Current News on Startups and Venture Investments as of February 12, 2026: Record Rounds in AI, Growth of the Global Venture Market, M&A Deals, IPO Preparations, and Key Trends for Investors and Funds.
By mid-February 2026, the global venture capital market maintains a careful recovery pace following a prolonged downturn. The start of the year has been marked by impressive funding volumes: preliminary data suggests that January 2026 was one of the most productive months in the past two years for startup investments. Capital is once again flowing actively into the technology sector, with record-sized deals being struck, and startups’ plans for an IPO returning to the agenda. Leading venture funds continue to launch mega-rounds and new funds, while governments and sovereign investors ramp up support for innovation, aiming not to lag in the global technology race. All this fosters a cautiously optimistic sentiment for 2026, although investors remain selective, showing a heightened demand for robust business models and valuations.
Mega Funds on the Move: Massive Rounds and Capital Concentration
After a period of relative quiet, the so-called "mega funds" have returned to the venture arena – huge pools of capital for investing in technology companies. For instance, the American firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) recently raised over $15 billion for new funds, bringing its assets under management to record levels. These funds are targeted at priority sectors: artificial intelligence, defense technologies, cryptocurrencies, biotech, and other promising areas. Sovereign funds in the Middle East and large corporations are also increasing their venture activity: billions of dollars are being funneled through government programs and corporate venture divisions, creating a substantial influx of "big money" into the startup ecosystem.
The renewed activity of the largest players is accompanied by unprecedented capital concentration within industry leaders. Investors are inclined to invest large sums in a limited number of top projects, aiming to secure a stake in potential technological breakthroughs. While the number of deals is still below the peak levels of 2021, the average round size has surged significantly. More rounds of funding now exceed $100 million, indicating a new stage of market maturity where select startups gain access to virtually unlimited capital.
AI and Robotics Boom: Record Investments in "Physical" AI
The artificial intelligence sector remains the main driver of the current venture upturn, with focus shifting from simple software projects to "physical" AI and deep technologies. AI and robotics startups are attracting record funding rounds, setting new benchmarks for the market. For example, Waymo, a subsidiary of autonomous driving, raised around $16 billion in investments with the participation of a consortium of leading funds – an unprecedented amount emphasizing the colossal capital needs of autonomous vehicle technologies. AI model developer Anthropic, known for its breakthroughs in generative AI, secured about $10 billion in funding, reaching an estimated valuation of approximately $350 billion, thus becoming one of the most valuable private companies globally. New giants are also emerging: SoftBank led a $1.4 billion round in the startup Skild AI, which is developing a universal "brain" for robots, valuing it at about $14 billion.
Alongside the robust players, younger projects are also rapidly growing. Investors are willing to finance even very recent teams if they are on the cutting edge of technology. For instance, the American AI video startup Runway raised $315 million in a Series E round, attaining a valuation exceeding $5 billion just a few years after founding. In Europe, local AI players are gaining traction: the German platform Parloa previously secured $350 million at a valuation of around $3 billion, while Belgium's cybersecurity startup Aikido Security quickly moved to "unicorn" status in just two years. Such substantial funds directed towards AI and related industries reflect a keen global race among companies and countries for leadership in this domain. A lion's share of venture dollars is currently flowing into AI projects and robotics, creating new market imbalances and increasing attention to infrastructure – from specialized chip production to data centers supporting computations.
Consolidation in Fintech: Major Exits and Mergers
The financial technology sector is witnessing a wave of consolidation, signaling the maturation of the fintech market. Several high-profile M&A deals were announced in January 2026. For instance, American bank Capital One agreed to acquire the startup Brex (a corporate expense management platform) for $5.15 billion – this acquisition marks the largest merger in history between a bank and a fintech company, highlighting traditional financial giants’ desire to integrate advanced fintech solutions. European investment fund Hg purchased American financial platform OneStream for about $6.4 billion, acquiring shares from existing stakeholders. Concurrently, Deutsche Börse is purchasing the Allfunds platform for €5.3 billion to strengthen its position in WealthTech, while US Bancorp announced the acquisition of brokerage firm BTIG for approximately $1 billion.
Aside from major players acquiring fintech firms, some startups themselves are acting as buyers, expanding their businesses through strategic acquisitions. For instance, the Australian "unicorn" Airwallex is actively expanding in Asia and other markets, recently acquiring Korean payment company Paynuri to enhance its presence. A noticeable trend is emerging: as the industry matures, successful fintech companies either fall under the wing of banks and corporations or grow by acquiring niche players. The increasing activity in the M&A market demonstrates that venture investors are ready to realize profits through sales, while strategic investors are willing to pay for technologies that will help them maintain competitiveness.
IPO Revival: Startups Preparing for Public Offerings
The primary public offering (IPO) market for tech companies is gradually reviving after a prolonged pause. The year 2025 surprised analysts with a noticeable rise in the number of large IPOs: in the US alone, no fewer than 23 companies went public with valuations over $1 billion (by comparison, only 9 such offerings occurred the previous year), with the cumulative capitalization of these debuts exceeding $125 billion. Investors are once again eager to welcome profitable and fast-growing businesses into the public market, especially if the company has a well-defined history in AI or other "hot" technologies. The current market conditions favor further resumption of IPO activity, and several "unicorns" openly hint at plans to go public. Among the most anticipated IPO candidates are:
- Leading fintech unicorns: payment platforms Stripe, Plaid, and British neobank Revolut.
- Leaders in artificial intelligence: AI model developer OpenAI, big data platform Databricks, and the Canadian AI business startup Cohere.
- Other technology giants: for instance, the space company SpaceX, should market conditions remain favorable.
The successful debuts of these companies in 2026 could provide an additional boost to the venture market, returning significant profits to investors and reinforcing valuation expectations. Naturally, experts warn that volatility and external factors could suddenly close the "IPO window." However, the current examples of public offering revitalization bolster the belief that investors are ready to reward startups with strong growth and profitability metrics, and that the open market can once again appropriately value technological innovations.
Defense and Cyber Startups in the Investors' Spotlight
The geopolitical tensions of recent years are directly influencing the priorities of venture investors. Amid the competition among nations for technological independence, significant capital is being directed toward defense and cybersecurity-related startups. In the US, the concept of American Dynamism is gaining traction – investing in companies that strengthen national security and the industrial base. Some of the capital from massive funds like aforementioned a16z is specifically reserved for defense and deep-tech projects. Startups developing technologies for military and state needs are closing rounds in the hundreds of millions of dollars. A prime example is California-based Onebrief, which develops software for military planning: it secured around $200 million at a valuation exceeding $2 billion and even acquired a related asset to expand its capabilities.
In Europe, governments and investment funds are also actively supporting the defense and security sector. According to industry analysts, European startups in defense, security, and resilience attracted around $8–9 billion in investments in 2025 – a record amount backed by the establishment of specialized funds (for example, a €1 billion NATO joint fund). Such resources have enabled a multitude of projects to take off: in addition to Aikido Security mentioned earlier in the cyber domain, new companies are emerging in satellite data analysis, supply chain monitoring, new intelligence and infrastructure protection measures. The trend toward supporting "dual-use" technologies (having both commercial and defense applications) is evident everywhere. Governments in the US, Europe, Israel, and other countries are keen to invest or facilitate investments in startups that can provide a strategic advantage in new forms of confrontation.
Regional Highlights: US Leads, Europe and Asia Catch Up
Venture activity is experiencing a global resurgence, although distribution across regions is uneven. The US undoubtedly remains the locomotive – American startups account for the lion’s share of the largest rounds, primarily in AI and deep technologies. Silicon Valley retains its status as the primary capital attraction center, although competition for talent and deals is intensifying worldwide. In Europe, the landscape is reshaping: continental hubs are increasing venture investments while the role of the UK is relatively declining. For the first time, Germany surpassed the UK in startup investment volume by the end of 2025, reflecting the strengthening positions of Berlin and other European ecosystems. European institutions and governments (for example, initiatives from France, Scandinavian countries, and the EU) continue to launch programs encouraging the emergence of local unicorns and the development of AI-focused sectors.
In Asia, dynamics are mixed. The Indian startup ecosystem has reached a new level of maturity: by January, the first unicorns of 2026 emerged, and local exchanges witnessed successful IPOs of tech companies reflecting the scale and potential of this market. The Chinese venture market, on the other hand, remains relatively subdued due to ongoing regulatory pressure and capital reorientation toward domestic needs. Nevertheless, Chinese investors are actively investing in overseas projects in AI and semiconductors to remain aligned with global technology trends. The Middle East and North Africa are showing an acceleration in venture activity: funds from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are increasing funding for tech companies – both regionally and globally – supporting fintech, cloud services, AI startups, and other sectors. The startup movement is also revitalizing in Latin America and Africa, although these regions still lag behind the rest of the world in absolute terms. Thus, the venture boom is encompassing all continents, making the global innovation ecosystem more balanced and interconnected.
Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism and New Development Benchmarks
Despite the impressive growth in activity, investors in 2026 remain cautious, keeping in mind the lessons from the recent market cooldown. The return of liquidity – from billion-dollar venture funds to revitalized IPOs – creates opportunities for significant growth, but simultaneously heightens competition for outstanding projects. Funds and investors are now setting stricter requirements for startups: clear business models, economic efficiency, and well-defined paths to profitability are expected. Although company valuations are rising again (especially in the AI segment), there is increasing attention to risk management and the long-term sustainability of portfolios.
It is highly likely that the venture capital industry will enter a phase of more balanced development in 2026. Funding for "breakthrough" areas will continue – with a focus on artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate technologies, defense, and other promising fields. However, the influx of capital will be accompanied by more meticulous project selection, increased scrutiny of growth quality, and compliance with regulatory requirements. This cautious approach should help the market avoid overheating and lay the foundation for sustainable innovation development in the long term.
