OpenAI Secures $110B for Global AI Expansion, Wayve Raises $1.2B, and Axelera AI's $250M Chip Boost

Hi there,

Welcome to the latest edition of the AI Funding Brief, where we bring you the most recent updates on funding and investment activities in the AI business landscape. This week, we highlight a range of significant developments, including Intel and SambaNova's strategic collaboration to enhance AI inference solutions, and Arivihan's pursuit of $10–12 million in funding from Accel and Prosus. Additionally, Promise Bio has launched a grant to support biotech R&D, while WASP has initiated a Swedish AI language model project.

In other news, Turbine has raised $25 million and partnered with a major pharmaceutical company, and Wayve has secured a staggering $1.2 billion to advance its autonomous driving technology. Furthermore, Anthropic has acquired AI startup Vercept, and Khosla Ventures has invested in the AI HR startup Comp. These stories, among others, reflect the dynamic and rapidly evolving nature of the AI industry, showcasing the diverse applications and significant investments driving innovation forward.

Intel and SambaNova Collaborate on AI Inference Solutions

Intel and SambaNova have announced a strategic collaboration to develop high-performance AI inference solutions using Intel Xeon-based infrastructure. Read more

SWI Stoneweg Icona Group Invests €1 Billion in Polarise

The SWI Stoneweg Icona Group is set to acquire a majority stake in Polarise with a €1 billion investment, aiming to enhance its AI strategy and infrastructure across Europe. Read more

Arivihan Seeks $10–12 Million Funding from Accel and Prosus

AI edtech startup Arivihan is in discussions to raise $10–12 million from investors Accel and Prosus, following a previous funding round in July 2025. Read more

Promise Bio Launches Innovation Grant for Biotech R&D

The Promise Bio Frontier Epiproteomic Innovation Grant supports biotech companies with epiproteomic profiling and analysis, targeting clinical-stage firms in specific disease areas to aid drug development. Read more

WASP Launches Swedish AI Language Model Initiative

The Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) has started a project to create a national language model for Swedish, called WARA AI-TRICS, with significant funding and collaboration from various sectors. Read more

Canva Acquires Mango.AI and Cavalry, Appoints Chief Algorithms Officer

Canva has acquired Mango.AI and Cavalry to enhance its creative suite and AI capabilities. Nirmal Govind, former VP of Data Science at Netflix, joins as Chief Algorithms Officer. Read more

Turbine Raises $25M and Partners with Pharma Giant

Turbine, a virtual biology company, has secured $25 million in Series B funding led by Interactive Venture Partners and announced a new immunology partnership with a top 10 pharmaceutical company. Read more

Wayve Secures $1.2 Billion in Funding

Self-driving tech startup Wayve has raised $1.2 billion in a funding round led by Nvidia, Uber, and major automakers. The funds will aid in expanding its autonomous driving technology and partnerships. Read more

Anthropic Acquires AI Startup Vercept

On February 25, 2026, Anthropic announced its acquisition of Vercept, an AI startup known for its cloud-based agent Vy. This follows the departure of a co-founder to Meta. Read more

Turbine Raises $25M and Partners with Pharma Giant

Turbine, a virtual biology company, has secured $25 million in Series B funding led by Interactive Venture Partners and announced a new immunology partnership with a top 10 pharmaceutical company. Read more

Khosla Ventures Invests in AI HR Startup Comp

The AI-powered HR startup Comp has secured $17.25 million in Series A funding led by Khosla Ventures. The company aims to enhance HR functions in Brazil with AI solutions and plans to expand into the U.S. market. Read more

Multiverse Computing Launches Free AI Model

Spanish startup Multiverse Computing has introduced a free compressed AI model, HyperNova 60B, to tackle challenges associated with large language models. Read more

Nimble Secures $47 Million to Boost AI with Web Data

Nimble, a web search startup, has raised $47 million to enhance AI agents' access to real-time web data for enterprises. Read more

Nvidia Acquires Illumex for $60 Million

Nvidia has acquired Israeli AI startup Illumex for approximately $60 million to enhance its generative AI capabilities. The acquisition includes the Generative Semantic Fabric platform developed by Illumex. Read more

Nightfood Holdings Acquires Core AI Robotics IP

On February 23, 2026, Nightfood Holdings announced its acquisition of full intellectual property rights for its BIM-E robotics platform. This acquisition is part of a trend in the AI service robotics market towards commercial deployment. Read more

Gushwork Raises $9 Million in Seed Funding

India-founded startup Gushwork has secured $9 million in seed funding to enhance its AI search tools for customer leads, with backing from Susquehanna International Group and Lightspeed. Read more

Axelera AI Secures $250M for AI Chip Expansion

Dutch startup Axelera AI has secured over $250 million in funding to advance its AI chip technology in Europe. The investment will aid in expanding manufacturing and developing software tools, positioning the company to compete with industry leaders. Read more

OneMagnify Acquires Optimal's Marketing Business

OneMagnify, with support from Crestview Partners, has acquired Optimal's Performance Marketing business. This move is intended to bolster OneMagnify's AI-driven marketing solutions by leveraging Optimal's performance media and audience data expertise. Read more

Sophia Space Secures $10M for Space Computer Development

Sophia Space has raised $10 million in seed funding to develop a new method for passively cooling space computers, with plans to test the technology in orbit by 2027 or 2028. Read more

OpenAI Secures $110 Billion Investment for Global AI Expansion

OpenAI has announced a $110 billion investment to enhance AI infrastructure and expand access to AI products globally. The investment, with contributions from SoftBank, NVIDIA, and Amazon, aims to strengthen OpenAI's capabilities in deploying frontier AI technologies. Read more

Encord Raises $60M for AI Data Infrastructure

Encord has announced securing $60 million in Series C funding to enhance its AI data infrastructure platform, which supports the management and annotation of multimodal data for physical AI systems. Read more

Rapidus Secures 267.6 Billion Yen for 2nm Semiconductor Production

Rapidus Corporation has received 267.6 billion yen in funding from the Japan government and private sector to develop 2nm semiconductors by 2027. Read more

Xference Launches AI Infrastructure in Italy After Funding

AI startup Xference has introduced a new distributed infrastructure from its Bergamo data center, following a €700,000 pre-seed funding round. The company plans to offer a beta service to 100 users and expand across Italy and the EU. Read more

Emerald AI Secures $22.7 Million for Data Center AI Solutions

Emerald AI, based in Arlington County, has raised $22.7 million from 20 investors to enhance its AI solutions for data centers. The company's platform aims to reduce energy consumption while maintaining AI performance, with major backing from Nvidia and Google executive Jeff Dean. Read more

Yotta Data Services to Build $2 Billion AI Hub with Nvidia

India's Yotta Data Services plans to build a $2 billion AI hub using Nvidia GPUs, aiming to meet the rising demand for GPU capacity in the country. The company also intends to go public within the next year. Read more

Equinix and CPP Investments Acquire atNorth for $4 Billion

Equinix and CPP Investments have announced a $4 billion acquisition of atNorth, a Nordic data center provider. The acquisition aims to enhance AI infrastructure across the Nordic region. Read more

Einride Secures $113 Million for Merger with Legato

Einride AB has announced a $113 million PIPE financing to support its merger with Legato Merger Corp. III, valuing Einride at $1.35 billion. The merger aims to advance Einride's autonomous freight technology and global expansion. Read more

Rowspace AI Raises $50 Million for AI Data Management

Rowspace AI has secured $50 million in funding led by Sequoia Capital and Emergence Capital to enhance its AI platform for financial services. Read more

Firmable Secures $14M for US Expansion

Firmable, an AI sales platform from Melbourne, Australia, has raised $14 million in Series A funding to expand into the US and enhance its sales data capabilities. Read more

Basis Secures $100 Million in Series B Funding

Basis, an AI agent platform for accountants, has raised $100 million in Series B funding, achieving a valuation of $1.15 billion. The platform is being adopted by major accounting firms to enhance workflow efficiency. Read more

Harper Secures $46.8M for AI Insurance Brokerage

Harper, an AI insurance brokerage, has raised $46.8 million in Series A and seed funding to enhance its services for small- to mid-sized businesses. The funding round was led by Emergence Capital and included investors like Y Combinator and Lobster Capital. Read more

UpGuard Secures $75 Million for AI Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity company UpGuard has raised $75 million in a Series C funding round led by Springcoast Partners. The funds will be used to enhance their AI-powered Cyber Risk Posture Management platform and support global expansion. Read more

NODA AI Secures $25M for Military AI Platform

NODA AI has raised $25 million in Series A funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, to enhance its AI platform for military coordination. The funding will support integration with over 30 platforms for the Department of War and the UK Ministry of Defense. Read more

Paradigm Raises $1.5 Billion for AI and Robotics Investments

Paradigm, based in San Francisco, is raising $1.5 billion to expand its investments into artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies while continuing to support blockchain projects. Read more

Dash0 Seeks $1 Billion Valuation in New Funding Round

Dash0, a software startup, is in talks to raise funds at a $1 billion valuation, with Balderton Capital expected to lead the round. The company specializes in AI observability, aiding businesses in monitoring system anomalies. Read more

GSMA and ESA Announce €100M for AI and 6G

At the Mobile World Congress 2026, GSMA Foundry and the European Space Agency (ESA) revealed a €100 million funding initiative to enhance the integration of space and mobile technologies, focusing on AI, NTN, D2D, and 6G advancements. Read more

14.ai Automates Customer Support for Startups

The startup 14.ai, founded by Marie Schneegans and Michael Fester, is using AI to transform customer support for startups. The company has raised $3 million in seed funding to automate service operations and improve ticket resolution. Read more

HaystackID Acquires eDiscovery AI to Boost Legal AI Services

On March 2, 2026, HaystackID announced its acquisition of eDiscovery AI to enhance its AI capabilities in legal and compliance sectors. Read more

Origa Raises $450K for Voice AI Automation

Voice AI startup Origa has secured $450,000 in pre-seed funding led by Antler Singapore to enhance its platform for automating pre-sales conversations in B2C sectors. Read more

VoiceLine Raises €10 Million for European Expansion

VoiceLine, a Munich-based Voice AI platform, has secured €10 million in Series A funding led by Alstin Capital. The investment will support workforce expansion and platform enhancement for international growth. Read more

NationGraph Raises $18 Million for AI Platform

NationGraph has secured $18 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI platform for businesses targeting government sales, with Menlo Ventures leading the investment. Read more

Harbinger Acquires Phantom AI and Partners with ZF Group

On February 25, 2026, Harbinger announced its acquisition of Phantom AI and a partnership with ZF Group to enhance its vehicle safety features and expand software services. Read more

JetScale AI Raises $5.4 Million for Cloud Optimization

Montreal-based JetScale AI has secured $5.4 million in seed funding to boost its cloud infrastructure optimization efforts and sustainability initiatives. Read more

Pluvo Raises $5 Million for AI Financial Platform

Pluvo, an AI-native financial analysis platform, has secured $5 million in seed funding to enhance its decision intelligence capabilities and expand its market operations. Read more

Ease Health Raises $41M for AI Operating System

Ease Health has secured $41 million in Series A funding from Andreessen Horowitz to develop an AI-native operating system for behavioral health providers. Read more

Blackstone to Launch AI Data Center Acquisition Company

Investment firm Blackstone is set to establish a publicly traded company aimed at acquiring AI data centers, seeking to raise funds from sovereign wealth funds and other investors. Read more

Amazon Acquires GWU Virginia Campus for AI Expansion

Amazon is purchasing the Virginia Science and Technology campus from George Washington University for $427 million to enhance its AI data center infrastructure. The university can continue its programs at the site for up to five years. Read more

Finanjo Raises $180k Pre-Seed Funding from AJVC

Jaipur-based startup Finanjo has secured $180,000 in pre-seed funding led by AJVC to enhance its AI capabilities and expand its user base in India. Read more

Invest NI Funds £1.8 Million for Northern Ireland Tech Startups

Three tech startups in Northern Ireland, Optik AI, farmdrive, and Foresight, have received over £1.8 million from Invest NI to boost product development and job creation. Read more

Third Way Health Raises $15M for AI Healthcare Operations

Third Way Health has secured $15 million in Series A funding from Health Velocity Capital to expand its AI capabilities and operational scale in healthcare. The company aims to address administrative challenges and improve patient care with its hybrid human and AI solutions. Read more

Trace Secures $3 Million for AI Agent Adoption

London-based startup Trace has raised $3 million in seed funding to improve the integration of AI agents in enterprises, focusing on automating their onboarding process. Read more

Google Partners with Form Energy for 100-Hour Battery

Google has signed a $1 billion deal with startup Form Energy to utilize their iron-air battery technology, which can discharge electricity for 100 hours, for a new data center in Minnesota. Read more

Skipr Raises $2 Million to Expand AI Infrastructure

Skipr, an Abu Dhabi-based startup, has raised $2 million in seed funding, increasing its valuation to $10 million. The funds will be used to expand its sovereign AI infrastructure, focusing on secure communication and data control for governments and enterprises. Read more

Flux Raises $37 Million to Boost AI in PCB Design

On February 27, 2026, Flux announced securing $37 million in funding led by 8VC to enhance AI automation in printed circuit board development. Read more

RLWRLD Raises $26 Million for Robotics AI

RLWRLD, a Physical AI company, has secured $26 million in Seed 2 funding to enhance its robotics models and expand globally, with key investors including Headline Asia and Z Venture Capital. Read more

Tangled Secures €3.8 Million for European Code Platform

Tangled, a Finnish code collaboration platform, has raised €3.8 million to create a European alternative to US platforms like GitHub, with backing from former GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke. Read more

Procode AI Launches with $4M Funding and Acquires The Auctus Group

Procode AI, an AI-driven revenue cycle management company, has launched with $4 million in funding and acquired The Auctus Group to enhance billing processes for private practice surgeons. Read more

Dyna.Ai Secures Series A Funding Led by Lion X Ventures

Dyna.Ai, based in Singapore, has raised a multimillion-dollar Series A funding round led by Lion X Ventures to enhance its enterprise AI solutions. Read more

Radiant Valued at $1.3 Billion After Merger

Brookfield Asset Management's AI unit, Radiant, has been valued at $1.3 billion following a merger with UK startup Ori Industries. The merger aims to tackle the supply-demand imbalance in AI infrastructure. Read more

MediaTek Invests $90 Million in Ayar Labs for AI Infrastructure

In February 2026, MediaTek invested $90 million in Ayar Labs to enhance its capabilities in silicon photonics, crucial for AI data centers. Ayar Labs has also received investments from companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. Read more

Noetix Robotics Raises Nearly 1 Billion Yuan in Series B

Beijing-based Noetix Robotics has secured nearly RMB 1 billion in a Series B funding round led by CD Capital. The investment will aid in advancing their consumer humanoid and biomimetic robots. Read more

Gambit Security Secures $61 Million for AI Cybersecurity

Israeli firm Gambit Security has raised $61 million to advance its AI-driven cyber resilience platform, designed to support business continuity during cyberattacks. The funding round included investors such as Spark Capital and Kleiner Perkins. Read more

Spirit AI Raises $280 Million for Embodied AI Models

Spirit AI, a Beijing-based startup, has secured $280 million in funding to advance its embodied AI models. The investment will aid in developing a universal robotic brain using unstructured data for real-world applications. Read more

Salesforce Acquires Momentum for AI Revenue Orchestration

On February 18, 2026, Salesforce announced its acquisition of Momentum, aiming to enhance its AI capabilities in revenue orchestration and conversational insights. Read more

Categories

Companies

Resources

OpenAI Secures $110B for Global AI Expansion, Wayve Raises $1.2B, and Axelera AI's $250M Chip Boost - AI Funding Brief #54

We hope you enjoyed this article.

More from: Funding

More from: Public Markets

Subscribe to AI Funding Brief