Top Startup and Tech Funding News – October 9, 2025

It’s Thursday, October 9, 2025, and we’re back with the top startup and tech funding news stories making waves today. From multibillion-dollar AI labs and defense tech breakthroughs to fresh Series A bets in fintech, biotech, and workflow automation, investors showed no signs of slowing down. Capital continued to pour into both moonshot ventures and the infrastructure startups powering the next wave of innovation.

Today’s highlights span every stage and geography — with Reflection AI and Base Power leading the charge, while emerging players like Mentium, Knapsack, and Zingage secured strong early backing to redefine their industries.

Funding Highlights

• Reflection AI raised a staggering $2 billion Series B at an $8 billion valuation to develop open-source superintelligent models.

• Base Power secured $1 billion Series C to transform home energy storage and stabilize the U.S. grid.

• n8n landed $180 million Series C at a $2.5 billion valuation, expanding its AI workflow automation platform.

• Nilo Therapeutics launched from stealth with a $101 million Series A to pioneer neuro-immunology treatments.

• Stoke Space grabbed $510 million to scale development of its fully reusable rocket system.

• Other notable rounds included Spellbook ($50M Series B) for AI-driven legal workflows, FurtherAI ($25M Series A) to automate insurance operations, and Zingage ($12.5M seed) to streamline home healthcare coordination.

Investor Activity

The day saw participation from some of the most active names in venture capital — including Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, B Capital, Sequoia, NVIDIA’s NVentures, and Lux Capital — as well as strategic corporates like Lockheed Martin, Leonardo DRS, and Google’s CapitalG. Climate and defense tech attracted major institutional money, while insurance, fintech, and automation startups continued to draw early-stage enthusiasm.

Together, these deals show investors’ growing appetite for “real-economy” innovation — where software, AI, and physical systems intersect to solve hard problems.

Here’s the full breakdown. Until tomorrow, have a great evening.

Reflection AI Raises $2B in Series B Funding for Open-Source Superintelligence

Reflection AI, a Brooklyn-based AI startup co-founded by former Google DeepMind researchers Misha Laskin and Ioannis Antonoglou, has raised a colossal $2 billion in a Series B funding round at an $8 billion valuation. Barely a year old, the company is positioning itself as a major contender in the open-source AI race, aiming to build superintelligent foundation models that rival the likes of Meta’s Llama and China’s DeepSeek.

The funding – one of the largest ever for an open-source AI lab – drew participation from heavyweights including NVIDIA, B Capital, Citi, DST Global, Hillspire (Eric Schmidt’s family office), GIC, and 1789 Capital, alongside existing backers CRV, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Sequoia. With this massive infusion, Reflection plans to expand its research and development of large-scale AI models, doubling down on its mission to democratize AI by openly releasing advanced AI systems and allowing broader community oversight.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Reflection AI

• Investors: NVIDIA, Disruptive, B Capital, Citi Ventures, DST Global, Hillspire (Eric Schmidt), GIC, 1789 Capital, with existing backers CRV, Lightspeed, Sequoia Capital

• Amount Raised: $2 billion

• Total Raised: Approximately $2.13 billion (including this round)

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Base Power Secures $1B in Series C Funding to Transform Home Energy Storage

Base Power, an Austin-based energy startup modernizing the U.S. power grid, has secured a whopping $1 billion in Series C funding to accelerate deployment of home battery systems nationwide. The company, led by CEO Zach Dell, leases residential battery packs that provide homeowners with backup power and allow them to sell excess electricity back to the grid. By networking these distributed batteries, Base Power helps stabilize an aging, fragile grid and builds a virtual power plant of stored energy. The new round was led by Addition and joined by a who’s-who of climate and tech investors – from existing backers like Trust Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, Thrive Capital, Lightspeed, and Andreessen Horowitz, to new participants including Ribbit Capital, Google’s CapitalG, Spark Capital, Bond, Lowercarbon, Avenir, Glade Brook, Positive Sum, and 1789 Capital. The funds will fuel Base Power’s first major battery manufacturing factory (under construction in Austin) and scale up its engineering and operations teams as it seeks to “reindustrialize America and reinvent the grid” with domestic battery production.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Base Power

• Investors: Addition (lead), Trust Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, Thrive Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Ribbit Capital, CapitalG, Spark Capital, Bond, Lowercarbon Capital, Avenir, Glade Brook, Positive Sum, 1789 Capital

• Amount Raised: $1 billion

• Total Raised: Not disclosed (estimated to exceed $1.3 billion to date)

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

n8n Lands $180M in Series C Funding at $2.5B Valuation for Workflow AI Platform

Berlin-based startup n8n has raised $180 million in a Series C round led by Accel, valuing the workflow automation company at $2.5 billion. Aiming to bridge the gap between advanced AI agents and real-world business workflows, n8n’s platform helps enterprises orchestrate and integrate AI into their operations more seamlessly. The hefty raise – which catapults n8n into Europe’s upper echelon of AI startups – also saw participation from Meritech Capital, Redpoint Ventures, EVantic Capital, Visionaries Club, T. Capital, and NVIDIA’s NVentures, among others. With this new capital (bringing total funding to about $240 million), n8n plans to scale its “AI orchestration” tools and expand its global customer base beyond the 3,000 companies it already serves. The fresh funds will fuel product development that enables businesses to deploy AI in production with reliability, as n8n positions itself as a backbone for AI-driven processes in the enterprise.

Funding Details:

• Startup: n8n

• Investors: Accel (lead), Meritech Capital, Redpoint Ventures, EVantic Capital, Visionaries Club, T.Capital, NVentures (NVIDIA)

• Amount Raised: $180 million

• Total Raised: ~$240 million

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Stoke Space Grabs $510M in Funding to Scale Reusable Rockets

Stoke Space, a Kent, Washington-based rocket company building fully reusable launch vehicles, has raised a staggering $510 million in new funding to fuel its ambitious spaceflight plans. The massive round – described as “Seed funding” due to the company’s unconventional financing strategy – was led by Thomas Tull’s US Innovative Technology Fund and includes a $100 million debt facility from Silicon Valley Bank.

Stoke Space’s Nova rocket is designed to take payloads to orbit and return to Earth with aircraft-like rapid reusability, drastically lowering launch costs. With backing as well from U.S. government partners like the Space Force and NASA, Stoke will use the funds to accelerate development of Nova and build out manufacturing and test infrastructure. This raise brings Stoke’s total funding to about $990 million, positioning the company to make a leap toward its first orbital flights and meet growing demand for responsive, low-cost launches in the booming space economy.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Stoke Space Technologies

• Investors: US Innovative Technology Fund (lead), Silicon Valley Bank (debt facility)

• Amount Raised: $510 million

• Total Raised: $990 million (approximate)

• Funding Stage: Seed round

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Spellbook Snags $50M in Series B Funding to Automate Legal Contracts

Spellbook, a Toronto-based startup pioneering generative AI for transactional law, has secured $50 million in a Series B funding round to expand its AI-powered contract review platform. The company – which launched the first GPT-powered tool for lawyers in 2022 – uses large language models to help legal teams draft and analyze contracts faster, reducing drudgery and errors in deal-making. The new round was led by Keith Rabois of Khosla Ventures, a notable vote of confidence in legal AI technology.

Spellbook’s platform is already used by nearly 4,000 legal teams to streamline workflow, and the fresh capital will go toward making the product even more “data-driven” with real-time market data and attorney preferences informing its suggestions. With this funding, Spellbook aims to further develop its AI’s understanding of legal language and integrate more deeply into law firm workflows, solidifying its lead in the burgeoning legal tech sector.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Spellbook

• Investors: Khosla Ventures (lead – Keith Rabois)

• Amount Raised: $50 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

RealSense Raises $50M in Series A Funding to Advance Vision for Robots

RealSense, a San Francisco-based company specializing in AI-powered computer vision, has raised $50 million in Series A funding to accelerate the adoption of “physical AI” in robots and automation. Incubated out of Intel’s vision technology group, RealSense provides advanced depth cameras and perception software that help machines like autonomous mobile robots and drones understand and navigate the physical world.

The new funding – from undisclosed backers – will enable RealSense to bring its technology to more robotics developers and industries, shortening time-to-market for robots with human-like spatial awareness.

The company, led by CEO Nadav Orbach, also announced a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA to combine RealSense’s 3D vision systems with NVIDIA’s AI computing platform. With a global customer base of over 3,000 already and more than 80 patents, RealSense is now poised to scale production of its depth-sensing hardware and expand its platform as demand grows for smarter vision in automation.

Funding Details:

• Startup: RealSense

• Investors: Not disclosed (strategic collaboration announced with NVIDIA)

• Amount Raised: $50 million

• Total Raised: ~$50 million (first major funding round)

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Nilo Launches with $101M in Series A Funding to Harness Neuro-Immunology

Biotech startup Nilo Therapeutics emerged from stealth with a $101 million Series A financing to develop drugs that recalibrate the immune system via neural pathways. Based in New York City, Nilo is pioneering treatments that target the body’s neural circuits – specifically vagus nerve signaling – to restore immune balance in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

The hefty round was co-led by The Column Group (TCG), DCVC Bio, and Lux Capital, with participation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Alexandria Venture Investments. Nilo’s founding team includes renowned scientists from Columbia, Yale, and Harvard, and the startup has recruited former Novartis executive Kim Seth, Ph.D., as CEO to lead its transition from lab research to development programs.

With the funding, Nilo is setting up laboratories in NYC, hiring an interdisciplinary R&D team, and advancing preclinical trials of its novel neuro-immunology therapies. By modulating nerve signals that control immune responses, Nilo aims to offer a fresh therapeutic approach beyond traditional immunosuppressants, potentially addressing a wide range of diseases with high unmet need.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Nilo Therapeutics

• Investors: The Column Group (lead), DCVC Bio (lead), Lux Capital (lead), Gates Foundation, Alexandria Venture Investments

• Amount Raised: $101 million

• Total Raised: $101 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

HavocAI Scores $85M in Funding to Build AI-Powered Military Boats

HavocAI, a Rhode Island-based defense tech startup, has raised $85 million in funding to scale up production of its autonomous, AI-driven military boats. Co-founded by former U.S. Navy officers, HavocAI retrofits commercial vessels with proprietary AI autonomy software, dramatically cutting the cost and time needed to field unmanned naval craft. The funding round – which closed in late September but was announced on October 9 – includes investments from B Capital Group, mobility-focused fund UP.Partners, In-Q-Tel (the CIA’s venture arm), Lockheed Martin, and Taiwania Capital.

With this infusion, HavocAI plans to expand its fleet of robotic vessels, from small 14-foot “Rampage” unmanned boats (sold to the U.S. Navy for just $100k each) up to 100-foot autonomous ships for surveillance and patrol. The startup, launched in 2024, has quickly deployed over 20 vessels for the U.S. Army and Navy and even supports allied forces like Poland. HavocAI’s growth comes as armed forces seek cheaper, rapidly deployable systems under initiatives like the “Big Beautiful Bill” defense funding. The company’s total financing now approaches $100 million, positioning it at the forefront of the military’s shift toward AI-powered autonomous systems.

Funding Details:

• Startup: HavocAI

• Investors: B Capital Group, UP.Partners, In-Q-Tel, Lockheed Martin, Taiwania Capital

• Amount Raised: $85 million

• Total Raised: ~$100 million

• Funding Stage: Series B (venture round)

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

FurtherAI Raises $25M in Series A Funding to Automate Insurance Workflows

FurtherAI, a San Francisco-based insurtech startup, has raised $25 million in Series A funding to expand its AI platform for the insurance industry. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from Nexus Venture Partners and Y Combinator, among others. FurtherAI offers an AI-powered workspace tailored for insurance carriers and brokers, automating labor-intensive tasks like policy submission intake, coverage comparisons, claims processing, and compliance checks.

The fresh capital brings the company’s total funding to $30 million and will be used to grow its library of insurance-specific AI workflows and deepen integrations with insurers’ existing systems. Co-founded by Aman Gour and Sashank Gondala, FurtherAI already processes billions in insurance premiums annually for clients such as Accelerant and MSI. With the new funding, the startup plans to scale its go-to-market teams to meet surging demand, as the traditionally paper-heavy insurance sector races to adopt automation and AI.

Funding Details:

• Startup: FurtherAI

• Investors: Andreessen Horowitz (lead), Nexus Venture Partners, Y Combinator, others

• Amount Raised: $25 million

• Total Raised: $30 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Routefusion Rakes in $26.5M in Series A Funding for Cross-Border Fintech

Routefusion, an Austin, TX-based financial infrastructure startup, has closed a $26.5 million Series A round to grow its cross-border payments platform. The financing was led by PeakSpan Capital with participation from Silverton Partners, bringing Routefusion’s total funding to approximately $40.7 million.

Founded in 2018 by CEO Colton Seal, Routefusion provides a unified API that lets fintechs and businesses embed international banking services – from multi-currency accounts and forex to compliance – directly into their products. By tapping into a network of banking and payout partners, the platform enables services like global payroll, international transfers, and currency conversion without companies needing to integrate each provider separately.

With the new funding, Routefusion plans to accelerate expansion of its partner network, enhance its liquidity and compliance capabilities, and hire across product, engineering, and sales teams. The goal is to meet growing demand from fintech and enterprise customers seeking “international banking-as-a-service” solutions to go global faster.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Routefusion

• Investors: PeakSpan Capital (lead), Silverton Partners

• Amount Raised: $26.5 million

• Total Raised: $40.7 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Hoverfly Nets $20M in Series B Funding to Scale Tethered Drones

Hoverfly Technologies, a Florida-based maker of tethered drone systems for defense and security, has closed a $20 million Series B funding round to ramp up production of its UAV platforms. The financing was led by defense contractor Leonardo DRS – an existing investor that put in $15 million – joined by new partner Korea Robot Manufacturing (KRM), contributing the remaining $5 million.

Hoverfly’s drones, such as its “Sentry” and “Spectre” models, are unique unmanned aircraft that stay aloft via a tether providing continuous power and secure communications, enabling persistent aerial surveillance for military and homeland security applications. With the fresh funds, Hoverfly struck a manufacturing agreement with Leonardo DRS to expand production lines for its systems and will collaborate with KRM to establish a new U.S.-based facility for critical component manufacturing.

Led by CEO Steve Walters, Hoverfly plans to accelerate deliveries to meet growing demand from U.S. and allied defense customers seeking reliable eye-in-the-sky platforms that can operate for extended durations. The company’s Series B underscores investor confidence in tethered drones as a fast-growing niche in the broader military drone market.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Hoverfly Technologies

• Investors: Leonardo DRS (lead, $15M), Korea Robot Manufacturing (KRM)

• Amount Raised: $20 million

• Total Raised: Not disclosed

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Knapsack Packs $10M in Series A Funding to Streamline Product Design with AI

Knapsack, a Portland, Oregon-based startup, has raised $10 million in Series A funding to expand its intelligent product design platform. The round was led by Builders VC with participation from Crosslink Capital, Epic Ventures, Mana Venture, and Lorimer Ventures, and brings Knapsack’s total funding to $20.8 million to date.

Knapsack provides a real-time collaborative environment that connects design, code, and product teams through a shared system of UI components and documentation – essentially an “intelligent product engine” that helps companies build digital experiences up to 13× faster. CEO and co-founder Chris Strahl says the platform’s AI-native workflows allow product teams to generate and iterate on personalized user interface designs rapidly while ensuring consistency with brand and compliance standards.

With the new funding, Knapsack plans to enhance its enterprise infrastructure, launch new AI-driven features (it has an ingestion engine and composition playground in beta), and prepare for a wider release of its platform by early 2026. The goal is to help large organizations accelerate their software development cycles by unifying and automating the design-to-development process.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Knapsack

• Investors: Builders VC (lead), Crosslink Capital, Epic Ventures, Mana Venture, Lorimer Ventures

• Amount Raised: $10 million

• Total Raised: $20.8 million

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Mentium Raises $3.2M in Seed Funding to Bring AI “Digital Workers” to Logistics

Mentium, an Austin, TX-based startup building AI-powered “digital workers” for freight brokerages, has raised $3.2 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its platform. The round was led by venture firm Lerer Hippeau, with participation from Matchstick Ventures, Tower Research Capital, Antler, MBA Ventures, and angel investor Michael Witte (CEO of Equal Parts).

Mentium’s software deploys AI agents to automate the back-office drudgery in logistics companies – handling tasks like data entry, load matching, and paperwork – so that freight brokers can operate more efficiently and with fewer errors. Founded in 2023 by CEO Aziz Satarov and CTO Matthieu Berger, the company integrates with existing freight management systems to serve as a digital ops assistant, eliminating manual work and creating a single source of truth from fragmented data.

With the new seed capital, Mentium plans to expand its engineering team, speed up product development, and ramp up go-to-market efforts targeting freight and logistics firms looking to modernize their operations.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Mentium

• Investors: Lerer Hippeau (lead), Matchstick Ventures, Tower Research Capital, Antler, MBA Ventures, Michael Witte (angel)

• Amount Raised: $3.2 million

• Total Raised: $3.2 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Search Party Snags $3.5M in Funding to Help Brands Win in AI Search

San Francisco startup Search Party has raised $3.5 million in seed funding to help companies manage their visibility on AI-driven search and answer engines. The round was led by Fuse, a Seattle-based VC firm. Search Party’s platform is tackling the emerging field of “Generative Engine Optimization,” enabling brands to track and influence how they appear in AI assistants and large language model outputs (think ChatGPT, Bard, or Alexa’s answers).

The software reveals which sources AI systems draw information from about a company, then provides tools to create content and strategies to improve that presence – much like SEO for the AI era. Led by CEO Brandon Brown and CTO Ryan Brown, Search Party will use the funding to expand its operations and development team.

The startup is currently in beta with early users, offering analytics on AI queries and brand mentions along with automated prompts to boost a brand’s accuracy and prominence in AI-generated answers. As AI assistants increasingly shape consumer perceptions, Search Party aims to give brands control over their narrative in this new search landscape.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Search Party

• Investors: Fuse (lead)

• Amount Raised: $3.5 million

• Total Raised: $3.5 million

• Funding Stage: Seed/Angel

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Zingage Lands $12.5M in Seed Funding to Automate Home Healthcare Coordination

Zingage, a New York-based startup building an AI platform for home healthcare coordination, has raised $12.5 million in seed funding to modernize how home care agencies manage their operations. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from TQ Ventures, South Park Commons, WndrCo, and a group of strategic angels, including executives from fintech unicorn Ramp. Zingage’s platform uses AI “agents” to automate the logistics of home care – from filling last-minute caregiver call-outs and triaging patient emergencies to handling compliance paperwork and scheduling 24/7.

By replacing phone calls and spreadsheets with intelligent automation, Zingage helps home care providers reduce an industry-high 80% caregiver turnover and serve more patients needing in-home care. CEO and co-founder Victor Hunt (a repeat founder who previously built and sold Astorian) started Zingage after seeing family members struggle with unreliable home care support.

With the new funding, Zingage will expand its platform – already used by 400+ home care agencies coordinating over 10 million patient visits a year – and invest in product and go-to-market as it aims to become essential infrastructure for the $500 billion home care industry.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Zingage

• Investors: Bessemer Venture Partners (lead), TQ Ventures, South Park Commons, WndrCo, and angel investors, including Ramp executives

• Amount Raised: $12.5 million

• Total Raised: $12.5 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

David AI Scores $50M Series B to Build Better Audio Data for AI

David AI, a San Francisco-based research startup specializing in audio data, has raised $50 million in a Series B round to fuel the creation of diverse, high-quality audio datasets for next-generation AI models. The funding was co-led by Meritech Capital and NVIDIA, with participation from existing investors including Alt Capital, First Round Capital, Amplify Partners, and Y Combinator.

Founded by alumni of Y Combinator, David AI gathers and curates massive datasets of labeled audio clips – from multilingual speech samples to environmental sounds and music – that are used to train advanced AI systems in speech recognition, generative audio, and more. This new investment brings David AI’s total funding to roughly $80 million.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its data collection efforts to more languages and sound domains, improve its data labeling tools with AI assistance, and grow its team of audio researchers. As generative AI expands beyond text into voice and sound, David AI’s data is in high demand to ensure AI models can understand and generate audio with accuracy and cultural nuance.

Funding Details:

• Startup: David AI

• Investors: Meritech Capital (co-lead), NVIDIA (co-lead), Alt Capital, First Round Capital, Amplify Partners, Y Combinator

• Amount Raised: $50 million

• Total Raised: ~$80 million

• Funding Stage: Series B

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Block Street Scores $11.5M in Funding to Bridge Stocks and Blockchain

Block Street, a new fintech startup operating at the intersection of blockchain and traditional finance, has raised $11.5 million in a strategic funding round to develop its “Monad-first” infrastructure for tokenized equities. The round was led by Hack VC and joined by Generative Ventures, DWF Labs, Studio B, Bridge34, as well as several high-profile angels from Jane Street, Point72, and HRT (Hudson River Trading).

Block Street’s platform is creating an execution and lending layer for on-chain stocks – allowing real-world equities to be traded, borrowed, and shorted on blockchain networks with the same fluidity as in traditional markets. By using an innovative request-for-quote model and hybrid on-chain/off-chain trade settlement, the startup aims to eliminate the wide spreads, slippage, and other inefficiencies that have plagued earlier attempts at tokenized assets.

The fresh capital will help Block Street accelerate the rollout of its system on the new Monad blockchain (launching in Q4 2025) and subsequently integrate with Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Base. With veteran founders from top hedge funds and tech firms, Block Street is positioning itself to set a new standard for how stocks can be traded in a decentralized manner, while satisfying the performance and risk controls institutional investors expect.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Block Street

• Investors: Hack VC (lead), Generative Ventures (co-lead), DWF Labs, Studio B, Bridge34, and angels from Jane Street, Point72, HRT

• Amount Raised: $11.5 million

• Total Raised: $11.5 million

• Funding Stage: Seed/Strategic

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Class 3 Technologies Raises $2M to Tackle Climate Disasters

Class 3 Technologies, a New York City-based climate tech startup, has quietly raised $2 million in funding – according to an SEC filing – to help organizations prepare for climate-driven disasters. Founded in 2023 by Rebecca Birmingham and Hedi Smida, Class 3 has developed a simulation engine that enables large property owners and institutions to model and protect against extreme weather events and other climate risks.

By simulating scenarios like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, the platform helps users stress-test their disaster response plans and infrastructure resilience before catastrophe strikes. The recent funding appears to come from a sole investor, per the regulatory filing. While Class 3 has operated in relative stealth, this seed capital will likely support further development of its climate risk analytics software and pilot projects with customers.

As climate change accelerates the frequency of natural disasters, solutions like Class 3’s are increasingly in demand to mitigate potential damage and downtime for businesses and communities.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Class 3 Technologies

• Investors: Undisclosed (single investor per SEC filing)

• Amount Raised: $2 million

• Total Raised: $2 million

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025

Lucent Raises A$2M in Pre-Seed Funding for AI Data Curation

Lucent, a Melbourne-born AI startup founded by 22-year-old Alisa Wu, has raised A$2 million (≈USD $1.3 million) in an oversubscribed pre-seed round to fuel its data platform for AI research labs. The funding – which closed within 36 hours of launch – comes from an array of early-stage backers including Long Journey Ventures, Horizon Ventures, Browder Capital, and Weekend Fund.

Lucent focuses on supplying “unique datasets for specific use cases” to frontier AI labs that need highly specialized data to train their models. In an era where the quality of training data can make or break AI performance, Lucent aims to carve out a niche by providing behavioral and web interaction datasets that help AI models learn from real human online behavior.

This is founder Alisa Wu’s second startup (her first was acquired in 2024) and leverages her experience as a founding engineer at MagicBrief (an AI ad startup later bought by Canva). With the pre-seed funds, Lucent will be building out its data collection and delivery platform and growing its team, as it positions itself at the critical intersection of data and AI model development.

Funding Details:

• Startup: Lucent

• Investors: Long Journey Ventures (lead), Horizon Ventures, Browder Capital, Weekend Fund

• Amount Raised: A$2 million (~$1.3 million USD)

• Total Raised: A$2 million

• Funding Stage: Pre-Seed

• Funding Date: October 9, 2025