Plato Raises $16M Series A to Build AI Training Simulations
San Francisco – October 29, 2026 -- Plato, a startup that builds simulated workplaces for training AI models, raised a $16 million Series A round led by Nava Ventures, lifting its total funding to $19 million.
Gradient Ventures, Transpose Platform and Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman also participated. Gradient Ventures had led the company's earlier seed round. Nava Ventures founder Freddie Martignetti joins Plato's board.
Simulations let AI labs train models without touching live systems
Plato targets the shift from AI that answers questions to AI that takes action. Training models directly in live software carries real risk: a model learning to place an order could spend actual money, and one practicing an administrative task could alter real records. Plato recreates these workflows in simulations that can be reset and reused.