The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report takes us on a trip across various ecosystems in the US, highlighting some of the notable funding activity in the various markets that we track. The notable startup funding rounds for the week ending 8/22/26 featuring funding details for Palona AI, Rundoo, Also, and thirty other deals representing $3.9B in new funding that you need to know about.
Rillet – $100.0M
Palo Alto-based Rillet is an AI-native ERP platform that automates accounting for complex revenue models. Founded by Nicolas Kopp and Stelios Modes in 2021, Rillet has now raised a total of $208.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Battery Ventures, Creandum, FirstMark, ICONIQ Capital, Oak HC/FT, Scale Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, and Sequoia Capital Global Equities.
Thunder Compute – $13.0M
San Francisco-based Thunder Compute provides GPU cloud infrastructure and virtualization technology that helps organizations maximize GPU utilization for AI. Founded by Brian Model and Carl Peterson in 2024, Thunder Compute has now raised a total of $17.6M in total equity funding and is backed by CEAS Investments, Matrix, and Y Combinator.
Sonic Fire Tech – $15.0M
Cleveland-based Sonic Fire Tech pioneers infrasound fire suppression, protecting homes and assets without collateral damage. Founded by Geoff Bruder and Michael Thomas in 2019, Sonic Fire Tech has now raised a total of $18.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Khosla Ventures and The O.H.I.O. Fund.
Ours Privacy – $15.0M
Houston-based Ours Privacy provides a HIPAA-compliant CDP for secure, privacy-focused data management, analytics, and compliant advertising. Founded by Adam Putterman, Jessica Holton, and Tyler Zey in 2020, Ours Privacy has now raised a total of $15M in total equity funding and is backed by GreyMatter, Health Velocity Capital, Lakehouse Ventures, Lightbank, Rock Health Capital, Serena Ventures, StarFire Ventures, Switch Ventures, and TMV.
Also – $150.0M
Palo Alto-based Also is an electric micromobility company that provides electric cargo bikes, commuter bikes, and trail bikes. Founded by Chris Yu and Robert Scaringe in 2025, Also has now raised a total of $655M in total equity funding and is backed by Eclipse, Greenoaks, MVP Ventures, and Prysm Capital.
Ampaire – $19.0M
Long Beach-based Ampaire’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted developer of practical, compelling electric aircraft. Founded by Cory Combs, Kevin Noertker, and Ryan Bilton in 2016, Ampaire has now raised a total of $22.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Alaska Star Ventures, Autodesk Foundation, Climate Capital, DiamondStream Partners, Elemental Impact, Exitfund, Gaingels, IAGi Ventures, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Massive, Pay It Forward, Sand Hill Angels, Techstars Ventures, and Venn10 Capital.
HeyBreez AI – $2.5M
Wilmington-based HeyBreez AI offers a no-code voice orchestration platform enabling enterprises to deploy real-time Voice AI across phone operations. Founded by Karim Malhas in 2025, HeyBreez AI has now raised a total of $3.8M in total equity funding and is backed by DASH Ventures, Jabbar Internet Group, and Lunara Partners.
Elveo Mobile – $20.0M
Mclean-based Elveo is combining a global satellite constellation with the world’s leading mobile telecom networks into “one global network.” Founded by Joseph Bravman in 2012, Elveo Mobile has now raised a total of $140M in total equity funding and is backed by Nelco.
Palona AI – $20.0M
Palo Alto-based Palona AI develops AI software for restaurants that helps capture customer demand, process orders, and identify operational issues. Founded by Maria Zhang, Steve Liu, and Tim Howes in 2024, Palona AI has now raised a total of $30M in total equity funding and is backed by Ardenwood Advisors, Crimsonox Capital, Defy.vc, Fusion Fund, Llama Ventures, Maynard Webb, NEO Investment Partners, Turbo Partners, and UpHonest Capital.
Astromech – $20.0M
Austin-based Astromech provides AI-driven solutions for biotechnology research, supporting genetic engineering and synthetic biology projects. Founded by Ben Lamm and George Church in 2025, Astromech has now raised a total of $60.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Builders VC, CAZ Investments, NeoGenesis Capital, Peak 6, and Robert Nelsen.
Twin1 AI – $20.0M
San Mateo-based Twin1 is a privacy-first platform that gives every professional an AI-powered digital twin to scale their expertise. Founded by Lewis Z. Liu in 2025, Twin1 AI has now raised a total of $20M in total equity funding and is backed by Aramco Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Tribeca Venture Partners.
Relativity Networks – $22.0M
Winter Park-based Relativity Networks stands as foremost provider of Hollow Core Fiber at scale, significantly boosting the speed of light in fiber optics. Founded by Jason Eichenholz and Rodrigo Correa in 2023, Relativity Networks has now raised a total of $32.7M in total equity funding and is backed by Bell Ventures, DatacenterDynamics, Faster Than Glass, and Rhapsody Venture Partners.
Queen One – $25.0M
New York-based Queen One develops a digital commerce experience platform for immersive brand storytelling and product interaction. Founded by Maricor Resente and Ryan Urban in 2025, Queen One has now raised a total of $32.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Charge Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, CP Overture, Full In, Inspired Capital Partners, and Mercury Fund.
Muon Space – $250.0M
Mountain View-based Muon Space designs, builds, and operates satellite constellations for national security, civil, and commercial applications. Founded by Dan McCleese, Jonathan Dyer, Pascal Stang, Paul Day, and Reuben Rohrschneider in 2021, Muon Space has now raised a total of $386.2M in total equity funding and is backed by ACME Capital, Activate Capital Partners, ArcTern Ventures, Congruent Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, Eclipse, Galvanize Climate Solutions, Google, I Squared Capital, Overlap Holdings, Radical Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Wellington Management, and Woven Capital.
Starcloud – $250.0M
Redmond-based Starcloud develops space-based data center infrastructure designed to support computing and data processing beyond Earth environments. Founded by Adi Oltean, Ezra Feilden, and Philip Johnston in 2024, Starcloud has now raised a total of $443.9M in total equity funding and is backed by Benchmark, Cedar Hill Capital, Cisco Investments, EQT, Goanna Capital, Manhattan West, NFX, NVIDIA, Seven Seven Six, Soma Capital, and Standard Capital.
Apollo Atomics – $26.0M
Cambridge-based Apollo Atomics is the developer of a nuclear technology designed to provide sustainable power and to meet energy demands with deployment. Founded by Assil Halimi and Drew Walker in 2025, Apollo Atomics has now raised a total of $26.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Alumni Ventures, Duke Capital Partners, E14 Fund, Evan Meagher, FCVC, Matteo Franceschetti, Neutron Power Ventures, New Era Ventures, Nucleation Capital, Orange Collective, Paul Graham, Pelion Venture Partners, Philip Johnston, Ray Rothrock, Robinhood Ventures, Stanford University, TeleSoft Partners, and Y Combinator.
Wispr Flow – $280.0M
San Francisco-based Wispr Flow develops AI-powered tools for voice-based writing and meeting transcription. Founded by Sahaj Garg and Tanay Kothari in 2021, Wispr Flow has now raised a total of $361.6M in total equity funding and is backed by 8VC, Aaron Gordon, Acrew Capital, Activate, Alex Caruso, Dak Prescott, DK Metcalf, Domantas Sabonis, Forerunner, Goodwater Capital, Joe Burrow, Klay Thompson, Kyle Hamilton, Livvy Dunne, Menlo Ventures, MVP Ventures, Neo, New Enterprise Associates, Notable Capital, Paul George, Peak XV Partners, Plus Capital, Shaun White, SignalRank, Together Fund, and Trae Young.
Rundoo – $30.0M
Redwood City-based Rundoo provides an AI-powered POS and retail management platform for hardware, paint, garden, farm and feed, and lumber stores. Founded by Andrew Beckman and Nick Hershey in 2021, Rundoo has now raised a total of $46M in total equity funding and is backed by Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and CRV.
Leal Therapeutics – $30.0M
Worcester-based Leal Therapeutics develops novel therapeutics for patients. Founded by Asa Abeliovich in 2021, Leal Therapeutics has now raised a total of $144M in total equity funding and is backed by Alexandria Venture Investments, Chugai Venture Fund, Dementia Discovery Fund, Eli Lilly, Euclidean Capital, Newpath Management, OrbiMed, and PhiFund Ventures.
Hubble Network – $30.0M
Seattle-based Hubble Network is a developer of a satellite-powered Bluetooth network that enables devices to connect regardless of cellular reception. Founded by Alex Haro, Ben Wild, John Kim, and Josh Barnes in 2021, Hubble Network has now raised a total of $120.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Seraphim Space.
Groq – $350.0M
San Jose-based Groq provides a platform and hardware infrastructure designed for AI inference workloads. Founded by Doug Wightman and Jonathan Ross in 2016, Groq has now raised a total of $2.8B in total equity funding and is backed by Disruptive, NVIDIA, and Open Field Capital.
Kita Technologies – $4.5M
San Francisco-based Kita Technologies uses computer vision and vision language models to transform unstructured documents into structured underwriting data. Founded by Carmel Limcaoco and Rhea Malhotra in 2025, Kita Technologies has now raised a total of $5M in total equity funding and is backed by Apex Star Capital, BEENEXT, BoxGroup, Genting Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, Jason Miller, Kasra Nejatian, Kaya Founders, Kulveer Taggar, Linda Du, Lisa Cheng, Shivani Siroya, US News Digital Ventures, and Y Combinator.
Higgsfield – $400.0M
San Francisco-based Higgsfield provides AI-powered tools for creating and editing images and videos. Founded by Alex Mashrabov, Mahi De Silva, and Yerzat Dulat in 2025, Higgsfield has now raised a total of $538M in total equity funding and is backed by Accel, AI Capital, BAM Corner Point, BroadLight Capital, Capra ventures, DST Global, Fifth Wall, GFT Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Intel, Liberty Global, Menlo Ventures, Mirae Asset Capital, Natalia Vodianova, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Smash Ventures, Tribe Capital, and Valor Capital Group.
Grounded – $5.0M
Detroit-based Grounded develops modular specialty vehicles and mobile workspaces built on electric and hybrid commercial vehicle platforms. Founded by Sam Shapiro in 2022, Grounded has now raised a total of $8.5M in total equity funding and is backed by 81 Collection, Also Capital, Animal Capital, and Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund.
Quantizr – $5.0M
Park City-based Quantizr develops an AI-powered business management and financial intelligence platform for the live entertainment industry. Founded by Joshua Litwack and Tim Nielsen in 2024, Quantizr has now raised a total of $5M in total equity funding and is backed by Andy Levine, Chris Kappy, Jonathan Azu, and TTV Capital.
Hypercubic – $5.3M
San Francisco-based Hypercubic is an enterprise AI platform that builds digital twins of company knowledge to preserve expertise and streamline operations. Founded by Aayush Naik and Sai Gurrapu in 2025, Hypercubic has now raised a total of $5.8M in total equity funding and is backed by Afore Capital, Benjamin Bryant, Chris Messina, CIV, Epsilon Ventures, Garry Tan, Gokul Rajaram, Henri Stern, Kasra Nejatian, Mike Hinckley, Multimodal Ventures, Pioneer Fund, Ryan Bednar, Tony D., Unpopular Ventures, Venky Harinarayan, Y Combinator, and Youcef Es-skouri.
Hopscotch Primary Care – $53.0M
Chicago-based Hopscotch Primary Care is a healthcare company that aims to transform healthcare for rural communities across the country. Founded by Kristin Myers in 2021, Hopscotch Primary Care has now raised a total of $103M in total equity funding and is backed by 8VC, Alumni Ventures, aMoon Fund, Autism Impact Fund, Citi Impact Fund, John Doerr, K2 HealthVentures, Richard Merkin, The Leon Levine Foundation, and Town Hall Ventures.
Smack Technologies – $61.0M
Austin-based Smack Technologies develops domain-specific AI models and decision-making systems for national security and military applications. Founded by Andy Markoff, Clint Alanis, and Dan Gould in 2024, Smack Technologies has now raised a total of $93M in total equity funding and is backed by Bloomberg Beta, Costanoa Ventures, Felicis, First In, Fortitude Ventures, Geodesic Capital, Nomi Capital, Palumni VC, Point72 Ventures, and Scribble Ventures.
Abcuro – $66.0M
Newton-based Abcuro is a biotechnology company developing antibody-based therapies targeting highly cytotoxic T cells involved in autoimmune diseases. Founded by Stefano Gullà and Steven A. Greenberg in 2015, Abcuro has now raised a total of $520.2M in total equity funding and is backed by Abrdn, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Eurofarma Ventures, Foresite Capital, Kaitai Capital, Mass General Brigham Ventures, Nancy Chang, NEA, New Leaf Venture Partners, Pontifax, RA Capital Management, Redmile Group, Rock Springs Capital, Samsara BioCapital, Sanofi Ventures, Shangbay Capital, and Soleus Capital.
Etched – $700.0M
San Jose-based Etched is an AI chip startup that designs and manufactures hardware systems optimized for artificial intelligence model inference workloads. Founded by Chris Zhu, Gavin Uberti, and Robert Wachen in 2022, Etched has now raised a total of $1.6B in total equity funding and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Argo, Bain Capital Ventures, Blackstone, Diffusion Capital Partners, Jane Street Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Neo, Peter Thiel, Positive Sum, Primary Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Stripes, and Tiger Global Management.
Happy Health – $75.0M
Austin-based Happy Health is a mission-driven technology company committed to transforming mental health awareness through the Happy Ring. Founded by David Clift-Reaves and Dustin Freckleton in 2019, Happy Health has now raised a total of $135M in total equity funding and is backed by ARCH Venture Partners and OpenLoop Health.
Castelion – $800.0M
Torrance-based Castelion is a defense tech company that develops and manufactures modern weapons systems for the U.S. military. Founded by Andrew Kreitz, Bryon Hargis, and Sean Pitt in 2022, Castelion has now raised a total of $1.2B in total equity funding and is backed by Altimeter Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Interlagos Capital, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lavrock Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, The Carlyle Group, and T. Rowe Price.
Takt – $9.3M
Reston-based Takt is a warehouse labor management and intelligence platform that integrates labor, automation, and robotics data into a unified model. Founded by Alex Rhea, Glynn LoPresti, and Noah MacMichael in 2021, Takt has now raised a total of $9.2M in total equity funding and is backed by Ballast Point Ventures.