The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds: CoreWeave Goes Big Again, Strive Nabs $166M For Kidney Health

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

Two AI startups take two of the top three spots again this week. OK, they are more AI-adjacent companies, but being related to what is the hottest space among startups likely helped both companies see nine-figure raises. In general, it was a smaller week than the previous few, but there was a holiday thrown in, so that may be a part of it.

1. CoreWeave, $200M, cloud: AI keeps the hits coming. Just more than a month after raising $221 million, New Jersey AI cloud infrastructure startup CoreWeave raised another $200 million from existing investor Magnetar Capital. Unlike some of the generative AI application startups that have received huge funding rounds, CoreWeave provides some of the plumbing necessary for AI to work. The specialized cloud provider — which actually started out as an Ethereum mining operation — offers cloud infrastructure with better processing that will be needed to train large language models for AI. CoreWeave, which competes with cloud providers Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Google, has now raised $576.5 million in total funding, per Crunchbase.

2. Strive Health, $166M, health care: Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers, 37 million U.S. adults live with kidney disease, but about 9 out of 10 people with kidney disease don’t know they have it. That’s a problem, as early care is pivotal in trying to control the situation. Denver-based Strive Health raised a $166 million Series C led by NEA to help people get that care. The startup offers value-based kidney care, as it partners with health care providers. Strive Health uses a unique combination of technology-enabled care interventions and seamless integration with local providers to help patients suffering from chronic kidney disease get care at all stages of the fight. Founded in 2018, the company has now raised $386 million, according to Crunchbase.

3. Lightmatter, $154M, hardware: Along the same lines as CoreWeave, Boston-based Lightmatter also has its hands in AI, but not creating applications. Rather, the startup uses light to link computer chips together and to do calculations for deep learning necessary for AI. However, the use of light allows for this to happen faster and more energy-efficiently. Investors see that need apparently, as the Boston-based company locked up a $154 million raise from the likes of GV, the venture capital investment division of Alphabet, and Fidelity Management and Research Co., which were among the round’s investors. Founded in 2017, the company has raised $267 million, per Crunchbase.

4. Eikon Therapeutics, $106M, biotech: Hayward, California-based Eikon Therapeutics had a busy week. To help grow its new drug pipeline, the biotech startup acquired the exclusive rights to three early- to mid-stage therapeutic assets that fight cancer. The company also closed the first tranche of a Series C — $106 million — to support its clinical programs. Investors were not announced. Founded in 2019, Eikon has now raised nearly $775 million, per the company.

5. Measurabl, $93M, sustainability: San Diego-based Measurabl, which helps companies in the real estate industry measure their environmental, social and governance impacts, raised a $93 million Series D co-led by Energy Impact Partners and Sway Ventures. ESG has become popular with some corporations and investors as they look to evaluate both their sustainability and ethical impacts of everything from carbon emissions and labor practices to workplace diversity. Billions of dollars have gone to startups in the sustainability industry — $7.3 billion globally last year, and $7.4 billion in 2021, Crunchbase data shows. Founded in 2013, the company has now raised $172.6 million total, per Crunchbase.

6. Red 6, $70M, augmented reality: Orlando, Florida-based augmented reality startup Red 6 closed a $70 million Series B led by RedBird Capital Partners. Founded in 2018, the company has raised nearly $111 million, per Crunchbase.

7. Magic, $52M, crypto: San Francisco-based noncustodial wallet developer Magic raised a $52 million round led by PayPal Ventures. Founded in 2018, the company has now raised $83 million, per Crunchbase.

8. (tied) Forge Nano, $50M, nanotechnology: Louisville, Colorado-based nano-coating technology developer Forge Nano raised $50 million from South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace. Founded in 2011, the company has raised nearly $74 million, according to Crunchbase.

8. (tied) CleanJoule, $50M, energy: Salt Lake City-based CleanJoule, a developer of sustainable aviation fuel, closed a $50 million round led by Indigo Partners. The round is the company’s first outside investment, per Crunchbase.

10. Carrum Health, $45M, health care: San Francisco-based Carrum Health, which helps patients receive quality care, locked up a $45 million Series B led by Omers Growth Equity 1. Founded in 2014, the company has raised $96 million, according to Crunchbase.

Big global deals

Even with all the big rounds this week domestically, the biggest raise went to a China-based company.

• Yunnan National Titanium Metal, a manufacturer of titanium sponges used in the refinement of titanium metal, raised a venture round worth nearly $321 million.

Methodology

We tracked the largest announced rounds in the Crunchbase database that were raised by U.S.-based companies for the seven-day period of May 27 to June 2. 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.

Illustration: Dom Guzman