Ellis AI Launches with $10M and a Rare Backer List

Ellis AI launched July 30, 2026, with over $10 million in early funding. The startup builds software that uses AI to handle tasks in private credit — the business of lending to companies outside traditional bank loans. Backers include Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, Slow Capital, 645 Ventures, Harlem Capital, and Mellody Hobson — a group that rarely invests together this early. Their convergence suggests belief that AI-powered tools for finance are here to stay.