About Deep Tech sector in Bay Area, United States
The Deep Tech sector in Bay Area, United States comprises 7.46K companies, including 3.41K funded companies having collectively raised $664B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 1.69K are Series A+ funded, and 148 have achieved unicorn status.
Deep Tech sector in Bay Area, United States has seen 585 acquisitions and 103 IPOs. This represents almost 9.2% of all such companies - which is higher than the 4.0% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes companies that are developing products based on innovative technology and scientific developments such as blockchain, AI, advanced robotics, IoT , etc.
Deep Tech sector is also known as DeepTech, Deep-Tech, Digital Deep or Deep Technology Solutions.
Includes companies implementing technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, computer vision, robotics, nanotechnology, IoT into their products. Also includes companies providing infrastructure to develop blockchain, AI, IoT technology such as development tools, smart contracts, and sensor technology, among others. Excludes companies developing products of conventional technology (Shallow Tech) such as conventional digital platforms, conventional robotics in industrial automation, among others.
Top Deep Tech Companies in Bay Area, United States
There are 7,461 Deep Tech startups in Bay Area, United States which include OpenAI, Perplexity, Anthropic, Oculus, Mysten Labs. Out of these, 3,410 startups are funded, with 1,688 having secured Series A+ funding, and 148 achieving unicorn status.
2026 has seen the creation of 289 Deep Tech startups in Bay Area, United States. Over the past 10 years, an average of 398 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of Stanford University, University of California (Berkeley) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Here is the list of top Deep Tech startups in Bay Area, United States
1. OpenAI
Artificial intelligence research and development platform offering advanced language models. It enables businesses and individuals to build and integrate AI capabilities into their applications and services. It is a technology company specializing in the development of artificial intelligence models, including the popular ChatGPT, which enables users to interact with AI-powered conversational interfaces. The company's research focuses on achieving artificial general intelligence, a system that can solve complex human-level problems, while prioritizing safety and benefits. It provides its AI models through an API platform, enabling developers to integrate AI capabilities into their applications.
Key facts about OpenAI
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series F
- Total Funding till date: $180B
- Investors: Microsoft, SoftBank Group and 96 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series F, Apr 22, 2026, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 89/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 185 Competitors
2. Perplexity
AI-powered search and answer generation. It enables users to ask complex questions and receive concise, well-sourced answers synthesized from multiple web sources. The platform combines natural language understanding with real-time web data to provide accurate, context-aware responses.
Key facts about Perplexity
- Founded Year: 2022
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series E
- Total Funding till date: $1.72B
- Investors: IVP, SoftBank Vision Fund and 65 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Angel, Dec 05, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 86/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 54 Competitors
3. Anthropic
Provider of AI safety and research company. It is an AI research and safety company offering AI models and chatbots. Its chatbot can be used for multiple industries including customer support, legal support, coaching, searching data, back-office automation, and sales.
Key facts about Anthropic
- Founded Year: 2021
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series H
- Total Funding till date: $132B
- Investors: Google, GIC and 127 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series H, Apr 21, 2026, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 83/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 185 Competitors
4. Oculus
Provider of VR-based head-mounted displays. It offers head-mounted devices for the gaming VR experience that has to be connected to the computer or smartphone. Its features include an integrable mobile app, LCD, built-in storage, gesture controls, and more.
Key facts about Oculus
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Menlo Park (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $107M
- Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Matrix and 11 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Aug 04, 2022, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 81/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 267 Competitors
5. Mysten Labs
Blockchain platform offering Web3 infrastructure solutions. Its product portfolio includes an open-source wallet packed with features to help developers access, learn, and transact on the Sui network, Sui Explorer for digging into metrics, searching for transactions, Sui name service to register identity, and more. It also offers digital collectibles called SuiFrens.
Key facts about Mysten Labs
- Founded Year: 2021
- Location: Palo Alto (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $336M
- Investors: FTX, Andreessen Horowitz and 42 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Sep 08, 2022, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 81/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 1,947 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Deep Tech sector in Bay Area
289 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Deep Tech sector in Bay Area. 607 Deep Tech startups in Bay Area were founded in 2025 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 289 |
2025 | 607 |
2024 | 557 |
2023 | 473 |
2022 | 362 |
2021 | 334 |
2020 | 278 |
2019 | 304 |
2018 | 357 |
2017 | 421 |
Stage-wise distribution of Deep Tech sector companies in Bay Area
Out of the total 7,461 Deep Tech companies in Bay Area, 3,410 have secured funding. Among them, 1,688 have reached Series A or higher, and 1,205 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 7,461
Funded - 3,410
Series A+ - 1,688
Series B+ - 1,205
Series C+ - 953
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 7,461 |
Funded | 3,410 |
Series A+ | 1,688 |
Series B+ | 1,205 |
Series C+ | 953 |
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Funding Trends in the Deep Tech sector in Bay Area
Total funding year-on-year in the Deep Tech sector in Bay Area
The Deep Tech sector in Bay Area saw a total funding of more than $635B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding has been in 2026 at more than $304B till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $304B |
2025 | $140B |
2024 | $56B |
2023 | $25.6B |
2022 | $21.3B |
2021 | $32.2B |
2020 | $17.9B |
2019 | $14.9B |
2018 | $15.1B |
2017 | $8.16B |
Recent Funding Rounds in Deep Tech in Bay Area
In the year 2026, till September 2026, Deep Tech companies in Bay Area have raised $295B in equity funding across 384 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till September 2025), Deep Tech companies in Bay Area had raised $97.7B across 404 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 201.82% rise in funding in Deep Tech companies in Bay Area as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Deep Tech companies in Bay Area:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Seed | 5792 | Sep 30, 2026 | ||
Series B | 2393 | Sep 30, 2026 | ||
Series A | 2018 | Sep 29, 2026 | ||
Series C | 9980 | Sep 28, 2026 | ||
Series C | 5285 | Sep 28, 2026 |
Top Investors in Deep Tech in Bay Area
Y Combinator is the top investor in Deep Tech companies in Bay Area based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Deep Tech companies in Bay Area:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Mountain View (United States) | ||
Sunnyvale (United States) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) |
M&A activity in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area
In the year 2026, till September 2026, 58 acquisitions happened in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area. Last year, in 2025, a total of 75 acquisitions happened in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Sep 28, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 17, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 13, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 11, 2026 | ||
Acqui-Hired | Sep 10, 2026 |
Acquisition trends in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area
Here are the acquisition trends in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 58 |
2025 | 75 |
2024 | 30 |
2023 | 30 |
2022 | 47 |
2021 | 63 |
2020 | 36 |
2019 | 47 |
2018 | 36 |
2017 | 24 |
IPOs in Deep Tech in Bay Area
In the year 2026, till July 2026, 5 IPOs happened in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Deep Tech sector in Bay Area:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Jul 24, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jun 18, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
May 14, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Apr 17, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jan 12, 2026 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) |
Colleges which produce the most Deep Tech companies in Bay Area
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Deep Tech in Bay Area
Most number of Deep Tech startups in Bay Area have been founded by alumni from Stanford University, University of California (Berkeley) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Stanford University | 503 |
University of California (Berkeley) | 313 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 216 |
Harvard University | 135 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 122 |
University of California (Los Angeles) | 104 |
University of Pennsylvania | 91 |
Cornell University | 75 |
Columbia University | 70 |
Stanford Business School | 66 |
Total funding in Deep Tech companies founded by alumni from top colleges in Bay Area
In the last 10 years, Harvard University graduates' Deep Tech companies in Bay Area have raised the most funding among top colleges. Stanford University alumni are second, and University of Toronto alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Harvard University | $392B |
Stanford University | $370B |
University of Toronto | $252B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $232B |
Carnegie Mellon University | $195B |
New York University | $189B |
Stanford Business School | $142B |
Columbia University | $138B |
Princeton University | $138B |
University of California (Berkeley) | $25.4B |
Top News in Deep Tech in Bay Area
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Biomay, Synthego Partner to Streamline cGMP CRISPR Manufacturing ServicesContract Pharma•Oct 01, 2026•Synthego, Biomay
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Base44 Launches Base Code to Enhance Team Collaboration and Development SpeedGlobeNewswire•Sep 28, 2026•Base44
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Meltwater Receives Three Comparably Awards for Benefits, Culture, and Employee HappinessGlobeNewswire•Sep 25, 2026•Meltwater
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OpenZeppelin Integrates with TRON to Bring Security Standards to NetworkGlobeNewswire•Sep 24, 2026•OpenZeppelin
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QAD and Redzone to Integrate NVIDIA Technology for AI-Driven Factory Data and Production PlanningMarketbusinessnews•Sep 23, 2026•QAD, Nvidia, RedZone Robotics
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