A study conducted by the open GPU marketplace Clore.ai has identified the top 10 AI startups for 2025. The rankings are based on funding, valuation, website traffic, and performance metrics sourced from Forbes AI 50, Crunchbase, TechCrunch, and Ahrefs.

Here are the top 10 AI startups worldwide in 2025

1. OpenAI

OpenAI ranks first with a total score of 80. The company has a valuation of $157 billion and $21.9 billion in funding. It attracts 172.8 million monthly visitors, making it the most visited AI platform globally. OpenAI continues to lead in AI infrastructure and model development.

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2. Anthropic

Anthropic secures second place with a score of 67.87. It is valued at $40 billion and has received $9.7 billion in funding. The company has 414,200 monthly visitors. Anthropic focuses on ethical AI development and infrastructure, positioning itself as a key player in the sector.

3. Databricks

Databricks ranks third with a score of 66.91. The company has a valuation of $43 billion and $4 billion in funding. It attracts 530,700 monthly visitors. Databricks specialises in data and analytics, helping businesses leverage AI for decision-making.

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4. DeepL

DeepL takes fourth place with a score of 66.83. The company has a valuation of $2 billion and $400 million in funding. It receives 52.4 million monthly visitors. DeepL is known for AI-driven language translation and plays a significant role in breaking communication barriers.

5. Notion

Notion ranks fifth with a score of 65.47. The company has a valuation of $10 billion and $343.2 million in funding. It attracts 3.7 million monthly visitors. Notion operates in the productivity software sector, offering AI-powered organisational tools.

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6. Anduril Industries

Anduril Industries takes the sixth position with a score of 65.36. The company is valued at $14 billion and has received $3.7 billion in funding. It records 87,900 monthly visitors. Anduril operates in the defence and security sector, developing AI-driven solutions for national security.

7. Perplexity

Perplexity ranks seventh with a score of 65.29. The company has a valuation of $8 billion and $915 million in funding. It receives 3.1 million monthly visitors. Perplexity focuses on AI-powered search tools, enhancing information retrieval.

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8. Scale AI

Scale AI ranks eighth with a score of 65.25. The company has a valuation of $13.8 billion and $1.6 billion in funding. It attracts 67,400 monthly visitors. Scale AI operates in data and analytics, facilitating AI model training and development.

9. MidJourney

MidJourney ranks ninth with a score of 65.22. The company is valued at $10.5 billion and operates without external funding. It records 1.1 million monthly visitors. MidJourney focuses on generative AI, providing tools for digital content creation.

10. Hugging Face

Hugging Face takes the tenth position with a score of 65.2. The company has a valuation of $4.5 billion and $395.2 million in funding. It receives 2.2 million monthly visitors. Hugging Face supports open-source AI development and collaborative research.

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Key Findings

  • US Dominance: Eight of the top ten AI startups are based in the United States, reinforcing the country’s leadership in AI innovation and investment.
  • Top Funded Startups: OpenAI leads in funding with $21.9 billion, followed by Anthropic with $9.7 billion.
  • Most Visited Startups: OpenAI attracts the highest number of monthly visitors (172.8M), while Perplexity AI receives 3.1M visitors, indicating a growing interest in AI-powered search.
  • Europe’s Limited Presence: France’s Mistral AI is the only European company among the top ten, highlighting the region’s smaller share of AI investments.
  • Sector Diversification: Companies like Scale AI and Perplexity AI demonstrate AI’s expansion into data analytics and search tools.
  • AI in Defence: Anduril Industries has $3.7 billion in funding, showing growing investor interest in AI-driven defence technologies.
  • AI Hardware Innovation: Startups like Cerebras Systems, with $715 million in funding, highlight advancements in AI-specific hardware.

Chisom Michael is a data analyst (audience engagement) and writer at BusinessDay, with diverse experience in the media industry. He holds a BSc in Industrial Physics from Imo State University and an MEng in Computer Science and Technology from Liaoning Univerisity of Technology China. He specialises in listicle writing, profiles and leveraging his skills in audience engagement analysis and data-driven insights to create compelling content that resonates with readers.

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