Capital concentration, selective seed activity, and specialized corporate funds

The two-speed market persists: capital is flowing to applied and vertical AI, robotics and physical AI, defense, resilience, energy, climate, hardtech, and regulated fintech workflows, while broad seed activity remains weak. Prime Minute's $15M pre-seed and SoftBank's $225M strategic investment in ASI show continued appetite for resilience and deployment-ready autonomy, but manufacturing, certification, customer demand, and capital intensity remain key risks.

Sources (17)

Updated Sep 28, 2026

Early Stage VC Pulse

Capital concentration, selective seed activity, and specialized corporate funds

Overlord Labs Raises $4.35 Million Seed Extension, Bringing Total Funding To $10 Million

SoftBank invests $225M in ASI and forms autonomous construction venture

Meta Backs Plastic Recycling Technology Startup MacroCycle

Defense Tech Startup Prime Minute Raises $15M in Pre-Seed Funding

VC firm Bessemer now has another $5.75B to invest in (what else?) AI

Bessemer Venture Partners Closes $5.75 Billion to Back Founders From Seed Through Growth

Penn's StartUP Fund announces its first investments

Corridor raises $25m to fix small business health cover

Startup Combines AI Glasses With Prosthetic Arms

Breed VC lands $15M for second early-stage crypto fund - Dealroom

As Software VCs Chase SpaceX Alumni, A Defense Tech Veteran Warns Of ‘Tourists And FOMO’

Park City entrepreneur launches AI ‘digital twin’ with $15M in funding

Fluxnium Secures $7 Million Seed Round

Tabby raises $1M pre-seed to automate small-business bookkeeping with AI

Corridor Raises $25 Million Led By Bain Capital Ventures For AI-Native Small Business Benefits Brokerage

MISUMI Americas Launches Venture Fund for Robotics, Hardware, Physical AI Startups

Ravel Raises $8.2 Million In Seed Funding Round