xAI's $10B Move to Challenge OpenAI, CoreWeave's $9B Acquisition, and More! - AI Funding Brief #21
July 08, 2025 -
AI Funding Brief
Hi there,
This edition of the AI Funding Brief brings you the latest updates on significant funding and investment news within the AI business landscape. Wisq has successfully raised $15 million to develop its HR-focused AI model, aiming to revolutionize HR operations. Meanwhile, xAI has secured a staggering $10 billion to enhance its infrastructure and develop its Grok chatbot, positioning itself as a competitor to industry giants like OpenAI and Anthropic. In Sweden, Lovable is nearing a $2 billion valuation after raising over $150 million, focusing on AI coding tools for non-technical users.
Chinese startup Zhipu has received a strategic investment of $140 million from Shanghai funds, bringing its total funding to over $1.4 billion and advancing its IPO plans. AI startups are capturing a notable 38.4% of venture debt funding in 2025, reflecting the growing demand for financing in the sector. Additionally, Hived has raised $42 million to expand its AI-driven parcel delivery services in the UK, and digital health funding has reached $6.4 billion in the first half of 2025, with AI-enabled startups leading the charge. GetWhy and Blaize are also making strides with significant funding and contracts to expand their AI-driven platforms.
This edition of the AI Funding Brief brings you the latest updates on significant funding and investment news within the AI business landscape. Wisq has successfully raised $15 million to develop its HR-focused AI model, aiming to revolutionize HR operations. Meanwhile, xAI has secured a staggering $10 billion to enhance its infrastructure and develop its Grok chatbot, positioning itself as a competitor to industry giants like OpenAI and Anthropic. In Sweden, Lovable is nearing a $2 billion valuation after raising over $150 million, focusing on AI coding tools for non-technical users.
Chinese startup Zhipu has received a strategic investment of $140 million from Shanghai funds, bringing its total funding to over $1.4 billion and advancing its IPO plans. AI startups are capturing a notable 38.4% of venture debt funding in 2025, reflecting the growing demand for financing in the sector. Additionally, Hived has raised $42 million to expand its AI-driven parcel delivery services in the UK, and digital health funding has reached $6.4 billion in the first half of 2025, with AI-enabled startups leading the charge. GetWhy and Blaize are also making strides with significant funding and contracts to expand their AI-driven platforms.
Wisq Secures $15M for HR-Focused AI Model
On July 1, 2025, Wisq announced a $15 million funding round to boost the development of HRLM, a large language model tailored for enterprise HR, aiming to enhance HR operations with AI. Read more
xAI Secures $10 Billion to Challenge OpenAI
xAI, founded by Elon Musk, has raised $10 billion to bolster its infrastructure and develop its Grok chatbot, aiming to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic. The company has installed 200,000 GPUs at its Memphis facility and plans further expansion. Read more
Lovable Nears $2 Billion Valuation with New Funding
Swedish AI start-up Lovable is nearing a $2 billion valuation after raising over $150 million in new funding. The company, founded in 2023, focuses on AI coding tools for non-technical users. Read more
Zhipu Receives $1.4 Billion Investment from Shanghai Funds
Chinese AI startup Zhipu has secured a strategic investment of $140 million from Shanghai’s Pudong VC and Zhangjiang Group, bringing its total funding to $1.4 billion. The company plans to advance its IPO and has introduced a new multimodal model at its ecosystem conference. Read more
AI Startups Capture 38.4% of Venture Debt Funding in 2025
AI and machine learning startups are securing a large portion of venture debt funding, making up 38.4% of the $30 billion total in the US and Europe this year, according to PitchBook. Read more
Hived Raises $42 Million for UK Expansion
London-based startup Hived has secured $42 million in Series B funding to expand its AI-driven parcel delivery services across the UK, focusing on sustainability with a fully electric fleet. Read more
Digital Health Funding Hits $6.4 Billion in H1 2025
In the first half of 2025, digital health funding reached $6.4 billion, with AI-enabled startups capturing a significant portion of the venture capital. The sector saw 11 mega deals, primarily benefiting AI companies, indicating growing investor confidence in healthcare AI. Read more
GetWhy Secures €17 Million for AI Market Research Expansion
Copenhagen-based startup GetWhy has raised an additional €17 million to enhance its AI-driven market research platform, with plans to expand into the U.S. market by 2025. Read more
Blaize Secures $56 Million Edge AI Contract in Southeast Asia
Blaize has announced a $56 million contract to deploy its edge AI platform across over 250,000 smart surveillance systems in Southeast Asia, starting in Q2 2025. This initiative aims to enhance urban infrastructure, traffic monitoring, and public safety through advanced AI technology. Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions
CoreWeave is acquiring Core Scientific in a $9 billion all-stock deal expected to close in Q4 2025. Coretek has acquired Total Solutions to expand its AI and cloud services. symplr has acquired AMN Healthcare's Smart Square software to enhance AI workforce management. Didomi acquired Sourcepoint after securing $72 million in funding. Capgemini plans to acquire WNS for $3.3 billion to boost its AI and business process services.
- CoreWeave Acquires Core Scientific in $9 Billion Deal
- Coretek Acquires Total Solutions for AI and Cloud Services
- symplr Acquires AMN Healthcare's Smart Square Software
- Didomi Acquires Sourcepoint After $72M Funding
- Capgemini to Acquire WNS for $3.3 Billion
IPO's & Market Moves
ElevenLabs is planning a global expansion and aims for an IPO within five years, with new hubs in Paris, Singapore, Brazil, and Mexico. Biren Technology has raised 1.5 billion yuan from state-linked investors and is planning an IPO in Hong Kong to develop domestic semiconductor alternatives.
Startup Funding
RevEng.ai has secured $4.1 million to enhance its AI cybersecurity platform, while Bild raised $3.1 million for AI in affordable housing. Peec AI obtained €5.2 million for AI search analytics, and Parter secured $5.5 million for an AI supply chain platform. Deeto raised $12.5 million to improve B2B AI experiences, and Olaxbt secured $3.38 million for an AI crypto trading platform.
- RevEng.ai Raises $4.1 Million for AI Cybersecurity
- Bild Secures $3.1M for AI in Affordable Housing
- CIMware Secures $2.3 Million in Pre-Series A Funding
- Peec AI Secures €5.2 Million in Seed Funding
- Parter Secures $5.5M for AI Supply Chain Platform
- Perry Secures €1.6M to Tackle Europe's Technical Skills Gap
- Deeto Secures $12.5 Million for AI-Driven B2B Platform
- Othor AI Secures ₹42.8 Lakh in Pre-Seed Funding
- Olaxbt Raises $3.38 Million for AI Crypto Platform
- Remark Secures $16 Million for AI in Shopping
- Massive Dynamic Secures €3 Million for AI Marketing Automation
- Maieutic Semiconductor Secures $4.15M for AI in Analog Design
- Arago Secures $26 Million for Light-Based AI Chips
- Notta Secures $6.3 Million to Enter US Market
- Filics Raises €13.5M for Warehouse Robotics Expansion
- Pimloc Secures €4.2M for AI Video Privacy Expansion
- Alliance VC Launches €40M Fund for Nordic AI Startups
- Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation Launch $2 Million AI Prize
- Venta AI Raises €1.7 Million in Pre-Seed Funding
- Metafide Secures $3.275 Million for AI Trading Platform
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