U.S. B2B buying is shifting. Analyzing 126 funding rounds from Jan 1–14, 2026, we see capital concentrating in the $20M–$50M scale-up band, opening a window for GTM teams that can deliver audit-ready reliability, faster onboarding, and operational maturity in the next 30–60 days.
Executive summary for leaders
Buying power concentrated in $20M–$50M raises; these accounts fund audits, reliability, and customer-facing scale. The fastest routes to revenue are New York software and compliance, Bay Area AI infrastructure, and Boston or Waltham biotech tools. Expect 30–60 day pilots in security, observability, and data platforms; watch for post-raise hiring in CS and SRE as a green light.
The money map for GTM
In this window, Fundz recorded $1.87B across 126 announced rounds. Most checks ranged from $5M to $50M. That distribution matters for sellers because it correlates with teams that are expanding headcount, formalizing processes, and signing new vendors.
Very large rounds were rare. One $150M AI raise anchored regional attention, and there were no $250M-plus mega-rounds. For sales leaders, the center of gravity is budgeted expansion rather than blank-check experimentation.
Where to hunt first by industry
| Industry | Deals | $ Raised | Likely near-term purchases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology and Health Adjacent | 7 + adj. | ~$197.8M (+ ~$81.2M) | Lab throughput tools, quality systems, clinical and evidence platforms, data integration, and compliance. |
| Software and Information Technology | 23 | ~$196.7M | Security and governance, observability, data platforms, developer productivity, customer success tooling. |
| Manufacturing | 7 | ~$116.9M | Automation, MES and QA, traceability, maintenance, supplier qualification, safety and training. |
Use the matrix below to prioritize accounts within each industry. Start with high-intent signals, lead with a concise first pitch, and time-box next steps.
| Industry | High-intent signals | First outreach angle | Action in 30 / 60 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology & Health Adjacent | CS/Service hiring; QA roles; multi-site or clinical rollout language in postings; vendor adds for lab tools | “Increase instrument uptime and traceability; shorten time to evidence with audit-ready workflows.” | 30: uptime/QA pilot in one site. 60: expand traceability & training across sites. |
| Software & Information Technology | SRE/Platform/SecOps hiring; SOC2/ISO/Risk language in job posts; growth in enterprise contracts | “Harden governance and observability for enterprise SLAs; reduce incidents as usage scales.” | 30: audit-ready logging PoC. 60: SLO rollout and incident drill with top customer. |
| Manufacturing | New line commissioning; QA/MES roles; supplier onboarding surges; safety/compliance initiatives | “Improve yield and compliance with MES/QA integrations and supplier qualification workflows.” | 30: MES integration workshop. 60: predictive maintenance + e-traceability pilot. |
For deeper context on the same period, including sector dynamics and investor takeaways, see our companion VC brief: What Early 2026 Is Really Funding: The Fundz Take on U.S. VC, Jan 1–14.
Fastest paths to meetings by city
Geography shapes buying tempo. New York spread dollars across risk and compliance platforms, enterprise software, and AI applications. The Bay Area concentrated spend around one AI anchor and a cluster of scale-ups. Boston and Waltham leaned into biotech tools and platforms. Use the table as a routing guide for territory managers and partner sellers.
| City | Deals | $ Raised | First-call angle + action in 14/30/60 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 18 | $307,582,308 | Risk, compliance, and data protection for regulated buyers; CS tooling for enterprise rollouts. 14: book security review. 30: pilot with 1–2 enterprise customers. 60: expand to CS workflows. |
| Berkeley | 3 | $165,000,000 | AI capacity and enterprise service commitments; observability, security, and governance vendors. 14: audit-ready logging PoC. 30: SLO design workshop. 60: production rollout for top accounts. |
| Boston | 7 | $123,207,637 | Clinical and evidence enablement; payer and provider data integrations. 14: evidence workflow assessment. 30: integration pilot. 60: multi-site expansion. |
| Waltham | 3 | $118,788,714 | Biotech tools scale-up; instrument uptime, QA, and traceability. 14: uptime and training baseline. 30: QA and traceability pilot. 60: SOP rollout and audit prep. |
| San Francisco | 7 | $80,607,898 | SecOps and platform productivity for growth-stage software companies. 14: security findings review. 30: observability pilot. 60: platform productivity program. |
| Palo Alto | 4 | $69,830,000 | Data platforms and governance, plus cost control around cloud and AI workflows. 14: cost and governance assessment. 30: data platform pilot. 60: policy and permissioning rollout. |
Deal size tells you the script
Rounds between $5M and $20M are usually about proving repeatability across more customers. Leads respond to offers that remove friction and accelerate onboarding. Rounds between $20M and $50M fund hiring in sales, customer success, and platform teams, plus systems that make the operation auditable. One $150M AI round in the Bay Area will create second-order spend in data, security, and observability as enterprise contracts go live.
Signal taxonomy for 2026
| Signal type | Examples | Why it matters | GTM move (48 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard | Series A–C close; executive hire (CISO/VP CS/SRE); new facility; major compliance milestone | Budget or mandate just landed; buying window is open | Trigger outreach to buyer + operator pair; offer a 30-day pilot tied to the trigger |
| Soft | Hiring velocity; website traffic spikes; partner listings; new RFP language | Intent is rising; budget may be in flight | Warm with value proof; schedule discovery and map to current KPIs |
Three ready-to-run plays
These are anonymized composites from Fundz rows in this report window. Use them as patterns for territory teams.
Play one. A Series B AI software company in the Berkeley node raised about $150M on January 9.
Target roles are VP of Security, Head of Data Platform, and Director of Observability. Offer a short risk-reduction path for enterprise service commitments. Your hook is audit-ready logs and permissioning that map to customer policies. Timeline: 30 days PoC, 60 days SLO rollout.
Play two. A biotech tools platform in Waltham raised two tranches of around $48M on January 8 and January 12.
Target roles are VP of Manufacturing, Director of Quality, and Head of Service. Offer instrument uptime, traceability, and training at scale for multi-site rollouts. Your hook is faster, with fewer outages. Timeline: 30 days uptime pilot, 60 days QA and traceability expansion.
Play three. An advanced materials manufacturer in the Mid-Atlantic raised about $48.5M on January 6.
Target roles are Plant Manager, Director of Operations, and VP Supply Chain. Offer MES and QA integrations, predictive maintenance, and supplier qualification. Your hook has fewer defects and a clean audit trail across lines and changeovers. Timeline: 30 days MES workshop, 60 days predictive maintenance pilot.
Email and call frameworks
Subject: Congrats on your raise. Quick path to speed and compliance.
First line: Noticed your January round and the plan to scale in Q1. Teams at this stage usually need help with security and data governance to keep enterprise deals moving.
Close: If you are open to it, I can show a five-step path that cuts onboarding time and gives your customers the controls they expect. Would next Tuesday or Wednesday work for a short review?
Role-by-role value lines
- CFO: lower incident and onboarding costs without headcount growth; predictable spend and faster payback from 30–60 day pilots; optional vendor consolidation.
- COO: fewer defects and higher throughput; audit-ready processes across sites; shorter mean time to recovery with clearer SOPs.
- CISO: smoother customer security reviews; stronger SOC2 and ISO posture; least-privilege access and evidence trails; reduced breach window.
- VP Engineering / SRE: fewer pages and incidents; clearer service level objectives; better observability coverage; lower cost to serve at scale.
- VP Customer Success: faster time to value; shorter onboarding; clearer expansion triggers; lower renewal risk with compliant workflows.
Risks and disqualifiers
Raise earmarked primarily for R&D or clinical work with no CS, SRE, or security hiring. Single-logo dependence with no enterprise compliance requirements yet. Procurement freeze signals in public postings or exec remarks. If two or more of these appear, downgrade the account even if the round is sizable.
Territory planning checklist
Route by the three highest-signal metros in your patch. Layer in industry and deal size. Track post-raise hiring in customer success, security, and platform engineering to spot live projects. For ongoing targeting and weekly updates, the Fundz Sales Intelligence blog covers funding signals, territory guides, and repeatable outreach angles.
Data methodology
Scope: 126 U.S. funding events recorded by Fundz between Jan 1–14, 2026. Validation: company disclosures and reputable sources where cited. Normalization: amounts standardized to USD at entry. Limitations: late filings and undisclosed amounts may shift totals in later snapshots.
Sales Intelligence Report 2026 FAQs
How often does this report publish
Weekly, using Fundz data for the most recent period. Late disclosures can shift the prior week and will appear in the following snapshot.
What if a round is undisclosed or the amount changes later?
Amounts are as disclosed, or Fundz verified. Undisclosed rounds are excluded until public or reliably confirmed. Late filings may update totals in a later view.
How should I adjust for my ICP?
Use industry, location, and deal size together. For example, mid-market security platforms should begin with New York software raises in the $5M to $20M band. Industrial SaaS should focus on manufacturing raises between $20M and $50M.
Where can I see live changes by city or sector?
Use the Funding Trends overview inside Fundz to slice by city, sector, and size, then save segments for your routing and sequences.
About the data
Figures reflect Fundz fundings and companies' records for January 1–14, 2026, and are verified against company disclosures and reputable sources, as cited. Totals may change as late filings appear.
Disclosure
This report is for informational purposes and is not investment, legal, or tax advice.
Author’s note: how Fundz can help
If you want live alerts on Hard Signals (funding, executive moves, hiring velocity) and pre-built GTM plays by city and sector, Fundz can help you stand up a signal-led motion in days.