Vals AI announced a $40M Series A at $400M on August 13, 2026, led by a16z, with 8VC, Pear VC, and BloombergBeta returning. The product is independent benchmarks for real work — not another model lab.
Gap-fill investment explainers for Aug 11–12: River AI $1.1B, Neros $250M, Flagler $50M, Obsidian $85M, Noosphere $10.25M, and Axle $17.5M — who uses the products and why these funds fit.
Peak XV led Blacksmith’s $45M Series B (closed March, announced Aug 12) with YC and GV tripling down — purpose-built CI compute as AI codegen floods test queues.
Atomico and Smash Capital co-led CodeRabbit’s $143M Series C — CRV and Scale return — as AI code review expands into triage, explainability, and post-merge security.
T. Rowe Price led Form Energy’s $750M Series G (> $2B total equity). Sequoia joined; Coatue and Energy Impact Partners returned — who buys 100-hour iron-air storage and why this capital fits.
Heaviside’s $60M Series B (Felicis, Aug 12) prints $600M three months after a $28M stealth A. Nammo will supply warheads. Revenue and contract values were not disclosed. Here is what the round actually tells you.
