This is a weekly feature that runs down the week鈥檚 top 10 announced funding rounds in the U.S. Check out last week鈥檚 biggest funding rounds here.

The San Francisco Bay Area, long the dominant region for startup investment, took a step back in this week鈥檚 tally of the largest funding rounds. The biggest investments went to companies based in the Seattle area, Southern California, New York and Austin, Texas, while only two of this week鈥檚 top 10 are Silicon Valley startups.

But while the geography may look different this week, investors鈥� appetite for AI remained a dominant theme. One exception, however, was the week鈥檚 largest round, for , a developer of advanced silicon battery materials.

1. , $463M, batteries: Group14 Technologies, a developer of advanced silicon battery materials, $463 million in a Series D round led by and included a long list of existing investors. The Woodinville, Washington-based company also obtained full ownership of a South Korean factory launched as a joint venture with SK.

2. , $405M, robotics and AI: Field AI, developer of a 鈥渟ingle software brain鈥� used to power robots in a variety of environments, that it secured $405 million in two consecutive rounds of $314 million and $91 million. , and co-led the financing for the Irvine, California-based company.

3. , $250M, AI: New York-based EliseAI, a provider of AI automation tools for the housing and healthcare sectors, landed $250 million in a Series E backed by , , and . The company also said it plans to triple the size of its team.

4. , $230M, security: Ontic, a provider of intelligence tools for corporate security, raised $230 million in a Series C round led by funds managed by . The Austin, Texas-based company will use the money to invest in AI technology for threat detection and automation for security teams.

5. , $105M, supply chain: Austin, Texas-based Overhaul, provider of an in-transit supply chain risk management platform, locked up $105 million in Series C funding led by . The round brings total funding to date for the 9-year-old company to more than $304 million, per .

6. (tied) , $100M, nuclear energy: Aalo, an Austin, Texas, startup planning to build nuclear power facilities with an initial focus on supplying energy to data centers, closed a $100 million Series B financing led by .

6. (tied) , $100M, sleep tech: Eight Sleep, a startup developing 鈥渟leep fitness鈥� products, announced that it has raised $100 million in a Series D led by . The round brings funding to date for the 11-year-old, New York-based startup to more than $260 million, per .

8. , $97M, autonomous vehicles: Mountain View, California-based Nuro, a developer of autonomous driving technology and software, that it picked up $97 million in a Series E extension at a $6 billion valuation.

9. , $65.5M, real estate finance: Phoenix-based Bonus Homes, a provider of financing for homeowners in lieu of selling their homes, raised $65.5 million in early-stage funding from backers including , , and .

10. , $47M, AI agents: TinyFish, a developer of enterprise web agents, or AI infrastructure systems that carry out workflows on the web, launched publicly with $47 million in committed funding. led the financing for the Palo Alto, California-based startup.

Methodology

We tracked the largest announced rounds in the 附近上门 database that were raised by U.S.-based companies for the period of Aug. 16-22. Although most announced rounds are represented in the database, there could be a small time lag as some rounds are reported late in the week.

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In early 2020, I found myself on a call at 3 a.m. with a supplier in a completely different time zone, trying to track down a shipment of face masks that had seemingly disappeared. It wasn鈥檛 glamorous 鈥� but it was real. That moment sticks with me, not just because of the stress, but because it marked a turning point in how I thought about our supply chain.

At , our products aren鈥檛 just boxes on a pallet 鈥� they鈥檙e pain relief, recovery and better days for our customers. That鈥檚 why supply chain volatility doesn鈥檛 just hit our margins; it hits our mission.

Here are a few lessons we鈥檝e learned that I hope can help other founders weather the storm and stay focused on delivering real value 鈥� even when the world gets messy.

Over-communicate, early and often

It sounds basic, but clear and frequent communication has saved us time and time again. Whether it鈥檚 a supplier halfway across the globe or a freight partner dealing with customs delays, we鈥檝e learned that silence is dangerous.

We鈥檝e made it a priority to create a communication culture that鈥檚 proactive, not reactive. We check in regularly with partners, share demand forecasts and raise red flags early. And we鈥檝e extended that same mindset to our customers 鈥� because when people know what鈥檚 going on, they鈥檙e more willing to stick with you through the bumps.

Diversify like your business depends on it 鈥� because it does

Early on, we were too reliant on a single supplier for a key product line. When it hit a manufacturing delay, we were stuck. That experience pushed us to build redundancy into our supply network. It took time and wasn’t always cost-efficient upfront, but when other partners faced their own setbacks, we were able to shift production without missing a beat.

Now, we see diversification not as a luxury, but as a form of business insurance.

Inventory isn鈥檛 a dirty word anymore

Like many businesses, we used to follow a just-in-time inventory model. Lean, efficient, minimal waste. But after a few close calls 鈥� and one particularly painful out-of-stock stretch 鈥� we shifted our thinking.

Now, we hold more strategic inventory on our most popular products 鈥� even while serving 1 million direct consumers and over 12,000 retail stores. It鈥檚 not always the leanest approach, but it鈥檚 helped us protect customer experience and avoid costly stockouts. In today鈥檚 climate, a few extra weeks of inventory can mean the difference between happy customers and lost trust.

Stay agile with data and gut instinct

We use data every day 鈥� demand forecasting, lead time analysis, shipping trends 鈥� but I also believe in the value of gut instinct. Experience matters. Sometimes the signals don鈥檛 show up in the spreadsheet right away, but your team knows something鈥檚 off. I鈥檝e learned to listen to that.

One of the most valuable things I鈥檝e done as a leader is encourage the team to speak up when something doesn鈥檛 feel right 鈥� even if they can鈥檛 yet prove it. That kind of agility and trust in your people can give you a critical head start when things are shifting under your feet.

Final thoughts

We may not be able to control the global trade climate, but we can control how we respond. For us at Copper Compression, the answer has been to build stronger relationships, invest in flexibility, and never lose sight of the customer.

The road has been bumpy, and it鈥檚 not likely to smooth out soon 鈥� but that鈥檚 OK. Disruption, if you embrace it, can make you better. It has for us.

is the president of , a company helping people manage pain and recover faster through innovative compression gear.

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Despite this downturn, the possibility of another global crisis could potentially reignite interest and investment in the sector.

Last year, logistics and supply chain management startups raised less than $6 billion in 741 announced funding deals, 附近上门 shows. Those numbers are a steep drop from the nearly $28 billion such startups raised in 2021 鈥� in a record high 1,554 deals.

Although 2021 was an aberration, last year’s funding numbers were even lower than those of 2023, when $6.7 billion was raised across 965 deals.

Trending down

The stark downward numbers contrast with the industry’s previous years of steady venture investment growth, which surged even higher during the pandemic. Supply chain disruptions and logistical challenges during that time led investors to invest heavily in new technologies, hoping for improved visibility and insights to manage global supply chains more effectively.

However, as the pandemic subsided and stability returned to the supply chain space, supply chain management startups 鈥斅爉uch like work-from-home tech and food delivery platforms 鈥� have seen a significant pullback from investors.

Last year, the logistics and supply chain management space saw fewer than a dozen deals of $100 million or more. Some of the larger deals involving U.S.-based, VC-backed startups in the supply chain management and logistics included:

• In January, logistics giant raised $260 million from partner and e-commerce titan after burning through hundreds of millions of dollars last year, . The San Francisco-based startup hit a peak valuation of $8 billion three years ago after raising a massive $935 million round.
• In August, , a supply chain management startup, locked up a $200 million Series C investment led by the that values the company at $1 billion. The New York-based startup鈥檚 supply chain management platform gives customers deep insights and visibility into managing their global value chains 鈥� from the sourcing of raw materials to production to sale. Its platform uses AI to analyze data points through the supply chain to spot anomalies and risks.
• Privately held moving and storage firm locked up a $180 million deal from global investment firm in May. The deal also included a new debt facility led by . Zippy provides an alternative to traditional storage and moving options by delivering containers to a customer鈥檚 location, which are then moved to a storage site or destination for unloading.

History being repeated?

However, just as the pandemic rapidly accelerated the industry, another global event could again drive more venture investment to the logistics space as companies seek greater visibility and insights to manage their global supply chains.

Startup investors may reconsider the space they left two years ago as new global trade issues loom, including substantial new import tariffs imposed by the U.S. and geopolitical tensions around the world.

U.S. President said he plans to implement a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China 鈥� with whom the U.S. already has a rocky relationship. In addition, the fighting in Ukraine and the Middle East have heightened the possibility of disruptions to the globe鈥檚 energy and mineral supply chains.

That leaves open the very real possibility of many looking to new tech 鈥� likely aided by artificial intelligence 鈥� to navigate both physical travel issues and a variety of complex compliance matters.

Amid that uncertainty, many businesses look to technology and digital solutions to help. The logistics and supply chain space space may be no different, aiding companies to quickly adjust sourcing methods, revise inventory and even reroute shipments.

While venture capital investment has bounced back in many industries since the slight pullback witnessed in 2022 and 2023, logistics and supply chain management remain an exception. We鈥檒l see for how long.

Related 附近上门 Pro list:

Related reading:

• Flexport Raising $260M From Shopify 鈥� Report
• Supply Chain Startup Altana Hits Unicorn Status, Raises $200M

July was hot over most of the country, but apparently not at many venture firms.

Only one firm 鈥� 鈥� hit double digits in the number of funding rounds for U.S.-based startups in the month.

Big-named firms such as and made only a couple of deals each, as no firm rolled up big numbers.

Let鈥檚 take a look at who went the biggest in a slow month

Andreessen Horowitz, 11 deals

The Menlo Park, California-based giant once again led the way in the number of deals involving U.S.-based startups 鈥� although it could be argued it was more in the news last month for .

Andreessen actually has been on a roll of late, announcing 30 deals in the past three months.

In July, the firm led or co-led three huge rounds 鈥� the largest being the $200 million round for space startup it co-led with .

Andreessen also led a $175 million Series B for autonomous surface vessels maker at a $1 billion valuation, and a $130 million Series B for , an AI startup that helps businesses analyze all types of data to answer more complex, multistep questions.

General Catalyst, 9 deals

Massachusetts-based closed nine deals last month. While the number isn鈥檛 huge, it鈥檚 actually 3x more than the VC firm closed in July 2023.

That number actually involved leading or co-leading four megadeals 鈥� $100 million or more 鈥� in the U.S., including a $200 million round for Troy, Michigan-based healthcare company along with and a large unnamed national payor, it also co-led or led big rounds for and

Perhaps the most interesting round General Catalyst took part in was the large $300 million Series A for . The Pittsburgh-based startup 鈥� valued at $1.5 billion 鈥� builds robot brains, with those brain models able to be used聽 in a variety of robots and for different tasks.

Sequoia Capital, 9 deals

has been pretty consistent all year, averaging about seven deals a month involving U.S.-based startups.

Sequoia led compliance startup 鈥檚 $150 million round that valued the company at $2.45 billion. The firm also participated in the previously mentioned Skild AI round and San Francisco-based AI legal tech startup 鈥檚 $100 million Series C at a $1.5 billion valuation.

Lightspeed Venture Partners, 8 deals

has been similar to Sequoia concerning consistency, as it has taken part in seven deals involving U.S. startups in four of the past six months.

Last month, that meant actually co-leading Skild鈥檚 round with , and , through his .

The Silicon Valley giant also co-led a $150 million Series C for clinical-stage precision oncology startup , as well as聽 Kirkland, Washington-based software supply chain security startup 鈥檚 $140 million Series C that minted it a unicorn at a $1.12 billion valuation.

Also notable:

• and came in next on the list with seven deals each.
• Lightspeed Venture Partners led the way in most led or co-led deals in July with five.
• Lightspeed Venture Partners also led the list for number of rounds led or co-led with the highest dollar amounts, leading or co-leading four rounds that in total were worth almost $662 million.
• once again was the top investing incubator and accelerator with 18 deals in July.

Methodology

This is a list of investors which took part in the most rounds involving U.S.-based startups. It does not include incubators or accelerators due to the fluctuations their investment numbers can have.

Related reading:

• Astranis Aims For The Stars With New $200M Round
• Saronic Latest Defense Tech Startup To Hit Unicorn Status
• AI Startup Hebbia Locks Up $130M Series B Led By a16z

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