Startup and Venture Capital News for Friday, February 6, 2026: Major Investment Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, AI Startup Growth, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market.
As we enter February 2026, the global venture capital market shows a strong recovery after years of decline. Preliminary estimates suggest that 2025 was one of the most successful years in history in terms of startup investments (ranking just below the peak years of 2021 and 2022), signaling the return of substantial private capital to the tech sector. Investors worldwide are once again actively funding promising companies: record-scale deals are being finalized, and startups' plans for IPOs are back on the agenda. Leading venture funds are stepping into the spotlight with new mega-rounds and investment strategies, while governments and sovereign funds increase support for innovation in a bid to stay competitive in the global tech race. As a result, the venture market starts 2026 on a positive note, instilling cautious optimism, although investors remain selective regarding startups' valuations and business models.
Geographically, the rise in venture activity is global in nature. The primary locomotives remain the United States, where American projects account for a significant portion of large rounds, particularly in the artificial intelligence sector. Europe sees continued investment growth, with Germany surpassing the UK for the first time in a decade in terms of total venture capital raised by the end of 2025, reflecting the strengthening of European tech hubs. In Asia, the dynamics vary: the Indian ecosystem has reached a new level of maturity (with the first "unicorns" of 2026 appearing in January and high-profile IPOs resuming on local exchanges), while the Chinese market remains constrained due to regulatory pressures and a shift in capital toward domestic projects—however, Chinese investors are actively investing in foreign AI startups and chip companies to maintain a global presence. The Middle East and North Africa are witnessing acceleration, with funds from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar increasing their funding for tech companies both regionally and globally, focusing on fintech, cloud services, and AI. The startup ecosystems in Russia and neighboring countries are also making efforts to keep pace with global trends by launching local funds and support programs, although the market sizes there remain much smaller. Overall, 2026 begins under the sign of a new venture boom, even as market participants remain mindful of risks.
Below are key events and trends shaping the agenda for startups and venture investments on February 6, 2026:
- The return of mega funds and large investors. Leading players are attracting record-sized venture funds and sharply ramping up investments, flooding the market with capital once again.
- Unprecedented AI mega-rounds and new unicorns. Historically large investments in artificial intelligence are driving valuations of startups to unprecedented heights.
- Energy and climate technologies attract mega deals. The sustainable energy and climate tech sector is coming to the forefront with billion-dollar financing rounds.
- Consolidation in fintech and a wave of M&A deals. Mature fintech companies are becoming targets for multi-billion dollar acquisitions, mergers, and strategic purchases in the global market.
- Revival of the IPO market. Initial public offerings of tech companies are back in the spotlight: successful IPOs are encouraging new candidates to go public.
- Focus on defense and cybersecurity startups. Venture funds are redirecting capital towards strategic sectors—defense, space, and cybersecurity—in response to new geopolitical challenges.
The Return of Mega Funds and Record Investments
After a period of quiet, the venture market has triumphantly seen the return of so-called “mega funds”—massive pools of capital for tech investments. American flagship firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) raised over $15 billion in new funds, increasing its assets under management to a record $90 billion. These funds are targeting priority areas such as artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, defense technologies, and biotech. Concurrently, Japanese SoftBank has intensified its presence in the AI sector: by the end of 2025, SoftBank invested approximately $22.5 billion in OpenAI, marking one of the largest one-time investments in the history of the startup industry. The renewed activity of such major players confirms the trend of capital concentration among industry leaders and investors’ desire to secure a stake in the next tech breakthrough.
AI Startup Boom: Mega Rounds and New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the main driver of the current venture boom. AI startups are attracting unprecedented levels of funding, setting new records for round sizes. For instance, the project xAI, founded by Elon Musk, secured around $20 billion in investments with participation from Nvidia—an astonishing amount for a private company. The industry leader OpenAI not only regularly attracts significant capital but also enters into strategic agreements: OpenAI recently secured exclusive supplies of high-performance Cerebras chips worth over $10 billion to accelerate its models, solidifying its technological advantage. Alongside the giants, new players are rapidly emerging. In the U.S., startups in generative video (e.g., Higgsfield) and voice AI (Deepgram and others) achieved unicorn status merely a few years after their inception. In Europe, the German company Parloa raised $350 million at an approximately $3 billion valuation, emphasizing the global nature of the current AI frenzy. The substantial funds currently flowing into artificial intelligence reflect an intense race among companies and nations for leadership in this domain. The lion's share of venture dollars is funneling into AI projects, raising concerns about market imbalances and the overheating of specific segments.
Climate Technologies Secure Mega Deals
Amid rising demand for energy and the transition to sustainable sources, capital has surged into climate and energy technology sectors. One recent notable event was the record funding round for the American project Base Power (Austin, Texas), which is developing a network of home battery systems for energy storage and feeding excess power back into the grid, operating on the principle of a "virtual power plant." The startup attracted around $1 billion (Series C round) at a valuation of approximately $3 billion—one of the largest rounds in climate tech history. Investors such as Addition, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed, and Google Capital participated in the deal, demonstrating a high level of trust in energy innovations. The raised funds will allow Base Power to expedite the construction of its battery factory and expand its market presence. Venture funds are betting on solutions capable of alleviating pressure on power grids during peak periods (especially considering the rapid rise in energy consumption by AI data centers) and accelerating the transition to renewable sources. Overall, the climate and “green” startup segment is garnering increasing funding. Billion-dollar investments are being directed to energy storage projects, electric vehicle developments, climate fintech (such as platforms for carbon credit trading or climate risk insurance), and other technologies that help combat climate change.
Fintech Consolidation: Major Exits and M&A
A new wave of consolidation is underway in the fintech sector, signaling the maturation of the fintech market. Several high-profile deals were announced in January 2026. The bank Capital One agreed to acquire the startup Brex (a corporate expense management platform) for $5.15 billion. This acquisition marks the largest “bank-fintech” deal in history, highlighting traditional financial giants' desire to integrate cutting-edge fintech solutions. The European venture fund Hg acquired the American financial platform OneStream for approximately $6.4 billion, buying out stakes from previous investors, including KKR. Other significant deals were also announced: the exchange operator Deutsche Börse is purchasing the investment platform Allfunds for €5.3 billion to strengthen its position in WealthTech, and US Bancorp is acquiring the brokerage firm BTIG for around $1 billion. In addition to traditional players acquiring fintechs, several rapidly growing startups are themselves entering the acquisition market: for instance, the Australian unicorn Airwallex is expanding in Asia by acquiring the Korean payment company Paynuri. The surge in M&A deals demonstrates that as the industry matures, successful fintech companies either fall under the wing of larger corporations or expand their influence through strategic acquisitions.
The IPO Market Revives: Tech Companies Going Public
The market for initial public offerings (IPOs) of tech companies is confidently reviving after a prolonged pause. In 2025 alone, it surpassed analysts' expectations with a number of high-profile IPOs: in the U.S., at least 23 companies went public with valuations exceeding $1 billion (compared to 9 the previous year), and the total market capitalization of these offerings exceeded $125 billion. Investors are again ready to welcome profitable and rapidly growing businesses to public markets, especially if the company has a strong narrative about artificial intelligence or other "hot" technologies. This trend is expected to continue into 2026, with several well-known “unicorns” hinting at preparations for an IPO. Among the most anticipated candidates for public listing are:
- Leading fintech unicorns: payment platforms Plaid and Revolut.
- Leaders in the field of artificial intelligence: AI model developer OpenAI, big data platform Databricks, and AI startup for business Cohere.
- Other tech giants: for example, space company SpaceX, if market conditions are favorable.
Successful debuts from these companies have the potential to provide an additional boost to the market, although experts warn that volatility could close this "IPO window" at any moment. Nevertheless, the current revival in public markets reinforces the belief that investors are prepared to reward startups with strong growth and profitability metrics.
Defense and Cyber Startups in the Spotlight
The geopolitical climate and new risks are reshaping venture investors' priorities. Amid global tensions and the pursuit of technological independence, significant capital is being directed toward defense technologies and cybersecurity. In the U.S., the American Dynamism initiative is gaining momentum—investments in companies that strengthen national security. Notably, part of the capital from that new a16z mega round will be invested in defense sector startups and deep tech. Developers of technologies for the military and government sectors are attracting nine-figure sums: for example, the California company Onebrief, which creates software for military planning, recently received around $200 million in investments at a valuation exceeding $2 billion and simultaneously acquired a related startup to enhance its platform capabilities. In Europe, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity startups is the Belgian Aikido Security, which achieved unicorn status ($1 billion valuation) within just two years through its comprehensive platform for code and cloud system protection. Such successes reflect the growing market demand for technologies that ensure digital and national security—from supply chain protection (with the British project Cyb3r Operations raising about $5 million to monitor cyber risks) to new means of intelligence and satellite surveillance. The trend toward increased interest in defense projects is also evident at the state level: governments and national funds in the U.S., Europe, and Israel are actively investing in dual-use startups that can provide a strategic advantage.
Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism and Growth Balance
Despite the rapid rise at the start of the year, investors are maintaining a level of caution, recalling the lessons of the recent market cooling. Capital has indeed begun to flow back into the tech sector, but the requirements for startups have tightened: funds expect teams to present clear business models, economic efficiency, and understandable paths to profitability. Company valuations are rising again, particularly in the AI segment, but investors are increasingly focusing on diversifying risks and ensuring long-term portfolio sustainability. The returning liquidity—from billion-dollar venture funds to new IPOs—creates opportunities for significant growth, but it also intensifies competition for outstanding projects. It is likely that in 2026, the venture capital industry will enter a phase of more balanced development. Funding for "breakthrough" areas (such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate and defense technologies) will continue, but there will be a heightened focus on the quality of growth, corporate governance, and compliance with regulations. This approach should help the market avoid overheating and lay the foundation for sustainable innovation development in the long term.
