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Stoke Space completes initial $1B Series E (total $2.3B raised) to fund Nova Pathfinder and Nova Block 2
Stoke Space Technologies completed an initial closing of a $1 billion Series E (bringing total raised to $2.3 billion) to accelerate development and testing of its fully reusable Nova Pathfinder rocket and scale toward a larger Nova Block 2, targeting a 2027 debut for Pathfinder. Reports vary on whether the $1B round is fully closed; Reuters values the company at about $10 billion.
Former OpenAI VP Kevin Weil Joins $1.34 Billion-Funded Space Startup Stoke Space Competing with SpaceX in 2026
Former OpenAI VP Kevin Weil joined the board of Stoke Space, a Seattle-based space startup competing with SpaceX, which has raised $1.34 billion to date. His departure from OpenAI coincides with major leadership changes at the AI company in 2026.
Seattle AI Startup Venice.ai Raises $65M Series A at $1 Billion Valuation to Expand Privacy-First Chatbot Services
Seattle startup Venice.ai raised $65 million in its first funding round, reaching a $1 billion valuation as it expands its privacy-focused AI services. The company, with 3.5 million users, offers an uncensored chatbot alternative emphasizing data privacy and user control, and has become profitable.
By TechCrunch
See all 7Starcloud adds $250M to Series A, now valued at $2.3B, to build orbital data centers and secure launches
Starcloud raised a $250 million extension to its March $170 million Series A, valuing the company at $2.3 billion, to expand manufacturing and develop its Starcloud-3 orbital data center amid tightening launch availability. The startup plans rideshare launches of two 8 kW Starcloud-2 satellites in 2027 and is securing capital and launch contracts as major rockets like Falcon 9 phase out.
Simular Raises $21.5M Series A Led by Felicis to Launch AI PC Agents on Mac and Windows
Simular, a startup creating AI agents for Mac OS and Windows that can control PCs by mimicking human actions, has raised $21.5 million in Series A funding led by Felicis. The company recently released its Mac OS agent and is collaborating with Microsoft on a Windows version as part of the Windows 365 for Agents program.
Outreach founder Manny Medina launches Paid to help AI agents get paid, raises €10M pre-seed from EQT, Sequoia, GTMFund
Manny Medina, founder of Outreach, launched Paid, a platform that helps AI agent startups price and collect payments for agent-delivered outcomes; Paid raised €10 million (~$11M) in a pre-seed round from EQT Ventures, Sequoia, and GTMFund.
