Here are the 17 US-based AI companies that have raised $100M or more in 2026
Source: TechCrunch
U.S. AI Startups Raising $100 M+ in 2026 (so far)
Quick take:
- In the first two months of 2026, nearly 20 U.S.-based AI startups have closed mega‑rounds of $100 million or more.
- By comparison, U.S. AI startups raised $76 billion across mega‑rounds in 2025 (TechCrunch).
- If early‑2026 trends hold, 2026 could match—or even exceed—the funding frenzy of the previous year.
What qualifies as a “mega‑round”?
| Criterion | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimum raise | $100 million (or more) in a single financing event |
| Stage | Typically Series C or later, but can include late‑stage Series B if the amount meets the threshold |
| Geography | Headquarters in the United States (including territories) |
| Sector | Artificial‑Intelligence‑focused products or services (e.g., generative AI, AI‑driven SaaS, AI infrastructure, autonomous systems, etc.) |
List of U.S. AI Startups with $100 M+ Rounds in 2026
Data is current as of 17 Feb 2026. New rounds will be added as they are announced.
| # | Startup | Amount Raised | Date Announced | Lead Investor(s) | Reported Valuation* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Startup A] | $120 M | Jan 12, 2026 | XYZ Ventures | $1.8 B |
| 2 | [Startup B] | $150 M | Jan 18, 2026 | Alpha Capital | $2.3 B |
| 3 | [Startup C] | $100 M | Jan 22, 2026 | Beta Partners | — |
| 4 | [Startup D] | $130 M | Feb 02, 2026 | Gamma Fund | $2.0 B |
| 5 | [Startup E] | $115 M | Feb 07, 2026 | Delta Ventures | — |
| … | More to be added |
*Valuation figures are based on publicly disclosed data; “—” indicates that the valuation was not disclosed.
Why the Funding Surge?
- Enterprise AI demand: Companies are accelerating AI adoption to stay competitive, driving larger contracts and higher revenue forecasts for AI vendors.
- Talent scarcity: Startups are raising big rounds to secure top AI talent before the market tightens further.
- Strategic M&A interest: Large tech firms are positioning themselves for potential acquisitions, prompting startups to build “defensive” war‑chests.
- Capital abundance: Venture capital firms have allocated dedicated AI funds, making it easier for startups to tap multi‑hundred‑million pools.
What to Watch Next
| Indicator | What it Means |
|---|---|
| Follow‑on rounds | Early‑stage companies that raised $100 M+ may still need additional capital before profitability. |
| IPO pipeline | A surge in mega‑rounds often precedes a wave of AI‑focused IPOs or SPAC listings. |
| Strategic partnerships | Look for collaborations with cloud providers, hardware manufacturers, or enterprise software leaders. |
| Regulatory developments | Emerging AI regulations could affect valuations and investor appetite. |
Stay tuned for updates as more rounds are announced throughout 2026.
February
-
Simile – AI platform that mimics human decisions – raised a $100 million Series A round led by Index Ventures (announced Feb 12). Participants included Hanabi Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and several angel investors.
Source -
Anthropic – AI research lab – announced a $30 billion Series G round (announced Feb 12) that valued the company at $380 billion. More than 30 investors participated, among them Founders Fund, Coatue, and Nvidia.
Source -
Runway – Media‑generation platform – closed a $315 million Series E round (announced Feb 10) that valued the company at $5.3 billion. The round was led by General Atlantic with participation from Nvidia, Fidelity, Felicis, and others.
Source -
Goodfire – AI research lab – announced a $150 million Series B round (announced Feb 5). The round was led by B Capital and included Juniper Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures, valuing the company at $1.25 billion.
Source -
Fundamental – AI research company – raised a $255 million Series A round (announced Feb 5) that valued the firm at $1.4 billion. Investors included Oak HC/FT, Salesforce Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, and QP Ventures, among others.
Source -
ElevenLabs – Voice‑AI company – secured a $500 million Series D round (announced Feb 4) led by Sequoia, bringing the company’s valuation to $11 billion.
Source
January
-
PaleBlueDot AI – a compute platform that raised a $150 million Series B round, valuing the startup at $1 billion. The round was announced on January 28 and led by B Capital.
Press release -
Decagon – a conversational‑AI platform that announced a $250 million Series D round on January 28, co‑led by Coatue and Index Ventures, valuing the company at $4.5 billion.
Series D announcement -
Flapping Airplanes – an AI research lab that raised a $180 million seed round, announced on January 28 and led by Google Ventures, Sequoia, and Index Ventures, valuing the company at $1.5 billion.
TechCrunch article -
Baseten – an AI‑infrastructure startup that closed a $300 million Series E round, valuing it at $5 billion. The round was led by IVP and CapitalG and announced on January 23.
Blog post -
Inferact – an AI‑inference startup that secured a $150 million seed round, announced on January 22, co‑led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners, giving the company an $800 million valuation.
TechCrunch article -
OpenEvidence – a Cambridge, MA‑based medical‑AI chatbot that raised a $250 million Series D round, announced on January 21 and co‑led by Thrive Global and DST Global, valuing the company at $12 billion.
TechCrunch article -
humans& – an AI research lab that announced a $480 million seed round on January 20. Investors included Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, and GV, among others, valuing the startup at $4.48 billion.
TechCrunch article -
SkildAI – a robotics‑software company that raised a $1.4 billion Series C round, valuing the startup at $14 billion. The round was announced on January 14 and led by SoftBank and Nvidia.
TechCrunch article -
Deepgram – a voice‑AI platform that closed a $130 million Series C round, announced on January 13 and led by AVP with participation from Tiger Global, ServiceNow Ventures, Madrona, and others, valuing the company at $1.3 billion.
TechCrunch article -
Arena – a large‑language‑model evaluation platform that raised a $150 million Series A round, co‑led by Felicis and UC Investments, valuing the one‑year‑old startup at $1.7 billion. Announced on January 6.
TechCrunch article -
xAI – Elon Musk’s AI research lab announced a $20 billion Series E round on January 6, with participation from Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, and others. The company was later acquired by SpaceX.
TechCrunch article (funding) | Acquisition news
About the author
Becca is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering venture‑capital trends and startups. She previously covered the same beat for Forbes and the Venture Capital Journal.
Contact / verify outreach: rebecca.szkutak@techcrunch.com – View Bio