[STARTUPS]

Fora, an online platform serving travel agents, has raised $60 million in new funding at a $1 billion valuation. The capital will fund artificial intelligence tools designed to help travel advisers streamline and expand their operations.

AI-powered travel agency Fora has reached a $1 billion valuation after closing a $60 million Series D funding round. Forerunner and Tactile Ventures led the investment.

Sheryl Sandberg has led a $10 million investment in an AI-powered vehicle inspection service. The startup uses smartphone scanning technology to detect vehicle damage for enterprise customers.

Andrew Dai, a former DeepMind researcher who contributed to foundational work behind ChatGPT, has secured a $300 million pre-seed valuation before launching a product. Dai is positioning visual AI as the next major frontier in artificial intelligence.

PDD Holding Inc. reported quarterly revenue growth below analyst expectations as intense domestic competition offset gains from its overseas Temu platform. The shortfall highlights mounting pressure on the e-commerce giant in its home market.

Fireworks, a platform enabling developer access to AI chips and open-source models, secured $1.5 billion in funding at a $17.5 billion valuation. The company has already exceeded $1 billion in annualized revenue.

Runta, a platform that isolates and constrains AI agents to prevent operational risks, secured $20M in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz at a $100M+ valuation.

Sable secured $45 million in funding from Sequoia and 8VC for Aiden, an AI agent that runs live product demonstrations directly on company websites.

Aina, a startup led by Ultrahuman's former hardware VP, has secured $5.5M in funding to build devices that command AI agents rather than simply recording user data. The company plans to pilot its new device in the coming weeks.

Beacon Security, an agentic security platform, secured $13 million in seed funding led by Notable Capital. The company already counts tens of large enterprise customers, including AI chip maker Cerebras.

Munich-based robotics startup Microagi secured $55 million in funding led by Hummingbird, marking Germany's largest seed round to date. The company trains humanoid robots using factory and household data.

PDD Holdings, owner of Temu, reported Q1 revenue of $15.7 billion, up 11% year-over-year but below analyst expectations of $16.2 billion. Net profit fell 15% to $1.85 billion, missing estimates of $3.4 billion.

Lululemon has backed Syntetica, a French nylon recycling startup, in a $30M Series A funding round. The investment signals growing corporate interest in sustainable textile solutions.

AST SpaceMobile has delayed its satellite-to-phone service launch to 2027 following a Blue Origin mishap. The company plans to raise $1 billion through convertible notes to fund operations.

Venture funding into fintech startups grew 22.7% year-over-year to $28.6B globally in the first half of 2026. However, deal count dropped 25.7% and funding declined 17.3% compared to H2 2025's $34.6B.

The founder of Indian edtech firm Byju's has been sentenced to six months in jail by a Singapore court for contempt. The conviction marks another legal setback for the exec as the once-valued startup faces mounting troubles.

Neko Health, founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, raised $700 million to expand its preventive health clinics into the United States. The startup will open its first New York location this year.

Lucid Motors denied bankruptcy reports this week after the rumor triggered a sharp stock decline and spread panic across the EV industry. The company stated it has sufficient cash flow to operate into next year.

Two major Indian conglomerates plan to invest nearly $1 billion to develop domestic electric vehicle and battery technologies, signaling efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese suppliers.

The Trump administration is encouraging nuclear startups to utilize weapons-grade plutonium from the U.S. government's stockpile. The move aims to repurpose dozens of tons of material currently held in storage.

Daniel Ek's health-screening startup Neko Health has secured $700 million in new funding. The company uses proprietary body-scanning technology combined with bloodwork to assess patient health.

Oak, an Israel-based startup building identity access management systems designed for AI agents, has emerged from stealth with $60 million in seed funding. The platform addresses how companies manage access as human workers increasingly collaborate with AI systems in digital environments.

Livestream shopping platform Whatnot has acquired AI startup Shaped to enhance its recommendation engine. The deal strengthens Whatnot's personalization capabilities as it expands into new product categories.

Amsterdam-based Monumental secured a $32 million Series B round led by Khosla Ventures. The company develops autonomous robotics and AI software for the construction industry.

Indian AI coding startup Emergent reached a $1.5 billion valuation in its latest funding round, raising $130 million in Series C and joining the unicorn club after a five-fold valuation jump in six months.

Rime, an AI platform processing over 100 million calls monthly, secured $24 million in Series A funding to expand its customer service solutions for enterprises.

A former SpaceX engineer has secured $65 million in funding to revolutionize wire harness manufacturing for aerospace and defense. The startup aims to replace decades-old production methods still used in rockets, missiles, and satellites.

Israeli identity management startup Oak has emerged from stealth with $60 million in seed funding. The company, cofounded by veteran entrepreneur Shai Morag, addresses identity management challenges created by the proliferation of AI agents.

Walden Robotics, a Massachusetts-based humanoid robot company spun out of Toyota's research division, has emerged from stealth with approximately $300 million in seed funding. The round values the startup at $1.1 billion.

Hadrius, an NYC-based fintech startup, secured $22 million in Series A funding led by CRV with backing from Y Combinator. The company provides AI-native compliance software for financial services firms.

InstaLILY, an enterprise automation startup, has raised $60 million in Series B funding led by Energize Capital, bringing its total funding to nearly $100 million.

Adapter, an infrastructure platform enabling AI agents and applications to leverage and control data, has emerged from stealth with $17.8 million in funding led by GV.

Chinese AI developer DeepSeek is raising approximately $1.5 billion at a $71 billion valuation and planning to go public in 2027, according to reports.

State Affairs, backed by Founders Fund, launched a Bloomberg Terminal-like product that uses AI trained on reporting from its 76 staffers to deliver policy and political intelligence.

Justin McLeod, founder of dating app Hinge, has raised $18 million for Overtone, a new AI-powered dating service that prioritizes voice and audio interactions.

Seattle-based Brinc Drones, which manufactures emergency response drones for 911 dispatchers, raised $125 million in a funding round led by Motorola Solutions. The round brings the company's total funding to over $280 million.

Flex, an AI-powered fintech platform serving mid-sized companies, secured $70 million in Series B1 funding led by Halo Fund. The round values the company at $1.2 billion.

TerraFirma, a construction startup founded by two former SpaceX engineers, secured $115 million in funding to develop remote-controlled construction equipment.

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is in preliminary talks with investors for fresh capital at a ~$71B valuation, just months after closing a $7B funding round at ~$52B. The rapid fundraising reflects the company's accelerated growth trajectory.

Video-generation startup PixVerse secured $439 million in funding, pushing its valuation past $2 billion. The company plans to expand its world model capabilities and accelerate geographic expansion.

Startup funding across the Middle East and North Africa remained flat year-over-year at $799 million in the first quarter, as regional conflict disrupted investment flows. Saudi venture capital firms are continuing fundraising efforts despite the headwinds.

New dating applications are emerging as alternatives to Grindr, emphasizing user privacy and community control as backlash against major dating platforms intensifies.

LimX Dynamics raised $200M in a pre-IPO round as China's 100+ humanoid robotics companies accelerate public market debuts. The startup, founded during the pandemic four years ago, is preparing to list.

Singapore-based video generation startup PixVerse closed its Series C extension round, bringing total funding to $439 million and valuing the company at over $2 billion.

Bumble's paying user base is declining as the dating app prepares a significant redesign later this year. The company is betting that overhauling its core swiping model will convert more matches into actual dates.

Nous Research, an AI agent developer, is securing at least $75 million in new funding at a $1.5 billion valuation. Robot leads the round with participation from Union Square Ventures and other investors.

Richard Sutton, the 2024 Turing Award recipient and pioneer of reinforcement learning, has founded Oak Lab in Toronto to develop AI agents capable of continuous learning from their environments.

Seattle-based Augmodo secured $21 million in Series B funding led by TQ Ventures, valuing the AI startup at $350 million. The company manufactures wearable "Smartbadges" that track retail shelf inventory in real-time.

Munich-based defense tech startup Helsing closed a Series E funding round at an $18 billion valuation, backed by Dragoneer and Iconiq Capital among others. Germany has already committed €270 million in orders this year.

SolarSquare is in talks to raise up to $60 million in funding, with a potential valuation of $500 million. The financing round reflects growing venture capital interest in India's rooftop solar market.

College social app Fizz has expanded its lawsuit against competitor Sidechat, alleging that a Maveron venture capitalist shared confidential information obtained during a 2022 fundraising pitch with the rival startup.

Phia, a shopping app co-founded by Phoebe Gates, is allegedly using cookie stuffing—a fraudulent technique involving fake clicks—to claim unearned affiliate commissions. The startup has raised $43.5 million to date.

Toni Schneider has been promoted from interim to permanent CEO of Bluesky, four months after taking the role in March. Schneider, formerly CEO of Automattic, commits to leading the decentralized social platform.

Oratomic secured $300 million in funding to develop a quantum computer requiring only 20,000 qubits—a significant reduction from conventional approaches. The round was co-led by ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, and Khosla Ventures.

Lyzr, an enterprise AI agent startup, deployed its own artificial intelligence agent to manage a $100 million fundraising round, demonstrating functional capability of its core product.

AI infrastructure company Mercor is in discussions to reach a $20 billion valuation, doubling its worth from just four months ago.

U.S. venture capital deal value reached $412.7 billion in the first half of 2026, according to PitchBook data, nearly matching the entire $318 billion invested throughout 2025. AI startups dominated funding activity, capturing 86% of capital at $355.9 billion.

Gradium, a Paris-based AI voice startup competing with ElevenLabs, has announced a $100M seed extension round backed by Nvidia. The funding positions the company to accelerate development in the growing voice AI market.

Kraken Technology, a developer of autonomous maritime platforms including uncrewed subsurface vessels, raised $175 million in Series B funding at a $1 billion valuation.

European startups raised $24 billion in Q2, marking a 66% year-over-year increase and the strongest quarter since 2020. The UK dominated funding, capturing $10.4 billion of the total.

Enterprise AI agent startup Lyzr is closing a $100M Series B funding round at a ~$500M valuation, doubling its valuation from a $250M Series A in 2026. The company demonstrated its technology by having AI agents write investment memos during the fundraising process.

Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada announced plans to develop a lunar payload delivery service using SpaceX's Starship rocket. The Japanese space company aims to leverage Starship's cargo capacity for transporting goods to the moon.

Reno-based AI chip startup Positron is in talks to raise approximately $750 million across two funding phases, with valuations climbing from $3.5 billion to $5 billion, according to Bloomberg sources.

SambaNova has raised $1 billion in new funding at an $11 billion valuation, reflecting strong investor demand for AI infrastructure chips.

AI coding platform Lovable is in talks to raise $300 million at a $13.2 billion valuation, doubling its previous valuation. Menlo Ventures is expected to lead the funding round.

Autonomous drone delivery startup Manna is establishing a U.S. operations and manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The expansion will eventually create 1,000 jobs.

As major AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI capture significant venture capital funding, Lerer Hippeau's managing partner Eric Hippeau identifies emerging opportunities in a second generation of AI startups.

AI chip startup SambaNova secured $1 billion in funding at an $11 billion valuation, signaling strong investor confidence in the growing market for high-speed AI inferencing infrastructure.

Blue Origin is raising $10 billion at a $130 billion pre-money valuation, marking the company's first major private capital round. Investors include Coatue Asset Management, Jeff Bezos, and other prominent backers.

Kaon AI secured $60M in funding led by B Capital to expand its personalized story platform. The startup's Emochi app has reached 2M daily active users.

Crypto-focused venture firm Paradigm closed its third fund at $1.2 billion, signaling a strategic pivot toward AI and robotics investments. The firm manages $11.9 billion in assets under management.

Paris-based Skello, an AI-powered HR management platform for frontline workers, secured €200 million in funding led by Bridgepoint. The capital will fuel the company's expansion across Europe.

AI chip maker SambaNova has secured $1 billion in funding at an $11 billion valuation, marking its second mega-round in five months.

Prediction market platform Kalshi raised an additional $200 million from investors Baillie Gifford and Layer Global, expanding an existing funding round to $1.2 billion.

Lucra, an eSports gamification loyalty platform, secured $20 million from ARK Invest without leading with artificial intelligence in its pitch. The funding round stands out in a market where AI has become a near-universal selling point.

IrisGo, a startup backed by AI pioneer Andrew Ng, is launching an AI tool that monitors desktop activity and automatically learns to complete tasks for users. The system, initially called an 'AI butler,' aims to automate routine workflows.

Super.com, a savings app targeting lower-income consumers, closed a $65M Series D funding round led by TPG. The company claims profitability as it scales its financial services platform.

Sam Altman announced OpenAI will invest in every startup in the current Y Combinator batch, offering tokens in exchange for equity stakes across the entire cohort.

Figma has acquired the team behind a Y Combinator-backed vibe-coding platform that later pivoted to building an AI agent creation product.

US autonomous vehicle startup Forterra has deployed over 100 Lancer unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in Ukraine since 2025, completing more than 1,100 missions to date.

xAI has officially rebranded to SpaceXAI following its merger with SpaceX five months ago. The company announced the change via its X account.

Venture capital investment in aerospace and military startups has doubled as Silicon Valley embraces the defense sector. The shift marks a major departure from tech industry norms that historically distanced startups from weapons development.

Tangos AI Inc. closed a $20 million seed round led by Red Dot Capital to scale its artificial intelligence platform for financial crime investigations.

Keyfactor, which manages billions of machine identities across 2,500+ organizations, secured over $1 billion in funding led by Summit Partners. The investment will accelerate the company's platform for PKI and cryptographic security.

A former Tesla scientist who previously worked on Optimus is developing a lightweight humanoid robot for manufacturing, logistics, and domestic use across Europe.

Norm, an AI law firm blending artificial intelligence with human lawyers, secured $120 million in funding led by Khosla Ventures. The round values the startup at $1.2 billion.

NanoCo, creator of OpenClaw alternative NanoClaw, has secured $12 million in seed funding following a viral launch. The company turned down a $20 million acquisition offer to remain independent.

Syntiant, a developer of low-power AI processors, filed for a US initial public offering Monday. The company reported a $20.9M net loss against $64.5M in revenue for Q1 2024.

Arlington-based Quartermaster has secured $42 million in funding to deploy sensors across shipping vessels, aiming to replace existing AIS (Automatic Identification System) technology with a more advanced maritime tracking network.

Syntiant Corp., an AI chip and software maker backed by Intel, has filed for an initial public offering. The move comes as investor appetite for artificial intelligence technology remains strong.

Kickstarter has rolled back its new mature content policy following widespread backlash from creators. The crowdfunding platform is returning to its previous guidelines.

Csquare Inc., a data center company backed by Brookfield Corp., filed to raise up to $1.35 billion through an initial public offering. The company plans to sell 50 million shares priced between $23 and $27 each.

Bespoke Labs, an AI agent training platform, secured $40 million in combined seed and Series A funding. The round, led by 8VC and Wing respectively, provides the startup with nearly two years of runway.

Agility Robotics, a humanoid robotics startup, is pursuing a public listing through a SPAC merger. CEO Peggy Johnson outlined the company's strategy in a recent interview, emphasizing its proprietary physical layer technology and safety focus.

Ondas Inc. will acquire autonomous aircraft manufacturer DZYNE Technologies for $875.8 million in a cash-and-stock deal. The acquisition positions Ondas as a comprehensive autonomous defense technology platform.

Shenzhen-based Even Realities, a smart glasses maker founded by former Apple engineers, raised $150M in pre-Series B funding led by Meituan and Tencent. The round values the company at $1B.

Self-driving tech developer Turing Inc. has secured investment from AMD Ventures and adopted Advanced Micro Devices' AI accelerators for its autonomous systems.

Mach Industries has invested $50 million to acquire a company addressing a critical defense technology challenge. The purchase is expected to strengthen the company's unit economics across its five vehicle programs during a scaling phase.

Relay, a banking and money management platform for small businesses, secured $50 million in new funding. The round brings the company's total raised to approximately $101.5 million.

Ecarx Holdings Inc., backed by Chinese billionaire Li Shufu, has agreed to deliver robotaxis to US-based May Mobility Inc. in a deal valued at approximately $750 million.