Top Startup and Tech Funding News – June 2, 2025

It’s Monday, June 2, 2025, and we’re back with the first daily funding rundown in June, tracking the capital flows, bold ideas, and global bets shaping the next wave of innovation.

Today’s roundup is lighter than usual on deal volume, but not on ambition. While the pace of funding slowed to start the week, a handful of significant moves still made headlines—from Neuralink’s $650 million Series E push into brain-computer interfaces to Udaan’s $114 million raise to expand its B2B e-commerce empire in India. Elsewhere, MUBI secured $100 million to deepen its niche in global indie film, and early-stage fintech and AI startups like Spense and Applied Computing quietly closed rounds to scale critical infrastructure.

Investor Activity

While Monday didn’t bring a flurry of deals, the activity we did see spanned sectors and stages, highlighting continued conviction in AI, fintech, neurotech, and digital platforms. Backers like ARK Invest, Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed, and GrowthCap Ventures made targeted moves, even as the broader market caught its breath.

We’ll be keeping a close watch as the week unfolds—momentum often rebounds fast in this landscape.

Below is the full breakdown of every deal we tracked today, complete with company summaries, investor context, and key funding details.

Neuralink Raises $650M Series E for Brain-Computer Interface

Neuralink, a brain–computer interface startup founded by Elon Musk, secured $650 million in a Series E funding round to advance its implantable brain-chip technology. The California-based company is developing implantable neural devices intended to restore independence to people with paralysis; it has already begun human clinical trials for its brain implant.

The round included investors such as ARK Invest, DFJ Growth, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, and others. This funding will help Neuralink scale its clinical trials and further the development of its brain implant devices.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Neuralink

• Investors: ARK Invest (lead), DFJ Growth, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, and others

• Amount Raised: $650 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Series E

• Funding Date: June 2, 2025

Spense Raises $1.85M Pre-Seed for Programmable Banking

Spense, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup, secured $1.85 million in a pre-seed funding round to scale its programmable banking infrastructure. The company provides modern banking tools that enable financial institutions to launch products like secured credit cards, prepaid cards, and forex programs.

GrowthCap Ventures led the round, with participation from notable angel investors including Kunal Shah (founder of CRED), Sayandeb Banerjee (co-founder of The Math Company), Suresh Rayasam (Microsoft AI lead), and Ravi Sudhakar (Microsoft AI Strategy). The new funding will be used to onboard more banks and fintech partners, and to expand Spense’s technology stack and product offerings beyond credit cards.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Spense

• Investors: GrowthCap Ventures (lead), plus Kunal Shah, Sayandeb Banerjee, Suresh Rayasam, Ravi Sudhakar (and others)

• Amount Raised: $1.85 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Pre-Seed

• Funding Date: June 2, 2025

Udaan Raises $114M Series G for E-Commerce Expansion

Udaan, an India-based B2B e-commerce platform, closed a $114 million Series G funding round to expand its product categories and customer base. The Bengaluru-based company serves small and mid-sized businesses by offering products and financing. The round was led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Proceeds will help Udaan strengthen its presence in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and hospitality (HoReCa) sectors, ramp up private-label offerings, and improve its balance sheet ahead of a potential IPO.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Udaan

• Investors: M&G Investments (lead), Lightspeed Venture Partners, and other existing backers

• Amount Raised: $114 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Series G

• Funding Date: June 2, 2025

Applied Computing Raises £9M Seed for Energy AI

Applied Computing, a UK-based AI startup, raised £9.0 million (approximately €10.7M) in a Seed funding round led by Stride.VC. The London-founded company builds AI foundation models for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, notably its flagship product Orbital, which uses multi-modal AI to optimize refinery and energy operations.

Repeat.vc also participated in the round. This capital will be used to accelerate the development of its Orbital platform and expand the company’s industrial AI solutions.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Applied Computing

• Investors: Stride.VC (lead), Repeat.vc

• Amount Raised: £9.0 million (~$11.7M)

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: June 2, 2025

MUBI Raises $100M from Sequoia to Grow Streaming Service

MUBI, the London-based streaming platform for independent and art-house films, has raised $100 million in a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital. The fresh capital will fuel MUBI’s efforts to grow its curated catalog and expand its global footprint as a premium destination for cinephiles.

The raise follows a wave of momentum for the company, including awards season buzz around The Substance. Once a niche platform, MUBI is now quietly turning into one of indie cinema’s most compelling success stories.

Founded in 2007 by Turkish entrepreneur Efe Cakarel, a former investment banker, MUBI started as a solution to a personal frustration—Cakarel couldn’t stream Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love while in Tokyo. That moment led to the creation of a platform focused on making international cinema more accessible.

Fast forward to today: MUBI now boasts more than 20 million registered users worldwide. Its signature feature, the “Film of the Day,” adds one new title daily, each available for 30 days. The rotating catalog has helped create a loyal user base and a sense of discovery-driven engagement that’s rare in the streaming space.

What makes MUBI stand out isn’t just its taste—it’s the business model. The company has built a hybrid strategy that pairs streaming with theatrical distribution. MUBI releases select titles in cinemas across the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, Latin America, and now Italy, giving it a presence both online and on the big screen.

Funding Details:

• Startup: MUBI

• Investors: Sequoia Capital (lead)

• Amount Raised: $100 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Growth (equity funding)

• Funding Date: June 2, 2025

Funding Summary Table