A recent study by open GPU marketplace Clore.ai has ranked the world’s 10 most-funded AI startups in 2025. OpenAI takes the top spot with a staggering $21.9 billion in funding, highlighting its dominance in the AI infrastructure and models sector. This accounts for nearly half of the total investment among the top 10 AI startups worldwide.
Anthropic secures the second position with $9.7 billion in funding, further solidifying the AI infrastructure and models category as a major investment focus. Databricks, a leader in data and analytics, ranks third with $4 billion, emphasizing the central role of data management in AI development.
Key Insights from the Study
Global AI Competitors – France’s Mistral AI [$1.2B] and Canada’s Cohere [$942.9M] showcase the rise of international players in the AI space.
OpenAI’s Unmatched Dominance – OpenAI leads with $21.9 billion, significantly outpacing competitors in funding and influence.
U.S. AI Supremacy – Seven of the top ten startups are U.S.-based, securing 96% of the total funding, reinforcing America’s leadership in AI innovation.
Sector Diversity – AI funding extends across various industries, including infrastructure, defense, data analytics, robotics, and search tools.
Data as the Cornerstone – Companies like Databricks [$4B] and Scale AI [$1.6B] highlight the critical need for data infrastructure in AI development.
| Rank | Name | Category | Country | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OpenAI | AI Infrastructure & Models | United States | $21.9B |
| 2 | Anthropic | AI Infrastructure & Models | United States | $9.7B |
| 3 | Databricks | Data & Analytics | United States | $4.0B |
| 4 | Anduril | Defense & Security | United States | $3.7B |
| 5 | Scale AI | Data & Analytics | United States | $1.6B |
| 6 | Mistral AI | AI Infrastructure & Models | France | $1.2B |
| 7 | Cohere | AI Infrastructure & Models | Canada | $942.9M |
| 8 | Perplexity | AI Search Tool | United States | $915.0M |
| 9 | Figure AI | Robotics & Autonomous Systems | United States | $854.0M |
| 10 | Cerebras Systems | AI Hardware & Computing | United States | $715.0M |
Investment Trends and Future Outlook
The study highlights the increasing concentration of AI funding in the U.S., with AI models and infrastructure commanding the lion’s share of investments. However, global players like Mistral AI and Cohere are beginning to make their mark, signaling a more competitive landscape beyond North America.
Additionally, companies focused on AI-powered defense [Anduril Industries] and autonomous robotics [Figure AI, Cerebras Systems] demonstrate the widening scope of AI applications. As AI adoption accelerates, funding trends suggest a sustained emphasis on infrastructure, ethical AI, and real-world applications in robotics and security.
Clore.ai is an open GPU marketplace dedicated to supporting AI innovation by providing scalable and cost-efficient GPU resources for AI training and development. Through its research, Clore.ai delivers insights into AI trends and investment patterns shaping the industry.
