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AI Startup Funding Highlights: OpenAI, Thinking Machines Lab, and Emerging Players(October 16, 2025)

Daily Summary of AI Startup Funding News (October 16, 2025)

Recently Closed Funding Rounds

OpenAI

  • Funding Amount: $40 billion
  • Description: OpenAI raised a record-breaking round, valuing the company at $300 billion. This round was led by SoftBank with participation from Thrive Capital, Microsoft, and Coatue.
  • Read more here

Periodic Labs

  • Funding Amount: $300 million
  • Description: Periodic Labs, which develops AI tools for scientific experiments, secured this initial funding.
  • Read more here

Ambience Healthcare

  • Funding Amount: $243 million (Series C)
  • Description: Ambience Healthcare, focused on building an AI healthcare operating system, raised this funding led by Oak HC/FT and Andreessen Horowitz.
  • Read more here

Thinking Machines Lab

  • Funding Amount: $2 billion (Seed Round)
  • Description: Founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Thinking Machines Lab secured this funding to advance its AI initiatives.
  • Read more here

Startups Currently Raising Funds

EliseAI

  • Funding Amount: $250 million (Series E)
  • Description: EliseAI, which focuses on generating insights from unstructured data, is raising this amount to expand its capabilities.
  • Read more here

Viven

  • Funding Amount: $35 million (Seed Round)
  • Description: Viven, an enterprise AI startup from the co-founders of recruiting platform Eightfold, announced this funding to enhance its offerings.
  • Read more here

Summary

The AI startup funding landscape remains robust, with significant rounds closed by major players like OpenAI and Thinking Machines Lab. New startups like Viven and EliseAI are also actively raising funds, indicating continued investor confidence in AI technologies across various sectors.

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