AI Funding

DeepSeek is wrapping up a raise of about 100 billion yuan ($15 billion), with CATL and Tencent among top investors, Reuters reported on October 22, 2026.

Different, a new AI marketing start-up from Nutanix and ThoughtSpot co-founder Ajeet Singh, came out of stealth on October 20, 2026 with a $48 million seed round led by General Catalyst.

Dutch photonics start-up Photon Bridge raised €10 million, announced October 21, 2026, to build laser engines that move data between AI chips, with first samples due in 2027.

AI note-taker Otter.ai secured $320 million on 20 October 2026 from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund, repayable from revenue, not equity.

Global venture investment reached $170.9 billion in Q3 2026, driven by AI megadeals, KPMG said on October 14, while India's fell to a six-quarter low of $2.6 billion.

Harmonic Security raised a $50 million Series B led by Crosspoint Capital Partners on October 14, 2026, taking its total funding to $76 million.

New York start-up Evos emerged from stealth on October 14, 2026 with a $9 million pre-seed round led by Uncork Capital and Field Ventures for AI operators in industry.

Cybersecurity start-up Pluto Security emerged from stealth on 13 October 2026 with about $42 million to help firms control AI agents and apps built by staff.

Shenzhen robot maker Astribot raised about 1 billion yuan on Oct 13, 2026, at a 15 billion yuan (about $2.2 billion) valuation, led by a Shenzhen state investor.

Zurich start-up Klarent raised about €7.13 million in a seed round led by Mosaic Ventures, announced October 9, 2026, to expand AI software testing to the US.

Scarlet, a London certifier of AI and software medical devices, raised a $50 million Series B led by Headline on 12 October 2026 to expand into the US and Asia-Pacific.

San Francisco start-up Hone raised a $60 million seed round led by Benchmark and Index Ventures, reported on Oct 8, 2026, for AI 'Engines' that pursue business goals.