OpenAI's $40B Funding Round, TARS Raises $120M, and AMD's $4.9B Acquisition - AI Funding Brief #7

April 01, 2025 - AI Funding Brief
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Welcome to the latest edition of the AI Funding Brief, where we bring you the most recent developments in the world of AI business investments. This week, we highlight a range of significant funding rounds that underscore the growing interest and investment in AI technologies. MemryX, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has secured $44 million to advance its Edge AI semiconductor solutions, while Straiker has launched with $21 million to provide AI-native security solutions for enterprise applications. Additionally, Contoro Inc. has raised $13.5 million following its victory at the SXSW Pitch Award, aiming to scale its AI-powered unloading robots.

In other notable news, TARS, a Chinese AI startup, has secured $120 million to further its embodied AI projects, and Nexthop AI has raised $110 million to enhance its AI infrastructure offerings. Meanwhile, OpenAI is nearing a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank, potentially raising its valuation to $300 billion. These stories reflect the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of AI investments, with companies across the globe securing substantial funding to drive innovation and growth in this transformative sector.
MemryX Secures $44M for Edge AI Advancements
MemryX, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has secured $44 million in Series B funding to advance its Edge AI semiconductor solutions, focusing on the production of its MX3 Accelerator chip and development of the MX4. Read more
Straiker Launches with $21 Million for AI Security
Straiker has launched with $21 million in funding to offer AI-native security solutions aimed at protecting enterprise AI applications from security threats. Read more
Contoro Inc. Raises $13.5 Million After SXSW Win
Austin-based startup Contoro Inc. has secured $13.5 million in funding from 11 investors, including Amazon, following its victory at the SXSW Pitch Award. The funds will help scale its AI-powered unloading robots. Read more
TARS Raises $120 Million for Embodied AI
Chinese AI startup TARS has secured $120 million in angel funding to further its embodied AI projects, integrating machine intelligence with physical agents like robots. Read more
Nexthop AI Secures $110 Million in Funding
Artificial intelligence infrastructure provider Nexthop AI has raised $110 million in a funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with contributions from several other investors. Read more
Google's Gradient Ventures Leads Funding for Silverstream AI
Silverstream AI Inc. has secured $1.2 million in pre-seed funding led by Gradient Ventures, a fund of Google LLC, to enhance autonomous web agents and develop an open dataset. Read more
GetReal Secures $17.5M for AI Deepfake Forensics
The startup GetReal has raised $17.5 million to advance its platform for detecting AI-generated deepfakes, targeting clients like John Deere and Visa. Read more
Yutori Raises $15M for AI Personal Assistant Startup
Former Meta executives have secured $15 million for their startup Yutori, which focuses on developing AI personal assistants. The funding was led by Radical Ventures with contributions from other prominent investors. Read more
CADDi Raises $38 Million for Supply Chain Optimization
Japanese AI startup CADDi has secured $38 million in funding from U.K.-based venture capital firm Atomico, aiming to enhance supply chain optimization for manufacturers and expand its U.S. operations. Read more
OpenAI Nears $40 Billion Funding Round Led by SoftBank
OpenAI is close to completing a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank, potentially raising its valuation to $300 billion. This round includes investments from Magnetar Capital, Coatue Management, Founders Fund, and Altimeter Capital. Read more
Butterfly Effect Seeks $500M Valuation for Manus AI
Chinese startup Butterfly Effect is in talks to secure funding for a $500 million valuation of its Manus AI agent, known for tasks like travel booking and stock analysis. Read more
Wrtn Technologies Secures $73.5M in Series B Funding
Seoul-based AI startup Wrtn Technologies has raised 108 billion won in Series B funding to expand its global presence, focusing on hiring and launching its AI chat service 'Crack'. Read more
Scale AI Seeks $25 Billion Valuation in Tender Offer
Artificial intelligence startup Scale AI is reportedly aiming for a valuation of up to $25 billion in a potential tender offer, according to Business Insider. The company is leveraging the increasing demand for AI technology. Read more
Aramco's Prosperity7 Leads $73M Funding in Spirit AI
Prosperity7 Ventures, the venture capital arm of Aramco, has led a $73 million funding round in China's Spirit AI to support its development of large language models and humanoid robots. Read more
Isomorphic Labs Secures $600 Million in Funding
Isomorphic Labs, an AI drug design company from London, has raised $600 million in its first external funding round. The investment was led by Thrive Capital, with participation from Google Ventures and Alphabet. Read more
Temporal Raises $146M to Expand AI Capabilities
Seattle-based Temporal has raised $146 million in a Series C funding round to enhance its microservices platform and develop agentic AI capabilities, reaching a valuation of $1.72 billion. Read more
Galatea Bio Raises $25 Million for Genomic Research
Miami-based AI genomics startup Galatea Bio has secured $25 million in funding to sequence the genetic diversity of 10 million people, aiming to enhance health equity and improve healthcare outcomes. Read more
Agility Robotics Secures $400 Million for Robot Digit
Agility Robotics has raised $400 million to advance its bipedal robot, Digit, amid rising interest in humanoid robotics. The funding will help the company expand operations and research in a competitive market. Read more
Chef Robotics Secures $20.6M for AI Food Assembly Robots
Chef Robotics, a San Francisco-based startup, has raised $20.6 million in Series A funding led by Avataar Ventures. The funds will be used to develop AI-driven robotic arms for food assembly, addressing labor shortages in the industry. Read more
Abound Secures £250 Million from Deutsche Bank
Abound has obtained £250 million in funding from Deutsche Bank to modernize UK lending using AI technology, aiming to improve credit assessments and reduce default rates. Read more
OpenAI Secures $40 Billion Funding Led by SoftBank
On March 31, 2025, OpenAI announced a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank Group. The investment will support AI research, infrastructure scaling, and development of tools for ChatGPT users. Read more
Retym Secures $75 Million for AI Networking Chips
Retym has raised $75 million to advance its development of networking chips aimed at improving AI computing in data centers. The funding is part of a larger $180 million investment to address connectivity challenges with digital signal processing chips. Read more

Mergers & Acquisitions

Workato has acquired DeepConverse to enhance AI-driven customer service, while Ai4 has been sold to CloserStill Media to boost its growth. Veltris acquired BPK Technologies to improve AI in healthcare, and AMD acquired ZT Systems for $4.9 billion to enhance AI infrastructure.

IPO's & Market Moves

Cerebras Systems faces IPO delays due to a national security review involving Abu Dhabi's G42. XRP Healthcare plans to go public by Q3 2025 to expand its AI healthcare services. CoreWeave reduces its U.S. IPO size and price, addressing investor concerns. Perplexity CEO denies financial issues, stating no IPO plans before 2028.

Other Funding News

Switch, Ltd. has finalized two securitized financing transactions totaling $3.5 billion to refinance its acquisition financing from December 2022, marking the largest green data center CMBS transaction to date. Diffblue has been awarded a £1 million grant from Innovate UK to advance its AI solutions for software engineering, focusing on reinforcement learning-powered tools for test code generation.

Startup Funding

SplxAI raised $7 million to enhance AI security, while Chord secured $5.5 million for its AI Customer Data Platform. NAVER D2SF invested in MOVIN for AI motion capture, and Irame.ai received $1 million for audit automation. Styx Intelligence raised $2.7 million for digital risk protection, and Crstl announced Series A funding to modernize B2B commerce with AI.

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