Y Combinator’s Winter ’26 cohort highlights AI’s industry reach
Nearly 190 startups presented at Y Combinator’s Winter ’26 Demo Day, with the cohort heavily focused on AI applications across diverse global industries.
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Startups & Funding
804 storiesShield AI raises $1.5B at $12.7B valuation
Shield AI raised $1.5 billion in Series G funding at a $12.7 billion valuation to support its acquisition of Aechelon Technology and expand its defense software business.
Bland scales from pre-seed to Series B in 10 months
Voice AI startup Bland has scaled from pre-seed to Series B in 10 months, building a 75-person team by prioritizing passion and obsession over traditional resumes.
Conntour raises $7M to build AI search for security video
Conntour raised a $7 million seed round to develop an AI-powered video surveillance search engine that allows security personnel to query camera feeds using natural language.
Beijing probes Manus founders following $2 billion Meta deal
Meta has acquired Chinese AI startup Manus for $2 billion, triggering a regulatory inquiry in Beijing that has reportedly restricted the founders' ability to leave the country.
Deccan AI raises $25M to scale India-based AI training workforce
Deccan AI raised $25 million in a Series A round to expand its India-based workforce, which provides post-training data and evaluation services for frontier AI labs.
VITL raises $7.5M to streamline e-prescribing for cash-pay clinics
VITL, an 18-month-old startup, raised $7.5 million in Series A funding to scale its e-prescribing platform for cash-pay medical clinics.
DeleteMe acquires social media security tool Block Party
DeleteMe has acquired social media security tool Block Party to unify personal data removal and online safety services; terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Harvey hits $11 billion valuation in new funding round
Legal tech startup Harvey has raised $200 million at an $11 billion valuation, bringing its total funding to more than $1 billion.
Granola raises $125M at $1.5B valuation for enterprise AI pivot
Granola raised $125 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, pivoting its meeting note-taking app toward enterprise AI workflows and new API integrations.
Glimpse raises $35 million to automate retail deduction disputes
Glimpse raised $35 million in Series A funding led by Andreessen Horowitz to scale its AI platform for automating retail financial deduction disputes.
Arinna secures $4M seed round for ultrathin space solar panels
Arinna raised a $4 million seed round to develop ultrathin solar panels, which the company expects to test in orbit before the end of this year.
Sift raises $42M to scale manufacturing data infrastructure
Sift, a data infrastructure startup for complex manufacturing, raised a $42 million Series B at a $274 million post-money valuation to support AI-driven factory automation.
Lucid Bots raises $20M to scale US-made cleaning drones
Lucid Bots raised $20 million in Series B funding to scale manufacturing and headcount for its U.S.-made window-washing drones amid high customer demand.
Kleiner Perkins secures $3.5 billion across two new funds
Kleiner Perkins has raised $3.5 billion across two new funds, signaling a strategic pivot toward AI investments as the firm expands its capital base.
Epoch Biodesign raises $12 million to recycle nylon 6,6
Epoch Biodesign secured $12 million in funding, backed by Lululemon, to scale its enzyme-based technology for recycling nylon 6,6 and reducing reliance on fossil fuel-derived feedstocks.
Accel and Prosus back six startups in new India cohort
Accel and Prosus have selected six startups for their first joint India cohort, investing between $500,000 and $2 million in each to support long-term scientific development.
Databricks acquires two startups to power new AI security tool
Databricks has acquired startups Antimatter and SiftD.ai to support its new AI-powered security product, Lakewatch, following a $5 billion funding round last month.
BKR Capital raises CA$20M for second fund targeting Black founders
BKR Capital has closed CA$20 million for its second fund, aiming for a CA$50 million total to back high-growth technology companies led by Black founders.
Doss raises $55M to build AI-native inventory management
Doss raised $55 million in Series B funding to provide an AI-native inventory management layer that integrates with existing accounting systems for mid-market consumer brands.