This worldwide AI funding update covers deals published or announced between November 7 and November 8, 2026. The window fell on a weekend. No new AI funding round, fund launch or acquisition above $2 million was first announced during it.
Two AI deals received fresh coverage in the window and clear the $2 million threshold. Both were first disclosed earlier in the week, so each entry below lists its original announcement date.
AI funding rounds today: growth and early stage
| Company | Region | Round | Amount | Valuation | Lead and notable investors | HQ | First announced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | North America | Open round, first close | $11 billion | $1.25 trillion | SoftBank, MGX | United States | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Firmly | North America | Series A | $15 million | Not disclosed | Squarepoint Capital (lead), J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard, Samsung NEXT | United States | Nov 5, 2026 |
OpenAI raises $11 billion at a $1.25 trillion valuation
OpenAI develops the GPT models and ChatGPT. Bloomberg reported on November 6 that OpenAI had raised $11 billion so far in a round that values the company at $1.25 trillion. The round has not closed, and a source told Bloomberg it could reach about $20 billion.
Reuters named SoftBank and MGX among the investors. The amount sits below OpenAI’s initial target of up to $30 billion, and the valuation is below the $1.5 trillion the company first sought.
The new figure is about 46.7% above the $852 billion valuation OpenAI reached in March. That earlier deal reshaped who owns OpenAI and how large each stake is.
Sources: TechCrunch, Nairametrics, American Bazaar
Firmly raises $15 million Series A for AI shopping agents
Firmly makes no-code software that lets online retailers sell through AI shopping assistants, marketplaces and other channels. Merchants connect once instead of building a separate integration for each channel.
Squarepoint Capital led the $15 million Series A. J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard and Samsung NEXT joined, along with ARK Invest, Alumni Ventures, Benhamou Global Ventures, Granada Funds, Hike Ventures, The Mercantile Companies and Versus Ventures.
The round brings Firmly’s total funding to about $20 million. The Seattle-area company also launched Ask Agent, an AI shopping assistant that retailers can add to their own websites. Firmly announced the round by press release on November 5, and GeekWire reported it on November 7.
Sources: GeekWire, PYMNTS, GlobeNewswire release via MENAFN
AI funding amounts compared
The chart uses a log scale because the two deals differ by a factor of more than 700.
AI funds and acquisitions in the last 24 hours
No AI-focused venture fund launch or AI acquisition above $2 million was published or announced between November 7 and November 8.
Two deals from earlier in the week fell outside the window. Shield AI agreed to buy radar maker Echodyne for $5.3 billion on November 5, according to Bloomberg. Google bought Crusoe’s Wyoming data center site on November 6 on undisclosed terms.
AI funding by region: Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa
Searches covered Europe and the UK, India, China and the rest of Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. None produced an AI deal above $2 million that was published or announced in the window.
Regional weekly roundups for Asia, Europe and India were published between November 2 and November 6, before this window opened. The previous full week of activity appears in the weekly recap led by FuriosaAI and Bedrock Robotics.
Trends in today’s AI funding deals
- Both qualifying deals came from US companies. No region outside North America had a qualifying AI deal in the window.
- Payment networks are backing agentic commerce. J.P. Morgan Payments and Mastercard took part in Firmly’s round, which funds checkout links between merchants and AI shopping assistants.
- OpenAI’s round is landing below earlier targets: $11 billion raised so far against an initial goal of up to $30 billion, at $1.25 trillion instead of $1.5 trillion.
Sources
Outlets checked with no qualifying in-window AI stories: Crunchbase News, Tech.eu, Sifted, Inc42, Entrackr, Techloy, TechCabal, Contxto and Arab News.
FAQ
What was the largest AI funding deal in the last 24 hours?
OpenAI’s reported $11 billion raise at a $1.25 trillion valuation was the largest. Bloomberg first reported it on November 6, 2026, and more coverage followed on November 7.
Who led Firmly’s $15 million Series A?
Squarepoint Capital led the round. J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard and Samsung NEXT also took part. The raise brings Firmly’s total funding to about $20 million.
How large could OpenAI’s current funding round get?
A source told Bloomberg the round could reach about $20 billion and close in the coming weeks. OpenAI had earlier aimed to raise up to $30 billion.
Were there any AI acquisitions or fund launches today?
No. None above $2 million were published or announced on November 7 or 8, 2026. Shield AI’s $5.3 billion Echodyne deal came on November 5, outside the window.
Why does this AI funding update list so few deals?
The window covered a Saturday and Sunday, when few companies announce rounds. Deals first announced earlier in the week appear only if new coverage was published in the window.
