Here are the 17 US-based AI companies that have raised $100M or more in 2026
The AI Funding Frenzy: 17 US-Based Companies Raise $100M or More in 2026
The first few weeks of 2026 have been a whirlwind for the AI startup market, with nearly 20 US-based companies raising mega rounds of $100 million or more. This surge in funding is a testament to the growing interest and investment in artificial intelligence, with many experts predicting another year of monster funding rounds at eye-watering valuations.
A Record-Breaking Start to the Year
According to TechCrunch's count, US AI startups raised more than $76 billion through megarounds in 2025. With the current pace, it's likely that this year's total will surpass last year's record. The question on everyone's mind is: will startups see the same success in 2026?
The List of US-Based AI Companies Raising $100M or More
Here are the US-based AI companies that have raised $100 million or more in 2026:
February
- Simile: Raised a $100 million Series A round led by Index Ventures, with participation from Hanabi Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and multiple angel investors.
- Anthropic: Announced a $30 billion Series G funding round, valuing the AI research lab at $380 billion. Over 30 investors participated in the round, including Founders Fund, Coatue, and Nvidia.
- Runway: Raised a $315 million Series E round, valuing the media generation platform at $5.3 billion. The round was led by General Atlantic, with participation from Nvidia, Fidelity, and Felicis.
- Goodfire: Announced a $150 million Series B round, valuing the AI research lab at $1.25 billion. The round was led by B Capital, with participation from Juniper Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures.
- Fundamental: Raised a $255 million Series A round, valuing the AI research company at $1.4 billion. The round included investors such as Oak HC/FT, Salesforce Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, and QP Ventures.
- ElevenLabs: Raised a $500 million Series D round, valuing the voice AI company at $11 billion. The round was led by Sequoia.
January
- PaleBlueDot AI: Raised a $150 million Series B round, valuing the compute platform at $1 billion. The round was led by B Capital.
- Decagon: Announced a $250 million Series D round, valuing the conversational AI platform at $4.5 billion. The round was co-led by Coatue and Index Ventures.
- Flapping Airplanes: Raised a $180 million seed round, valuing the AI research lab at $1.5 billion. The round was led by Google Ventures, Sequoia, and Index Ventures.
- Baseten: Raised a $300 million Series E round, valuing the AI infrastructure startup at $5 billion. The round was led by IVP and CapitalG.
- Inferact: Raised a $150 million seed round, valuing the AI inference startup at $800 million. The round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
- OpenEvidence: Raised a $250 million Series D round, valuing the medical AI chatbot at $12 billion. The round was co-led by Thrive Global and DST Global.
- Humans&: Raised a $480 million seed round, valuing the AI research lab at $4.48 billion. The round included investors such as Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, and GV.
- SkildAI: Raised a $1.4 billion Series C round, valuing the AI models for robots at $14 billion. The round was led by SoftBank and Nvidia.
- Deepgram: Raised a $130 million Series C round, valuing the voice AI platform at $1.3 billion. The round was led by AVP, with participation from Tiger Global, ServiceNow Ventures, and Madrona.
- Arena: Raised a $150 million Series A round, valuing the large language model evaluation platform at $1.7 billion. The round was co-led by Felicis and UC Investments.
- xAI: Announced a $20 billion Series E round, valuing the AI research lab at an undisclosed amount. The round included investors such as Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, and the Qatar Investment Authority.
What Does This Mean for the Future of AI?
The surge in funding for AI startups is a testament to the growing interest and investment in artificial intelligence. As the technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the field. From applications in healthcare and finance to the development of new industries, AI has the potential to transform the world in ways we can only begin to imagine.
However, with great power comes great responsibility. As AI continues to grow in importance, it's essential that we prioritize ethics and safety in its development and deployment. This includes ensuring that AI systems are transparent, explainable, and fair, and that they are used in ways that benefit society as a whole.
Conclusion
The AI funding frenzy of 2026 is a testament to the growing interest and investment in artificial intelligence. With the current pace, it's likely that this year's total will surpass last year's record. As the technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the field. However, it's essential that we prioritize ethics and safety in its development and deployment to ensure that AI benefits society as a whole.
