Current Startup and Venture Capital News as of August 7, 2025: Mega Funds, Largest Investment Rounds, Successful IPOs, Global M&A Deals, and Key Trends in AI, Fintech, Biotech, and Climate Technologies.
By the beginning of August 2025, the global venture capital market is confidently recovering after several years of decline. Investors worldwide are again actively financing technology companies: deals are being made with record amounts of capital, and startups' plans for IPOs are once again in the spotlight. Major funds and corporations have resumed significant venture investments, launching new funds and programs, while governments in various countries are increasing their support for innovation, striving to keep pace in the global technology race. Preliminary estimates indicate that the first half of 2025 has been the most successful since 2021 in terms of funding, with investments in North America rising by nearly 90% from last year (to ~$116 billion), largely due to mega deals in the artificial intelligence sector.
- The ongoing revival of the IPO market. Successful tech "unicorn" IPOs and new applications confirm that the long-awaited "window" for exits remains open.
- Record funding rounds and new unicorns. Unprecedented investment volumes are pushing startup valuations to new highs, particularly in the AI sector.
- The return of major investors and mega funds. Leading players are forming record venture funds and increasing investments, once again flooding the market with capital and enhancing risk appetite.
- Diversification of sector focus. Venture capital is directed not only towards AI but also towards fintech, climate projects, biotechnology, defense developments, and even crypto startups, broadening the market's horizons.
- Consolidation and M&A deals. A wave of major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments is reshaping the industry landscape, opening up new opportunities for exits and company consolidations.
- Global expansion of venture capital. The investment boom is reaching new markets around the world, forming their own technology ecosystems.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite restrictions, new funds and initiatives are being launched to develop local startup ecosystems, attracting investor attention to the region.
IPO Market Revitalized: "Window of Opportunity" for Listings Remains Open
The global primary public offering market has revived after a long lull and continues to gain momentum. In Asia, Hong Kong has initiated a new wave of IPOs: several large tech companies have successfully gone public in recent weeks, collectively raising multibillion-dollar amounts. In the U.S., a notable event was the IPO listing of the design platform Figma: during its IPO, the company raised about $1.5 billion (Figma's revenue for 2024 was ~$749 million) with a valuation of approximately $15–20 billion. Figma's shares soared nearly threefold at the start of trading, confirming strong investor demand for tech listings.
Figma's success has signaled to other unicorns waiting for the right moment to enter the public market. The much-anticipated "window of opportunity" for IPOs has re-emerged, and several highly valued startups with stable revenue growth are already eyeing the public market. For example, cryptocurrency exchange Bullish has filed for an IPO in the U.S., planning to list under the ticker BLSH—marking a significant event for the crypto market amid a resurgence of interest from institutional investors in digital assets. Overall, the revitalization of the IPO market allows venture funds to anticipate new exits, while technology companies can attract capital on public platforms at high valuations.
Mega Rounds and New Unicorns: Investments Reach Record Levels
The artificial intelligence sector remains the main driver of venture capital growth in 2025, setting records for funding volumes. The excitement surrounding AI ensures an unprecedented influx of capital, although some experts warn of the risk of overheating. Concurrently, investors are actively funding other rapidly growing segments, leading to the emergence of new unicorns beyond AI. Recent examples of large deals from the last few days include:
- OpenAI (USA, AI) is negotiating a sale of some employee shares at a valuation of around $500 billion (current valuation ~$300 billion).
- Ramp (USA, fintech) has raised $500 million in investments (valuation has increased to ~$22.5 billion).
These and other recent mega deals have sharply increased the valuations of many companies. In the first half of 2025 alone, several dozen new unicorns emerged, with some quickly achieving "ultra-unicorn" status (valued over $5 billion). Record inflows of capital into AI, fintech, biotech, and other promising niches confirm a return of investor confidence in high-growth potential technologies.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena, signaling a new increase in risk appetite. Japan's SoftBank, after a period of inactivity, is once again betting on large-scale investments: Masayoshi Son announced the formation of the Vision Fund III, encompassing $40–50 billion, focused on advanced technologies (especially in AI and robotics). Sovereign funds from Gulf countries have also become active—they are pouring billions into tech projects and launching government mega-programs for the startup sector, creating their own tech hubs in the Middle East. The return of mega funds and large investors not only intensifies competition for the best deals but also instills confidence in the industry regarding further inflows of capital.
Diversification of Sector Focus: Fintech, Climate, Biotech, and Crypto on the Rise
In 2025, venture investments are being distributed across a much broader range of sectors, extending beyond just AI. Following a downturn, interest in fintech is returning: for instance, the New York platform iCapital raised $820 million with a valuation over $7.5 billion, indicating a resumption of major deals in financial technology. Concurrently, there is a boom in "green" projects: funds are actively financing climate initiatives—from renewable energy and electric vehicles to innovative nuclear advancements. The Swiss startup Climeworks raised $162 million for the development of CO2 capture technologies (bringing the total funding to $1 billion). In the nuclear sector, European companies attracted a record €290 million in the first half of 2025, while American projects lead in mega rounds (e.g., Commonwealth Fusion Systems raised ~$1 billion).
Additionally, significant capital is drawn towards biotech and medtech, while cybersecurity remains one of the market drivers (as seen in the Cato Networks deal). Even crypto and Web3 startups are beginning to revive after a downturn—investment in blockchain projects exceeded $10 billion in Q2 2025. All of this points to a growing maturity in the venture market: capital is being allocated across a wide range of sectors and diversification is making the ecosystem more resilient to overheating in specific niches.
Consolidation and M&A: Consolidation of Players
High valuations and intense competition in the markets are pushing startups towards consolidation. In Southeast Asia, for example, the transportation leader Grab has resumed merger talks with Indonesian holding GoTo (combined valuation around $25 billion) to jointly dominate the region. In the U.S. and Europe, tech giants have ramped up acquisition activity for promising projects—Google is buying the cybersecurity cloud startup Wiz for a record $32 billion. This new wave of M&A deals provides venture investors with additional exit opportunities and demonstrates the readiness of large players to pay a significant premium for innovation.
Global Expansion: New Markets Entering the Game
The venture boom of 2025 has a global character: investment activity is rapidly growing in new markets. In the Middle East, state-funded tech hubs are being created, and startups are attracting billions of dollars. In Southeast Asia and India, new unicorns are emerging, while Africa and Latin America are also attracting significant investments. Such geographical expansion of venture capital heightens competition for promising startups worldwide.
Russia and the CIS: Local Focus Amid Global Trends
In Russia and neighboring countries, steps are being taken to develop their own startup ecosystems with an eye on global trends. The state and businesses are launching new funds and support programs to stimulate technological projects in the region.
- At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2025, the PSB Bank venture fund was announced with partners (volume ~12 billion rubles) to finance dual-purpose projects (drones, AI, robotics, etc.).
- A state fund, Qazaqstan Venture Group, valued at $1 billion, has been established in Kazakhstan to support AI startups in Central Asia.
- In July 2025, rules for foreign investors in Russia were relaxed: they are now allowed to buy stakes in domestic companies and freely withdraw capital. This should invigorate the influx of foreign capital and integrate the local venture market into global processes.
While venture market volumes in the region are modest, the groundwork for future growth is being laid. Investors are shifting their focus to more mature projects with proven models, while the government expands support through the development of IT education, accelerators, and tax incentives. Local startups, for their part, are striving to enter global value chains, drawing on strong competencies in AI, Big Data, and other advanced technologies.
Conclusion: Cautious Optimism and Focus on Quality Growth
As of early August 2025, the sentiment in the venture industry remains cautiously optimistic: successful IPOs and large funding rounds lead to hopes that the bottom of the downturn has been passed. However, investors are still selective in their deals, preferring startups with sustainable business models and clear paths to profitability. A strong influx of capital into AI, fintech, and cybersecurity instills confidence in further market growth, but funds are now placing greater emphasis on diversification and risk management. If the current momentum persists, further increases in the number of deals can be expected in the second half of 2025, but the priority will remain on the quality of this growth and the long-term sustainability of companies.
