Just a couple of years ago, **Spotter Inc.** was riding high as one of the most valuable startups in the **YouTube celebrity economy**. The company introduced an innovative funding model for social media stars, offering upfront cash to creators like **MrBeast** and **Dude Perfect** in exchange for a share of their video revenues.

In a significant milestone, the Culver City-based startup secured **$200 million** in a 2022 funding round led by **SoftBank Group**, catapulting its valuation to an impressive **$1.7 billion**. This investment was a testament to the booming potential of the digital content creation space and Spotter's unique position within it.

However, the journey hasn't been smooth sailing. Recent reports indicate that **Spotter has missed its financial goals**, leading to a painful **staff reduction**. This development serves as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of startup ventures, even those backed by heavyweight investors like SoftBank.

Just a couple years ago, Spotter Inc. was one of the most valuable startups in the booming business of YouTube celebrity. The company, which boasted a new way for social media stars to fund their operations, fronted millions of dollars to creators like MrBeast and Dude Perfect in exchange for a share of the revenue their videos generated.

Spotter Inc.: From YouTube Stardom to Financial Struggles - A Cautionary Tale for Startups

## **Ranked: The World’s Top Startup Cities in 2025**

Startup cities are **vital players** in the global tech race, as governments work to expand technological power and scale innovation. Here's a look at the **top startup ecosystems** shaping the future.

### **Key Takeaways**
- **San Francisco Bay Area** remains the **undisputed startup capital**, dominating in AI, big tech, and venture capital funding.
- **Singapore City** has jumped four spots, with OpenAI planning to move its Asia-Pacific headquarters there, thanks to its **advanced tech ecosystem**.
- **India’s Bangalore and New Delhi** rank 10th and 11th, respectively, outpacing **Tokyo, Berlin, and Seattle**.

### **The Rise of Global Startup Cities**
While **San Francisco** commands nearly two-thirds of global venture funding, a **new wave of cities** is emerging. **Technology** is becoming central to **economic power** and **national security**, bringing cities from **India to China** into the spotlight.

### **Startup Cities Across Regions**
- **Beijing** ranks **#5 globally**, showcasing China's growing influence.
- **Bangalore** is a **top 10** startup city, with India boasting one of the largest **AI talent workforces** globally.
- **London** takes **third place**, benefiting from a **diverse talent pool**, proximity to leading universities, and **government support**.

The **UK** is expanding investment in **national computing power**, attracting firms like **Nvidia** to deepen business ties. Nvidia’s **Deep Learning Institute** is collaborating with the UK government to advance **AI skills** for developers.

### **Explore More**
For more insights, check out the **Voronoi app**, which offers **data-driven charts** on startup ecosystems and more.

Startup cities are vital players in the global tech race, as governments work to expand technological power and scale innovation.

The Future of Innovation: Top Startup Cities to Watch in 2025

**Nvidia** has become synonymous with the **AI revolution**, leveraging its skyrocketing revenue and stock price to **invest heavily in AI startups**. Over the past two years, the semiconductor giant has participated in **over 80 AI startup funding rounds**, a significant increase from previous years. This includes investments through its corporate VC fund, **NVentures**, which has also seen a dramatic uptick in activity.

![Jensen Huang at Nvidia AI Summit](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hUg8UzqYZWy87.vAVXwxRQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTQyNztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/techcrunch_finance_785/d8172a5d34d2041ee0ae0af5f2f97b70)

*Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, at the AI Summit in Tokyo.*

Nvidia's strategy is clear: **expand the AI ecosystem** by backing startups it deems as **game changers**. Here are some of its most notable investments:

- **OpenAI**: Nvidia contributed $100 million to OpenAI's $6.6 billion round, valuing the company at $157 billion.
- **xAI**: Joined Elon Musk's xAI in a $6 billion funding round, despite also investing in OpenAI.
- **Inflection**: Invested $1.3 billion, though the startup later saw its founders move to Microsoft.

Nvidia's investment spree underscores its commitment to **shaping the future of AI**, with 2025 already seeing seven new deals.

Over the last two years, Nvidia has used its ballooning fortunes to invest in over 80 AI startups. Here are the giant semiconductor's largest investments.

Nvidia's AI Dominance: Inside Its Massive Startup Investment Spree

**TerraPower**, the nuclear energy startup founded by **Bill Gates**, has successfully closed a **$650 million funding round**, marking a significant milestone in the clean energy sector. **Nvidia's venture capital arm, NVentures**, has joined as a new investor, signaling a growing interest from the tech industry in sustainable energy solutions.

![Nuclear Energy Concept](https://static.seekingalpha.com/cdn/s3/uploads/getty_images/2176574609/image_2176574609.jpg?io=getty-c-w750)

This funding round not only underscores the potential of **advanced nuclear technology** in addressing global energy challenges but also highlights the **collaboration between tech giants and clean energy startups**. TerraPower aims to revolutionize the energy sector with its innovative nuclear reactors, which promise to be safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly.

With this investment, TerraPower is poised to accelerate the development and deployment of its groundbreaking technology, further solidifying its position as a leader in the next generation of nuclear energy.

TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, raises $650M with Nvidia joining as investor.

Nvidia Ventures into Nuclear Energy with $650M Investment in Bill Gates' TerraPower

## The Rise of AI Startups in 2025

Last year marked a significant milestone for the AI industry, with **49 startups** raising funding rounds worth **$100 million or more** in 2024. The momentum has continued into 2025, with several AI startups already securing massive funding rounds. Here's a look at the **24 US AI startups** that have raised **$100 million or more** this year.

### June Highlights
- **Glean**: Raised a **$150 million Series F round**, valuing the company at **$7.25 billion**.
- **Anysphere**: Secured a **$900 million Series C round**, reaching a **$10 billion valuation**.

### May Highlights
- **Snorkel AI**: Announced a **$100 million Series D round**, valuing the company at **$1.3 billion**.
- **LMArena**: Raised a **$100 million seed round**, with a **$600 million valuation**.
- **TensorWave**: Closed a **$100 million Series A round**.

### April Highlights
- **SandboxAQ**: Secured a **$450 million Series E round**, valuing the company at **$5.7 billion**.
- **Runway**: Raised a **$308 million Series D round**, reaching a **$3 billion valuation**.

### March Highlights
- **OpenAI**: Raised a record-breaking **$40 billion funding round**, valuing the startup at **$300 billion**.
- **Nexthop AI**: Announced a **$110 million Series A round**.
- **Insilico Medicine**: Raised **$110 million** for its AI-powered drug discovery platform.
- **Celestial AI**: Secured a **$250 million Series C round**, valuing the company at **$2.5 billion**.
- **Lila Sciences**: Raised a **$200 million seed round**.
- **Reflection.Ai**: Closed a **$130 million Series A round**, valuing the company at **$580 million**.
- **Turing**: Raised a **$111 million Series E round**, reaching a **$2.2 billion valuation**.
- **Shield AI**: Secured a **$240 million Series F round**, valuing the company at **$5.3 billion**.
- **Anthropic**: Raised **$3.5 billion in a Series E round**, reaching a **$61.5 billion valuation**.

### February Highlights
- **Together AI**: Raised a **$305 million Series B round**, valuing the company at **$3.3 billion**.
- **Lambda**: Secured a **$480 million Series D round**, reaching a **$2.5 billion valuation**.
- **Abridge**: Raised a **$250 million Series D round**, valuing the company at **$2.75 billion**.
- **Eudia**: Closed a **$105 million Series A round**.
- **EnCharge AI**: Raised a **$100 million Series B round**.
- **Harvey**: Secured a **$300 million Series D round**, reaching a **$3 billion valuation**.

### January Highlights
- **ElevenLabs**: Raised a **$180 million Series C round**, valuing the company at **over $3 billion**.
- **Hippocratic AI**: Announced a **$141 million Series B round**, reaching a **$1.6 billion valuation**.

This list showcases the **continued growth and investment** in the AI sector, with startups across various domains securing significant funding to drive innovation forward.

U.S.-based AI startups continue to rake in venture funding with multiple companies already raising impressive rounds in 2025.

24 US AI Startups That Secured $100M+ in 2025: The Future of Innovation

There’s a lot of talk in the startup world about how AI makes individuals so productive that it could give rise to a generation of **“solo unicorns”** — one-person companies worth over $1 billion.

While an actual solo unicorn remains a mythical creature, Israeli developer Maor Shlomo provided compelling evidence Wednesday that the concept might not be impossible. 

Shlomo sold his 6-month-old, bootstrapped vibe-coding startup **Base44** to Wix for **$80 million**, Wix announced Wednesday. And the deal was cash, Wix confirmed to TechCrunch. 

Admittedly, this wasn’t a billion dollars or close to it. And Shlomo wasn’t truly solo — he had eight employees, Wix confirmed. They will collectively receive $25 million of the $80 million as a **“retention” bonus**. Wix declined to give details on that part of the deal, like how long they have to stay in their jobs to get full payouts.

Still, Base44’s rapid rise and impressive sale price have been the talk of the **vibe-coding community**. 

In its six months as a stand-alone company, Base44 reportedly grew to **250,000 users**, hitting 10,000 users within its first three weeks. According to Shlomo’s posts on X and LinkedIn, the company was profitable, generating **$189,000 in profit** in May even after covering high LLM token costs, which he also documented publicly.

Base44 spread mostly through word of mouth as Shlomo, a 31-year-old programmer, shared his building journey on LinkedIn and Twitter. The project began as a side venture, he told Israeli tech news site CTech. 

“Base44 is a moonshot experiment — helping everyone, technical or not, build software without coding at all,” he explained on LinkedIn when he launched it to the public.

It’s one of the newer crop of **vibe-coding products** designed for non-programmers. Users enter text prompts, and the platform builds complete applications, with database, storage, authentication, analytics, and integration. It also supports email, texting, and maps, with a roadmap for more enterprise-grade security support.

Base44 isn’t unique in this area. Other vibe coders like Adaptive Computer handle similar infrastructure work. But Base44’s fast rise was astounding all the same.

Shlomo was already known in the Israeli startup community through his previous startup, the Insight Partners-backed data analytics company Explorium. His brother is also a co-founder of an AI security startup, Token Security, which just raised $20 million led by Notable Capital (formerly GGV Capital) and a bunch of Israeli tech angels.

He quickly gained partnership agreements for Base44 with big Israeli tech companies like eToro and Similarweb.

After posting about his decision to use Anthropic’s Claude LLM through AWS instead of models by OpenAI — mostly for cost-per-performance reasons — Amazon invited Base44 to demo at a Tel Aviv AWS event last month, which Shlomo documented.

“Crazy f***ing journey so far,” Shlomo posted on LinkedIn when announcing the news of the acquisition. Despite the growth and the profits — or really because of it — he sold his still-bootstrapped company because “the scale and volume we need is not something we can organically grow into … If we were able to get so far organically, bootstrapped, I’m excited to see our new pace now that we have all the resources in place,” he wrote.

For its part, Wix picked up a proven, fast-growing, local vibe-coding platform for a relative song because of its youth. OpenAI paid $3 billion for Windsurf, which was founded in 2021. 

Wix, of course, offers no-code website building that look professionally designed. Adding a profitable LLM vibe-coding product to its offerings is a logical move.

In Base44's six months as a stand-alone company, it reportedly grew to 250,000 users and was making nearly $200,000 in monthly profits.

From Solo to $80M: The Unbelievable Journey of Base44 and Its Sale to Wix

**Nvidia** is making waves beyond the tech industry by stepping into the nuclear energy sector. Through **NVentures**, its venture-capital arm, Nvidia participated in the latest funding round for **TerraPower**, a nuclear developer founded by **Bill Gates**. This move marks a significant pivot for Nvidia, traditionally known for its graphics processing units (GPUs) and AI technologies, into the realm of sustainable energy.

### Why This Matters

- **Strategic Expansion**: Nvidia's investment in TerraPower signals a strategic expansion into **clean energy**, aligning with global shifts towards sustainability.
- **Innovation in Nuclear**: TerraPower is at the forefront of developing **next-generation nuclear reactors**, promising safer and more efficient energy solutions.
- **High-Profile Backing**: With Bill Gates at its helm, TerraPower has garnered attention and credibility, attracting investments from major players like Nvidia.

### The Bigger Picture

This investment underscores the growing intersection between **technology and energy sectors**, highlighting how tech giants are leveraging their capital to fuel innovations in **clean energy**. It also reflects the increasing importance of **sustainable solutions** in addressing global energy challenges.

NVentures, Nvidia’s venture-capital arm, was part of the latest funding round for TerraPower, a nuclear developer founded by Bill Gates.

Nvidia's Bold Bet: Investing in Bill Gates' Nuclear Startup TerraPower

**TerraPower LLC**, a nuclear startup founded by billionaire Bill Gates, has successfully raised **$650 million** to advance its groundbreaking reactor project in Wyoming. This significant funding round saw participation from new investors like **NVentures**, the venture capital arm of **Nvidia Corp.**, alongside existing supporters such as Gates and **HD Hyundai**, a prominent South Korean shipbuilder.

### The Intersection of Tech and Nuclear Energy
Nvidia's investment underscores the burgeoning synergy between the tech industry's demand for **carbon-free electricity** to fuel data centers and AI, and nuclear energy's potential to provide **clean, reliable power**. Mohamed Siddeek of NVentures highlighted, "As AI continues to transform industries, nuclear energy is going to become a more vital energy source to help power these capabilities."

### TerraPower's Visionary Project
TerraPower is pioneering a **345-megawatt power plant** at a retiring Wyoming coal facility. Construction on non-nuclear components commenced a year ago, with federal approval for the reactor anticipated by **2026**. Despite previous delays due to shortages of **high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU)**, a recent partnership with **ASP Isotopes** aims to address this critical need.

### A Surge in Nuclear Interest
The nuclear sector is experiencing a renaissance, driven by the **AI boom's energy demands** and the quest for sustainable alternatives to wind and solar. This trend is further evidenced by **Terrestrial Energy Inc.'s** planned public debut via a **SPAC merger**, valuing the company at approximately **$1 billion**.

### The Bigger Picture
With entities like **Oklo Inc.** and **NuScale Power** also making strides, the nuclear energy landscape is rapidly evolving. Terrestrial CEO Simon Irish aptly summarized the momentum: "The world is waking up to what it needs to do. We need a massive expansion in the nuclear energy supply."

The funding round included new investors such as NVentures, the venture capital arm of Nvidia Corp., and existing backers Gates and HD Hyundai, a South Korean shipbuilder

Spotter Inc.: From YouTube Stardom to Financial Struggles - A Cautionary Tale for Startups

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