Global Startup and Venture Capital News for January 29, 2026: Major Investment Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, AI Startup Growth, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market.
The global venture capital market is entering the end of January 2026 with a sense of confident growth. After a prolonged downturn between 2022 and 2024 and cautious recovery in 2025, investors worldwide are once again actively investing in promising tech startups. Record-breaking funding deals are being concluded, and companies are once again considering going public. Major industry players are returning with substantial investments, while governments and corporations are ramping up their support for innovation—significant private capital is once again pouring into the startup ecosystem. These trends signal the formation of a new investment boom in early-stage companies, although market participants remain selective and cautious in their deal-making.
Venture activity is growing across all regions. The US is solidifying its leading position (particularly due to investments in artificial intelligence), the Middle East has seen a dramatic increase in startup investments thanks to inflows from sovereign funds, and in Europe, a shift has occurred: Germany has overtaken the UK for the first time in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and Gulf States are setting records for capital raises, while activity in China has slightly decreased. The startup ecosystems in Russia and neighboring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends despite external constraints.
Below are the key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda for January 29, 2026:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors. Leading venture firms are raising record amounts in new funds, flooding the market with liquidity and reigniting risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns. Exceptionally large deals are elevating startup valuations to new heights, especially in the AI sector, leading to the emergence of numerous new unicorns.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful debuts of tech companies on the stock market and new listing applications confirm that the long-awaited “window” for public offerings is once again open.
- A Wave of Consolidation through M&A Transactions. Major mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships are reshaping the industry landscape, providing investors with opportunities for quick exits.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is flowing not only into AI but also into fintech, climate projects, biotechnology, defense technology, crypto startups, and other promising areas.
- Local Focus: Russia and CIS Countries. Despite limitations, new funds and programs to develop local startup ecosystems are being launched in the region, attracting investor interest.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena—risk appetite within the industry has notably surged. In recent weeks, several top funds have announced the closing of new mega-funds. For example, the American Lightspeed Venture Partners has raised about $9 billion (an unprecedented fundraising amount for 2025), and several other leading firms have also formed multi-billion dollar funds. After a quiet period, Tiger Global is entering the market, targeting approximately $2.2 billion for a new fund—a significantly lower amount than before, reflecting a more cautious approach. Sovereign investors are also emphasizing their presence: Gulf States are pouring billions of dollars into tech projects and launching their own startup support programs.
The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, having recovered from previous setbacks, is once again making significant investments. At the end of 2025, SoftBank invested approximately $40 billion in OpenAI. The return of such powerful financiers adds hundreds of billions of dollars of "dry powder"—uninvested capital ready to work. These resources are already entering the market, intensifying competition for top projects and supporting high valuations for promising companies. The return of mega-funds and major institutional players not only intensifies the competition for the most lucrative deals but also instills confidence in the industry regarding the continued influx of capital.
Record AI Investments and a Surge of New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture boom, demonstrating unprecedented levels of funding. Investors are eager to position themselves at the forefront of the AI revolution, directing colossal sums into the most promising projects. In 2025, several companies secured multi-billion dollar funding rounds: OpenAI raised around $40 billion at an estimated valuation of about $300 billion, and its competitor Anthropic attracted approximately $13 billion. Capital is flowing not only to established leaders but also to new teams.
For instance, the American startup Baseten, which is developing infrastructure for AI, raised around $300 million at an estimated valuation of approximately $5 billion. Such inflows are rapidly expanding the unicorn club. Just in recent months, dozens of startups—from generative AI to specialized chips to cloud AI services—have surpassed the $1 billion valuation threshold. While experts warn of overheating risks, the appetite for venture capital investment in AI startups remains unabated.
IPO Wave: The Window for Exits is Open Again
The global initial public offering market is reviving after a two-year hiatus, once again providing startups with opportunities to go public. In Asia, Hong Kong has sparked a new wave of listings: in recent months, several major tech companies have gone public, collectively raising billions of dollars. For example, the Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi placed additional shares worth approximately $4 billion, demonstrating that investors in the region are once again ready to actively support large placements.
In the US and Europe, the situation is also improving: following successful debuts in 2024-2025, more unicorns are preparing to become public. The American fintech giant Stripe, which has long delayed its IPO, now plans to list in 2026 on the wave of favorable conditions. Additionally, the design platform Figma opted for an independent public offering instead of selling to a strategic investor, successfully raising over $1 billion—its market capitalization has shown steady growth since. Even the crypto industry is looking to benefit from the revival: the fintech company Circle has successfully completed its IPO. Notably, giants like OpenAI and SpaceX are considering the possibility of going public—if realized, their IPOs could become some of the largest in history. The revival of IPO market activity is crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits return capital to investors and enable them to direct it into new projects.
Consolidation and M&A: Major Deals Reshaping the Industry
High valuations for startups and fierce competition for leaders are leading to increased consolidation in the tech sector. Major corporations and highly valued late-stage unicorns are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging with one another to accelerate growth. The year 2025 has marked one of the highest record levels for such deals: the total value of venture M&A globally approached historical highs, and in the US surpassed the previous boom levels of 2021. The pinnacle of this wave was Google’s acquisition of cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—the largest acquisition by a venture company in the history of the industry.
In addition to this record agreement, several other multi-billion dollar acquisitions have occurred across various segments. Below are just a few examples of the largest deals from recent months:
- Capital One acquired the fintech platform Brex for approximately $5.15 billion;
- Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase acquired its competitor—derivatives exchange Deribit;
- Company IonQ purchased the British quantum startup Oxford Ionics.
The active M&A market offers venture funds new opportunities for profitable exits, while startups receive resources to scale under the auspices of large partners. The consolidation of players through mergers accelerates the maturation of specific niches while simultaneously opening new niches for the next wave of teams.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
The rise of 2025-2026 is characterized by capital inflows into various sectors. After past downturns, interest in fintech is reviving: large funding rounds are occurring not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets, fueling the growth of new fintech services. At the same time, driven by a global focus on sustainability, interest in climate and environmental projects is gaining momentum—startups in renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon emission reduction are attracting record investments. Appetite for biotechnology is also returning: recent breakthroughs in medicine are inspiring funds to finance large healthcare projects again. Additionally, a partial recovery of trust in the cryptocurrency market has allowed some blockchain startups to secure funding once more.
Attention is also increasing towards defense technologies, aerospace developments, and robotics. In light of geopolitical challenges, investors are keen on supporting projects related to national security, aerospace startups, and innovations for Industry 4.0. Below are the main sectors, apart from AI, where venture capital is currently being directed:
- Fintech: digital banks, payment platforms, online services;
- Climate and "green" projects: renewable energy, carbon emission reduction, sustainable infrastructure;
- Biotechnology and medicine: drug development, biomedical devices, digital health;
- Defense and aerospace technologies: defense-tech startups, drones, satellites, robotic systems.
Thus, the venture landscape is becoming more balanced. Capital is being distributed across various sectors, reducing the risk of overheating in one area. Funds are forming diversified portfolios and striving not to repeat past mistakes, where excessive funding in a single trendy direction led to market "bubbles."
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, startup activity in Russia and neighboring countries is picking up. In particular, a number of new venture funds have been announced, collectively amounting to about 10-12 billion rubles, aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects. Local startups are beginning to attract significant capital: for instance, the Krasnodar foodtech project Qummy raised about 440 million rubles at an estimated valuation of around 2.4 billion rubles. Additionally, foreign investors have once again been permitted to invest in local projects, gradually rekindling interest from overseas capital.
Although the volumes of venture investments in the region remain modest compared to global figures, they are gradually increasing. Some large companies are contemplating taking their tech subsidiaries public as market conditions improve—for example, the company VK Tech has publicly acknowledged the potential for an IPO in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives aim to provide additional momentum to the local startup ecosystem and align it with global trends.
Outlook: Cautious Optimism
The venture community is entering 2026 with a mood of cautious optimism. Successful IPOs, mega rounds, and exits from late last year have shown that the downturn has been left behind, yet lessons from the recent past have been heeded. Investors are now assessing startup business models and their paths to profitability much more rigorously, avoiding the race for growth at any cost. This disciplined approach helps prevent market overheating.
At the same time, key trends instill confidence in further growth. The IPO window, which was closed in 2022-2023, has now swung open, allowing mature companies to realize their plans for public offerings. An active M&A market provides projects with new exit opportunities, while the emergence of new mega-funds ensures capital availability for financing the next generation of startups. Macroeconomic risks remain, but venture investors are entering the current upswing better prepared than before. The early weeks of 2026 confirm that the global startup ecosystem is gaining momentum. If positive trends continue, this year could lead to further growth in venture investments and the emergence of new technology leaders.
