Snorkel AI, a San Francisco-based frontier AI data lab, has raised $350 million in a funding round that values the company at $3.5 billion. The round, announced on September 22, 2026, was co-led by Insight Partners and S32, with significant participation from existing investor Addition. New investors include March Capital, Blumberg Capital, Allegis Capital, Frontline, Standard, and Third Point Ventures, while existing backers Greylock, Lightspeed, GV, Factory, Prosperity7, Walden Catalyst, and Wells Fargo also participated.
A New Phase in AI Data Development
The funding arrives during a fundamental shift in how AI systems are built and trained. Snorkel describes the earlier era of AI data as Data 1.0, defined by simple labeling tasks that could be solved with headcount. Today's frontier and agentic systems require Data 2.0, where expert tasks, environments, and rubrics demand hours or days of qualified human effort to construct.
Designing these components well is now research work, and quality and complexity determine their value. Snorkel launched its expert Data-as-a-Service offering in September 2025 and has grown rapidly by working with leading AI labs and enterprises. The company grew out of the Stanford AI Lab nearly a decade ago and continues to contribute science at the jagged frontier of AI development.
Leadership and Investor Views
Alex Ratner, co-founder and CEO of Snorkel AI, said teams pushing the frontier want a research data partner that pioneers the science of data development. He described the company as the frontier lab for agentic data, combining human excellence with over a decade of research and technology. The executive view reflects Snorkel's origins in the data-centric AI movement.
Insight Partners Managing Director Lonne Jaffe said Snorkel's research-grade approach to AI data, environments, and measurement is becoming increasingly important for building capable and reliable AI systems. He added that the firm is excited to back the team as it brings frontier data factory capabilities to longer-running, complex work in healthcare, law, and software engineering. S32 CEO and General Partner Andy Harrison noted that Snorkel creates a unique flywheel between human expertise and AI.
Plans for the New Capital
Snorkel intends to use the $350 million to grow the capacity of its agentic data factory to meet demand. The company will accelerate investment in vertical and enterprise AI, with a focus on areas such as healthcare, law, and software engineering. It also plans to extend its core research and technology into new domains and modalities.
The company will deepen its investment in open research, building on existing programs like its Open Benchmarks Grants initiative. This focus aligns with Snorkel's long-standing commitment to advancing data-centric AI science and supporting transparent evaluation. It may also help strengthen the broader ecosystem for frontier model development, training, and open evaluation across the industry.
The $350 million round marks a significant milestone for Snorkel AI and the broader AI data sector. With support from a broad group of new and existing investors, the company is positioned to scale its agentic data factory during a pivotal shift in how AI systems are built and evaluated. Its continued investment in research and vertical solutions may help shape the next wave of frontier AI development.