Startup and Venture Investment News for Wednesday, January 28, 2026: Major Investment Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, Global Trends in AI, Fintech, and Climate Tech. An Analytical Overview for Venture Investors and Funds.
The global venture capital market is entering the end of January 2026 with a strong upward momentum. Following a prolonged downturn from 2022 to 2024 and a cautious recovery in 2025, investors worldwide are once again actively investing in promising technology startups. Record funding deals are being concluded, and the plans for companies to go public are once again coming to the forefront. Major industry players are returning with substantial investments, while governments and corporations are ramping up support for innovation—significant private capital is flowing into the startup ecosystem. These trends signal the formation of a new early-stage investment boom, although market participants are still approaching deals selectively and judiciously.
Venture activity is increasing across all regions. The United States is solidifying its leadership (particularly due to investments in the artificial intelligence sector), investment volumes in startups in the Middle East have multiplied because of inflows from sovereign funds, and Europe has experienced a reshuffle: Germany has, for the first time, surpassed the UK in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and Gulf countries are breaking records for capital attraction, while activity in China has slightly decreased. Startup ecosystems in Russia and neighboring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends, despite external constraints.
Below are the key events and trends defining the venture market agenda as of January 28, 2026:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Major Investors. Leading venture firms are raising unprecedented amounts for new funds, saturating the market with liquidity and rekindling risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns. Unusually large deals are elevating startup valuations to new heights, especially in the AI segment, leading to the emergence of numerous new unicorns.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful debuts of tech companies on the stock exchange and new listings are confirming 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.
- Sector Diversification. Venture capital is being directed not only towards AI but also towards fintech, climate projects, biotechnology, defense developments, crypto startups, and other promising areas.
- Local Focus: Russia and CIS Countries. Despite constraints, new funds and programs to develop local startup ecosystems are being launched in the region, attracting investor attention.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back on the Market
The largest investment players are making a triumphant return to the venture arena—risk appetite in the sector has noticeably increased. In recent weeks, several top funds have announced the closing of new mega funds. For instance, American Lightspeed Venture Partners raised around $9 billion (the largest fundraising of 2025), while a number of other leading firms have also formed multi-billion dollar funds. Following a period of quiet, Tiger Global is also re-entering the market, targeting around $2.2 billion for its new fund—substantially less than previous amounts, reflecting a more cautious approach. Sovereign investors have also become more active: Gulf states are pouring billions of dollars into tech projects and launching their own programs to support startups.
The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, recovering 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 signifies the presence of hundreds of billions of dollars in "dry powder" (uninvested capital) ready to be deployed. These resources are already entering the market, intensifying competition for the best projects and supporting high valuations of promising companies. The return of mega funds and large institutional players not only intensifies the competition for the most lucrative deals but also instills confidence in the industry regarding continued capital inflows.
Record AI Investments and Surge of New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture boom, demonstrating unprecedented funding levels. Investors are eager to establish positions at the forefront of the AI revolution, directing colossal funds towards the most promising projects. In 2025, several companies secured multi-billion dollar rounds: OpenAI received approximately $40 billion at a valuation of around $300 billion, while its competitor Anthropic raised about $13 billion. Notably, capital is flowing not only into established leaders but also into new teams.
For example, the American startup Baseten, which is creating infrastructure for AI, raised approximately $300 million at a valuation of ~$5 billion. Such investments are rapidly expanding the club of unicorns. In just the past few months, dozens of startups—from generative AI to specialized chips and cloud AI services—have crossed the $1 billion valuation threshold. While experts warn of overheating risks, the appetite for venture capital in AI startups remains robust.
IPO Wave: The Window for Exits is Open Again
The global primary public offering market is rejuvenating after a two-year hiatus, once again providing startups with opportunities to go public. In Asia, Hong Kong has launched a new wave of listings: several major tech companies have gone public in recent months, collectively attracting billions in investments. For example, Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi sold an additional stake for approximately $4 billion, demonstrating that investors in the region are once again ready to actively support large placements.
The situation is also improving in the US and Europe: following successful debuts in 2024-2025, an increasing number of unicorns are preparing to go public. The American fintech giant Stripe, which has long postponed its IPO, is planning to list in 2026 amid favorable market conditions. Additionally, the design platform Figma opted for an independent IPO instead of selling to a strategic investor, raising over $1 billion—its valuation surged following this move. Even the crypto industry is looking to capitalize on the revival: the fintech company Circle successfully conducted its IPO. The revival of IPO market activity is crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits return capital to investors and allow them to direct it towards new projects.
Consolidation and M&A: Major Deals Transforming the Industry
High startup valuations and competition for leaders are driving consolidation within the tech sector. Large corporations and highly valued late-stage unicorns are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging with each other to accelerate growth. The year 2025 has become one of the record years for deal volume: the total value of venture M&A worldwide has approached an all-time high, exceeding the 2021 boom levels in the US. The culmination of this wave was Google’s acquisition of the cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—the largest acquisition of a venture-backed company in the history of the industry.
Besides this record deal, a number of multi-billion dollar acquisitions have occurred across various segments. Here are just a few examples:
- Capital One acquired the fintech platform Brex for approximately $5.15 billion.
- Coinbase acquired the crypto exchange Deribit.
- IonQ purchased the quantum company Oxford Ionics.
The activation of the M&A market provides venture funds with new opportunities for profitable exits, while startups gain resources for scaling under the wings of larger partners. The consolidation of players through mergers accelerates the maturation of specific niches while simultaneously opening new niches for the next wave of teams.
Diversification of Investments: It’s Not All About AI
The growth trend of 2025-2026 is characterized by a surge in capital across diverse sectors. Following a downturn in previous years, funding in financial technologies is reviving: large rounds are taking place not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets, fueling the growth of new fintech services. Simultaneously, spurred by the global push for sustainability, interest in climate and environmental projects is increasing—startups in renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon emission reduction are attracting record investments. There is a renewed appetite for biotechnology as recent medical breakthroughs inspire funds to finance large healthcare projects. Additionally, a partial restoration of confidence in the cryptocurrency market has allowed some blockchain startups to secure investments once again.
Attention is also growing towards defense technologies, space development, and robotics. In light of geopolitical challenges, investors are keen to support projects in national security, aerospace startups, and innovations for Industry 4.0. The main areas attracting investments, beyond AI, include:
- Financial technologies (fintech): digital banks, payment platforms, online services
- Climate and “green” projects: renewable energy, carbon emission reduction, eco-friendly infrastructure
- Biotechnology and medicine: development of new drugs, biomedical devices, digital health
- Defense and aerospace technologies: defense-tech startups, drones, satellites, robotic systems
As a result, the venture landscape is becoming more balanced. Capital is being distributed across various sectors, reducing the risk of overheating in one area. Funds are forming diversified portfolios and striving to avoid repeating past mistakes, where excessive financing of a single trend led to “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. Specifically, several new venture funds with a volume of approximately 10-12 billion rubles have been announced, aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects. Local startups are beginning to attract significant capital: for example, the Krasnodar-based foodtech project Qummy raised about 440 million rubles at a valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles. Furthermore, the country has resumed allowing foreign investors to invest in local projects, gradually rekindling interest from overseas capital.
Although the volume of venture investments in the region remains modest compared to global levels, they are gradually increasing. Some large companies are contemplating taking their tech divisions public as market conditions improve— for instance, VK Tech has publicly indicated the possibility of an IPO in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives are designed to provide additional momentum to the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into global trends.
Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism
The venture community is entering 2026 with a sense of cautious optimism. Successful IPOs, mega-rounds, and exits at the end of the previous year have demonstrated that the downturn is behind us, yet lessons from the recent past remain fresh. Investors are now examining the business models of startups and their paths to profitability more carefully, avoiding the pursuit of growth at any cost. This disciplined approach helps prevent market overheating.
At the same time, key trends instill confidence in continued growth. The IPO window, which was closed in 2022-2023, has now reopened, allowing mature companies to realize their plans to go public. An active M&A market provides projects with exit opportunities, while the emergence of new mega funds ensures the availability of capital for financing the next generation of startups. Although risks of macroeconomic instability persist, venture investors are approaching this new upturn more prepared than before. The first weeks of 2026 confirm that the global startup ecosystem is gaining momentum. If positive trends continue, this year could bring further growth in venture investments and the emergence of new tech leaders.
