Spiko and Nous Research each raise $90M in crypto’s $380M funding week

Crypto startups disclosed $380.51 million in funding across 16 deals between October 3 and October 9, 2026, led by $90 million rounds for tokenised cash fund provider Spiko and open AI lab Nous Research. Nvidia backed both Nous and robotics data firm Mecka, whose $60 million Series B was led by Sequoia Capital.

Spiko and Nous research lead with $90M funding rounds

Spiko announced a $90 million Series B on October 6, led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Other investors included Index Ventures, Bpifrance, Speedinvest, Flourish Ventures, White Star Capital, Mirana Ventures and Wintermute Ventures.

The financing brought Spiko’s total funding to $120 million, according to the company. Based in London and Paris, the business offers tokenized cash funds designed to give customers access to cash investment products through its application and integrated financial platforms.

Spiko reported that its funds held $2.7 billion in assets for more than 10,000 businesses and individuals across over 25 countries. The new capital is intended to support product development, recruitment and international expansion, with Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Nordic markets among its European targets.

Nous Research also secured $90 million, in a funding round recorded as a Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation. Its October 7 announcement named Nvidia, Microsoft’s M12, Samsung, Robot Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator and Menlo Ventures among its investors.

Founded in 2023, Nous develops open AI models and Hermes Agent, software that allows users to select where an AI agent operates and which models it uses. The company says the software can retain project knowledge across sessions.

The proceeds will support further open AI development and the expansion of its business-oriented offering, Hermes Business. Although Nous is classified within decentralized AI infrastructure and the Solana ecosystem by crypto fundraising trackers, its work also reflects the wider competition to develop flexible AI systems outside closed, proprietary platforms.

Mecka raises $60M as AI and Robotics attract capital

Mecka secured a $60 million Series B announced on October 7, with Sequoia Capital leading the round. Nvidia, Microsoft’s M12, Qualcomm Ventures and Samsung joined as new investors, while existing backers Kindred, Framework Ventures and Neo also participated.

The company develops infrastructure for collecting and processing human movement data used to train robots. Its technology addresses a key requirement for robotics development: supplying machines with useful real-world data that can improve their ability to perform physical tasks.

Mecka plans to use the new funding to expand its data infrastructure, advance research and support commercial robot deployments. Individual investors included DoorDash founder Tony Xu, former Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman and former Tesla Optimus leader Milan Kovac.

The investment illustrates why crypto VC funding reports increasingly feature companies whose core businesses extend into artificial intelligence and robotics. Fundraising databases may include these ventures because of their connections to crypto investors, decentralized infrastructure or broader technology investment networks.

Meanwhile, the Bitcoin-focused life insurer, announced a $37.5 million investment round on October 8, bringing its cumulative funding above $180 million. Bain Capital Crypto led the financing, with participation from Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Morgan Creek Digital.

The Bermuda-based company said it had signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families in markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. Its insurance products include BTC Life 1-Pay for customers outside the United States and BTC 10-Pay, designed for U.S. taxpayers. Meanwhile says its balance sheet, reserves and audited financial statements are denominated in Bitcoin and that it holds a Bermuda Monetary Authority insurance licence.

Catalyst, Navra and Noah expand the funding pipeline

Beyond the largest transactions, several companies secured significant investments for trading technology, blockchain payments and financial infrastructure.

Catalyst raised $30 million in seed funding on October 8, in a round led by Sequoia Capital. Other participants included Jump Trading, Peak XV, Lux Capital, AntiFund, Coinbase and Premji Invest. The company develops AI agents designed to translate written instructions into trading strategies.

Navra announced a $19 million Series A led by Ribbit Capital, with Baseline, DCM, Jump Crypto and Figure participating. The company plans to expand its blockchain access platform and AI infrastructure ahead of a limited rollout scheduled for late October.

Noah added $16 million to its seed financing, bringing its cumulative seed funding to $38 million. Backers included Endeit Capital, FJ Labs, LocalGlobe, Felix Capital and angel investors. The company intends to expand payment connections, recruit engineering and compliance personnel, and establish a New York office.

Other disclosed rounds included $13 million for Vest Labs, $6.11 million for Umia through a public token auction, $5 million for an ANVL token purchase by Anvil, and $3.5 million for IMMIX. Soda Labs raised $3 million, HyperLink secured $2.5 million, Antseed Foundation raised $2.4 million, Imperial collected $1.5 million, and Anyflow announced a $1 million investment from Mysten Labs alongside an acqui-hire of Native.

The week also featured two strategic transactions without disclosed investment amounts. OKX completed a strategic investment extension involving Circle, Ripple, Qube Research & Technologies and SC Ventures at a reported $25 billion pre-money valuation. Separately, Xverse announced a strategic round led by Draper Associates, with Trust Machines and Draper Dragon participating, to expand its self-custodial Bitcoin financial services.

Overall, crypto VC funding during the period showed that capital was flowing into a broad range of businesses rather than blockchain protocols alone. Tokenized cash management, AI agents, robotics data, Bitcoin insurance and stablecoin payments all featured in the announcements.

However, the $380.51 million headline figure represents disclosed transactions captured by the cited tracking services, not a complete measure of every investment made during the week. Undisclosed rounds, differences in database classifications and the inclusion of token purchases mean the total should be read as a reported fundraising snapshot rather than a comprehensive measure of global crypto venture investment.