The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds: Wiz Lands A Billion

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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.

The week was slower than last as far as startups raising huge mega rounds. Then again it had to be after 13 companies raised more than $100 million last week. Nevertheless, there were still some big raises, including a $1 billion round.

1. Wiz, $1B, cybersecurity: Cloud security startup Wiz locked up the biggest cybersecurity round of the year thus far as it raised $1 billion at a $12 billion valuation. The round — announced just as the industry’s RSA Conference was getting underway in San Francisco this week — could be another sign of investors coming back to the cybersecurity space. Cyber startups are coming off their best funding quarter in three quarters, and late last month Microsoft-backed data security firm Rubrik had a successful IPO. Wiz’s latest round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Thrive Capital. Founded in 2020, Wiz says it has raised $1.9 billion so far. Originally founded in Israel, Wiz has been busy of late. Just last month it acquired New York-based cloud detection and response startup Gem Security. The company says the new cash infusion could be used for more deal-making. Also based in New York, the startup said it achieved $350 million in annual recurring revenue last year. It has talked openly about hitting $1 billion in ARR as it heads to an IPO.

2. Zenas BioPharma, $200M, biotech: Zenas BioPharma continues the trend of big biotech weeks every week. The Waltham, Massachusetts-based startup raised a $200 million Series C preferred stock round led by Delos Capital, New Enterprise Associates, Norwest Venture Partners and SR One. The biotech firm specializes in inflammation- and immunology-directed therapies and will use the fresh cash to support the ongoing lead product candidate, obexelimab. Founded in 2020, the company has raised $318 million, per Crunchbase.

3. Bluejay Therapeutics, $182M, biotech: Following up on the biotech trend, Bluejay Therapeutics locked up a $182 million Series C co-led by Frazier Life Sciences and an unnamed life science-focused institutional investment firm. The San Mateo, California-based startup will use the fresh cash to advance the development of its treatment for chronic hepatitis D and treatments for chronic hepatitis B. Founded in 2019, the company has raised $223 million, per Crunchbase.

4. Zippy Shell, $180M, logistics: Privately held moving and storage firm Zippy Shell locked up a big $180 million deal from global investment firm The Carlyle Group. The new investment also included a new debt facility led by JP Morgan Chase. Zippy provides an alternative to traditional storage and moving options by delivering containers that are dropped off at a customer’s location and then moved to a storage site or destination for unloading. The new cash will be used to refinance its existing debt and fund growth initiatives, including network and fleet expansion. Founded in 2010, the company has raised $365 million, per Crunchbase.

5. Attovia Therapeutics, $105M, biotech: Fremont, California-based Attovia Therapeutics, which is developing biotherapeutics focused on immune-mediated diseases, closed a $105 million Series B led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The new round comes just 11 months after the company raised a $60 million Series A. Founded in 2023, Attovia has raised $165 million, per the company.

6. Meati, $100M, alternative protein: Boulder, Colorado-based Meati, which creates cutlets and steaks from mycelium, raised $100 million in a C-1 round led by Grosvenor Food & AgTech. Founded in 2016, the company has raised nearly $375 million, per Crunchbase.

7. R3 Vascular, $87M, medical device: Mountain View, California-based R3 Vascular, a developer of medical devices for treating peripheral arterial disease, closed an $87 million Series B led by affiliates of Deerfield Management. Founded in 2019, the company has raised $105 million, per Crunchbase.

8. Aardvark Therapeutics, $85M, biotech: San Diego-based Aardvark Therapeutics, which is developing therapies for metabolic diseases, inflammation and more, closed an $85 million Series C financing led by Decheng Capital. Founded in 2017, the company has raised nearly $130 million, per Crunchbase.

9. Base Power, $68M, energy: Austin, Texas-based Base Power, a developer of battery-powered home energy services, raised $68 million from the likes of Thrive Capital and Valor Equity Partners. It is the company’s first raise, per Crunchbase.

10. Privateer, $57M, space tech: Kihei, Hawaii-based satellite-tracking software developer Privateer raised a $56.5 million round led by space-focused venture capital firm Aero X Ventures and acquired the analytics firm Orbital Insight. The round is the company’s first announced raise, per Crunchbase.

Big global deals

The biggest round of the week was actually one of the largest funding deals on record for a British startup ever.

• London-based self-driving car startup Wayve raised $1.05 billion in a SoftBank-led round.

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 4 to May 10. 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