No sign of $200 million in funding to launch AI native devices next year | Photo credit: Special Arrangement
Nekas announced on Tuesday (September 16, 2025) that it has raised a new $200 million Series C funding round at a $1.3 billion valuation. The funding was led by Tiger Global, along with existing partners including GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF, and Tapestry, and new backing from Nikhil Kamath and Qualcomm Ventures.
The London-based tech startup announced that it will be launching AI native devices next year on the back of this funding.
“Products that are available to the user at the moment of need, paired with intelligence that translates understanding into action. This is a very exciting time, imagining devices that sense context in different ways and generate interfaces on demand, shaped by what the user is trying to accomplish,” said Carl Pei, CEO and co-founder of neko.
The smartphone maker is also preparing to launch its next community round soon, giving its backers a new opportunity to become part of Nothing’s journey.
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In four years, there’s no telling how it has shipped millions of devices, surpassing more than $1 billion in total sales in 2025, up 150% from 2024.
For AI to reach its full potential, consumer hardware needs to reinvent itself alongside it. This is an opportunity we see nothing of, he added.
“Each system will know its user deeply and be hyper-personalized to each individual. Interfaces will adapt to context and needs. Suggestions will appear naturally, and once we confirm an intent, agents will execute on our behalf. The system will treat us differently than we would expect.”
Nothing is an AI OS that will lead to smart glasses, humanoid robots, EVs and whatever comes next, Karl said. “This is the next chapter for Nothing, integrating AI experiences into our hardware devices to reinvent how technology empowers us.”
Karl said that soon users will carry an additional device that will be as important as their phone. “A smartphone, while powerful, may not always be in our best interest.”
Published – September 16, 2025 at 11:58 AM IST
