Global Startup and Venture Investment News for Wednesday, 4 February 2026: Major Investment Rounds, AI and Deeptech Deals, Venture Capital Activity, and Key Trends in the Global VC Market.
The global startup and venture capital market is picking up momentum at the start of 2026. Following a downturn in previous years, private capital is once again aggressively flowing into tech companies worldwide, resulting in record deals and a much-anticipated resurgence of IPOs. Major investors are re-entering the fray with new massive funds, governments are intensifying their support for innovation, and optimism is returning to the startup ecosystem. Meanwhile, competition is intensifying—venture giants and new entrants are vying for the best projects, fuelling further market growth.
Venture activity is on the rise across all regions. The United States is holding the lead (particularly due to a boom in investments in artificial intelligence), while the Middle East has seen investment volumes soar thanks to generous sovereign fund inflows. In Europe, deal activity is on the upswing (with Germany, for the first time, surpassing the UK in the number of venture investments), and in India and Southeast Asia, record rounds are being recorded against a backdrop of relative activity decline in China. Startup ecosystems in Russia and neighbouring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends by launching local funds and support programmes, although market volumes there remain modest for now. Overall, the year 2026 is opening under the sign of a new venture boom, but investors are still carefully assessing risks and potential, focusing on business quality.
- The return of mega-funds and large investors. Leading venture firms are raising record-sized funds and sharply increasing investments, once again flooding the market with capital and rekindling risk appetite.
- Unprecedented AI mega-rounds and a wave of new “unicorns.” Exceptionally large investments in artificial intelligence are driving startup valuations to historical highs, resulting in the emergence of numerous new unicorns.
- Revival of the IPO market: a race for tech companies to go public. Successful public debuts of tech leaders and announced IPO plans confirm that the “window of opportunity” for exits has re-opened.
- Diversification of investments across sectors. Venture capital is actively being directed not only into AI but also into fintech, climate technologies, biotech, defence developments, the crypto industry, and other promising sectors.
- A wave of consolidation and M&A deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the industry landscape, creating new exit opportunities and accelerated growth for startups.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite external constraints, new funds and initiatives are emerging in the region to support local startups, gradually attracting investor attention to regional projects.
The Return of Mega-funds: Big Money Is Back on the Market
The largest investment players are making a triumphant return to the venture market, signalling a renewed appetite for risk. Global funds are announcing unprecedented capital-raising rounds: for instance, Japan’s SoftBank has launched its third Vision Fund, amounting to around $40 billion, focused on cutting-edge technologies, while American firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has raised over $15 billion for new funds focused on AI, defence, and other key areas in less than two years since its last round. Others are not lagging behind: Lightspeed Venture Partners has closed funds worth over $9 billion— a record for the firm’s 25-year history. Even Tiger Global, having recovered from recent setbacks, has returned to the market with a new fund of around $2.2 billion, reasserting its ambitions.
Sovereign investors are also becoming more active: Middle Eastern state funds are injecting billions of dollars into tech projects and launching large-scale initiatives to develop startup ecosystems. For example, in 2025, venture investments in Gulf countries grew by approximately 74%— Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are establishing regional tech hubs, channeling oil dollars into innovation. Simultaneously, new venture funds—both corporate and public-private—are emerging globally, aimed at supporting promising startups.
The influx of such “big capital” is filling the market with liquidity and intensifying competition for the most lucrative deals. For startups, this means broader access to financing, and for the industry as a whole, the return of trust: the presence of hundreds of billions of dollars in “dry powder” signifies investors' faith in the continued growth of the tech sector.
Unprecedented AI Mega-rounds and New Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the key driver of the current venture boom, setting historical records in deal volumes. Investors are eager to secure positions at the forefront of the AI revolution and are prepared to fund colossal rounds to support race leaders. Already in the first weeks of 2026, unprecedented deals have been announced: OpenAI (the creator of ChatGPT) is negotiating a new funding round of up to $100 billion at a valuation of around $800 billion—an event of this magnitude has never been witnessed in private fundraising. It is expected that SoftBank could contribute a significant portion (up to $30 billion) to this mega-round, and participation from corporations like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon is being discussed, along with Middle Eastern funds such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and MGX.
OpenAI’s main competitor, startup Anthropic, is also attracting unprecedented funds: it is reportedly securing up to $15 billion at a valuation of around $350 billion, striving to keep pace in the race. As such, the two leading AI companies are effectively competing for the title of the most valuable startup in history, paving the way for a new wave of unicorns. On this wave of excitement, other ambitious projects are also finding investors: there are instances where even seed-stage startups are attracting hundreds of millions of dollars (for example, in the US, the lab Humans&—founded by Big Tech alumni—secured $480 million in seed investments—a record for initial rounds).
These colossal inflows are rapidly expanding the “unicorn” club. Just in recent months, dozens of companies around the world have surpassed the $1 billion valuation mark—particularly prevalent are new unicorns in the realms of generative AI, cloud services, and defence technologies. While experts caution about the risks of overheating and inflated expectations, investor appetite for AI investments shows no signs of waning. Moreover, venture capitalists are increasingly financing not only applied AI products but also the infrastructure for them—from powerful chips and data centres to security and regulatory tools. This investment boom, in general, stimulates progress in the industry while compelling market participants to remain vigilant regarding the sustainability of business models to avoid a sharp cooling period following exuberance.
IPO Market Revives: The Race of Major Startups to Go Public
After a prolonged lull, the global IPO market is witnessing renewed activity. Successful public debuts of tech companies at the end of 2025 demonstrated that the window of opportunity for going public has re-opened. In Asia, Hong Kong is setting the pace, with several large startups raising billions through IPOs in recent months—investors in the region are once again willing to participate in placements. The situation is also improving in the US and Europe: American fintech unicorn Chime successfully debuted on Nasdaq in January 2026 (with share prices rising by about 40% on the first day), and the much-anticipated IPO of payment service Stripe occurred shortly before, restoring confidence in public markets.
Now, even larger placements are on the horizon. Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX is officially planning an IPO in mid-2026 and aims to raise up to $50 billion at an estimated valuation of approximately $1.5 trillion—if these plans are realised, SpaceX's listing will become the largest in history, nearly doubling the record set by Saudi Aramco ($29 billion in 2019). Furthermore, the leaders of the AI race are eager to capitalise on the current window: reports suggest that OpenAI and Anthropic are seriously preparing to go public by the end of 2026, with OpenAI attempting to outpace its competitor. Rumours indicate that before its IPO, Elon Musk may merge his AI startup xAI with SpaceX to strengthen its position ahead of the public offering.
The revival of IPO market activity is of immense significance for the venture ecosystem. Successful listings return capital to investors, allowing funds to realise profitable exits and reinvest in new projects. As there have been fewer “quick” exits through acquisitions in recent years, the long-awaited opportunity for startups to go public is a cause for cheer among all market participants. Of course, investors remain discerning—only the most mature and promising companies are presented to the public—however, the mere fact that tech unicorns are ready for IPOs again instils a cautious optimism in the industry. If external conditions remain favourable, 2026 could turn out to be a record year in terms of the number and volume of tech IPOs.
Diversification of Investments: Fintech, Climate, Biotech, and Beyond
While artificial intelligence leads the trends, venture capitalists in 2026 are actively broadening their sector focus, reducing the market’s dependence on any one sector. After the explosive growth of AI investments, interest in other directions is regaining momentum:
- Fintech: the return of large rounds in financial technology projects worldwide—from the US and Europe to India and Africa. Banking services, payment platforms, and business solutions are once again attracting significant capital.
- Climate Technologies: record investments in green energy, energy storage, agritech, and sustainable development projects are taking place amid a global focus on ecology.
- Biotech and Healthcare: a fresh influx of funds into biotech startups, medtech, and digital health is emerging in light of scientific breakthroughs and lessons from the pandemic—investors are returning to the sector in pursuit of long-term growth.
- Defence and Aerospace Developments: increased funding for startups related to national security, aerospace technologies, drones, and cybersecurity—especially in light of governmental priorities and geopolitical challenges.
- Crypto Industry: a gradual revival of interest in blockchain projects, cryptocurrency-based fintech, and Web3 as the market for digital assets stabilises and new regulatory frameworks are being developed.
Thus, the venture market at the beginning of 2026 is characterised by a broad distribution of capital across various niches. Funds are seeking growth opportunities not only in AI but also in finance, climate, healthcare, defence, and other sectors. This multi-sector approach makes the startup ecosystem more resilient and mitigates the risk of a “bubble” in any one segment.
Consolidation and M&A Deals: Market Consolidation
High startup valuations and fierce competition for technological leadership are leading to a new wave of consolidation. Large corporations and mature unicorns are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging with them to accelerate growth and gain critical technologies. Several multi-billion dollar deals have already been announced, reshaping the balance of power in the industry. For example, Google has agreed to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—this is the largest startup acquisition in the history of the industry. American bank Capital One announced in January its acquisition of fintech platform Brex for $5.15 billion, one of the most significant M&A deals in the fintech sector. Apple is also not standing still: the tech giant is strengthening its position in AI by acquiring AI developer for wearable devices Q.ai for about $1.6 billion (the largest purchase Apple has made in the past decade).
Such acquisitions demonstrate that even market leaders are willing to spend tens of billions of dollars to maintain a competitive edge in emerging technological races. The wave of M&A is changing the landscape: fast-growing startups get a chance to scale under the wings of large companies, while venture investors see long-awaited exits and a return of capital. Consolidation enhances industry efficiency, allowing merged players to compete better on a global scale. However, some analysts warn that if valuations remain inflated, excessive consolidation could stifle innovation—hence, participants in 2026’s deals are striving to find a balance between rapid growth and preserving the entrepreneurial spirit of startups.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, the venture ecosystem in Russia and CIS countries is also showing signs of revival, striving to keep pace with worldwide trends. Several new funds, collectively worth about 10–12 billion rubles, aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects, have been announced in the region. Major banks and corporations are getting involved by creating accelerators and venture divisions. Development institutions (such as the Skolkovo Foundation) are expanding grant and co-investment programmes, partially compensating for the outflow of Western capital.
Local startups are beginning to attract more substantial financing. A notable example is the Krasnodar-based foodtech service Qummy, which secured about 440 million rubles in investments at a valuation of around 2.4 billion rubles, while Moscow-based Motorica (developer of advanced prosthetics) attracted over 800 million rubles from a private investor. Moreover, authorities have officially allowed investors from “friendly” countries to once again invest in Russian startups, gradually renewing foreign capital's interest in the region. Although the absolute volumes of venture investments in Russia and the CIS remain modest compared to Silicon Valley or China, they are steadily increasing. Local investors are focusing on areas that are in demand under current conditions: artificial intelligence, import substitution technologies, cybersecurity, and industrial B2B services. Thus, the local market is attempting to leverage the global upturn, laying the foundation for future growth even amidst constraints.
Conclusions: Cautious Optimism in the Venture Industry
The rapid start to 2026 is fostering a mood of cautious optimism among market participants. On one hand, record financing rounds, the return of mega-funds, and the emergence of successful IPOs signal that the worst period of decline is behind us, and the venture market has transitioned to growth. On the other, the lessons of recent years compel investors to exercise caution: capital is still being allocated selectively, and startups require proof of viability and effective monetisation. Within the large reserves of “dry powder” (funds ready for investment) lies the risk of overheating if money is invested without proper scrutiny.
Overall, the sector is entering a new phase of development, where the emphasis is on quality growth. The main beneficiaries will be startups that can combine innovation with a sustainable business model. Venture funds are increasingly focusing on portfolio diversification and risk management to ensure that the new upturn does not repeat the mistakes of the previous bubble. As macroeconomic conditions stabilise, interest rates approach their peak, and geopolitical uncertainty gradually diminishes, the appetite for risk may strengthen. If these conditions persist, 2026 promises to be a time of opportunity: strong teams with breakthrough ideas and well-thought-out strategies now have a chance to attract capital and elevate their business to new heights. The venture market looks forward, with cautious optimism, hoping for further revitalisation while adhering to principles of sustainability and discipline.
