Seed Funding Announcements

Meta has acquired Swedish AI startup Stilla.ai to bolster the development of its Meta Business Agent, which enables commercial transactions through WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. Founded in Stockholm in 2024, Stilla recently came out of stealth mode in January after raising $5 million in pre-seed funding.

Bluecore Energy, a company developing small nuclear reactors mounted on barges to power ports, has secured $50 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Silverton Partners and includes $10 million in pre-seed funding from Slauson & Co.

Alex Frommeyer, co-founder of Beam Benefits, has launched a new startup in Columbus called Stack, which has secured $21 million in seed funding. Stack aims to modernize how employers offer health insurance by utilizing Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs), a 2020 initiative that allows employers to set insurance budgets and reimburse employees for their healthcare spending. The startup targets the rising cost of employee healthcare, which has climbed for five consecutive years, increasing by around $400 over the last year alone. While the concept isn't entirely new, the challenge lies in helping businesses navigate the complexities of ICHRAs. Frommeyer plans to test the model in Central Ohio, citing Columbus not only as a solid test market but also as a city with a strong entrepreneurial environment where he can build and grow his company in person. This funding is a positive signal amid broader challenges for Ohio-based startups, which have recently faced difficulties securing investment as more funding shifts towards AI and coastal ventures. Frommeyer optimistically declares, 'Columbus startups are back.'

Beam Benefits co-founder Alex Frommeyer is back

AI startup TrustedRouter has successfully raised $1.25 million in a seed funding round, signaling growing investor interest in AI routing technology. This funding round included prominent investors such as Sam Lessin of Slow Ventures, Bill Tai, Linda Avey, and George Xing. TrustedRouter distinguishes itself by enabling users to route AI queries to the most suitable and cost-effective model rather than defaulting to a single AI engine. This approach addresses a growing trend in the AI sector where businesses prefer flexibility and efficiency. Founder Perla emphasizes a competitive edge through a focus on protecting customer data, ensuring privacy and security. Investors like Lessin see routing as a pivotal component in the future of AI, offering users trusted and secure AI access. However, the rise of routing also suggests AI models may become interchangeable commodities. Bill Tai described routing as 'smoking hot,' and Perla aims for TrustedRouter to lead this new wave in AI development.

San Francisco-based defense startup Mara has secured $7 million in a pre-seed funding round to develop Spike, a backpack-portable counter-drone system aimed at combating low-cost, high-impact FPV quadcopters used in modern warfare. The system includes a Spike launcher equipped with up to 48 autonomous 8.8-ounce Seeker interceptors, capable of engaging threats from up to one mile away.

Nigerian defense tech startup Terra Industries has secured a record-breaking $52 million in seed funding, marking the largest such investment for an African startup. The company specializes in automated drones and surveillance systems for air and land, targeting markets in the Global South.

Brilliance Cosmocare secured ₹1.65 crore in seed capital to build India's first diagnostic-first, doctor-led skin longevity and preventive anti-aging platform.

African defense tech company Terra Industries on Monday announced an additional $18 million in funding, bringing its seed round to $52 million. Investors in the round include Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC, Silent Ventures, and Nova Global. Since its launch back in 2024, Terra has become one of the hottest names in the African defense tech space, with plans to build autonomous systems and other infrastructure like drones and mine-detecting combat vehicles. The company says it’s on track to book $100 million in contracts — including at least one federal contract — and generate revenue in the tens of millions of dollars by year’s end.

Houston-based startup AGent Energy has raised $11 million in seed funding co-led by Spero Ventures and MassMutual Ventures. The company integrates backup generators into the electrical grid during emergencies through hardware and software solutions, aiming to alleviate stress on the power grid.