Key Startup and Venture Investment News for Sunday, January 25, 2026: Record AI Rounds, New Venture Funds, IPOs, and Global Investment Trends.
As of early 2026, the global venture capital market is confidently recovering from the downturn of recent years. In 2025, venture investment volumes surged sharply, signaling a return of private capital to the startup ecosystem. Major funds and corporations have resumed large-scale investments, launched new venture programs, and governments around the world are increasing support for innovative businesses. Last year became the most successful since 2021 in terms of total venture investments — the overall influx of capital significantly increased, largely due to a series of oversized funding rounds in the field of artificial intelligence.
Venture activity encompasses all regions. The U.S. maintains its leadership (especially in the AI segment), the Middle East has multiplied investments in tech startups, and the downturn in China is offset by robust growth in investments in India and Southeast Asia. Even Africa and Latin America are showing inflows of capital and development of startup ecosystems. Overall, a new global venture boom is forming, although investors remain selective and cautious about deals.
Below are key events and trends shaping the venture market's agenda as of January 25, 2026:
- The return of mega-funds and large investors. Leading players are forming record venture funds and increasing investments, once again flooding the market with capital.
- Record AI mega-rounds and new 'unicorns.' Unprecedented volumes of investments are driving startup valuations to new heights, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.
- Revival of the IPO market. Successful public market entries by tech companies and new applications confirm that the long-awaited "window" for exits remains open.
- Industry diversification of focus. Venture capital is being directed not only into AI but also into fintech, climate projects, biotechnology, defense technologies, and other promising fields.
- A wave of consolidation and M&A deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite limitations, new funds and initiatives aimed at developing local startup ecosystems are emerging in the region, increasing investor interest in local projects.
The Return of Mega-Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are making a triumphant return to the venture arena — a sign of renewed risk appetite. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has launched the Vision Fund III with approximately $40 billion, focused on advanced technologies (primarily artificial intelligence and robotics). The American fund Andreessen Horowitz raised a record $15 billion for new funds targeting priority tech areas. Sovereign funds from Middle Eastern nations are also becoming more active: they are pouring billions into tech projects and launching government mega-projects to develop the startup sector, thereby creating their own tech hubs in the region. Concurrently, new venture funds are emerging globally, and funds in the U.S. have accumulated unprecedented reserves of "dry powder" — hundreds of billions of dollars in uninvested capital ready to work.
The influx of "big money" intensifies competition for the best deals, instilling confidence in the market regarding continued capital inflow.
Record Rounds and New 'Unicorns': Investment Boom in AI
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the venture resurgence in 2025 and early 2026, setting new records in funding volumes. Investors are eager to invest in AI leaders, directing substantial funds into the most promising projects. For instance, Elon Musk's startup xAI secured around $30 billion in private investments (including a mega-round of approximately $20 billion in early 2026), while OpenAI raised about $40 billion at a valuation of around $300 billion. These rounds have been significantly oversubscribed, underscoring the excitement surrounding leading AI companies.
Moreover, venture capital is not only going into AI-based applications but also into the infrastructural solutions for them. This investment boom is giving rise to a wave of new "unicorns," although experts warn of the overheating risks in this segment.
IPO Market Revives: ‘Window of Opportunity’ for Listings Remains Open
The global market for initial public offerings (IPOs) has confidently revived after a prolonged lull and continues to gain momentum. In Asia, Hong Kong is supporting a renewed wave of IPOs: in recent weeks, major tech companies have gone public, raising multibillion-dollar sums altogether. This indicates that investors in the region are once again ready to engage actively in offerings. The situation is also improving in the U.S. and Europe: American fintech "unicorn" Chime successfully debuted on the stock market, and in late 2025, the long-anticipated IPO of the payment service Stripe took place. In 2026, even larger market entries are on the horizon: leading AI startups and even Elon Musk's space company SpaceX are preparing for a public offering that could be among the largest in history. The IPO "window" remains open longer than many had anticipated, and overall the market can absorb a wave of new issuances.
The revival of IPO activity encompasses a wide range of companies and is crucial for the venture ecosystem. Successful public exits allow funds to lock in profitable exits and direct the freed capital into new projects. Despite investors' caution, the prolonged open "window" encourages more startups to consider going public as a realistic goal.
Investment Diversification: Fintech, Climate, and Biotech on the Rise
After the downturn of previous years, several sectors are experiencing a resurgence. Major rounds are returning to fintech (not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and emerging markets), while the global sustainability trend is stimulating record investments in climate technologies, green energy, and agritech. There is a renewed influx of capital into biotechnology, and in light of geopolitical challenges, there is growing interest in defense technologies (from drones and cybersecurity to dual-use robotics) with active support from the government and major investors. Such a broadening of industry focus makes the startup ecosystem more resilient, reducing the venture market's dependence on a single dominant trend.
Consolidation and M&A Deals: Consolidating Players
High company valuations and fierce competition for markets are prompting the startup ecosystem towards consolidation. Major mergers and acquisitions are again coming to the forefront, altering the balance of power within the industry. For example, Google is advancing a record deal to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32 billion — one of the largest startup acquisitions in the market. Such mega-deals demonstrate that even industry leaders are willing to spend tens of billions to keep pace in the tech race.
Overall, the current activity in acquisitions and major venture deals reflects the maturation of the industry. Mature startups are merging with each other or becoming targets for acquisition by corporations, while funds are finding opportunities for long-awaited profitable exits. Consolidation enhances the efficiency of the ecosystem, allowing companies to pool resources for accelerated growth and a path to global scale.
Russia and the CIS: Local Market Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, the venture market in Russia and the CIS continues to evolve. New funds and corporate accelerators involving banks and major companies are emerging. Development institutions (such as the Skolkovo fund) offer grants, tax incentives, and co-investment programs, partially offsetting the outflow of Western capital. Local investors and funds are increasingly focusing on the domestic market and partners from friendly countries in the Middle East and Asia, filling the niche left by departing players.
A notable example is the Krasnodar-based food tech startup Qummy, which secured around 440 million rubles in investments at a valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles and is aiming for an IPO in the coming years. Concurrently, several major banks and investment companies are launching their own venture funds (with volumes around 10-12 billion rubles) to support tech projects. In 2025, Russian authorities officially permitted the return of foreign capital from "friendly" countries to transactions with Russian startups, potentially opening doors for new investments. Although absolute volumes of venture investments in the region remain modest for now, they are gradually increasing. Local investors are betting on projects in AI, import substitution, cybersecurity, and B2B services. The regional startup ecosystem is eager to capitalize on the global upturn to lay the groundwork for future growth, even if it requires more time and internal support.
Conclusions: Moderate Optimism and Focus on Quality Growth
As of early 2026, sentiments within the venture industry remain cautiously optimistic. Successful IPOs and major funding rounds indicate that the bottom of the downturn has been passed, and the market is growing once again. However, investors are still cautious, preferring startups with sustainable business models and clear paths to profitability. A robust influx of capital instills confidence in continued growth, but funds are placing particular emphasis on diversification and risk management. Quality of this growth becomes paramount: market participants are focusing on the long-term sustainability of startups and healthy returns on investments to ensure that the new upswing does not turn into overheating. Thus, the venture market is entering a new phase of development with moderate optimism, betting on a measured approach and sustainable innovation development.
