Latest Startup and Venture Investment News for 24th October 2025: Record Deals, AI Rounds, IPO Growth, Climate Technologies, Defence Startups, and Global Market Trends
By the end of October 2025, the global venture market is demonstrating a strong recovery after several years of decline. Investors around the world are once again actively financing technology startups—record deals are being made, and companies are once again prioritising plans for initial public offerings (IPOs). Major players are returning to the arena with substantial investments, while governments across various countries are enhancing their support for innovation. As a result, private capital is flowing back into the startup ecosystem, providing resources for a new wave of growth. According to industry analysts, in the third quarter of 2025, the total volume of venture investments worldwide rose by nearly 40% year-on-year—a clear sign of a renewed appetite for risk.
The increase in venture activity is observed across all regions. The USA remains the leader (especially in the artificial intelligence sector), while investment volumes in startups have doubled in the Middle East compared to last year. In Europe, Germany has, for the first time, surpassed the UK in the number of venture deals. In Asia, amidst regulatory uncertainty, there is a relative slowdown in China, whereas India, Southeast Asia, and Gulf countries are attracting record capital. The investment boom is reaching new heights: on the back of the overall growth, new tech hubs are being formed in Africa and Latin America (for instance, Africa recently witnessed its largest investment of about $100 million in the electric mobility sector). The startup ecosystems in Russia and the CIS countries are also striving to keep pace in spite of external constraints. A global early-stage venture boom is forming, though investors continue to act selectively and cautiously.
Below are the key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda on 24th October 2025:
- The return of mega-funds and large investors. Leading venture funds are attracting unprecedented amounts of capital and rapidly increasing investments, filling the market with liquidity and enhancing risk appetite.
- Record rounds in the AI sector and a new wave of unicorns. Unprecedented levels of investment are driving startup valuations to unseen heights, particularly in the artificial intelligence segment.
- A revival of the IPO market. Successful public offerings by technology companies and new listing applications affirm that the long-awaited "window" for exits has reopened.
- A boom in investments in defence technologies. The geopolitical situation is stimulating heightened interest in startups within the defence and security realm, which are moving to the forefront of the venture agenda.
- Diversification of sector focus. Venture capital is being directed not only towards AI but also towards fintech, climate initiatives, biotechnology, and even crypto startups.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite constraints, new funds and initiatives aimed at fostering local startup ecosystems are being launched in the region, garnering investor attention.
The Return of Mega-Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are making a return to the venture scene, signalling a new surge in risk appetite. For instance, SoftBank is launching a new Vision Fund worth approximately $40 billion for investments in advanced technologies, while Andreessen Horowitz is raising funds totalling around $10 billion, targeting AI and related fields. Sovereign wealth funds from Gulf countries are also actively pouring billions into technological initiatives in the Middle East, creating their own tech hubs. Simultaneously, dozens of new venture funds are being established globally, attracting significant institutional capital for high-tech investments.
The return of such "big money" from renowned Silicon Valley funds and global investors not only intensifies competition for prime deals but also instils confidence within the industry regarding the continued influx of capital. In the US venture sector, record reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder") have amassed—hundreds of billions of dollars are ready to be deployed as market confidence returns. The influx of large funds is saturating the startup market with liquidity, providing resources for new funding rounds and supporting growth in the valuations of promising companies.
Record Investments in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector is serving as the principal driver of the current venture upswing, exhibiting unprecedented levels of funding. Investors worldwide are keen to position themselves in the leaders of the AI sector, directing colossal amounts of capital towards the most promising projects. For example, Elon Musk's new project xAI has raised approximately $10 billion, while AI model developer OpenAI secured around $8–9 billion in funding at a valuation of about $300 billion. This current investment frenzy has spawned a new wave of unicorns—startups valued at over $1 billion.
AI startups are achieving "unicorn" status at record speed, although some experts warn of overheating due to potential overvaluation. Nevertheless, the fear of missing out on a new technological revolution sustains the inflow of capital, and investor appetite for AI projects remains exceptionally high—artificial intelligence continues to be the primary magnet for venture investments.
The IPO Market Revives: An Opportunity Window for Exits
The global primary public offering (IPO) market is emerging from a lull and rapidly gaining momentum. In Asia, Hong Kong has initiated a new wave of IPOs, with several major tech companies (for instance, Chinese CATL raised approximately $5 billion) going public in recent weeks—signalling a return of investor interest.
In the US and Europe, the situation is also improving. American fintech unicorn Chime recently made its market debut—its capitalisation rose by approximately 30% on the first day of trading. Shortly after, design platform Figma conducted an IPO, raising around $1.2 billion at a valuation of about $15–20 billion; its shares also confidently rose in the initial days of trading. Other well-known startups, including payment service Stripe, are preparing to go public in the second half of 2025.
Even the crypto industry is attempting to capitalise on this revival: fintech company Circle successfully went public over the summer, while cryptocurrency exchange Bullish has applied for a listing in the US with a target valuation of around $4 billion. The return of activity in the IPO market is crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public offerings allow funds to realise profitable exits and redeploy liberated capital into new projects.
The Boom in Defence Technologies: A New Priority for the Venture Market
Amidst geopolitical tensions, the niche for defence technologies is experiencing rapid growth. Venture investors are actively funding startups related to defence and security, and investment volumes in this sector increased significantly in 2025, approaching record levels seen in previous years. New "disruptors" are challenging traditional defence giants—one prominent example is the startup Anduril, valued at around $30 billion. Major venture funds are also directing significant capital toward national security projects, affirming the new priority for the industry.
Diversification of Investments: Beyond Just AI
In 2025, venture investments are encompassing an increasingly broad range of sectors and are no longer limited to just artificial intelligence. Following a decline in the previous year, fintech is witnessing a revival: substantial rounds are taking place not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets, driving the growth of new financial services. Concurrently, interest in climate technologies, renewable energy, and agritech is intensifying—these areas are attracting record investments amid a global trend towards sustainable development. The appetite for biotechnology is also returning: the emergence of breakthrough medical developments is once again attracting capital as the industry emerges from a period of declining valuations. Partial restoration of confidence in the cryptocurrency market has also enabled some blockchain startups to secure funding once more. Thus, the expansion of sector focus is making the startup ecosystem more resilient and reducing the risk of overheating in specific segments.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amidst Global Trends
Despite external constraints, there is a notable revival of startup activity in Russia and neighbouring countries. The launch of several new venture funds with a total volume of approximately 10-12 billion rubles aimed at supporting technological projects has been announced, and several local startups have already attracted hundreds of millions of rubles in investments. Furthermore, foreign investments in local projects have been allowed again, gradually restoring foreign capital. Although the volumes of venture investments in the region are still modest compared to global figures, they are gradually increasing. Some companies are contemplating IPOs for their technology divisions if market conditions improve—for instance, VK Tech has announced the possibility of going public in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives are intended to provide additional impetus to the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into global trends.
Cautious Optimism and Quality Growth
Overall, the venture market is closing October 2025 on an upward trend. Successful IPOs and major deals confirm the end of a prolonged downturn, but investors continue to act selectively and focus on startups with resilient business models. The influx of new capital is accompanied by diversification and enhanced risk management, facilitating the market's transition to a phase of more qualitative, balanced growth.
