Top Startup and Tech Funding News – March 9, 2025

It’s Monday, March 9, 2026, and we’re back with today’s top startup and venture funding news. Today’s rounds spotlight intensifying investor focus on AI infrastructure, autonomous enterprise agents, mental health platforms, and space-based national security systems. As the race for AI dominance accelerates, capital is pouring into compute-heavy platforms, data infrastructure, and vertical applications with global scale potential.

Significant Series A and D financings show investor conviction in software-defined logistics, AI customer service, and blockchain-native banking. Meanwhile, global leaders in hyperscale data centers, enterprise therapy networks, and commercial space are drawing renewed support to scale proven platforms. Today’s deals span AI, space, fintech, industrial autonomy, and cybersecurity—marking a broad push toward platforms that operationalize intelligence and infrastructure at a planetary scale.

Tech Funding News

Funding Highlights

• Nscale raises $2B Series C to build global AI compute infrastructure
• Sierra Space raises $550M Series C to expand defense space programs
• Decagon raises $250M Series D for AI customer support agents
• Cart.com raises $180M Series D for enterprise e-commerce platform
• Grow Therapy raises $150M Series D to expand mental health platform
• Oxa raises $103M Series D for industrial self-driving deployments
• KAST raises $80M Series A to launch stablecoin-native global banking
• JetStream Security launches with $34M seed to govern enterprise AI
• Mega raises $11.5M Series A to automate SMB marketing with AI
• Freeform raises $67M Series B for generative AI manufacturing platforms

Investor Activity

Today’s funding drew deep participation from top-tier VCs and strategic investors backing foundational layers of the AI economy and secure infrastructure. Coatue, Index Ventures, and Andreessen Horowitz were active across autonomy, AI agents, and fintech, while NVIDIA and bp Ventures backed compute and robotics at an industrial scale. QED, Redpoint, and TCV focused on mental health, governance, and stablecoin banking, with governments like the U.K. stepping in to anchor strategic deployments. Across the board, capital is concentrating behind technical teams building systems of record and control for the AI-powered world.

Nscale Raises $2B in Series C Funding for Global AI Compute Infrastructure

Nvidia-backed Nscale has secured a massive $2 billion Series C funding round, marking one of Europe’s largest tech financings. The London-based AI infrastructure startup builds and operates hyperscale data centers optimized for artificial intelligence workloads. With this new capital, Nscale plans to rapidly expand its vertically integrated compute platform – spanning GPU clusters, high-speed networking, and orchestration software – across Europe, North America, and Asia. The raise vaults Nscale’s valuation to $14.6 billion and positions the company as a leading player supplying the physical backbone for the AI boom. Former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg and ex-U.K. Deputy PM Nick Clegg also joined Nscale’s board, underscoring the strategic weight behind its mission.

Nscale’s record-setting round highlights surging investor appetite for AI infrastructure. As demand for large-scale model training and inference soars, the bottleneck is shifting to data center capacity and compute power. By securing land, power, and cutting-edge chips, Nscale aims to deliver the “engine of superintelligence” – the critical foundation that AI developers and enterprises will rely on. The infusion will fund new facilities, talent growth, and potentially even an IPO down the line. In a landscape where AI value is increasingly captured by those who provide the compute, Nscale is emerging as a global hyperscale champion.

• Startup: Nscale (London, U.K. – AI data center hyperscaler)

• Investors: Aker ASA, 8090 Industries (lead); participation from NVIDIA, Citadel, Dell, Lenovo, Point72 and others

• Amount Raised: $2 billion

• Total Raised: ~$3.5 billion (estimated)

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Sierra Space Raises $550M in Series C Funding to Expand Defense Space Programs

Sierra Space, the Colorado-based commercial space company, has closed a $550 million Series C round led by LuminArx Capital, valuing the company at $8 billion. This new funding brings Sierra Space’s total capital raised to over $2 billion since 2021. The company – known for its Dream Chaser spaceplane and orbital station plans – is pivoting heavily into national security and defense projects. Fresh capital will fuel the scaled production of satellites and spacecraft as Sierra Space chases a growing pipeline of government contracts. In the past two years, the firm has won about $1.5 billion in U.S. defense and intelligence deals, including a marquee $740 million award to build missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency.

Why it matters: This raise cements Sierra Space as a leading “new space” contender at the intersection of defense and commercial markets. Investors are betting that its dual focus – lucrative military programs and longer-term commercial orbital infrastructure – provides a durable path to revenue. By aligning with Pentagon priorities like resilient satellite constellations and secure communications, Sierra Space has significantly de-risked its business. The funding will boost spacecraft manufacturing and potentially accelerate Dream Chaser’s deployment for NASA and beyond. As defense becomes the financial backbone for many space startups, Sierra Space’s sizable round underscores that national security is now one of the space industry’s hottest segments.

• Startup: Sierra Space (Louisville, CO – orbital vehicles and space infrastructure)

• Investors: LuminArx Capital (lead); participation from existing backers including General Atlantic, Coatue, Moore Strategic Ventures, and others

• Amount Raised: $550 million

• Total Raised: ~$2.2 billion

• Funding Stage: Series C

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Decagon Raises $250M in Series D Funding for AI Customer Support Agents

Decagon, a fast-growing AI startup building autonomous customer support agents, has raised $250 million in a Series D round at a $4.5 billion valuation. The funding was led by top-tier investors Coatue and Index Ventures, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Ribbit Capital, and others. This hefty raise triples Decagon’s valuation in under a year, reflecting surging demand for its AI concierge platform, which handles customer inquiries via chat, email, and voice. Decagon’s technology autonomously resolves support tickets using large language models while integrating with companies’ existing helpdesk systems. Clients like major retail and travel brands are already using its AI agents to scale customer service without sacrificing quality.

This round also enables Decagon to offer liquidity to long-time employees – a portion of the $250M will fund a secondary stock sale, allowing staff to sell vested shares at the new valuation. That move is aimed at boosting retention in the competitive AI talent market. Decagon’s leadership frames these structured-liquidity events as key to keeping teams focused on long-term goals rather than on IPO timing. With total funding now over half a billion dollars, Decagon plans to double down on R&D and global expansion. The company is positioning its AI agents as a transformational solution for enterprise customer support – one that can cut costs and improve response times by automating routine inquiries at scale, while handing off complex cases to human staff when needed.

• Startup: Decagon (San Francisco, CA – AI-powered customer support automation)

• Investors: Coatue Management, Index Ventures (co-leads); Andreessen Horowitz, Definition Capital, Forerunner Ventures, Ribbit Capital, and others

• Amount Raised: $250 million

• Total Raised: ~$500+ million

• Funding Stage: Series D

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Cart.com Raises $180M in Series D Funding for Enterprise E-Commerce Platform

Houston-based Cart.com has secured $180 million in growth-stage financing to scale its unified e-commerce and logistics platform. The round, which we’re treating as a Series D, was led by Springcoast Partners with participation from PayPal Ventures, Arsenal Growth, Oak HC/FT, and others. Cart.com provides an end-to-end software and fulfillment solution for mid-to-large online retailers – essentially an “operating system” that combines online store software, inventory management, shipping/logistics, and analytics into a single package. Brands like TOMS and PacSun use Cart.com to manage omnichannel sales and deliveries more efficiently.

This new capital will help Cart.com deepen its use of AI and automation across its platform. The company is investing in predictive analytics to optimize inventory placement and route orders to the most suitable warehouse, aiming to reduce delivery times and costs. Cart.com also plans to expand its network of fulfillment centers across the U.S. to bring itself closer to customers. With this round, Cart.com’s total funding climbs to roughly $660 million since its 2020 founding, and the startup now reportedly exceeds a $1 billion valuation (solidifying “unicorn” status). The vote of confidence from both e-commerce veterans and fintech players underscores Cart.com’s momentum as retailers seek integrated solutions to compete with Amazon’s speed and convenience.

• Startup: Cart.com (Houston, TX – unified e-commerce software and fulfillment provider)

• Investors: Springcoast Partners (lead); PayPal Ventures, Mercury Fund, Arsenal Growth, Oak HC/FT, and others

• Amount Raised: $180 million

• Total Raised: ~$660 million (equity funding)

• Funding Stage: Series D (Growth round)

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Oxa Raises $103M in Series D Funding for Industrial Self-Driving Platform

Oxa, a U.K.-based autonomous driving startup formerly known as Oxbotica, has raised $103 million in the first close of its Series D round to scale its industrial self-driving technology. The funding includes a $50 million anchor investment from the UK’s National Wealth Fund and new backing from NVIDIA’s NVentures arm. Existing investors, including bp Ventures and Hostplus, also joined. Oxa develops a full-stack autonomy platform – including the Oxa Driver self-driving software and Oxa Foundry deployment toolkit – designed for vehicles in controlled environments such as ports, airports, logistics hubs, and mines.

Unlike robotaxi startups targeting city streets, Oxa focuses on repetitive industrial transport tasks where automation can immediately boost safety and efficiency. Its systems are already being piloted by partners like DHL in warehouses and bp on solar farms. This fresh capital will accelerate Oxa’s commercial deployments and global expansion, particularly across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. It also aligns Oxa with government initiatives to modernize manufacturing via AI and robotics. A second closing of the Series D is expected later this year, which could bring in additional strategic investors. By targeting private industrial settings, Oxa is carving a practical path for autonomy – one that sidesteps the thorny regulatory and technical challenges of consumer AVs in favor of immediate ROI in structured environments.

• Startup: Oxa (Oxford, U.K. – industrial autonomous driving platform)

• Investors: UK National Wealth Fund (lead); NVIDIA NVentures, IP Group, bp Ventures, Hostplus, and others

• Amount Raised: $103 million (Series D first close)

• Total Raised: ~$200 million (incl. prior rounds)

• Funding Stage: Series D

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Grow Therapy Raises $150M in Series D Funding to Expand Mental Health Platform

Grow Therapy, a New York-based mental health startup, has raised $150 million in a Series D round, vaulting it into unicorn territory with a $3 billion valuation. The round was co-led by existing backers TCV and Transformation Capital, with participation from SignalFire, Menlo Ventures, and others. Grow Therapy operates an online platform that connects patients with licensed therapists and helps therapists integrate with insurance and employer benefit networks. Essentially, it enables therapists to run their practice with built-in telehealth, scheduling, and billing tools, while making therapy more accessible (and covered by insurance) for millions of people.

This sizable funding will fuel Grow Therapy’s push into enterprise partnerships – integrating its services into major healthcare systems, insurers, and employers seeking better mental health coverage for their members. The startup has seen explosive growth in demand as teletherapy becomes mainstream, and it now works with thousands of providers across 60+ insurance networks. Grow Therapy’s focus on expanding affordable care comes amid a global mental health crisis, and investors are betting it can capture a significant share of the behavioral health market. With $298 million raised to date, the company plans to scale its platform nationwide, enhance its AI-driven clinician matching, and ensure therapy appointments can be booked in days rather than months. Grow’s unicorn valuation reflects both its impressive revenue trajectory and the broader investor belief in tech-enabled health services post-pandemic.

• Startup: Grow Therapy (New York, NY – online therapy and mental health services platform)

• Investors: TCV, Transformation Capital (co-leads); SignalFire, Menlo Ventures, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management (notable participants)

• Amount Raised: $150 million

• Total Raised: $298 million

• Funding Stage: Series D

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

KAST Raises $80M in Series A Funding for Stablecoin-Based Banking Platform

KAST, a New York–based fintech building a global banking platform on stablecoin rails, has raised $80 million in Series A funding co-led by QED Investors and Left Lane Capital. The round values the young startup at about $600 million, less than 18 months after its launch by former Circle executive Raagulan Pathy. KAST provides USD-denominated accounts, payments, and financial tools powered by stablecoins (such as USDC/USDT) rather than traditional bank pipes. Its platform enables fast, low-cost cross-border money movement for both consumers and businesses, targeting regions with currency instability and slow legacy banking.

With stablecoin adoption surging globally, KAST has already attracted over 1 million users and is processing nearly $5 billion in annualized transaction volume. This new funding will fuel KAST’s expansion across Latin America, North America, and the Middle East, as well as support licensing and compliance efforts in new markets. The startup is effectively positioning itself as a “stablecoin neobank”, offering high-speed, always-on dollar accounts for a globally mobile customer base. Lead investor QED believes stablecoins can reshape finance, and is adding former Coinbase UK head Sandeep Patil to KAST’s board to help guide growth. By leveraging blockchain rails behind the scenes, KAST aims to deliver modern banking services – minus the frictions of correspondent banks – and ultimately become a leading digital bank for the stablecoin era.

• Startup: KAST (New York, NY – global stablecoin-based financial platform)

• Investors: QED Investors, Left Lane Capital (co-leads); participation from Peak XV Partners, HSG, DST Global and others

• Amount Raised: $80 million

• Total Raised: ~$80 million (first major round)

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

JetStream Security Launches with $34M in Seed Funding for Enterprise AI Governance

Stealth no more – JetStream Security has emerged with a $34 million seed round to tackle AI governance in the enterprise. The San Francisco startup was founded by cybersecurity veterans from CrowdStrike and SentinelOne, and its hefty seed funding was led by Redpoint Ventures with participation from prominent angel investors, including CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz. JetStream is developing a platform to help large organizations manage and secure their AI deployments. As companies roll out dozens of AI models and tools, JetStream provides a unified system to enforce policies, monitor for compliance, and mitigate risks (like data leakage or bias) across all those AI services. Think of it as an “AI operations and security hub” for the enterprise.

Why it matters: With generative AI adoption exploding, many businesses lack oversight of how these models are used internally. JetStream is jumping into this gap, offering features like audit trails for AI outputs, access control for sensitive prompts, and detection of anomalous or unsafe AI behavior. The startup’s launch and large seed round underscore that AI governance and trust are a burgeoning market. Investors are betting that regulated industries and Fortune 500s will need dedicated solutions to safely harness AI at scale. JetStream’s founders bring a deep security pedigree, and their ability to raise $34M on day one reflects both the urgency of AI governance challenges and the confidence that enterprises will pay for tools to solve them.

• Startup: JetStream Security (San Francisco, CA – AI governance and security platform)

• Investors: Redpoint Ventures (lead); participation from CrowdStrike’s Falcon Fund, George Kurtz (CrowdStrike CEO), Assaf Rappaport (Wiz CEO), and others

• Amount Raised: $34 million

• Total Raised: $34 million (seed round)

• Funding Stage: Seed

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Mega Raises $11.5M in Series A Funding to Automate SMB Marketing with AI

Mega, a New York startup aiming to replace traditional marketing agencies with AI-driven growth tools for small businesses, has raised an $11.5 million in a Series A round. The funding was led by Goodwater Capital with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, SignalFire, Atreides Management, and several high-profile angel investors, including WNBA stars. Mega’s platform functions as an “AI growth engine” for small and medium-sized businesses, handling tasks such as search engine optimization, online ads, and website updates. Instead of paying an agency hefty retainers, SMBs can use Mega’s software to execute and optimize marketing campaigns automatically using specialized AI agents.

The startup’s approach resonates with business owners who don’t have the time or expertise to manage the latest digital marketing tools. Mega’s AI agents handle everything from generating ad creative to adjusting bidding strategies, and the system continuously learns from results to improve performance. In early pilots, Mega helped clients dramatically boost web traffic while cutting customer acquisition costs by automating what used to require a full marketing team.

With this new funding, Mega plans to scale up its engineering team and expand its customer base, targeting the vast SMB market that’s eager for growth but often priced out of cutting-edge marketing solutions. The goal: deliver Fortune 500-level marketing results to mom-and-pop businesses through the power of AI – all for a fraction of the cost of hiring an agency.

• Startup: Mega (New York, NY – AI-powered marketing platform for SMBs)

• Investors: Goodwater Capital (lead); Andreessen Horowitz, SignalFire, Atreides, Kearny Jackson, and strategic angels (including Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart)

• Amount Raised: $11.5 million

• Total Raised: $13.5 million (including prior seed)

• Funding Stage: Series A

• Funding Date: March 9, 2026

Tech Funding Summary Table