Leju Robotics Secures $210M in Pre-IPO Funding; UnifyApps Raises $50M, Appoints Sprinklr Founder as Co-CEO
Key Takeaways
- Leju Robotics secured nearly $210M in Pre-IPO funding for humanoid robot R&D.
- UnifyApps raised $50M, valuing it at $250M; Sprinklr founder Ragy Thomas appointed co-CEO.
- Kalshi valuation may exceed $10B after recent $300M round, up from $5B.
- Avride secures up to $375M from Uber, Nebius for robotaxi fleet and AI development.
- Sumble exits stealth with $38.5M for AI-powered sales insights platform.
Top Stories
Leju Robotics secures nearly $210M in Pre-IPO funding.
On October 22, 2025, Leju Robotics completed a Pre-IPO round of nearly $210 million (1.5 billion RMB). The funding will support core technology R&D and mass production of humanoid robots.
UnifyApps raises $50M, appoints Sprinklr founder as co-CEO.
On October 22, 2025, AI startup UnifyApps raised $50 million in Series B funding led by WestBridge Capital, valuing the company at $250 million. Sprinklr founder Ragy Thomas was appointed as co-CEO.
Kalshi valuation may exceed $10B after recent $300M round.
On October 22, 2025, prediction market startup Kalshi began receiving investor offers valuing the company at over $10 billion. This is a significant increase from its recent $5 billion valuation during a $300 million funding round.
Avride gets up to $375M from Uber, Nebius for robotaxis.
On October 22, 2025, Avride announced securing up to $375 million in investments from Uber Technologies and Nebius Group. The funding will accelerate fleet growth and AI development, with a robotaxi launch planned in Dallas by the end of 2025.
Sumble exits stealth with $38.5M for AI-powered sales insights.
On October 22, 2025, Sumble emerged from stealth with $38.5 million in funding to bring AI-powered context to sales intelligence. Since launching in April 2024, Sumble has signed 17 enterprise customers.
Executive Moves
Trinity Cyber appoints cybersecurity leader Shawn Turskey to board.
On October 21, 2025, Trinity Cyber, Inc. announced the appointment of Shawn Turskey to its Advisory Board. This comes as the company scales to meet the demand for its active cyber defense solution.
Funding Alert
Pelage Pharma secures $120M for topical baldness treatment.
On October 22, 2025, Pelage Pharmaceuticals secured $120 million from ARCH Venture Partners and GV to commercialize a topical therapy for hair loss. Their lead candidate, PP405, is in Phase 2a clinical trials.
ShopMy raises $70M, valuation at $1.5B for influencer platform.
On October 22, 2025, influencer monetization platform ShopMy raised $70 million in a funding round, achieving a $1.5 billion valuation. The funding will support growth in engineering, product development, and machine learning.
Sizable Energy secures $8M for offshore pumped-hydro storage.
On October 22, 2025, Sizable Energy raised $8 million in funding to develop long-duration ocean energy storage. The company is developing a gigawatt-scale offshore pumped-hydro system.
Anchor Forge raises $6M seed for cloud-based AI browser automation.
On October 22, 2025, Anchor Forge Ltd. secured $6 million in seed funding to develop its platform using cloud-based web browsers and AI agents. The AI agents use natural language requests and large language models.
MythWorx secures $5M seed for brain-inspired AI models.
On October 22, 2025, MythWorx LLC raised $5 million in seed funding to develop energy-efficient AI models inspired by the human brain. Its Echo Ego v2 model achieves high accuracy with less power consumption.
Genspark eyes $200M+ funding at over $1B valuation.
On October 22, 2025, AI startup Genspark is reportedly in talks to raise over $200 million at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. This follows rapid growth and reaching $50 million in annualized recurring revenue.
Refurbed raises £44M to expand refurbished product sales in UK.
On October 22, 2025, Vienna-founded Refurbed secured £44 million in a funding round to target expansion in the UK market. Refurbed aims to promote sustainable consumption by extending the life cycle of existing products.
Pave Bank secures $39M Series A for digital asset banking.
On October 23, 2025, Pave Bank, a Singapore-headquartered neobank, announced it has raised $39 million in Series A financing. The bank provides commercial banking services for traditional currencies and digital assets.
Starbridge secures $42M Series A for AI-driven govtech platform.
On October 22, 2025, Starbridge announced a $42 million Series A funding round to streamline public sector sales. Starbridge aims to streamline public sector sales by aggregating fragmented data and providing AI-driven insights.
Realbotix plans to raise up to C$5M for AI robot development.
On October 22, 2025, Realbotix announced a brokered private placement to raise up to C$5 million. The funds will advance the development and commercialization of its AI-powered humanoid robots.
Monzo Bank explores new private share sale with Morgan Stanley.
On October 22, 2025, UK-based digital bank Monzo Bank Ltd. is considering a new private share sale. They are collaborating with Morgan Stanley to gauge investor interest.
BoxGroup closes $550M for early-stage and follow-on investments.
On October 21, 2025, David Tisch’s BoxGroup announced the closing of $550 million in new funding across two funds. BoxGroup aims to continue supporting founders regardless of location.
Innorna Co. plans Hong Kong IPO, targeting $200M.
On October 22, 2025, it was reported that Innorna Co., a Chinese mRNA drug developer, is planning an IPO in Hong Kong. The company could potentially raise about $200 million.
Volta Software raises €5M to modernize French B2B commerce.
On October 22, 2025, French-Italian startup Volta Software raised €5 million in a Series A extension round. Volta aims to accelerate the digital transformation of the French B2B commerce market.
Market Trends
Trillion-dollar startups seen as inevitable, challenging VC model.
On October 22, 2025, discussions highlight the growing consensus that trillion-dollar startups are inevitable. This trend prompts questions about the VC model and regulation.
Gen Z founders building culture-defining brands via RHEA studio.
On October 21, 2025, Forbes highlighted how Gen Z cofounders Kiersten Barbara and Quinn McCormick are building culture-defining brands through their creative studio RHEA. The studio also plans to launch RHEA Ventures in 2026.
Tech Innovation
Gimlet Labs developing software to optimize AI task efficiency.
On October 22, 2025, Gimlet Labs, backed by Intel's CEO, announced it is developing software to optimize AI tasks. The software distributes tasks across the most cost-effective chips.
CurbWaste uses AI to modernize $1T waste management industry.
On October 22, 2025, CurbWaste announced it is using AI and data to modernize the $1 trillion waste industry. CurbWaste recently raised $28 million in Series B funding.
Adaption Labs challenges AI scaling race with efficient learning.
On October 22, 2025, Sara Hooker launched Adaption Labs with Sudip Roy. The startup aims to build AI systems that efficiently learn from real-world experiences.