Global Startup and Venture Investment News for Sunday, February 1, 2026: Major Funding Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, Key Technology Trends, and Investment Priorities
The beginning of 2026 continues the trend of revitalization in the global startup and venture capital market. Following a downturn in 2022-2023 and a surge in investments in 2025, major investors worldwide are once again actively funding promising technology companies. Record-breaking venture funding deals are being finalized, and plans for startup IPOs are back on the agenda. Major players are returning to the scene with massive investments, while governments and corporations are ramping up support for innovation—significant private capital is once again flowing into startup ecosystems.
Venture activity is increasing across all regions. The United States continues to lead (especially due to a boom in AI investments), the Middle East has seen the volume of startup investments double over the year thanks to billions in sovereign fund inflows, and Europe has experienced a shake-up: Germany has overtaken the UK in the number of venture deals for the first time. India, Southeast Asia, and Gulf countries are attracting record levels of capital, while investor activity in China has somewhat slowed. The startup ecosystems in Russia and neighboring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends despite external constraints. As a result, a new venture boom is emerging on the global stage, particularly in early-stage investments, although investors remain selective and cautious in their deal-making.
Below is an overview of key events and trends defining the venture market agenda as of February 1, 2026:
- Return of Mega Funds and Major Investors. Leading venture firms are raising record-sized funds and significantly increasing their investments, flooding the market with capital and reigniting risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of "Unicorns." Exceptionally large investment deals are lifting startup valuations to unprecedented heights, particularly in the AI segment, resulting in numerous new unicorn companies.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful public offerings of tech companies and new listing applications signal that the long-awaited "window" for public placements is open again.
- Diversification of Industry Focus. Venture capital is flowing not only into AI but also into fintech, climate projects, biotechnology, defense developments, crypto startups, and other promising sectors.
- 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 for startups.
- Local Focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite limitations, new funds and initiatives to support local startup ecosystems are being launched in the region, attracting the attention of investors.
Mega Funds Return: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are making a triumphant return to the venture market, signaling a renewed appetite for risk. In recent weeks, several top funds have announced record capital raises: American firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) closed new funds totaling approximately $15 billion (unprecedented for the industry), Lightspeed raised around $9 billion, and Tiger Global returned with a $2.2 billion fund. Sovereign funds from the Gulf region have also become active, pouring billions into technology and initiating mega projects to develop the ecosystem. Japan’s SoftBank, having recovered from previous setbacks, has invested approximately $40 billion in OpenAI, once again placing a significant bet on AI. Consequently, venture funds are sitting on hundreds of billions of dollars in "dry powder," fueling liquidity in the startup market and supporting the rise in valuations of promising companies. The return of mega funds and major institutional investors intensifies competition for the best deals while instilling confidence in the industry regarding continued capital inflows.
AI Investment Boom: Record Deals and New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture upswing. Investors are eager to position themselves at the forefront of the AI revolution and are ready to finance colossal funding rounds. Just in the first weeks of 2026, unprecedented deals have been recorded even at early stages: for example, the startup lab Humans& (USA), founded by top specialists from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, raised about $480 million in seed funding—a record amount for a seed round. Another example is Ricursive Intelligence (USA), aiming for breakthrough AI, which secured $300 million in a Series A round at a valuation of approximately $4 billion. Additionally, a new startup, Merge Labs, co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman to develop "brain-computer" interfaces, reportedly received about $252 million in initial funding. As a result of this funding race, the club of "unicorns" is rapidly expanding: in just the past few months, dozens of startups have surpassed the $1 billion valuation threshold, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and defense technologies.
IPO Market Comes Alive: The Window for Exits is Open Again
In the U.S. and Europe, the situation has also improved: following the first successful listings of 2025, more and more unicorns are going public. American fintech giant Chime debuted on Nasdaq, and its shares rose approximately 40% on the first day, boosting investor confidence.
Now, potentially the largest IPO in history is on the horizon: Elon Musk's space company SpaceX plans to go public in mid-2026, aiming to raise up to $50 billion at a valuation of around $1.5 trillion (nearly double the record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019). Among the most anticipated IPOs are those of giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks—these listings could invigorate the market and attract widespread attention. The revival of IPO activity is crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits return capital to investors and allow it to be redirected into new projects.
Diversification of Investments: Fintech, Climate Projects, Biotech, and More
In 2026, venture investments are covering an increasingly broad range of industries, reducing the market's dependence on a single trend. After the explosive growth in AI investments, investor attention is shifting back to other segments:
- Fintech: Recovery of activity and large rounds in financial technology startups worldwide (from the U.S. and Europe to emerging markets).
- Climate Tech: Record investments in "green" energy, agri-tech, and other eco-tech projects amidst a global focus on sustainability.
- Biotech and Health: A new influx of capital into biotechnology, medical startups, and digital health amidst scientific breakthroughs and a return of investor confidence in the sector.
- Defense and Aerospace Developments: Increased funding for startups in national security, defense, aerospace, and cybersecurity.
- Crypto Startups: Gradual return of interest in blockchain projects and cryptocurrency services as the digital asset market stabilizes.
Thus, venture capital in 2026 is being distributed across numerous niches, and funds are seeking growth opportunities not only in AI. The expansion of industry focus means more opportunities for startups of various profiles, from finance and energy to medicine and defense.
Market Consolidation: Major M&A Transactions Reshape the Landscape
High startup valuations and fierce competition for technological leadership are leading to a wave of consolidation. Major corporations and mature unicorns are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging to accelerate growth and gain key technologies. Billion-dollar deals have already taken place: for example, Apple is acquiring Israeli AI startup Q.ai for approximately $1.6 billion (one of Apple's largest purchases in recent times), Google is purchasing cybersecurity platform Wiz for a record $32 billion, and Capital One is acquiring fintech platform Brex for $5.15 billion. Such acquisitions and mergers are reshaping the industry landscape, enabling rapidly growing companies to scale under the wings of tech giants while providing venture investors with long-awaited exit opportunities.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, the startup environment in Russia and the CIS countries is also showing signs of revitalization, following global trends. The region is announcing the launch of new venture funds totaling about 10-12 billion rubles, aimed at supporting early-stage technology projects. Local startups are beginning to attract more substantial capital: for instance, the Krasnodar-based food tech service Qummy secured about 440 million rubles, and the rehabilitation technology developer Motorica raised over 800 million rubles from a private investor. Furthermore, authorities have permitted foreign investors to once again invest in Russian startups, gradually rekindling interest from overseas capital. While venture investment volumes in the region are still modest compared to global levels, they are steadily increasing. Several large tech companies are contemplating the IPO of their divisions when market conditions improve—VK Tech, for example, has publicly indicated the possibility of an IPO in the near future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives are designed to provide additional momentum for the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into global trends.
Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism Among Investors
Such a powerful start to the year is fostering moderately optimistic sentiments in the venture industry. On one hand, record rounds and the emergence of new funds are providing startups with access to capital, while successful IPOs confirm that the downturn is behind us. On the other hand, investors remain diligent in selecting projects and tightening control over the performance of portfolio companies to ensure that the new upswing does not turn into overheating.
Importantly, the volume of available capital remains high: global venture funds are sitting on "dry powder" amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars, ready for investment. These reserves are capable of maintaining innovation funding rates even amidst shifting macroeconomic conditions, intensifying competition for the best deals.
Undoubtedly, risks remain: rising interest rates, geopolitical instability, and stock market volatility could dampen risk appetites. Nevertheless, the startup ecosystem is entering 2026 with resilience and measured optimism. Venture investors and founders are hopeful that the market will continue to grow in the coming months—provided that projects are reasonably valued and prevailing external conditions are favorable.
