Investors flocking to AI startups driving private market share prices to new heights.

Investors are flocking to AI startups, driving private market share prices to new heights. A select few are leading the charge, raising capital at record prices and attracting strong investor demand. The US VC secondary market has surged to an estimated $60 billion in 2025, with most activity concentrated in a small, high-demand group.

Top private-market gainers are up 393% in share price this year, adding over $68 billion in valuation. Figure AI, a humanoid robots startup, raised $1.5 billion in May, bringing its total raise to $2.25 billion. Ripple, a blockchain platform, dropped cross-appeals with the SEC amidst renewed investor interest in crypto infrastructure.

Perplexity, an AI search engine, challenges Google with real-time answers cited sources. The startup, backed by Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, is in talks to raise up to $1 billion, potentially reaching an $18 billion valuation. xAI, founded by Elon Musk, aims to build AGI to compete with large language models.

Nuro, specializing in autonomous delivery vehicles, partners with Kroger and Domino’s for last-mile logistics. As the robotaxi race heats up, Nuro carves a niche in commercial AV delivery, poised for growth as urban mobility and e-commerce evolve.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: The 5 hottest startups, from robotics to AI, have gained 393% in private market value in 2025