17 US AI Startups Raise Over $100M in 2026, Led by Healthtech Innovators

As 2026 unfolds, the U.S. artificial intelligence ecosystem is experiencing unprecedented capital inflows, with 17 companies raising $100 million or more in venture funding. Among them, three have crossed the $1 billion threshold, signaling a maturation of AI commercialization—particularly in the healthtech sector. According to Navitize’s 2026 Digital Health Report, AI-enabled health startups captured 54% of all $14.2 billion in digital health funding raised in 2025, a trend that has accelerated into this year.

Leading the pack are AI-driven clinical platforms such as Abridge and Ambience, both of which have secured multi-hundred-million-dollar rounds. Abridge, a voice-AI startup that transcribes and summarizes patient-clinician interactions in real time, raised $1.2 billion in January, making it the largest AI healthtech round of the year. Ambience, which leverages generative AI to predict patient deterioration and optimize care pathways, followed with $1.1 billion. These companies are transforming healthcare delivery by reducing clinician burnout and improving diagnostic accuracy, according to industry analysts.

Health insurance innovation is also a major driver of capital. Angle Health, a startup using machine learning to personalize insurance pricing and reduce administrative overhead, raised $134 million in February. Corgi, a competitor focused on AI-based underwriting for small business health plans, secured $108 million. Both firms are disrupting traditional models by replacing manual processes with predictive analytics, a shift that has drawn interest from major insurers and private equity firms alike.

Beyond healthtech, other sectors are also seeing substantial AI investment. Autonomous logistics firm RouteAI raised $450 million to deploy AI-optimized delivery networks across urban centers. In enterprise software, NexusLabs, a generative AI platform for legal document automation, closed a $320 million Series C led by Sequoia Capital. Meanwhile, cybersecurity AI firm SentinelCore raised $210 million to combat deepfake-driven fraud, a growing threat in financial services.

The surge in funding reflects broader macroeconomic trends. With interest rates stabilizing and institutional investors reallocating capital from crypto and Web3 into tangible AI applications, enterprise-grade AI solutions are becoming the preferred asset class. Venture capitalists are increasingly prioritizing companies with clear regulatory pathways, clinical validation, and revenue-generating pilots—criteria that many of the 17 funded firms now meet.

Notably, none of the top-funded AI companies in 2026 are consumer-facing social media or entertainment platforms, a stark contrast to the 2021–2023 boom. Instead, investors are backing AI that solves high-cost, high-impact problems in regulated industries. This signals a maturing market where AI is no longer a novelty but a foundational infrastructure component.

While the U.S. leads in funding volume, global competitors in China and the EU are rapidly catching up, particularly in public-sector AI adoption. However, the U.S. retains an edge due to its deep talent pool, robust venture ecosystem, and strong intellectual property protections.

As these companies scale, regulatory scrutiny is expected to intensify. The FDA and HHS are already reviewing AI tools used in clinical settings, and Congress is drafting legislation to standardize algorithmic transparency in healthtech. The next phase of AI funding may hinge not just on innovation, but on compliance and ethical governance.

With 17 companies now valued above $100 million and three exceeding $1 billion, 2026 is shaping up to be the year AI moved from hype to hardware, from code to care—and from speculation to sustainable business models.