Model ML seeks to raise over $100M at $1B valuation to automate Wall Street workflows

1 week ago 29

Model ML, the AI startup that builds workflow automation tools for investment banks and asset managers, is in active negotiations to raise more than $100 million in a new funding round that would value the company above $1 billion.

The round could grow as large as $150 million, according to reporting from Bloomberg. The round remains open as of mid-September 2026.

From Y Combinator to billion-dollar talks

Model ML’s trajectory has been uncommonly fast, even by startup standards. Founded in 2023 by brothers Chaz and Arnie Englander, the company participated in Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 batch before emerging from stealth in February 2025.

Within weeks of going public, Model ML closed a $12 million seed round. By November 2025, it had secured a $75 million Series A. HSBC Asset Management piled on with a follow-on investment in August 2026, bringing cumulative funding past $100 million before this latest round even closes.

The company has landed contracts with major banks, asset managers, and consultancies including Deloitte and PwC. Former HSBC CEO Noel Quinn and ex-UBS chairman Axel Weber both serve as advisors.

What Model ML actually does

The core product is an agentic AI platform designed to automate research, data extraction, due diligence analysis, and the assembly of client-facing documents like investment memos and pitch decks. Model ML’s system generates outputs in standard enterprise formats: Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

The company describes its architecture as model-agnostic, meaning it isn’t locked into any single large language model provider.

Model ML also claims its platform achieves superior speed and error detection compared to work produced at McKinsey and Bain-level standards. The platform is built with institutional governance baked in, including audit trails, access controls, and compliance guardrails.