AI leads the pack, FinTech follows close behind, and a surprising mix of robotics, biotech, and energy rounds fill out the week.
| HAJE KAMPSMAR 12∙PAID |
Welcome back to “Funding Rounds Under $20M,” where we sift through the funding news like a toddler in a sandbox—minus the tantrums, of course. This week, we’ve got a delightful buffet of startups eagerly vying for your attention and a slice of that precious venture capital pie. From India’s Nivaan Care, which is tackling chronic pain without the surgical knife (because who needs invasive surgery when you can just throw money at a problem?), to a Swiss tech firm named Haelixa, verifying product traceability with DNA (because apparently, we need a genetic ancestry report for our avocados now).
In this edition, we’ll also uncover how a handful of audacious entrepreneurs are throwing their hats into the ring, from AI-enhanced auditing to a deep-tech skincare line that promises to be as luxurious as it sounds (but will it actually make you look like you just stepped off a yacht?). And let’s not forget those cheeky little pre-seeds, like the one for Xross Road, which aims to create infrastructure for intellectual property—hopefully, it’s less convoluted than the current IP landscape. So buckle up, dear readers; the funding world is a wild ride, and this week’s highlights are sure to tickle your fancy (or at least raise an eyebrow).
🌾 AgTech
Verdant Impact’s $3m Seed round
Verdant Impact is an AI-led startup focused on bovine genetics, providing tech-enabled solutions for sustainable farming, enhancing livestock management, and improving animal health monitoring through AI and IoT technologies. Read more at Indianstartupnews
Investors: Unicorn India Ventures , Infynyte Club and a-IDEA NAARM
🌾 1 more AgTech funding rounds:
- AgriPass – Robots for chemical-free weeding in agriculture – raised $8m from Harbor Venture Consulting, E44 Climate Ventures.
🧬 BioTech
Linnaeus Therapeutics’s $4m Growth round
Linnaeus Therapeutics is a cancer treatment startup focused on developing therapies that activate GPER, a receptor that influences the growth of melanoma cells, aiming to improve treatment outcomes for patients. Read more at Technical
🧬 2 more BioTech funding rounds:
- Alithea Genomics – RNA sequencing technology for drug discovery – raised $8m from Novalis Biotech, Zürcher Kantonalbank.
- Cytotrait – Gene-editing technology for agriculture – raised $4m from Northern Gritstone and Future Planet Capital, UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S).
💹 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
Cent’s $5m Seed round
Cent is a direct-to-consumer preventive healthcare intelligence platform that detects life-threatening diseases before symptoms appear through precision radiology and advanced diagnostics. Read more at Inc42
Investors: South Park Commons
💹 1 more Blockchain and Cryptocurrency funding rounds:
- Xross Road – AI manga creation tool for anime IP – raised $2m from Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Decima Fund and Taisu Ventures, Baboon VC.
🎁 Consumer Products and Services
RAS Luxury Skincare’s $8m Growth round
RAS Luxury Skincare is an Indian farm-to-face brand that focuses on premium and natural skincare products, emphasizing sustainability and the use of indigenous plant actives. Read more at Wwd
Investors: Unilever Ventures , Dabur Ventures , Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund and Sixth Sense Ventures
🎁 1 more Consumer Products and Services funding rounds:
- Mobiltech – Technology services and consulting for local businesses – raised $10m from Stonebridge Ventures and SBI Investment, IBK Industrial Bank.
🔒 Cybersecurity
Escape’s $18m Series A round
Escape is a cybersecurity startup that uses AI agents to actively simulate attacker behavior against live systems, identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Read more at Thenextweb
Investors: Y Combinator , Uncorrelated , Balderton Capital and IRIS
🔒 2 more Cybersecurity funding rounds:
- Cybervergent – Automates compliance and data security processes – raised $3m from Ventures Platform.
- Reclaim Security – Automated cybersecurity vulnerability remediation platform – raised $20m from Acrew Capital and Ibex Investors, QP Ventures.
Deep Tech
FLEXOO’s $12m Series A round
FLEXOO is a Heidelberg-based DeepTech startup specializing in physical AI sensor technology, providing ultra-thin, free-form sensors that integrate with real-time AI for various industries, including battery storage and automotive. Read more at EU Startups
Investors: eCAPITAL and AUMOVIO
2 more Deep Tech funding rounds:
- fibionic – Optimizing fiber placement for lightweight products – raised $3m from Caesar, Redstone VC and Euregio+, Leap435.
- Heliware – Geospatial intelligence and 3D analytics provider – raised $540k from Inflection Point Ventures.
🛡️ Defense Tech
Mutable Tactics’s $2m Pre-Seed round
Mutable Tactics is a UK-based defense-tech startup focused on developing AI software for drone team collaboration, enabling autonomous operations and decision-making in unreliable communication environments. Read more at Thenextweb
Investors: Entrepreneur First , Seraphim Space , Transpose Capital , National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) and Koro Capital
🛡️ 1 more Defense Tech funding rounds:
- MightyFly – Autonomous hybrid cargo drones for logistics – raised $10m from 500 Global and Draper Associates, At One Ventures.
🩺 Digital Health
Biocaptiva’s $2m Seed round
Biocaptiva is an Edinburgh-based biotech firm specializing in innovative liquid biopsy technology that simplifies and accelerates cancer research and diagnostics by extracting cell-free DNA directly from whole blood. Read more at FinSMEs
Investors: Scottish Enterprise , Archangels , Old College Capital , BBI and EverQuest Capital Partners
🩺 3 more Digital Health funding rounds:
- Cellbox Solutions – Transport technology for living cells – raised $4m from NRW.BANK, Companisto.
- Guoke Xinglian Technology – Biosynthetic milk protein development – raised $15m from Lenovo Capital and Shanghai Zhuiguang Julian, Changjin Holdings.
- NexCure – Expanding CAR-T therapy access through outpatient clinics – raised $19m from Cencora Ventures and Oncology Ventures, RA Capital Management.
🛒 E-commerce
Talvy’s $2m Seed round
Talvy is a platform that replaces traditional resumes with video-first professional profiles, allowing job seekers to showcase their skills and personality through short-form videos. Read more at Hrtechfeed
Investors: Link Ventures
🛒 3 more E-commerce funding rounds:
- Hosel – Marketplace for second-hand golf equipment – raised $635k from Ascension VC.
- Voomi Supply – B2B ecommerce platform for HVAC supplies – raised $10m from Asymmetric Capital Partners and Highmount Capital, Operator Partners.
- Voxelo – Transforms product videos into 3D content – raised $377k .
📚 EdTech
NextWork’s $4m Seed round
NextWork is an AI skills verification platform that helps learners build and showcase hands-on AI projects, providing proof of their capabilities in the AI job market. Read more at Founders
Investors: Icehouse Ventures , Blackbird Ventures , Shakti VC , Cake Ventures , GD1 VC and Phase One Ventures
📚 2 more EdTech funding rounds:
- Beep – AI-driven career ecosystem for students – raised $850k from Knowhere Ventures and Pacific Global Solutions, LeadAngels FLV.
- Pensive – AI grading platform for universities – raised $7m from a16z, Sequoia Capital and Mayfield, Base Ventures.
⚡ Energy Tech
Vor Systems’s $3m Pre-Seed round
Vor Systems is developing an AI-enabled transaction platform designed to streamline the financing and M&A processes for complex renewable energy projects. Read more at PV magazine
Investors: Gigascale Capital and Virta Ventures
⚡ 2 more Energy Tech funding rounds:
- NuCube Energy – Modular microreactor for electricity and heat – raised $13m from Arizona Nuclear Ventures.
- Project Omega – Recycling nuclear waste into power sources – raised $12m from Slow Ventures, Starship Ventures, Mantis Ventures and Buckley Ventures, Decisive Point.
👗 Fashion
MyDesignation’s $5m Series A round
MyDesignation is an Indian fashion startup that focuses on design-led direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales, emphasizing curated drops inspired by cultural storytelling and heritage. Read more at Founders
Investors: RPSG Capital Ventures , Veltis Capital , Multiply Ventures and Dominor Investments
👗 1 more Fashion funding rounds:
- Bonkers Corner – Unisex luxury streetwear brand from Mumbai – raised $10m from India SME Investment Fund, Radhakrishna Ramnarain.
💰 FinTech
Coreworks AI’s $5m Seed round
Coreworks AI is an enterprise AI startup that automates the creation of reports, analysis, and presentation decks using internal data, connecting with various business systems to streamline reporting processes. Read more at Inc42
Investors: Together Fund
Outpost’s $18m Series A round
Outpost is a fintech startup that simplifies international selling by providing infrastructure for payments, tax compliance, and regulatory obligations across multiple countries, using AI to manage trade regulations. Read more at Techfundingnews
Investors: Ribbit Capital and Better Tomorrow Ventures
💰 8 more FinTech funding rounds:
- Cyclops – Stablecoin solutions for payments companies – raised $8m from F-Prime and Castle Island Ventures, Shift4 Payments.
- DealFlowAgent – M&A advisory for small business owners – raised $750k from Long Journey Ventures.
- Denki – AI software for automating financial audits – raised $4m from Y Combinator, Base10 Partners and Shine Capital, 20VC.
- ILS (Intelligent Legal Solutions) – Automation for private equity legal workflows – raised $3m from Chicago Ventures.
- NjiaPay – Simplifying payments for African businesses – raised $2m from Newion.
- Orca Fraud – Fraud prevention technology for emerging markets – raised $2m from Norrsken22, OneDayYes and Enza Capital, CV VC.
- TaxDown – Digital tax filing platform for individuals and businesses – raised $4m from BBVA Spark.
- Utexo – Bitcoin-native USDT settlement infrastructure – raised $8m from Maven11, Gate Labs, Big Brain Holdings, Franklin Templeton, Tether, Portal Ventures, Fulgur Ventures, Alchemy VC, Ethereal Ventures, Auros Ventures, Arcanum Capital, Paper Ventures, Axia8, FlowTradersand Plan B, Sats Ventures.
⚙️ Industrial and infrastructure AI
Mater-AI’s $7m Seed round
Mater-AI develops a platform to discover efficient thermoelectric materials that convert waste heat into electricity. This matters because over 70% of global energy is wasted as heat, costing billions. Founded by Dr. Nickel Blankevoort and others, the startup claims to speed up material design significantly. Read more at Green Queen
Investors: Exceptional Ventures , PINC , Demea Sustainable Investment , Oyster Bay Venture Capital and Mudcake
⚙️ 1 more Industrial and infrastructure AI funding rounds:
- Sensesemi Technologies – Edge-AI chips for industrial IoT and automotive applications – raised $3m from LetsVenture Angel Fund, Sun Icon Ventures, MyAsiaVC, Whitepine Investments and Jain Oncor, Piper Serica Angel Fund.
🧠 Machine Learning and AI
Kvantify’s $8m Seed round
Kvantify develops a quantum-classical computing platform aimed at improving molecular simulation for drug discovery and materials design, addressing the complexities of larger molecules. Read more at Thequantuminsider
Investors: Delphinus Venture Capital and EIC Fund
Nyad’s $1m Seed round
Nyad is an AI-powered decision support tool designed to empower wastewater operators with the necessary tools to run safe, efficient, and compliant wastewater facilities. Read more at Hypepotamus
Anchr’s $6m Pre-Seed round
Anchr is a New York-based startup focused on automating the back office operations of independent food distributors using AI technology, enhancing workflows in order intake, procurement, inventory management, customer support, and invoicing. Read more at Thenextweb
Investors: Offline Ventures , a16z , Long Journey Ventures and Anterra Capital
🧠 9 more Machine Learning and AI funding rounds:
- Augur – Real-time intelligence for critical infrastructure – raised $15m from SNR Ventures, 1st kind and TinyVC, Plural.
- Cheerio AI – AI platform for customer engagement – raised $96k from LetsVenture, Artha Venture Fund, Hyderabad Angels and TiE Angels, Invention Engine.
- City Detect – AI-powered monitoring for urban health – raised $13m from Prudence.
- DiligenceSquared – AI-driven market research for M&A – raised $5m from Y Combinator, RELENTLESS.
- Jabali AI – AI platform for no-code game creation – raised $5m from Bitkraft, Sony Innovation Fund.
- Levitate – AI for relationship-driven business communication – raised $16m from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Harbert Growth Partners, Bull City Venture Partners.
- Mega – AI-driven marketing solution for small businesses – raised $12m from Kearny Jackson, Goodwater Capital, a16z and SignalFire, Atreides.
- Rebar – AI platform for HVAC construction workflows – raised $14m from Founder Collective, Prudence, Zero Infinity Partners and Villain Capital, Optimist Ventures.
- Vectrix – AI automation for transport order management – raised $1m from Seeder Fund, PMV and RDY Ventures, Prequel Ventures.
🔬 Materials Science
Seprify’s $15m Series A round
Seprify is a Swiss startup developing a cellulose-based alternative to titanium dioxide, aiming to provide a safe and effective solution for food and cosmetics manufacturers as titanium dioxide faces regulatory bans. Read more at Thenextweb
Investors: Cambridge Enterprise Ventures , Kickfund , Zürcher Kantonalbank, Inter IKEA Group and Una Terra Early Growth Fund
🔬 2 more Materials Science funding rounds:
- Chiral – Semiconductor manufacturing with nanomaterials – raised $12m from Founderful, Quantonation and Crane Venture Partners, HCVC.
- Haelixa – DNA-based product traceability for textiles – raised $2m from Verve Ventures and 212 NexT Fund, Zürcher Kantonalbank.
🩹 Medical Devices
Myrias Optics’s $2m Seed round
Myrias Optics is a spin-out from the University of Massachusetts Amherst specializing in wafer-level metaoptics, AR waveguides, and diffractive optics, aiming to scale production and expand its pilot-line activity. Read more at Optics
Investors: TiE Boston Angels , MassVentures , Hoss Investment , Maroon Venture Partners , Tenon Venture Partners and Mill Town Capital
🩹 1 more Medical Devices funding rounds:
- Virtonomy – Digital replicas for medical device trials – raised $5m from Bayern Kapital, Companisto.
🦾 Robotics
Armatrix’s $2m Seed round
Armatrix is a robotics startup focused on industrial automation, developing innovative snake-like flexible robotic arm technology for inspection and maintenance in industrial settings. Read more at The Economic Times
Investors: pi Ventures , Boost VC , Boundless Ventures , Grad Capital , Inuka Capital and Turbostart
🦾 2 more Robotics funding rounds:
- Mimic Robotics – AI models enabling robots to mimic human factory actions – raised $4m from Founderful, Sequoia Capital, Speedinvest, 10x Founders, Elaia Partners, 1st kind, 2100 Ventures, Primo Venturesand Techshop, 40Jemz Ventures.
- Rollo Robotics – Autonomous monowheel security robot with gyroscopic stabilization – raised $3m from FoodLabs, Enterprise Estonia, Antler, Seedstars, Beenext, TIS Japan, Blueprint Ventures, Lotus One Investment and Prototype Capital, A2D Ventures.
💊 Therapeutics
Nivaan Care’s $7m Seed round
Nivaan Care operates a chain of clinics focused on non-surgical treatment for chronic pain. In India, effective pain management options are limited, with fewer than 200 clinics compared to thousands in the US. Co-founder Nivesh Khandelwal highlights the need for growth in this specialty, likening it to the early days of IVF. Read more at The Economic Times
Investors: Sorin Investments , W Health Ventures , Endiya Partners and Rebright Partners
💊 1 more Therapeutics funding rounds:
- OYE Therapeutics – Caffeine-based therapy for anesthesia recovery and overdose reversal – raised $5m from Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Greenlight Capital.
💰 New Funds
2048 Ventures’s $82m Venture Fund
2048 Ventures is a thesis-driven early stage venture capital firm focusing on Pre-Seed and Seed rounds. They have backed notable companies like GlossGenius and Aerodome, achieving a perfect NPS score from founders for seven consecutive years. The firm operates from NYC and Boston, emphasizing a first-check investment strategy. Read more at 2048
Blue Owl Capital’s $3b Venture Fund
Blue Owl Capital provides long-term capital solutions to private equity sponsors, focusing on continuation vehicles and minority equity transactions to support high-performing portfolio companies. Read more at Blue Owl
Axiom Partners’s $52m Venture Fund
Axiom Partners is a venture capital firm focused on making early-stage investments in AI startups, particularly those with unconventional visions for the future. Read more at Business Insider
Galvanize’s $370m Venture Fund
Galvanize is a global asset manager focused on investing in energy innovation and resilience, particularly in the commercial real estate sector to drive decarbonisation and energy efficiency. Read more at Ventureburn
A16z’s $2b Venture Fund
A16z is a venture capital firm that invests in technology companies across various sectors, including AI and crypto, aiming to support innovation and growth in the tech industry. Read more at Fortune
