Scale AI finds itself embroiled in its third worker lawsuit of 2025, with contractors alleging psychological harm from exposure to disturbing content. Amidst this legal turmoil, the company stands strong with a valuation of $13.8 billion. Meanwhile, the tech and business landscape sees a flurry of significant financial movements, with companies like Vertice, Databricks, and Divvy Homes making headlines.
Vertice, an AI-powered SaaS spend management platform, successfully raised a $50 million Series C round led by Lakestar. This funding brings the company's valuation close to $500 million, underscoring the increasing interest in spend management solutions. Similarly, data analytics platform Databricks closed a monumental $10 billion Series J equity funding round, swelling its valuation to $62 billion. Additionally, Databricks secured an extra $5.25 billion in debt financing, marking a significant year for the company.
In another major transaction, Divvy Homes, a rent-to-own startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), is set to be acquired by a division of Brookfield Properties for approximately $1 billion. This acquisition highlights the growing convergence between real estate giants and innovative startups in the housing sector.
The consumer goods industry also witnessed a notable acquisition with Hindustan Unilever agreeing to purchase Peak XV-backed Indian skincare startup Minimalist for around $342 million. This deal exemplifies the continued interest in the burgeoning Indian skincare market.
On the technology front, AngelList and CoinList have joined forces to launch crypto special purpose vehicles and crypto roll-up vehicles, expanding their presence in the evolving cryptocurrency space. Additionally, Neko Health, co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, raised a substantial $260 million Series B funding round, valuing the Swedish body-scanning startup at $1.8 billion post-money.
In the realm of robotics, Indian-based autonomous mobile robots startup Ati Motors raised a $20 million Series B round to support its international expansion efforts. With the U.S. already dominating Ati’s revenues and the global demand for non-Chinese manufactured robotics on the rise, Ati Motors is poised for significant growth.
In healthcare innovation, Lindus Health, backed by Peter Thiel and Creandum, secured a $55 million Series B round. The company aims to "fix the broken clinical trial industry," signaling a promising future for healthcare advancements.
Lastly, Metropolis made waves by acquiring computer vision company Oosto for a fraction of what the startup had previously raised, marking a strategic move within the tech acquisition landscape.
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