The first week of December showed renewed confidence across major startup ecosystems. The US returned to mega-round activity with billion-dollar cheques; the UK recorded a strong £195.7M week across 18 companies; and India witnessed steady but debt-dominant funding of $234M.
Despite macro caution, investors are doubling down on AI automation, fintech infrastructure, biotech innovation and energy technologies, signalling selective but strong conviction.
United States: Mega Deals Are Back
Top 10 Deals | Total: $2.52 Billion
The US saw its strongest week in months, led by Kalshi’s massive $1B raise. Defense tech, AI infrastructure, cybersecurity and biotech received the largest cheques.
Top Deals
Kalshi — $1B | Predictions Market
Castelion — $350M | Defense Tech
Eon — $300M | AI Cloud Data
Curative — $150M | Health Insurance
Angle Health — $134M | AI Health Benefits
7AI — $130M | Cybersecurity
Protego Biopharma — $130M | Biotech
Triana Biomedicines — $120M | Biotech
Antithesis — $105M | Simulation Testing
Axiado — $100M | AI Server Chips
Hot sectors: AI infra, defense tech, simulation, biotech
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: A Strong Start to December (£195.7M Raised)
Total Funding: £195.7M | 18 startups | 78 participating investors
AI, fintech, biotech/healthtech, greentech and SaaS led the funding momentum.
AI: Automation Pushes Deeper Into Workflows
AI startups embedding automation within enterprise, underwriting, telemetry and search optimisation attracted strong investor interest.
Key AI Deals
BuiltAI — £4.5M (Seed): Automating commercial real-estate underwriting; expanding to US & UK.
Track Titan — £4M: AI telemetry-based driver coaching; global scaling ahead.
Searchable — £4M: Visibility measurement inside AI search engines (ChatGPT, Claude).
Ascentra Labs — £1.5M: Automating PE diligence & consulting workflows; preparing US entry.
Theme: Vertical AI + cross-border scalability.
Fintech: Cross-Border Infrastructure Dominates
Money movement, embedded liquidity and multi-currency systems saw strong interest.
Key Fintech Deals
Sokin — £37.8M Series B: Scaling multi-currency accounts & cross-border payments.
Bourn — £3.5M: NatWest-backed receivables-based Flexible Trade Account for SMEs.
Theme: Big bets on financial infra + bank–fintech collaboration.
Biotech & Healthtech: IP & Commercial Trials Drive Investment
Deep IP, clinical validation and manufacturing readiness were major themes.
Key Biotech / Healthtech Deals
BSF Enterprise — £15M: Lab-grown leather, cornea trials, cell-culture media scale-up.
yuv — £9.5M Series A: Smart hair-colour dispensing devices; US launch prep.
HotHouse Therapeutic — £2.9M: AI-optimised plant-based vaccine adjuvants moving toward preclinical partnerships.
Greentech: AI-Enabled Materials & Energy Systems
From thermoelectric materials to renewable-energy planning tools.
Key Greentech Deals
Modo Energy — £25M Series B: AI valuation platform for batteries & electrification assets.
Mater-AI — £1.5M: AI discovery of thermoelectric materials converting waste heat to electricity.
Feasibly — £200K: AI geospatial product for renewable-energy site assessment.
SaaS & Edtech: Structured Capital Surges
Credit and growth-debt funding supported SaaS roll-ups and AI-led learning products.
Key SaaS / Edtech Deals
Shop Circle — £75.1M Credit Facility: SaaS acquisitions & AI-infused GTM systems.
Oneday — £3.2M Growth Debt: AI mentor-layer for entrepreneurship degree programs.
🇮🇳 India: $234M Raised, Debt Leads the Week
Total: $234M | 17 deals
Funding dipped slightly from the previous week, with a heavy tilt toward debt financing. Equity remained selective, but growth-stage companies saw healthy interest.
Top Indian Deals
Apraava Energy — $92M
Ultraviolette — $45M
StockGro — $16.6M
Finfactor — $15M
Modulus Housing — $7.83M
Ayekar — $6.5M
Moonrider — $6M
Hot sectors: EVs, fintech, energy transition, agritech
🌐 Global Takeaways
US: Mega-round momentum is back; large cheques for AI, defense, biotech.
UK: Strong £195.7M week led by AI, fintech, SaaS, greentech; London remains a powerhouse.
India: Debt-heavy funding landscape but resilient early- and mid-stage activity.
AI automation & deeptech remain the strongest global investment theme.
Late-stage confidence is returning across markets.
