A Surge in AI Funding: American Startups Seize the Moment in 2026
In a remarkable start to 2026, nearly 20 American AI startups have successfully secured megarounds of funding, each exceeding $100 million. This burgeoning trend suggests that we are merely scratching the surface of a promising fiscal year, given that less than two months have elapsed.
If early indications are any benchmark, the AI startup sector anticipates another prolific year marked by substantial funding at lofty valuations. Industry analysts report that American AI ventures amassed over $76 billion through megaround investments in 2025.
Whether these companies can replicate their prior successes in 2026 remains to be seen.
Below is a detailed enumeration of American AI startups that have successfully acquired at least $100 million so far:
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February Highlights
Simile, a startup concentrating on AI-driven human decision-making models, secured a Series A round of $100 million, spearheaded by Index Ventures. This funding was announced on February 12, with notable contributions from Hanabi Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and various angel investors.
Anthropic unveiled a colossal Series G round, amounting to $30 billion, which assessed the AI lab’s valuation at an astounding $380 billion as of February 12. The funding attracted over 30 investors, including Founders Fund, Coatue, and Nvidia, alongside numerous others.
Runway, renowned for its media generation platform, raised a Series E round totaling $315 million, bringing its valuation to $5.3 billion. This financing, announced on February 10, was led by General Atlantic, with additional backing from Nvidia, Fidelity, and Felicis.
Goodfire, an AI laboratory, announced its Series B funding round, raising $150 million on February 5. B Capital led this round, with participation from Juniper Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures, resulting in a valuation of $1.25 billion.
Fundamental, an AI computing firm, disclosed its Series A round, amassing $255 million on February 5, and achieving a valuation of $1.4 billion. Noteworthy investors included Oak HC/FT, Salesforce Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, and QP Ventures.
ElevenLabs, specializing in voice AI technology, raised an impressive $500 million in a Series D round announced on February 4, led by Sequoia, valuing the company at $11 billion.
January Highlights
PaleBlueDot AI, a computing platform, successfully raised $150 million in a Series B round, establishing a valuation of $1 billion. This funding was disclosed on January 28 and was led by B Capital.
Decagon, a conversion innovation platform, announced a Series D round of $250 million on January 28, with significant backing from Coatue and Index Ventures; the company’s valuation reached $4.5 billion.
AI lab Flapping Airplanes received $180 million in its Seed round, led by Google Ventures, Sequoia, and Index Ventures, as disclosed on January 28, establishing a valuation of $1.5 billion.
Baseten’s Series E funding round raised $300 million, valuing the AI infrastructure startup at $5 billion. Announced on January 23, the round was led by IVP and CapitalG.
Inferact, an inference AI startup, garnered $150 million in its Seed round shortly after its inception, as reported on January 22. Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners spearheaded this round, valuing the company at $800 million.
OpenEvidence, hailing from Cambridge, Massachusetts, secured a Series D round totaling $250 million for its medical AI chatbot. This announcement on January 21 was led by Thrive Global and DST Global, with a valuation of $12 billion.
Humans&, an AI laboratory received a monumental Seed round of $480 million, announced on January 20, attracting investments from Nvidia, Elon Musk, and GV, resulting in a valuation of $4.48 billion.
SkildAI, which engineers AI models for robotic control, raised a staggering $1.4 billion in its Series C round, establishing a valuation of $14 billion. Announced on January 14, this round was led by SoftBank and Nvidia.
Deepgram, specializing in voice AI solutions, raised $130 million in its Series C, driven by AVP, with participation from Tiger Global, ServiceNow Ventures, and Madrona. The announcement on January 13 positioned the company’s valuation at $1.3 billion.
Arena, a platform focused on evaluating large language models, raised $150 million in its Series A round. The investment was led by Felicis and UC Investments, valuing the startup at $1.7 billion just a year post-establishment, announced on January 6.
Elon Musk’s XAI kicked off the year with significant momentum, announcing a Series E round of $20 billion on January 6. This round featured prominent participants, including Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, and Qatar Investment Authority. The company later came under the aegis of Musk’s SpaceX.
This influx of capital emphasizes the vigorous dynamics among American participants in the AI sector in 2026, illuminating avenues for scalable growth in the months ahead.
Source link: Mezha.net.
