Rounds

• Crunchbase reported that a majority of global startup funding flowed into rounds of $1 billion or more during the first half of 2026. • In the United States, 73% of all startup funding was concentrated in these billion-dollar rounds. • This shift indicates that massive funding rounds have moved from being rare anomalies to a standard expectation for high-growth companies.

• Billion-dollar funding rounds became a standard expectation for startups during the first half of 2026. • Crunchbase reports that 73% of global startup funding in the U.S. flowed into rounds of $1 billion or more. • Companies must now prioritize rigorous internal controls, audited financials, and AI governance to manage this scale of capital.

• The FDA continues to face operational challenges and hiring freezes resulting from budget cuts implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). • These cuts have stymied the agency's ability to fill critical roles and maintain standard staffing levels. • Reduced FDA capacity may slow the approval process for new drugs and medical devices, impacting pharmaceutical companies and patient access to care.

• Dutch companies focused on AI infrastructure secured several major funding rounds this week, including a €200 million investment for EUCLYD. • Fortaegis raised €50 million for chip-based security technology, while ASML spin-off Inivisix secured €20 million to develop chip inspection tools. • These investments signal a market shift in the Netherlands toward the physical hardware and security layers required to run AI models rather than the models themselves.

Fact-finding mission says military strikes on school and sports facility in ⁠February constitute war ⁠crimesA UN fact-finding mission on Iran has said there are reasonable grounds to believe the US was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in ⁠February, and that these constituted war ⁠crimes.It also found Iranian ​authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Continue reading...

• The Boring Co. led a massive week for U.S. startup funding with a $3 billion Series D funding round, followed by other large investments in companies like Cognition and Motive. • Cognition, an AI coding startup, raised $2 billion, while Motive, a fleet management software provider, landed $1.3 billion, and Stoke Space, a reusable rocket developer, raised $1 billion. • These large funding rounds indicate a significant influx of capital into the U.S. startup ecosystem, particularly in industries like transportation and technology.

• A new wave of illegal fruity vapes has emerged, posing health risks to users, particularly among youth and young adults. • Researchers and healthcare providers are noting an increasing trend of children being prescribed GLP-1s, a type of medication typically used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. • The emergence of these health issues and the growing need for effective treatments, such as the pancreatic cancer drug RevMed, highlights the importance of continued research and development in the healthcare sector.

• The FTSE 100 index opened 18.66 points lower at 10,793 as rising oil prices and tensions between the US and Iran weighed on investor sentiment. • Energean and Aberdeen shares gained value despite the overall market dip. • Market volatility reflects the concrete risk that Middle East instability can drive up energy costs and disrupt global trade.

Exclusive: London mayor accuses council of ‘breathtaking arrogance’ in ‘ignoring’ responses to a consultationSadiq Khan has criticised the “breathtaking arrogance” of Westminster council, which has kept restrictions on vertical drinking in Soho and an effective ban on new bars and pubs in the area.The mayor of London has accused the Conservative-led council of “ignoring” the responses to a consultation into its new licensing policy. The vast majority of respondents, 81%, disagreed with the council’s “cumulative impact zone” which decrees that applications for bars and pubs in the West End of London, one of Europe’s most famous nightlife districts, will be refused unless in exceptional circumstances. Eighty-four per cent said the licensing policy would be bad for business. Continue reading...

• AI infrastructure companies dominated the largest venture capital rounds this week, led by massive investments in cloud and data center providers. • Crusoe secured $3 billion in financing, while Fluidstack raised $1.5 billion and AI inference startup Gimlet Labs landed $300 million. • These multibillion-dollar deals signal a heavy market shift toward the physical hardware and cloud capacity required to run large-scale AI models.

• Donald Trump has introduced new deals regarding drug pricing as part of his health policy updates. • The latest health reports also cover research on the effects of cannabis edibles on driving and the use of Paxlovid for long Covid. • These developments affect healthcare costs for patients and provide new clinical data for those managing chronic post-viral symptoms.

• AI-focused startups dominated the largest funding rounds this week, despite an overall sparser lineup of megadeals. • Instinct, a developer of AI assistants, secured the largest funding round of the period. • Other significant investments were distributed across diverse sectors, including business software, autonomous transport, physical AI, and sea gliders.

• U.S. startup funding is currently concentrating on AI infrastructure and defense technology, highlighted by Castelion securing an $800 million funding round. • Several companies are leveraging new capital for physical and technical expansion, including Also, which is accelerating its autonomous vehicle platform development. • Muon Space has opened a new manufacturing facility in San Jose with the goal of producing up to 500 satellites per year by 2027.

• Venture capital activity surged this week, with investors focusing heavily on defense technology, AI infrastructure, and specialized software tools. • Castelion, a defense tech startup developing hypersonic missiles, secured the largest funding round of the week. • Other significant investments were directed toward companies specializing in AI inference technology, data centers, voice-to-text tools, and video-creation platforms.

• Recent health updates highlight a shift toward less aggressive therapy options for treating prostate cancer to reduce patient side effects. • Meta glasses are being integrated into hospital settings to explore how augmented reality can assist medical professionals in clinical environments. • The "Morning Rounds" report also covers developments regarding an Ebola vaccine as part of its broader health news coverage.

• The Retail Technology Innovation Hub has highlighted 20 retail tech ventures that recently secured significant investments across sectors like AI shopping, live commerce, and warehouse robotics. • Among these, EAIGLE, a specialist in AI-powered gate and yard automation, secured an undisclosed funding round led by Noro-Moseley Partners with support from In Revenue Capital and Boreal Ventures. • EAIGLE intends to use the new capital to accelerate its go-to-market expansion and further develop its proprietary automated logistics technology.

• Tech funding in South Korea nearly tripled year-on-year during the first half of 2026, according to data released on Wednesday. • The recovery is characterized as uneven, as a small number of "mega-rounds" specifically targeting artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors drove the majority of the growth. • This trend suggests that while overall capital is increasing, funding is heavily concentrated in a few high-growth sectors rather than being distributed across the broader tech ecosystem.

• Databricks is seeking an additional $5 billion in funding, repeating a fundraising effort of the same amount from eight months ago. • Other significant funding rounds this week targeted sectors including AI infrastructure, defense, biotech, and AI-enabled coding tools. • Austin-based startup ClearJet secured funding for its AI logistics platform, which optimizes commercial flight cargo capacity for shippers.

• Asian startups raised a total of $184.2 million during Week 33, with funding primarily driven by the AI, deeptech, and electric mobility sectors. • Yulu emerged as the leader of the week's funding activity, securing the largest investment round among the reported deals. • The trend highlights a strong regional investor appetite for sustainable transportation and advanced artificial intelligence technologies.

• Between August 4 and August 10, 2026, 53 funding rounds were recorded globally, with the United States leading with 26 rounds totaling $4.58 billion. • Other significant regional activity included the United Kingdom ($388M), Israel ($230M), and India ($166M). • Notable individual deals include Aurelius Systems raising $40M in Series A for AI-powered directed-energy defense and BalanceTheory securing $19M in Series A for a cybersecurity investment platform.

• Global startups raised over $6.9 billion in funding during August 2026, highlighting significant investor activity across various sectors. • A standout achievement included a record-breaking $20 million pre-seed round raised by a founding team before their product had even launched. • This specific investment underscores a growing trend where investors prioritize the pedigree and background of the founding team over the initial product.

• Bipartisan House Armed Services Committee amendments propose using the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act to extend military clinical trials of MDMA and psilocybin for active-duty service members. • Louisiana launched a regulated clinical pilot program this week using psilocybin and related compounds to treat substance use and treatment-resistant mental health conditions, funded by opioid-settlement money. • The FDA has approved oveporexton for narcolepsy type 1, marking the first medication capable of treating the full range of NT1 symptoms.

• A surge in venture capital activity saw several startups secure massive funding rounds this week, including three companies raising $1 billion or more. • Manufacturing startup Hadrian led the trend, securing $1.37 billion in Series D funding to develop highly automated factories. • The funding round for Hadrian was backed by a consortium of investors, including WCM Investment Management, JP Morgan Chase, and Baillie Gifford.

• Funding trends for the week of August 4, 2026, show capital flowing unevenly, with a heavy concentration in AI infrastructure and hard-tech sectors. • Key deals include a $209M Pre-IPO round for manufacturing platform ZETWERK, a $2M Seed round for robotics firm Yaanendriya, and a $166K Pre-Seed round for EdTech startup Upkraft. • These investments highlight a strategic market shift where large, specialized winners in B2B and DeepTech are securing the majority of available capital.

• NYC's startup funding activity slowed in July 2026 following a record-breaking June, though significant capital continued to flow into AI, fintech, and healthcare. • InstaLILY, an AI software company founded in 2023 by Amit Shah and Sumantro Das, emerged as a key player by automating complex organizational workflows. • The company has now secured a total of $85M in equity funding from prominent backers, including Insight Partners, Energize Capital, and Home Depot Ventures.

• A new analysis reveals that California's redistricting process has contributed to a nationwide decline in competitive congressional districts. • While the state has fewer internal battlegrounds, the remaining contested seats are considered critical and could determine national control of the House. • Political science professor Thad Kousser notes that an increase in "safe seats" may actually amplify California's influence in Congress by ensuring a large, stable blue delegation.

• Venture capital seed rounds between $5 million and $10 million are clustering around specific high-growth sectors this year, notably cancer therapeutics and space tech. • A significant portion of this funding is targeting the real estate and construction industries, focusing on operational efficiency, rental streamlining, and reducing power consumption. • Key examples of funded companies include Hint (AI home management), Optiml (real estate decarbonization software), and Krane (AI construction supply chain platform).

• Safe Superintelligence secured a reported $5 billion in Nvidia-backed financing, marking the largest funding round of the week for the foundational AI unicorn. • Commonwealth Fusion Systems followed with a $1 billion investment, while other notable deals included $200 million for AI simulation firm Simile and $190 million in Series F funding for cybersecurity provider ThreatLocker. • These massive investments highlight a continued surge of capital into high-stakes sectors like artificial intelligence, clean energy fusion, and global cybersecurity.