Startup Fundraising

Startup Fundraising

By Startup Fundraising — Lantern PodcastsBusinessTechnologyInvesting
Download on the App Store

Startup Fundraising episodes

  • Microsoft-Backed Chipmaking Startup Lands $40M — June 23, 2026

    Microsoft-backed chipmaking startup raised $40 million for advanced equipment technology, a fresh bet that semiconductor manufacturing bottlenecks still have venture-scale upside as AI hardware demand keeps pulling capital deeper into the supply chain.

    In this episode
    1. Microsoft-backed startup raises $40M for advanced chipmaking equipment tech — Reuters

      Microsoft-backed startup raises $40M for advanced chipmaking equipment tech

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    3 min
  • Series A and B, Without the Fundraising Fog — June 19, 2026

    Series A funding and Series B funding get a no-hype reset: what each round is for, how investors judge readiness, and why founders face a higher bar in a tighter venture market.

    In this episode
    1. Series B Funding: A Complete Guide for Startups - Carta — Carta

      ![Series B funding](https://images.ctfassets.net/y88td1zx1ufe/2be3Q8UokiJHxPtTtZCV1M/fbbbae3bae7d923ae4a74cf140b78bed/Series_B_fundraising_article.png?fm=webp)

    # Series B funding
    Author:
    Lucy Hoyle
    Read time:
    5 minutes
    Published date:
    December 11, 2023
    Series B funding is a priced round startups typically raise from VC investors. Here’s what you need to know about raising your Series…

  • What is Series A funding? — LTSE

    [![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6462417e8db99f8baa069524/65b179cd682a14cc7b098413_Group%2012.svg)](/)

  • [Contact](/contact)
    [Home](/)
    /
    [Insights](/insights)
    /
    [What is Series A funding?](/insights/what-is-series-a-funding)
    # What is Series A funding?
    LTSE Team
    ![]()
    ![]()
    Series A funding (also known as Series A financing or Series A round) is an important step for startups to…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    5 min
  • AI Series A Money Is Getting Less Patient — June 17, 2026

    Carta's venture benchmarks show AI-heavy Series A and B investors raising the bar: more ARR, stronger retention, and compute-adjusted margins that survive diligence now matter as much as category ownership.

    In this episode
    1. Step Back — If AI startups are pulling capital away from traditional SaaS, what are Series A and B investors actually underwriting now — durable ARR, compute-adjusted gross margins, proprietary data, or just the chance to own a category before the pricing model is proven?Background sources
      • Series A in 2026: What the Data Says You Actually Need — Pmf
      • The 2026 Series A Bar: What It Takes to Graduate From Seed — Foundra
      • The Bar Has Moved: Venture’s New Software Dichotomy | pre-seed funding | VC Cafe — VC Cafe
      • B2B SaaS AI Startup Investment Criteria for Founders — Crv
      • The State of VC Funding in 2026 | Value Add VC — Trace Cohen
      • Series A Fundraising in 2026: The Rules of Survival | Waveup — Waveup
      • Rule of 40 for SaaS: How to Calculate It & 2026 Benchmarks — Highrock

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    5 min
  • Carta Frames the Earliest Checks—and the First Fund — June 15, 2026

    Carta’s pre-seed funding and venture capital firm guides map the earliest startup capital stack, from founder-first checks before revenue to the mechanics of raising and managing a first VC fund.

    In this episode
    1. Pre-Seed Funding: Guide for Early-Stage Startup Founders - Carta — Carta

      ![Your first pre-seed funding round: A founder's guide](https://images.ctfassets.net/y88td1zx1ufe/5smgh5n5pUpc7stxRmb43f/7f783fb1fca8779ec91f4a8f7ffb2494/Startup-Fundraising.png?fm=webp)

    # Your first pre-seed funding round: A founder's guide
    Author:
    The Carta Team
    Read time:
    13 minutes
    Published date:
    February 12, 2026
    Learn what distinguishes pre-seed funding from other types of startup…

  • How to Start a Venture Capital Firm and Raise Your First Fund - Carta — Carta

    ![How to start a venture capital firm](https://images.ctfassets.net/y88td1zx1ufe/1JauF57Dhp44QYjHz2EzZK/41ee3a272a50a2d185c646a0f4ba0760/What-is-venture-capital.png?fm=webp)

  • # How to start a venture capital firm
    Author:
    Rita Astoor
    Read time:
    18 minutes
    Published date:
    December 3, 2025
    Learn the essential steps for launching a venture capital firm, from developing an investment thesis and…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    5 min
  • AI-Native Startups Keep Pulling Big Early Checks — June 13, 2026

    Hypha’s $50 million seed round anchors a fresh wave of AI-native startup financing, with PhoenixAI, Coram AI and Equal AI adding sizable Series B rounds as investors keep backing workflow infrastructure from finance to databases, security and consumer calls.

    In this episode
    1. Hypha Raises $50M Seed to Build AI‑Native Asset Platform — FinanceInsyte

      Hypha Raises $50M Seed to Build AI‑Native Asset Platform

    Hypha, an AI‑native asset intelligence platform, announced a $50 million seed round as it emerges from stealth. The funding, led by TriEdge Investments and backed by a range of investors from banking services to private equity, is intended to expand engineering, go‑to‑market, design, marketing and R&D operations, including a new presence…

  • PhoenixAI Raises $80M Series B Funding Led by Sky9 Capital — Startuprise io

    PhoenixAI Raises $80M Series B Funding Led by Sky9 Capital

  • # PhoenixAI Raises $80M Series B Funding Led by Sky9 Capital
    Jun 12, 2026 | By Startuprise io
    PhoenixAI (fka CelerData), a Menlo Park, CA-based company developing an agentic AI database, has raised $80 million in a Series B funding round led by Sky9 Capital.
    Follow us Follow us
    The round also saw participation from Atypical Ventures…

  • Coram AI Raises $35 Million Series B to Accelerate the Future of AI-Native Physical Security — Business Wire

    # Coram AI Raises $35 Million Series B to Accelerate the Future of AI-Native Physical Security

  • Published: 2026-06-11T11:31:00+00:00
    Source: businesswire.com (businesswire.com)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    Coram AI Raises $35 Million Series B to Accelerate the Future of AI-Native Physical Security
    Jun 11, 2026 7:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time
    # Coram AI Raises $35 Million Series B to Accelerate the…

  • Equal AI raises $30M to screen calls so Indians don't have to | TechCrunch — TechCrunch

    # Equal AI raises $30M to screen calls so Indians don't have to | TechCrunch

  • Author: Ivan Mehta
    Published: 2026-06-12T04:30:00+00:00
    Source: TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    Equal AI raises $30M to screen calls so Indians don't have to | TechCrunch
    Image Credits:Equal AI
    # Equal AI raises $30M to screen calls so Indians don’t have to
    9:30 PM PDT · June 11, 2026
    In India,…

  • Holocene closes Southern Africa's first dedicated climate-tech fund - Disrupt Africa — Disrupt Africa

    Holocene closes Southern Africa's first dedicated climate-tech fund - Disrupt Africa

  • Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    VC firm Holocene has announced the final close of Holocene Ventures Fund I (HVF1), Southern Africa’s first dedicated high-growth climate tech fund.
    Holocene targets promising, local founders at the earliest stages, but who lack capital and hands-on operational support…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    12 min
  • Bezos’s $12B Prometheus Round Sets the AI-Hardtech Pace — June 12, 2026

    Prometheus raised $12 billion at a $41 billion valuation to automate physical-world engineering, setting the tone for a fundraising day dominated by AI infrastructure, robotics, and hard-tech energy bets.

    In this episode
    1. Jeff Bezos's Prometheus raises $12B to build an 'artificial general engineer' for the physical world | TechCrunch — TechCrunch

      # Jeff Bezos's Prometheus raises $12B to build an 'artificial general engineer' for the physical world | TechCrunch

    Author: Marina Temkin
    Published: 2026-06-12T01:04:38+00:00
    Source: TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    Jeff Bezos's Prometheus raises $12B to build an 'artificial general engineer' for the physical world | TechCrunch
    Image Credits:Emma McIntyre/WireImage
    # Jeff…

  • Data center infrastructure startup TensorWave raises $350M to help break Nvidia's AI chip monopoly - SiliconANGLE — SiliconANGLE

    Data center infrastructure startup TensorWave raises $350M to help break Nvidia's AI chip monopoly - SiliconANGLE

  • SHARE
    UPDATED 22:31 EDT / JUNE 10 2026
    INFRA
    ### Data center infrastructure startup TensorWave raises $350M to help break Nvidia’s AI chip monopoly
    SHARE
    Cloud-based artificial intelligence infrastructure startup TensorWave Inc. said today it has closed on a bumper $350 million…

  • Theker just raised $85M to build the factory robot that doesn't specialize in anything | TechCrunch — TechCrunch

    # Theker just raised $85M to build the factory robot that doesn't specialize in anything | TechCrunch

  • Author: Anna Heim
    Published: 2026-06-12T01:48:07+00:00
    Source: TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    Theker just raised $85M to build the factory robot that doesn't specialize in anything | TechCrunch
    Image Credits:Theker /
    # Theker just raised $85M to build the factory robot…

  • Current Secures $80 Million Series E at $1.5 Billion Valuation Following Third Consecutive Year of 70%+ Growth — PR Newswire

    Current Secures $80 Million Series E at $1.5 Billion Valuation Following Third Consecutive Year of 70%+ Growth Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation

  • Record growth, expanding product adoption, and strong unit economics position Current for profitability in 2026
    NEW YORK, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Current, the consumer fintech platform helping everyday Americans improve their financial…

  • Endurance Energy raises $54M to harness a massive untapped energy source | TechCrunch — TechCrunch

    Endurance Energy raises $54M to harness a massive untapped energy source | TechCrunch

  • Image Credits:Justinreznick / Getty Images
    # Endurance Energy raises $54M to harness a massive untapped energy source
    7:00 AM PDT · June 11, 2026
    After you’ve worked on rockets that find their way to outer space, it can be hard to come up with a second act. For SpaceX alumni Andrew Redd, it meant looking…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    14 min
  • Physical AI Mega-Rounds Crash the VC Tape — June 11, 2026

    NEURA Robotics’ up-to-$1.4 billion Series C anchors a surge of huge AI startup financings, with Cyera at $12 billion, Standard Bots hitting unicorn status, and vertical AI rounds pushing deeper into finance and legal workflows.

    In this episode
    1. NEURA Robotics Announces Record Series C of up to $1.4 Billion to Accelerate the World’s Leading Physical AI Platform | Morningstar — Morningstar

      NEURA Robotics Announces Record Series C of up to $1.4 Billion to Accelerate the World’s Leading Physical AI Platform | Morningstar

    NEURA Robotics Announces Record Series C of up to $1.4 Billion to Accelerate the World’s Leading Physical AI Platform
    - Landmark investment drives NEURA's open ecosystem, where humanoid and cognitive robots share intelligence and capabilities at scale
    - Backing…

  • Cyera raises $600M at $12B valuation amid flurry of cybersecurity investments - SiliconANGLE — SiliconANGLE

    Cyera raises $600M at $12B valuation amid flurry of cybersecurity investments - SiliconANGLE

  • SHARE
    UPDATED 16:37 EDT / JUNE 10 2026
    SECURITY
    ### Cyera raises $600M at $12B valuation amid flurry of cybersecurity investments
    SHARE
    Cyera Ltd., a startup that helps organizations track and secure their data assets, has raised $600 million from investors at a $12 billion valuation.
    The company…

  • Standard Bots raises $200M at $1B valuation to revolutionize AI-native industrial robotics - SiliconANGLE — SiliconANGLE

    Standard Bots raises $200M at $1B valuation to revolutionize AI-native industrial robotics - SiliconANGLE

  • SHARE
    UPDATED 12:10 EDT / JUNE 09 2026
    EMERGING TECH
    ### Standard Bots raises $200M at $1B valuation to revolutionize AI-native industrial robotics
    SHARE
    Standard Bots Co., a startup developing artificial intelligence-driven robotic arms for manufacturing and logistics, today announced…

  • OpenAI backs Poetic to automate underwriting and compliance — The Next Web

    OpenAI backs Poetic to automate underwriting and compliance

  • Poetic, an AI startup that has been operating in stealth, has emerged with $50M in funding and a $500M valuation to automate some of finance’s most sensitive back-office work, from insurance underwriting to compliance and fraud checks. Its backers include OpenAI, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, and Kleiner Perkins.
    The company was founded…

  • Sandstone raises $30M to bring AI to in-house legal teams — TechCrunch

    Sandstone raises $30M to bring AI to in-house legal teams | TechCrunch

  • Image Credits:Sandstone
    # Sandstone raises $30M to bring AI to in-house legal teams
    6:47 AM PDT · June 9, 2026
    With Harvey and Legora burning through eight-figure funding rounds, legal tools have proven to be one of the fastest-growing and most hotly contested verticals among AI startups. But while those tools focus on…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    13 min
  • AI, space and robotics mega-rounds crowd the tape — June 10, 2026

    ICEYE raised €450 million at a €10 billion-plus valuation, while PhysicsX, Beacon, Standard Bots and City Therapeutics added major growth rounds. The week’s center of gravity is late-stage capital chasing AI-enabled hard tech, defense, industrial software and biotech.

    In this episode
    1. ICEYE leads a new era of sovereign intelligence from space with €1Bn fundraising round | General Atlantic — General Atlantic

      ICEYE leads a new era of sovereign intelligence from space with €1Bn fundraising round | General Atlantic

    Back to News & Insights
    # ICEYE leads a new era of sovereign intelligence from space with €1Bn fundraising round
    Global group of investors, led by General Atlantic, values company at over €10Bn
    Helsinki, Finland – June 9, 2026 – ICEYE, the world leader in sovereign intelligence from…

  • Temasek leads UK AI firm PhysicsX $300M Series C funding - TNGlobal — TechNode Global

    Temasek leads UK AI firm PhysicsX $300M Series C funding - TNGlobal

  • ## Temasek leads UK AI firm PhysicsX $300M Series C funding
    June 9, 2026• AI, News, Singapore•
    PhysicsX, the physics artificial intelligence (AI) company for industrials, has on Monday announced an oversubscribed $300 million Series C financing at a valuation of approximately $2.4 billion.
    The round is led by Temasek, with…

  • AI rollup company Beacon closes $225-million Series C round | BetaKit — BetaKit

    # AI rollup company Beacon closes $225-million Series C round | BetaKit

  • Author: Josh Scott
    Published: 2026-06-09T15:51:45-04:00
    Source: betakit.com (betakit.com)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    AI rollup company Beacon closes $225-million Series C round | BetaKit
    Canadian Tech & Startup News
    Canadian Tech & Startup News
    The Beacon Software office.
    Toronto holding firm fuels up to continue software…

  • Standard Bots Raises $200 Million Series C at $1 Billion Valuation to Scale American-Made, AI-Native Industrial Robots — PR Newswire

    # Standard Bots Raises $200 Million Series C at $1 Billion Valuation to Scale American-Made, AI-Native Industrial Robots

  • Author: Standard Bots
    Published: 2026-06-09T09:00:00-04:00
    Source: prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    Standard Bots Raises $200 Million Series C at $1 Billion Valuation to Scale American-Made, AI-Native Industrial Robots Accessibility Statement Skip…

  • City Therapeutics Announces $99.5 Million Series B Financing to Advance Next-Generation RNAi Therapeutics - BioSpace — BioSpace

    City Therapeutics Announces $99.5 Million Series B Financing to Advance Next-Generation RNAi Therapeutics - BioSpace

  • # City Therapeutics Announces $99.5 Million Series B Financing to Advance Next-Generation RNAi Therapeutics
    June 9, 2026 |
    3 min read
    Viking Global Investors and Sofinnova Investments join a strong syndicate of existing investors including ARCH Venture Partners, Fidelity…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    14 min
  • AI labor, cloud spend, and space bets pull fresh startup capital — June 09, 2026

    Stepful raised $55 million to expand AI-assisted healthcare training as hospitals battle staffing costs; PointFive landed $60 million for AI/cloud efficiency, while Moonshot AI’s $30 billion target and NewOrbit’s VLEO bet show capital still chasing infrastructure-scale stories.

    In this episode
    1. Stepful raises $55M to train healthcare workers with AI — The Next Web

      Stepful raises $55M to train healthcare workers with AI

    America’s hospitals are spending around $97bn a year renting staff they cannot train fast enough. Stepful thinks AI can fix the supply side, and investors have just handed it $55mn to try.
    The New York startup has raised a Series C led by healthcare-and-fintech investor Oak HC/FT, with new backers Foresite Capital, Hearst Ventures, and the…

  • Step Back — When a startup like ICEYE raises a €1 billion “sovereign intelligence” round, what are investors actually underwriting: venture-style software margins and exit multiples, or a more defense-prime-like business built on government procurement, debt, and strategic customers?Background sources
    • Lenders to ICEYE – EUR 300 million revolving credit facility for ICEYE - Castrén & Snellman — Castren
    • Satellite Startup ICEYE Raises Funds at $2.8 Billion Valuation as Europe Boosts Defense — Mark Bergen, Aaron Kirchfeld, Zosia Wanat
    • ICEYE Reports €250M Revenue And €1.5B Backlog | Seraphim Space — Leah Martin
    • ICEYE Smashes Its Own Revenue Projections — Douglas Gorman
    • ICEYE Emerges as a Key Supplier in Europe’s Shift Toward Military Microsatellites - Flight Plan — Carter Palmer
    • ICEYE sees role as Europe’s defense space-intelligence linchpin — Rudy Ruitenberg
    • ICEYE sees role as Europe’s defense space-intelligence linchpin — Rudy Ruitenberg
  • Moonshot AI seeks $30bn valuation, 7x jump in six months — The Next Web

    Moonshot AI seeks $30bn valuation, 7x jump in six months

  • Image by: Moonshot
    #### TL;DR
    Moonshot AI is seeking a $30bn valuation in its third funding round in six months, up from $4bn in December. The Kimi developer’s ARR topped $200m in April as Chinese AI labs race to match American peers before IPO windows open.
    Moonshot AI, the Beijing-based developer of the Kimi chatbot, is seeking as…

  • PointFive Raises $60M to Expand AI Efficiency Platform — Ventureburn

    PointFive Raises $60M to Expand AI Efficiency Platform

  • # PointFive Raises $60 Million to Expand AI Efficiency Platform
    Key Takeaways
    PointFive raised $60 million in Series B funding led by Accel.
    Total funding has now reached $96 million since launch in 2023.
    The company will expand its AI and cloud cost management platform.
    ## AI Cost Management Demand Drives New Funding
    PointFive…

  • NewOrbit raises £13.9m to build satellites for near-Earth space - UKTN — UK Tech News

    ×

  • Register
    Already have an account? Log in
    Skip to content
    Login to remove this ad
    Space Tech
    European satellite manufacturer NewOrbit has closed a $18.5m (£13.9m) Series A to open near-Earth orbits to commercial space flights.
    NewOrbit is building satellites for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), a band of near-Earth space at 200-300km above ground historically reserved for spy satellites and…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    14 min
  • AI Megarounds Dominate as Moonshot Chases $30B — June 08, 2026

    Moonshot AI is chasing up to $2 billion at a $30 billion valuation, while Bezos-backed Flourish lands a $500 million Series A; the AI capital race is stretching from Chinese foundation models to brain-inspired systems and data-center cooling.

    In this episode
    1. China’s Moonshot AI seeks US$30 bil value in new funding talks — Bloomberg — The Edge Malaysia

      China’s Moonshot AI seeks US$30 bil value in new funding talks — Bloomberg

    Monday 08 Jun 2026
    BURSASGX
    (June 8): Moonshot AI is seeking as much as US$2 billion in a new funding round that would value the startup at US$30 billion, initiating its third financing in six months to keep pace with rivals in China’s intensifying artificial intelligence race.
    The developer of the Kimi chatbot has…

  • Flourish Raises $500M for Brain-Inspired AI Research - Fundraise Insider — Fundraise Insider

    Flourish Raises $500M for Brain-Inspired AI Research - Fundraise Insider

  • Fundraise Insider tracks newly funded startups each week and delivers verified C-suite contacts straight to your inbox, so you reach the right people while the funding is still fresh. See pricing.
    Flourish, an AI research company based in New York, has raised $500 million at a $2.5 billion valuation. The round closed…

  • ZutaCore: $100 Million Series C Raised To Expand AI Data Center Cooling Platform — Pulse2

    ZutaCore: $100 Million Series C Raised To Expand AI Data Center Cooling Platform

  • # ZutaCore: $100 Million Series C Raised To Expand AI Data Center Cooling Platform
    By Amit Chowdhry ● Today at 10:55 PM
    ZutaCore announced a $100 million Series C funding round as the company accelerates global expansion and advances its waterless, direct-to-chip, two-phase liquid cooling technology for AI and…

  • Contraline Raises $92.5M Series B for Male Contraceptive - Fundraise Insider — Fundraise Insider

    Contraline Raises $92.5M Series B for Male Contraceptive - Fundraise Insider

  • Fundraise Insider tracks newly funded startups each week and delivers verified C-suite contacts straight to your inbox, so you reach the right people while the funding is still fresh. See pricing.
    Contraline, a clinical-stage biotech company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, has closed a $92.5 million Series B…

  • Creator Fund closes $56M to back Europe's scientific founders — Tech.eu

    # Creator Fund closes $56M to back Europe's scientific founders

  • Published: 2026-06-08T06:54:04+00:00
    Source: tech.eu (tech.eu)
    Language: en
    ## Story
    Creator Fund, a UK-based pre-seed venture capital firm focused on scientific founders, has closed its first European fund at $56 million. The capital will support Creator Fund's strategy of identifying and backing researchers and PhD students at…

    Daily TopFive for Startup Fundraising. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Startup Fundraising on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

    12 min

About Startup Fundraising

From the publisher's feed

Startup Fundraising is a daily briefing on startup fundraising and startup funding that documents venture capital moves across early-stage tech. Each episode recaps live deal announcements, seed round…