Fresh Startup and Venture Investment News for Monday, December 29, 2025: Record AI Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, Key Deals, and Global Investment Trends for Venture Investors.
By the end of 2025, the venture market is showing signs of recovery after a prolonged downturn. Major funds and corporations are announcing substantial investment programs, while governments are launching new incentives for tech startups. Investors worldwide are once again actively financing high-tech businesses. The United States continues to lead due to a boom in artificial intelligence, while record inflows in the Middle East are being driven by sovereign funds. In Europe, defense and medical technologies are gaining momentum. India and Southeast Asian countries are attracting record capital despite regulatory risks in China. In response, Chinese authorities are supporting "hard-tech": three national funds of 50 billion yuan each have been launched to invest in semiconductors, quantum technologies, biomedicine, and other innovative directions. This is fostering a new global venture boom with a wide geographical reach.
Major Rounds of the Week
- Swedish startup Lovable — $330 million (Series B round, valuation $6.6 billion). The company is developing a software generation platform based on text descriptions, achieving $100 million in annual revenue in just 8 months and $200 million within a year.
- American fintech Erebor Bank — $350 million (Series D, valuation ~$4.35 billion). Provides banking services to crypto and AI companies.
- ZeroAvia (USA/UK) — $150 million (Series D) for the development of hydrogen engines for aviation aimed at zero emissions.
- SanegeneBio (USA) — $110 million (Series B) for the development of RNAi therapies and new drugs.
- Israeli Cyera — $400 million at a valuation of $9 billion. The startup is creating an AI cybersecurity platform to protect corporate data.
- Latin American fintech Plata — $500 million (round from Nomura, valuation $3.1 billion). Founded by former managers from Tinkoff Bank, the company issues banking cards (limit up to $200,000) with cashback and services 2.5 million clients in Mexico.
- Clio (Canada) — $500 million (Series I, valuation $5 billion). The corporate travel and expense service closed the round while expanding global sales following a recent IPO of competitor Navan.
Such deals reflect a trend towards capital concentration: according to Crunchbase, over 70% of all investments in American startups in 2025 were directed to rounds over $100 million (including a record $40 billion in OpenAI). Similar patterns are observed globally: over 60% of VC capital worldwide is directed towards mega-rounds. The influx of private capital is being driven by large funds (SoftBank, Mubadala, fund programs in the USA) and national institutions around the world.
AI and the Investment Boom
The artificial intelligence sector remains the driver of venture growth. Analysts estimate that in 2025, investors poured over $200 billion into AI projects—nearly half of all global venture capital investments. This is reflected in numerous rounds and rising valuations: SoftBank and Nvidia are negotiating an infusion of over $1 billion into the Israeli startup Skild AI (valued at ~ $14 billion)—a developer of universal models for robots.
In addition, several notable projects have attracted significant investments:
- Flex (USA/India) — $60 million (Series B). The fintech startup is creating AI tools for managing the finances of medium businesses, consolidating the entire corporate financial stack into one platform.
- GC AI (USA) — $60 million (Series C, valuation ~ $555 million). The LegalTech company uses AI for lawyers and office workers, closing an expanded round during the industry's best times.
- Google & Accel AI India (India) — investments up to $20 million (at $2 million in 10 startups). A new program by Google in collaboration with Accel is aimed at early AI projects in creativity, entertainment, and automation.
Leading corporations are also expanding the AI ecosystem: Nvidia is licensing technology from the startup Groq and bringing its leadership onto the team rather than acquiring the entire business. Furthermore, OpenAI and major IT companies are actively investing in data center infrastructure (Stargate project, investments from Meta/Google/Oracle). These developments confirm that investments are flowing across the entire technology stack—from foundational models to accompanying services and equipment.
Cybersecurity and Major Deals
The cybersecurity arena continues to witness an arms race, with major players consolidating. For instance, Google has announced the acquisition of Israeli startup Wiz for $32 billion, and Palo Alto Networks is acquiring CyberArk for $26 billion, marking record prices in the industry. The vendor ServiceNow has agreed to pay $7.75 billion for Armis (a 9-year-old company developing software for protecting critical infrastructure), more than doubling its recent valuation. Meanwhile, venture funding is ramping up as the Ukrainian-Israeli startup Cyera attracted $400 million from Blackstone at its $9 billion valuation.
Overall, defense and cybersecurity technologies remain a focal point for investors: the increased demand for cyber protection is bolstered by new funds (for example, €125 million from Keen VC for European defense startups) and active M&A deals, which are preparing new growth opportunities for capitalization.
Fintech, Cryptocurrencies, and New Banks
The fintech sector has been inundated with a tide of funds. Mexican fintech Plata, founded by former Tinkoff Bank managers, received a valuation of $3.1 billion following its latest $500 million round, making it one of the market leaders in Latin America. The American "crypto-bank" Erebor Bank raised $350 million, expanding lending services for blockchain companies. Niche solutions are also receiving support; for example, the startup FINNY (New York) raised $17 million for an AI platform for financial advisors and CRM services.
Following a significant downturn, 2025 has become a time for renewed interest in crypto startups: as the blockchain market stabilizes, blockchain projects are once again attracting venture investment, aiming for long-term capital. This aligns with a global trend: as cryptocurrency services integrate into traditional finance, VC funds are allocating resources to DeFi, stablecoins, and associated infrastructure solutions.
Medicine, Biotechnology, and Green Technologies
Innovations in medicine and the "green" economy have also attracted the attention of venture investors. The Boston biotech project SanegeneBio received $110 million for the development of new RNAi therapies. The New York startup Neurable (EEG neurointerfaces) closed a $35 million Series A for the launch of wearable devices for brain state monitoring. The American platform Truemed (with Andreessen Horowitz among its investors) raised $34 million for a service leveraging HSA accounts for wellness purchases. Furthermore, venture funds are financing AI safety projects: Red Queen Bio ($15 million from OpenAI) is developing AI tools for detecting bio-threats.
In the realm of ecology and transportation, a key event was the continued funding of "green" technologies. The startup ZeroAvia received $150 million for the development of hydrogen engines for aircraft, strengthening the investment trend in alternative energy and clean transportation. Thus, investment diversification extends beyond AI—climate and medical innovations are also coming into focus.
Government Support and Investment Geography
Alongside private investments, public initiatives to support startups are on the rise. China has announced the establishment of three venture funds (each over 50 billion yuan) for early-stage "hard tech" startups (chips, quantum technologies, biomedicine, etc.). In India, Google is launching a new AI fund in collaboration with Accel, planning to invest $2 million each in ten promising local startups. In Europe, specializations are emerging; for instance, the Dutch fund Keen VC is attracting €125 million for defense and aerospace projects. Sovereign funds from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore increased their presence in fintech and green technologies in 2025.
Regional ecosystems continue to grow: Latin America and Africa have seen their first unicorns (Fintech, e-commerce, etc.), highlighting the global nature of venture growth. Russia and the CIS are witnessing a revival of startup activity despite sanctions; new local funds and accelerators are being launched, aimed at integrating projects into the global trend.
Corporate Deals and Outlook
Activity in the M&A and IPO market is fueling the overall picture. Major tech companies continue to shape their portfolios: Nvidia licensed the architecture of the startup Groq and hired its founder, rather than acquiring the entire business. Many startups are preparing for IPOs: for example, Navan (formerly TripActions) and eToro completed successful IPOs, showcasing the potential for exits to investors. Meanwhile, corporations are accumulating funds for acquisitions; against a backdrop of elevated valuations and reduced interest rates, a new wave of deals is expected in 2026.
As the New Year approaches, the startup market is meeting a moderately optimistic outlook: for the year 2025, investments and deal ratings are close to record highs, and the portfolios of funds and companies are preparing for lucrative exit strategies. Investors are focusing on proven sectors (AI, fintech, biotech, clean technologies) while also paying attention to diversification and risk assessment. The year concludes with strengthened faith in the long-term potential of technological innovations and expectations for sustained investment momentum in 2026.
