Global Startup and Venture Capital News for Saturday, January 10, 2026: Record Rounds in AI, Strategies of Major Funds, Key Deals in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Andreessen Horowitz Raises $15 Billion
The American venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced that it has raised over $15 billion across five new funds. This marks the largest fundraising round in the firm's history and accounts for approximately 18% of all venture investments in the US for 2025. The main focuses of this round include:
- Growth companies fund: $6.75 billion;
- AI and infrastructure development: $1.7 billion;
- Program “American Dynamism” (national defense capabilities): $1.176 billion;
- Medical biotechnologies: $0.7 billion;
- Other investments in new sectors: around $3 billion.
Following this significant fundraising round, Andreessen Horowitz’s assets surpassed $90 billion. The firm will continue to invest in mature technology companies and projects in AI, defense, and biotechnology, demonstrating a global strategy aimed at capturing promising sectors.
Artificial Intelligence Continues to Set Records
According to 2025 year-end data, the share of investments in artificial intelligence reached historic levels: AI startups raised approximately $150 billion in total, significantly surpassing the previous record set in 2021. Among the largest deals of the year were:
- OpenAI – private funding of $40 billion (the largest round in history);
- Anthropic – $13 billion;
- xAI (Elon Musk) – $10 billion;
- Meta – acquisition of the startup Scale AI for approximately $15 billion;
- Other AI startups (projects by Jeff Bezos, Databricks, etc.) raised $2 billion or more.
The majority of the funds are concentrated in the hands of AI market leaders. Experts warn that such a high concentration of capital increases systemic risks in the event of a slowdown in technological growth. Many companies are creating "defensive capital reserves" in preparation for a potential downturn, but the overall funding trend remains positive.
Major Rounds: Early Days of January
The early days of January witnessed a series of significant deals across various sectors. In the US and Europe, several noteworthy rounds were closed:
- Valinor Enterprises (US, Series A) – $54 million;
- Roc360 (US, Real Estate/Finance) – $150 million;
- SonoThera (US, Biotechnology) – $125 million;
- Cyera (US, AI Cybersecurity) – $400 million (total funding ~$1.7 billion to date);
- Presto Phoenix (US, Voice AI for Restaurants) – $10 million;
- Pomelo Care (US, Telemedicine) – $92 million;
- Protege (US, AI Data Platform) – $30 million;
- Idea Financial (US, Fintech Lending) – $20 million (EverBank loan).
A resurgence of large deals was also noted in Europe. For instance, British company Octopus Energy spun off its Kraken division into an independent company valued at $8.65 billion, accompanied by a round of around $1 billion from investor contributions. French firm Mistral AI, a leader in generative AI in Europe, is preparing for a new valuation exceeding $14 billion following a Series C round involving ASML ($1.5 billion).
Asia: $2.2 Billion in Investments and Focus on Infrastructure
In Asia during the second week of January, investors infused over $2.2 billion, with the main round being Series C of Singapore’s DayOne (data centers) – $2 billion aimed at expanding infrastructure to meet growing AI and cloud demands. Significant deals also took place in India and Southeast Asia:
- Arya.ag (India, AgriTech) – $80.3 million (Series D) for developing a food trading platform;
- Even (India, Healthcare) – $20 million (round undisclosed) to expand the clinic network;
- Pintarnya (Indonesia, HR) – $14 million (loan) for scaling the hiring platform;
- Buyandship (Hong Kong, Logistics) – $12 million (Series C) with Mitsubishi Logistics;
- TakeMe2Space (India, Space Technology) – $5 million (Seed) for rocket development;
- Arrowhead AI (leading in Asian market, Voice AI) – $3 million (Seed).
These rounds highlight the growing demand for infrastructure (data centers) and specialized technologies in Asia. Investors continue to support projects in AgriTech, healthcare, and transportation, reflecting a diversification of interests amid the leading growth of AI projects.
European Focus: National Funds and Corporate Investors
In Europe, the venture sector is increasingly engaging state and corporate capital. France and Germany are developing large-scale support programs: national investment banks such as Bpifrance (portfolio > $100 billion) and HTGF are investing tens of billions in tech startups. Notable events include:
- Kraken spin-off from Octopus Energy (UK) valued at $8.65 billion;
- Mistral AI (France) – $1.5 billion from ASML with an estimated valuation of ~€10.5 billion (≈ $11.7 billion), potentially growing to $14 billion;
- EIB & Angelini Fund (EU) – €150 million for developing European biotech/digital health;
- Active funds: Invitalia Ventures (Italy), Enisa (Spain), SFC Capital (UK), etc.;
- Leading VC firms (Partech, Atomico, Index Ventures) are forming new funds to scale technology companies.
Thus, the European Union and private investors are stimulating the creation of their own technology leaders (especially in AI, climate, and biotech), aiming to reduce dependence on the US and China.
Key Trends and Forecasts
By the end of 2025, the global startup market demonstrated a vigorous recovery. In North America, the total volume of investments reached a record $280 billion (up 46% from the previous year), with approximately 60% of this amount directed towards AI companies. Similar trends are being observed in other regions. Investors are focusing on major deals: the number of rounds has decreased by about 15-16%, but the share of mega-rounds has increased.
- North America: $280 billion – the highest figure in four years, primarily driven by AI investments.
- AI share: investors allocated more than half of the funds to companies with AI products.
- Late-stage boom: funding for late-stage rounds grew by 75% (to $191 billion).
- Resilience: funds are paying special attention to capital efficiency and the speed of achieving profitability when making decisions.
Experts forecast that in 2026, investments in infrastructure and AI will remain at a high level, while successful startups will focus on capital discipline and execution quality.
Recommendations for Startups
In the current landscape, the expert community advises startups to plan their growth with particular care. Key recommendations include:
- Focus on validating demand and product: demonstrate real value and a sustainable business model before scaling;
- Optimize expenses: build a liquidity buffer (fortress balance sheet) in anticipation of market volatility;
- Assemble a strong team: experienced founders and managers enhance investor confidence;
- Specialize deeply: funds value deep industry knowledge (AI, biotech, fintech, etc.) and complementary competencies.
Thus, despite the market optimism, the success of a startup in 2026 will depend on discipline, efficiency, and strategic focus.
