Top Startup and Tech Funding News – April 9 2025

It’s Thursday, April 9, 2026, and we’re back with today’s top startup and tech funding news. Today’s rounds highlight a clear shift toward infrastructure-first investing—from AI chips and GPU cloud platforms to spacecraft mobility and carbon-negative fuels. As demand for compute, automation, and real-world AI applications accelerates, investors are doubling down on the systems that will power the next decade of innovation.

Large late-stage bets signal continued confidence in semiconductor alternatives and deep-tech hardware, while early-stage funding is flowing into AI-driven accounting, compliance automation, and workforce retraining. Climate tech and aerospace are also drawing strong interest, pointing to a broader expansion beyond software into physical-world innovation. Today’s deals span AI, fintech, climate, space, and enterprise software—underscoring a market that’s quietly rebuilding around core infrastructure and long-term utility.

Tech Funding News

Funding Highlights

• SiFive raises $400M Series G for data-center chip technology
• Portal Space Systems raises $50M Series A for maneuverable spacecraft
• AfterQuery raises $30M Series A for expert AI training data
• Nava raises $22M Series A for AI GPU-cloud infrastructure
• Pipe raises $16M to expand SMB embedded finance platform
• Sora Fuel raises $14.6M to produce carbon-negative jet fuel
• Haast raises $12M Series A to automate marketing compliance
• Juno raises $12M seed for AI-powered tax preparation
• Atlas raises $6M seed for AI accounting automation
• Flashpass raises $4.1M seed for AI-driven workforce upskilling

Investor Activity

Today’s funding reflects strong participation from both venture firms and strategic investors backing core infrastructure across AI, compute, and energy. Nvidia and Atreides are leaning into next-generation chip architectures, while Greenoaks and Altos are targeting AI data and compute layers. Fin Capital and MaC Venture Capital continue to push into embedded finance, as Peak XV and Bonfire Ventures focus on enterprise automation and productivity. Across climate and deep tech, firms like Spero Ventures and Inspired Capital are placing long-term bets on sustainable fuel and industrial transformation. The broader pattern is clear: capital is concentrating around platforms that enable scale, efficiency, and resilience in both digital and physical systems.

SiFive Raises $400M in Series G Funding for Data-Center Chip Technology

SiFive, a leading developer of RISC‑V processor IP, announced a $400 million Series G round to accelerate its data-center chip initiatives. The round was led by Atreides Management and Nvidia, with participation from Apollo Global Management, Point72, T. Rowe Price, Prosperity7, Sutter Hill Ventures, and others.

The financing values the company at roughly $3.65 billion and may be its last private round before an eventual IPO. SiFive’s RISC‑V designs aim to challenge incumbent chip architectures by providing customizable, open-standard cores for high-performance data-center and AI workloads. This influx of capital will fund the continued development of SiFive’s next-generation processors and the expansion of its ecosystem amid growing industry demand for RISC‑V alternatives.

• Startup: SiFive
• Investors: Atreides Management (lead), Nvidia, Apollo Global, Point72, T. Rowe Price, Prosperity7, Sutter Hill, others
• Amount Raised: $400M
• Total Raised: ~$575M (including prior rounds)
• Funding Stage: Series G
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Portal Space Systems Raises $50M in Series A Funding for Maneuverable Spacecraft

Portal Space Systems, a California aerospace startup co-founded by a former SpaceX engineer, secured $50 million in Series A funding to advance its agile spacecraft technology. The round was co-led by Geodesic Capital and Mach33 (formerly Draper Associates), with participation from Booz Allen Ventures, ARK Invest, AlleyCorp, and FUSE.

Portal is developing next-generation orbital vehicles with high-thrust engines capable of rapid in-space maneuvering. Its technology promises shorter transit times and improved agility for satellites and other in-orbit assets. The fresh funding will be used to build and test Portal’s first production spacecraft and expand its engineering team. Building on a 2025 seed round, Portal has now raised about $67.5M total for its spacecraft platform and propulsion systems.

• Startup: Portal Space Systems
• Investors: Geodesic Capital (lead), Mach33 (lead); Booz Allen Ventures, ARK Invest, AlleyCorp, FUSE (others)
• Amount Raised: $50M
• Total Raised: ~$67.5M (including $17.5M seed in 2025)
• Funding Stage: Series A
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

AfterQuery Raises $30M in Series A Funding for Expert AI Training Data

AfterQuery, an AI analytics startup, closed a $30 million Series A round to expand its expert-driven dataset platform. The funding was led by Altos Ventures, with participation from The Raine Group, Y Combinator, and BoxGroup. AfterQuery uses simulation and optimization techniques to generate custom training data that captures expert knowledge across domains ranging from finance and healthcare to software engineering.

AfterQuery’s platform helps AI labs and enterprises accelerate machine learning projects by providing high-quality, domain-specific datasets. The new capital will allow AfterQuery to grow its AI model library and scale its sales and engineering teams. The company’s founders note that demand for “expert” AI training data is surging as generative AI projects proliferate, making this round a timely boost for their specialized data-generation technology.

• Startup: AfterQuery
• Investors: Altos Ventures (lead); The Raine Group, Y Combinator, BoxGroup (others)
• Amount Raised: $30M
• Total Raised: $30M (Series A)
• Funding Stage: Series A
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Nava Raises $22M in Series A Funding for AI GPU-Cloud Infrastructure

Nava (formerly Kluisz.ai), an AI cloud infrastructure startup based in India and Singapore, raised $22 million in Series A funding to build out its GPU-as-a-Service platform. The round was led by Greenoaks Capital, with RTP Global and Unicorn India Ventures also investing. Nava provides large-scale NVIDIA GPU clusters and bare-metal compute to enterprises for training machine learning models. The company has rebranded and opened a regional headquarters in Singapore to serve clients across Southeast Asia.

Nava plans to use the fresh capital to expand its GPU fleet and hire additional engineers for data-center design and GPU hardware development. This follows an earlier $9.6M raise, bringing Nava’s total raised to about $31.6M. The funding positions Nava to meet the growing demand for AI compute in the Asia-Pacific region, where specialized AI infrastructure startups are rapidly gaining traction.

• Startup: Nava (formerly Kluisz.ai)
• Investors: Greenoaks Capital (lead); RTP Global, Unicorn India Ventures (others)
• Amount Raised: $22M
• Total Raised: ~$31.6M (including $9.6M seed)
• Funding Stage: Series A
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Pipe Raises $16M in Funding to Expand SMB Embedded Finance Platform

Pipe, a fintech startup providing revenue-based financing for small businesses, announced a $16 million investment round led by Fin Capital and MaC Venture Capital. The San Francisco-based company offers software that lets SaaS firms and other SMBs convert recurring revenue into upfront capital.

In 2025, Pipe tripled its revenue and now supports tens of thousands of businesses worldwide. The new equity injection will help Pipe grow its embedded finance partnerships and product offerings as it works toward profitability. With this funding, Pipe has raised roughly $316 million to date, including previous high-profile rounds (such as a $250M Series C in 2023).

• Startup: Pipe
• Investors: Fin Capital, MaC Venture Capital (lead investors)
• Amount Raised: $16M
• Total Raised: ~$316M (including prior funding)
• Funding Stage: Equity Round (Venture)
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Sora Fuel Raises $14.6M in Funding to Produce Carbon-Negative Jet Fuel

Sora Fuel, a climate-tech startup, announced a $14.6 million funding round to accelerate development of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology. The Boston-based company’s platform uses only water, air (CO₂), and renewable energy to create jet fuel that is carbon-negative and cost-competitive with fossil jet fuel. The financing was co-led by Spero Ventures and Inspired Capital, with Engine Ventures and Wireframe Ventures reinvesting.

Sora’s technology captures CO₂ from ambient air and converts it into synthetic fuel in a single step, dramatically reducing costs compared to conventional direct air capture processes. The new capital will fund construction of a pilot production facility to scale fuel output from daily gallons to barrels, with a target of achieving cost parity with conventional jet fuel. Sustainable aviation fuel is a critical pathway for decarbonizing air travel, and Sora Fuel’s investors say its approach could make carbon-negative fuel truly viable for airlines.

• Startup: Sora Fuel
• Investors: Spero Ventures (co-lead); Inspired Capital (co-lead); Engine Ventures, Wireframe Ventures (others)
• Amount Raised: $14.6M
• Total Raised: $14.6M (Series unknown)
• Funding Stage: Growth Round
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Haast Raises $12M in Series A Funding to Automate Marketing Compliance

Haast, an enterprise software startup that automates legal and marketing compliance reviews, closed a $12 million Series A round led by Peak XV Partners. Other backers include DST Global Partners, Airtree, Aura Ventures, and Black Sheep Capital. Haast’s AI platform streamlines the review of marketing materials and policies, slashing content review times by up to 80% while ensuring regulatory adherence.

In a space where advertisers and publishers face ever-tighter regulations, Haast’s tools help prevent costly compliance errors. The new funding will enable Haast to expand its product offerings into additional verticals and scale its sales force. Including this round, Haast has now raised about $17M in total capital.

• Startup: Haast
• Investors: Peak XV Partners (lead); DST Global Partners, Airtree, Aura Ventures, Black Sheep Capital (others)
• Amount Raised: $12M
• Total Raised: ~$17.05M (including prior seed)
• Funding Stage: Series A
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Juno Raises $12M in Seed Funding for AI-Powered Tax Preparation

Juno, an AI-driven tax-preparation startup founded by a former CPA, raised $12 million in seed funding to build its intelligent tax-return platform. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures, with participation from Impression Ventures and Xfund. Juno aims to help accounting firms automate the data entry and review steps for high-net-worth tax returns, reducing a process that normally takes hours to minutes.

Juno’s human-in-the-loop approach uses AI to handle 90% of tax data extraction and entry, allowing CPAs to focus on complex cases and strategy. The founder notes that rising tax code complexity and practitioner shortages are creating a huge demand for automation. Juno plans to use the funds to accelerate product development and expand its customer base of mid-size accounting firms.

• Startup: Juno
• Investors: Bonfire Ventures (lead); Impression Ventures, Xfund (others)
• Amount Raised: $12M
• Total Raised: $12M (seed)
• Funding Stage: Seed
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Atlas Raises $6M in Seed Funding for AI Accounting Automation

Atlas, a Singapore-headquartered startup, raised $6 million in seed funding to develop its AI-powered accounting platform. The round was co-led by Accel and Stellaris, with other leading Indian backers. Atlas embeds machine learning into back-office accounting workflows, acting as a “junior accountant” to process transactions and tax filings, thereby helping independent accounting firms handle growing client demand despite a talent shortage.

The founders cite a widening gap as thousands of accountants leave the profession each year. Atlas will use the seed capital to expand its AI platform and grow its network of partner firms in North America and beyond. The startup’s goal is to enable small accounting practices to scale revenue and client capacity without proportional increases in headcount.

• Startup: Atlas
• Investors: Accel (co-lead), Stellaris (co-lead)
• Amount Raised: $6M
• Total Raised: $6M (seed)
• Funding Stage: Seed
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Flashpass Raises $4.1M in Seed Funding for Upskilling Workers Affected by AI

Flashpass, a workforce training startup, secured a $4.1 million seed round to expand its tech-enabled upskilling platform for workers displaced by automation. The investment was led by J2 Ventures, with Seven Stars Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, and Uncommon Projects also participating. Flashpass partners with state governments and community colleges to design and deliver training programs that align workers’ skills with job market needs. Its pilot in Ohio, for example, trained oil and gas technicians and generated $4 million in annual recurring revenue.

The new funding will help Flashpass enter additional states (Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia) and develop a job-matching engine to turn training credentials into employment placements. With AI accelerating skill gaps, Flashpass positions itself as a solution for public upskilling initiatives.

• Startup: Flashpass
• Investors: J2 Ventures (lead); Seven Stars Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, Uncommon Projects (others)
• Amount Raised: $4.1M
• Total Raised: $4.1M (seed)
• Funding Stage: Seed
• Funding Date: April 9, 2026

Tech Funding Summary Table