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U.S. Startups Secure $10 B+ in Funding, With Four Companies Raising Over $1 B Each in September 2026
In a week that felt like a roller‑coaster for venture capital, ten U.S. startups announced the largest funding rounds of 2026, with four of them crossing the $1 billion mark. The headline‑making deals include a $3 billion Series D for Elon Musk’s tunnel‑drilling firm The Boring Company, a $2 billion Series E for AI coding startup Cognition, a $1.3 billion equity round for fleet‑management platform Motive, and a $1 billion Series E for reusable‑rocket developer Stoke Space. According to Crunchbase data, the rounds lift the companies’ valuations to $23 billion, $48 billion, $10 billion, and $10 billion, respectively.
The Boring Company, headquartered in Bastrop, Texas, closed its $3 billion Series D with a lead investor from the United Arab Emirates and participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and Valor Equity Partners. The new capital pushes the company’s valuation to $23 billion and brings its total capital raised to nearly $3.9 billion. With its Las Vegas Loop underground transit system already operational, the firm plans to use the fresh money to extend its tunnel network for both passenger and vehicle transport.
San Francisco‑based Cognition, whose autonomous software‑engineering agent Devin can plan, write, test, debug and deploy code from high‑level requirements, announced a $2 billion Series E led by Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Avenir, Founders Fund and General Catalyst. The round values Cognition at $48 billion and brings its total funding to about $3.9 billion, doubling its valuation since the May 2026 round.
Motive, formerly KeepTruckin, raised $1.3 billion in a private‑equity round led by General Catalyst. The San Francisco‑based firm, which offers an AI‑driven platform for trucking, construction and other physical‑economy businesses, now has total funding just over $2 billion. The capital will support expansion of fleet‑management, driver‑safety and operational‑automation services.
Kent, Washington‑based Stoke Space secured $1 billion in a Series E co‑led by Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital, with Y Combinator also participating. The funding values Stoke Space at $10 billion and brings its total capital raised to roughly $2.4 billion. The company is developing fully reusable rockets, including its Nova launch vehicle, and the new money will help scale production and prepare for the first launch of the Nova Block 2 variant in early 2027.
Other notable deals in the week include Suniva’s $835 million Series B, which will fund expansion of a new South Carolina solar‑cell facility; Mach Industries’ $600 million Series C, which supports the company’s unmanned aircraft and propulsion technology; and Harvey’s $550 million Series H, which backs its generative‑AI tools for legal professionals. Fab2 and Positron each raised $500 million in Series A and Series C rounds, respectively, as they pursue new semiconductor‑fabrication tools and purpose‑built AI inference hardware. The remaining two $275 million rounds were secured by Celero Communications, a California‑based AI networking firm, and Encoded Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on precision genetic medicines for neurological disorders.
Crunchbase’s methodology for compiling the list involved tracking all announced rounds for U.S. companies between September 5 and 11, 2026. While most announced rounds appear in the database, a small lag may exist for late‑reported deals.
The week’s funding activity underscores the continued appetite for high‑valuation deals across a range of sectors, from infrastructure and AI to defense, space and renewable energy. The capital raised will support the scaling of existing products and the development of new technologies, with several companies—such as Stoke Space and Cognition—preparing for upcoming product launches and operational milestones in the coming months. No regulatory actions or court proceedings were reported in connection with these rounds.
The funding landscape remains dynamic, with venture firms continuing to invest in companies that promise rapid growth and transformative technology. Investors are closely watching the progress of these high‑profile startups as they move from prototype to production and market deployment.
The Boring Company, headquartered in Bastrop, Texas, closed its $3 billion Series D with a lead investor from the United Arab Emirates and participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and Valor Equity Partners. The new capital pushes the company’s valuation to $23 billion and brings its total capital raised to nearly $3.9 billion. With its Las Vegas Loop underground transit system already operational, the firm plans to use the fresh money to extend its tunnel network for both passenger and vehicle transport.
San Francisco‑based Cognition, whose autonomous software‑engineering agent Devin can plan, write, test, debug and deploy code from high‑level requirements, announced a $2 billion Series E led by Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Avenir, Founders Fund and General Catalyst. The round values Cognition at $48 billion and brings its total funding to about $3.9 billion, doubling its valuation since the May 2026 round.
Motive, formerly KeepTruckin, raised $1.3 billion in a private‑equity round led by General Catalyst. The San Francisco‑based firm, which offers an AI‑driven platform for trucking, construction and other physical‑economy businesses, now has total funding just over $2 billion. The capital will support expansion of fleet‑management, driver‑safety and operational‑automation services.
Kent, Washington‑based Stoke Space secured $1 billion in a Series E co‑led by Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital, with Y Combinator also participating. The funding values Stoke Space at $10 billion and brings its total capital raised to roughly $2.4 billion. The company is developing fully reusable rockets, including its Nova launch vehicle, and the new money will help scale production and prepare for the first launch of the Nova Block 2 variant in early 2027.
Other notable deals in the week include Suniva’s $835 million Series B, which will fund expansion of a new South Carolina solar‑cell facility; Mach Industries’ $600 million Series C, which supports the company’s unmanned aircraft and propulsion technology; and Harvey’s $550 million Series H, which backs its generative‑AI tools for legal professionals. Fab2 and Positron each raised $500 million in Series A and Series C rounds, respectively, as they pursue new semiconductor‑fabrication tools and purpose‑built AI inference hardware. The remaining two $275 million rounds were secured by Celero Communications, a California‑based AI networking firm, and Encoded Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on precision genetic medicines for neurological disorders.
Crunchbase’s methodology for compiling the list involved tracking all announced rounds for U.S. companies between September 5 and 11, 2026. While most announced rounds appear in the database, a small lag may exist for late‑reported deals.
The week’s funding activity underscores the continued appetite for high‑valuation deals across a range of sectors, from infrastructure and AI to defense, space and renewable energy. The capital raised will support the scaling of existing products and the development of new technologies, with several companies—such as Stoke Space and Cognition—preparing for upcoming product launches and operational milestones in the coming months. No regulatory actions or court proceedings were reported in connection with these rounds.
The funding landscape remains dynamic, with venture firms continuing to invest in companies that promise rapid growth and transformative technology. Investors are closely watching the progress of these high‑profile startups as they move from prototype to production and market deployment.
