The latest AI startups news highlights considerable momentum in the sector, from ambitious multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects to seed-stage breakthroughs. This article covers the freshest developments as of February 10, 2026 — including funding announcements, strategic expansions, and emerging standout ventures — offering a clear pulse on where AI innovation is headed.
Major Funding Rounds and Strategic Investments
Firmus’s Bold AI Infrastructure Bet
Firmus, an Australian startup backed by Oliver Curtis and Tim Rosenfield, secured a whopping US$10 billion (~A$14.2 billion) in debt financing led by Blackstone and Coatue to scale its AI infrastructure. Valued at $6 billion, the firm aims to build a network of “AI factories” across Australia supported by NVIDIA and construction giant Maas Group. This reflects both investor confidence and the nation’s strategic push into AI-driven industrial development.
Botgauge AI’s Funding Push
Botgauge AI, focusing on autonomous software testing, obtained $2 million in funding led by Surface Ventures with support from IA Seed Ventures and Saka Ventures. This underscores growing interest in AI tools that streamline software development lifecycle.
Fibr AI Grows with Seed Support
Marketing technology startup Fibr AI raised $5.7 million in a seed round led by Accel, joined by WillowTree Ventures and MVP Ventures. The funds will accelerate product development and customer acquisition.
Europe’s AI Boom Continues
In 2025, European VCs pumped €66 billion into AI and defense startups — a 5% increase from 2024. AI ventures alone accounted for €23.5 billion, up from €17.7 billion. Notable rounds include Synthesia’s $200M at a $4B valuation and ElevenLabs’ $500M raise at $11B. Legal AI firm Legora also entered talks for a valuation-doubling raise.
Expansion of AI Infrastructure and Model Power
Thinking Machines Lab: Frontier AI Continues
Founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati in 2025, Thinking Machines Lab raised a record $2 billion seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz, securing a $12 billion valuation. The company targets multimodal AI, with early product plans emphasizing openness for researchers and startups.
Higgsfield AI Secures Unicorn Status
Higgsfield AI, a generative video and image startup, raised an $80 million Series A extension in January 2026 — valuing the company at $1.3 billion. Investors include Accel, GFT Ventures, and Menlo Ventures.
Project Prometheus: Bezos-Backed Physical AI
Launched in late 2025 by Jeff Bezos and Vik Bajaj, Project Prometheus began with $6.2 billion in funding. The startup focuses on AI-driven engineering, aerospace, and automotive applications, blending AI with physical systems.
Noteworthy Emerging and Infrastructure-focused Startups
Ricursive Intelligence’s Series A
In January 2026, Ricursive Intelligence raised $300 million (adding to its prior $35M) in a Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, targeting AI-capable chip solutions amid global supply concerns.
Upwind’s Runtime-First Cloud Security
Upwind, which builds AI-enable cloud application security, secured a $250 million Series B led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Funding will help expand its runtime-first platform amid surging demand for secure AI operations.
Skild AI Rides SoftBank Wave
Skild AI raised $1.4 billion in Series C funding at a $14 billion valuation. Backers include SoftBank, NVIDIA, and Jeff Bezos. The startup is developing general-purpose foundation models for robotics across physical environments.
Waabi’s Autonomous Ventures
Waabi grabbed C$1 billion (~$750M USD) in Series C funding, co-led by Khosla Ventures and G2 Venture Partners. It’s partnering with Uber to roll out self-driving robotaxis beyond autonomous trucking.
January 2026 Big Raises
- Humans& raised a massive $480 million seed round for its human-centric AI lab led by veterans from OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, and xAI, suggesting a shift toward human-AI collaboration.
- Baseten gained $300 million in Series E led by IVP and CapitalG, valuing the AI deployment platform at $5 billion.
Torq and Fal.ai Capitalize on Ops and Infrastructure
In early 2026 rounds:
– Torq raised $140 million in a Series D to enhance AI-driven security operations.
– Fal.ai also raised ~$140 million to scale its GPU-optimized cloud compute platform for AI models.
Global and Strategic Growth Trends
India’s AI Acceleration
IIT Ropar launched “100 Startups 100 Days” to jumpstart early-stage deep-tech firms ahead of the India AI Impact Summit (Feb 19–20, 2026, New Delhi). Over 30 startups received grants and investments, focusing on domains like AgriTech and IoT — reflecting India’s push for AI sovereignty.
Europe Continues Scaling AI and Defense
Europe’s venture ecosystems remain vibrant. With Synthesia and ElevenLabs’ banner deals and strong backing for legal and defense startups, it underscores both commercial and strategic priorities, including digital autonomy.
Summary of Key Themes
- Massive capital flows: From $2M to $10B rounds, AI startups are drawing serious investment.
- Diverse segments: Focus ranges from software testing, martech, infrastructure, robotics, to human-centric AI.
- Strategic regional play: Australia, Europe, India, and the U.S. are all active arenas for innovation, each with unique priorities.
- Expert-driven leadership: Founders with backgrounds at OpenAI, DeepMind, Meta, etc., signal high-stakes bets on frontier AI.
“We’re making what is otherwise a frontier capability accessible to all, and that is completely game-changing,” said Mira Murati of Thinking Machines Lab.
Takeaways and What’s Next
AI startups are not just pushing tech boundaries — they’re reshaping the infrastructure, global strategy, and applications of AI. The surge in funding and diversity of ventures point to an ecosystem rich in experimentation and ambition. For investors, founders, or watchers, staying tuned to how these developments evolve in infrastructure deployment, regulation, and commercial adoption will be key in 2026.
FAQs
Q: What are the biggest funding rounds for AI startups right now?
Answer: Highlights include Firmus’s US$10 billion infrastructure debt raise, Skild AI’s $1.4 billion, Waabi’s ~$750 million, and Thinking Machines Lab’s $2 billion seed round — showing both infrastructure and frontier AI labs drawing massive capital.
Q: Which AI sectors are attracting the most investment?
Answer: Investors are focused on AI infrastructure (compute, models, robotics), human-centric labs, software testing automation, AI in marketing (martech), and cloud-native security — reflecting both foundational and applied AI trends.
Q: Are global regions showing different AI investment strategies?
Answer: Yes. Europe is balancing AI with defense and technological independence. Australia is building AI infrastructure. India is accelerating startups via programs like IIT Ropar’s “100 Startups 100 Days.” Meanwhile, the U.S. and global tech hubs continue pushing global-scale AI labs.
Q: What role do founder pedigrees play in funding?
Answer: Founders from AI heavyweights — like Mira Murati at Thinking Machines Lab, and Humans&’s team from OpenAI and DeepMind — are capturing investor confidence, often translating to huge seed rounds even pre-product.
Q: How are emerging markets leveraging AI startup ecosystems?
Answer: In India, initiatives ahead of the AI Impact Summit are nurturing early-stage deep-tech firms. Europe is using investment to bolster sovereign capabilities. Australia is building physical AI infrastructure with strategic investments.
Q: What should observers track moving forward?
Answer: Watch how these startups deploy AI infrastructure, navigate regulation, scale products, and how rivalries and collaborations shape AI’s next chapter — especially where frontier labs and industrial-scale AI meet.
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