UFORCE raises $700 million at a $6 billion valuation to expand autonomous defense systems

Kalepa has raised $75 million to develop its artificial intelligence platform designed for insurance companies. The New York-based startup secured the investment at a valuation of $470 million. The Series B round was led by Updata Partners, with participation from existing investors IA Ventures and Inspired Capital.

The new funding increases the total amount Kalepa has raised since its founding in 2018. The company develops software for insurers and other participants in the insurance market. The Kalepa platform assists with portfolio management, pricing, and underwriting.

Kalepa plans to use the funds to expand its AI-powered products. Currently, the company serves insurers who manage general agents, reinsurers, and program administrators. Its operations span more than ten countries. Co-founder and CEO Paul Monasterio noted that the platform combines AI capabilities with professional expertise in the insurance sector.

Furthermore, the company intends to enter new markets and double its workforce by 2027. According to the company's report, it has maintained positive cash flow for over two years. Revenue and customer numbers have tripled over the last year.

Kalepa's software coordinates all stages of the underwriting process. AI agents support tasks ranging from application analysis to pricing and portfolio decision-making. When a broker submits an application, the platform gathers necessary documentation and data, identifies discrepancies and missing information. It then directs underwriters to analyze risks and make decisions according to established rules. The system is also capable of generating supporting information required for risk assessment and pricing.

Kalepa regulates the degree of autonomy of its AI depending on the specific task. Nevertheless, human oversight remains for expert judgment and approval when necessary, which distinguishes the company from platforms aiming for fully autonomous underwriting. The company insists that insurance decisions must be made with a traceable process and responsible supervision.

The company claims to possess Professional AI. Its platform integrates AI agents with control software and insurer-specific guidelines. According to Kalepa, insurers using the platform report an increase in premium by over 58% per underwriter. Additionally, they provide calculations 30% to 60% faster and demonstrate an improvement in the combined ratio by 960 basis points, corresponding to a 9.6 percentage point reduction in the share of premiums spent on losses and expenses.

Kalepa's latest funding comes amid growing interest in AI-based insurance technologies. Insurers are seeking ways to improve the efficiency of underwriting and managing complex workflows. Competitors have also secured significant funding. For instance, Federato raised $100 million in a Series D round in November 2025, developing AI-native underwriting software. Six received $30 million in a Series B round in January 2026, utilizing autonomous agents to support underwriting.

These companies demonstrate different approaches to insurance automation. Kalepa emphasizes task-specific autonomy with human control at critical decision points. The broader potential extends beyond simply accelerating document processing.

Kalepa is using the Series B funding to strengthen its technological and commercial operations. The company expects to double its staff by 2027, with hiring focused on engineering, AI, and commercial teams. Expansion will also help Kalepa serve additional markets and insurance functions.

Existing investors continue to support the company's development. Updata Partners brings experience in supporting growth-stage software businesses. Kalepa's funding history is also characterized by long intervals between rounds; previously, the company raised $14 million in a Series A round in 2021.

San Francisco-based startup Collective has raised $100 million to develop its financial services designed for individual entrepreneurs. The platform integrates various business functions, including accounting, payroll, tax reporting, and other services.

The funding includes a $40 million Series B round, as well as $60 million from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund. General Catalyst, QED Investors, and Gradient Ventures led the equity round; Intuit Ventures, FT Partners, and SemperVirens also participated.

Collective's founder is Hooman Radfar, who learned about the financial benefits of business tax planning through his family. Reports indicate that his father's business structure helped him save significantly more on self-employment taxes than his mother's.

The $60 million comes from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund. Unlike traditional equity financing, this arrangement supports client acquisition through a revenue-based repayment model. Thus, the total funding package reached $100 million.

The company has not disclosed its current valuation or the specific repayment terms for the customer acquisition mechanism. General Catalyst has used similar mechanisms to support other companies in the financial and business software sectors, but the specific terms of the Collective agreement have not been made public.

A separate $40 million Series B round provides traditional equity financing for broader company expansion. Collectively, these funds support both product development and customer base growth. General Catalyst partner Pranav Singhvi noted that small businesses represent a significant opportunity and expects AI adoption to accelerate growth in this market.

Previously, Collective raised $8.65 million in a seed round in 2020, followed by $20 million in a Series A round in 2021, and $50 million in July 2023. The market potential is assessed as substantial.

Collective serves individual entrepreneurs, independent consultants, and freelancers. The company's comprehensive membership provides business registration, bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, and tax filing. Collective members are also offered health and business insurance.

In July 2026, the company launched its Insurance Center in partnership with Coverdash and Solo Health. In April 2026, Collective acquired the AI bookkeeping startup Open Ledger. The new funding will help expand these offerings into the banking sector and add additional insurance products.

Collective reports 127% year-over-year business growth and cumulative tax savings of $350 million for its members. According to the company, its most profitable clients save up to $40,000 annually. However, the company has not disclosed revenue or customer numbers, so these figures remain metrics provided by the company itself. The company estimates that over 30 million businesses in the United States have no employees, and AI tools can help a larger number of independent founders manage complex financial operations without hiring specialized teams.

Collective faces competition from financial platforms serving independent workers and small businesses, notably Lettuce Financial. The market has also experienced turbulence, including the sudden closure of Bench in December 2024. Other AI bookkeeping startups target audit firms and corporate finance teams, which differs from Collective's approach focused on the needs of individual entrepreneurs. Collective's strategy is to automate more workflows within a single integrated platform, potentially reducing the need for separate tools for accounting, taxation, and insurance. Radfar believes that AI can enhance the efficiency of independent founders, and the next phase of the company will focus on testing its integrated financial platform's ability to deliver on this promise at scale.