Top Tech Startups in California, US in 2026

Zenos is a highly funded next-gen AI + Robotics startup, with strong customer demand. We are delivering AI productivity to the physical world. We’re attacking a trillion dollar market opportunity with a world class team at lightning speed, and having a ton of fun while doing it. We are currently in stealth mode, but excited to launch with major announcements soon.

The architectures that power modern AI were designed for language, not for science. They were never built to understand DNA, interpret experiments, or learn the rules that govern living systems. Closing this gap represents one of the defining opportunities of our time. Our team has pioneered advances across frontier AI, including the first models trained with one-million-token context windows, and now scaling toward one billion. We focus on innovations on systems and architecture, because building AI for science demands a fundamentally different foundation. As a first application of this technology engine, we are advancing AI for life, the most complex and consequential domain of all. We are the AI team behind Evo and Evo 2, the generative genomics models used to create real gene-editing tools and the first whole genomes designed entirely by AI. That work demonstrated that AI can create biology, not just analyze it. We are now building multimodal models trained directly on the fabric of biology, enabling faster discovery, deeper understanding, and entirely new capabilities. As we push the frontier of scientific world models, we will build systems hand-in-hand to ensure global biological resilience: rapid detection, rapid response, and rapid countermeasures against emerging threats, both natural and synthetic. Our mission is ambitious: to reimagine what AI can do for science, and to build that future.

Your idea deserves a shot! We will help you realize the project you have had in mind all this time. Without hurting your pocket.

VAMOS (vamosx.co) helps local taxis compete with market giants, using technology designed to optimise costs, increase profits, and connect millions of people worldwide. Traditional taxi drivers face fierce competition from Uber and Lyft, often losing market share and revenue. VAMOS’s cutting-edge B2B2C technology levels the playing field, streamlining operations, attracting more riders, reducing costs, and increasing earning potential from both rides and deliveries. Introducing VAMOS: revolutionising transportation for island destinations by equipping local taxi drivers with advanced technology to reach more riders and boost their earnings. Our intuitive app delivers smarter, faster, and greener rides, transforming every journey into a seamless experience. Sustainability impact: At VAMOS, we are committed to creating a lasting positive impact in destinations around the world. By allocating a percentage of our revenue to community development initiatives, we directly support local education, infrastructure, and environmental conservation efforts.

A new kind of AI computer—running models, agents, and software locally with speed, privacy, and control. Mother integrates training, inference, and agents into a single system. Based in Mountain View, CA