America is once again debating guns, because once again there was a mass shooting in a public place.

• We all know that it's just a short matter of time until the next massacre — plus thousands of other gun deaths by homicide, suicide and accident — all enabled by political inaction.
• So let's turn to the private sector, and the one venture-backed startup with at least a partial solution.

Driving the news: The company is Biofire, which we previously discussed when it raised $14 million in Series A funding led by Founders Fund.

• At the time, founder Kai Kloepfer was tight lipped about how his product worked. Now he’s sharing details and taking DTC preorders.

Details: Biofire has developed a biometric handgun that's comparable in size to a Glock 19. The big difference is that it can only be fired by its owner or users who the owner has authorized.

• It uses dual authenticators: A fingerprint sensor in the grip, which naturally lands under a user's middle finger, and a facial recognition system that can work in the dark. Either one will activate the gun, in case a user is wearing gloves or a facial covering.
• The gun is locked by default and relocks within 100 milliseconds of when it's ungripped, to prevent an unauthorized user from wresting control.
• Kloepfer has an uneasy relationship with the term "smart gun," since Biofire's product is a closed system. No GPS, Bluetooth or WiFi. Not even Biofire can access the information.

The big picture: Biofire's product doesn't solve gun violence, let alone our epidemic of mass shootings. It is, after all, yet another weapon. And not a replacement for the AR-15 rifle that's so popular among America's mass murderers.

• But it could lead to a marked reduction in suicides and accidental deaths, particularly among kids and teens who can't legally own guns, and of homicides committed with stolen guns.
• Moreover, this may be the start of responsible gun owners putting their money where their mouths are, and of a shift toward technological solutions.

Look ahead: Klopfer says the company plans to raise a Series B round later this year.

The bottom line: This isn’t a solution. But it is a start. The questions now are if other entrepreneurs will pick up the ball, and if VCs will help them run with it.

Baxter International (NYSE: BAX) has agreed to sell its pharma contract manufacturing business to private equity firms Advent International and Warburg Pincus for $4.25 billion in cash.

Why it's the BFD: This reflects how big private equity firms are starting to club up again, as debt market difficulties lead to larger equity checks. It's also part of another private equity trend — an increased focus on corporate divestitures.

Other suitors reportedly included Carlyle, KKR, Celltrion and Thermo Fischer Scientific.

The bottom line: Baxter isn't done divesting, having previously announced plans to spin off its renal and acute care units into an independent, publicly traded company.

• UVeye, a developer of automated vehicle inspection systems, raised $100m in Series D funding. Hanaco VC led, and was joined by insiders GM Ventures, CarMax, W.R. Berkley Cand F.I.T. Ventures. https://axios.link/3LMvjLI

• 8fig, a provider of supply chain management tools for online retailers, raised $40m in Series B equity funding led by Koch Disruptive Technologies and $100m in debt. https://axios.link/3NSSZR1

• Liquidity Group, a New York-based provider of large debt facilities and equity deployment solutions, raised $40m from MUFG at a $1.4b valuation. www.liquiditygroup.com

• Prewave, an Austrian supply chain tech startup, raised €18m in Series A+ funding from backers like Creandum. https://axios.link/3VN6tjb

🌎 Olyns, a San Jose, Calif.-based recycling startup, raised $4m in Series A funding led by Vanedge Capital. www.olyns.com

• CloudBurst Technologies, a New York-based provider of cyber threat intelligence solutions, raised $3m in seed funding. Strategic Cyber Ventures led, and was joined by Coinbase Ventures and Bloccelerate. www.burst.cloud

• Tenon, an Indianapolis-based enterprise marketing workflow startup, raised $3m in seed funding co-led by High Alpha and Service Now Ventures. www.tenonhq.com

• Optery, an SF-based personal data removal startup, raised $2.7m in seed funding. Bayhouse Capital led, and was joined by Global Founders Capital, Goodwater Capital, Pioneer Fund, Soma Capital, TRAC and YC. www.optery.com

• BurnerPage, a New York-based AI startup focused on webpage conversions, raised $2m led by LDV Capital. https://axios.link/3nFkfbb

⚡ Actis launched Nozomi, a $500m renewable energy platform focused on Japan. It also acquired Hergo Japan Energy Corp. from Infrastructure SpA. https://axios.link/3M4Uiet

🚑 Court Square Capital acquired a majority stake in Team Select Home Care, a Phoenix-based pediatric home care company, from Tenex Capital Management (which retains a minority position). www.tshc.com

• KKR and Macquarie Group are among the suitors for the waste and recycling arm of Singaporean energy firm Sembcorp, which could fetch around US$500m, per Reuters. https://axios.link/3LE0BUM

• Nexa Equity acquired a majority stake in Storewise, an Overland Park, Kan.-based provider of retail automation software for independent grocers. www.storewise.io

• PAI Partners agreed to acquire The Looping Group, a Paris-based leisure park operator, from Mubadala Capital. www.looping-group.com

• Trachte, a portfolio company of Palladium Equity Partners, acquired Parkline, an Eleanor, W.Va.-based maker of modular metal building solutions, from Summit Park. www.parkline.com

• Yellow Wood Partners completed its buyout of beauty and personal care brand Suave in North America from Unilever (LSE: ULVR). https://axios.link/3XwHdx4

🚑 Mankind Pharma, an Indian contraceptive maker, raised $529m in its Mumbai IPO and then saw its shares surge by 32%. Backers include ChrysCapital, HarbourVest Partners, CPP Investments and GIC. https://axios.link/3LP1muw

• JD Sports (LSE: JD) agreed to buy French sneaker retailer Courir for €520m from Equistone Partners Europe. https://axios.link/3Bd8H1O

• Viasat (Nasdaq: VSAT) received U.K. regulatory approval for its $7.3b takeover of British satellite communications group Inmarsat from Apax Partners and Warburg Pincus. https://axios.link/3W0Lgml

• Canaccord Genuity Group (TSX: CF), a Toronto-based investment bank, said that an "ongoing regulatory matter" may scuttle its C$1.1b management buyout plan. https://axios.link/42ANz1u

⚡ Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) has begun buying back preferred shares from Berkshire Hathaway, following Warren Buffett's weekend disclosure that it doesn’t plan on acquiring control of the oil producer.

🚑 Option Care Health (Nasdaq: OPCH) agreed to acquire home health and hospice provider Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED) for $3.6b in stock. www.optioncarehealth.com

⚽ Shelby Cos., a group managed by U.S. hedge fund manager Tom Wagner, agreed to acquire a 45.64% stake in Birmingham City F.C. from Chinese investors. https://axios.link/3B1HoYu

• Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) sold 6 River System, a Waltham, Mass.-based warehouse automation it bought for around $400m in 2019, to Ocado Group (LSE: OCDO) for an undisclosed amount. https://axios.link/42CsyDv

• Tempur Sealy International (NYSE: TPX) agreed to buy retailer Mattress Firm from Steinhoff International (JSE: SNH) for around $4b in cash and stock. https://axios.link/3B5kHCN

• Christmas Tree Shops, a Middleboro, Mass.-based specialty retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company was sold by Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020 to Handil Holdings.

• Summit Restaurant Holdings, a Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants franchisee with 108 stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. https://axios.link/3M3oO8E

• Bessemer Venture Partners said it would allocate $1b of existing fund commitments to back AI startups. https://axios.link/3nHUgzM

• Mayfield raised $580m for its 17th flagship VC fund and $375m for its second follow-on fund. www.mayfield.com

• Dan Kimball, former SVP of marketing at Yelp, joined Spectrum Equity Investors as CMO. www.spectrumequity.com