VC Daily - Neuralink Leads May 28 Startup Funding Surge with $600M Raise Amid $937M Total VC Deployment.

Complete List of Startup Funding Round Announced on May 28, 2025

Neuralink's $600M Haul, GlycoEra's $130M Series B, and Horizon3.ai's $100M Round Lead Day's $937M Venture Capital Deployment

In a remarkable display of investor confidence amid persistent economic headwinds, the global startup ecosystem witnessed an extraordinary surge in capital deployment on May 28, with at least sixteen companies collectively raising over $937 million across multiple sectors.

The funding blitz, dominated by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and biotech ventures, signals that despite broader market concerns, investors remain bullish on transformative technologies addressing critical enterprise and healthcare challenges.

"What we're seeing isn't indiscriminate funding but highly targeted investments in companies solving real-world problems with demonstrable technology advantages," said a senior venture partner at a leading Silicon Valley firm.

Neuralink Leads with Landmark $600 Million Round

The day's headline-grabbing announcement came from Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, which secured $600 million at a pre-money valuation of $9 billion. This massive infusion, reportedly anchored by existing backer Founders Fund, represents one of the year's largest deep-tech investments and follows the company's FDA "breakthrough device" designation.

Security and AI Infrastructure Command Premium Valuations

Cybersecurity startup Horizon3.ai raised $100 million in a round led by NEA, reaching a valuation exceeding $750 million. The company's autonomous penetration-testing tools, which simulate sophisticated cyberattacks, have gained traction as organizations face increasingly complex digital threats.

Meanwhile, data integration platform Chalk closed a $50 million Series A led by Felicis, achieving a $500 million valuation as it challenges incumbent Databricks with real-time AI data processing capabilities. The substantial valuation for a Series A underscores investor confidence in next-generation data infrastructure.

Healthcare Innovation Attracts Significant Capital

Biotech companies featured prominently in the day's funding announcements. GlycoEra secured a substantial $130 million Series B round for its precision protein degraders targeting autoimmune diseases. The investment, led by Novo Holdings, included participation from pharmaceutical giants Roche and Bristol Myers Squibb, highlighting growing strategic interest in novel therapeutic approaches.

GRIN Therapeutics inked a $140 million Series D to expand its oncology-focused pipeline, further demonstrating strong investor appetite for specialized healthcare solutions addressing critical unmet needs.

In medical technology, Exo raised approximately $100 million for its AI-powered ultrasound technology, with strategic backing from Samsung Medison alongside Sands Capital, Bold Capital, and Qubit Health, pointing to increasing corporate involvement in frontier medical devices.

AI Applications Proliferate Across Sectors

Beyond infrastructure plays like Chalk, AI applications targeting specific industry challenges attracted significant funding. Context closed an $11 million seed round led by Lux Capital, with Qualcomm Ventures and General Catalyst participating, to build an AI-powered office suite that automates document creation and analysis.

Rillet secured $25 million from Sequoia to develop AI solutions for automating general ledger systems, targeting chief financial officer pain points in mid-market accounting. The investment highlights continuing interest in vertical-specific software addressing distinct enterprise challenges.

Other notable AI fundraises included:

• Pallet's $27 million Series B led by General Catalyst for AI workforce solutions in freight and logistics, with participation from Bain Capital, Activant Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners
• Creatify's $15.5 million Series A for its AI platform powering high-performance video advertising
• SpAItial's $13 million seed round led by Earlybird Venture Capital for "text-to-3D" world-building technology
• Atomic Canyon's $7 million raise for AI-powered search and generative tools specifically for the nuclear power industry
• Neuron Factory's $6 million seed funding for AI software revolutionizing the construction industry
• Bito's $5.7 million seed extension led by Vela Partners for its AI code review platform competing with GitHub Copilot

European Startups Gain Traction

While U.S.-based companies and investors dominated the day's funding announcements, European startups showed momentum across multiple sectors:

• Finom secured €92 million for its digital banking solution targeting small and medium-sized enterprises
• MarvelX AI raised €5.3 million for AI agents managing insurance claims and compliance
• Voyc obtained €1.78 million for its AI-powered conversation intelligence platform
• Portuguese proptech startup Litehaus secured a €1.46 million pre-seed to launch its home-building marketplace

Gaming and Entertainment Join the Funding Wave

The digital entertainment sector also attracted investment, with Oncade announcing a $4 million seed round for its community-driven gaming platform designed to increase studio revenue. The funding reflects growing interest in alternative monetization strategies for game developers facing evolving market dynamics.

Financial Services Consolidation Continues

In a sign of ongoing fintech consolidation, Acrisure completed a massive $2.1 billion raise, underscoring the availability of large-scale capital for established financial services players with proven business models and clear paths to profitability.

Investment Patterns Signal Selective Optimism

The day's funding activity reveals several key patterns defining the current venture landscape. First, specialized AI applications addressing specific industry challenges have displaced general-purpose platforms as investor favorites. Second, healthcare remains a priority sector, particularly for solutions targeting oncology and autoimmune conditions. Third, infrastructure security has become non-negotiable, as evidenced by Horizon3.ai's substantial round.

"What's remarkable about this funding day isn't just the total capital deployed but how it's distributed across development stages," noted a market analyst tracking venture trends. "From pre-seed to Series D and beyond, we're seeing investor conviction at every point in the company lifecycle."

Outlook: Cautious Optimism Amid Selectivity

Despite lingering macroeconomic concerns, the robust $937 million raised on a single day underscores resilient venture appetite for transformative technologies. As 2025 progresses, industry observers anticipate several key trends:

• Follow-on rounds for AI infrastructure and biotech companies demonstrating clinical progress
• Increased geographic diversification beyond traditional innovation hubs
• More corporate strategic involvement in early-stage rounds, particularly in healthcare and enterprise software
• Continued premium valuations for companies with proven technology advantages and capital-efficient growth models

For founders navigating this environment, the message is clear: while capital remains abundant for certain categories, the bar for funding continues to rise, with investors prioritizing defensible technology, clear differentiation, and paths to sustainable growth over speculative bets.

"The era of 'grow at all costs' is firmly behind us," concluded a partner at a multi-stage venture firm. "Today's successful fundraises reflect a new equilibrium where innovation still commands a premium, but fundamentals matter more than ever."