The first half of 2026 was a landmark period for artificial intelligence software companies. Four companies on Employbl's platform collectively raised $1.27 billion in new funding between February and May — and all four have significant open headcount as a result. Here's the breakdown.
Which AI software startups raised the most money in 2026?
- Sierra — $950M Series E (May 2026). Enterprise AI agents for customer support and operations. 129 open roles in San Francisco.
- Armada — $230M Series B (May 2026). Full-stack edge computing platform. 62 open roles in San Francisco.
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- AfterQuery — $30M Series A (April 2026). AI training data and expert network platform. 25 open roles.
What's striking about this cluster of raises is how different each company is from the others, yet they all fit under the AI software umbrella. Sierra is pure enterprise software; Armada is infrastructure; Socket is security; AfterQuery is data supply chain. The AI investment thesis in 2026 isn't betting on one category — it's betting that AI reshapes every layer of the stack simultaneously.
All four companies are converting this capital into headcount quickly. See our Waymo company spotlight for a look at what the most heavily-funded AI company on the platform is doing with its hiring budget.
