Global Startup and Venture Capital News for Tuesday, 10 February 2026: Mega Rounds in AI, the Return of Mega Funds, IPO Activity, and Key Deals in the Global Venture Market
At the beginning of 2026, the global venture capital market is developing on the wave of a confident recovery following the downturn of previous years. The year 2025 was one of the record years for startup funding (second only to the peak years of 2021-2022), signalling that the period of silence is behind us. Investors worldwide are once again actively funding technology projects—multi-billion deals are being struck, and the IPO plans of promising companies are coming to the forefront. Major players are returning to the market with substantial amounts, while governments and corporations are intensifying their support for innovation. As a result, private capital is again flowing robustly into the startup ecosystem, fueling its growth at all stages.
Venture activity is on the rise across all regions. The US, particularly Silicon Valley, remains the leader (primarily due to the artificial intelligence sector). The Middle East recorded a historic surge: in 2025, startups in the region attracted around $3.8 billion (+74% compared to the previous year) owing to the influx of international capital, mainly into Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In Europe, venture investments remain at a high level. Emerging markets are also witnessing a revival: India has already surpassed China in venture investments, while Southeast Asia and Gulf countries are experiencing growth amid a relative decline in China. The startup ecosystems of Russia and the CIS are striving to keep pace, launching local funds and support programmes despite external constraints. A new global venture boom is taking shape, although investors continue to act selectively and cautiously, mindful of the lessons learned from the recent market correction.
- The return of mega funds and large investors. Top venture players are raising record-sized funds and are significantly increasing investments, saturating the market with capital and stoking risk appetite.
- Record rounds in the AI sphere and new ‘unicorns’. Unprecedentedly large deals are elevating startup valuations to unseen heights, especially in the artificial intelligence segment.
- Revitalisation of the IPO market. Successful public offerings of tech companies and new filing requests confirm that the long-awaited ‘window’ for exits is reopening.
- Diversification of industry focus. Venture capital is being directed not only into AI but also into fintech, environmental projects, biotechnology, defence developments, and even crypto startups.
- A wave of consolidation and M&A deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape, creating opportunities for exits and accelerated growth.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite restrictions, new funds and initiatives are being launched in the region to develop local startup ecosystems, drawing attention from investors.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are returning to the venture arena—a clear sign of the return of risk appetite. The American fund Andreessen Horowitz started 2026 with the announcement of new funds totalling around $15 billion (including a multi-billion growth fund). At the end of 2025, Lightspeed raised approximately $9 billion—another indication of the return of big money to the industry. Sovereign funds from the Gulf countries are also ramping up activities: they are pouring tens of billions of dollars into technology projects, implementing extensive programmes to develop the startup sector in the Middle East. Renowned firms from Silicon Valley have amassed unprecedented reserves of uninvested capital (“dry powder”)—hundreds of billions of dollars ready to deploy as confidence returns to the market. The influx of “big money” fills the startup market with liquidity, providing resources for new rounds and supporting the growth of promising company valuations. The return of mega funds and large institutional investors not only intensifies competition for the best deals but also instills confidence in the industry regarding future capital inflows.
Record Investments in AI and a New Wave of ‘Unicorns’
The artificial intelligence sector remains the primary driver of the current venture boom, showcasing record funding levels. Investors are eager to position themselves among the leaders of the AI sector, directing colossal amounts into the most promising projects. For instance, OpenAI raised about $40 billion in investments in 2025 (with the company's valuation approaching $800 billion) and, according to insiders, is negotiating a new round of up to $100 billion—sums previously unthinkable for a startup. Another AI developer, Anthropic, is in talks to raise up to $20 billion at an estimated valuation of around $350 billion. Notably, venture investments are being directed not only at end AI applications but also at the infrastructure supporting them. The market is willing to finance even the “shovels and pickaxes” for the new AI ecosystem—rumours suggest that one data storage startup is negotiating a multi-billion round at a very high valuation. The current investment boom is generating a new wave of ‘unicorns’—companies valued at over $1 billion. Although experts caution about the risk of overheating, investor appetite for AI startups remains unabated.
IPO Market Gaining Momentum: A Window of Opportunity for Exits
The global primary public offering (IPO) market is starting to revive after a period of stagnation. The year 2025 proved fruitful: in the US, 23 companies with valuations exceeding $1 billion went public (compared to just 9 such debuts in 2024), and the total capitalisation of these IPOs surpassed $125 billion—more than double that of the previous year. In Asia, Hong Kong initiated a new wave of listings, where several large tech companies raised billions on the stock exchange. In the US, for instance, the fintech unicorn Chime saw approximately a 30% increase on its first day of trading following its IPO. The resurgence of activity in the IPO market is critically important for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits allow funds to realise profits and direct the freed-up capital into new projects. Experts expect that the IPO momentum will continue into 2026. Profitable companies capable of demonstrating growth potential via AI are particularly well-positioned for successful listings. Possible IPO candidates include both large fintech players and outstanding AI companies. If macro conditions remain favourable, 2026 could bring a new wave of high-profile tech IPOs.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
Venture investments now cover an increasingly wide range of industries and are no longer limited to the AI sector alone. Following the downturn of 2022-2023, fintech is experiencing a revival: large funding rounds are occurring not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets. Global fintech investments have increased by approximately 27% year-on-year, returning to pre-COVID levels. At the same time, interest in climate and “green” technologies, as well as agri-tech, is growing—these segments are attracting record investments amid the sustainable development trend. In biotechnology, after a lull, there is again a capital influx driven by the emergence of new promising developments. Notable upticks are seen in security and defence projects, with investors actively financing defence technologies in response to increased focus on geopolitical and cybersecurity issues (around $8.5 billion was invested in defence-tech in 2025, more than double that of the previous year). A partial recovery of trust in the cryptocurrency market has enabled some blockchain startups to raise funding again. The broadening of industry focus is making the startup ecosystem more resilient and lowering the risk of overheating in individual sectors.
Consolidation and M&A Deals: Scaling Up Players
High startup valuations and intense competition for markets are driving the industry toward consolidation. Major mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are once again coming to the forefront, reshaping the balance of power. For instance, Google has agreed to acquire the Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—a record sum for the Israeli tech sector and one of the largest venture deals in history. These mega deals demonstrate the desire of tech giants to acquire key technologies and talents. Overall, the uptick in M&A signifies market maturation. Mature startups are either merging with each other or becoming acquisition targets for larger corporations, while venture funds are finally getting the long-awaited profitable exits. The revival of the IPO market further stimulates this process—examples of successful stock market exits set benchmarks for valuations and encourage strategic investors to confidently acquire promising teams.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, new steps are being taken in Russia and neighbouring countries to develop startup ecosystems. In 2025-2026, several new venture funds totalling around 10-15 billion roubles have been announced, aimed at supporting early-stage projects. The Foundation for the Internet Initiatives (ФРИИ) has lifted the revenue threshold and is prepared to invest up to 35 million roubles at the earliest stages, filling the gap for seed capital. Some local startups have already attracted hundreds of millions of roubles from Russian investors, and authorities have once again permitted foreign funds to invest in local technology companies (gradually rekindling interest from international capital). Although the volumes of venture investments in the region are modest compared to global figures, they are steadily growing. Major companies are also getting involved in innovation—for example, Rosselkhozbank has launched its venture studio to pilot agri- and fintech startups. Such initiatives are expected to provide new momentum to the local market and integrate it into global trends.
Overall, the venture market enters 2026 with cautious optimism. Capital is returning to innovation, but investors are paying particular attention to quality and sustainable growth.
