AI Startup Anthropic Competitor Raises $2B in Largest Series C of 2026

A major new AI startup, Meridian AI, founded by former DeepMind researchers, has raised $2 billion in what is being called the largest Series C funding round of 2026. The round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund and Tiger Global.

Meridian AI focuses on enterprise AI agents that can autonomously handle complex business workflows, from supply chain optimization to financial analysis and customer service operations.

The company claims its AI agents can reduce operational costs by 40-60% while maintaining or improving quality metrics.