Top Startup and Tech Funding News – September 25, 2025

It’s Thursday, September 25, 2025, and we’re back with the top startup and tech funding news shaping the day. From billion-dollar AI compute infrastructure to fintech, drones, regtech, and space debris cleanup, investors are spreading capital across both headline-grabbing rounds and gritty early-stage plays.

Today’s highlights feature Nscale’s record-breaking $1.1 billion Series B — the largest in European history — alongside Auterion’s $130 million raise to expand its drone swarm software. Tether is reportedly lining up a $15–20 billion private placement that could value the company at nearly half a trillion dollars. On the earlier-stage front, Factory pulled in $50 million to advance AI coding agents, while Doorstep, Burnt, and BeeSpeaker secured fresh seed capital across delivery, food supply chains, and language learning.

Funding Highlights

• Nscale raised $1.1 billion in Series B funding, marking the largest Series B in European history.

• Auterion secured $130 million to scale its AI-driven drone swarm defense platform.

• Tether is pursuing $15–20 billion in private funding at a valuation near $500 billion.

• Factory landed $50 million in Series B financing to push its AI coding agents into the enterprise.

• Doorstep raised $8 million to tackle last-mile delivery disputes with sensor-based tracking.

Investor Activity

The day’s financings drew in some of the biggest names across venture capital and corporate investing, including Sequoia, NEA, Bessemer, Balderton, and Paradigm. Strategic players like Microsoft, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Dell doubled down on AI infrastructure, while emerging managers such as Ember VC and Penny Jar Capital backed early-stage bets in consumer social and food supply chains.

Together, these deals highlight sustained investor conviction across AI infrastructure, defense tech, fintech, and frontier markets like space services and EV mobility — proving capital is still flowing into both moonshots and practical, execution-driven ventures.

Here’s the full breakdown. Until tomorrow, have a good one.

Juicebox Raises $30M in Series A Funding to Build AI-Powered Recruiting Search

Juicebox, a San Francisco startup building an AI-driven candidate search engine for recruiters, today announced a $30 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Sequoia Capital and brings Juicebox’s total funding to $36 million. Co-founders David Paffenholz and Ishan Gupta say the AI platform can sift through resumes and profiles to surface qualified candidates that keyword-based search might miss.

Juicebox will use the new capital to scale operations and continue enhancing its large-language-model-powered hiring tools. “The new funding will be used to scale our team, invest in the Juicebox Agent, and continue building the future of AI-powered recruiting,” the company said in a statement.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Juicebox

• Investors: Sequoia Capital (lead)

• Amount Raised: $30 million

• Total Raised: $36 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Corintis Raises $24M Series A for Liquid Chip Cooling Tech

Corintis, a Swiss semiconductor cooling startup, secured $24 million in a Series A round to further develop its microfluidic liquid cooling solutions for chips. The funding was led by BlueYard Capital, with participation from Founderful, Acequia Capital, Celsius Industries and XTX Ventures. Corintis will use the proceeds to expand its engineering team, scale up manufacturing of its cooling modules, and establish a U.S. presence. The company’s technology aims to improve heat removal in data-center chips by a factor of three, a critical advancement for high-performance computing.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Corintis

• Investors: BlueYard Capital (lead), Founderful, Acequia Capital, Celsius Industries, XTX Ventures

• Amount Raised: $24 million

• Total Raised: $33.4 million (including pre-seed)

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Burnt Raises $3.8M Seed to Automate Food Supply Chains

Burnt, an AI startup automating global food distribution, announced a $3.8 million seed round. The round was led by Penny Jar Capital, with Scribble Ventures, Formation VC, and angel backer Dan Scheinman among the investors. Burnt’s platform uses AI agents to process orders and logistics tasks that are traditionally handled manually in the food industry. The founders say the new funding will expand their AI agent platform, which integrates with existing ERP systems to drastically speed up order processing and reduce errors.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Burnt

• Investors: Penny Jar Capital (lead), Scribble Ventures, Formation VC, Dan Scheinman (angel)

• Amount Raised: $3.8 million

• Total Raised: $3.8 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Sunhat Raises €9.2M in Series A Funding for AI-Driven ESG Compliance

German regtech Sunhat raised €9.2 million in a Series A round led by CommerzVentures. Existing backers Capnamic, EnBW New Ventures, xdeck, and WEPA Ventures also participated. Cologne-based Sunhat offers an AI platform that helps enterprises automatically validate and share ESG and regulatory compliance data.

With the new funding, Sunhat plans to grow its team and deepen integrations with enterprise systems (e.g,. SharePoint) so that clients can instantly generate compliant ESG reports rather than manually compiling documents.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Sunhat

• Investors: CommerzVentures (lead), Capnamic, EnBW New Ventures, xdeck, WEPA Ventures

• Amount Raised: €9.2 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

SocialPost.ai Raises $1M in Seed Funding for AI Social Media Content Platform

Miami-based SocialPost.ai raised a $1 million seed round led by Ember Venture Capital. The AI startup’s platform automatically generates and schedules branded social media posts for small businesses, analyzing a brand’s voice and audience from its website and turning that into polished content.

Founder Gregory Henson said the new funding will help expand the team and accelerate feature development, such as advanced analytics and design tools. Ember VC partner Meredith Lu cited SocialPost.ai’s early traction (600 users in 3 months) as evidence that the tool meets a critical need for SMBs.

Funding Details:

• Startup: SocialPost.ai

• Investors: Ember Venture Capital (lead)

• Amount Raised: $1 million

• Total Raised: $1 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Auterion Raises $130M in Series B Funding for Drone Swarm Software

Auterion, a U.S. defense software startup, announced a $130 million Series B led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The round also included Lakestar, Mosaic Ventures, and Costanoa Ventures. Arlington-headquartered Auterion will use the proceeds to ramp up production of its AuterionOS platform and Nemyx AI defence drones, enabling swarms of unmanned vehicles across air, land, and sea.

The company’s CEO said the technology has already been deployed under Pentagon contracts, and the funding will help expand production for global defense and security customers.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Auterion

• Investors: Bessemer Venture Partners (lead), Lakestar, Mosaic Ventures, Costanoa Ventures

• Amount Raised: $130 million

• Total Raised: $130 million

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Tether Eyes $500B Valuation in $20B Private Funding

Stablecoin issuer Tether announced it is seeking $15–20 billion in private funding for about 3% of the company. The raise could value Tether near $500 billion if completed. CEO Paolo Ardoino confirmed talks with a selected group of institutional investors about the private placement.

Tether plans to use the infusion to expand its stablecoin and related ventures (such as telecom and AI projects) as part of a broader long-term growth strategy. This round would rank among the largest in crypto history.

The company’s roots go back to 2014, when it launched as RealCoin before rebranding as Tether later that year. Originally built on Bitcoin’s blockchain, USDT has since spread across Ethereum, TRON, EOS, Algorand, Solana, and Bitcoin Cash. That broad base has helped it remain the default on-ramp and settlement token for traders worldwide.

If the $20 billion deal goes through, Tether would move into rare territory, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Apple and Microsoft in terms of private-market valuation. Whether investors buy into that pitch remains to be seen—but the talks alone underscore how far the stablecoin has come from its modest start as RealCoin over a decade ago.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Tether

• Investors: Selected institutional investors (undisclosed)

• Amount Raised: $15–20 billion (target)

• Total Raised: N/A (private placement)

• Funding Stage: Private Placement

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Nscale Closes $1.1B in Series B Funding for AI Compute Infrastructure

UK-based Nscale closed a $1.1 billion Series B, the largest Series B in European history. The round was led by Norwegian energy firm Aker ASA, and drew support from Microsoft, OpenAI, Nvidia, Dell, Fidelity, G Squared, Nokia, Point72, Blue Owl, and T. Capital. Nscale is building AI-optimized data centers powered by renewable hydroelectric energy.

The funding will accelerate deployment of its “AI factory” supercomputing campuses (100,000 GPUs targeted) and expand its AI cloud platform. Partnerships with Aker/OpenAI and Microsoft will add hundreds of thousands of GPUs and a new AI supercomputer in the UK, respectively.

The latest raise comes just a week after Nscale locked in nearly $700 million from Nvidia and signed multibillion-dollar partnerships with Microsoft and OpenAI. The momentum underscores how quickly the company has gone from a spinout to a heavyweight in the scramble for GPU-driven capacity.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Nscale

• Investors: Aker ASA (lead); Microsoft; OpenAI; NVIDIA; Dell; Fidelity; G Squared; Nokia; Point72; Blue Owl; T. Capital

• Amount Raised: $1.1 billion

• Total Raised: $1.1 billion

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Revel8 Raises €7M in Seed Funding for AI Cybersecurity Training

Berlin-based Revel8 secured roughly €7 million in funding, including a €5.7 million seed round led by Peak. Fortino Capital, Merantix Capital, and various angel investors also participated. Revel8’s platform trains company employees to recognize and respond to AI-driven cyberattacks, effectively turning users into “human firewalls.”

Revel8 will use the fresh capital infusion to accelerate product development and expansion into new markets.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Revel8

• Investors: Peak (lead); Fortino Capital; Merantix Capital; business angels

• Amount Raised: €5.7 million

• Total Raised: €7 million (including convertible notes)

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Light Raises $30M in Series A Funding for AI-Native Finance Platform

Copenhagen-based Light raised $30 million in a Series A round to modernize financial operations with AI. The round was led by Balderton Capital, with Atomico, Cherry Ventures, Seedcamp, and Entrée Capital joining. Light’s platform is built from scratch to automate multi-entity accounting and cross-border payments for fast-growing companies.

With the new capital, Light plans to open a New York office and triple its engineering team by mid-2026, as it rolls out features to further streamline global finance workflows.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Light

• Investors: Balderton Capital (lead); Atomico; Cherry Ventures; Seedcamp; Entrée Capital

• Amount Raised: $30 million

• Total Raised: $30 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Factory Raises $50M in Series B Funding to Build AI Coding Agents

Factory, a San Francisco startup building “agent-native” software development tools, announced a $50 million Series B led by NEA. Sequoia Capital, J.P. Morgan, Nvidia, Abstract Ventures, and Mantis Ventures also invested, alongside angel backers like Frank Slootman, Nikesh Arora, and Aaron Levie. Factory’s AI “Droid” agents recently topped an industry benchmark for coding tasks.

Factory will use the new funds (at a ~$300M valuation) will accelerate product development and support enterprise rollouts at companies such as MongoDB, Bayer, and Zapier.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Factory

• Investors: NEA (lead); Sequoia Capital; J.P. Morgan; Nvidia; Abstract Ventures; Mantis Ventures; Frank Slootman; Nikesh Arora; Aaron Levie

• Amount Raised: $50 million

• Total Raised: $50 million

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Divine Raises $6.6M in Seed Funding for Undercollateralized Lending

Divine, a crypto-finance startup, raised $6.6 million in seed funding led by Paradigm. The round also included crypto fund Nascent and other angel investors. Divine’s flagship product, “Credit,” is an undercollateralized lending protocol that assesses borrower reliability via on-chain behavior rather than traditional credit scores.

Since its December 2024 launch, Credit has issued over 175,000 small loans to underserved borrowers in markets like Argentina and Nigeria. The new funds will enable Divine to scale the protocol and hire additional engineers.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Divine

• Investors: Paradigm (lead); Nascent; angel investors

• Amount Raised: $6.6 million

• Total Raised: $6.6 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Doorstep Raises $8M Seed to Improve Delivery Tracking

Doorstep, a New York startup tackling “last-mile” delivery issues, announced an $8 million seed round led by Canaan Partners. Other investors include Antler, Cercano Management, Cassius, and Sean Henry (a scout at Kleiner Perkins). Doorstep’s software integrates with delivery apps and uses phone sensors to track couriers inside buildings. By recording when a driver enters a building and reaches a destination, Doorstep provides verifiable data to reduce delivery disputes and fraud. The startup will use the funding to move its system from pilot to full production and expand its engineering team.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Doorstep

• Investors: Canaan Partners (lead); Antler; Cercano Management; Cassius; Sean Henry (angel)

• Amount Raised: $8 million

• Total Raised: $8 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Simple Energy Raises $10M Bridge for EV Expansion

Indian electric vehicle maker Simple Energy raised $10 million in a bridge round. The round was led by existing investor Dr. Arokiaswamy “A.V.” Velumani (founder of Thyrocare) and included participation from Balamurugan Arumugam and the Haran family office. Simple Energy will use about 80% of the funds to expand its sales and service network across India, aiming to grow from its current 53 stores toward a goal of 150 showrooms and 200 service centers by year-end.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Simple Energy

• Investors: Arokiaswamy Velumani (lead); Balamurugan Arumugam; Haran family office

• Amount Raised: $10 million

• Total Raised: $10 million

• Funding Stage: Bridge

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Handpickd Raises $15M Series A for Direct-Farm Delivery

Handpickd, a Bengaluru-based grocery startup, announced a $15 million Series A round led by Bertelsmann India Investments. Titan Capital’s Winners Fund and the company’s existing backers also took part. Handpickd enables same-day delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables by purchasing directly from farmers after customers order, eliminating the need for warehousing. The founders say the new capital will fund expansion into more cities, improve supply-chain technology, and hire engineering talent.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Handpickd

• Investors: Bertelsmann India Investments (lead); Titan Capital Winners Fund; existing investors

• Amount Raised: $15 million

• Total Raised: $15 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Cosmoserve Space Raises $3.17M Pre-Seed for Space Debris Cleanup

Cosmoserve Space, a Hyderabad startup founded by a former ISRO scientist, raised $3.17 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round. The round was led by investor Alan Rutledge and included AUM Ventures, Shakti VC, and Google’s early backer Ram Shriram. Cosmoserve is developing autonomous robotic spacecraft to capture and remove orbital debris that threatens satellites. The startup says the new funds will accelerate development of its debris-mitigation technology and roadmap toward commercial space servicing.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Cosmoserve Space

• Investors: Alan Rutledge (lead); AUM Ventures; Shakti VC; Ram Shriram

• Amount Raised: $3.17 million

• Total Raised: $3.17 million

• Funding Stage: Pre-Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

BeeSpeaker Raises €2M Seed for AI Language App

BeeSpeaker, a Polish-Swedish mobile app for language learning, raised €2 million in a seed round. The round was led by Movens Capital, with participation from SpeedUp Venture Capital Group and several international angel investors. BeeSpeaker’s AI-powered platform focuses on speaking practice, using virtual tutors that converse with users to build confidence. The company said it will use the funding to expand into its key markets and add new language courses, building on its early traction of 60,000 paying users worldwide.

Funding Details:

• Startup: BeeSpeaker

• Investors: Movens Capital (lead); SpeedUp Venture Capital; angel investors

• Amount Raised: €2 million

• Total Raised: €2 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Simple Energy Raises $10M Bridge for EV Expansion

Indian electric vehicle maker Simple Energy raised $10 million in a bridge round. The round was led by existing investor Dr. Arokiaswamy “A.V.” Velumani (founder of Thyrocare) and included participation from Balamurugan Arumugam and the Haran family office. Simple Energy will use about 80% of the funds to expand its sales and service network across India, aiming to grow from its current 53 stores toward a goal of 150 showrooms and 200 service centers by year-end.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Simple Energy

• Investors: Arokiaswamy Velumani (lead); Balamurugan Arumugam; Haran family office

• Amount Raised: $10 million

• Total Raised: $10 million

• Funding Stage: Bridge

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Handpickd Raises $15M Series A for Direct-Farm Delivery

Handpickd, a Bengaluru-based grocery startup, announced a $15 million Series A round led by Bertelsmann India Investments. Titan Capital’s Winners Fund and the company’s existing backers also took part. Handpickd enables same-day delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables by purchasing directly from farmers after customers order, eliminating the need for warehousing. The founders say the new capital will fund expansion into more cities, improve supply-chain technology, and hire engineering talent.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Handpickd

• Investors: Bertelsmann India Investments (lead); Titan Capital Winners Fund; existing investors

• Amount Raised: $15 million

• Total Raised: $15 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Cosmoserve Space Raises $3.17M Pre-Seed for Space Debris Cleanup

Cosmoserve Space, a Hyderabad startup founded by a former ISRO scientist, raised $3.17 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round. The round was led by investor Alan Rutledge and included AUM Ventures, Shakti VC, and Google’s early backer Ram Shriram. Cosmoserve is developing autonomous robotic spacecraft to capture and remove orbital debris that threatens satellites. The startup says the new funds will accelerate development of its debris-mitigation technology and roadmap toward commercial space servicing.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Cosmoserve Space

• Investors: Alan Rutledge (lead); AUM Ventures; Shakti VC; Ram Shriram

• Amount Raised: $3.17 million

• Total Raised: $3.17 million

• Funding Stage: Pre-Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

BeeSpeaker Raises €2M Seed for AI Language App

BeeSpeaker, a Polish-Swedish mobile app for language learning, raised €2 million in a seed round. The round was led by Movens Capital, with participation from SpeedUp Venture Capital Group and several international angel investors. BeeSpeaker’s AI-powered platform focuses on speaking practice, using virtual tutors that converse with users to build confidence. The company said it will use the funding to expand into its key markets and add new language courses, building on its early traction of 60,000 paying users worldwide.

Funding Details:

• Startup: BeeSpeaker

• Investors: Movens Capital (lead); SpeedUp Venture Capital; angel investors

• Amount Raised: €2 million

• Total Raised: €2 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: September 25, 2025

Tech Funding Summary Table