Global Startup and Venture Capital News for Tuesday, 13 January 2026: Continuation of the Venture Boom, Record Rounds in AI, Revival of IPOs, Surge in M&A, and Global Market Expansion. An Overview for Venture Investors and Funds.
By mid-January 2026, the global venture capital market is demonstrating robust growth, leaving behind a period of decline. In the fourth quarter of 2025, over $100 billion was invested in technology startups, approximately 40% higher than the previous year, marking the best quarterly result since 2021. The prolonged "venture winter" of 2022-2023 has concluded, and private capital is rapidly returning to the technology sector. Major funds are once again actively investing in promising companies, and investors are willing to take risks for high potential returns. The industry confidently enters a new growth phase, although caution in project evaluations remains.
Venture activity is on the rise across all regions of the world. The United States is leading the way, largely driven by colossal investments in artificial intelligence. In the Middle East, investments in startups are sharply increasing due to generous financing from government mega-funds. Europe is witnessing a reshuffling of leaders: Germany has surpassed the United Kingdom for the first time in a decade in terms of venture deals, strengthening the positions of continental tech hubs. In Asia, growth is shifting from China to India and Southeast Asia, which compensates for the relative cooling of the Chinese market. Africa and Latin America are also making their mark – the emergence of the first "unicorns" in these regions underscores the truly global nature of the current venture boom. The startup ecosystems in Russia and the CIS countries are striving to keep pace: with the support of the government and corporations, new funds, accelerators, and programmes aimed at integrating local projects into global trends are being launched in the region.
Below are the key events and trends shaping the current venture market agenda as of 13 January 2026:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Major Investors. Leading venture players are forming unprecedentedly large funds and increasing investments, once again filling the market with capital and reigniting the appetite for risk.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of "Unicorns." Colossal investments in artificial intelligence are driving company valuations to unprecedented heights and generating a wave of "unicorn" startups.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful debuts of technology companies on the stock market and an increase in listing applications indicate that the long-awaited "window of opportunity" for exits has reopened.
- Diversification of Venture Investments. Capital is being directed not only into AI but also into fintech, climate technologies, biotech, defence developments, and even crypto startups, which broadens market horizons.
- A Wave of Consolidation and M&A Deals. Significant mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape, providing investors with long-awaited exits and accelerating company growth.
- Global Expansion of Venture Capital. The investment boom is reaching new regions – beyond the USA, Western Europe, and China, startups in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America are also receiving substantial funding.
- Local Focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite restrictions, new funds and initiatives for developing local startup ecosystems are emerging in the region, sustaining investor interest in local projects.
The Return of Mega Funds and Major Investors: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena, signalling a new surge in risk appetite. Japanese conglomerate SoftBank announced the establishment of its third Vision Fund, with a volume of approximately $40 billion, targeting advanced technologies (primarily artificial intelligence and robotics). Sovereign funds from Gulf countries are also ramping up, injecting billions of dollars into tech projects and launching large-scale startup sector development programmes, leading to the establishment of tech hubs in the Middle East. Simultaneously, dozens of new venture funds are being launched worldwide, attracting significant institutional capital for investments in high-tech directions.
Established Silicon Valley firms are also strengthening their presence. In the US, venture funds have accumulated unprecedented reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder") – hundreds of billions of dollars are ready for investment as market confidence grows. Some renowned VC firms, which had previously slowed down their activities, are returning with new mega-rounds. For instance, Tiger Global has formed a new fund of $2.2 billion after a hiatus and promised a more selective, "humble" investment approach. The American giant Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) raised over $15 billion across five new funds – a record amount for the firm, accounting for about 18% of all venture investments in the US for 2025. Meanwhile, a16z's total assets exceeded $90 billion. The massive influx of "big money" is noticeably revitalising the ecosystem: the market is once again saturated with liquidity, competition for the best deals is intensifying, and the industry is gaining the much-needed confidence in future capital inflows.
Record Investments in AI and a New Wave of "Unicorns"
The artificial intelligence sector remains the driving force behind the current venture boom, setting new records in funding volume. Investors are eager to secure their place among AI market leaders, directing colossal resources into the most promising startups. In recent months, several AI companies have attracted unprecedentedly large funding rounds. For example, OpenAI secured a record private round of around $40 billion (the largest in venture history), infrastructure developer Anthropic raised approximately $13 billion, and Elon Musk's project xAI attracted around $10 billion. Such mega-rounds, often accompanied by multiple oversubscriptions from eager investors, confirm the hype surrounding AI companies.
Venture capital is being directed not only into applied AI services but also into critical infrastructure for them. Investors are willing to fund even the "shovels and pickaxes" of the new digital era – from manufacturing specialized chips and cloud platforms to energy efficiency optimization tools in data centres. Analysts estimate that the total volume of investments in AI startups surpassed $150 billion for 2025. The current investment boom is generating a wave of new "unicorns" – startups valued at over $1 billion. Although experts warn of overheating risks, investor appetite for artificial intelligence companies remains strong.
The IPO Market Awakens: The "Window of Opportunity" for Exits is Open
The global market for initial public offerings (IPOs) is experiencing a long-awaited revival after a prolonged pause in recent years. The successful debuts of several major technology companies on stock exchanges in 2025 have shown that the downturn is behind us. For instance, the American fintech unicorn Chime had one of the year's most standout IPOs: its shares surged more than 30% on the first day of trading, strengthening investor confidence in new listings. The Asian region has led the wave of listings – in Hong Kong, several large startups have gone public in recent weeks, collectively raising billions of dollars. Among them, Chinese battery manufacturer CATL sold shares worth approximately $5.2 billion, confirming investors' readiness to actively participate in IPOs on Eastern markets. Following Asian companies, other well-known "unicorns" are preparing for public offerings: discussions were held in the second half of 2025 regarding a possible IPO for payment service Stripe, and debuts from AI leaders (including OpenAI and Anthropic), as well as major fintech companies, are expected in 2026.
The resurgence of activity in the IPO market is crucial for the venture ecosystem. Successful stock market debuts once again provide funds with lucrative exit opportunities, freeing up capital for new projects. The number of listing applications has significantly increased, with startups that have long delayed going public eager to take advantage of the opened "window." New major offerings are expected in 2026. The ongoing functioning of the "IPO window" instills optimism in the industry, although investors are still carefully evaluating the fundamentals of companies going public.
Diversification of Venture Investments: Fintech, Climate, Biotech, and More
Venture investments are no longer solely concentrated in artificial intelligence – capital is actively directed across a broad spectrum of sectors, making the market more balanced. Signs of recovery are evident in fintech: financial technologies are once again attracting substantial capital due to their adaptation to new regulatory conditions and integration of AI (for example, in payment services and neobanks). Interest in climate projects also continues to increase: "green" technologies are receiving more support amid the global push for decarbonisation, as investors fund innovations in renewable energy, emission reductions, and sustainable infrastructure.
- Fintech: Financial services and platforms are regaining investor attention, partly due to the integration of AI in banking and payments.
- Climate Projects: "Green" technologies are being funded at record levels thanks to the global trend towards sustainability (renewable energy, carbon footprint reduction, eco-friendly agritech).
- Biotechnology and Health: Biotech is back in focus due to breakthroughs in medicine (new vaccines, gene therapy) and the application of AI in pharmaceuticals, attracting fresh rounds of investment.
- Defence and Aerospace Developments: Geopolitical factors are driving increased investments in military technologies, cybersecurity, space projects, and dual-use robotics – from both state and private funds.
- Crypto Startups: Despite volatility, the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector is receiving a new wave of investments, particularly in infrastructural solutions and stablecoins (for instance, the stablecoin platform Rain raised $250 million in its Series C round).
Expanding sector focus makes the venture market more resilient and versatile. The diversity of directions reduces the risks of overheating in any one segment and creates conditions for higher quality, balanced growth of the startup ecosystem in the long term. Investors gain more opportunities to find promising projects across various fields – from finance and energy to medicine and defence – thus enhancing the overall efficiency of investments.
A Wave of Consolidation and M&A: The Consolidation of Players
Amid the general industry upturn, consolidation has intensified: the number of major mergers and acquisitions of startups surged in 2025, reaching a peak in recent years. Tech giants and financial corporations are once again actively acquiring promising young companies, aiming to strengthen their positions in strategic niches. The scale of transactions is impressive: for instance, Google agreed to acquire the cloud cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion – one of the largest purchases in the history of the tech sector. A landmark deal occurred in the crypto finance industry: the South Korean exchange Upbit (operator Dunamu) was acquired by internet giant Naver for around $10 billion, marking the largest fintech exit in the region. Additionally, at the end of 2025, Meta announced a strategic purchase of a 49% stake in the American AI startup Scale AI for about $15 billion, seeking access to key technologies and talent in the field of artificial intelligence.
Consolidation touches on a wide variety of segments – from fintech and healthcare to AI. Major players are acquiring startups to accelerate innovation and expand product lines. For venture investors, the wave of M&A signifies long-awaited exits (profit is realised through company sales, not just through IPOs). For the startups themselves, integration into corporations opens access to extensive resources, a global client base, and infrastructure, accelerating their development. The increase in mergers and acquisitions indicates the maturation of specific market segments: the most successful companies integrate into larger structures, while investors gain an additional method of fund recovery alongside public offerings. Although some deals are prompted by forced measures (startups seek "salvation" through sales when facing difficulties in further independent growth), the overall trend towards consolidation adds dynamism to the venture market and creates new opportunities for all participants.
Global Expansion: New Centres of Venture Growth
The recent venture boom has acquired a truly global scale, spreading far beyond traditional technology hubs. Countries outside the USA now account for more than half of global venture investments – new growth points are emerging. The Middle East is rapidly transforming into a significant investment hub: funds from Gulf countries are investing billions into creating local tech parks and developing startup ecosystems. India and Southeast Asia are breaking records in the volume of venture deals, annually producing new "unicorns" and attracting global investors. The tech scenes in Africa and Latin America are also actively developing – startups valued at over $1 billion have already appeared in these regions, making them new players on the global stage. Even in Europe, there is an intensification of continental efforts: national and corporate funds (for example, Bpifrance in France, High-Tech Gründerfonds in Germany) are investing tens of billions of euros in technology startups, aiming to cultivate their own tech champions and reduce reliance on foreign capital.
Thus, venture capital has become geographically distributed like never before. Promising projects can attract funding regardless of their country of origin, provided they demonstrate scaling potential. For investors, this opens new horizons: high-yield opportunities are now sought globally, and risks are diversified across different regions. The global expansion of the venture market fosters a flow of talent and knowledge sharing – the tech ecosystems of different countries are becoming increasingly interconnected, enhancing the planet's innovative capacity. Heightened competition for promising startups on a global scale ultimately stimulates project quality and creates a more balanced environment for the growth of new companies.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external restrictions, startup activity is gradually reviving at the local level in Russia and neighbouring countries. Although the total volume of venture investments in Russia has declined in recent years, private investors and funds remain cautiously optimistic. In 2025, new funds amounting to tens of billions of roubles aimed at financing early-stage tech projects emerged in the region. Major corporations are also getting involved, launching their own accelerators and venture departments, while government programmes provide grants and investments for startups. For example, in Moscow, one initiative attracted about 1 billion roubles to local IT projects – a significant signal of market support.
There is a marked shift towards more mature and resilient companies. Venture investors in Russia and the CIS prefer startups with proven revenue and viable business models – those capable of growing even amid limited inflows of new capital. The easing of several barriers has opened opportunities for investments from friendly countries, partially compensating for the departure of Western capital. Some major tech companies in the region are considering going public: discussions are underway regarding the IPOs of certain IT subsidiaries of major holdings, which could inject additional life into the local market as conditions improve. Gradually, a new local venture ecosystem is forming, relying on internal resources and regional players. The emergence of the first large deals and new funds instils cautious optimism: even amid limited connections to global financial flows, the Russian and neighbouring markets are laying the groundwork for future innovation growth.
Focus on Efficiency and Forecast: Discipline in Focus for 2026
By the end of 2025, the global startup market demonstrated a vigorous recovery. In North America, the total investment volume reached a record ~$280 billion (46% higher than the previous year), with approximately 60% of this amount directed towards AI-enabled companies. Similar trends are noted in other regions. The influx of capital is accompanied by an increase in deal sizes: the total number of rounds dropped by about 15%, but the proportion of mega-rounds significantly increased. Late-stage financing grew particularly rapidly – investments in late-stage rounds rose by approximately 75%, reaching around $191 billion for the year.
- North America: ~$280 billion in investments in 2025 – the highest figure in the last four years, mainly due to deals in AI.
- AI Share: more than half of venture capital was directed towards companies implementing artificial intelligence in their products.
- Late Stage Boom: financing for large late-stage rounds increased by ~75%, reaching about $191 billion, reflecting a shift in investor focus towards more mature projects.
- Focus on Sustainability: funds are giving increased attention to capital efficiency and the speed of reaching profitability in project selection.
Experts predict that in 2026, interest in infrastructure technologies and the AI sector will remain high, and the market will continue to attract substantial rounds. However, even amid general optimism, the success of startups in 2026 will depend on sound management and a solid business foundation. Investors demand discipline from companies, careful expenditure of raised funds, and clear execution of growth strategies. Thus, the new wave of the venture boom is coupled with the lessons of previous years: to succeed in an abundance of opportunities, startups must maintain a focus on quality, efficiency, and sustainable development.
