Global Startup and Venture Capital News for Sunday, February 1, 2026: Major Funding Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, Key Tech Trends, and Investment Priorities.
The beginning of 2026 continues the trend of revitalization in the global startup and venture capital market. Following a downturn in 2022-2023 and an increase in investments in 2025, major investors worldwide are once again actively funding promising tech companies. Record-breaking venture financing deals are being closed, and plans to take startups public are gaining renewed relevance. Leading players with massive investments are returning to the stage, while governments and corporations are intensifying support for innovation—a significant amount of private capital is being reinvested into startup ecosystems.
Venture activity is rising in all regions. The United States maintains its leadership (notably due to an investment boom in artificial intelligence), while the Middle East has seen a doubling of startup investments over the past year, fueled by billion-dollar injections from sovereign funds. In Europe, there has been a shift: Germany has for the first time surpassed the United Kingdom in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and Gulf countries are attracting record amounts of capital, while investor activity in China has slightly diminished. The startup ecosystems in Russia and neighboring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends despite external restrictions. Consequently, a new venture upswing is forming on the world stage, although investors are still approaching deals selectively and cautiously.
Below is an overview of key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda as of February 1, 2026:
- Return of Mega Funds and Major Investors. Leading venture firms are raising record-sized funds and sharply increasing investments, saturating the market with capital and stoking risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns. Exceptionally large investment deals are elevating startup valuations to unprecedented heights, especially in the AI segment, resulting in the emergence of numerous new "unicorn" companies.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful IPOs of tech companies and new listing applications signal that the long-awaited "window" for public offerings is now open again.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is being directed not only to AI but also to fintech, climate projects, biotechnologies, defense developments, crypto startups, and other promising areas.
- Wave of Consolidation and M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape, creating new exit opportunities and accelerating startup growth.
- Local Focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite restrictions, new funds and initiatives are being launched in the region to support local startup ecosystems, attracting investor attention.
Mega Funds are Back: Big Money is Back on the Market
The venture market is experiencing a triumphant return of major investment players, signaling a renewed appetite for risk. In recent weeks, several top funds have announced record capital raises: the American firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) closed new funds at around $15 billion (unprecedented for the industry), Lightspeed raised approximately $9 billion, and Tiger Global returned with a $2.2 billion fund. Sovereign funds from the Gulf have also ramped up, injecting billions into technology and launching mega ecosystem development projects. Japan's SoftBank, having recovered from previous setbacks, invested around $40 billion in OpenAI, once again making a significant bet on AI. Consequently, venture funds are sitting on hundreds of billions of dollars in "dry powder," flooding the startup market with liquidity and supporting the growth of promising companies. The return of mega funds and large institutional investors heightens competition for the best deals while injecting confidence into the sector regarding continued capital inflow.
AI Investment Boom: Record Deals and New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the main driver of the current venture ascent. Investors are eager to position themselves at the forefront of the AI revolution and are ready to finance colossal rounds. In the first weeks of 2026 alone, unprecedented deals have been recorded even at early stages: for instance, the startup lab Humans& (USA), founded by top specialists from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, raised around $480 million in seed funding—a record amount for a seed round. Another example is the project Ricursive Intelligence (USA), aimed at breakthrough AI, which received $300 million in a Series A round at a valuation of approximately $4 billion. Furthermore, the new startup Merge Labs, founded by former OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman for the development of "brain-computer" interfaces, reportedly secured around $252 million in initial funding. As a result of this race, the "unicorn" club is rapidly expanding: only in recent months have dozens of startups crossed the $1 billion valuation threshold, particularly in AI and defense technology fields.
IPO Market Revives: The Window for Exits is Open Again
In the US and Europe, the situation has also improved: following the first successful offerings in 2025, more "unicorns" are going public. The American fintech giant Chime debuted on Nasdaq, with its shares rising approximately 40% on the first day, bolstering investor confidence.
Now, a potentially historic IPO is on the horizon: Elon Musk's space company SpaceX plans to go public in mid-2026, aiming to raise up to $50 billion with an estimated valuation of around $1.5 trillion (nearly double the record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019). Among the most anticipated IPOs are those of giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks—these exits have the potential to invigorate the market and attract widespread attention. The revival of IPO market activity is extremely important for the venture ecosystem: successful public offerings return capital to investors and allow them to direct it towards new projects.
Diversification of Investments: Fintech, Climate Projects, Biotech, and Beyond
In 2026, venture investments are covering an increasingly broader range of sectors, reducing market dependence on a single trend. After the explosive growth of AI investments, investor attention is once again shifting to other segments:
- Fintech: Revitalization of activity and large rounds in financial technology startups worldwide (from the US and Europe to developing markets).
- Climate Technologies: Record investments in "green" energy, agri-tech, and other eco-tech projects amid a global focus on sustainable development.
- Biotech and Health: New capital inflows into biotechnologies, medical startups, and digital health in light of scientific breakthroughs and the return of investor trust in the sector.
- Defense and Space Developments: Increased financing of startups in national security, defense, aerospace, and cybersecurity.
- Crypto Startups: Gradual return of interest in blockchain projects and cryptocurrency services as the digital asset market stabilizes.
Thus, venture capital in 2026 is distributed across multiple niches, with funds seeking growth points not only in AI. This expansion of sector focus means more opportunities for startups of various profiles, from finance and energy to medicine and defense.
Market Consolidation: Major M&A Deals Reshape the Landscape
High startup valuations and fierce competition for technological leadership are leading to a wave of consolidation. Large corporations and mature "unicorns" are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging to accelerate growth and secure key technologies. Multi-billion dollar deals have already taken place: for example, Apple is buying the Israeli AI startup Q.ai for around $1.6 billion (one of Apple's largest purchases in recent times), Google is acquiring the cybersecurity platform Wiz for a record $32 billion, and Capital One is purchasing the fintech platform Brex for $5.15 billion. Such acquisitions and mergers are reshaping the industry landscape, allowing fast-growing companies to scale under the wings of tech giants and providing venture investors with long-awaited exit opportunities.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external restrictions, the startup environment in Russia and the CIS countries is also showing signs of revitalization, following global trends. New venture funds with a total volume of around 10-12 billion rubles are being launched in the region, aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects. Local startups are beginning to attract more substantial capital: for instance, the Krasnodar-based foodtech service Qummy secured around 440 million rubles, while the company Motorica (a developer of modern rehabilitation tools) raised over 800 million rubles from a private investor. Additionally, authorities have allowed foreign investors to once again invest in Russian startups, gradually rekindling interest from overseas capital. Although the volume of venture investments in the region is still modest compared to global figures, it is steadily growing. Several major tech companies are considering taking their divisions public as conditions improve – for example, VK Tech has publicly acknowledged the possibility of an IPO in the near future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives aim to provide additional momentum for the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into global trends.
Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism Among Investors
The strong start to the year is fostering moderately optimistic sentiments in the venture industry. On one hand, record rounds and the emergence of new funds are providing startups with access to capital, while successful IPOs confirm that the downturn is behind us. On the other hand, investors are still scrutinizing projects carefully and intensifying oversight of portfolio companies to ensure that the new upswing does not turn into overheating.
Importantly, the volume of available capital remains high: global venture funds have "dry powder" amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars ready for investment. These reserves are capable of sustaining the pace of funding for innovations even amid changing macroeconomic conditions, further intensifying competition for the best deals.
Undoubtedly, risks persist: rising interest rates, geopolitical instability, and stock market volatility could dampen risk appetite. Nevertheless, the startup ecosystem enters 2026 with resilience and cautious optimism. Venture investors and founders are hopeful that the market will continue its growth over the coming months—provided there are reasonable project valuations and favorable external conditions.
