VC Funding Top Ten — August 13, 2026: Databricks' $5B, AI Frenzy, Mega-Seeds

Overview

Thursday afternoon, August thirteenth — today's biggest check is a staggering five billion dollars. Databricks just locked in a $5B late-stage round at a massive $190 billion valuation, leading a day dominated by AI investments. We'll break down the ten largest deals, from AI infrastructure to biotech and the future of

In this show

• Thursday afternoon, August thirteenth — today's biggest check is a staggering five billion dollars. Databricks just locked in a $5B late-stage round at a massive $190 billion valuation, leading a day dominated by AI investments. We'll break down the ten largest deals, from AI infrastructure to biotech and the future of coding. With me to analyze the deal flow are our Markets and World analysts. Let's get into the numbers.
• Here is today's snapshot. Venture capitalists disclosed $5.85 billion across ten rounds today. The hottest category was AI, accounting for five of the top ten deals. On the public market front, Silence Therapeutics priced its IPO, aiming to raise approximately $175 million. But the undisputed story of the day is Databricks' mega-round. The raise signals a continued investor frenzy for proven leaders in the AI infrastructure stack, cementing its position as a titan of the industry.
• At number one, Databricks raised that $5 billion late-stage round led by Coatue, pushing its valuation to $190 billion. This is nearly five times its 2021 mark. The company's unified data and AI platform is clearly resonating, as the funding coincides with it crossing a $7 billion revenue run-rate. This isn't just a capital raise; it's a strategic move to solidify its dominance in the enterprise AI stack. Investors are betting that as companies pour money into AI, Databricks will be a primary beneficiary.
• In second place, developer tools startup Lovable landed a $400 million Series C led by Menlo Ventures, reaching a $13.3 billion valuation. That's more than double its valuation from just last December. Lovable is building what it calls a 'vibe coding' platform, using AI to let users with little programming experience build applications through simple prompts. This massive jump in value highlights the intense demand for AI-powered tools that democratize software development and broaden access to app creation for a whole new class of builders.
• Coming in at number three is Khartis Therapeutics, securing a $50 million Series B led by Forge Life Science Partners. The biotech company is emerging from stealth with $95 million in total funding to develop oral small molecule medicines for immunological diseases. Its lead program is focused on Thyroid Eye Disease, or TED. The key here is convenience and access. Khartis is tackling a significant unmet medical need by developing a simple oral alternative to the infused therapies that are currently the standard of care.
• The number four spot goes to a massive seed round. AI research lab Pathway raised $30 million at a stunning $500 million valuation. The company is developing what it calls 'post-Transformer' AI model architectures, aiming for breakthroughs beyond the current dominant technology. The size of this seed round, and the high valuation that comes with it, is a clear signal from investors. They strongly believe that foundational innovation in AI is far from over and that the next big thing after the Transformer architecture is a multi-billion dollar opportunity.
• At number five, Amplifica Holdings Group, a clinical-stage biopharma company, closed a $26 million Series B. The round was oversubscribed and notably included participation from Eli Lilly and Company. Amplifica is developing injectable therapies designed to reactivate dormant hair follicles and promote new hair growth. With a potential market of over 80 million people in the U.S. alone suffering from hair loss, this funding will accelerate clinical development for a novel approach to a massive consumer health issue.
• Number six is ClearJet, which raised a $25 million Series B led by Edison Partners. The company operates an AI-enabled logistics platform designed to optimize the use of commercial air cargo capacity. In a world of complex and often inefficient global supply chains, ClearJet uses AI to find the smartest and most cost-effective routes for shipping goods. This new funding is earmarked for scaling its platform and expanding its reach into international shipping, a critical artery for global commerce.
• In the seventh spot, AGent Energy secured an $11 million seed round to tackle grid instability. The company's AI platform doesn't build new power plants. Instead, it aggregates and orchestrates existing behind-the-meter assets—like backup generators at commercial and industrial sites—into distributed power plants. This is a capital-efficient way to address growing strain on the power grid. By unlocking underutilized capacity that's already in place, AGent can provide stability without the lengthy and expensive process of new construction.
• At number eight, Ravee Optics raised a $6 million seed round led by BIG Capital. The hardware startup is building compact, scalable optical terminals for laser-based data transmission between satellites. As the number of satellites in orbit explodes, the ability to move data between them efficiently becomes a major bottleneck. Ravee aims to solve this with hardware designed for mass production, effectively creating the high-speed internet backbone for the growing space ecosystem. This is critical infrastructure for the future of satellite communication.
• Rounding out the list are two smaller, but highly specific, AI seed rounds. At number nine, Clarity Systems raised $4.4 million for its AI-powered scanner that detects retail returns fraud by seeing inside packages without opening them. And at number ten, Lemma raised $2.3 million for its platform that monitors 'silent failures' in AI agents—when an agent doesn't crash, but fails to complete its task correctly. Both companies are building essential tools for a world where AI is deployed for critical business operations, tackling fraud and ensuring reliability.
• That's the top ten, but the one thing to watch from today's flow is the Rise of the Mega-Seed. We saw Pathway raise a $30 million seed and AGent Energy raise an $11 million seed. These are huge checks for such an early stage. It reflects a growing trend of VCs making larger, more aggressive bets to secure significant ownership in what they believe could be foundational companies in capital-intensive sectors like AI and energy. Expect to see seed round sizes continue to inflate for the most ambitious tech startups. That's all for today. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon at three PM Pacific with the next deal flow.