AlphaSense Hits $2.5B Valuation In Busy Day For AI Funding

AI-driven market intelligence platform AlphaSense locked up a $150 million Series E led by Bond Capital at a $2.5 billion valuation — an increase of nearly 30% from its raise just in April.

The New York-based startup’s market intelligence and search platform — powered by AI and natural language processing — helps clients form corporate and investment strategies.

Bond was joined in the round by existing investors including CapitalG — Alphabet’s independent growth fund — Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Viking Global Investors.

The raise comes just about five-and-a-half months after the company raised a $100 million round at a $1.8 billion valuation.

In total, the company has now raised more than $770 million since its founding.

The company said it will use the cash infusion to grow its collection of searchable business content and make strategic acquisitions.

That’s not all

Of course, that’s not the only thing that happened Thursday in the world of generative AI.

China-based AI chip startup Enflame raised a huge round worth nearly $274 million from investors including funds linked to a government authority in Shanghai, per a Reuters report. The chip-maker is backed by Tencent.

It also was reported by the Financial Times that OpenAI is in advanced talks with former Apple designer Jony Ive and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank to launch a venture to build the “iPhone of artificial intelligence.” The venture could involve an investment of more than $1 billion in funding from SoftBank.

The investment would come just months after SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son told investors that the multinational investment holding behemoth would again shift from “defense mode” as it looks to be a leader in AI.

It has slowly started to make good on that promise.