The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report: 5/18/26 - AlleyWatch

The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report takes us on a trip across various ecosystems in the US, highlighting some of the notable funding activity in the various markets that we track. The notable startup funding rounds for the week ending 5/16/26 featuring funding details for Ciridae, Exaforce, Vapi, and twenty other deals representing $6.4B in new funding that you need to know about.

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Cauridor – $2.0M

Lewes-based Cauridor provides cross-border payment infrastructure and APIs for businesses sending and receiving payments across Africa. Founded by Abdoulaye Bah and Oumar Barry in 2022, Cauridor has now raised a total of $5.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Flourish Ventures, LoftyInc Capital, and Proparco.

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Monaco – $50.0M

San Francisco-based Monaco provides an AI-native revenue platform that combines CRM, sales automation, and customer management tools for startups. Founded by Abishek Viswanathan, Brian Blond, Malay Desai, and Sam Blond in 2024, Monaco has now raised a total of $85M in total equity funding and is backed by Benchmark, Founders Fund, and Human Capital.

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Aumet – $12.0M

Mountain View-based Aumet develops healthcare supply chain and pharmacy management software for pharmacies, distributors, and healthcare providers. Founded by Adel Haddad, Ashraf Samhouri, Jamal Abu Samra, Mohammad Issa, Tariq Khader, and Yahya Aqel in 2016, Aumet has now raised a total of $21M in total equity funding and is backed by AAIC Investment, Cigalah Group, Emkan Capital, Qatar Development Bank, Right Side Capital Management, SABAH INVESTMENTS, Salehiya, and Shorooq Partners.

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GridCARE – $64.0M

Redwood City-based GridCARE develops AI software for electrical grid planning, capacity analysis, and infrastructure optimization. Founded by Amit Narayan, Liang Min, and Ram Rajagopal in 2024, GridCARE has now raised a total of $77.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Acclimate Ventures, Aina Climate AI Ventures, Clearvision Ventures, Emerson Collective, Future Energy Ventures, John Doerr, National Grid Partners (NGP), Overture Ventures, Stanford University, Sutter Hill Ventures, and Xora Innovation.

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Star Catcher – $65.0M

Jacksonville-based Star Catcher develops space-based energy infrastructure that delivers power to satellites through optical power beaming. Founded by Andrew Rush, Bryan Lyandvert, and Michael Snyder in 2024, Star Catcher has now raised a total of $77.2M in total equity funding and is backed by B Capital, Cerberus Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, Helena, MVP Ventures, Oceans, and Shield Capital.

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Optura – $17.5M

Nashville-based Optura develops AI orchestration software that helps healthcare organizations manage and measure enterprise AI initiatives. Founded by Andy Fanning and Michael Hollis in 2024, Optura has now raised a total of $24M in total equity funding and is backed by Echo Health Ventures, HC9 Ventures, Matrix Partners, Salesforce Ventures, and Susa Ventures.

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Exaforce – $125.0M

San Jose-based Exaforce develops AI-powered security operations and SIEM software for enterprise cybersecurity teams. Founded by Ankur Singla in 2023, Exaforce has now raised a total of $200M in total equity funding and is backed by AICONIC Ventures, HarbourVest Partners, Khosla Ventures, Mayfield Fund, Peak XV Partners, and Seligman Ventures.

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9amHealth – $26.0M

Encinitas-based 9amHealth provides virtual care programs for diabetes, weight management, heart health, and metabolic conditions. Founded by Anton Kittelberger, Bernhard Schandl, Frank Westermann, and Paul Geevarghese in 2021, 9amHealth has now raised a total of $55.2M in total equity funding and is backed by Catalio Capital Management, Define Ventures, NewHealth Ventures, and SemperVirens Venture Capital.

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Wirestock – $23.0M

San Jose-based Wirestock operates a marketplace and licensing platform for creators to distribute and monetize digital media content. Founded by Ashot Mnatsakanyan, Mikayel Khachatryan, Seb Kiureghian, and Vladimir Khoetsyan in 2019, Wirestock has now raised a total of $25.3M in total equity funding and is backed by Formula VC, I2BF Global Ventures, Nava Ventures, and Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners.

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Cowboy Space – $275.0M

San Carlos-based Cowboy Space develops solar-powered orbital data centers for AI and space computing infrastructure. Founded by Baiju Bhatt in 2024, Cowboy Space has now raised a total of $325M in total equity funding and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Baiju Bhatt, Blossom Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Construct Capital, Index Ventures, Interlagos Capital, IVP, NEA, and SAIC.

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GovWell – $29.0M

New York-based GovWell develops workflow and permitting software for municipal and county governments. Founded by Ben Cohen and Troy LeCaire in 2023, GovWell has now raised a total of $38.5M in total equity funding and is backed by Andreas Huber, Bienville Capital, Chris Bullock, David Reeves, Insight Partners, and Work-Bench.

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Anduril Industries – $5.0B

Costa Mesa-based Anduril Industries develops autonomous defense systems, surveillance technology, and military software. Founded by Brian Schimpf, Joseph Chen, Matt Grimm, Palmer Luckey, and Trae Stephens in 2017, Anduril Industries has now raised a total of $11.4B in total equity funding and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Thrive Capital.

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equipifi – $34.0M

Scottsdale-based equipifi provides buy now, pay later software for banks and credit unions. Founded by Bryce Deeney in 2021, equipifi has now raised a total of $49M in total equity funding and is backed by Baleon Capital, Bankers Helping Bankers Fund, Curql, Left Lane Capital, New Stack Ventures, PHX Ventures, RevolutionAos Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, SaaS Ventures, SixThirty, and SWBC.

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Turnkey – $12.5M

New York-based Turnkey provides API-based crypto wallet infrastructure for embedded wallets and onchain transaction automation. Founded by Bryce Ferguson, Jack Kearney, and Sam McIngvale in 2022, Turnkey has now raised a total of $65M in total equity funding and is backed by Archetype, Bain Capital Crypto, Circle Ventures, Faction, Galaxy Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Variant.

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Greenboard – $15.5M

Austin-based Greenboard develops compliance and regulatory software for financial institutions and fintech companies. Founded by Dave Feldman and Edward Schembor in 2023, Greenboard has now raised a total of $20M in total equity funding and is backed by Base10 Partners, Commerce Ventures, General Catalyst, Kulveer Taggar, Liquid 2 Ventures, Transpose Platform Management, Wayfinder Ventures, and Y Combinator.

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Nectar Social – $30.0M

Seattle-based Nectar Social provides AI-powered social media management, community engagement, and analytics software. Founded by Farah Uraizee and Misbah Uraizee in 2023, Nectar Social has now raised a total of $40.6M in total equity funding and is backed by Anthology Fund, Google Ventures, Kinship Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and True Ventures.

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CASIMIR – $12.0M

Houston-based CASIMIR develops quantum energy chip technology designed to generate persistent power from quantum vacuum fields. Founded by Harold White in 2023, CASIMIR has now raised a total of $24M in total equity funding and is backed by American DeepTech, Capital Factory, Cottonwood Technology Fund, Kam Ghaffarian, Lavrock Ventures, Scout Ventures, and Tim Draper.

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Ciridae – $20.0M

San Francisco-based Ciridae helps businesses deploy AI-powered operational workflows and production systems. Founded by Jack Soslow and Jack Weissenberger in 2020, Ciridae has now raised a total of $20M in total equity funding and is backed by Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Backcountry Ventures, General Catalyst, and Sunflower Capital.

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Anomaly – $17.0M

New York-based Anomaly develops healthcare payment infrastructure software focused on payment accuracy and reconciliation. Founded by Jacob Shiff and Jon Hoffman in 2020, Anomaly has now raised a total of $47.1M in total equity funding and is backed by Alumni Ventures, Link Ventures, Redesign Health, RRE Ventures, and Sound Ventures.

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CREW Carbon – $19.0M

Hamden-based CREW Carbon removes carbon dioxide from wastewater using enhanced mineralization technology. Founded by Joachim Katchinoff in 2022, CREW Carbon has now raised a total of $24.3M in total equity funding and is backed by ANIMO Ventures, AP Ventures, Builders Vision, Burnt Island Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, Counteract, Echo River Capital, Idemitsu CVC, Kibo Invest, New York Ventures, Ponderosa Ventures, and Sony Innovation Fund.

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HavocAI – $100.0M

Providence-based HavocAI develops autonomous maritime systems for defense and commercial applications. Founded by Joe Turner and Paul Lwin in 2024, HavocAI has now raised a total of $197.2M in total equity funding and is backed by B Capital, Boardman Bay Capital Management, Clear Street, Cobalt Capital, Cohen & Company Capital Markets, J.A. Green & Co., Lockheed Martin, meetperry, Mute Ventures, Outlander VC, SAIC, Scout Ventures, Soren Ventures, Taiwania Capital Management Corporation, The Veteran Fund, UP Partners, and Vanderbilt University Office of Investments.

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Vapi – $50.0M

San Francisco-based Vapi provides APIs and infrastructure for developers to build and deploy AI voice agents. Founded by John Dearsley and Nik Gupta in 2023, Vapi has now raised a total of $70.1M in total equity funding and is backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins, M12 – Microsoft’s Venture Fund, Peak XV Partners, and Y Combinator.

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Mind Robotics – $400.0M

Palo Alto-based Mind Robotics develops AI-powered robotics systems for industrial and manufacturing environments. Founded by Robert Scaringe in 2025, Mind Robotics has now raised a total of $1B in total equity funding and is backed by A*, Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Eclipse, Garuda Ventures, Greenoaks, Incharge Capital Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Meritech Capital Partners, Prysm Capital, Redpoint, and SV Angel.

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