Global Startup and Venture Capital News for January 29, 2026: Major Investment Rounds, VC Activity, AI Startup Growth, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market
The global venture capital market is entering the end of January 2026 with a strong growth trajectory. Following a prolonged downturn during 2022-2024 and a cautious recovery in 2025, investors worldwide are once again actively investing in promising tech startups. Record financing deals are being closed, and companies are revisiting their plans for public listings. Major industry players are returning with large-scale investments, while governments and corporations are ramping up their support for innovation—significant private capital is flowing back into the startup ecosystem. These trends signal the emergence of a new early-stage investment boom, even as market participants continue to approach deals selectively and judiciously.
Venture activity is rising across all regions. The US is consolidating its leading position (particularly due to investments in artificial intelligence), while the Middle East has seen a dramatic increase in startup investments thanks to the influx of sovereign capital. In Europe, there has been a significant shift, with Germany surpassing the UK for the first time in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and the Gulf countries are setting records for capital attraction, while activity in China has somewhat decreased. The startup ecosystems of Russia and neighboring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends despite external limitations.
Below are the key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda as of January 29, 2026:
- Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors. Leading venture firms are raising record amounts for new funds, saturating the market with liquidity and heating up risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns. Exceptionally large deals are pushing startup valuations to new heights, particularly in the AI segment, resulting in the emergence of numerous new unicorns.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful debuts of tech companies on the stock market and new listings confirm that the long-awaited "window" for going public has reopened.
- Wave of Consolidation Through M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships are reshaping the industry landscape, providing investors with opportunities for quick exits.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is being directed not only to AI but also to fintech, climate projects, biotech, defense developments, crypto startups, and other promising areas.
- Local Focus: Russia and CIS Countries. Despite restrictions, new funds and programs to develop local startup ecosystems are being launched in the region, attracting investor attention.
Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are making a triumphant return to the venture arena; risk appetite in the industry has noticeably increased. In recent weeks, several top funds have announced the closure of new mega funds. For instance, American Lightspeed Venture Partners has raised approximately $9 billion (an unprecedented fundraising achievement for 2025), while a number of other leading firms have also formed billion-dollar funds. After a period of quiet, Tiger Global is returning to the market, targeting about $2.2 billion for its new fund—a significantly lower amount than before, reflecting a more cautious approach. Sovereign investors are also becoming more active, with Gulf states pouring billions of dollars into tech projects and launching their own startup support programs.
The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, having recovered from previous setbacks, is once again placing large bets. At the end of 2025, SoftBank invested about $40 billion in OpenAI. The return of such powerful financiers means the emergence of hundreds of billions of dollars of "dry powder"—uninvested capital ready to work. These resources are already flowing into the market, intensifying competition for the best projects and supporting high valuations for promising companies. The return of mega funds and large institutional players not only sharpens the competition for the most lucrative deals but also instills confidence in the sector regarding future capital inflows.
Record AI Investments and a Surge of New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture capital boom, demonstrating unprecedented levels of funding. Investors are eager to secure positions at the forefront of the AI revolution, channeling colossal sums into the most promising projects. In 2025, several companies secured multi-billion funding rounds: OpenAI raised approximately $40 billion at a valuation of around $300 billion, while its competitor Anthropic attracted about $13 billion. Moreover, capital is flowing not only to established leaders but also to new teams.
For example, the American startup Baseten, which develops infrastructure for AI, raised around $300 million at a valuation of about $5 billion. Such investments are rapidly expanding the club of unicorns. In just the last few months, dozens of startups—from generative AI and specialized chips to cloud AI services—have crossed the $1 billion valuation threshold. While experts warn of overheating risks, the appetite for venture capital in AI startups shows no signs of waning.
IPO Wave: The Window for Exits is Open Again
The global initial public offering market is reviving after a two-year hiatus, once again providing startups with opportunities for public listings. In Asia, Hong Kong has kicked off a new wave of listings: several major tech companies have gone public there in recent months, collectively raising billions of dollars. For instance, the Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi placed an additional share package worth approximately $4 billion, demonstrating that investors in the region are willing to actively support large offerings once more.
The situation is also improving in the US and Europe: following successful debuts in 2024-2025, a growing number of unicorns are preparing to go public. American fintech giant Stripe, which had long delayed its IPO, is now planning a listing in 2026 amidst favorable market conditions. Additionally, design platform Figma opted for a direct listing instead of a sale to a strategic investor, raising over $1 billion—after which its market capitalization grew steadily. Even the crypto industry is keen to capitalize on the resurgence: fintech company Circle successfully completed its IPO. Notably, even giants like OpenAI and SpaceX are considering the option of a public stock offering—such IPOs could potentially become among the largest in history. The revival of IPO market activity is critically important for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits return capital to investors and enable them to reinvest in new projects.
Consolidation and M&A: Major Deals Reshape the Industry
High startup valuations and intense competition for leaders are driving increased consolidation in the tech sector. Major corporations and highly valued late-stage unicorns are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging with each other to accelerate growth. 2025 became one of the record-breaking years for such deals: the total value of venture M&A globally approached historical highs, while in the US, it surpassed the peaks of the 2021 boom. The culmination of this wave was Google's acquisition of cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—the largest acquisition of a venture-backed company in industry history.
In addition to this record agreement, there have been several other multi-billion dollar acquisitions across various segments. Here are just a few examples of the largest deals in recent months:
- Capital One acquired fintech platform Brex for approximately $5.15 billion;
- Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase acquired its competitor—the derivatives exchange Deribit;
- Company IonQ acquired British quantum startup Oxford Ionics.
The activation of the M&A market provides venture funds with new profitable exit opportunities, while startups gain resources for scaling under the auspices of major partners. The consolidation of players through mergers accelerates the maturation of specific niches and simultaneously opens up new niches for the next wave of teams.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
The rise of 2025-2026 is characterized by a influx of capital across a wide range of sectors. Following previous downturns, funding for financial technologies is reviving: large rounds are occurring not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets, fueling growth for new fintech services. Concurrently, on the wave of a global focus on sustainable development, interest in climate and ecological projects is intensifying—startups in renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon emissions reduction are attracting record investments. There is also a renewed appetite for biotech: recent breakthroughs in medicine are inspiring funds to finance significant healthcare projects once again. In addition, a partial restoration of trust in the cryptocurrency market has enabled some blockchain startups to once more secure funding.
Attention is also growing towards defense technologies, space developments, and robotics. Against the backdrop of geopolitical challenges, investors are eager to support projects in national security, aerospace startups, and innovations for Industry 4.0. Below are some key areas, aside from AI, where venture investments are currently directed:
- Financial Technologies (Fintech): digital banks, payment platforms, online services;
- Climate and “Green” Projects: renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, eco-friendly infrastructure;
- Biotechnology and Medicine: drug development, biomedical devices, digital healthcare;
- Defense and Space Technologies: defense-tech startups, drones, satellites, robotic systems.
Thus, the venture landscape is becoming more balanced. Capital is distributed across various sectors, reducing the risk of overheating in any one area. Funds are forming diversified portfolios and striving not to repeat the mistakes of the past, where excessive funding for a single trendy direction led to market "bubbles."
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, there is a revival of startup activity in Russia and neighboring countries. Notably, several new venture funds totaling about 10-12 billion rubles have been announced, aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects. Local startups are beginning to attract serious capital: for example, the Krasnodar food tech project Qummy secured about 440 million rubles at a valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles. Moreover, the country has once again allowed foreign investors to invest in local projects, gradually rekindling interest from international capital.
Although the volume of venture investments in the region remains modest compared to global figures, it is gradually increasing. Some major companies are considering taking their tech divisions public should market conditions improve—for instance, VK Tech publicly acknowledged the possibility of an IPO in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives aim to provide additional momentum for the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into global trends.
Outlook: Cautious Optimism
The venture community is entering 2026 with a mood of cautious optimism. Successful IPOs, mega rounds, and exits at the end of last year have demonstrated that the downturn is behind us, yet the lessons of the recent past have been heeded. Investors are now more thoroughly evaluating startup business models and their paths to profitability, avoiding a race for growth at all costs. This disciplined approach helps to prevent market overheating.
At the same time, key trends instill confidence in further growth. The "window" for IPOs, which was closed in 2022-2023, has now opened wide, allowing mature companies to implement their public listing plans. An active M&A market provides projects with new opportunities for exits, and the emergence of new mega funds ensures the availability of capital for financing the next generation of startups. Macroeconomic risks remain, but venture investors are approaching the current upswing more prepared than before. The early weeks of 2026 confirm that the global startup ecosystem is gaining momentum. If positive trends continue, this year may yield further growth in venture investments and the emergence of new technological leaders.
