DeepSeek and the Rise of AI Unicorns on Crunchbase

DeepSeek and the New Unicorns of Crunchbase

In June, the Crunchbase unicorn chart welcomed a total of 34 new companies, collectively adding an impressive value of $110 billion. Among these newcomers, ten companies stand out particularly as artificial intelligence labs, with a combined valuation of $65 billion. The most notable of these is DeepSeek, an open-source model developer based in Beijing, which reached a valuation of $50 billion, positioning itself as the most valuable unicorn of the year.

These new AI labs focus on innovations in the development of artificial intelligence models, covering areas such as robotics, physics, autonomous learning, and open-source development. An Indian startup stands out for its work on sovereign AI, reflecting a trend towards independent and localized technological solutions.

Geographic Diversity of New Unicorns

In terms of geographic distribution, the United States dominates with 16 new unicorns. China follows with eight companies, while India, Germany, and the United Kingdom each have two new unicorns. The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and Saudi Arabia have each contributed one new unicorn, illustrating a growing geographic diversity in the landscape of high-growth startups.

Major Exits and Impact on Valuation

Despite this influx of new companies, the total value of the Crunchbase unicorn chart experienced a decline of over $1 trillion in June. This drop is primarily due to the IPO of SpaceX, which was the most valuable company on the chart. Other notable exits include Anysphere, an AI coding tools manufacturer, acquired by SpaceX for $60 billion. This acquisition occurred after Anysphere was valued at $29.3 billion.

Modular, a company specializing in AI infrastructure, was acquired by Qualcomm, while the customer experience agent Fin was purchased by Salesforce. These transactions were conducted at amounts well above their last private valuations, highlighting the appetite of large companies for innovative technologies.

Overview of New Unicorns in June

DeepSeek

DeepSeek, based in Beijing, raised $7.4 billion in a Series A round, marking its first external funding. This deal was led by CEO Liang Wenfeng. The company, just two years old, was valued at $50 billion and is considering an IPO in Shanghai as early as Q2 2027.

Flourish

Flourish, a New York-based company, is developing a new AI architecture inspired by neuroscience, called Cortex AI, which promises to reduce energy consumption. It raised $500 million in a Series A round, with investments from Jeff Bezos, Lux Capital, GV, and Catalio Capital. Despite being less than a year old, Flourish was valued at $2.5 billion.

PhysicsX

PhysicsX, based in London, uses AI for product design in sectors such as aerospace and automotive. The company raised $300 million in a Series C round led by Temasek, reaching a valuation of $2.4 billion.

General Intuition

General Intuition, located in New York, develops models for robotics using gameplay videos from its sister company Medal. The company raised $320 million in a Series A round led by Khosla Ventures, with a valuation of $2.3 billion.

Generalist AI

Generalist AI, based in San Mateo, California, focuses on embodied robotic intelligence. The company raised $400 million in a Series B round led by Radical Ventures, reaching a valuation of $2 billion.

Bulage

Bulage, a robotics intelligence company from Shanghai, raised $220 million in a seed funding round led by Gaorong Capital and HSG. Founded by a researcher from Alibaba, the company was valued at $2 billion.

Odyssey

Odyssey, based in Menlo Park, California, builds global models to simulate the real world, influencing areas such as robotics and healthcare. The company raised $310 million in a Series B round led by Natural Capital, with a valuation of $1.5 billion.

Sarvam AI

Sarvam AI, an Indian developer of sovereign AI based in Bengaluru, raised $234 million in a first close of Series B led by HCLTech. The company was valued at $1.5 billion.

Mirendil

Mirendil, an AI lab based in San Francisco, aims to automate AI research for scientific use cases. The company raised $200 million in a seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins, with a valuation of $1 billion.

Vast

Vast, located in Hangzhou, develops 3D models for gaming and entertainment. The company raised $200 million in a Series A round led by Ince Capital, reaching a valuation of $1 billion.

Neura Robotics

Neura Robotics, a German company, builds intelligent machines to work alongside humans. It raised $1.4 billion in a Series C round led by stablecoin issuer Tether, with a valuation of $7 billion.

Astribot

Astribot, based in Shenzhen, is a humanoid robot manufacturer. The company raised $148 million in a Series B round, reaching a valuation of $1.5 billion.

DexForce

DexForce, a humanoid robotics company from Guangdong, raised $147 million in a Series B round. It plans 1,000 shipments in 2026 and was valued at $1.5 billion.

Standard Bots

Standard Bots, based in New York, builds industrial arm robots for manufacturing. The company raised $200 million in a Series C round, with a valuation of $1 billion.

AI Infrastructure and Other Sectors

Ionic Digital

Ionic Digital, which has pivoted from cryptocurrency mining to building data centers for AI, raised $400 million. Based in Coral Gables, Florida, the company was valued at $2.4 billion and has filed for a direct listing on Nasdaq.

TensorWave

TensorWave, a cloud operator based in Las Vegas, offers AMD chips to customers. The company raised $350 million in a Series B round, reaching a valuation of $1.6 billion.

SiliconFlow

SiliconFlow, based in Beijing, offers an inference solution with API access to hundreds of models. The company raised $296 million in a Series B round, with a valuation of $1.2 billion.

Runpod

Runpod, an AI cloud developer based in New Jersey, raised $100 million in a Series A round. The company, valued at $1 billion, has 1 million developers using its platform.

Allen Control Systems

Allen Control Systems, based in Austin, develops precision armaments to defend against drones. The company raised $200 million in a Series B round, with a valuation of $2.2 billion.

Mach Industries

Mach Industries, an aerospace systems manufacturer based in Huntington Beach, California, raised $300 million in a Series C round, with a valuation of $1.8 billion.

Twenty Technologies

Twenty Technologies, based in Arlington, Virginia, builds cyber-intelligence products for the U.S. military. The company raised $100 million in a Series B round, with a valuation of $1 billion.

Nesto

Nesto, a mortgage financing platform based in Montreal, raised $217 million in a Series E round, reaching a valuation of $1.1 billion.

Square Yards

Square Yards, an Indian real estate agency, raised $95 million in private equity and debt financing. The company was valued at $1 billion.

Kpler

Kpler, a Belgian platform for intelligence in global physical trade, raised $1 billion in secondary market financing, reaching a valuation of $3.7 billion.

NewLimit

NewLimit, a biotechnology company based in San Francisco, raised $435 million in a Series C round. The company plans clinical trials next year and was valued at $3.1 billion.

CuspAI

CuspAI, based in Cambridge, UK, builds a network of labs for discovering new materials. The company raised $450 million, with a valuation of $2.6 billion.

Digital Asset

Digital Asset, a blockchain solution for financial institutions, raised $355 million in a Series F round, with a valuation of $2 billion.

Image Generation and Financial Services

Evoken

Evoken, a video generation company based in Beijing, raised $300 million in a Series B round. The company, with $300 million in annual recurring revenue, was valued at $2 billion.

D360 Bank

D360 Bank, a mobile banking company in Saudi Arabia, raised $400 million in a Series A round, with a valuation of $1.6 billion.

Nearfield Instruments

Nearfield Instruments, based in Rotterdam, raised $380 million in a Series D round, reaching a valuation of $1.6 billion.

Aerospace Yuxing

Aerospace Yuxing, a space infrastructure company based in Beijing, raised $207 million in a Series D round, with a valuation of $1.5 billion.

Redo

Redo, an e-commerce provider based in San Francisco, raised $81 million in a Series B round, with a valuation of $1.3 billion.

Assort Health

Assort Health, an AI agent for patient care journeys, raised $120 million in a Series C round, with a valuation of $1.2 billion.

Finn

Finn, a car subscription platform based in Munich, raised $113 million in a Series D round, with a valuation of $1.1 billion.