Current Startup and Venture Capital News as of November 3, 2025: New Mega Funds, Record Rounds for AI Startups, M&A Deals, and the Development of Green Technologies. A Global Overview for Venture Investors.
By the beginning of November 2025, the global startup and venture capital market is showing solid growth following the corrections of previous years. Investors from many countries are back in action: large deals are being made, significant funds are being launched, and technological trends—from artificial intelligence to climate innovations—are dictating investment strategies. Tech giants and sovereign funds are returning to the venture scene, stimulating a wave of M&A deals and preparing companies for IPOs. There is a general market revival and cautious optimism among investors.
- Return of Mega Funds: Leading investors are attracting record capital, creating new funds (SoftBank Vision Fund III at $40 billion, increased resources from sovereign funds, etc.) and preparing for grand investments.
- Record Rounds in AI: Major investments are giving rise to new "unicorns" and even "decacorns"—valuations of AI startups have soared to unprecedented heights. Generative AI, robotics, and "applied" AI services for businesses are receiving significant funding.
- IPO Revival: Tech companies are revising their plans for going public. Successful listings from chipmakers and software developers have restored investor confidence and created a "window of opportunity" for new placements.
- M&A Deals: Consolidation in the industry has intensified: major corporations are acquiring promising startups. The largest players are using acquisitions to strengthen their positions and optimize R&D costs.
- Green Technologies: The interest in climate and environmental startups is actively growing. Projects in clean energy, green hydrogen, waste management, and agritech are attracting larger investments.
- Regional Trends: Investments are rapidly growing in India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Local ecosystems in the CIS are developing based on government support programs; innovation hubs are emerging in Africa and Latin America.
Record Investments in Artificial Intelligence
Investments in artificial intelligence startups continue to break records. By the end of Q3 2025, over $100 billion (around half of all venture capital investments) was directed towards AI projects. Tech leaders are demonstrating impressive results: NVIDIA's market value surpassed $5 trillion, reflecting the demand for its AI chips. Investors are now confident that the AI "bubble" has solid foundations: sales of AI-based products and services are growing at double-digit rates annually.
- Anthropic (USA): raised approximately $13 billion in Series D with participation from leading funds, becoming one of the most valuable AI startups globally.
- Cruise (USA): an AI data center service closed Series E at $1.375 billion with a valuation exceeding $10 billion, entering the ranks of new "decacorns."
- Mercor (USA): an AI recruiting platform completed Series C at $350 million with a valuation around $10 billion, demonstrating swift growth.
- Synthesia (USA): an AI avatar video generation service raised $200 million (Series C) and neared a $4 billion valuation, expanding its global presence.
- Valthos (USA): an AI biosecurity startup received $30 million in a seed round (led by OpenAI Startup Fund) to protect against risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Mega Rounds and New Venture Funds
The activity of large rounds remains at a record high: deals over $100 million accounted for more than 60% of investment volume in Q3. Leading funds are expanding their strategies: Sequoia Capital launched a new $950 million fund (including $200 million for seed), and Andreessen Horowitz announced its fifth multi-billion dollar fund. Sovereign funds from the Persian Gulf are also increasing their budgets—investments in technology are measured in tens of billions of dollars. As a result, "dry powder" (reserve capital) for startups remains at an unprecedented high level, creating the potential for new record-setting deals.
Tech Giants and Corporate Investments
Large IT corporations and industrial companies are intensifying support for startups. Meta has planned record expenditures on data centers and AI—over $70 billion in 2025—and invested $14.3 billion in the Israeli AI startup Scale AI to develop its own models. Meanwhile, Meta's revenue is growing at a leading pace (+26% in Q3), justifying such investments. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are also increasing their spending on AI infrastructure and R&D. Automotive companies (GM, Toyota) are creating venture funds to invest in startups for autonomous driving and electric vehicles. This indicates that venture capital is flowing into the sector not only from traditional funds but also from the largest corporations, adding further momentum to the market.
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
Concurrently, the activity of large M&A deals is increasing. For instance, American chipmakers Skyworks Solutions and Qorvo completed a merger valued at approximately $22 billion, combining technologies for 5G and IoT. Major companies in the crypto and fintech segments are also making acquisitions: Coinbase is discussing the purchase of infrastructure provider BVNK (~$2 billion) to expand its stablecoin services, while Mastercard plans to acquire startup Zerohash (~$1.7 billion) to strengthen its blockchain initiatives. In the defense and aerospace sector, corporations are forming partnerships with startups: Northrop Grumman partnered with a new space project to develop satellites with AI systems. All these deals demonstrate the intense consolidation within the industry.
- Coinbase: negotiations for the acquisition of stablecoin provider BVNK (~$2 billion) to expand crypto services.
- Mastercard: plans to acquire Zerohash (~$1.7 billion)—a blockchain infrastructure startup.
- Skyworks + Qorvo (USA): $22 billion for a merger of RF chip leaders for 5G/IoT.
- Northrop Grumman: partnership with a startup in space related to AI satellites.
Technological Trends and New Niches
- Robotics and Automation: significant rounds are being secured by robotics startups. Apptronik (USA) raised approximately $400 million for its industrial humanoid robot "Apollo," Galaxy Bot (China) secured $154 million for home robots, and Neuralink (USA) raised $650 million for the development of neurointerfaces and medical robots.
- Environmental and Biotechnology: climate and bioinnovation startups are experiencing growing demand from investors. Israeli Stardust Solutions raised $60 million for geoengineering (solar reflection), British PACT received £16 million for bi materials (an alternative to leather), while German Hydgen raised $5 million for compact "green" hydrogen generators. Additionally, Merge Labs (USA) raised $250 million for an ultrasound neurointerface to "read thoughts" (a startup led by Sam Altman).
- Cryptocurrencies and Fintech: despite volatility, major projects continue to grow. Coinbase and Mastercard (see above) demonstrate the merging of crypto tools and traditional finance. French FAKTUS and Austrian Saturn received tens of millions of euros to develop embedded payments and digital banking services.
- Space Technologies: investments in SpaceTech are hitting records (approximately $3.5 billion in Q3 2025, Reuters). Chinese Galactic Energy raised $336 million, while Hadrian, Apex, and Hermeus secured major defense space deals in the USA. The market is maturing: a wider range of projects is being funded, not only "star" leaders (SpaceX, OneWeb, etc.).
Regional Features
- USA: remains the leading venture market, particularly in AI, robotics, and biotech due to a mature ecosystem of startups and funds.
- Europe: interest is growing in deep-tech and green startups (with EU support). For the first time in years, Germany has overtaken the UK in investment volume.
- Asia: India and Southeast Asia are demonstrating record investment growth; in China, there is a decline due to regulations, but local initiatives for AI development are strengthening.
- Middle East: sovereign funds are doubling investments in tech innovations and building their own hubs (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) for startups.
- Russia and CIS: despite sanctions, the venture ecosystem is slowly reviving. In the first half of 2025, Russian startups attracted $80–90 million (an increase of ~90%), particularly in AI, the industrial Internet of Things, and green technologies.
Looking Ahead
In summary, the global startup ecosystem is on the rise, but the focus of investments is concentrated on technological leaders. Capital is directed towards the most promising sectors (AI, clean energy, bioinnovation, etc.), while smaller projects are receiving selective funding. Investors maintain moderate optimism: the market is ready for continued growth, but the valuations of companies are receiving particular attention. It is expected that large IT firms will continue to prepare for IPOs, while the wave of M&A deals will remain at a high level, providing investors with exit opportunities from projects.
