Bay Area tech innovators are modernizing various facets of our lives, from making school buses more environmentally friendly to simplifying how we find answers to questions. Learn which companies started 2024 by securing hefty venture funding rounds, and find out how they’re spending them.
Top SF Tech Funding Rounds, January 2024
- Zūm
- AppDirect
- HI-Bio
- Quora
- Perplexity AI
#5. $73.6 million, January 4
Operating a conversational answer engine, Perplexity AI gives users search tools that yield answers to their questions, along with complete sources and citations. The company secured a round of Series B funding from lead investor IVP that will support consumer adoption and the company’s expansion plans.
#4. $75 million, January 9
Online question-and-answer platform Quora secured a fresh round of venture capital from Andreessen Horowitz. The money will help Quora fuel the growth of its AI chat platform, Poe. In particular, Quora will pay users who create bots or prompts on Poe through its creator monetization program.
#3. $95 million, January 4
Human Immunology Biosciences works to develop precision medicines for patients with immune-mediated diseases. The company pulled in $95 million in a Series B funding round led by Alpha Wave Global that it plans to put toward advancing its lead therapeutic candidate through clinical readouts.
#2. $100 million, January 9
AppDirect’s commerce platform works to connect technology providers, advisors and businesses to simplify how these entities buy, sell and manage technology. The company plans to expand its Capital Invest program with a round of funding from CDPQ. This program helps technology advisors scale their businesses while retaining full ownership.
#1. $140 million, January 31
Aiming to decarbonize the school bus industry, Zūm secured $140 million in Series E capital from lead investor GIC. The company is leveraging the power of AI to digitize vehicle fleets and electrify school buses. Its technology is available for public school districts in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and Nashville.
