AI Startup Funding Tracker
January 2026's top 15 funding rounds totaling $24+ billion across AI infrastructure, robotics, chip design, cloud security, and enterprise platforms
xAI
Elon Musk's AI company developing Grok chatbot and building massive GPU infrastructure
xAI raised $20 billion in a Series E round, exceeding its initial $15 billion target, at approximately $230 billion valuation. The massive round was backed by Nvidia, Cisco, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi's MGX, and longtime Musk backers including Valor Equity Partners and Baron Capital. The company now owns and operates X (formerly Twitter) after merging in March 2025. xAI is centering infrastructure buildout in Memphis with natural gas-powered data centers and recently landed a deal with the Department of Defense to add Grok to its AI agents platform.
Skild AI
Omni-bodied robotics brain that controls any robot for any task without retraining
Skild AI raised $1.4 billion led by SoftBank, tripling its valuation to over $14 billion just seven months after its $4.5B Series B. The Pittsburgh-based startup is building the Skild Brain, a unified foundation model that can control any robot morphology—quadrupeds, humanoids, mobile manipulators, robotic arms—without retraining. The system learns from human videos and physics simulations, adapting in real-time to extreme changes like loss of limbs or new environments. Already deployed across security, warehouses, data centers, and construction with ~$30M ARR.
Ricursive Intelligence
AI-powered chip design creating recursive feedback loop between AI models and hardware
Founded by AlphaChip creators Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini (ex-Google DeepMind), Ricursive raised $300M at $4B valuation just two months after launch. The startup is building a platform that tightly couples AI algorithms with semiconductor design, creating a continuous improvement cycle where AI designs chips that power the next generation of AI models. Aims to compress multi-year chip development timelines and address the critical hardware bottleneck limiting AI progress. Total raised: $335M.
Upwind
Runtime-first cloud security platform protecting multi-cloud environments
San Francisco-based Upwind raised $250 million in Series B led by Bessemer Venture Partners, bringing total funding to $430 million. The startup is building a runtime-first cloud security platform that protects enterprises' multi-cloud, SaaS, and hybrid environments in real-time. With participation from Salesforce Ventures, Picture Capital, and existing investors Greylock, Cyberstarts, TCV, and others, Upwind is addressing the critical security gaps as organizations accelerate cloud adoption and AI workloads.
Synthesia
AI video generation platform for enterprise communications and training
Synthesia secured $200 million in Series E funding to expand its enterprise AI video platform that enables companies to create professional video content without cameras, studios, or actors. The platform uses AI to generate realistic avatars and videos for corporate communications, training, and marketing. With enterprises increasingly adopting AI-generated video for scale and cost efficiency, Synthesia is positioning itself as the leading platform for business video generation amid growing demand from Fortune 500 companies.
JetZero
Blended-wing body aircraft for more efficient commercial and cargo flight
JetZero raised $175 million in Series B to develop its revolutionary blended-wing body aircraft design that promises to carry passengers and cargo more efficiently than traditional tube-and-wing designs. The innovative aerodynamic configuration could dramatically reduce fuel consumption and emissions while lowering operating costs for airlines. The funding will expand JetZero's engineering team and ramp up manufacturing of test vehicles as the company works toward eventual commercial and defense orders in the push for greener, more efficient air travel.
Inferact (vLLM)
Commercial startup behind vLLM optimizing AI model inference for production
Inferact secured $150 million in seed funding co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed at $800M valuation. The startup commercializes vLLM, the popular open-source project for efficient LLM inference. As AI shifts from training to deployment, Inferact is making models faster and more cost-efficient in production. Major cloud users including AWS are already testing the platform. The funding will build production versions of vLLM and scale deployments for enterprises seeking lower-latency, lower-cost AI inference.
LMArena
AI model evaluation platform providing impartial benchmarking standards
LMArena raised $150 million in Series A co-led by Felicis Ventures and UC Investments, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed, and Kleiner Perkins, achieving unicorn status. The platform provides independent evaluation and benchmarking of AI models, helping businesses navigate the crowded AI landscape with impartial performance metrics. As enterprises increasingly need to select the right AI models for their needs, LMArena aims to become the gold standard for AI evaluation in the post-ChatGPT era.
Standard Nuclear
Advanced nuclear fuel producer specializing in HALEU TRISO particles
San Diego-based Standard Nuclear closed $140 million Series A led by Decisive Point, with Chevron Technology Ventures, StepStone Group, XTX Ventures, and returning investors. The company specializes in high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel in TRISO particle form for next-generation reactors. Plans to ramp annual TRISO fuel output to over two metric tons across multiple U.S. sites by mid-2026, establishing critical domestic fuel capacity for commercial, defense, and space reactors amid surging demand for advanced nuclear.
Diagonal Therapeutics
Targeted therapies for rare diseases using AI-driven drug discovery
Cambridge biotech Diagonal Therapeutics secured $125 million in oversubscribed Series B co-led by Sanofi Ventures and Janus Henderson to advance targeted therapies for rare diseases. Lead program DIAG-723 is advancing into clinic. The substantial round—coming less than two years after launch—reflects excitement around the company's approach to developing breakthrough therapies for previously untreatable rare conditions. Corporate VC involvement from pharma giants signals optimism about Diagonal's platform and commercial potential.
Neurophos
Optical processors using light-based computing for ultra-efficient AI inference
Austin-based Neurophos, spun out of Duke University, raised $110 million Series A led by Gates Frontier (Bill Gates's fund), with M12, Carbon Direct, Aramco Ventures, and Bosch Ventures. Developing tiny optical processors for AI inference using proprietary metasurface modulators as photonic tensor cores, enabling thousands of light-based computing "neurons" on a single chip. Aims to dramatically speed up machine learning inference while slashing power consumption, addressing critical energy efficiency challenges in AI infrastructure.
EpiBiologics
Antibody-based protein degraders targeting extracellular cancer proteins
EpiBiologics raised $107 million Series B to advance EPI-326 into Phase 1 trials for non-small cell lung cancer and head & neck cancer in early 2026. The therapy binds to EGFR on cancer cells and recruits the immune system to eliminate them, potentially overcoming resistance to traditional EGFR inhibitors. By focusing on extracellular and cell-surface proteins, EpiBiologics carves a niche in targeted protein degradation. Involvement of GV and J&J corporate VCs alongside blue-chip firms signals optimism for breakthrough biologic therapies.
Railway
Cloud-native platform simplifying deployment for AI and modern applications
Railway raised $100 million, bringing total funding to approximately $124 million. The cloud infrastructure startup simplifies deployment and scaling for modern applications and AI workloads. Plans to use fresh capital to expand team and launch new products for hybrid-cloud and multi-cloud AI deployments, targeting hyperscalers and enterprises deploying massive AI clusters. As organizations struggle with complex multi-cloud management and AI infrastructure demands, Railway positions itself as the simplified deployment layer for the next generation of cloud-native applications.
Xreal
Consumer augmented reality glasses for everyday spatial computing
Xreal secured $100 million in strategic funding to scale production of AR glasses aimed at mainstream consumers. Unlike enterprise-focused AR headsets, Xreal is building lightweight, stylish glasses for everyday spatial computing experiences. The strategic round will expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate product development as the company pushes to make AR glasses as ubiquitous as smartphones. With Apple, Meta, and others investing heavily in spatial computing, Xreal is positioning itself as the consumer-friendly alternative in the emerging AR market.
Pomelo Care
Virtual maternal healthcare platform improving pregnancy outcomes
Pomelo Care raised $92 million in Series C to expand its virtual maternal healthcare platform that provides comprehensive support throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. The platform combines care coordination, telemedicine, and personalized interventions to improve maternal and infant health outcomes while reducing complications. With maternal mortality rates rising in the U.S., Pomelo is addressing a critical healthcare gap by making high-quality prenatal and postpartum care more accessible, particularly for underserved populations facing barriers to traditional care.