Global Startup and Venture Capital News for Tuesday, January 13, 2026: Continuation of the Venture Boom, Record Rounds in AI, IPO Revival, M&A Wave, and Global Market Expansion. An Overview for Venture Investors and Funds.
By mid-January 2026, the global venture capital market is demonstrating stable growth, leaving behind a period of decline. In Q4 2025, over $100 billion was invested in technology startups, approximately 40% more than the previous year—marking the best quarterly result since 2021. The prolonged "venture winter" of 2022-2023 has ended, and private capital is rapidly returning to the tech sector. Major funds are once again actively investing in promising companies, and investors are willing to take risks for high potential returns. The sector confidently enters a new growth phase, albeit with cautious evaluation of projects.
Venture activity is increasing across all regions of the world. The United States leads the pack, largely due to colossal investments in artificial intelligence. In the Middle East, the volume of investments in startups is sharply increasing thanks to generous funding from government mega-funds. Europe is witnessing a shuffle of leaders: Germany has overtaken the UK in venture deal volume for the first time in a decade, strengthening the positions of continental tech hubs. In Asia, growth is shifting from China to India and Southeast Asia, compensating for the relative cooling of the Chinese market. Africa and Latin America are also making their mark—first "unicorns" have emerged in these regions, underscoring the truly global nature of the current venture boom. The startup ecosystems in Russia and the CIS are striving to keep pace: with government and corporate support, new funds, accelerators, and programs are launching in the region, aimed at integrating local projects into global trends.
Below are key events and trends shaping the current agenda of the venture market as of January 13, 2026:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors. Leading venture players are forming unprecedentedly large funds and increasing investments, refilling the market with capital and reigniting appetite for risk.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of "Unicorns." Colossal investments in artificial intelligence are pushing company valuations to unseen heights, creating a surge of unicorn startups.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful debuts of tech companies on the stock market and an increase in listing applications indicate that the long-awaited "window of opportunity" for exits has reopened.
- Diversification of Venture Investments. Capital is directed not only to AI but also to fintech, climate technologies, biotech, defense developments, and even crypto startups, broadening market horizons.
- Wave of Consolidation and M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape, providing investors with sought-after exits and accelerating company growth.
- Global Expansion of Venture Capital. The investment boom is reaching new regions—beyond the U.S., Western Europe, and China, startups in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America are receiving significant funding.
- Local Focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite restrictions, new funds and initiatives are developing local startup ecosystems, maintaining investor interest in domestic projects.
The Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena—a sign of renewed appetite for risk. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has announced the creation of its third Vision Fund, estimated at around $40 billion, focused on cutting-edge technologies (primarily artificial intelligence and robotics). Sovereign funds from Gulf countries are also becoming active, pouring billions into tech projects and launching large-scale startup sector development programs—resulting in the formation of local tech hubs in the Middle East. At the same time, dozens of new venture funds are being established worldwide, attracting significant institutional capital for investments in high-tech sectors.
Well-known firms from Silicon Valley are also strengthening their presence. In the U.S., venture funds have accumulated unprecedented reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder")—hundreds of billions of dollars are ready for deployment as confidence in the market grows. Some prominent VC firms, previously slowing down their activity, are returning with new mega rounds. For instance, investment fund Tiger Global has formed a new fund of $2.2 billion after a pause and promised a more selective, "modest" investment approach. The American giant Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) raised over $15 billion across five new funds—a record amount for the company, accounting for about 18% of all venture investments in the U.S. in 2025. This massive influx of "big money" has noticeably revitalized the ecosystem: the market is once again flooded with liquidity, competition for the best deals is intensifying, and the industry is gaining the much-needed confidence in future capital inflows.
Record Investments in AI and a New Wave of "Unicorns"
The field of artificial intelligence remains the main driver of the current venture boom, setting new funding records. Investors are eager to secure a place among the leaders of the AI market, directing colossal resources into the most promising startups. In recent months, several AI companies attracted unprecedentedly large funding rounds. For example, OpenAI secured a record private round of about $40 billion (the largest in venture history), the infrastructure developer Anthropic received approximately $13 billion in investments, while Elon Musk's xAI project attracted around $10 billion. These mega rounds, often accompanied by multiple re-subscriptions from eager investors, confirm the excitement surrounding AI companies.
Venture capital is flowing not only into applied AI services but also into the critical infrastructure for them. Investors are willing to finance even the "shovels and picks" of the new digital age—from the production of specialized chips and cloud platforms to energy consumption optimization in data centers. Analysts estimate that the total investment in AI startups for 2025 exceeded $150 billion. The current investment boom is giving rise to a wave of new "unicorns"—startups valued at over $1 billion. While experts warn of overheating risks, investor appetite for companies in the field of artificial intelligence remains unabated.
The IPO Market is Reviving: The "Window of Opportunity" for Exits is Open
The global initial public offering (IPO) market is experiencing a long-awaited revival after a prolonged pause in recent years. Successful debuts of several large tech companies in 2025 demonstrated that the downturn period is behind us. For instance, American fintech "unicorn" Chime held one of the most notable IPOs of the year: its stock surged by over 30% on the first day of trading, reinforcing investor confidence in new listings. The Asian region led the wave of listings—with several large startups, including Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, having gone public in Hong Kong over the last few weeks, raising approximately $5.2 billion, confirming that investors are ready to actively participate in IPOs in eastern markets once again. Following Asian companies, other well-known unicorns are preparing for public offerings: discussions are underway regarding the potential IPO of the payment service Stripe in the second half of 2025, and debuts of AI leaders (including OpenAI and Anthropic), as well as major fintech companies, are expected in 2026.
The revival of activity in the IPO market is critical for the venture ecosystem. Successful stock market debuts are once again providing funds with profitable exit opportunities, freeing up capital for new projects. The number of listing applications has significantly increased, and startups that had long postponed going public are eager to take advantage of the opening "window." It is anticipated that the market will see new large placements in 2026. The sustained functioning of the "IPO window" instills optimism in the industry, although investors are still carefully evaluating the fundamental metrics of companies going public.
Diversification of Venture Investments: Fintech, Climate, Biotech, and More
Venture investments are no longer solely focused on artificial intelligence—capital is actively being directed across a wide spectrum of sectors, creating a more balanced market. Signs of a rebound are apparent in fintech: financial technologies are once again attracting significant capital due to adaptation to new regulatory conditions and AI integration (for example, in payment services and neobanks). Interest in climate projects continues to grow: "green" technologies are receiving increasing support against the backdrop of the global push for decarbonization—investors are funding innovations in renewable energy, emission reduction, and sustainable infrastructure.
- Fintech: financial services and platforms are regaining investor attention, in part due to the integration of AI in banking and payments.
- Climate Projects: "Green" technologies are being financed at record levels thanks to the global trend for sustainable development (renewable energy, carbon footprint reduction, eco-friendly agritech).
- Biotechnology and Health: biotech is back in focus due to breakthroughs in medicine (new vaccines, gene therapy) and the application of AI in pharmaceuticals, attracting new rounds of investment.
- Defense and Aerospace Developments: geopolitical factors are driving growth in investments in military technology, cybersecurity, space projects, and dual-use robotics—both from the state and private funds.
- Crypto Startups: despite volatility, the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector is receiving a new wave of investments, especially in infrastructure solutions and stablecoins (for example, the stablecoin platform Rain raised $250 million in a Series C round).
The expansion of the sector focus makes the venture market more resilient and versatile. The diversity of directions reduces the risks of overheating in any one segment and creates prerequisites for higher quality, balanced growth of the startup ecosystem in the long term. Investors are presented with more opportunities to find promising projects across various fields—from finance and energy to medicine and defense—thus enhancing the overall efficiency of investments.
Wave of Consolidation and M&A: Industry Players are Getting Bigger
Amid the overall industry upturn, consolidation has intensified: the number of large mergers and acquisitions of startups surged in 2025, reaching a peak in recent years. Tech giants and financial corporations are actively acquiring promising young companies again, seeking to strengthen their positions in strategic niches. The scale of deals is impressive: for example, Google agreed to acquire cloud cybersecurity startup Wiz for about $32 billion—one of the largest purchases in tech sector history. In the crypto-financial industry, a landmark deal occurred when South Korean exchange Upbit (operator Dunamu) was acquired by internet giant Naver for approximately $10 billion, marking the largest fintech exit in the region. Additionally, at the end of 2025, Meta announced a strategic purchase of a 49% stake in American AI startup Scale AI for ~$15 billion, aiming to secure access to key technologies and teams in the field of artificial intelligence.
Consolidation is impacting various segments—from fintech and healthcare to AI. Major players are acquiring startups to accelerate innovation and broaden product lines. For venture investors, the wave of M&A indicates long-awaited exits (profits are realized through company sales rather than solely through IPOs). For the startups themselves, integration into corporations opens access to extensive resources, a global client base, and infrastructure, expediting their development. The increase in mergers and acquisitions reflects the maturity of certain market segments: the most successful companies are embedding themselves within larger structures, while investors gain an additional way to recover funds alongside public offerings. Although some deals are driven by forced measures (startups seeking "rescue" through sale due to difficulties with further independent growth), the overall trend towards consolidation adds dynamism to the venture market and creates new opportunities for all participants.
Global Expansion: New Centers of Venture Growth
The venture boom of recent months has taken on a truly global scale, spreading far beyond traditional technology hubs. Countries outside the U.S. now account for more than half of global venture investments—new growth points are emerging. The Middle East is rapidly transforming into a significant investment hub: funds from Gulf states are investing billions in creating local tech parks and developing startup ecosystems. India and Southeast Asia are breaking records for venture deal volumes, annually birthing new unicorns and attracting global investors. The tech scenes in Africa and Latin America are also actively developing—these regions have already seen startups valued at over $1 billion, making them new players on a global scale. Even in Europe, continental efforts are intensifying: national and corporate funds (e.g., Bpifrance in France, High-Tech Gründerfonds in Germany) are investing tens of billions of euros in tech startups, seeking to nurture their own technology champions and reduce dependence on foreign capital.
Thus, venture capital has become more geographically distributed than ever. Promising projects can attract financing regardless of their country of origin, provided they demonstrate scalability potential. For investors, this opens new horizons: the search for high-yield opportunities is now conducted worldwide, while risks are diversified across different regions. The global expansion of the venture market fosters an influx of talents and knowledge exchange—the technological ecosystems of different countries are increasingly interconnected, enhancing the planet's innovative potential. Intensified competition for promising startups on a global level ultimately stimulates project quality and creates more balanced conditions for the growth of new companies.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, activity in the startup sector is gradually reviving at the local level in Russia and neighboring countries. Although the aggregate volume of venture investments in Russia has declined in recent years, private investors and funds maintain cautious optimism. In 2025, new funds with a total volume in the tens of billions of rubles emerged in the region, aimed at financing early-stage tech projects. Large corporations are also getting involved by launching their own accelerators and venture divisions, while government programs provide grants and investments for startups. For example, in Moscow, around 1 billion rubles were attracted to local IT projects as part of one initiative—this is an important signal of market support.
A shift in focus toward more mature and resilient companies is noted. Venture investors in Russia and the CIS are favoring startups with proven revenue and viable business models—those capable of growing even with limited new capital influx. The easing of certain barriers has opened opportunities for investments from friendly countries, partially compensating for the exit of Western capital. Some large tech companies in the region are considering going public: discussions are underway regarding the IPO of certain IT subsidiaries of large holdings, which could breathe additional life into the local market as conditions improve. A new local venture ecosystem is gradually forming, relying on internal resources and regional players. The emergence of the first large deals and new funds instills cautious optimism: even in conditions of limited connectivity to global financial flows, Russian and neighboring markets are laying the foundation for future innovation growth.
Efficiency Priority and Forecast: Discipline in Focus for 2026
By the end of 2025, the global startup market demonstrated a vigorous recovery. In North America, the total investment volume reached a record ~$280 billion (46% more than the previous year), with about 60% of this sum directed to companies utilizing AI technologies. Similar trends are being observed in other regions. The influx of capital is accompanied by larger deals: the total number of rounds has decreased by ~15%, but the share of mega rounds has noticeably increased. Late-stage financing saw particularly robust growth—investment volumes in late-stage rounds increased by approximately 75%, reaching around $191 billion for the year.
- North America: ~$280 billion in investments in 2025—the highest figure in the past four years, primarily due to AI-related deals.
- AI Share: more than half of venture capital was directed to companies integrating artificial intelligence into their products.
- Late-Stage Boom: funding for large late-stage rounds grew by ~75%, reaching about $191 billion, reflecting investors' shift towards more mature projects.
- Focus on Sustainability: funds are placing increased emphasis on capital efficiency and the speed of achieving profitability when selecting projects.
Experts predict that in 2026, interest in infrastructure technologies and the AI sector will remain high, with the market continuing to attract large rounds. Additionally, even amid overall optimism, a startup's success in 2026 will depend on sound management and a solid business foundation. Investors demand discipline from companies, prudent spending of raised funds, and clear execution of growth strategies. Thus, the new phase of the venture boom combines lessons from previous years: to succeed in conditions of abundant opportunities, startups must maintain focus on quality, efficiency, and sustainable development.
