of $100 million of annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation ​and amortization (EBITDA), the people said.

Schools, teams, businesses and other groups use Custom Ink to design and produce apparel, accessories and other ​products.

Two major players in the adjacent wholesale apparel ​space merged earlier this year. In June, SanMar Corporation acquired wholesale ‌T-shirt ⁠business Bella+Canvas, which was owned by the co-founders of popular yoga clothing brand Alo.

Those companies sell blank apparel to screen printers and other customers who then decorate and ​resell the items, ​whereas Custom ⁠Ink works directly with the end customer.

Great Hill acquired a significant stake in ​Custom Ink in 2019 but Custom Ink ​co-founder Marc ⁠Katz remained a major shareholder.

Katz, who served as CEO until 2024, and two college friends started the business ⁠in ​2000 out of a basement in ​Northern Virginia, where the business is currently headquartered.

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International Paper said on Thursday it was in talks with potential bidders for its Europe, Middle East ​and Africa packaging business after unsolicited approaches, opening up an ‌alternative to its planned spinoff of the unit.

The paper and packaging producer said the sale process was at an early stage and that there was no certainty ​a deal would be agreed. It is continuing to pursue the ​spinoff while evaluating the potential sale.

Shares of International Paper were ⁠up about 8%.

The statement came after the Financial Times reported citing ​people familiar with the matter that private equity firms Lone Star and ​Atlas Holdings were exploring separate bids for the business, potentially valuing it at less than $6 billion.

Atlas Holdings did not respond to a Reuters request for comment and ​Lone Star declined to comment.

International Paper had announced in January that it plans to ​split into two publicly traded companies by spinning off its EMEA business, and that the spun-off ‌unit ⁠is expected to be listed in London and New York.

It said then that the EMEA business would consist of the combined operations in the region that originated from DS Smith, acquired for $7.2 billion last ​year, and from International Paper.

​No assurance can ⁠be provided about the ultimate timing or structure of the proposed separation of the EMEA business, the ​company said on Thursday.

International Paper, which accounts for ​roughly one-third ⁠of the North American corrugated packaging market, has been battling soft demand due to weaknesses in consumer spending and the housing market.

The company, in July, missed Wall Street ⁠expectations ​for second-quarter sales and trimmed the top ​end of its annual profit forecast while it restructured operations.

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UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest bank, said on Thursday ‌that the European Central Bank had authorised it to take control of Commerzbank, after a hostile takeover offer completed in July lifted its stake in the German rival to 48%.

UniCredit needed ECB ​approval to take delivery of the Commerzbank shares tendered in the €45 billion ​offer and advance plans for what would be Europe’s biggest cross-border ⁠banking deal since the global financial crisis.

UniCredit said the ECB had authorised it ​to cross the 30% ownership threshold in Commerzbank and “to increase its stake further ​without upper limits.”

It added it expected to be able to take control of Commerzbank by the end of the year with around 50% of voting rights, after completing the “remaining regulatory processes and ​conditions” relating to its takeover bid.

The Italian bank, which has operated Bavarian lender ​HVB in Germany since 2005, started investing in Commerzbank more than two years ago, as ‌UniCredit CEO ⁠Andrea Orcel embarked on a takeover that several of his predecessors had also studied.

Orcel has told Commerzbank to adopt the strategy he has mapped out to ​boost profits at the Frankfurt-based bank from January, while pushing back ​a full ⁠merger to 2029-2030.

Once ⁠in possession ​of the shares, Orcel has threatened to call a ​shareholder vote and install a new supervisory board and management at Commerzbank, without waiting for its annual ​general meeting next year.

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CCC Intelligent Solutions said on Thursday it agreed to be acquired by a consortium of private investment firms led by GTCR ​and including Elliott Investment Management in a $6.1 billion take-private deal.

Shareholders of the Chicago-based ‌company will receive $7.75 in cash for each share held, CCC said. The offer represents a 44% premium to the stock’s close on July 9, before Reuters reported the company was exploring a sale.

CCC provides software ​to the property and casualty insurance industry, including tools for claims management and damage ​estimation.

Software valuations are under pressure amid concerns that artificial intelligence could disrupt ⁠businesses, slow growth and erode earnings. Investors have been largely indiscriminate in their selloff ​of software stocks, creating opportunities for private equity firms to acquire companies they view as undervalued, ​said Nelson Iginla, a principal at GTCR.

“CCC is a business where the stock price was much higher historically … but as we look at the actual underlying performance of the business, the performance has been extremely ​strong,” Iginla said.

“When you peel things back, it’s a business that we think is ​made better by AI, not worse by AI.”

Earlier this year, the company faced investor concerns over slowing growth, ‌softer ⁠claims volumes and a slower-than-expected rollout of some newer software products, which had weighed on its share price. The company said the deal followed a review of strategic options.

Private equity firm Advent International acquired CCC in 2017. Advent later took the company public through a merger ​with a blank-check company ​in 2021 and ⁠exited its investment in 2025.

The deal is not subject to financing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, ​after which CCC will become privately held. The company is scheduled ​to report ⁠third-quarter results on October 29.

CCC shares were little changed at $7.61 in Thursday trading, after rising recently on media reports of a potential deal.

Morgan Stanley is advising CCC, while J.P. Morgan and Citi ⁠are ​advising GTCR.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett served as legal counsel to ​GTCR, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Debevoise & Plimpton served as legal counsel to Elliott.

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Activist investor ​Irenic Capital Management has built a stake ‌of about 4% in UK self-storage company Big Yellow Group and is pushing it to explore ​a sale, the Financial Times reported on ​Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The ⁠report comes days after Ancora Holdings revealed a ​stake of over 4% and also called ​on the company to explore a sale.

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Investment bank Piper Sandler and advisory firm Perella Weinberg Partners have abandoned ​talks for an all-stock merger as they could not ‌agree on financial and personnel terms, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Shares of Perella Weinberg closed ​19.1% lower at $13, while those of Piper ​Sandler ended up 0.96% at $64.5.

Perella Weinberg declined ⁠to comment, while Piper Sandler did not immediately ​respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Financial Times ​first reported on Wednesday that the merger talks fell through. The Wall Street Journal had reported last month that Piper Sandler was in ​talks to buy Perella Weinberg, which had a ​market value of about $1.4 billion at the time.

A $485-million merger between ‌Minneapolis-based ⁠Piper Jaffray and New York-based Sandler O’Neill led to the formation of Piper Sandler Companies in January 2020, creating a major investment bank specializing in ​the middle market, ​with leading ⁠advisory practices in financial services, healthcare and energy.

Meanwhile, Perella Weinberg was founded by ​veteran Wall Street bankers Joseph Perella, ​Peter ⁠Weinberg and Terry Meguid in 2006. The firm went public in 2021 through a merger with a blank-check ⁠company ​backed by banking entrepreneur Betsy ​Cohen, in a deal valued at about $975 million.

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