VC Funding Top Ten — August 3, 2026: AI Chips, Critical Minerals, AI Security

Overview

Monday, August third, three PM Pacific. Today's biggest check goes to AI chipmaker Olix, which just locked in a three hundred twelve million dollar Series B, tripling its valuation to three-point-three billion dollars. That's the top of a list of ten disclosed rounds today, totaling one-point-two-four billion dollars i

In this show

• Monday, August third, three PM Pacific. Today's biggest check goes to AI chipmaker Olix, which just locked in a three hundred twelve million dollar Series B, tripling its valuation to three-point-three billion dollars. That's the top of a list of ten disclosed rounds today, totaling one-point-two-four billion dollars in fresh capital. The theme is clear: AI continues to dominate, from silicon to security. Let's break down the day's biggest deals with our Markets and World analysts.
• Here's the snapshot for Monday. Total disclosed venture capital hit one-point-two-four billion across ten deals. The largest round was Olix's three hundred twelve million dollar Series B. The hottest category was AI, accounting for six of the top ten rounds. In public market news, biotech drug developers Latigo Biotherapeutics and BlossomHill Therapeutics both launched their U.S. initial public offerings. The story of the day remains Olix, whose valuation tripled in just six months, signaling intense investor appetite for novel AI hardware.
• Let's dive into that number one deal. AI infrastructure player Olix raised a massive three hundred twelve million dollar Series B led by Fundomo, catapulting its valuation to three-point-three billion. That's more than triple its mark from a two hundred twenty million dollar Series A just six months ago in February. The company develops specialized AI chips and optical networking tech. Investors are betting big on its 'token factory' approach to challenge the dominance of general-purpose AI chips in model processing.
• Right behind at number two, Mariana Minerals secured three hundred ten million dollars in a Series B led by Khosla Ventures, reaching a one-point-five billion dollar valuation. This vertically-integrated critical minerals company uses an AI-powered software stack to make mining and refining more efficient. The funding brings its total capital to four hundred million in just two years. It will be used to meet accelerating demand for materials essential for the AI, electrification, and aerospace sectors.
• At number three, the cybersecurity space sees a huge deal. Horizon3.ai raised a two hundred fifty million dollar Series E co-led by NightDragon and NEA, pushing its valuation past two billion dollars. The company's AI-native platform autonomously finds and helps fix exploitable attack paths in enterprise networks. This 'AI vs. AI' approach is clearly resonating. The company's valuation has tripled in just over a year, backed by one hundred twenty percent year-over-year ARR growth, signaling intense market demand for proactive security.
• In the robotics sector, PokeBot lands over one hundred million dollars in a Pre-A round, co-led by Shunwei Capital and Matrix Partners. The company is developing general-purpose robots designed to understand physical laws and perform complex, high-dexterity tasks in home and service settings. What's remarkable is that this is the startup's second nine-figure funding round within just three months of its founding. It’s a massive signal of investor confidence in its vision for embodied intelligence.
• The biotech sector continues to attract significant capital. At number five, Claris Biotherapeutics closed a one hundred eighteen million dollar Series B. The round was led by Samsara Biocapital and Catalio Capital Management. Claris is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for serious ocular surface diseases. This new funding will be used to advance clinical trials for its lead candidate, a topical therapy for limbal stem cell deficiency, a condition with high unmet medical need.
• Also in biotech, Ratio Therapeutics raised seventy million dollars in a Series C round. While the lead investor was not disclosed, the financing includes a new strategic investment from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company. Ratio is a clinical-stage company developing a platform for alpha-particle radioligand therapies to treat cancer. This round, which brings total capital raised to over two hundred forty million dollars, serves as a major validation of its approach to radiopharmaceutical development from a key industry player.
• Rounding out the list, we have a pair of deals in healthtech and fintech. First, Dash Bio raised thirty million in a Series A led by Oak HC/FT. Founded by Moderna's former Chief Data & AI Officer, it's building an 'Amazon Web Services of drug development' for pharma companies. Next, Baselayer secured twenty million in a Series A led by Koro Capital and M13. Its AI platform automates business risk assessment and fraud prevention, bringing its total raised to forty-seven million dollars to help financial institutions mitigate B2B fraud.
• And finally, two more AI-focused Series A rounds. June raised twenty million dollars in a Pre-seed round from Time Ventures. Founded by a former Salesforce exec, June helps enterprises deploy and manage AI agents, specifically adapting them to complex legacy systems. And Dili, an AI-native compliance platform, raised fifteen million in a Series A led by Khosla Ventures. Dili automates payroll and wage monitoring for infrastructure projects, positioning itself to capitalize on the current U.S. infrastructure boom.
• Now for our one thing to watch. Robinhood Ventures Fund II, ticker RVII, has officially launched the roadshow for its initial public offering. The closed-end fund is expected to price on August twelfth and begin trading on the NYSE a day later. The fund aims to provide retail investors with access to a diversified portfolio of eighty early-stage private companies, many from the Y Combinator ecosystem. This will be a key test of public market appetite for venture assets through a novel, more accessible structure.
• And that's the top ten for Monday, August third. Looking ahead, all eyes will be on the Robinhood Ventures IPO roadshow as it builds its book ahead of pricing next week. We're also tracking rumors of a significant new fund closing for a major climate tech investor, expected to be announced before the end of the week. We'll have all the details as they break. That's all for today. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon at three PM Pacific with the next deal flow.