Current Startup and Venture Capital News as of January 18, 2026: Record Rounds in AI, Return of Mega Funds, IPO Resurgence, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market.
At the beginning of 2026, the global venture capital market is demonstrating robust growth, definitively overcoming the impacts of the downturn in recent years. According to the latest data, venture investments in the fourth quarter of 2025 reached their highest levels in several years, approaching the record highs of the boom in 2021. The upward trend strengthened in the autumn; in November alone, startups worldwide attracted around $40 billion in funding (28% more than the previous year). The prolonged "venture winter" of 2022–2023 is behind us, and private capital is rapidly returning to the tech sector. Major funds are resuming large-scale investments, governments are launching initiatives to support innovation, and investors are once again willing to take risks. Despite a persisting selectiveness in approaches, the industry confidently enters a new phase of venture investment growth.
Venture activity is increasing across all regions of the world. The United States continues to lead (primarily due to colossal investments in the AI sector); in the Middle East, the volume of deals has increased manifold thanks to generous funding from sovereign wealth funds; in Europe, Germany has outpaced the UK in total capital raised for the first time in a decade. In Asia, growth is shifting from China to India and Southeast Asian countries, compensating for the relative cooling of the Chinese market. The startup ecosystems in the CIS countries are also striving not to lag behind, despite external constraints. A global early-stage venture boom is forming, although investors are still acting selectively and cautiously.
Below are key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda as of January 18, 2026:
- Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors. Leading venture funds are raising record-sized funds and reintroducing capital into the market, rekindling appetite for risk.
- Record Rounds in AI and New Unicorns. Unprecedented investments in artificial intelligence are elevating startup valuations to unseen heights and generating a wave of new "unicorn" companies.
- Revitalization of the IPO Market. Successful public offerings of tech companies and an increase in listing applications confirm that the long-awaited "window of opportunity" for exits has reopened.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is directed not only to AI but also to fintech, climate projects, biotech, defense developments, and other fields, broadening market horizons.
- Wave of Consolidation and M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships are reshaping the industry landscape, creating new opportunities for exits and accelerated growth of companies.
- Resurgence of Interest in Crypto Startups. After a lengthy "crypto winter," blockchain projects are again receiving substantial funding amid the rising digital asset market and easing regulation.
- Global Expansion of Venture Capital. The investment boom is touching new regions—from the Persian Gulf and South Asia to Africa and Latin America—creating local tech hubs worldwide.
- Local Focus: Russia and the CIS. New funds and initiatives are emerging in the region to develop local startup ecosystems, gradually increasing investor interest in local projects.
Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture stage, signaling a renewed appetite for risk. After several years of quiet, leading funds have resumed raising record capital and are launching mega funds, demonstrating confidence in market potential. For example, the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is forming its third Vision Fund, amounting to ~$40 billion, targeting advanced technologies (primarily projects in AI and robotics). Even investment firms that previously took a pause are returning: Tiger Global has announced a new fund of ~$2.2 billion—modest compared to its previous giant funds but with a more selective strategy. One of Silicon Valley's oldest venture players has also made headlines: in December, Lightspeed raised a record $9 billion for new funds to invest in large-scale projects (mainly in AI).
Sovereign funds in the Middle East are also gaining momentum: governments of oil-rich countries are pouring billions into innovation programs, creating robust regional tech hubs. Additionally, many new venture funds around the world are attracting significant institutional capital for investments in high-tech companies. The largest funds from Silicon Valley and Wall Street have accumulated unprecedented reserves of uninvested capital (“dry powder”)—hundreds of billions of dollars are ready to be deployed as the market revives. The influx of "big money" is already noticeable: the market is becoming more liquid, competition for the best deals is intensifying, and the industry is receiving a much-needed boost of confidence in further capital inflows. It is also worth noting governmental initiatives: for instance, in Europe, the German government launched the Deutschlandfonds fund of €30 billion to attract private capital into technologies and modernize the economy, highlighting authorities' efforts to support the venture market.
Record Investments in AI: A New Wave of Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture boom, demonstrating record-level funding volumes. Investors worldwide are scrambling to secure positions among the leaders of the AI market, directing colossal amounts into the most promising projects. In recent months, several AI startups have attracted unprecedented funding rounds. For example, AI model developer Anthropic raised about $13 billion, Elon Musk’s xAI—around $20 billion, and a lesser-known AI infrastructure startup raised over $2 billion, boosting its valuation to approximately $30 billion. OpenAI has received particular attention: a series of mega-deals has boosted its valuation to an astronomical ~$500 billion, making it the most valuable private startup in history. SoftBank previously led a funding round of ~$40 billion (valuing the company at about $300 billion), and reports suggest that Amazon is finalizing a deal to invest up to $10 billion, further solidifying OpenAI's position at the top of the market.
Such gigantic rounds (often with multiple oversubscriptions) underscore the frenzy surrounding AI technologies and elevate company valuations to unprecedented heights, spawning dozens of new unicorns. Notably, venture investments are directed not only to applied AI services but also to the critical infrastructure that supports them. "Smart money" is flowing even into the "shovels and picks" of the digital gold rush—from producing specialized chips and cloud platforms to optimizing energy consumption in data centers. The market is keen to actively finance such infrastructural projects that ensure the AI ecosystem's viability. Despite some concerns about overheating, investor appetite for AI startups remains extremely high—everyone is eager to secure their share in the AI revolution.
The IPO Market Revives: A Window of Opportunity for Exits
The global initial public offering (IPO) market is emerging from a lull and gaining momentum. In Asia, Hong Kong has launched a new wave of IPOs: in recent weeks, several large tech companies went public, collectively attracting billions of dollars in investment. For example, the Chinese battery giant CATL successfully floated shares worth ~$5 billion, demonstrating that investors in the region are once again ready to actively participate in IPOs. In January 2026, one of the leading Chinese generative AI startups, MiniMax, debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange—its shares soared by 78% on the first day of trading, and its market capitalization exceeded 90 billion HKD (approximately $11.7 billion). The strong demand for MiniMax shares clearly indicated investor readiness to pay for "home champions" in the AI space, especially with support from Beijing.
The situation is also improving in the US and Europe: American fintech unicorn Chime recently debuted on the stock market—its shares grew by about 30% on the first trading day. Shortly after, the design platform Figma conducted its IPO, raising around $1.2 billion with an estimated valuation of around $15–20 billion, and its shares also rose confidently in the early trading days. In the second half of 2025, other well-known startups are also preparing for public market launches—including the payment service Stripe and several other highly valued companies.
Even the crypto industry is trying to capitalize on the revival: for instance, fintech company Circle successfully went public in the summer (its shares then soared), and cryptocurrency exchange Bullish filed for listing in the US with a target valuation of about $4 billion. The return of activity in the IPO market is important for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits allow funds to realize profits and direct freed-up capital into new projects.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
In 2025, venture investments are encompassing an increasingly broader range of industries and are no longer limited to AI alone. After last year's downturn, fintech is revived: large financing rounds are taking place not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets, fueling the growth of promising financial services. At the same time, interest in climate technologies, "green" energy, and agrotechnologies is intensifying—these areas are attracting record investments amid the global trend of sustainable development.
The appetite for biotechnology is also returning: the emergence of new medical developments and online platforms is again attracting capital as the industry emerges from a period of declining valuations. Additionally, against the backdrop of heightened attention to security, investors have started supporting defense technology projects, and the partial restoration of trust in the cryptocurrency market has allowed some blockchain startups to secure funding again. Ultimately, this expansion of sector focus makes the entire startup ecosystem more resilient and reduces the risk of overheating in specific segments.
Consolidation and M&A Deals: Bigger Players Emerge
Inflation in startup valuations and fierce competition for markets are pushing the industry toward consolidation. Large mergers and acquisitions are again coming to the forefront, reshaping the balance of power. For instance, Google has agreed to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—a record sum for the Israeli tech sector.
Such mega-deals reflect the ambitions of tech giants to acquire key technologies and talent. Overall, the current activity in acquisitions and major venture deals indicates market maturation. Mature startups are merging with one another or are becoming targets for acquisition by corporations, while venture investors are finally seeing opportunities for long-awaited profitable exits.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external sanctions pressure, there is a gradual revival of startup activity in Russia and neighboring countries. In 2025, the launch of several new venture funds totaling around 10–12 billion rubles was announced, targeting the support of early-stage technology projects. Local startups are beginning to attract significant capital: for example, the Krasnodar-based foodtech project Qummy raised about 440 million rubles with a valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles. Additionally, Russia has again allowed foreign investors to invest in local projects, gradually restoring interest from overseas capital.
While the volume of venture investments in the region is still modest compared to global figures, it is gradually increasing. Some large companies are seriously considering taking their tech divisions public as market conditions improve—for instance, the leadership of VK Tech (a subsidiary of VK) has recently publicly allowed the possibility of an IPO in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives aim to provide an additional impetus to the local startup ecosystem and align its development with global trends.
Conclusion: Cautious Optimism at the Start of 2026
By the beginning of 2026, moderately optimistic sentiments have taken hold within the venture industry. Record funding rounds and successful IPOs convincingly demonstrate that the downturn is behind us. Nevertheless, market participants remain cautious. Investors are now placing increased emphasis on the quality of projects and the resilience of business models, striving to avoid unfounded hype. The focus of the new venture boom is not on racing for inflated valuations but on seeking truly promising ideas capable of generating profit and transforming industries.
Even the largest funds are calling for a measured approach. Some investors note that the valuations of several startups remain very high and are not always backed by strong business indicators. Aware of the risk of overheating (especially in the AI sector), the venture community intends to act prudently, combining bold investments with diligent "homework" in market and product analysis.
