Latest Startups & Entrepreneurship News
AI Chip Startup Etched Raises $500M to Challenge Nvidia
Etched, specializing in AI inference hardware, raised $500 million to compete with Nvidia in running models at scale for consumer apps and enterprise. Investors back alternatives as demand shifts to production inference. This underscores rapid capital flow into semiconductor challengers.
Cerebras in Talks for $1B Raise at $22B Valuation
Cerebras Systems, known for wafer-scale AI chips, is negotiating a $1 billion funding round valuing it at $22 billion. Focus is on training efficiency and cluster scaling amid multi-model AI future. OpenAI signed a $10B compute deal with Cerebras for faster model responses.
Voice AI Startup Deepgram Raises $130M at $1.3B Valuation
Deepgram secured $130 million in Series C funding led by AVP, with Tiger Global and others, reaching $1.3 billion valuation. Expanding internationally for voice interfaces in workflows and analytics. Total raised now ~$215 million.
Robotics Startup Skild AI Raises $1.4B at Over $14B Valuation
Skild AI raised nearly $1.4 billion led by SoftBank, with Nvidia, Bezos, and others, valuing it above $14 billion. Building Skild Brain for any robot, with $30M revenue in months. Funds scale model training for enterprise tasks.
JetZero Raises $175M Series B for Blended-Wing Aerospace
Aerospace startup JetZero closed $175 million Series B led by B Capital, with United Airlines, Northrop Grumman, RTX, and 3M. Total raised over $1B including grants. Targets efficient blended-wing aircraft design.
Onebrief Raises $200M for AI Mission Planning
Defense software startup Onebrief raised $200 million from Battery Ventures, Sapphire, and Salesforce Ventures. Post-Series C round brings total over $300 million. Scales unified mission-planning platform.
Defense Unicorns Secures $136M Series B
Defense Unicorns raised $136 million led by Bain Capital, with Sapphire and Gen. David Petraeus. Total now $171 million for secure software in defense. Focuses on mission-critical tech.
Bain & Company Partners with Seven Top VC Firms for AI Innovation
Bain formalized ties with Bain Capital Ventures, Battery, ICONIQ, Insight, Lightspeed, Menlo, and NEA to connect startups with corporates. Drives AI opportunities amid rising funding. Expands Bain's 1,500+ AI experts ecosystem.
Flip Raises $20M for AI Customer Service Automation
Vertical-specific AI call automation startup Flip raised $20 million Series A led by Next Coast and Ridge Ventures. Total raised $31 million. Targets enterprise customer service.
Hupo Lands $12.5M After Pivot to AI Sales Coaching
Hupo pivoted to individual sales rep coaching, raising $12.5 million. AI analyzes calls and prescribes actions in measurable sales enablement market. Deepens enterprise presence.
SkyFi Raises $12.7M Series A for Satellite Analytics
Space startup SkyFi secured $12.7 million oversubscribed Series A for satellite imagery and analytics. Enhances global earth observation capabilities.
Early 2026 VC Funding Hits $1.87B Across 126 Rounds
U.S. VC saw $1.87B in first two weeks, dominated by $5M-$50M deals in AI, biotech. New York and Bay Area lead with enterprise and applied AI focus. Signals shift to industrializing proven markets.