Despite some concerns about “AI fatigue,” venture investors have shown no signs of slowing down their support for AI startups in 2024. AI companies have continued to dominate venture funding, raising a staggering $18.9 billion in the third quarter alone, which represents 28% of all venture funding during that period.
Record-Breaking Deals
One of the standout moments of the year was the closure of the largest venture deal in history: OpenAI’s $6.6 billion funding round. This deal was one of six AI funding rounds exceeding $1 billion in 2024, highlighting the immense confidence investors have in the potential of AI technologies.
Popular AI Startups in 2024
In 2024, several U.S.-based AI startups have gained significant attention and funding, reflecting the growing investment in the sector. Physical Intelligence, founded by Sergey Levine and Lachy Groom, raised $400 million in a Series A round, with a valuation exceeding $2 billion, as it develops foundational software for robotics.
Similarly, Sierra, an AI startup founded by Bret Taylor, specializes in AI-powered enterprise chatbots and secured $175 million, reaching a valuation of $4.5 billion. Nimble Robotics, focused on autonomous warehouse robotics, raised $106 million in Series C funding at a $1.1 billion valuation. Lightmatter, a photonic computing company, raised $400 million in Series D, achieving a valuation of $4.4 billion, while Path Robotics, an Ohio-based autonomous welding robotics startup, secured $100 million in a Series D round.
In the legal tech space, EvenUp raised $135 million in Series D funding, reaching a $1 billion valuation, while KoBold Metals, an AI-driven mineral exploration startup, secured $491.5 million. Poolside, an AI software development platform, closed a $500 million Series B round, reaching a $3 billion valuation, and Glean, which provides enterprise search solutions, raised $260 million in Series E funding, with a $4.5 billion valuation. Safe Superintelligence, an AI research lab founded by Ilya Sutskever, garnered $1 billion at a $4 billion valuation to focus on the safe development of advanced AI.
AI coding platforms also saw substantial investment, with Magic raising $320 million in Series C funding and Codeium securing $150 million in Series C. DevRev, which creates AI support agents, raised $100 million in Series A funding, while Abnormal Security, focused on AI-driven email security, raised $250 million.
In hardware, Groq, a company developing AI chips, raised $640 million in Series D funding, and Bright Machines, which combines AI with robotics for manufacturing automation, raised $106 million in Series C funding.
Other notable AI startups include Etched.ai, a data intelligence platform that raised $120 million in Series A funding, and EvolutionaryScale, which develops biological AI models for therapeutic drug design, raising $142 million in a seed round. AKASA, a healthcare automation platform, raised $120 million in June, bringing its total funding to $205 million, while AlphaSense, a market intelligence platform, raised $650 million in Series F funding at a $4 billion valuation.
xAI, founded by Elon Musk, raised a staggering $6 billion in Series B funding, achieving a $24 billion valuation, and Scale AI, which provides data-labeling services, raised $1 billion, reaching a $14 billion valuation.
In creative industries, Suno, an AI music creation platform, raised $125 million in Series B funding, with a $500 million valuation. Weka, an AI-native data platform, raised $140 million in Series E funding, while CoreWeave, a GPU infrastructure provider, secured $1.1 billion in Series C funding.
Blaize, focused on AI computing for edge and cloud applications, raised $106 million in Series D. Augment, an AI-powered coding assistant, secured $227 million in Series B funding, while Cognition, an applied AI research lab, raised $175 million. Xaira Therapeutics, a drug discovery startup, raised $1 billion in Series A funding, and Cyera, focused on AI-powered data security, secured $300 million in Series C.
Additional AI companies making waves include Celestial AI, which develops optical interconnect technology and raised $175 million in Series C, and FundGuard, an AI-powered investment accounting platform that raised $100 million in Series C. Together AI, which helps developers build large AI models, raised $106 million in Series A funding, while Zephyr AI, an AI-enhanced drug discovery startup, raised $111 million in Series A.
Figure, a robotics startup, raised $675 million in Series B funding, and Abridge, which uses AI to transcribe medical conversations, raised $150 million in Series C. Recogni, focused on AI interface solutions, raised $102 million in Series C funding, while Lambda, a deep learning infrastructure company, raised $320 million in Series C. Lastly, Kore.ai, which builds conversational AI for enterprises, secured $150 million in Series D funding.
The sustained influx of capital into AI startups indicates a strong belief in the transformative potential of AI technologies. With major players like OpenAI leading the way, the future of AI looks promising, and the industry is poised for further growth and innovation.
As we look ahead, the future of AI startups in the US is incredibly bright and filled with boundless potential. With unwavering support from venture capitalists and significant advancements in AI technology, these startups are poised to revolutionize various industries, from healthcare and finance to manufacturing and entertainment.
The remarkable funding success in 2024 underscores a growing recognition of AI’s transformative power and its ability to drive innovation and efficiency across the board. As these dynamic companies continue to push the boundaries of what AI can achieve, we can expect to see groundbreaking developments that will shape the future of technology and society for years to come. The journey of AI startups is just beginning, and the possibilities are truly limitless.