Nominal Inc., a maker of software that engineers use to test and analyze aircraft, satellites, reactors and other complex hardware, raised $240 million in a Series C round that values it at $3 billion, triple its valuation from eight months ago.
Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round and Insight Partners co-led it. Earlier backers Lux Capital, Sequoia, General Catalyst and Founders Fund also invested, along with Avenir, Salesforce Ventures, M13, Lockheed Martin Ventures and others. In March the four-year-old company raised a $155 million Series B extension at a $1 billion valuation in a preemptive deal led by Founders Fund.
Defense first
Nominal, based in Austin with offices in Los Angeles, Washington and London, says more than 80 commercial and government organizations use its platform, including five of the seven largest defense contractors. Anduril Industries is a major customer, and in October the Air Force selected Nominal for a $71.2 million strategic funding award tied to development of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones. Chief Executive Cameron McCord is a former Navy submarine officer and an Anduril alumnus.
The company plans to use the money to build AI agents for requirements checks, scheduling and fleet monitoring, and to expand into new industries and regions, including through acquisitions. It bought Fid Labs and automotive-focused Pull Systems earlier this year. The round adds to a run of large financings for defense-adjacent startups, including Onodrim’s $300 million raise on the same day.
