Global Startup and Venture Investment News for Saturday, January 10, 2026: Record Rounds in AI, Strategies of Major Funds, Key Deals in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Andreessen Horowitz Raises $15 Billion
American venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has announced the successful fundraising of over $15 billion across five new funds. This marks the largest fundraising round in the firm's history and accounts for approximately 18% of all venture capital investments in the United States for 2025. The primary focus areas of this round are as follows:
- Growth companies fund: $6.75 billion;
- AI and infrastructure development: $1.7 billion;
- American Dynamism program (national defense): $1.176 billion;
- Medico-biotechnology: $0.7 billion;
- Other investments in new segments: approximately $3 billion.
Following this landmark fundraising round, Andreessen Horowitz’s assets have exceeded $90 billion. The firm will continue to invest in mature technology companies and projects within AI, defense, and biotechnology, demonstrating a global strategy focused on promising sectors.
Artificial Intelligence Continues to Set Records
According to the final figures for 2025, the share of investments in artificial intelligence reached historical proportions: AI startups attracted a total of approximately $150 billion, significantly surpassing the previous record set in 2021. Notable deals from the year include:
- OpenAI - private funding of $40 billion (largest round in history);
- Anthropic - $13 billion;
- xAI (Elon Musk) - $10 billion;
- Meta – acquisition of Scale AI startup for approximately $15 billion;
- Other AI startups (projects by Jeff Bezos, Databricks, etc.) attracted $2 billion or more each.
The majority of funds are concentrated in the hands of market leaders in AI. Experts warn that such a high concentration of capital increases systemic risks in the event of a slowdown in technological growth. Many companies are creating "defensive cash reserves" in preparation for a potential downturn, but the overall financing trend remains positive.
Major Rounds: Early Days of January
The first days of January have seen several significant deals across various sectors. In the US and Europe, several major rounds have been closed:
- Valinor Enterprises (US, Series A) - $54 million;
- Roc360 (US, real estate/finance) - $150 million;
- SonoThera (US, biotechnology) - $125 million;
- Cyera (US, AI cybersecurity) - $400 million (total investments ~ $1.7 billion to date);
- Presto Phoenix (US, voice AI for restaurants) - $10 million;
- Pomelo Care (US, telemedicine) - $92 million;
- Protege (US, AI data platform) - $30 million;
- Idea Financial (US, fintech lending) - $20 million (EverBank loan).
Big deals are also returning to Europe. British Octopus Energy has spun off its subsidiary Kraken into an independent company valued at $8.65 billion, accompanied by a round of around $1 billion from investor contributions. French Mistral AI, a leader in generative AI in Europe, is preparing for a new valuation exceeding $14 billion following a Series C round that involved ASML ($1.5 billion).
Asia: $2.2 Billion in Investments and Focus on Infrastructure
In Asia, over the second week of January, investors poured in more than $2.2 billion, with the main round being a Series C for Singapore's DayOne (data centers) — $2 billion aimed at expanding infrastructure to meet the growing needs of AI and cloud services. Significant deals also occurred in India and Southeast Asia:
- Arya.ag (India, agri-tech) - $80.3 million (Series D) to develop food trading platform;
- Even (India, healthcare) - $20 million (undisclosed round) for clinic network expansion;
- Pintarnya (Indonesia, HR) - $14 million (loan) to scale hiring platform;
- Buyandship (Hong Kong, logistics) - $12 million (Series C) with Mitsubishi Logistics;
- TakeMe2Space (India, space technology) - $5 million (Seed) for rocket development;
- Arrowhead AI (leading in the Asian market, voice AI) - $3 million (Seed).
These rounds underscore the increasing demand for infrastructure (data centers) and specialized technologies in Asia. Investors continue to support projects in agri-tech, healthcare, and transportation, reflecting a diversification of interests amid leading growth in AI projects.
European Focus: National Funds and Corporate Investors
Venture funding in Europe is increasingly involving government and corporate capital. France and Germany are developing large-scale support programs: national investment banks like Bpifrance (portfolio > $100 billion) and HTGF are investing tens of billions into tech startups. Notable events include:
- Spin-off of Kraken from Octopus Energy (UK) valued at $8.65 billion;
- Mistral AI (France) – $1.5 billion from ASML at an estimated value of ~€10.5 billion (≈ $11.7 billion), potentially growing to $14 billion;
- EIB & Angelini fund (EU) – €150 million for European biotech/digital health development;
- Active funds: Invitalia Ventures (Italy), Enisa (Spain), SFC Capital (UK), and others;
- Leading VC firms (Partech, Atomico, Index Ventures) are forming new funds to scale tech companies.
Thus, the European Union and private investors are fostering the creation of homegrown tech leaders (especially in AI, climate, and biotechnology), aiming to reduce dependence on the US and China.
Key Trends and Forecasts
At the end of 2025, the global startup market demonstrated a vigorous recovery. In North America, total investment volume reached a record $280 billion (up 46% from the previous year), with approximately 60% of that amount directed toward AI companies. Similar trends are observed in other regions. Investors are focusing on large deals: the number of rounds decreased by about 15-16%, but the share of mega-rounds has grown.
- North America: $280 billion – the highest figure in four years, primarily due to AI investments.
- AI Share: Investors allocated over half of funding to companies with AI products.
- Late-stage Boom: late-round funding increased by 75% (to $191 billion).
- Resilience: funds are paying special attention to efficient capital spending and speed to profitability in their decision-making.
Experts predict that in 2026, investments in infrastructure and AI will remain high, while successful startups will focus on capital discipline and execution quality.
Recommendations for Startups
In the current conditions, experts advise startups to plan growth with particular care. Key recommendations include:
- Focus on validating demand and product: demonstrate real value and a sustainable business model before scaling;
- Optimize expenses: create a liquidity buffer (fortress balance sheet) for market volatility;
- Build a strong team: experienced founders and managers enhance investor trust;
- Deeply specialize: funds value deep industry knowledge (AI, biotech, fintech, etc.) and accompanying competencies.
Thus, despite the market optimism, a startup's success in 2026 will depend on discipline, efficiency, and strategic focus.
