These 5 AI Startups Have Gained Nearly 400% in 2025

While big names like Nvidia keep soaking up attention in the AI boom, there’s another, less visible surge happening in the background — and it’s playing out in the private startup world.

In 2025, five companies — all relatively young, all building ambitious tech in areas like robotics, search, and automation — have seen their private share prices skyrocket. On average, they’re up nearly 400% since January. In total, these firms have added over $68 billion in estimated value. That’s not a rounding error — that’s a signal.

To be clear, this isn’t some widespread comeback for venture capital. Most early-stage startups are still stuck in a slow-moving funding environment. Investors remain picky, rounds are leaner, and many founders are being told to “extend runway” and wait it out. But for a small group of companies with products that feel ready — not just possible — the money is showing up fast.

The secondary market, where existing shares are traded among investors, is one place where this heat is showing. It’s expected to hit $60 billion this year, up sharply from 2024. But most of that activity is centered around a handful of high-demand startups that are drawing serious interest — not just because they’re riding the AI wave, but because they seem to have something real.

Here’s a closer look at the five startups that have captured investor attention in a year where attention has been hard to earn.

1. Figure AI

Estimated Valuation: $35.26 Billion
YTD Share Price Growth: +1,012%
Founded: 2022

Figure AI is no longer a wild moonshot — it’s now one of the most closely watched companies in the robotics world. With its humanoid robots designed to work in factories and, eventually, homes, Figure is capturing a future where machines handle the repetitive, dangerous, and exhausting tasks humans no longer need to do.

Its latest $1.5 billion funding round sent ripples through the VC community, not just for its size but for what it signals: the era of functional, AI-powered robots is arriving sooner than expected. With companies like Tesla also pushing into this space, Figure is racing ahead — and winning attention with real-world prototypes and strategic partnerships.

2. Ripple

Estimated Valuation: $15.64 Billion
YTD Share Price Growth: +286.16%
Founded: 2012

Once a lightning rod in crypto legal battles, Ripple is now positioning itself as a foundational layer in the next generation of financial infrastructure. After years of wrangling with regulators, the company has cleared major legal hurdles, giving it a clearer runway to scale its blockchain-based payment systems globally.

The timing couldn’t be better. As traditional finance inches toward decentralization, Ripple’s tools for fast, low-cost cross-border payments are in high demand. It’s a comeback story with teeth — backed by deep tech, long-term believers, and a sense that the crypto winter might finally be thawing.

3. Perplexity

Estimated Valuation: $10.99 Billion
YTD Share Price Growth: +260.16%
Founded: 2022

Perplexity didn’t just set out to build a search engine — it aimed to rebuild the entire experience of finding information online. In a world dominated by ads and SEO tricks, Perplexity’s AI-powered interface gives users direct, cited answers in real time. It feels less like a search engine, more like having a researcher at your side.

The product has earned it backing from serious names, including Nvidia and Jeff Bezos. Now, with a rumored billion-dollar raise in the works, the startup is expected to push beyond its niche audience and take a real swing at becoming a household name. In the age of AI overload, clarity might just be the next killer app — and Perplexity is betting big on that.

4. xAI

Estimated Valuation: $91.59 Billion
YTD Share Price Growth: +231.33%
Founded: 2023

In typical Elon Musk fashion, xAI launched with lofty goals — building artificial general intelligence — and has moved with startling speed. Now tightly integrated with Tesla and the platform formerly known as Twitter (now just “X”), xAI is developing models that interact with millions of users daily through the Grok chatbot.

What makes xAI different isn’t just the tech — it’s the distribution. By embedding AI directly into Musk’s ecosystem of products, xAI isn’t waiting for users to come to it. It’s showing up where they already are. Whether that bet pays off in the long term remains to be seen, but so far, investors are leaning in hard — and the market is following suit.

5. Nuro

Estimated Valuation: $5.99 Billion
YTD Share Price Growth: +178.65%
Founded: 2016

Nuro isn’t chasing headlines — it’s chasing efficiency. With its sleek, driverless delivery pods already in pilot programs with grocery and restaurant chains, Nuro is quietly building the backbone of future urban logistics.

Where some AV companies are stuck in the regulatory swamp of robotaxis, Nuro has carved out a less controversial, more scalable niche: last-mile delivery. In a world where instant delivery is no longer a luxury but an expectation, Nuro’s tech feels not only viable — but inevitable.

What’s Actually Happening

The surge in these five startups isn’t part of some broad tech recovery — it’s the exception. Most young companies are still stuck pitching to cautious investors, navigating smaller checks, and slower timelines. But when a startup shows real traction — not just a flashy pitch deck — the money moves fast.

Figure AI has a robot that works. Perplexity is giving people a reason to question Google’s grip on search. Ripple is outliving regulatory battles. These aren’t just ideas — they’re products already in motion, and that’s what’s pulling attention and capital.

It’s not about who’s loudest in the AI space anymore. It’s about who can actually ship. And in 2025, these five companies aren’t floating on hype — they’re standing on working code, working machines, and hard-won investor trust.

Also Read: The Top AI Companies in 2025 — Who’s Really Leading?