Main Startup and Venture Investment News for 15 February 2026: Major Rounds in AI and Deeptech, M&A Deals, Dynamics of Fintech and Biotech, Investment Funds' Focus on Profitability and Growth Efficiency.
Sunday news feeds tend to be thinner: fewer new announcements and more "catch-up" publications and clarifications of already announced deals. Therefore, this review captures what remains relevant and discussed in the global market as of 15.02.2026: confirmed rounds, M&A deals, and public company plans that shape investors' expectations for the new week in New York, San Francisco, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Middle East.
Key Deals and Record Rounds: Where Venture Investments are Concentrated
The main signal of the week is the scale of rounds in AI and the AI economy (data, chips, robotics, defence). The market once again accepts "mega-checks" as the norm for leaders, while for most startups in seed and Series A, conditions are becoming more demanding: stricter metrics, higher product thresholds, and greater attention to round structure and investor protections.
- Record Round in AI: $30 billion raised at a valuation of $380 billion (post-money). This is one of the largest private rounds in history and a marker that "pricing for leaders" operates under different rules.
- Data Infrastructure: $5 billion of new capital at a valuation of $134 billion plus expanded debt capacity — an example of how "data-for-AI" platforms are positioned as beneficiaries rather than victims of AI disruption.
- Chips and Computing: $1 billion in late-stage funding at a valuation of approximately $23 billion confirms that investors are willing to fund alternatives to dominant accelerator providers.
- Defence AI Contour: a potential round of up to $8 billion at a valuation of no less than $60 billion is being discussed (unconfirmed by the company) — a sign of "sovereign demand" for autonomous systems and drones.
- Robotics as a New Showcase for AI: $520 million Series A extension at a valuation of approximately $5 billion shows that the market is interested in the "materialisation" of AI in physical labour and logistics.
The key takeaway for investors: in 2026, the distribution of venture investments is becoming a "barbell model" — on one end, record rounds and valuations of the largest players, on the other, niche seed and Series A rounds where success depends on speed to revenue, team quality, and the ability to scale rapidly across multiple regions.
Table of Key Deals for Quick Reference
Below is a table (HTML) summarising the deals that are shaping the agenda for 15.02.2026. For some rows, valuation parameters or the exact type of round are not publicly disclosed as of 15.02.2026.
| Startup | Round Amount | Round | Valuation | Investors | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | $30 billion | Series G | $380 billion (post-money) | GIC, Coatue, and a group of co-investors (including ICONIQ, MGX, and others) | USA |
| Databricks | $5 billion (equity) + $2 billion (debt capacity) | Late stage (type undisclosed) | $134 billion | Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Neuberger Berman, QIA, and others | USA |
| Cerebras Systems | $1 billion | Late stage | ~$23 billion | Tiger Global, Benchmark, Coatue, and others | USA |
| Apptronik | $520 million | Series A (extension) | ~$5 billion | Google, Mercedes-Benz, B Capital, Qatar Investment Authority | USA |
| Runway | $315 million | Series E (as reported) | ~$5.3 billion | General Atlantic, Nvidia, Fidelity, Adobe Ventures, and others | USA |
| EnFi | $15 million | Round (type undisclosed) | valuation undisclosed as of 15.02.2026 | Fintop, Patriot Financial Partners, Commerce Ventures, and others | USA |
| Avenia | $17 million | Series A | valuation undisclosed as of 15.02.2026 | Quona, Headline, and others (a group of funds and angels) | Brazil |
| Inference Research | $20 million | Seed | valuation undisclosed as of 15.02.2026 | Avenir Group | Hong Kong |
| Wonder | $12 million | Venture debt | valuation undisclosed as of 15.02.2026 | HSBC Innovation Banking | Hong Kong |
AI Startups: Leadership of Models, Data Focus, and the "Physical World"
If in 2024-2025 the market debated who would become the "platform", by early 2026 it is voting with money for vertical concentration. AI leaders are receiving the largest rounds because investors see in them a rare combination: scalable revenue, strategic importance, and the ability to set standards for corporate clients. At the same time, the second tier of AI startups is finding opportunities not in direct competition with the "frontier", but at the "intersections" — robotics, specialised chips, data, and application products.
What Investors are Buying in AI Today
- Dominance in Corporate Adoption: products that become part of companies' daily processes (and thus protect against churn).
- Infrastructure as "AI Tax": data and computing consumed in increasing volumes as the number of agency scenarios grows.
- Integration of AI into Physical Supply Chains: robots and autonomous systems, where value is measured not by benchmarks, but by labour savings and increased throughput.
Fintech: AI Lending, Payments in Asia, and Stablecoin Expansion
The fintech agenda for 15.02.2026 shows two trajectories. The first is "banking AI" in lending and compliance: startups are raising capital to accelerate solutions that help banks cope with workforce shortages and increasing workloads. The second is international payments and hybrid financing models: rather than diluting equity through large rounds, some companies are increasingly opting for debt or combined structures.
Signals from the Fintech Market
- Lending: demand for AI tools is increasing in the regional and community bank segment, where the speed of credit decision-making directly affects competitiveness.
- Payments: payment platforms in Hong Kong and beyond in APAC are using debt financing as a bridge to geographical expansion (Singapore, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, etc.).
- Latin America: stablecoin infrastructure and cross-border accounts are becoming a significant investment case, supporting the export of fintech products to the US market.
For seed and Series A rounds in fintech, this means that success will not go to "multi-functional super apps" but to niche solutions with clear ROI and straightforward regulatory logic across regions.
Exit and M&A: Liquidity Shifts Towards Strategic Deals
As of 15.02.2026, the exit market remains fragmented: a full "IPO window" opens sporadically, meaning the burden of liquidity falls on M&A and corporate purchases. The most talked-about deals demonstrate that strategists are willing to pay for AI assets and data when they see direct synergy with existing products, distribution channels, and customer bases.
- Mega M&A in AI: a merger has been announced between a space business and an AI asset with a record declared valuation for the combined structure; for investors, this is a marker that "ecosystem mergers" have become a new form of exit.
- Vertical AI in Corporations: the purchase of an AI platform for transactional data by a major professional software provider shows that strategists prefer to "buy acceleration" rather than build it from scratch.
- European Consolidation: deals around AI cloud and infrastructure for agency scenarios underscore that Europe and the UK are trying to close "gaps" in the stack through acquisitions and partnerships.
- Fintech M&A: acquisitions in loyalty, embedded finance, and payment infrastructure support the thesis that financial services are moving into the "invisible layer" of digital products.
It is telling that even where capital markets are reviving (for instance, in India), IPO stories appear more "fundamental" — with cautious investor reactions to valuation and quality of growth.
Venture Investment Trends: Geography, Mega Funds, and LP/GP Behaviour
As of early 2026, the structure of the venture investment market is shaped by three forces. The first is geopolitics and defence, which are intensifying interest in European and American projects at the intersection of AI, autonomous systems, and security. The second is the "legacy of excess funds": a significant portion of dry powder is concentrated in funds of a certain vintage, complicating the restructuring of mandates and investment tempos. The third is the convergence of venture capital and private equity: large cheques, hybrid rounds, and debt are becoming standard tools rather than exceptions.
For LPs, this raises the value of discipline: fewer bets on "middle-class" funds, more on managers who either have access to top rounds or can win at early stages through industry expertise and geographic focus (Europe/USA/MENA/APAC). For GPs, this requires explaining not only the thesis but also the exit mechanism: M&A path, secondary market for shares, or a narrow "IPO window" where quality preparation is more important than timing.
Practical Recommendations for the Coming Week
Below are recommendations aimed at global investors and startup teams, based on the agenda for 15.02.2026 and the current market mode.
For Investors
- Calibrate Valuation by Segments: do not transfer "frontier AI" multiples onto application startups; for seed and Series A, focus on proven economics and speed of implementation.
- Strengthen Work with Round Structure: in conditions of volatility, pre-emptively lay down options for secondary liquidity, protections against down rounds, and clear control triggers.
- View Geography as a Risk Factor: for fintech and defence cases, consider regulatory and contractual cycles by regions (USA, EU, MENA, APAC).
For Startups
- Articulate the "AI Angle" without Hype: investors expect not a slogan but a clear differentiation and path to commercialisation.
- Prepare for Series A in Advance: prove sales repeatability, funnel quality, and unit economics; a round in 2026 will be an exam on growth manageability.
- Maintain Capital Flexibility: consider combinations of equity/debt/strategic partnerships, especially in fintech and payments.
Quarterly Forecast: Scenarios for Valuations, Exits, and Fund Activity
On the horizon for the upcoming quarter (end of Q1 — beginning of Q2 2026), the base scenario is the continuation of capital concentration. Mega rounds in AI will remain possible for a limited number of leaders, sustaining high "showcase" valuations, while most segments will operate under a logic of selectivity and stringent filtering. The exit market is likely to continue shifting towards M&A: strategists and platforms will be acquiring data, talent, and vertical AI teams to accelerate product cycles.
The optimistic scenario will require two conditions: (1) more stable dynamics in public markets so that private valuations seem justified, and (2) the emergence of new "category winners" in fintech — where AI reduces operational costs and enhances risk control. The negative scenario is linked to the idea that rapid AI progress may continue to put pressure on traditional software and some fintech models, forcing the market to reassess valuations and shift the focus from growth rates to margin quality and customer retention.
Conclusion: as of 15.02.2026, the market appears "two-speed": super-large rounds in AI are juxtaposed with a more pragmatic mode for seed and Series A. For investors, the key is not to miss the shift in the balance of power between "platform winners" and application players taking market share in specific verticals.
