Trajectory raises $40M Series A at $300M valuation
What's the deal? AI infrastructure startup TrajectoryDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised $40 million in new funding at a $300 million post-money valuation, according to The Information. Sequoia Capital led the round, with participation from Nvidia and Bessemer Venture Partners. The financing came just two months after Trajectory announced its $15 million seed round at a $115 million post-money valuation, marking a rapid increase in the company's valuation.
Why now? As closed-source AI models become more expensive, businesses are looking for ways to customize open-source models for specific use cases and improve the software harnesses that enable models to use tools and take actions. Trajectory is positioned at the intersection of both trends, helping companies make AI systems more useful, accurate, and cost-efficient.
What it does Trajectory is building a more automated and user-friendly way for businesses to customize open-source AI without relying on teams of consultants or extensive existing technical expertise. Its work includes techniques such as self-distillation policy optimization, which uses feedback from real-world interactions to improve an AI agent's future decisions. For example, when a support agent gets stuck and a human resolves the case by consulting an additional database, that feedback can be used to help the AI avoid the same mistake in the future.
The company also works with closed-source models by helping customers tune their AI harnesses to improve accuracy or reduce operating costs. Its customers include AI sales startup Clay, AI customer-support startup Decagon, and AI legal company Harvey, according to Trajectory's website.
Trajectory was founded in May 2026 by former Google DeepMind researchers Ronak Malde and Michael Elabd, and former Apple researcher Arjun Karanam. The company has 12 employees. Its earlier seed round included ConvictionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Bessemer, and Radical VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
Read more: The Information | Cointime
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