April 1, 2025, turned out to be a landmark day in the startup funding landscape. Investors across the globe poured billions into ventures pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, and defense technology. These deals reflect strong investor confidence in breakthrough innovations and market-disrupting models. Here’s a deep dive into the biggest funding stories of the day.
OpenAI Lands $40 Billion in Historic SoftBank-Led Deal
OpenAI stunned the tech world by announcing a colossal $40 billion investment led by SoftBank. The company secured an immediate $10 billion in funding. The remaining $30 billion will follow after OpenAI finalizes its ongoing restructuring into a for-profit entity later this year.
This investment pushes OpenAI’s valuation to an unprecedented $300 billion, making it one of the most valuable AI companies in the world. SoftBank chose to back OpenAI to accelerate artificial general intelligence (AGI) research and product development. OpenAI will use the funds to expand its compute infrastructure, refine its large language models, and deepen collaborations with global partners in robotics, education, and enterprise automation.
Construct Capital Raises $300 Million for Industrial Tech Startups
Construct Capital closed its third venture fund at $300 million, doubling down on its mission to modernize the industrial economy. Founders Dayna Grayson and Rachel Holt designed this fund to support early-stage companies that transform outdated industries.
They plan to invest between $2 million and $10 million in startups operating in sectors like manufacturing, logistics, transportation, infrastructure, defense, and energy. Construct Capital will use the new fund to back roughly 24 companies that offer real-world solutions powered by software and automation.
Grayson and Holt, both veterans of the venture capital world, believe that underfunded industrial sectors hold enormous potential for digital disruption. Their new fund brings the firm’s total assets under management to $750 million.
Zepz Secures $165 Million to Expand Cross-Border Remittances
Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, locked in $165 million in fresh growth capital. HSBC Innovation Banking and HSBC Private Credit led the round. Zepz aims to use the funds to scale its remittance platforms and improve customer experience.
The company currently serves over 9 million users and operates across more than 4,600 money transfer corridors worldwide. Zepz’s leadership team wants to increase reach in underserved regions, invest in anti-fraud AI, and streamline transaction processing times.
With this new capital, Zepz strengthens its position as a top challenger to giants like Western Union and PayPal, especially in emerging markets.
Isomorphic Labs Raises $600 Million for AI Drug Discovery
Isomorphic Labs, founded by DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, secured a massive $600 million round to fuel its AI-driven drug discovery platform. The company uses powerful AI models to simulate and predict how molecules interact with human proteins, which helps scientists develop new drugs faster and more efficiently.
Isomorphic plans to use the funding to build a comprehensive suite of predictive AI tools, hire world-class biologists, and partner with pharmaceutical firms to co-develop new treatments. The company positions itself as a game-changer in biotech, aiming to shorten drug development timelines and reduce failure rates.
This funding places Isomorphic among the best-capitalized companies in the AI-for-healthcare segment.
Airna Lands $155 Million in Series B to Advance RNA Editing Therapies
Airna, a biotech startup developing RNA editing treatments for genetic disorders, announced its $155 million Series B funding round. The company plans to accelerate the development of therapies for diseases like alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a condition that affects liver and lung function.
Airna’s approach centers on precise RNA editing, which modifies faulty genetic instructions without permanently altering DNA. The company’s scientists want to expand their research pipeline, scale up manufacturing, and begin clinical trials on multiple therapies over the next two years.
This funding establishes Airna as a major player in next-generation therapeutics, with RNA editing positioned as a potential alternative to CRISPR-based gene editing.
Mercury Raises $300 Million Series C, Doubles Valuation
Mercury, a fintech company that provides modern banking solutions for startups and small businesses, raised $300 million in a Series C round. Sequoia Capital led the round, which included both primary and secondary transactions. This deal more than doubled Mercury’s valuation to $3.5 billion.
Founded in 2017, Mercury offers FDIC-insured accounts, spend tracking, cash management tools, and integrations with popular finance software. The team plans to expand product offerings to include lending, global payments, and automated treasury services.
Mercury now operates as a leading neobank in the startup ecosystem. With this funding, the company will scale its engineering team, onboard more clients, and explore international expansion.
Evenflow Raises New Capital in $5 Million Series A
Evenflow, a startup that acquires and scales e-commerce brands, received fresh capital as part of its $5 million Series A round. Venture Catalysts led the investment, along with participation from angel investors such as Sunder Ramachandran.
Evenflow acquires high-performing brands from third-party platforms and enhances their growth using data, operational expertise, and omnichannel distribution strategies. With this new funding, Evenflow plans to acquire more brands, optimize logistics, and expand its in-house product development team.
The startup sits at the forefront of the e-commerce roll-up trend in India and Southeast Asia.
Harvard Business School Students Launch $1 Million Venture Fund
A group of Harvard Business School students launched a new venture capital fund called Twenty25 Ventures, raising nearly $1 million from classmates and alumni. The fund will invest in early-stage startups founded by members of the HBS class of 2025.
The student-led team built this fund to encourage peer-to-peer investing and to reduce friction for founders seeking early backing. They plan to provide pre-seed and seed capital, along with mentorship and introductions to follow-on investors.
Twenty25 Ventures reflects a growing trend among top business schools where students pool capital to support each other’s entrepreneurial efforts.
Lightmatter Launches New AI Chip Products, Nears Unicorn Status
Lightmatter, a semiconductor startup based in Mountain View, unveiled two groundbreaking photonics products to enhance AI chip performance. The company has now raised over $850 million and reached a $4.4 billion valuation.
Lightmatter introduced a photonic interposer that helps AI chips communicate at lightning speeds, reducing bottlenecks in data flow. The startup also revealed a chiplet add-on that turbocharges existing AI chips without redesigning them.
Lightmatter’s technology uses light instead of electrons, improving efficiency and reducing heat in chip operations. These innovations could dramatically improve how companies train and run large AI models.
Skydio Secures $740 Million to Expand Autonomous Drone Operations
Skydio, a leading autonomous drone maker, raised more than $740 million in total venture funding and reached a $2.5 billion valuation. The company develops drones that fly without GPS by using real-time AI and computer vision.
Skydio supplies drones to the U.S. Department of Defense and international partners, including the Ukrainian military. With this new funding, Skydio plans to increase manufacturing, develop next-generation drone models, and expand defense and enterprise partnerships.
The company’s mission focuses on replacing human pilots with AI-driven autonomy, which allows drones to operate in hostile or GPS-denied environments with high precision.
Final Thoughts
April 1, 2025, showcased a thriving global startup ecosystem fueled by bold innovation and investor optimism. The day’s top funding rounds touched every major trend of the decade—AI, fintech, biotech, autonomous systems, and industrial infrastructure.
From record-setting deals like OpenAI’s $40 billion raise to ambitious newcomers like Airna and Evenflow, startups attracted serious capital to solve deep, global problems. Investors didn’t chase hype. They backed platforms that deliver long-term impact, real infrastructure, and transformative science.
If this day marks any signal for the rest of the year, 2025 will become a defining moment in the evolution of tech-driven industries.