Global Startup and Venture Investment News as of September 4, 2025: Record Rounds in Artificial Intelligence, IPO Activations, M&A Deals, and New Fund Initiatives. Trend Analysis for Venture Investors and Funds.
As of early September 2025, the global venture market continues its rapid recovery after several years of decline. Investors worldwide are actively financing tech startups again, resulting in record deals and a renewed focus on IPO plans. Major players are returning with substantial investments, while governments are intensifying their support for innovation. As a result, private capital is steadily flowing back into the startup ecosystem.
Venture activity is rising across all regions. The United States remains firmly in the lead (especially in the field of artificial intelligence), while investment volumes in the Middle East remain double the level of last year. In Europe, Germany has for the first time surpassed the UK in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and Gulf countries attract record amounts of capital amid diminished activity in China. The startup ecosystems in post-Soviet countries are also striving to keep pace despite external restrictions. A global early-stage venture boom is forming, although investors remain selective and cautious.
Below are the key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda as of September 4, 2025:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors. Leading venture funds are raising record capital and sharply increasing investments, flooding the market with money and raising risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns. Unusually large investments are pushing startup valuations to unprecedented heights, particularly in the artificial intelligence segment.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful public offerings of several tech companies and new applications confirm that the long-awaited "window" for exits is open again.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is being directed not only to AI but also to fintech, climate and environmental projects, biotechnology, defense technologies, and renewed interest in crypto startups.
- A Wave of Consolidation and M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape, creating new opportunities for exits and accelerated growth.
- Local Focus: Russia and CIS Countries. Despite external restrictions, new funds and initiatives are launched in the region to support local startup ecosystems, attracting the attention of investors.
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 rise in risk appetite. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank recently announced a new Vision Fund III with a volume of about $40 billion, focused on cutting-edge technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and robotics. Sovereign funds from Gulf countries have also become active, pouring billions into tech projects and developing state mega-programs for the startup sector, establishing their own tech hubs in the Middle East. Simultaneously, numerous new venture funds are being created globally, attracting significant institutional capital for investments in high-tech fields.
Renowned firms from Silicon Valley are also increasing their presence. In the American venture sector, leading funds have accumulated unprecedented reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder")—hundreds of billions of dollars ready to be deployed as market confidence returns. The influx of "big money" is filling the startup market with liquidity, providing resources for new rounds and supporting the growth of promising companies. The return of mega funds and large institutional investors not only intensifies competition for the best deals but also instills confidence in the industry about the continued influx of capital.
Record Investments in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns
The field of artificial intelligence remains the primary driver of the current venture surge, demonstrating record funding volumes. Investors are eager to stake their positions among the leaders in the AI sector, channeling colossal amounts into the most promising projects. For example, the startup Anthropic attracted a record $13 billion in a single round (the company's valuation is around $183 billion), while OpenAI has cumulatively raised around $8-10 billion in external investments, with an estimated valuation of approximately $300 billion—both instances exemplify the excitement surrounding leading AI companies.
Notably, venture capital is being directed not only to final AI applications but also to the infrastructure supporting them. Reports suggest that one AI data storage startup is negotiating a multi-billion round at a very high valuation—demonstrating that the market is ready to fund even the "shovels and picks" for the rapidly growing artificial intelligence ecosystem. The current investment boom is giving rise to a wave of new "unicorns"—startups valued at over $1 billion. While experts warn of overheating risks, the appetite among investors for AI startups has not yet waned.
IPO Market Revives: A Window of Opportunity for Exits
The global IPO market is emerging from its lull and gaining momentum. The number of public offerings in 2025 has significantly exceeded last year’s figures, confirming a revival in activity. In Asia, Hong Kong has sparked a new wave of IPOs: in recent weeks, several major tech companies have gone public, collectively raising billions in investments. For instance, Chinese battery giant CATL successfully raised about $5 billion through its stock offering, illustrating that investors in the region are once again ready to actively participate in IPOs.
The situation is also improving in the U.S. and Europe. American fintech unicorn Chime recently debuted on the public market—its shares surged about 30% on the first trading day. Following that, the design platform Figma conducted an IPO, raising around $1.2 billion at an estimated valuation of approximately $15-20 billion; its shares also rose steadily in the initial days of trading. In the second half of 2025, other well-known startups are preparing for public offerings, including payment service Stripe and several other highly valued companies.
Even the cryptocurrency industry is attempting to take advantage of the revival: for instance, fintech company Circle successfully completed an IPO in the summer (its shares subsequently soared), and cryptocurrency exchange Bullish has applied for a listing in the U.S. with a target valuation of around $4 billion. The renewal of activity in the IPO market is particularly crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits enable funds to realize profitable exits and redirect the released capital into new projects.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
In 2025, venture investments are embracing an ever-wider range of industries and are no longer limited to artificial intelligence alone. Following last year's downturn, fintech is bouncing back: significant funding rounds are occurring not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and emerging markets, fueling the growth of promising financial services. Simultaneously, interest in climate technologies, green energy, and agri-tech is increasing—these sectors are attracting substantial investments amid the global trend for sustainable development.
Appetite for biotechnology is returning as well: the emergence of new breakthrough drug developments and medical online platforms is again attracting capital as the industry emerges from a period of declining valuations. Additionally, amid increased attention to security, investors have begun to support defense technology projects. The partial recovery of confidence in the cryptocurrency market has allowed some blockchain startups to regain funding. As a result, the expansion of sector focus is making the entire startup ecosystem more resilient and reducing the risk of overheating in specific segments.
Consolidation and M&A Deals: Industry Players are Scaling Up
High valuations of many startups and fierce competition for markets are pushing the industry toward consolidation. Major mergers and acquisitions are back in focus, redistributing the balance of power. For example, Google is planning to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—a record sum for the Israeli tech sector.
Such mega-deals illustrate tech giants' desire to acquire key technologies and talents. Overall, the current activity in mergers and major venture deals signifies market maturation. Mature startups are either merging with one another or becoming acquisition targets for corporations, while venture investors finally have the opportunity for long-awaited profitable exits.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external restrictions, there is a revival of startup activity in Russia and neighboring countries. Specifically, several new venture funds have been launched (e.g., the Nova VC fund with a volume of approximately 10 billion rubles), aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects. Local startups are beginning to attract significant capital: for example, the Krasnodar-based foodtech project Qummy raised around 440 million rubles at an estimated valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles. Furthermore, Russia has once again permitted foreign investors to invest in local projects, gradually rekindling the interest of overseas capital.
Although the volumes of venture investments in the region are still modest compared to global standards, they are gradually increasing. Some large companies are contemplating public offerings for their technology divisions as market conditions improve—VK Group has indicated the possibility of an IPO for its IT subsidiary in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives are designed to provide additional impetus to the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into the global trends.
Cautious Optimism and Qualitative Growth
As of early September 2025, the venture market is displaying moderately optimistic sentiments: successful IPOs and major deals indicate that the downturn is behind us, although investors are still acting selectively and preferring startups with sustainable business models. Large capital influxes into AI and other sectors instill confidence; however, funds are seeking to diversify their investments and tighten risk controls to prevent the new upswing from turning into overheating. Ultimately, the industry is entering a new phase of development, focusing on qualitative and balanced growth.
