Upcoming Billion-Dollar Business Ventures of 2025
Top AI-Focused Startups Poised to Reach Unicorn Status in 2024/2025
In the dynamic world of technology, a list of promising startups is making waves in the AI sector. These ventures, hailing from various AI segments such as healthcare, robotics, drug discovery, video AI, language models, and developer tools, are gearing up to become billion-dollar companies.
The list, compiled by Forbes in partnership with TrueBridge Capital Partners for the 11th year, showcases the top 25 venture-backed startups most likely to reach a $1 billion valuation. Here are ten notable mentions:
- AcuityMD – This AI-powered medtech platform, named by Forbes as one of the 25 startups most likely to reach $1B in 2025, recently closed a $45M Series B, with total funding above $83M.
- Skild AI – This robotics AI startup, valued near $4 billion after a SoftBank-led funding round, specializes in scalable foundation models for safe human-robot interaction. It was founded in 2023.
- Manas AI – This AI-driven drug discovery startup, launched by Reid Hoffman with $24.6M initial funding in early 2025, focuses on cancers.
- Databricks – This data and AI company, which raised $10 billion at a $62 billion valuation in early 2025, is heavily investing in new AI products.
- Figure AI – This humanoid robotics company, valued at $2.6 billion with $675M raised, is pushing innovation in robotics.
- Zipline – This autonomous drone delivery company, with a $4.2B valuation, $900M raised, and major player status in logistics with 1.4M+ deliveries, is a significant player in the logistics industry.
- Xaira Therapeutics – This AI + biotech startup, with a $1 billion launch fund, is focused on AI-based drug design for accelerated clinical trials and was launched in 2024.
- DeepL – This AI language translation platform, which raised $300M at a $2B valuation in May 2024, is a leading player in AI-powered language translation.
- Synthesia – This AI platform for personalized video content creation, with $156.6M funding (Series C), rapid user growth, and wide adoption in media/education, is revolutionizing the video content creation industry.
- Codeium – This AI coding assistant startup, which reached unicorn status in August 2024 with a $1.25B valuation after a $150M Series C, offers real-time coding suggestions and chatbot support, making coding more accessible.
These startups, along with other emerging AI medicine, foundation model builders, and robotics firms, are expected to join the ranks of billion-dollar companies by or in 2024/2025.
Some other notable mentions include:
- Stackblitz – Offering browser-based coding tools, including Bolt, which allows people to build apps just by typing in a description, Stackblitz has raised $135 million in equity and boasts a customer base of 5 million users.
- Braintrust – A startup based in San Francisco, Braintrust aims to use AI to automate the paperwork required for life sciences companies, such as that for clinical trials and FDA approval.
- Nominal – This software collects and analyzes the results of trials of aircraft and other hardware. Customers include the U.S. Air Force, Palmer Luckey's drone outfit Anduril, and seaplane developer Regent.
- David AI – This voice audio supplier offers its services in 15 languages to major tech firms to help them build smarter AI models capable of understanding speech.
- Basis – This startup, based in NYC, offers AI accounting software that can streamline data entry tasks like transferring information from receipts.
- Krea – A design tool built by a team of musicians, poets, designers, and videographers, Krea has raised $83 million in equity and has attracted more than 20 million users globally.
- Rogo – Building a chatbot to help junior bankers with time-consuming tasks like crunching numbers, preparing presentations, and doing basic research, Rogo has raised $75 million in equity and is used by some 10,000 junior bankers at firms including Tiger Global.
These startups represent a diverse range of AI applications, each demonstrating strong funding backing and market potential. Just five of the selected startups have imploded or shut down, and forty-two of the startups have been acquired, while only two went public for less than $1 billion. The list is derived primarily from Forbes' top 25 "Next Billion-Dollar Startups," recent large AI funding rounds, and recent market valuations compiled in 2025 articles.
- The dynamic AI sector, as demonstrated by startups like AcuityMD, Skild AI, Manas AI, and DeepL, is witnessing a significant growth, receiving substantial investments and exhibiting high potential to reach a $1 billion valuation.
- Other ventures, such as Stackblitz, Braintrust, Nominal, David AI, Basis, Krea, and Rogo, are also making an impact in the technology landscape with their AI-driven solutions, showcasing robust funding and a promising future.
