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A landmark year for AI investment
Even with half the year still ahead, 2025 is already proving to be a landmark year for artificial intelligence startups. Billions have poured in from top VC firms like Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. A new wave of AI-driven companies is emerging across a wide range of sectors including enterprise software, developer tools, biotech, and defense. This article spotlights 12 startups leading that charge, each having raised over $250 million and backed by California’s most active investors.
Biggest headlines of 2025 so far
Among the most notable funding headlines this year was OpenAI’s massive $40 billion venture round in March 2025, which pushed its total funding to nearly $62 billion. Databricks followed with $5.3 billion in debt financing in January, bringing its total to $20.8 billion. But these aren’t the only players reshaping the AI investment landscape.
12 startups backed by California’s top VCs
These AI startups are not only raising record-breaking rounds, they’re shaping the future of foundational models, developer tools, biotech, and defense tech. Each has secured major backing from California’s most prominent venture capital firms.
1. Open AI
$40B raised in March 2025
Investors include: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz
Industries:
OpenAI remains the most prominent player in generative AI, closing a record-setting $40 billion round in March 2025. Its technologies power GPT-based assistants, copilots, and enterprise solutions used by millions globally. With backing from Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI is cementing its role as the cornerstone of the modern AI stack.
2. Databricks
$5.3B raised in January 202
Investors include: NEA, Andreessen Horowitz
2025 is proving to be a landmark year for artificial intelligence startups. With billions pouring in from top VC firms like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, a new generation of AI-driven companies is emerging across a wide range of sectors, including defense AI, biotech, and developer tools. This post spotlights 7 startups leading that charge, each having raised over $900 million and backed by California’s most active investors.
$2.5B raised in June 2025
Investors include: Lightspeed, General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz
Anduril is transforming national defense through autonomous systems and AI-powered surveillance. Its technology is used in military, border control, and aerospace settings, where robust real-time decision-making is critical. Backed by Lightspeed, General Catalyst, and Andreessen Horowitz, Anduril operates at the intersection of deep tech and national security.
4. Anthropic
$2.5B raised in May 2025
Investors include: Lightspeed, General Catalyst
Founded with a core focus on AI safety, Anthropic develops the Claude family of language models using its unique “constitutional AI” framework. The company’s approach prioritizes transparency and alignment with human values, making it a key alternative to traditional LLM labs. Its recent raise underscores investor confidence in long-term responsible AI development.
$2B raised in April 2025
Investors include: Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed
As concerns about AGI safety grow, Safe Superintelligence is doubling down on building scalable systems that are inherently aligned and controllable. Though a younger startup, it’s already captured the attention of major firms like Sequoia and a16z. SSI’s rise reflects a broader shift toward prioritizing safety as a feature, not an afterthought.
6. Anysphere
$900M raised in June 2025
Investors include: Andreessen Horowitz, Accel
Anysphere is reimagining developer productivity by building autonomous coding assistants and applied research tools. Their models help engineers write, debug, and scale code more efficiently, allowing teams to focus on higher-order thinking. With support from Accel and a16z, Anysphere is quickly becoming a go-to platform for AI-native software development.
7. Saronic
$600M raised in February 2025
Investors include: Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst
Saronic is building unmanned surface vehicles for maritime defense and domain awareness. Combining marine technology with AI, its platforms support security missions, reconnaissance, and coastal infrastructure protection. With strong backing from top-tier VCs, Saronic is modernizing the future of autonomous naval systems.
8. Perplexity
$500M raised in May 2025
Investors include: New Enterprise Associates, Accel, Bessemer Venture Partners
Perplexity is redefining search with an AI-powered answer engine designed to deliver real-time, accurate responses. Positioned as a fast-growing alternative to traditional search engines, the company combines LLMs with retrieval-based approaches for a more factual, conversational user experience. Its recent funding reflects a growing appetite for AI-native consumer tools.
$350M raised in May 2025
Investors include: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners
ClickHouse offers an open-source, high-performance database system tailored for real-time analytics. Its platform is widely used for large-scale data processing and machine learning pipelines. With increasing demand for AI-ready infrastructure, ClickHouse’s solutions are gaining adoption in industries from fintech to telecom.
10. Together AI
$305M raised in February 2025
Investors include: New Enterprise Associates, General Catalyst
Together AI builds open-source infrastructure designed to support the development of generative AI models. Its platform enables developers to train, fine-tune, and deploy models efficiently across scalable compute environments. With a strong focus on openness, accessibility, and community collaboration, Together AI is emerging as a central force in the open-source AI ecosystem.
11. Innovacer
$275M raised in January 2025
Investors include: 500 Global, Lightspeed Venture Partners
Innovaccer delivers an AI-powered cloud platform for healthcare data integration, analytics, and population health management. Its solutions enable hospitals and providers to unify patient data, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. With fresh funding and strategic partnerships, Innovaccer is accelerating AI adoption across the healthcare sector.
12. Abridge
$250M raised in February 2025
Investors include: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners
Abridge is transforming how healthcare providers document care by leveraging AI to capture and structure conversations between clinicians and patients. Its Platform helps generate accurate clinical notes in real time, improving both efficiency and quality of documentation. As hospitals seek to ease administrative burdens and enhance provider workflows, Abridge is gaining traction as a practical AI solution in modern healthcare settings.
What these startups have in common
Despite differences in sector focus, these startups share key traits:
- Each has raised between $250 million and $40 billion in recent funding.
- All are backed by California’s most active and influential VC firms, including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and Lightspeed.
- They are building the core infrastructure of the AI ecosystem, from LLMs and autonomous tools to national defense and life sciences.
Join the conversation this November
2025 has become a turning point for venture capital in AI, marked by larger funding rounds, broader industry reach, and a renewed focus on core infrastructure. If you want to hear more directly from these founders and the VCs behind them, join us at the TechEquity Ai Summit this November.
📍 Location: Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
🗓 Date: November 7–8, 2025
🎟 Register now: techequity-ai.org/registration
