Blacksmith

Blacksmith

High-performance CI/CD runners for GitHub Actions

About Blacksmith

Simplify's Rating
Why Blacksmith is rated
C+
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Enterprise Software

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$13.6M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2024

Overview

What does the company do? Blacksmith provides a drop-in replacement for GitHub Actions runners that uses high-performance gaming CPUs to speed up builds and tests, helping teams run CI/CD workflows faster and more cost-effectively. How does it work? It acts as a substitute for standard runners in GitHub Actions, leveraging powerful CPUs in a cloud environment to accelerate compilation, testing, and automation tasks, with pricing based on usage. How is it different from competitors? Its focus on high performance hardware aimed specifically at CI workloads and a usage-based pricing model aims to lower overall CI/CD costs compared to GitHub’s native runners, appealing to teams seeking faster feedback loops and predictable expenses. What is its goal? To help software development teams optimize their CI/CD workflows, reduce build times, and cut operational costs.

YC Company
Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Google Ventures led $10M Series A four months post-$3.5M seed.
  • GitHub's 2025 $0.002/minute fee boosts demand for Blacksmith.
  • CI observability and Tinybird integration drive product expansion.

What critics are saying

  • GitHub premium runners undercut 2x speed at half cost in 6-12 months.
  • AWS CodeBuild cuts prices 40% for CI in 3-9 months.
  • Oxide spot-priced fleet undercuts 60% for AI jobs in 9-15 months.

What makes Blacksmith unique

  • Blacksmith uses gaming CPUs and micro VMs for 2x faster GitHub Actions.
  • Drop-in replacement targets cost reduction versus GitHub's native runners.
  • Y Combinator alum founded by ex-Cockroach Labs engineers.

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Funding

Total Funding

$13.6M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

2 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Series A funding typically happens when a startup has a product and some customers, and now needs funding to scale. This money is usually used to grow the team, expand marketing, and improve the product. Venture capital firms are frequently the main investors here.
Series A Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$15M
$8.2M
Discord
$10M
Blacksmith
$15M
Canva
$30M
Kalshi

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Company Equity

Stock Options

Parental Leave

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-7%

1 year growth

-9%

2 year growth

2%
Tech News Tube
Sep 17th, 2025
Blacksmith secures $10M Series A funding

Google Ventures has increased its investment in Blacksmith, a developer tool startup, just four months after its seed round. Blacksmith, a Y Combinator graduate, secured a $10 million Series A funding round led by Google Ventures to help reduce costs and accelerate software build processes.

TechCrunch
Sep 17th, 2025
Google Ventures doubles down on dev tool startup Blacksmith just 4 months after its seed round | TechCrunch

Blacksmith, a Y Combinator alum, raised $10M Series A led by Google Ventures to cut costs and speed up software builds.

BEAMSTART
Sep 17th, 2025
Google Ventures Fuels Dev Tool Startup Blacksmith with $10M Series A Funding Just Months After Seed Round

Blacksmith, a promising Y Combinator alum, has secured a significant $10 million Series A funding led by Google Ventures, a mere four months after its initial seed round.

AI Insider
May 5th, 2025
Blacksmith Raises $3.5M Led by GV and Y Combinator to Build a High-Performance CI Cloud for the AI Age

Blacksmith raised $3.5M in seed funding, led by GV and Y Combinator, with backing from key tech leaders including Cockroach Labs' Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis.

WN.com
May 1st, 2025
Blacksmith Raises $3.5M for CI Cloud

Blacksmith, a high-performance CI cloud, has raised $3.5 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by GV and Y Combinator. The company, founded by former Cockroach Labs engineers, aims to compete with major industry players like GitHub and AWS in the AI sector.

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