Funding

Oportun has secured $485 million in asset-backed securities, a deal with a 5.25% weighted average coupon, which is 45 basis points lower than its previous transaction. This marks their fourth consecutive securitization priced below 6%, demonstrating improved funding costs and balance sheet strength. The company also repaid $70 million in corporate debt in 2025, further enhancing its financial flexibility.

Databricks secured $5 billion in funding at a $134 billion valuation, fueled by its AI boom. The company’s annualized revenue surpassed $5.4 billion, showing 65% year-over-year growth and achieving positive free cash flow. This strong financial performance and substantial AI-driven revenue position Databricks for a potential IPO, with CEO Ali Ghodsi suggesting readiness when the time is right. The funding round included major investors and debt financing, solidifying Databricks’ dominance in the data and AI market.

AI audio firm ElevenLabs has raised $500 million at an $11 billion valuation, led by Sequoia Capital and with participation from Nvidia and other major investors. The company, founded in 2022, offers a broad suite of AI audio solutions, including text-to-speech, dubbing, and conversational AI. With over $330 million in ARR for 2025, ElevenLabs plans to expand internationally and focus on reshaping human-technology interaction, eyeing a future IPO. This funding round reflects significant investor confidence in the booming AI sector.

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, has secured $16 billion in funding, boosting its valuation to $126 billion. This significant capital will fuel Waymo’s expansion into new U.S. and international markets, including London. The company emphasizes its safety record and aims for global scale, despite recent operational challenges and ongoing investigations into incidents. This funding round saw participation from both existing and new investors.

Amazon is reportedly in advanced talks to invest up to $50 billion in AI firm OpenAI, signaling a significant commitment to the AI landscape. This follows Amazon’s substantial investment in OpenAI’s competitor, Anthropic. The potential deal, still under finalization, could see OpenAI utilize Amazon’s AI chips. OpenAI is also exploring other funding avenues, aiming for a total round of around $100 billion. This aggressive AI push by Amazon involves considerable capital allocation and cost-cutting measures.

Anthropic has secured over $10 billion in funding, reaching a $350 billion valuation. This significant investment, potentially boosted by Microsoft and Nvidia, highlights investor confidence in their AI technology, including the Claude models. The capital will fuel Anthropic’s research and development, intensifying the AI arms race as they compete with rivals like OpenAI.

Synthesia, a UK-based AI startup, has secured $200 million in funding, reaching a $4 billion valuation. Led by Alphabet’s GV, with investments from Nvidia’s NVentures and others, this capital will accelerate Synthesia’s mission to democratize AI-powered video content creation for corporate communications and training. The company, boasting $150 million in ARR, is enhancing its “agentic” video features for interactive learning. This funding round highlights strong investor confidence in AI’s transformative potential in content generation.

OpenAI is reportedly in advanced talks with Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds for a potential $50 billion funding round. This substantial capital aims to fuel OpenAI’s aggressive expansion, research and development, and infrastructure scaling. The move signifies strong investor confidence in the company’s long-term vision and the rapidly growing AI market, following OpenAI’s meteoric rise since the ChatGPT launch.

OpenEvidence, an AI startup for physicians, has raised $250 million at a $12 billion valuation, bringing its total funding to $700 million in under a year. The platform, trained on medical literature, aims to assist doctors in clinical decision-making. It claims over 40% adoption among US physicians and generates revenue through advertising. Despite competition from giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, OpenEvidence leverages its specialized focus and user data as competitive advantages. The founder aims for long-term independent growth, viewing potential IPOs from other AI leaders as paving the way for future public offerings.