Nominal, a US-based AI and software startup developing a hardware intelligence platform, has raised $240m in its latest Series C funding round, bringing its valuation to $3bn.
Lightspeed Venture Partners led the investment, with Insight Partners as co-lead.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
Other investors included Lux Capital, General Catalyst, Sequoia, Founders Fund, Salesforce Ventures, Avenir, M13, Red Glass Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, PSP Growth, and Deployment Capital.
The company provides a platform that links hardware data with its corresponding engineering context.
According to Nominal, this approach enables engineering teams to assess complex systems, identify issues, and make evidence-based decisions.
Engineers retain control over decisions, reviews, and approvals, even as the platform supports the use of AI agents to analyse data and conduct detailed investigations.
Nominal co-founder and CEO Cameron McCord said: “Hardware engineering is getting its AI moment, with real operational value that goes far beyond making existing workflows faster. The companies building the world’s most advanced machines have decades of hard-won knowledge in their organisations.
“We’re building the platform that puts that knowledge to work, connecting it to data, so engineers can take on harder problems and build things that weren’t possible before. Engineers stay in command, with purpose-built AI helping them do their best work.”
Nominal’s platform is designed to integrate with existing tools and systems used by engineering teams. It supports various operating environments, including cloud, on-premises, air-gapped, and edge infrastructure.
The company’s first AI agent, Nominal Analyst, allows users to conduct analyses with traceable results.
Currently, over 80 commercial and government organisations utilise Nominal’s platform, including five of the seven largest defence contractors.
At companies such as Anduril Industries, HII, and Hermeus, Nominal reports that engineers are able to reduce analysis and testing timelines significantly.
The US Air Force has also selected Nominal for a $71.2m Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) in support of Collaborative Combat Aircraft capability development.
The newly secured funding will be used for product development and expansion into new sectors and regions.
As part of its growth strategy, Nominal has acquired Fid Labs and Pull Systems, integrating these teams and expanding its platform’s reach into the automotive sector.
Nominal plans further development of its AI-based agents and applications to support engineering processes throughout the lifecycle of complex hardware systems.
In June 2025, Nominal secured $75m in a Series B funding round to enhance its hardware testing capabilities.
