Global Startup and Venture Capital News as of January 31, 2026: Major Funding Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, AI Investments, and Key Tech Trends for Investors.
The beginning of 2026 showcases the continued rise of the global startup and venture capital market. Following a surge in investment last year, venture funds and corporations are again actively investing in promising companies. Major investors are forming record funds, while tech startups around the world are closing funding rounds worth hundreds of millions of dollars, despite a more selective approach to projects. Capital interest is particularly focused on sectors like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, green technologies, and strategic technologies that may shape the future of industries and national security. Below is a summary of key news from the world of startups and venture investments as of January 31, 2026.
Venture Market Riding the Growth Wave After a Successful 2025
The global venture market entered 2026 on an optimistic note. According to industry analysts, private investments in startups grew significantly in 2025 compared to the previous downturn. For example, in North America, startups raised about $280 billion in venture capital last year, an increase of nearly 46% year-over-year. The primary driver of this growth was the AI project boom, with AI startups capturing a lion's share of the funding raised. Venture investors worldwide are ready to invest again in innovative companies, especially in breakthrough areas. The early weeks of 2026 confirm this trend: since early January, several large deals and new fund launches have been announced, signaling a sustained positive dynamic in the venture market.
Andreessen Horowitz Raises Record Mega Fund
One of the most noticeable signals of investor confidence was the unprecedented new fund from Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The firm announced it has raised over $15 billion for several new venture funds of varying focuses—a record amount for a16z itself and one of the largest in the history of the venture market. The funds are allocated across several areas: about $6.75 billion is earmarked for late-stage growth investments, approximately $1.2 billion is directed to the specialized fund American Dynamism (focused on startups in national security and defense), along with separate funds of around $1.7 billion for investments in applied technologies and infrastructure projects, and $700 million for biotech and healthcare, among other verticals. Andreessen Horowitz leadership emphasizes a strategic focus on technologies that strengthen the technological leadership of the U.S.—from AI and cryptocurrencies to defense, education, and biomedicine. Industry estimates suggest that a16z now manages around 18% of all venture investments made in the U.S. last year. The emergence of this new mega fund during a period when 2025 was the quietest year for fundraising since 2017 indicates a return of confidence: investors are willing to entrust record amounts to proven players in search of “the next big ideas” among startups.
AI Investment Boom Continues
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary magnet for venture capital in 2026. Following last year’s frenzy, interest in AI startups shows no signs of waning: even in the early weeks of the new year, super-large deals are being recorded at early stages. For instance, last week, the startup lab Humans&, founded by top researchers from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, secured close to $480 million in seed investment—a record amount for such an early stage. Another example is Ricursive Intelligence, an ambitious project in advanced AI, which announced a $300 million Series A round at a valuation of approximately $4 billion. Ventures by well-known entrepreneurs are also attracting attention: the new startup Merge Labs, founded by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and focused on developing brain-computer interfaces with AI integration, reportedly secured about $252 million in initial funding. In total, according to Crunchbase, over 40% of all seed and Series A investments in 2026 already come from rounds of $100 million and above—a previously rare occurrence made possible largely by the AI rush. Venture investors continue to see artificial intelligence as a key growth area and are ready to compete for the most promising teams. Competition for talent and cutting-edge developments in AI remains high, and startups continue to receive large checks to scale solutions in generative AI, voice and visual algorithms, business process automation, and other areas.
New Unicorns in Defense Technologies and Artificial Intelligence
A series of large deals at the start of the year has added new unicorns—private companies valued at over $1 billion. Several startups achieved this status through funding rounds:
- Deepgram (USA, voice AI) – raised $130 million in a Series C round at a valuation of around $1.3 billion, establishing itself as a leader in the AI voice technology segment.
- Harmattan AI (France, AI-based defense systems) – secured approximately $200 million in a Series B round, raising the Paris-based startup's valuation to $1.4 billion. Harmattan AI has become a rare unicorn in the strategically essential sector of defense technology for Europe.
- Defense Unicorns (USA, secure software for government entities) – closed a $136 million Series B round led by Bain Capital, reaching a valuation of over $1 billion. The company lived up to its name by entering the unicorn club amid fast revenue growth from Pentagon contracts.
The emergence of these new highly valued players reflects the increasing focus of venture capital on projects related to artificial intelligence and national security. In line with the trend set by funds like a16z American Dynamism, investors are actively financing companies working on both commercial AI products (such as business voice assistants) and technologies of national significance (defense, cybersecurity). The venture race is global in nature: the formation of new unicorns involves not only Silicon Valley but also Europe, Asia, and other regions where technology companies with billion-dollar valuations are emerging.
Tech Giants in Pursuit of AI Startups
Not only venture funds but also major corporations are striving to strengthen their positions in the artificial intelligence sphere. A notable example is Apple, which executed one of its largest deals in recent years, agreeing to purchase the Israeli AI startup Q.ai, specializing in AI-based audio technologies. According to insiders, the purchase price was around $1.6 billion, making it Apple’s second-largest acquisition (after its purchase of Beats). Q.ai develops machine learning systems for whisper recognition and improving sound in challenging conditions, and its team of around 100 specialists will join Apple. The deal underscores how fierce the competition has become among Big Tech for breakthrough AI developments: companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are actively acquiring promising projects to keep pace in the race for artificial intelligence technologies. For startups and their investors, such “exits” serve as confirmations of the validity of high valuations: large strategic players are willing to pay billions for access to cutting-edge solutions and talent in AI.
Multi-Million Rounds in Biotech Signal Revival
The biotechnology sector is also keeping pace: in January, several biotech startups announced significant funding rounds, indicating a revival of investor interest in healthcare. The most notable deal was a $305 million Series F round for Parabilis Medicines based in Massachusetts (formerly known as FogPharma). The funds raised will allow Parabilis to advance its experimental cancer drug (the peptide zolucatetide) to the critical phase of clinical trials and expand its peptide cell penetration platform technologies for drug development. It is noteworthy that Parabilis has raised venture funding six times already, remaining a private company longer than is typical in the industry. Such a sizable late round from well-known investors (including public market funds) signifies high confidence in the prospects of its scientific developments.
Another notable case is the California startup Soley Therapeutics, which secured about $200 million in a Series C round. The company utilizes artificial intelligence and computational biology technologies to find new cancer treatment methods and will direct the funds toward advancing two of its candidates to clinical trial stages. Records are also occurring at early stages: a very young biotech company, AirNexis Therapeutics, received $200 million in seed funding (Series A) to develop an innovative treatment for lung diseases. Such a volume of investment at the A stage is quite rare, indicating a high level of confidence in the project’s developments: AirNexis has licensed a promising molecule from the Chinese pharmaceutical company Haisco and plans to bring it to the global market for treating COPD (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases).
Besides these mega rounds, there is a stream of more moderate deals: industry observers noted at least half a dozen biotech startups securing between $50 million to $100 million each throughout January. All this points to a new revival in biotech after the challenging period of recent years: venture funds are actively financing companies in the pharma and medical fields again, especially if the startup has breakthrough science or a market-ready product. Major crossover investors (funds operating in both private and public markets) are returning to biotech, which prepares the ground for a resumption of IPOs if market conditions allow.
New Specialized Venture Funds Emerging Worldwide
In addition to financing the startups themselves, capital is actively flowing into the ecosystem through new venture funds, often focused on niche areas or strategic themes. The startup industry is diversifying, as evidenced by the emergence of specialized funds in different regions at the start of 2026. Here are some notable examples:
- All Aboard Alliance (globally) – a coalition of private venture firms (including Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures) announced the establishment of a $300 million fund to invest in startups related to climate change and greenhouse gas emission reduction. Initial investments are planned to be made this year, reflecting the growing interest in climate tech.
- 2150 VC (Europe) – the London-Copenhagen venture fund 2150 closed its second €210 million fund, bringing its total assets under management to €500 million. The funds will support startups developing sustainable urban technologies (urban climate solutions, “green” building and infrastructure projects).
- VZVC (USA) – a new venture firm founded by former a16z partner Vijaya Pande is forming its debut fund, targeting around $400 million for investments at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital health. This example illustrates the trend of experienced investors leaving large funds to focus on rapidly growing niche areas.
- NUS Venture Fund (Asia) – the National University of Singapore launched a $120 million venture fund to support its own spin-off startups and university research. This public-private initiative is aimed at commercializing innovations in academic science and strengthening the local startup ecosystem.
Alongside the listed examples, corporate and regional development funds continue to emerge. Large corporations and governments are increasingly participating in the venture ecosystem, creating funds to support priority sectors—from climate tech and biomedicine to defense and artificial intelligence. As a result, the venture capital landscape is becoming increasingly diverse: alongside billion-dollar mega funds coexist compact targeted funds. For startups, this means more opportunities to secure funding globally, including in segments that were previously considered exotic for venture financing.
Expectations and Prospects: IPOs and Continued Market Growth
Such an active start to the year creates cautious optimism among venture market players regarding forecasts for 2026. On one hand, record funding rounds and the emergence of new funds provide startups access to capital. On the other hand, investors will be scrutinizing the performance of their investments and the development of portfolio companies more closely. A key indicator of sentiment may be the renewed interest in IPOs. After a quiet period in recent years, only a few significant tech IPOs occurred in 2025, hence 2026 is expected to see a lineup of unicorns keen to test their fortunes on the public market if market conditions improve.
Venture funds are already preparing potential IPO candidates. Rumors are swirling about the intentions of several large AI and fintech companies from Silicon Valley, as well as some biotech firms that have managed to attract crossover investors at later stages. Among the most anticipated in the industry are the potential IPOs of giants such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or even the space company SpaceX—listing them could reinvigorate the market and attract public attention. The high valuations that startups received in recent rounds imply expectations of imminent exits—either through strategic sales or public listings.
Meanwhile, the volume of available "dry powder" – that is, unallocated funds in venture funds – remains significant. According to PitchBook, impact investment funds alone currently control over $200 billion in unused capital, while the total global venture dry powder amounts to many hundreds of billions of dollars. These capital reserves are capable of maintaining a high rate of funding for innovations even amid changing economic conditions, creating competition for the best deals.
Of course, certain risks remain: rising interest rates, geopolitical instability, and stock market volatility may temper investors' risk appetite. Nonetheless, as of now, the startup ecosystem is entering the new year with a solid buffer and moderated optimism. Venture investors and company founders hope that 2026 will be a period of further growth—provided projects are rationally valued and macroeconomic conditions are favorable.
