Startup news, 22 September 2026

43 briefs

• UC Berkeley SkyDeck adds air & space and quantum track chairs

  UC Berkeley’s SkyDeck accelerator has appointed Leah Walker and Claire Cramer to lead new focus areas in air and space, and quantum technologies. The hires precede the accelerator’s upcoming Demo Day,

  Reported by usatoday.com

• Used-car platform Spinny files for confidential IPO in India

  Spinny has submitted draft papers for an IPO with SEBI, opting for a confidential filing. The offering includes both a fresh issue and an offer for sale, with plans to raise capital in the coming mont

  Reported by inc42.com

• Snorkel AI valuation hits $3.5B after $350M funding round

  Snorkel AI has raised $350 million, pushing its valuation to $3.5 billion. The funding reflects growing demand for AI training data and synthetic environments, areas where the company specializes.

  Reported by newsbytesapp.com

• Former Anthropic team eyes $5B valuation; Zipline nears $20B

  A startup founded by ex-Anthropic researchers is negotiating a funding round that could value it at $5 billion. Separately, drone delivery company Zipline is in discussions to raise about $1 billion,

  Reported by finance.yahoo.com, bloomberg.com

• Verda secures $155M to scale renewable AI cloud infrastructure

  Helsinki’s Verda has raised additional funding to expand its AI cloud infrastructure, powered by renewable energy. The company plans to grow its footprint across Europe, the UK, the US, and Asia after

  Reported by cryptobriefing.com

• HighLife secures $90M for US heart valve trial and European growth

  HighLife has raised $90 million to expand its transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) business in Europe and begin a pivotal study in the US. The funding will support commercial operations abroa

  Reported by ventureburn.com

• Proxima Fusion to build fusion supply chain in Germany

  Google-backed Proxima Fusion plans to invest in local production of key materials for fusion power plants in Lower Saxony. The move aims to reduce reliance on supply chains dominated by the US, where

  Reported by ft.com

• BRICS seen as emerging tech market for Indian startups

  Indian startups may find new opportunities in BRICS nations, but success hinges on executing deployments, securing local procurement deals, and forming cross-border partnerships. The potential market

  Reported by ciol.com

• Intel spinout Cornelis Networks secures $205M for AI infrastructure

  Cornelis Networks, an artificial intelligence infrastructure startup based in Chesterbrook, has raised $205 million in new funding. The company, originally spun out of Intel, aims to expand its presen

  Reported by msn.com

• Quantum Systems valuation jumps to $8B after $1.2B raise

  A German drone maker has secured $1.2 billion in fresh funding, pushing its valuation past $8 billion. The round reflects strong investor interest in defense-focused startups, with Quantum Systems mor

  Reported by msn.com

• Baselayer pivots to AI agents after $35M funding round

  Baselayer, a startup focused on business identity and risk infrastructure, has secured early-stage funding to develop a trust layer for AI agents. The company announced a $35 million Series A round as

  Reported by siliconangle.com

• Forbes highlights three US humanoid robot firms for investment

  A Forbes article identifies three American companies developing humanoid robots as investment opportunities. The recommendation comes from RoboStrategy’s CEO, though no funding details or specific fir

  Reported by forbes.com

• Saudi fintech growth shifts focus from apps to infrastructure

  Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector has expanded rapidly, with the number of active firms now exceeding 200. While growth metrics are often highlighted, attention is turning toward the need for foundational

  Reported by msn.com

• Firmus targets $7B ASX IPO in October

  AI data centre operator Firmus Technologies has set October 6 for its IPO prospectus launch, with plans to list on the ASX on October 22. The offering aims to raise $7 billion, positioning it as one o

  Reported by startupdaily.net

• Palo Alto AI startup Hang Ten secures $85M for IT automation

  Hang Ten, a Palo Alto-based AI startup, has raised $85 million to deploy a platform it claims can replace 30-person IT teams with four engineers. The company asserts its technology automates enterpris

  Reported by hoodline.com

• Paris AI startup Biolevate secures €30M, expands to Boston

  Biolevate, an AI firm focused on life sciences, has closed a €30 million Series A round. The funding was co-led by Orange Ventures and RAISE France. The company also announced the opening of its first

  Reported by thenextweb.com

• Chamelio raises $26M Series A five months after seed round

  An Israeli legal-tech startup has secured $26 million in Series A funding, just months after its seed round. The company’s AI contract platform has seen revenue grow fourfold and attracted hundreds of

  Reported by ynetnews.com

• Plug and Play Tirana Expo 2026 to host global startup event in Albania

  Plug and Play’s Tirana Expo will return in October 2026 at the Pyramid of Tirana, drawing startups, investors, and corporate leaders from Europe, Silicon Valley, and its global network. The two-day ev

  Reported by tech.eu

• Veridion secures $20M to expand global business data coverage

  A startup mapping 640 million businesses worldwide has raised $20 million in Series A funding. Veridion claims its market intelligence platform updates data 52 times faster than traditional sources an

  Reported by martechcube.com

• Skalar exits stealth with revenue-based financing for later-stage startups

  Skalar, a New York-based fintech, has launched a revenue-based financing model targeting later-stage technology companies. The firm offers an alternative funding method focused on customer growth, rat

  Reported by crowdfundinsider.com

• Demoverse raises $600K to let consumers co-create products via AI

  An AI platform called Demoverse has secured pre-seed funding to enable consumers to design products alongside brands. The $600K round was led by Lumikai. Users earn royalties from the products they he

  Reported by indianweb2.com

• Saudi fintech TalMal secures pre-Seed funding for local growth

  TalMal, a Saudi-based fintech startup, has raised an undisclosed pre-Seed round from MM Partners. The investment will support its expansion within the country, though no further details on use of fund

  Reported by wamda.com

• AI co-creation platform Demoverse raises $600K pre-seed

  Demoverse, an AI platform enabling consumers to influence product design before manufacturing, has secured $600K in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Lumikai. The tool aims to help brands forecas

  Reported by msn.com

• Europe’s early-stage funding crunch risks stifling new founders

  A report highlights a growing divide in Europe’s funding landscape, where early-stage startups face increasing difficulty securing capital. The bottleneck threatens to limit the pipeline of future com

  Reported by finance.yahoo.com

• Nvidia-backed AI drug discovery firm Iambic files for IPO

  Iambic Therapeutics, an AI-driven drug discovery startup with Nvidia as an investor, has filed for an initial public offering. The move marks its attempt to go public after developing machine-learning

  Reported by finance.yahoo.com

• Study tracks innovation impact of tech giant acquisitions

  A working paper analyzed over a thousand startup acquisitions by major tech firms, using patent and workforce data. The research found measurable changes in innovation outcomes before and after these

  Reported by nber.org

• Indian startups secure $61.8M in funding, Flam leads with $40M Series B

  This week, seventeen Indian startups raised a combined $61.8 million across growth and early-stage rounds. Flam stood out, closing a $40 million Series B. The activity included one merger or acquisiti

  Reported by newsbytesapp.com

• UAE-backed fund leads China robotics firm's Series B

  GENISOM AI, a Chinese robotics company, has raised a Series B round of hundreds of millions of yuan. The funding was led by Stone Venture, a UAE-based investor. The capital will support development of

  Reported by ventureburn.com

• Tandem Health secures £75m to build AI clinic operating system

  Tandem Health has raised £75 million ($100 million) in Series B funding. The UK-based AI firm plans to use the capital to develop an AI-native clinic operating system, expanding its role in healthcare

  Reported by digitalhealth.net

• Asia startup funding hits $534M in Week 38, robotics leads

  Asian startups secured $534.32 million in funding during Week 38, with robotics, manufacturing AI, and cybersecurity driving the bulk of investments. D-Robotics emerged as a key player in the region’s

  Reported by techloy.com

• Indian startup funding dips below $100M for seventh time in 2024

  For the seventh time this year, weekly venture capital funding in India has fallen under $100 million. The decline highlights ongoing difficulties for startups seeking significant capital, even as com

  Reported by yourstory.com

• Mind raises $72M, plans Seattle expansion

  Cybersecurity startup Mind has closed a $72 million funding round. Though headquartered in Seattle, the company maintains a minimal local presence—something the new capital may change. Details on spec

  Reported by bizjournals.com

• Tom Brady-backed eMed raises $200M, hits $2B valuation

  Healthcare startup eMed, backed by former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, secured $200 million in Series A funding. The round values the company at over $2 billion. Proceeds will fuel expansion of its AI p

  Reported by msn.com

• D-Robotics secures $400M amid humanoid robot push

  Shenzhen-based D-Robotics, a spinout from Horizon Robotics, has raised $400 million. The company, which focuses on AI chips and robotics software, was incubated before its early 2024 launch. While hea

  Reported by hoodline.com

• Ex-banker launches AI to chase overlooked consumer debts

  A former Westpac executive has secured funding for an AI-driven platform targeting small, often abandoned debts—like BNPL and payday loan defaults—that traditional collection agencies ignore. The appr

  Reported by theaustralian.com.au

• Plug and Play Seattle selects 11 startups for latest cohort

  Plug and Play’s Seattle accelerator has chosen 11 startups for its fourth cohort, including a Tokyo-based wireless power developer exploring U.S. expansion. The rest are local, spanning sectors from s

  Reported by msn.com

• Mainstay acquires Truelist, ex-Zillow VP's AI listing startup

  Mainstay has bought Truelist, a 2024-founded platform that uses AI to streamline property listings for brokers and agents. The tool consolidates fragmented MLS systems, simplifying how real estate pro

  Reported by msn.com

• DeepMind alumni's AI startup Emulate nears $700M seed round

  A UK-based AI startup founded by ex-Google DeepMind researchers is reportedly close to securing up to $700 million in seed funding. Emulate’s talks with investors like Index Ventures and Lightspeed Ve

  Reported by thenextweb.com

• Australian space camera startup secures $10m govt funding in Series B

  A Sydney-based company developing satellite-mounted cameras to monitor other spacecraft in orbit has closed a Series B round. The federal government’s National Reconstruction Fund contributed $10 mill

  Reported by innovationaus.com

• HEO secures $25M for flyby satellite imagery tech

  An Australian startup uses sensors on satellites to capture images of other spacecraft in orbit. HEO has now raised $25 million in Series B funding, with Axios reporting the round first. The company’s

  Reported by msn.com

• Startup funding checks shrink after billion-dollar streak

  After a stretch of billion-dollar rounds, U.S. startup funding this past week shifted to deals in the hundreds of millions. Investors pulled back on the largest checks, though sectors like AI infrastr

  Reported by news.crunchbase.com

• Intel spinout Cornelis Networks secures $205M for AI infrastructure

  Cornelis Networks, an artificial intelligence infrastructure startup based in Chesterbrook, has raised $205 million in new funding. The company, which originated as an Intel spinout, aims to expand it

  Reported by msn.com, msn.com

• London AI biotech Big Picture Bio exits stealth with €2.55M for cancer therapies

  A London-based startup has unveiled its work on AI-designed drug combinations for cancer after operating in stealth. Big Picture Bio secured €2.55 million to advance its approach, focusing on complex

  Reported by eu-startups.com