Fireworks AI lands $1.5B Series D as AI funding surge continues

Fireworks AI, a San Mateo-based startup, closed a $1.505 billion（約2400億円） Series D funding round led by Atreides Management, Index Ventures, and TCV. The company, which helps enterprises transform general-purpose AI models into specialized intelligence trained on proprietary data, was valued at $17.5 billion（約2.8兆円）—making it the week's largest funding announcement in a week where AI-focused startups dominated the top rounds.

The second-largest deal was Wonder, a New York-based meal and delivery operator, which secured $650 million（約1000億円） in Series D funding at a $9 billion（約1.4兆円） pre-money valuation. Wonder, which currently operates 140 locations, intends to use the capital in part for geographic expansion. Other major rounds included Chai Discovery, an AI drug discovery startup, which raised $400 million（約640億円） in Series C funding at a $3.8 billion（約6100億円） valuation with Index Ventures leading alongside Sequoia Capital, Dimension, and Kleiner Perkins. Walden Robotics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based developer of general-purpose robots for manufacturing and logistics, emerged from stealth with $300 million（約480億円） in funding and a $1.1 billion（約1800億円） valuation, with Toyota and Deviation Capital leading the round.

Smaller but notable rounds included Brinc, a Seattle-based drone developer for public safety and emergency operations, which raised $125 million（約200億円） with Motorola Solutions leading and participation from Index Ventures and Figma founder Dylan Field; TerraFirma, an Austin-based construction automation startup, which landed $100 million（約160億円） bringing total funding to $115 million（約180億円）; and Spectro Cloud, a San Jose-based AI infrastructure management software provider, which raised more than $100 million（約160億円） in Series D led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, bringing total capital raised to $260 million（約420億円）. Singularity, a Los Angeles-based air defense technology startup, emerged from stealth with $80 million（約130億円） in Series A led by Khosla Ventures and Felicis 1 at a $400 million（約640億円） valuation. Two startups tied for ninth: fintech platform Flex raised $70 million（約110億円） in Series B1 led by Halo Fund following a $60 million（約96億円） Series B in December, and State Affairs, an AI platform for policy and regulation, secured $70 million（約110億円） in Series A led by Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund.

Fireworks AI's $1.5 billion（約2400億円） Series D reflects a sustained appetite among top-tier investors for enterprise-focused AI infrastructure, even as the broader venture landscape experiences periodic fluctuations. The $17.5 billion（約2.8兆円） valuation positions Fireworks among the most valuable AI startups, signaling that market participants see significant revenue potential in helping large organizations customize AI models to proprietary datasets—a capability that remains technically and operationally complex.

The week's broader funding activity reinforces that capital is flowing not only to AI but also to robotics and automation adjacent to AI. Walden Robotics' $300 million（約480億円） launch valuation, Chai Discovery's $400 million（約640億円） Series C, and funding for construction and drone automation suggest investors view AI-adjacent sectors as part of a coherent wave. The concentration of funding in enterprise and specialized applications (rather than consumer-facing generalist models) indicates the market's current appetite for defensible, domain-specific AI tools over horizontal platforms.