It’s Friday, September 5, 2025, and we’re back with the top startup and tech funding news stories that shaped the week. From multibillion-dollar AI financings and enterprise software bets to early-stage breakthroughs in healthtech, fintech, and developer tools, capital continued to pour across every stage and geography.

This week’s coverage spans Monday, September 1, through Friday, September 5, 2025, spotlighting both late-stage giants and scrappy up-and-comers. Anthropic led the headlines with a colossal $13 billion Series F at a $183 billion valuation, while Mistral AI is finalizing a €2 billion megadeal that would make it one of Europe’s most valuable startups. Sierra hit a $10 billion valuation with its $350 million round, ID.me raised $340 million to fight AI-driven identity fraud, and biotech player Treeline Biosciences emerged from stealth with a fresh $200 million.

Funding Highlights

• Anthropic dominated the week with a $13 billion Series F, cementing its position among the most valuable private AI companies.

• Mistral AI is closing a €2 billion round at a $14 billion valuation, reinforcing Europe’s growing role in frontier AI.

• Sierra raised $350 million at a $10 billion valuation to expand its enterprise AI agent platform.

• ID.me pulled in $340 million to scale AI-powered identity verification across government and healthcare.

• Treeline Biosciences emerged with $200 million to advance a multi-candidate oncology pipeline.

• Other major rounds included Baseten ($150M Series D), Enveda Biosciences ($150M Series D), and You.com ($150M Series C).

• Early-stage momentum stayed strong: Augment ($85M Series A), Intella ($12.5M Series A for Arabic voice AI), and Leo AI ($9.7M seed for generative 3D design) captured attention.

Investor Activity

The week drew participation from some of the most influential names in venture capital and beyond. ICONIQ Capital, Fidelity, Lightspeed, Benchmark, Bond, Premji Invest, and Tribe Capital anchored landmark rounds, while corporates like NVIDIA, Salesforce Ventures, and Saint-Gobain doubled down with strategic bets. Angels and operators — including Post Malone, Diplo, and former SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot — made appearances across consumer and enterprise seed rounds.

The spread once again revealed a barbell pattern: mega-rounds fueling capital-intensive AI and biotech companies alongside healthy seed and Series A activity in fintech, healthtech, and developer tools. Together, these financings show investors maintaining conviction in ambitious founders reshaping core infrastructure, software, and science.

Here’s the full breakdown. Until next week, have a great weekend.

Anthropic Secures $13B in Series F Funding to Scale AI Frontier

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI company behind the Claude chatbot, raised a colossal $13 billion Series F round at a $183 billion valuation. The funding – led by ICONIQ Capital with co-leads Fidelity and Lightspeed – positions Anthropic among the most valuable private tech companies.

The company’s CFO noted the “extraordinary confidence” from investors amid exponential growth in demand for Anthropic’s AI models. Anthropic plans to use the war chest to expand its AI infrastructure, deepen its AI safety research, and support international expansion as enterprises increasingly rely on its Claude AI platform.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Anthropic

• Investors: ICONIQ Capital (lead); Fidelity Management & Research; Lightspeed Venture Partners; and others including BlackRock, Blackstone, Coatue, General Catalyst, GIC, T. Rowe Price, and the Qatar Investment Authority.

• Amount Raised: $13 billion

• Total Raised: ~$16.5 billion (estimated)

• Funding Stage: Series F

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

Mistral AI Finalizing €2B Megadeal at $14B Valuation

Paris-based Mistral AI is reportedly on the cusp of closing a monumental €2 billion funding round that would value the two-year-old startup at around $14 billion. Founded by former DeepMind and Meta researchers, Mistral is known for open-source large language models and its “Le Chat” chatbot.

While the company hasn’t confirmed the deal, it would mark one of Europe’s largest tech financings ever. The late-stage round involves a consortium of global investors (details undisclosed) and follows previous backing from Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst. If completed, this infusion will give Mistral ample capital to accelerate AI research and infrastructure, cementing Europe’s growing presence in the AI arms race.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Mistral AI

• Investors: Undisclosed consortium (previous backers include Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst)

• Amount Raised: ~€2 billion (approx. $2.2 billion)

• Total Raised: ~€1.1 billion (before this round)

• Funding Stage: Late-stage (rumored)

• Funding Date: Sept 3–4, 2025 (in progress)

Sierra Raises $350M in Funding to Scale Enterprise AI Agent Platform

Sierra, the enterprise AI startup co-founded by ex-Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor, announced a $350 million raise at a $10 billion valuation. The San Francisco-based company, which builds custom AI agents for customer service and other business functions, secured the funding in a round led by Greenoaks Capital.

Just 18 months since launch, Sierra already serves hundreds of large-enterprise customers with its “Agent OS” platform. The new capital will be used to double down on product development, scale U.S. operations, and expand into Europe and Asia to meet surging demand for AI customer-service agents.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Sierra

• Investors: Greenoaks Capital (lead); existing investors doubling down (others not disclosed)

• Amount Raised: $350 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed (startup is ~18 months old)

• Funding Stage: Series B / growth round

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

ID.me Lands $340M in Funding to Boost AI-Powered Identity Verification

ID.me, a McLean, VA-based digital identity verification startup, secured a hefty $340 million funding round to expand its secure ID platform. The round – a combination of equity and credit – was led by fintech-focused Ribbit Capital alongside existing backers Ares Capital and Moonshots Capital, with new investor Positive Sum joining in.

Used by over 150 million people (including for government and healthcare logins), ID.me’s digital wallet has been critical in preventing identity fraud (over $270 billion in unemployment fraud stopped). CEO Blake Hall said the fresh capital will fuel new AI-driven security features as “fraud is evolving at the speed of AI – and so are we,” positioning ID.me at the forefront of combating online identity fraud.

Funding Details:

• Startup: ID.me

• Investors: Ribbit Capital (lead); Ares Capital; Moonshots Capital; Positive Sum

• Amount Raised: $340 million

• Total Raised: ~ $500 million (estimated)

• Funding Stage: Series E

• Funding Date: Sept 3, 2025

Treeline Biosciences Emerges with $200M in Funding for Cancer Drug Pipeline

Treeline Biosciences, a secretive biotech startup based in Watertown, MA, has come out of stealth armed with $200 million in funding to advance its portfolio of cancer drug candidates. Co-founded by former Loxo Oncology and Novartis executives, Treeline had been operating quietly since 2021 and amassed roughly $1.1 billion in total capital from deep-pocketed investors like Arch Venture Partners, OrbiMed, and GV (Google Ventures).

Unlike traditional biotechs betting on a single drug, Treeline has been developing multiple therapies in parallel – it now has three cancer treatments in Phase 1 trials (targeting tough mutations like KRAS) and a fourth nearing the clinic. The new $200M infusion will bankroll these early trials and further pipeline expansion as Treeline aims to invent multiple breakthrough medicines in parallel.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Treeline Biosciences

• Investors: Arch Venture Partners; OrbiMed; GV; and others (about 12 investors total)

• Amount Raised: $200 million

• Total Raised: ~$1.1 billion

• Funding Stage: Undisclosed (Stealth/Growth)

• Funding Date: Sept 3, 2025

Ortivity Receives €200M in Funding to Expand German Healthtech Platform

Ortivity, a Munich-based healthtech startup focused on outpatient orthopedic care, has raised €200 million (~$215 million) in a new funding round to accelerate its growth across Germany. The investment was led by Ortivity’s majority owner, Apheon, with participation from Swiss firm Unigestion.

Founded in 2022 with healthcare veteran Dr. Reinhard Wichels, Ortivity has rapidly acquired and integrated over 100 orthopedic clinics and surgery centers across multiple German states. By uniting diagnostics, surgery, and rehab under one umbrella, Ortivity aims to modernize Germany’s fragmented outpatient care market.

With this hefty new funding and a new co-CEO on board, Ortivity plans to expand into additional regions, enhance its medical service offerings, and solidify its position as a tech-enabled healthcare leader in Europe.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Ortivity

• Investors: Apheon (lead); Unigestion

• Amount Raised: €200 million (approximately $215 million)

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Not disclosed (Growth/Strategic)

• Funding Date: Sept 3, 2025

Baseten Banks $150M in Series D Funding for AI Model Deployment Platform

Baseten, a San Francisco-based startup that helps companies deploy and manage AI models, has secured $150 million in a Series D funding round to push the boundaries of AI infrastructure. The round was led by Bond (the growth fund led by former Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker), and reportedly values Baseten at $2.15 billion.

It comes just six months after Baseten’s previous raise, nearly tripling the company’s valuation as demand soars for reliable AI inference solutions. The new funding – which brings Baseten’s total raised to over $285 million – will fuel further development of its platform, enabling enterprises to deploy open-source and custom AI models at scale with high performance and lower cost.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Baseten

• Investors: Bond (lead); CapitalG (Alphabet’s growth fund); Premji Invest; Scribble Ventures; others

• Amount Raised: $150 million

• Total Raised: ~$285 million

• Funding Stage: Series D

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

Enveda Biosciences Raises $150M in Funding to Advance AI-Driven Drug Discovery

Enveda Biosciences, a Boulder, CO-based biotech startup, raised $150 million in Series D financing to expand its AI-powered drug discovery platform. The round was led by Premji Invest (the family office of billionaire Azim Premji) and included a mix of tech and biotech investors like Kinnevik, Dimension, and Lux Capital.

Enveda uses machine learning to mine nature’s chemical diversity – essentially “what life has already created” – to find new therapeutic molecules. The fresh funding doubles the capital Enveda has raised this year, enabling the startup to advance multiple drug programs (one lead candidate for atopic dermatitis is already in Phase 1b trials) and bring several new AI-identified compounds into human testing over the next year. The company has now raised about $300 million in total and even attracted former Pfizer R&D chief Mikael Dolsten to join its board.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Enveda Biosciences

• Investors: Premji Invest (lead); Kinnevik; Dimension; Lux Capital; and others

• Amount Raised: $150 million

• Total Raised: ~$517 million (over multiple rounds)

• Funding Stage: Series D

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

You.com Closes $150M in Series C Funding to Scale AI Search Services

You.com, the Palo Alto-based AI search engine startup, secured $150 million in a Series C round to expand its enterprise AI search platform. The financing was led by Cox Enterprises via its new tech fund, Socium Ventures, with participation from Georgian, Salesforce Ventures, and Norwest. You.com initially launched as a consumer web search engine with AI chat features, but it has since pivoted to provide infrastructure for businesses – now handling over 1 billion AI API queries per month.

With this funding, which reportedly values the company at around $1.5 billion, You.com will scale up its search-as-a-service platform for enterprise customers, enabling organizations to integrate real-time web data and custom AI models into their apps while maintaining privacy and accuracy.

Funding Details:

• Startup: You.com

• Investors: Cox Enterprises / Socium Ventures (lead); Georgian; Salesforce Ventures; Norwest Venture Partners

• Amount Raised: $150 million

• Total Raised: ~ $200 million

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

Kapital Gets $100M in Series C Funding, Becomes Latest Fintech Unicorn

Kapital (also known as Kapital Bank), a Mexico City-based fintech startup, raised up to $100 million in Series C funding to fuel its growth as a digital banking platform. The round was led by Tribe Capital, with co-lead Pelion Ventures and participation from Y Combinator, Marbruck, and True Arrow Ventures.

The new investment reportedly values Kapital above $1 billion, making it one of Mexico’s newest fintech unicorns. Founded in 2020, Kapital offers a super-app for financial services – including digital accounts, payments, and credit – tailored to both consumers and SMEs in Latin America. The company will use the funds to expand its product offerings and reach across the region, capitalizing on a booming demand for modern financial services in Mexico and beyond.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Kapital (Kapital Bank)

• Investors: Tribe Capital (lead); Pelion Ventures (co-lead); Y Combinator; Marbruck; True Arrow Ventures

• Amount Raised: $100 million

• Total Raised: ~$160 million (estimated)

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

Galvanize Therapeutics Nets $100M in Funding for Pulsed Electric Field Therapy

Redwood City, CA-based Galvanize Therapeutics raised $100 million in a Series C financing to advance its pulsed electric field therapy for serious diseases. The oversubscribed round was led by Sofinnova Partners, a European life sciences investor, and coincided with Galvanize naming former Shockwave Medical CEO Doug Godshall as its new chief executive.

Galvanize is developing a novel medical device (the “Nidra” system) that uses targeted electrical pulses to treat cancerous tumors and chronic lung conditions in a minimally invasive way. With this funding, the company will accelerate U.S. commercialization of its therapy for restless legs syndrome and beyond, scale up clinical trials in lung cancer, and seek regulatory approvals.

The raise brings Galvanize’s total funding to date over $180 million and underscores investor enthusiasm for medtech innovations at the intersection of oncology and pulmonology.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Galvanize Therapeutics

• Investors: Sofinnova Partners (lead); additional participants not disclosed (oversubscribed round)

• Amount Raised: $100 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed (estimated $180M+ including prior rounds)

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: Sept 3, 2025

Augment Snags $85M in Series A Funding to Automate Logistics with AI

Augment, an AI logistics startup based in San Francisco, hauled in $85 million in a Series A round to scale its automation platform for freight and shipping. The round was led by Redpoint Ventures and joined by 8VC, Shopify Ventures, Autotech Ventures, and others. Notably, Augment had just raised a $25M seed five months prior – the rapid follow-on investment reflects strong momentum.

Co-founded by Harish Abbott (previously of Deliverr), Augment’s platform deploys an AI “teammate” called Augie to automate tedious logistics workflows, from gathering freight quotes to tracking shipments and processing invoices. With the new funds, Augment plans to aggressively hire and integrate Augie across the end-to-end freight process, helping shippers, brokers, and carriers streamline operations in an industry still rife with manual processes.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Augment

• Investors: Redpoint Ventures (lead); 8VC; Shopify Ventures; Autotech Ventures; others

• Amount Raised: $85 million

• Total Raised: $110 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

Exa Raises $85M in Series B Funding to Build the “Search Engine for AI”

Exa, a San Francisco-based startup reimagining web search for AI applications, announced an $85 million Series B funding round led by Benchmark. The raise values Exa at roughly $700 million – a tenfold jump from its prior round – and included participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, NVIDIA, and Y Combinator.

Co-founded in 2021, Exa has developed a novel search engine and API designed for use by AI systems rather than humans. Its technology lets AI models query the live web for up-to-date information without the noise of ads or SEO spam. Thousands of AI-driven apps and enterprises already rely on Exa’s search-as-a-service to augment large language models with real-time knowledge.

With veteran VC Peter Fenton (Benchmark) joining its board, Exa will use the funds to scale up its web-crawling infrastructure, index far more of the internet’s data, and grow its team – all in pursuit of becoming the go-to “Google for the AI era.”

Funding Details:

• Startup: Exa

• Investors: Benchmark (lead); Lightspeed Venture Partners; NVIDIA; Y Combinator

• Amount Raised: $85 million

• Total Raised: ~$102 million

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: Sept 3, 2025

Sesh+ Secures $40M in Funding to Scale Tobacco-Free Nicotine Pouches

Sesh+, an Austin, Texas-based startup offering premium tobacco-free nicotine pouches, announced it has raised over $40 million in total funding to fuel its growth. The latest financing was led by 8VC and joined by an eclectic group of investors, including Electric Feel Ventures (known for backing consumer brands) and musicians-turned-investors Post Malone and Diplo.

Sesh+ produces nicotine pouches that provide a smokeless, tobacco-free alternative for nicotine users, focusing on high-quality flavors and ingredients. With this infusion, the company plans to ramp up production, expand distribution nationally (and internationally), and invest in marketing to capture more of the modern oral nicotine market. The funding also positions Sesh+ to compete with Big Tobacco’s nicotine pouch brands by emphasizing a cleaner, premium product.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Sesh+

• Investors: 8VC (lead); Troy Link (Jack Link’s); Electric Feel Ventures; and celebrity investors, including Post Malone and Diplo

• Amount Raised: $40 million (total funding)

• Total Raised: $40+ million (this is the first major funding disclosed)

• Funding Stage: N/A (Strategic/Growth)

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

Ketryx Gets $39M in Series B Funding to Advance AI Compliance in Life Sciences

Ketryx, a Boston-based startup providing AI-powered compliance infrastructure for life sciences companies, raised $39 million in a Series B round. The funding was led by Transformation Capital, with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, MIT’s E14 Fund, Ubiquity Ventures, and 53 Stations VC. Ketryx’s platform helps biotech and pharmaceutical firms manage regulatory compliance and quality processes using automation and machine learning – a critical need in heavily regulated R&D environments.

The company will use the $39M to accelerate product development and customer growth, ensuring that drug and device makers can keep up with complex compliance requirements more efficiently. This round brings Ketryx’s total funding to roughly $55 million and underscores investor appetite for vertical AI solutions in the pharmaceutical sector.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Ketryx

• Investors: Transformation Capital (lead); Lightspeed Venture Partners; MIT E14; Ubiquity; 53 Stations

• Amount Raised: $39 million

• Total Raised: $55+ million

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

Noctrix Health Raises $33.5M in Funding for Restless Legs Therapy (Equity + Debt)

Noctrix Health, a Silicon Valley medical device startup, secured up to $33.5 million in a combination of equity and debt financing to accelerate U.S. commercialization of its novel therapy for Restless Legs Syndrome. The financing includes equity funding led by the Blue Venture Fund and Sandbox Clinical Ventures, along with debt funding from Bridge Bank.

Noctrix has developed the Nidra wearable device, which delivers a non-invasive neuromodulation therapy (TOMAC) to relieve Restless Legs Syndrome symptoms. With this capital, Noctrix will scale manufacturing, pursue FDA clearance, and expand its team to bring the Nidra therapy to the millions of RLS sufferers in the U.S. The company also announced additions to its leadership team to guide this next phase of growth. This round brings Noctrix’s total funding to about $94 million, including prior investments.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Noctrix Health

• Investors: Blue Venture Fund; Sandbox Clinical Ventures; Bridge Bank (debt financing)

• Amount Raised: $33.5 million (equity + debt)

• Total Raised: ~$94 million (including prior rounds)

• Funding Stage: Series B (Debt & Equity round)

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

Predoc Grabs $30M in Funding to Automate Healthcare Records with AI

Predoc, a New York-based healthtech startup, raised $30 million in combined seed and Series A funding to streamline healthcare data management through AI. The round was led by Base10 Partners and joined by Northzone, ENIAC Ventures, ERA, and prominent healthtech angels. Predoc’s AI-powered platform automates the traditionally tedious process of chasing down medical records and paperwork, aiming to eliminate the administrative burden in patient referrals and care coordination.

By using machine learning to digitize and organize health information, Predoc helps hospitals and clinics access the documents they need in seconds rather than days. The new funding will be used to scale the platform’s deployment across healthcare systems and ensure compliance with strict health data privacy standards.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Predoc

• Investors: Base10 Partners (lead); Northzone; ENIAC Ventures; ERA; and health industry angel investors (e.g., execs from Flatiron Health, Datavant)

• Amount Raised: $30 million (includes seed + Series A)

• Total Raised: $30 million (to date)

• Funding Stage: Series A (plus prior seed)

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

FriendliAI Raises $20M in Funding to Scale Cloud AI Infrastructure (Seed Extension)

FriendliAI, a Seoul-based AI infrastructure startup, secured $20 million in a seed extension round to grow its platform for AI developers. The round was led by Capstone Partners and included participation from Sierra Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and Korea-based investors KDB and KB Securities. FriendliAI is the company behind PeriFlow, an AI development platform that helps enterprises deploy and manage large AI models efficiently.

The new funding brings FriendliAI’s total funding to roughly $26 million and will be used to accelerate product development and global go-to-market efforts. With cloud infrastructure needs for AI exploding, FriendliAI aims to provide optimized tools for model training, inference, and deployment that can save companies time and cost. The capital will also support the startup’s expansion into the U.S. and other markets where demand for AI infrastructure is high.

Funding Details:

• Startup: FriendliAI

• Investors: Capstone Partners (lead); Sierra Ventures; Alumni Ventures; KDB Investment; KB Securities

• Amount Raised: $20 million

• Total Raised: ~$26 million

• Funding Stage: Seed Extension

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

Fiveonefour Picks Up $17M in Funding to Advance AI Developer Tools

Fiveonefour, a Portland, OR-based startup specializing in data analytics tools for software developers, announced it has raised $17 million in funding. (The company did not disclose the lead investors of this round publicly.) Fiveonefour provides a platform that uses AI to help development teams analyze their code and application data for insights – for example, identifying inefficiencies or bugs more quickly.

The $17M infusion will be used to enhance Fiveonefour’s product and hire engineering talent as it expands its “AI for devs” toolset. The startup’s goal is to streamline the debugging and optimization process for software teams by delivering intelligent analytics and recommendations. With this new capital, Fiveonefour is poised to scale its user base and compete in the growing market for developer-focused AI solutions.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Fiveonefour

• Investors: Not disclosed (mix of VCs and angels)

• Amount Raised: $17 million

• Total Raised: $17 million

• Funding Stage: N/A (early-stage funding)

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

Intella Lands $12.5M in Series A Funding to Dominate Arabic Speech AI

Intella, a Riyadh-based artificial intelligence startup, raised $12.5 million in Series A funding to advance its cutting-edge Arabic speech recognition platform. The round was led by Prosus Ventures (the venture arm of Napers), with participation from 500 Global, Saudi’s Wa’ed Ventures, Hala Ventures, Idrisi, and HearstLab.

Founded in 2021, Intella has developed proprietary speech-to-text AI models that cover 25+ Arabic dialects with world-class accuracy (~95.7%). Its software is already used for transcribing calls, powering virtual assistants, and analyzing customer interactions in Arabic-speaking markets.

With this new capital, Intella will double down on R&D, expand its product offerings, and hire talent to meet growing regional demand for localized voice AI solutions. The strong investor syndicate underscores the promise of Intella’s mission to bring human-level Arabic voice tech to businesses and governments across the Middle East.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Intella

• Investors: Prosus Ventures (lead); 500 Global; Wa’ed Ventures; Hala Ventures; Idrisi Ventures; HearstLab

• Amount Raised: $12.5 million

• Total Raised: $16.9 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

WheelsOn Drives Off with $12.5M in Funding to Scale On-Demand Car Rentals

WheelsOn, a Dubai-based digital car rental platform, has raised $12.5 million in fresh funding to accelerate its expansion across the UAE and the broader Middle East. The funding is a mix of equity and debt: about $2.2M in equity from private Middle Eastern investors (including partners of Xploration Capital) and $10.3M in fleet financing (a combination of $6.5M earmarked for vehicle purchases and $4M in local bank loans).

Founded in 2023, WheelsOn owns and operates its car fleet, offering a mobile-first rental experience with high-quality vehicles, transparent pricing (no hidden fees), and 24/7 support. Customers – from tourists to businesses – can rent cars via the app and have them delivered on demand. With the new funds, WheelsOn will acquire more vehicles, speed up product development, and expand to new cities as it aims to modernize car rentals in the region through technology and superior service.

Funding Details:

• Startup: WheelsOn

• Investors: Private MENA investors (lead equity contributors, including Xploration Capital partners); local UAE banks (providing debt financing)

• Amount Raised: $12.5 million (equity + debt)

• Total Raised: $12.5 million

• Funding Stage: Early-stage (Equity & Debt round)

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

LightYX Lights Up $11M in Series A Funding to Modernize Construction Layout

LightYX, an Israeli construction tech startup, has raised $11 million in Series A funding to accelerate the global rollout of its laser-guided layout system for building sites. The round was led by NOVA by Saint-Gobain (the venture arm of construction materials giant Saint-Gobain), with participation from Yachad Ventures (U.S.), Shibumi Ventures, Somersault Ventures, and strategic angels in the construction industry.

LightYX’s device projects precise laser outlines of architectural plans directly onto construction surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings), showing crews exactly where to position elements like walls, pipes, and conduits with 1/16-inch accuracy. This replaces old-school chalk lines and manual measuring, dramatically reducing errors and rework. The startup, founded in 2019, will use the funds to enhance its hardware/software, expand marketing, and meet rising demand from contractors worldwide looking to improve productivity and accuracy on job sites.

Funding Details:

• Startup: LightYX

• Investors: NOVA by Saint-Gobain (lead); Yachad Ventures; Shibumi Ventures; Somersault Ventures; industry angel investors

• Amount Raised: $11 million

• Total Raised: ~$11 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: Sept 3, 2025

Tangany Closes €10M in Series A Funding to Scale Crypto Custody Platform

Tangany, a Munich, Germany-based fintech startup, raised €10 million (~$10.8 million) in Series A funding to expand its regulated digital asset custody platform. The round was led by German banking player Baader Bank, with participation from Elevator Ventures (Raiffeisen Bank’s VC arm), Heliad Crypto Partners (Heliad AG’s digital asset arm), and existing backers High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Nauta Capital.

Tangany offers a B2B white-label solution that allows banks, brokers, and fintechs to securely integrate cryptocurrencies, tokenized securities, and NFTs into their services via an API, while Tangany handles the custody and compliance. The company has seen assets under custody surge from €400M in 2022 to over €3 billion now, serving 60+ institutional clients, including platforms like eToro and Bitvavo.

With the new funding, Tangany aims to cement its position as a leading crypto custodian in Europe, scaling its tech and operations as the EU’s forthcoming MiCA regulations make licensed crypto custody even more vital.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Tangany

• Investors: Baader Bank (lead); Elevator Ventures (Raiffeisen Bank); Heliad Crypto Partners; HTGF; Nauta Capital

• Amount Raised: €10 million (approx. $10.8 M)

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

Boost My School Raises $10M in Funding to Modernize K–12 Fundraising

Boost My School, an edtech startup transforming how K–12 schools raise money, secured $10 million in fresh funding to expand its all-in-one fundraising platform. The New York-based company was founded by Holman Gao after he experienced firsthand the cumbersome process of school fundraisers. Boost My School provides an easy online platform for schools to run donation drives, sell event tickets, and engage alumni and parents year-round, replacing antiquated bake sales and paper pledge forms with a modern digital solution.

The $10M round was led by High Alpha (a venture studio) with participation from Far Out VC, Ground Game Ventures, Allos Ventures, and angel investor Scot Chisholm (co-founder of fundraising platform Classy). With this funding, Boost My School plans to grow its team, build new features, and scale to more schools and districts nationwide, ultimately helping educational institutions raise more funds with less hassle.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Boost My School

• Investors: High Alpha (lead); Far Out VC; Ground Game Ventures; Allos Ventures; Scot Chisholm (angel)

• Amount Raised: $10 million

• Total Raised: $10 million

• Funding Stage: N/A (Seed/Growth)

• Funding Date: Sept 4, 2025

iEduGPT Secures $10M in Seed Funding to Personalize Exam Prep with AI

Singapore-based edtech startup iEduGPT raised $10 million in seed funding to scale its AI-driven learning platform for professional and academic exam preparation. The round was led by New Wheel Capital, with participation from Baywise Capital, SWC Global, Uphonest Capital, K3 Ventures, and Welight.

Founded in 2024, iEduGPT uses adaptive AI algorithms to assess each student’s strengths and weaknesses, then crafts highly personalized study plans to maximize learning efficiency. It initially focused on rigorous finance certifications like the CFA and FRM exams. With the new funding, iEduGPT plans to broaden its content to include language proficiency tests and other academic subjects while accelerating its global rollout. The startup aims to transform exam prep from a one-size-fits-all grind into a tailored, AI-optimized experience for every learner.

Funding Details:

• Startup: iEduGPT

• Investors: New Wheel Capital (lead); Baywise Capital; SWC Global; Uphonest Capital; K3 Ventures; Welight

• Amount Raised: $10 million

• Total Raised: $10 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025

Leo AI Raises $9.7M in Seed Funding for Generative 3D Design “Copilot”

Leo AI, a Cambridge, MA-based startup building an AI “co-pilot” for mechanical design, raised $9.7 million in seed funding to expand its team and enter new markets. Founded by researchers in 2013, Leo has developed technology that lets engineers turn a simple sketch or even a text prompt into a detailed 3D model nearly instantaneously.

By automating what typically takes hours of manual CAD work, Leo’s platform can cut product design times by up to 70%. The seed round was led by Flint Capital, with participation from prominent co-investors including an Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) scout, TechAviv, Two Lanterns VC, former SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot, and Google AI exec Yossi Matias. Leo AI will use the funding to enhance its generative design product and bring its “mechanical GPT” solution to more enterprise customers in manufacturing and hardware development.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Leo AI

• Investors: Flint Capital (lead); an Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) scout; TechAviv; Two Lanterns VC; Bertrand Sicot; Prof. Yossi Matias

• Amount Raised: $9.7 million

• Total Raised: $9.7 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: Sept 2, 2025