December, often seen as a period of winding down, proved to be anything but for the venture capital landscape, as several innovative startups secured significant funding to push the boundaries of technology and healthcare. This monthly column shines a spotlight on five intriguing startup funding deals that might have flown under the radar, offering a glimpse into the next wave of disruptive innovation. From revolutionizing at-home health diagnostics with AI-designed antibodies to streamlining complex airport operations and pioneering novel materials, these companies are leveraging cutting-edge advancements to tackle real-world challenges. This month’s selection particularly highlights the pervasive influence of artificial intelligence, not just in software, but in fundamental biological and industrial processes, signaling a robust and diversified future for AI applications.

$29M for At-Home Hormone Health Testing, Powered by AI-Engineered Antibodies

The convenience and accessibility of at-home health testing have seen a dramatic rise, yet the accuracy and breadth of these diagnostics often fall short of clinical standards. Enter Inito, a Palo Alto, California-based startup founded in 2015, which is rapidly changing this narrative. Having already made significant strides in the fertility monitoring space with its popular at-home tests, Inito recently closed a substantial $29 million Series B funding round. This capital infusion is earmarked for an ambitious expansion: moving beyond its highly successful fertility platform to encompass a much broader spectrum of at-home diagnostics, particularly focusing on hormone-related health markers.

Inito’s success in fertility tracking is undeniable, having analyzed over 30 million fertility hormone data points since 2021. This rich dataset provides a formidable foundation for its next phase of growth. The key to this expansion lies in a groundbreaking technological innovation: the development of AI-engineered antibodies. These aren’t just any synthetic proteins; they are meticulously crafted by sophisticated computer models that predict precisely how antibody molecules should fold and bind to specific targets within the human body.

Varun Venkatesan, Inito’s co-founder and CTO, explained the meticulous process to TechCrunch: “We predict how proteins fold in 3D, design synthetic antibodies using AI, and test millions of variants virtually before making a single one in the lab.” This advanced methodology yields antibodies that are "far more sensitive, consistent, and stable than anything developed through traditional methods." The implications of such precision are profound. By overcoming the limitations of conventional antibody development, Inito can build new, highly accurate at-home health tests for a wider array of biomarkers. This capability is central to the startup’s strategic pivot, transforming it from a fertility tracking specialist into a comprehensive at-home health diagnostics platform. Future applications are envisioned to include tracking pregnancy progression, monitoring menopause, assessing broader endocrine markers like testosterone, and other critical hormonal health indicators.

Aayush Rai, CEO and co-founder of Inito, articulated the company’s grand vision: “The endgame is to redefine diagnostics altogether. If you want to understand what’s happening inside your body at every life stage and health need, you shouldn’t be limited by clinic appointments, lab schedules, or rigid testing systems. You should be able to measure, track, and get insights about your body from home, with lab-grade confidence.” This vision resonates deeply in a world increasingly seeking personalized and accessible healthcare solutions. The Series B funding round was co-led by Bertelsmann India Investments and Fireside Ventures, bringing Inito’s total funding to an impressive $42.5 million, per Crunchbase, underscoring strong investor confidence in its disruptive potential.

$26.6M for Smoother Airport Operations Through AI Optimization

Few experiences are as universally frustrating as airport delays and inefficiencies. Recognizing this pervasive problem, Assaia, a Zurich-based startup, has garnered significant attention and capital. This month, the company successfully raised $26.6 million in Series B funding for its AI-driven airport operations platform, promising to alleviate many of the headaches associated with air travel.

Assaia’s technology is already making a tangible difference at some of the world’s busiest air travel hubs, including New York’s JFK, London’s Heathrow, Dubai International, and Toronto Pearson airports. The core mission is to streamline the complex commercial aircraft turnaround process – the critical window between a plane landing and taking off again, involving everything from refueling and baggage handling to cleaning, catering, and passenger boarding/deboarding. Many major airports are grappling with increased traffic volumes, tighter operating margins, and persistent staffing constraints, making efficient turnarounds more crucial than ever.

A significant portion of Assaia’s fresh capital will be dedicated to advancing its flagship product, StandManager. This sophisticated AI software module is designed to optimize gate and stand assignments even before aircraft touch down. By intelligently predicting and managing these assignments, StandManager can minimize delays, reduce congestion on the tarmac, and improve overall operational flow. The result is not just a smoother experience for passengers but also substantial cost savings and efficiency gains for airlines and airports.

Armira Growth led Assaia’s Series B round, with continued participation from existing investors. Christian Figge, managing partner at Armira, highlighted the strategic rationale behind their investment: “We focus on investing in resilient business models that demonstrate a distinct technological advantage, and Assaia exemplifies that. Its AI platform is already transforming airport operations and helping the aviation industry navigate some of its most complex challenges.” This endorsement speaks volumes about the perceived stability and future growth potential of Assaia’s innovative approach to aviation logistics.

$15M to Manufacture Novel Materials Using AI-Designed Proteins

The realm of material science is on the cusp of a revolution, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Aether Bio, a Menlo Park, California-based startup, is at the forefront of this transformation, announcing $15 million in new funding this month to manufacture novel materials using its proprietary AI-developed proteins and biological processes. This latest round contributes to an impressive total of $64 million in funding, reflecting robust investor confidence in its groundbreaking approach.

Aether Bio’s methodology is as ingenious as it is impactful. The company combines "purpose-built AI and high-throughput robotics to design proteins that act like molecular assemblers, tiny machines that build one atom at a time." These "nanoscale machines" possess the precision and sophistication typically found only in massive chemical factories, but at a fraction of the size and environmental footprint. This allows Aether to create new products faster, more affordably, and significantly more sustainably than traditional manufacturing methods.

The company’s first commercial product, RapidPrint, exemplifies this innovative potential. RapidPrint is a high-performance 3D printing polymer filament line, utilizing AI-optimized materials to dramatically accelerate the manufacturing of critical parts for the aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors. This advancement addresses a significant bottleneck in advanced manufacturing, offering unparalleled speed and material performance.

Beyond RapidPrint, Aether Bio boasts an even broader impact, having developed seven new classes of proteins. These versatile proteins hold immense potential for diverse applications, ranging from defense and aerospace to pharmaceutical manufacturing, carbon capture technologies, and other industrial uses. The ability to precisely engineer proteins opens doors to creating materials with previously unimaginable properties or optimizing existing ones in unprecedented ways.

Pavle Jeremić, Aether’s CEO and founder, emphasized the company’s unique capability to Forbes: “One of the things we have got very good at is targeting a novel molecular species and making it very quickly.” Arjun Sethi, Chairman of Tribe Capital, the lead investor in this round, articulated his firm’s excitement about the tangible applications of Aether’s technology. “We’ve seen many AI companies focus on discovery, but no one has taken the leap from designing proteins to delivering physical, market-ready products until Aether,” Sethi stated in the funding announcement. He further added, “Aether is proving that its approach isn’t just innovative in theory; it’s faster, more cost-effective, and higher-performing than traditional methods, setting the standard for what AI-driven chemistry can achieve in the real world.” This focus on real-world application and market-ready products positions Aether Bio as a true pioneer in the bio-industrial revolution.

$14M for a Wireless, Hospital-Grade Heart Monitor for Home Use

Heart disease remains a formidable adversary, tragically claiming nearly a million American lives in 2023, solidifying its position as the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC. Despite this grim statistic and the disease’s widespread prevalence, accessible and reliable technology for comprehensive heart monitoring, particularly outside clinical settings, has been surprisingly lacking.

Addressing this critical gap is Wearlinq, a San Francisco-based startup that recently announced a $14 million Series A funding round. Wearlinq offers a wireless heart monitor designed to deliver hospital-grade monitoring capabilities directly into patients’ homes. The company’s innovative product aims to empower both patients and cardiologists by providing highly accurate, continuous heart data from any location, effectively bridging the chasm between intermittent clinic visits and the need for constant vigilance.

Wearlinq highlights the significant limitations of current monitoring solutions. As the company explained in a press release, “At home, most devices track heart rate rather than the electrical rhythm. Heart rate alone can’t catch many arrhythmias or the subtle changes that signal rising risk.” In clinical environments, traditional wired telemetry, while accurate, is often bulky and only provides brief snapshots. Furthermore, single-lead patches, though more convenient, frequently miss intermittent cardiac events, leaving critical diagnostic gaps. This fragmented system often leads to patients discontinuing use, doctors ordering repetitive tests, and ultimately, preventable progression of heart disease.

Wearlinq’s device tackles these challenges head-on. It provides detailed electrical rhythm data, crucial for detecting a wide range of arrhythmias and subtle physiological shifts that indicate escalating risk. The fact that it’s wireless enhances patient comfort and compliance, making long-term monitoring feasible and less intrusive. Already in use in 75 cardiology units and by thousands of patients monthly, the device has also received FDA 510(k) clearance, a testament to its safety and effectiveness.

The $14 million in new funding, led by AIX Ventures, is intended to "dramatically scale" Wearlinq’s operations and expand its reach into hundreds of additional clinics across the country. This expansion promises to make hospital-level cardiac monitoring more widely available, potentially revolutionizing how heart disease is managed and detected early. The round saw participation from a diverse and extensive list of investors, including Berkeley Catalyst Fund, Angel School, Amino Capital, XB Ventures, Alumni Ventures, SpringTide Ventures, Solasta, Smartlink Partners, NYX Ventures, Maliam, Lightscape Partners, LDV Partners, Device of Tomorrow Capital, and Celtic House Asia Partners. In addition to the equity round, Wearlinq also secured $5 million in venture debt, further bolstering its financial capacity for growth.

$6M to Analyze Commercial Real Estate Portfolios in Minutes with AI

The commercial real estate (CRE) sector, a colossal asset class globally, is often perceived as slow to adopt technological innovation. Indeed, investment into proptech startups has seen a significant downturn in recent years. However, given that trillions of dollars are held in commercial real estate portfolios, any platform that promises to drastically streamline real estate investments and financial modeling presents a compelling, savvy bet for investors.

This month, Built AI, a London-based startup, secured $6 million in seed funding for precisely this purpose. Built AI is already making waves in the U.K. and European markets, where its platform has been used to analyze an impressive $70 billion worth of investment opportunities for commercial real estate investors. Now, the company is poised to expand into the formidable U.S. commercial real estate market, estimated to be worth a staggering $22 trillion.

The problem Built AI addresses is a fundamental one: the antiquated and labor-intensive processes traditionally used for real estate analysis. As Natan Lempert, the company’s CEO and co-founder (who previously held roles at Goldman Sachs and Citi), articulated, “Real estate is the world’s largest asset class and yet the tools used to appraise deals have barely evolved in the last 40 years. Billions of dollars worth of investment deals are still screened every year using outdated, error-prone processes leading to over $185 billion in annual losses because of incorrect valuation metrics or missed opportunities.”

Built AI’s solution leverages advanced machine learning to extract and analyze vast amounts of building data, empowering clients to more effectively manage their existing portfolios and underwrite new investment opportunities. The platform’s versatility allows it to analyze anything from single properties to entire portfolios, scrutinizing a wide array of variables including lease terms, valuation metrics, tenant profiles, and granular local market data. Crucially, this AI-driven approach reduces analysis time by a remarkable 90%, transforming processes that once took hours or days into mere minutes.

The seed round was led by Work-Bench, with participation from Lerer Hippeau, Timber Grove Ventures, Emerald Pine Capital, and several angel investors and property sector veterans. Built AI, co-founded in 2020 by Lempert and Firoz Noordeen (formerly a director at NatWest Venture), has now raised $8.5 million to date, per Crunchbase. Lempert emphasized the growing role of AI in finance: “Generative AI is becoming increasingly embedded in financial decisions, to translate data at scale and automate underwriting.”

The company’s client list already includes real estate titans such as CBRE, Howard Hughes Corp., and Knight Frank Investment Management, indicating strong validation from industry leaders. Jonathan Lehr, co-founder and general partner of Work-Bench, praised the founders’ capabilities: “The future of software requires three essential attributes: domain expertise, AI skills, and ingenuity. These founders have all three and seek to fundamentally reimagine the real estate investment process.” Built AI’s foray into the U.S. market promises to bring much-needed efficiency and data-driven precision to an industry ripe for technological disruption.