# AI startup funding, and whether AI engines know the company yet

> Each week Press Pool lists the AI companies that publicly announced a funding round, one line each from the public record, and checks whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI answers already cite the company's own website.

## [This week: September 21–26, 2026](https://presspool.ai/ai-startup-funding/week-of-2026-09-21)

24 AI funding rounds; the 23 announced in dollars total $6.05 billion. Largest: Nscale ($3.36 billion), Island ($400 million) and Cyera ($400 million). 7 of 24 companies were already cited in AI answers.

| Company | Amount | Round | Announced | Led by | Cited by AI engines |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nscale | $3.36 billion | Pre-IPO convertible notes | Sep 25 | Third Point | Yes (4 answers) |
| Island | $400 million | Series F | Sep 24 | Evolution Equity Partners | Not yet |
| Cyera | $400 million | Series G extension | Sep 22 | Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives (no lead named) | Yes (9 answers) |
| Snorkel AI | $350 million | Series E | Sep 22 | Insight Partners, S32 | Yes (13 answers) |
| Heidi | $340 million | Series C plus growth investment | Sep 22 | Blackbird, General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund | Yes (11 answers) |
| Enveda | $311 million | Series E | Sep 23 | Catalio Capital Management | Not yet |
| Verda | $189 million (€163 million) | Series B plus additional investment | Sep 22 | Emergence Capital | Yes (2 answers) |
| Basecamp Research | $140 million | Series C | Sep 23 | S32 | Not yet |
| Go.AI | $85 million | Series A | Sep 22 | Updata Partners | Not yet |
| Ema | $77 million | Series B | Sep 23 | Creaegis | Yes (1 answer) |

[All 24 rounds with sources](https://presspool.ai/ai-startup-funding/week-of-2026-09-21)

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Press Pool is owned by [Jaxon Parrott](https://jaxonparrott.com), founder and CEO of the earned-media agency AuthorityTech and the person who coined Machine Relations. Rounds are listed because they were publicly announced. No company pays to be listed, and AuthorityTech clients are treated like everyone else.

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