Current Startup and Venture Capital News as of August 29, 2025: The Return of Mega Funds, Mega Rounds in AI, Renaissance of Crypto Startups, Growth of B2B Marketplaces, and New IPOs. Analysis of Global Venture Market Trends.
By the end of August 2025, the global venture capital market is showing a robust revival following an extended downturn. Investors worldwide are once again actively funding technology startups, concluding multi-million dollar deals, and IPO plans for promising companies are back in the spotlight. Major venture funds and corporations are returning with record-sized investment programs, while governments across various countries are ramping up support for innovative businesses. Private capital is confidently flowing into the startup ecosystem, providing young companies with the liquidity needed for growth and expansion.
Venture activity is being observed across all regions. The **United States** continues to lead the charge (with a lion's share of global investments directed towards the AI sector), the **Middle East** has seen startup funding double compared to last year, and **Europe** is undergoing a reshuffle: Germany has surpassed the UK in terms of venture investments, highlighting the strengthening of continental ecosystems. **India**, **Southeast Asia**, and other rapidly developing markets are attracting record capital against a backdrop of relative caution in **China** (linked to regulatory risks). The startup ecosystems in **Russia** and the **CIS** also aim to keep pace, despite external constraints. A new global venture boom is forming as investors return, albeit remaining selective and cautious. Below are the key trends and events in the venture market as of August 29, 2025:
- The return of mega funds and large investors. Leading players are forming record venture funds and increasing their investments, once again saturating the market with capital and stimulating risk appetite.
- Mega rounds of funding and new "unicorns" in AI. Unprecedented investments are elevating startup valuations to unseen heights, especially in the artificial intelligence segment.
- A revival in the IPO market. Successful public listings by tech companies and new applications confirm that the long-awaited "window of opportunity" for exits remains open.
- A renaissance of crypto startups. The surge in the cryptocurrency market has rekindled interest in blockchain projects, increasing the inflow of capital into the crypto industry.
- Defense technologies and robotics attract capital. Geopolitical factors are stimulating investments in military technologies, aerospace projects, and robotics.
- Digital B2B marketplaces are transforming traditional industries. Online platforms that directly connect business suppliers and buyers are modernizing established markets and garnering venture capital support.
- Global expansion of venture capital. The investment boom is spreading to new regions—from the Middle East and South Asia to Africa and Latin America—forming new tech hubs.
- Local focus: Russia and CIS. Despite constraints, new funds and projects are emerging in the region, signaling a gradual recovery of the venture ecosystem.
The Return of Mega Funds and the Influx of "Big Money"
Major venture investors are triumphantly returning to the market, signaling a renewed appetite for risk. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, having weathered a period of turbulence, has launched its third Vision Fund with a size of approximately $40 billion, targeting advanced technologies (with a special focus on AI and robotics). The well-known Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is assembling its own "megafund" of about $20 billion for investments in late-stage American startups. At the same time, sovereign funds from the **Gulf** are ramping up their activities: the governments of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other countries are pouring billions of dollars into tech projects worldwide and developing large-scale state support programs for startups.
Leading players in the industry have accumulated record reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder"). It is estimated that venture funds in the U.S. alone have more than $300 billion in free capital ready for investment as market confidence grows. This influx of "big money" saturates the startup ecosystem with liquidity, intensifying competition for the best deals while bolstering confidence in the further influx of capital for the development of promising technologies. The return of mega funds and large institutional investors indicates that the market is once again prepared to finance the ambitious plans of startups.
Mega Rounds in AI and New "Unicorns"
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture upswing, demonstrating record financing volumes. Since the beginning of 2025, AI startups have collectively raised over $120 billion—about half of all global venture investments, surpassing the total for all of 2024. Investors worldwide are eager to invest in the most promising AI projects, leading to multi-billion dollar rounds and a sharp increase in company valuations. Just in the past few weeks, several outstanding deals in the sector have been announced:
- OpenAI (USA) – raised approximately $40 billion in investments from a consortium led by SoftBank and Microsoft. This unprecedented round became one of the largest in the history of the tech sector.
- Anthropic (USA) – is finalizing a round of about $5 billion with a company valuation of around $170 billion; the developer of "safe AI" ranks among the most valuable private startups globally.
- Scale AI (USA) – secured $14.3 billion in financing from Meta and partners to scale its data management and AI model training platform.
- xAI (USA) – Elon Musk's new AI startup raised ~$5 billion (the round was led by SpaceX), reflecting corporate investors' interest in cutting-edge developments in AI.
- Databricks (USA) – agreed to raise ~$1 billion in a Series K round at a valuation exceeding $100 billion, cementing its status as one of the most valuable AI developers.
These impressive mega rounds illustrate the enormous appetite of venture capital for the AI direction. Capital is massively flowing into the development of large language models, generative AI, robotics, and related technologies capable of radically transforming entire industries. The value of leading players in the segment has skyrocketed in a short period, and competition among funds for promising AI companies has reached unprecedented levels. Simultaneously, a new generation of "unicorns"—startups valued over $1 billion—is emerging chiefly due to success in the field of artificial intelligence.
The IPO Market is Experiencing a New Boom
After a lull in recent years, tech companies are once again successfully going public. 2025 has been marked by a series of successful IPOs that are restoring optimism among venture investors regarding exit opportunities. Since the beginning of the year, over 220 IPOs have occurred on American exchanges—almost double the number for the same period in 2024. The combined market capitalization of startups that went public in 2025 exceeded $85 billion, compared to ~$56 billion a year earlier. Here are a few examples of recent high-profile debuts:
- Figma (USA) – the cloud design software developer successfully debuted on the NYSE with a valuation of approximately $18 billion. High investor demand allowed shares to be priced above the forecast range and ensured significant stock price growth on the first day of trading.
- Circle (USA) – the issuer of the USDC stablecoin conducted its long-awaited offering in June; the company’s market capitalization exceeds $40 billion, with shares rising more than 5 times from the IPO price.
- CoreWeave (USA) – a cloud infrastructure provider for AI went public in the spring (valuation ~$30 billion) and reached a market capitalization of ~$52 billion by the end of summer, more than doubling its stock value due to high demand for AI solutions.
The success of these listings restores faith in IPOs as an exit mechanism for venture projects. Many late-stage startups, observing the rising stock prices of newly listed companies, are once again considering public offerings as a viable growth strategy rather than yet another private round. A queue of companies eager to seize the newly opened window of opportunity is forming: IPOs of startups across various sectors (including fintech and the crypto industry) are anticipated to secure success in the stock market before the end of the year.
A Renaissance of Crypto Startups
The booming growth of the cryptocurrency market in 2025 has led to a revival of investor interest in blockchain startups and fintech projects associated with digital assets. **Bitcoin** has come within striking distance of its all-time high (around $120,000), instilling optimism in the industry and signaling a new “crypto spring” following a prolonged winter. Against this backdrop, several major industry players have reactivated:
- Gemini – the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins has submitted a confidential IPO application, planning to raise capital for international expansion amid the market's growth.
- BitGo – the American digital asset custody provider is also preparing for a public offering, given the heightened demand from institutional investors for reliable crypto infrastructure.
In the private sector, funding for blockchain projects is also reviving compared to previous years. Venture funds are once again willing to take risks in DeFi, crypto exchanges, Web3 infrastructure, banking on greater regulatory certainty and mass adoption of crypto technologies. Although transaction volumes are still trailing behind the records of 2021, there is a clear trend toward recovery. New funds focused on digital assets are emerging, and successful IPOs of profile companies (expected in 2025-2026) could attract even more capital to the industry.
Defense Technologies and Robotics Attract Capital
The geopolitical climate and technological breakthroughs are stimulating growth in investments in defense, aerospace, and robotics sectors. Startups creating products for safety and military applications are receiving funding not only from private venture funds but also with the support of government programs. Here are some notable deals in this area:
- Anduril (USA) – a developer of autonomous defense systems based on AI raised about $2.5 billion to expand the production of unmanned platforms and surveillance means. This round was among the largest of the year, demonstrating investors' trust in next-generation military technologies.
- Stark (Germany) – a startup creating strike drones secured $62 million (round led by Sequoia Capital with participation from NATO Innovation Fund and others) at a valuation of around $500 million. The involvement of NATO and strategic investors underscores the significance of drone systems in the contemporary market.
In addition to strictly military projects, venture capital is actively directed toward adjacent areas—developments in humanoid robots, cybersecurity, and space technologies. For example, the American startup Figure AI recently raised about $1.5 billion for the development of next-generation humanoid robots. The rapid progress in these fields, backed by financial support, indicates that "deep" technologies are becoming one of the priorities for investors alongside consumer services.
Digital B2B Marketplaces Transform Industries
Digital B2B marketplaces are rapidly developing worldwide—online platforms that directly connect business suppliers and buyers, bypassing traditional intermediaries. Venture investors are increasingly investing in such models, seeing the potential to radically enhance the efficiency of entire sectors—from industrial and energy to agriculture and logistics. These platforms allow companies to find each other more quickly, close deals, and optimize supply chains, which is particularly valuable in the era of business digitization.
A telling example is the emergence of specialized marketplaces in commodity markets. For instance, the "Open Oil Market" project—a digital platform for oil product trading—has attracted strategic partners and several rounds of financing, along with plans for an IPO in 2027. Similarly, B2B platforms are emerging in construction, raw materials trade, freight transportation, and other sectors. Many such startups are growing rapidly, vying for "unicorn" status, and modernizing conservative markets through technology. The development of B2B marketplaces has turned into a global trend, reflecting the digital transformation of the traditional B2B sector and attracting substantial venture investments worldwide.
Global Expansion of Venture Capital
The venture boom of 2025 features an increasingly broad geography. Aside from traditional centers (the U.S., Western Europe, China), capital inflows are strengthening in new markets around the world. In the **Middle East**, Gulf countries are directing record funds into startups through sovereign funds, creating regional tech hubs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. **South Asia** continues to see rapid growth in Indian and Southeast Asian ecosystems, attracting unprecedented volumes of investment. **Africa** is also making its mark: the successes of startups from Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and other countries are drawing the attention of global investors to the African continent.
- MENA (Middle East) – startups in the region have raised around $2 billion in the first half of 2025 (+130% year-over-year); the largest contributions came from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
- Africa – the volume of funding for African startups reached ~$1.3 billion in the first 6 months of 2025 (an ~80% year-on-year increase); record deals have been recorded in Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa.
- Latin America – venture investments in the region grew by 15-20% in Q2 2025 (quarter-on-quarter); for the first time since 2012, Mexico surpassed Brazil in terms of investment volume due to significant fintech rounds (for example, the Mexican startup Klar raised $170 million).
In **Europe**, Germany, France, and Scandinavian countries are strengthening their positions, while growth has slowed in the UK post-Brexit. In **Asia**, the situation is mixed: while activity in China is declining, stable high levels of funding remain in India, Southeast Asia, and Israel (in some of these countries, the number of deals has reached record levels in recent years). Thus, the global startup ecosystem is becoming more distributed: in addition to Silicon Valley and China, new innovation centers are gaining strength in different corners of the world.
Russia and CIS: Adaptation and New Opportunities
The venture market in Russia and neighboring countries is gradually emerging from "winter," adapting to new conditions. Despite international restrictions and the outflow of some capital, stabilization began in the latter half of 2024, and in 2025 the industry is showing signs of recovery. Local investors and corporations are launching new funds, accelerators, and initiatives to support technology projects. Development institutions (for instance, the Skolkovo Fund) are offering grants, tax incentives, and co-financing programs, partially offsetting the reduction in foreign investments. Simultaneously, many startup founders in Russia are seeking growth opportunities in foreign markets, leading to the emergence of global companies with Russian roots.
It is noteworthy that even under challenging conditions, successful cases are emerging. The Krasnodar-based foodtech startup Qummy raised about 440 million rubles this year with a valuation of around 2.4 billion rubles—this round confirmed the return of private investors' and banks' interest in the domestic market. Additionally, several major financial institutions have announced the establishment of venture funds: PSB Bank has formed a fund of 12 billion rubles for investments in IT startups, investment company Kama Flow has launched a fund of 10 billion rubles, and the Tinkoff ecosystem is developing the T-Invest fund for investments in fast-growing projects. Authorities have officially simplified the capital attraction process from "friendly" countries, opening doors for new capital infusions into the tech sector.
Although the absolute volumes of venture investments in Russia and CIS remain modest by global standards, they are steadily growing. According to the Russian Venture Company, approximately $80 million was invested into Russian tech startups in the first half of 2025 (about 70% more than a year earlier). The focus is shifting to projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, import substitution, cybersecurity, and B2B services for large businesses—that is, in areas that are in demand in current realities. Experts note that the regional ecosystem is gradually adapting to new conditions: the most viable teams continue to receive funding, and new deals are being made even at the seed stage. If the economic situation remains stable, venture investments in the region have a chance to continue their forward growth and integrate more closely with global trends.
