Global Startup and Venture Investment News for November 1, 2025: Record Rounds in AI, the Return of Mega Funds, a Wave of IPOs and M&A. Key Trends and Prospects for the Venture Market for Investors.
As of early November 2025, the global venture market continues to grow confidently after several years of decline. Investors worldwide are once again actively financing tech startups—record deals are being concluded, and companies are once again focusing on IPO plans. Major players are returning to the market with substantial investments, signaling a strong comeback of private capital into the startup ecosystem.
The rise in venture activity is noticeable across all regions. The U.S. remains a leader (especially in the field of artificial intelligence), while investment volumes in the Middle East have nearly doubled over the year, and shifts are occurring in Europe: Germany has surpassed the UK for the first time in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and GCC countries are attracting record capital inflows amidst declining activity in China. The startup ecosystems in Russia and other CIS countries are also striving to keep pace, despite external limitations. A new venture boom is forming, although investors are still taking a selective and cautious approach to deals.
- The return of mega funds and large investors. Leading venture funds are forming unprecedentedly large funds and increasing their investment, saturating the market with capital and raising risk appetite.
- Record funding rounds in AI and new "unicorns." Extremely large investments are inflating startup valuations to unprecedented heights, particularly in the artificial intelligence segment.
- Revival of the IPO market. Successful tech company public offerings and new applications confirm that the long-awaited "window" for exits has reopened.
- Diversification of investment sectors. Venture capital is flowing not only into AI but also into fintech, climate technologies, biotech, defense developments, and even crypto startups.
- A wave of consolidation: mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Major consolidations and strategic acquisitions are reshaping the industry landscape, creating opportunities for profitable exits and accelerated company growth.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. New funds and initiatives are emerging in the region to develop local startups, attracting investor attention despite restrictions.
- Cautious optimism among investors. The market is experiencing a rebound; however, participants are maintaining a measured approach to evaluating startups and avoiding excessive risk.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are making a triumphant return to the venture arena, indicating a new wave of risk appetite. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, for instance, has officially completed an investment of approximately $30 billion in OpenAI, marking one of the largest private deals in technology history. Sovereign funds from the Gulf countries have also become active: they are pouring billions into tech projects and developing government mega-support programs for the startup sector, establishing their own tech hubs in the Middle East. Simultaneously, dozens of new venture funds are being formed globally, attracting significant institutional capital for investments in high-tech sectors.
Notable Silicon Valley venture firms are also increasing their presence. Funds have accumulated record reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder")—hundreds of billions of dollars ready to be deployed as market confidence restores. The influx of such "big money" injects liquidity into the startup market, providing resources for new funding rounds and supporting the growth of promising companies' valuations. The return of mega funds and large institutional investors not only intensifies the competition for the best deals but also instills confidence in the industry for continued capital influx.
Record Investments in AI and the New Wave of "Unicorns"
The field of artificial intelligence remains the main driver of the current venture upturn, demonstrating record financing volumes. Investors are rushing to secure positions among the leaders of the AI market, directing colossal funds towards the most promising projects. Just in recent weeks, several mega-rounds have been announced: the American startup Crusoe (infrastructure for AI data centers) raised ~$1.4 billion at a valuation of around $10 billion; major rounds were also closed by foundational AI model developers Anthropic (approximately $13 billion) and xAI (≈$5.3 billion). Such deals are soaring to unprecedented heights and underscore the hype surrounding AI startups. According to Crunchbase, nearly half of all global venture investments in the third quarter of 2025 were in companies related to artificial intelligence.
Importantly, capital is being directed not only at final AI applications but also at the infrastructure supporting them—the market is ready to finance even the "shovels and pickaxes" for the new gold rush in AI. As a result, the current investment boom is giving rise to a slew of new "unicorns" (startups with valuations over $1 billion). Although experts warn of the risk of overheating in individual projects, the appetite for venture capital towards AI startups remains robust.
The IPO Market Comes Alive: A Window of Opportunity for Exits
The global initial public offerings market is emerging from a protracted lull and gaining momentum. In Asia, Hong Kong has sparked a new wave of IPOs: several major tech companies successfully went public there in recent months, attracting investments totaling billions of dollars. The situation is also improving in the U.S. and Europe: several highly valued startups (such as fintech giant Chime and design platform Figma) have successfully debuted on stock exchanges, demonstrating high demand from investors and notable stock price growth in the first days of trading. In the latter half of 2025, other "unicorns" are preparing for public market entries, with payment service Stripe and several large tech companies among the most anticipated IPOs.
Even the crypto industry is trying to seize the revival: fintech company Circle successfully conducted an IPO last summer (its shares then rose significantly), while cryptocurrency exchange Bullish has filed for a U.S. listing with a target valuation of around $4 billion. The return of activity in the IPO market is crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits allow funds to realize profitable exits and channel freed capital into new projects, further supporting industry growth.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
In 2025, venture investments are encompassing an increasingly broader range of sectors and are no longer confined only to the AI frenzy. Following last year's downturn, fintech is reviving: substantial funding rounds are occurring not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and on emerging markets, stimulating the growth of new digital financial services. Concurrently, there is a heightened interest in climate and "green" technologies amid the global trend of sustainable development.
- Fintech: The fintech sector is receiving significant funding across different regions, fueling the creation of new payment systems and banking services.
- Climate and AgriTech: Projects in renewable energy, eco-technologies, and agri-tech are attracting record investments due to the prioritization of environmental agendas.
- Bio and MedTech: Breakthrough developments in pharmaceuticals and digital health are once again attracting capital, as the sector gradually emerges from a period of declining valuations.
- Defense Technologies: There is growing interest from investors in startups within the defense, aerospace, and dual-use industries.
- Crypto Startups: A partial restoration of trust in the crypto market has enabled several blockchain companies to secure funding once again.
Thus, venture capital in 2025 is significantly diversifying across sectors, rendering the entire startup ecosystem more resilient and reducing the risk of overheating in specific segments. The expanded focus of investors on various fields indicates that, beyond AI, they are willing to support fintech innovators, "green" startups, biotech projects, defense technologies, and other promising directions.
Consolidation and M&A: The Scaling of Players
High valuations of startups and fierce competition for markets are prompting a wave of consolidation. Major mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are once again coming to the forefront, reshuffling roles within the industry. Tech giants are actively eyeing leaders among startups, eager to acquire key technologies and teams.
In recent months, several headline-grabbing acquisitions have attracted industry attention. For example, Google announced the acquisition of the Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—a record sum for the Israeli tech market. Such mega-deals demonstrate large companies' ambition to acquire advanced developments and talent. Overall, the activation of M&A signals market maturation: mature startups are either merging with one another or becoming targets for acquisition by corporations, while venture investors finally have the opportunity for long-awaited profitable exits.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, active efforts are underway in Russia and neighboring countries to develop the local startup ecosystem. In 2025, several new venture funds have been announced. For example, the Nova VC fund has been established with a volume of ~10 billion rubles for investments in IT startups, while the Kama Flow investment company has launched a similarly sized fund focused on later-stage projects. Large corporations and state banks are also forming corporate venture funds aimed at supporting domestic tech projects.
In addition to funding, accelerators, startup schools, and other initiatives to support entrepreneurs are being launched. Local startups are gradually attracting attention not only from Russian investors but also from foreign partners in friendly countries. Although the volumes of the venture market in Russia and the CIS currently lag behind global leaders, the region is striving to follow global trends. Investors here still act selectively, focusing on niches where local teams have competitive advantages and growth potential.
Cautious Optimism and Growth Prospects
As we approach 2026, the startup and venture investment industry is entering a phase of revival. The global influx of capital, a series of new "unicorns," successful IPOs, and strategic deals indicate a restoration of confidence in the market. At the same time, investors continue to act prudently, favoring startups with sustainable business models. Significant capital inflows into AI and other sectors instill confidence, but funds aim to diversify investments and strictly manage risks to prevent the new upturn from overheating. Thus, the industry is transitioning into a new development cycle with an emphasis on quality and balanced growth.
