Current Startup and Venture Investment News as of January 18, 2026: Record Rounds in AI, the Return of Mega Funds, Resurgence of IPOs, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market.
At the beginning of 2026, the global venture capital market is showing steady growth, having definitively overcome the aftermath of the downturn in previous years. According to recent data, in the fourth quarter of 2025, venture investments reached maximum levels not seen in recent years, nearing record highs of the boom year 2021. The upward trend only intensified in the autumn, with startups around the world raising approximately $40 billion in funding during November alone (28% more than the previous year). The prolonged "venture winter" of 2022–2023 is behind us, and private capital is rapidly returning to the tech sector. Major funds are resuming large-scale investments, governments are launching initiatives to support innovation, and investors are again willing to take risks. Despite remaining selectivity in approaches, the industry confidently enters a new phase of rising venture investments.
Venture activity is increasing across all regions of the world. The U.S. still leads (primarily due to colossal investments in AI); in the Middle East, the volume of deals has multiplied thanks to generous funding from sovereign wealth funds; and in Europe, Germany has for the first time in a decade outpaced the UK in terms of total raised capital. In Asia, growth is shifting from China to India and Southeast Asian countries, compensating for the relative cooling of the Chinese market. The startup ecosystems of the CIS countries are also striving to keep pace, despite external constraints. A global early-stage venture boom is forming, although investors remain selective and cautious.
Below are key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda as of January 18, 2026:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Major Investors. Leading venture funds are raising record-sized funds and re-saturating the market with capital, rekindling the appetite for risk.
- Record Rounds in AI and New Unicorns. Unprecedented investments in artificial intelligence are propelling startup valuations to unprecedented heights and generating waves of new unicorn companies.
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful public offerings of tech companies and the growing number of listing applications confirm that the long-awaited "window of opportunity" for exits has opened once again.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is flowing not only into AI but also into fintech, climate projects, biotech, defense developments, and other sectors, broadening the market's horizons.
- A Wave of Consolidation and M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships are reshaping the industry landscape, creating new opportunities for exits and accelerated company growth.
- Rebirth of Interest in Crypto Startups. After a prolonged "crypto winter," blockchain projects are once again receiving substantial funding amid the rise of the digital asset market and easing regulations.
- Global Expansion of Venture Capital. The investment boom is spreading to new regions—from the Persian Gulf and South Asia to Africa and Latin America—creating local tech hubs worldwide.
- Local Focus: Russia and the CIS. New funds and initiatives are emerging in the region to develop local startup ecosystems, gradually raising investor interest in local projects.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back in the Market
The largest investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena, marking a new surge in the appetite for risk. After several years of dormancy, leading funds have resumed raising record capital and are launching mega-funds, demonstrating confidence in market potential. For instance, the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is forming its third Vision Fund with a target size of ~$40 billion, focusing on advanced technologies (primarily AI and robotics projects). Even investment firms that had previously taken a pause are returning: Tiger Global's fund recently announced a new fund of ~$2.2 billion—smaller than its previous massive funds but with a more selective strategy. Additionally, one of Silicon Valley's oldest venture players, Lightspeed, has recently raised a record $9 billion for new funds to invest in large-scale projects, predominantly in AI.
Sovereign funds from the Middle East are also becoming active again; the governments of oil-producing countries are pouring billions of dollars into innovation programs, creating powerful regional tech hubs. Furthermore, numerous new venture funds are emerging worldwide, attracting significant institutional capital for investments in high-tech companies. The largest funds in Silicon Valley and Wall Street have accumulated unprecedented reserves of uninvested capital ("dry powder")—hundreds of billions of dollars are ready to be deployed as the market revives. The influx of "big money" is already palpable: the market is filling with liquidity, competition for the best deals is intensifying, and the industry is gaining much-needed momentum of confidence in further capital inflows. Notably, government initiatives are also playing a role: for instance, the German government has launched the Deutschlandfonds with a volume of €30 billion to attract private capital for technologies and economic modernization, underscoring authorities' efforts to support the venture market.
Record Investments in AI: A New Wave of Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector remains the main driver of the current venture upturn, showcasing record financing volumes. Investors worldwide are eager to establish positions among the leaders of the AI market, directing colossal funds into the most promising projects. In recent months, several AI startups have raised unprecedentedly large rounds. For instance, AI model developer Anthropic secured around $13 billion, Elon Musk's xAI raised approximately $20 billion, and a lesser-known AI infrastructure startup attracted over $2 billion, boosting its valuation to about $30 billion. The spotlight is particularly on OpenAI: a series of megadeals raised its valuation to an astronomical ~$500 billion, making OpenAI the most valuable private startup in history. SoftBank previously led a funding round of ~$40 billion (valuing the company at around $300 billion), and now, reports indicate that Amazon is closing a deal to invest up to $10 billion, further solidifying OpenAI's position at the market's peak.
Such massive rounds (often with multiple oversubscriptions) confirm the excitement around AI technologies and elevate company valuations to unprecedented heights, spawning dozens of new unicorns. Moreover, venture investments are being directed not only into applied AI services but also into critical infrastructure for them. "Smart money" is even flowing into the "shovels and picks" of the digital gold rush—from producing specialized chips and cloud platforms to optimization tools for data center energy consumption. The market is ready to actively finance infrastructure projects that support the AI ecosystem. Despite some concerns about overheating, investor appetite for AI startups remains extremely high—everyone is eager to get their share of the artificial intelligence revolution.
The IPO Market Revives: An Opening for Exits
The global IPO market is emerging from dormancy and gaining momentum. In Asia, Hong Kong has launched a new wave of IPOs: several major tech companies have gone public in recent weeks, collectively raising billions of dollars. For instance, the Chinese battery giant CATL successfully issued shares worth ~$5 billion, demonstrating that investors in the region are once again ready to actively participate in IPOs. In January 2026, one of the leading Chinese startups in generative AI, MiniMax, debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange—its shares surged by 78% on the first day of trading, and its market capitalization exceeded 90 billion HKD (about $11.7 billion). The strong demand for MiniMax's shares showcased investors' willingness to pay for "home champions" in the AI domain, especially with backing from Beijing.
The situation in the U.S. and Europe is also improving: the American fintech unicorn Chime recently made its stock market debut—its shares rose approximately 30% on the first day of trading. Shortly after, design platform Figma went public, attracting around $1.2 billion at a valuation of about $15-20 billion, with its stock price also rising confidently in the initial days. In the latter half of 2025, other well-known startups—including payment service Stripe and several other highly valued firms—are preparing for their public markets debut.
Even the crypto industry is eager to take advantage of the revival: for instance, fintech company Circle successfully went public last summer (its shares then skyrocketed), and cryptocurrency exchange Bullish has filed for a listing in the U.S. with a target valuation of around $4 billion. The return of activity in the IPO market is crucial for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits allow funds to realize profits and direct the freed-up capital into new projects.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
In 2025, venture investments are covering an increasingly broader range of industries and are no longer confined to AI alone. Following last year's downturn, fintech is reviving: large funding rounds are occurring not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and developing markets, fueling the growth of promising financial services. At the same time, interest in climate technologies, green energy, and agritech is gaining momentum—these sectors are attracting record investments amid the global trend for sustainability.
Investor appetite for biotech is also returning: the emergence of new medical developments and online platforms is once again attracting capital as the sector emerges from a period of declining valuations. Additionally, in light of heightened attention to security, investors have begun to support defense technology projects, and the partial recovery of trust in the cryptocurrency market has allowed some blockchain startups to secure funding once again. As a result, the expansion of sector focus makes the entire startup ecosystem more resilient and reduces the risk of overheating in individual segments.
Consolidation and M&A Deals: Growing Players
Overvalued startup valuations and fierce competition for markets are pushing the industry towards consolidation. Major mergers and acquisitions are once again coming to the forefront, reshaping the balance of power. For example, Google has agreed to acquire the Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—a record amount for the Israeli tech sector.
Such mega-deals demonstrate the eagerness of tech giants to acquire key technologies and talents. Overall, the current activity in the realm of acquisitions and major venture deals indicates the maturing of the market. Mature startups are merging with each other or becoming acquisition targets for corporations, while venture investors are finally gaining the opportunity for long-desired profitable exits.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external sanctions pressure, there is a gradual revival of startup activity in Russia and neighboring countries. In 2025, several new venture funds totaling approximately 10–12 billion rubles were announced, aimed at supporting early-stage technological projects. Local startups are beginning to attract significant capital: for instance, the Krasnodar-based food tech project Qummy raised around 440 million rubles with an valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles. Moreover, foreign investors are once again permitted to invest in local projects in Russia, which is gradually restoring interest from foreign capital.
Although the volume of venture investments in the region is still modest compared to global figures, it is gradually increasing. Some major companies are seriously considering taking their technology divisions public as the market situation improves—for example, the management of VK Tech (the subsidiary of VK) has recently publicly suggested the possibility of an IPO in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives are designed to provide an additional boost to the local startup ecosystem and align its development with global trends.
Conclusion: Cautious Optimism at the Start of 2026
By the beginning of 2026, the venture industry is characterized by moderately optimistic sentiments. Record funding rounds and successful IPOs convincingly demonstrate that the downturn period has been left behind. However, market participants still maintain a degree of caution. Investors are now paying increased attention to the quality of projects and the sustainability of business models, striving to avoid unwarranted hype. The focus of the new venture upturn is not on chasing inflated valuations but on seeking genuinely promising ideas capable of delivering profits and transforming industries.
Even the largest funds are advocating for a balanced approach. Some investors note that valuations of certain startups remain very high and are not always supported by strong business performance. Aware of the risk of overheating (especially in the AI sector), the venture community intends to act prudently, combining bold investments with thorough "homework" on market and product analysis.
