Monday, October 26, 2026 · Edition updated 6:00 AM ETMON, OCT 26 editionNext edition in Next in --:--:--
Intelligence Verdict
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AI startups

Young AI companies, and what they've built.

New labs, world models, robot brains, AI for science and medicine, new chips. Many are only a year or two old and already valued in the billions. Here is each one's last reported valuation next to what it has actually shipped.

  • 75young companies, in 10 kinds of work
  • 46valued at $1 billion or more at their last closed round
  • 17with no public product yet, by our search
The money

Valued in the billions, early.

The highest valuations, in US dollars, from each company's last closed funding round. Where a newer figure has only been reported, from talks or people familiar with them, it shows as a hatched bar. A valuation is what investors paid, not proof the product works.

Last closed roundNewer figure, only reported (talks or people familiar)
  1. CognitionAI that writes software$48BHas a product
  2. Thinking Machines LabNew frontier labs$12Breported $40B+Has a model or API
  3. Isomorphic LabsDrug discovery and biology–reported $40B–50BResearch only so far
  4. Moonshot AINew frontier labs–reported $35BHas a model or API
  5. Safe SuperintelligenceNew frontier labs$5Breported $32BNothing public found
  6. Reflection AINew frontier labs$8Breported $25BHas a model or API
  7. EtchedChips and AI computers$21BHas a product
  8. HelsingLaw, medicine, finance and defense$18BHas a product
  9. HarveyLaw, medicine, finance and defense$15.5BHas a product
  10. Skild AIRobot brains$14B+Has a product
  11. LovableAI that writes software$13.3BHas a product
  12. OpenEvidenceLaw, medicine, finance and defense$12BHas a product
  13. Physical IntelligenceRobot brains$5.6Breported $11B+Has a model or API
  14. FieldAIRobot brains$2Breported $10BHas a product
  15. LegoraLaw, medicine, finance and defense$5.55Breported $10B+Has a product
  16. Saronic TechnologiesLaw, medicine, finance and defense$9.25BHas a product
  17. Lila SciencesScience, materials and math$1.3B+reported $8.5BHas a product
  18. Periodic LabsScience, materials and math$1.3Breported $7.5BHas a model or API
  19. General IntuitionWorld models and digital worlds$2.3Breported $6BHas a model or API
  20. AbridgeLaw, medicine, finance and defense$5.3BHas a product

Valuations as reported by the outlet or company named on each company's card; some are post-money and some pre-money, as each source states. Figures in other currencies stay on the cards and are left off this list.

By what they're building

Ten kinds of young AI company.

Each kind has its own page with every company's founders, funding rounds, what it has shipped and its latest news, with sources.

Funding rounds

Latest rounds, newest first.

Recent rounds across all of AI, from established outlets. Amounts are as reported.

All 27 rounds
ConsumerOct 19, 2026

Tolan

$30M

“the AI companion designed to help people manage their daily lives, navigate relationships and emotions” (TechCrunch)

Read the report
InfrastructureOct 19, 2026

Tenstorrent

$1.5B

“a chip startup focused on inference” (TechCrunch)

Read the report
ScienceOct 15, 2026

Holyvolt

$45MEquity

“Holyvolt’s Discovery Engine connects proprietary AI models to automated labs that build and test real battery cells” (Holyvolt, company-reported)

Read the report
ConsumerOct 14, 2026

Zenzap

$44M

“a private messenger with AI that wants to help companies communicate with their staff” (TechCrunch)

Read the report
ScienceOct 14, 2026

Scimplify

$25MAll-equity strategic round

“AI-powered approach to producing specialty chemicals and critical materials” (TechCrunch)

Read the report
SecurityOct 13, 2026

Pluto Security

$42MSeed and Series A

“which helps companies gain context, risk analysis, visibility, and control over how their employees use AI tools” (TechCrunch)

Read the report
How this page works

What we check, and what we couldn't.

Read Oct 20, 2026. The companies here were founded in 2020 or later (a few older ones are marked in their notes) and are still private. We don't use paid startup databases, and we never rank companies by merit.

Valuations and funding come from the outlet or company named on each card. “Has a product” means we found something the public can use or buy; “Nothing public found” means we searched and found no product, model or paper, which is not proof there is none. When a company's product reaches an independent test, a study with real people or a regulator, it shows up on the task it does in Can AI do it yet?

  • Safe Superintelligence valuation at the July 2026 Nvidia investmentNot stated in the Reuters report fetched; other figures seen only on aggregator sites.
  • Reflection AI: whether the round at a $25B pre-money valuation closedOnly the CEO's April 2026 remarks (via Reuters) and reports of talks were found.
  • Thinking Machines Lab new round (~$1B at $40B+)Reported talks only (The Information via TechCrunch); no close found.
  • Poolside 2025–2026 funding and valuationOnly the Oct 2024 $500M round (valuation $3B per Bloomberg) was confirmed on a fetched page; the web search budget ran out before newer reports could be checked.
  • Magic valuationTechCrunch said in Aug 2024 it 'couldn't be ascertained'; no later figure verified.
  • StepFun valuation and IPO status after June 2026Reports of a filing seeking a $12B valuation; one aggregator said $120B (conflicting). Listing status as of Oct 2026 not confirmed.
  • Moonshot AI valuationAll 2026 figures ($4.3B, $20B, $30B talks, $35B, ~$50B pre-IPO target) are from reports citing unnamed sources.
  • AMI Labs released models (LeWorldModel etc.)Claimed in a Towards AI post; no AMI-owned page confirming release was fetched.
  • Poetiq ARC-AGI-2 verificationCompany says ARC Prize verified 54%; ARC Prize's leaderboard data could not be loaded.
  • Kimi K3 benchmark results from Artificial AnalysisExcluded under our rules (no Artificial Analysis data).