Latest Startups & Entrepreneurship News
Zipline Raises $600M at $7.6B Valuation for U.S. Drone Delivery Expansion
Autonomous drone delivery startup Zipline raised $600M, valuing it at $7.6B, to expand to at least four U.S. states in 2026, starting with Houston and Phoenix. Investors include Fidelity, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, and Tiger Global.
The funding supports maturing autonomous logistics amid competition from Flytrex, DroneUp, Amazon Prime Air, and Wing.
Lydian Secures $43.7M for CO2-Based Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Climatetech startup Lydian raised $43.7M to develop sustainable aviation fuel from CO2. The funding highlights growing investment in green fuels.
This positions Lydian as a key player in decarbonizing aviation.
Type One Energy Raises $87M for Stellarator Fusion Energy System
Greentown alum Type One Energy secured $87M in a convertible note for its optimized stellarator fusion energy technology. The funding advances fusion power commercialization.
It underscores investor interest in clean energy breakthroughs.
Think Bioscience Raises $55M Series A in Biotechnology
Boulder-based Think Bioscience raised $55M in Series A funding on January 21, 2026, for using microbes to target undruggable diseases. Founded by Jerome Fox, the startup focuses on biotechnology research.
This round supports scaling innovative drug discovery platforms.
Preply Achieves Unicorn Status with $150M Raise
Language learning platform Preply raised $150M, reaching a $1.2B valuation amid AI-driven shifts in education. The funding reflects confidence in scalable global marketplaces integrating AI tutors.
It highlights surging demand for personalized learning tech.
Nvidia Backs Baseten in $300M AI Inference Funding Round
AI startup Baseten raised $300M with Nvidia participation, focusing on efficient production deployment of AI models. The investment targets the growing AI inference market.
It signals Nvidia's strategy in compute and supply chain dominance.
Dam Secure Raises $4M Seed for AI-Generated Code Security
AI security startup Dam Secure secured $4M seed led by Paladin Capital to secure enterprise AI-generated code. The platform detects logic flaws in machine-written code using plain English rules.
Funding will accelerate product development and go-to-market in 2026.
AheadComputing Raises $30M for Advanced CPU Technology
Portland chip startup AheadComputing raised $30M to develop next-generation CPU tech. The funding supports innovation in high-performance computing hardware.
It bolsters the Pacific Northwest's semiconductor ecosystem.
Helix Earth Technologies Gets $1.2M SBIR Grant for Dehumidification
Helix Earth Technologies received a $1.2M SBIR grant for its energy-efficient retrofit dehumidification system reducing commercial AC consumption. The tech targets sustainability in cooling systems.
It aids commercial building energy savings.
Seasats Awarded $24M from DoD for Autonomous Surface Vessels
Greentown alum Seasats received $24M from the Department of War’s APFIT program for long-endurance autonomous surface vessels. The award accelerates procurement of innovative maritime tech.
It enhances defense and commercial applications.
Applied Compute in Talks for $1.3B Valuation on Custom AI Models
Ex-OpenAI researchers' startup Applied Compute is negotiating funding at $1.3B valuation for domain-tuned AI systems using proprietary data. Demand surges as enterprises shift to customized deployments.
This reflects vertical integration trends in AI infrastructure.
Alchemist Chicago Selects Phase 2 Deep Tech Startups Including Luce Labs and PeraWatt
Alchemist Chicago advanced deep tech innovators like Luce Labs (AI precision agriculture), PeraWatt (magnetic materials for energy efficiency), and Popper Power (smart EV chargers) to Phase 2. Selected from 400 applicants, they gain coaching and investor access for commercialization.
The program bridges research to market impact.