Startups & Funding
55 US AI startups raised $100 million or more in 2025
In 2025, 55 US AI startups raised $100 million or more, signaling continued industry momentum, with signs pointing to another strong year in 2026.
The US artificial intelligence sector maintained strong funding momentum in 2025, showing continued growth compared to the previous year. According to data published by TechCrunch, 55 US AI startups secured funding rounds of $100 million or more—a threshold often referred to as a “mega-round” in venture capital. This represents an increase from 2024, when 49 startups in the US reached that same threshold. The figures indicate that investor appetite for AI technology in the US remained strong throughout the year, with several companies raising multiple rounds rather than a single transaction.
Significant valuations and large transactions defined the funding landscape in 2025. AI research lab Anthropic, for instance, raised multiple rounds of funding during the year. Meanwhile, OpenAI, another AI research lab, raised a record-breaking round and also acted as an investor in the sector. In the generative media space, the platform Fal announced a funding round in December that valued the company at more than $4.5 billion. Around the same time, Unconventional AI, a startup focused on rethinking the foundation of computers in the age of AI, announced a seed round—an early-stage funding round—that valued the company at nearly $4.5 billion. These deals highlight how both established research labs and newer startups managed to command multi-billion-dollar valuations.
The momentum of 2025 has already begun spilling over into the new year, suggesting that the funding environment remains highly active. In the first few weeks of 2026, Elon Musk’s xAI announced a $20 billion Series E round—a late-stage venture capital financing round. Additionally, brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs raised a seed round, with OpenAI acting as the lead investor. While it is still early in the year, these initial transactions suggest that 2026 could be another strong year for AI funding, as signs point to continued momentum in the sector.
Why it matters
The AI industry demonstrated continued growth in 2025, with 55 startups raising $100 million or more, an increase from the 49 startups that reached that threshold in 2024.