Startups

DASH Dog Food Raises $1.5 Million Seed Round Led By Voltage Ventures To Expand Fresh-Frozen Dog Food

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

DASH Dog Food, a premium fresh-frozen dog food company founded by ButcherBox's first employee and former Vice President of Operations Bobby Quirk, has raised $1.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round led by Voltage Ventures. The financing will support the company's subscription business, customer acquisition initiatives, expanded product development, and the introduction of new seafood and turkey recipes.

Island Raises $400 Million Series F At $6.4 Billion Valuation To Expand Enterprise AI Security Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Island, a Dallas-based enterprise cybersecurity company, has raised $400 million in Series F financing at a $6.4 billion valuation, more than doubling its valuation since 2024. The round was led by Evolution Equity Partners, with participation from existing and new investors, bringing Island's total funding to approximately $1 billion.

PicoJool Raises $27.5 Million Series A Led by Socratic Partners

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

PicoJool has raised $27.5 million in Series A funding to bring its optical connectivity products for AI infrastructure to market. Socratic Partners led the round, with participation from Hudson River Trading. Following an earlier $12 million seed round led by Playground Global, PicoJool has raised $39.5 million in total.

BigHat Biosciences Raises $75 Million Series C Co-Led By DFJ Growth And Premji Invest

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

BigHat Biosciences, a San Mateo, California-based biotechnology company developing AI-designed protein therapeutics, has raised a $75 million Series C financing co-led by DFJ Growth and Premji Invest, bringing its total funding to $223 million. The financing will support the company's clinical-stage drug pipeline and the continued development of its autonomous AI platform for protein design.

Bird Secures $450 Million In Financing Led By JPMorgan, Capital One, And Citi

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Bird, a global communications technology company, has secured $450 million in financing led by J.P. Morgan, alongside Capital One, Citi, and other lenders. The financing will provide liquidity to existing shareholders while allowing Bird to remain privately held and independent, according to founder and CEO Robert Vis. Alongside the financing, Bird introduced Agentic Harness, a technology platform designed to give AI agents direct access to email, messaging, voice calling, and mobile connectivity infrastructure.

Confido Raises $55 Million Series B Led By Insight Partners To Develop AI-Based Software For CPG Companies

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Confido, a New York-based developer of AI-powered software for consumer packaged goods companies, has raised a $55 million Series B led by Insight Partners, with participation from Trenches Capital, Watchfire, Barrel Ventures, Footwork, and Y Combinator. The financing brings the company's total funding to $77 million and will support product development, expansion into food service, and additional hiring across its engineering, product, and go-to-market organizations.

Ema Raises $77 Million Series B Led By Creaegis, Bringing Total Funding To $140 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Ema, a Mountain View, California-based developer of enterprise AI agents, has raised a $77 million Series B led by Creaegis, with existing investors Accel, S32, and Prosus increasing their investments. The financing brings Ema's total funding to $140 million and more than quadruples its valuation compared with its previous funding round. The company plans to expand its go-to-market organization and accelerate development of its AI Employee platform, which automates business operations across human resources, information technology, and finance.

Anaconda Biomed Raises $56 Million To Advance Stroke Treatment Technology And Complete Pivotal Clinical Trial

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Anaconda Biomed, a medical technology company based in Barcelona, Spain, and Marin, California, has secured $56 million in financing led by Omega Funds, with participation from new investor Spain's Co-investment Fund (FOCO), managed by COFIDES, and existing investors Asabys, Ysios Capital, and CDTI through its SICC Innvierte initiative. The financing will support the completion of the company's ATHENA pivotal clinical trial, continued development of its neurovascular device portfolio, and efforts to secure additional regulatory approvals internationally.

Go.AI Raises $85 Million Series A Led By Updata Partners, Bringing Total Funding To $90 Million

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Go.AI, a Chicago-based provider of private artificial intelligence infrastructure for regulated industries, has raised $85 million in Series A funding led by Updata Partners, with participation from existing investors GFT Ventures and LAUNCH. The financing brings the company's total funding to $90 million and will support the expansion of its engineering team, continued development of its software and hardware products, and broader commercialization of its on-premises AI platform.

Biolevate Raises €30 Million Series A Led By RAISE France And Orange Ventures, Expands Into Boston

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Biolevate, a Paris-based developer of AI-powered automation software for the life sciences industry, has raised a €30 million Series A co-led by RAISE France and Orange Ventures, with participation from MSD Global Health Innovation Fund, Station F, and existing investor EQT Ventures. The financing will support Biolevate's international expansion, accelerate development of its enterprise AI platform, and expand deployments among pharmaceutical and other life sciences organizations. The announcement coincides with the opening of a new Boston office, establishing Biolevate's presence in the United States.

TERASi Raises €11 Million Seed Round Led By NATO Innovation Fund And JOIN Capital

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

TERASi, a Stockholm-based defense technology company developing high-speed wireless communications systems, has raised €11 million in seed funding co-led by NATO Innovation Fund and JOIN Capital. The financing includes new investors In-Q-Tel and D3, alongside existing backers Navigare Ventures, Almi Invest, Onsight Ventures, Further Than Capital, and KTH Ventures. The investment will support the expansion of TERASi's manufacturing and engineering capabilities, accelerate deployment of its communications technology to European armed forces, and fund the development of additional products for military and other mission-critical applications.

American Supercritical Raises $8 Million Pre-Seed Led By Silent Ventures To Develop Advanced Power Generation Technology

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

American Supercritical, a Denver-based energy technology company developing next-generation power generation systems, has emerged from stealth with $8 million in pre-seed funding led by Silent Ventures. Other participating investors include Riot Ventures, Harpoon, Reveille VC, Hillwood, Mana Ventures, Climate Capital, Alumni Ventures, and angel investors. The financing will support the commercialization of the company's factory-built supercritical carbon dioxide power systems, which are designed to convert waste heat from existing gas turbines into additional electricity.

Crux Analytics Raises $2.2 Million In Seed Funding Led By Castle Creek Launchpad

By Amit Chowdhry ● Sep 24, 2026

Crux Analytics, a New York-based fintech company helping financial institutions acquire and retain small business customers, has raised $2.2 million in seed funding, bringing its total funding to $3.2 million. The round was led by Castle Creek Launchpad, a joint venture fund backed by 34 community banks, with additional participation from Chartway Ventures, One Washington Financial, and Curql, three credit union investment funds. The funding will support team expansion and product development as Crux grows its relationship intelligence platform for financial institutions.