Global Startup and Venture Capital News for January 29, 2026: Major Investment Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, AI Startup Growth, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market.
The global venture capital market is confidently approaching the end of January 2026. Following a prolonged downturn from 2022 to 2024 and cautious recovery in 2025, investors worldwide are again actively pouring funds into promising tech startups. Record funding deals are being executed, and companies are once again considering IPOs. Major industry players are returning with significant investments, while governments and corporations are enhancing their support for innovation—resulting in a substantial influx of private capital into the startup ecosystem. These trends signal the formation of a new early-stage investment boom, although market participants continue to approach deals selectively and judiciously.
Venture activity is increasing across all regions. The U.S. is solidifying its leadership position (especially due to investments in artificial intelligence), the Middle East is witnessing a manifold increase in startup investments due to capital inflows from sovereign funds, and there has been a reshuffle in Europe: Germany has exceeded the UK for the first time in the number of venture deals. India, Southeast Asia, and countries in the Gulf region are setting records for capital attraction, while activity in China has seen a slight decline. The startup ecosystems in Russia and neighboring countries are striving to keep pace with global trends, despite external constraints.
Below are key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda as of January 29, 2026:
- The Return of Mega Funds and Large Investors. Leading venture firms are raising record amounts for new funds, flooding the market with liquidity and rekindling risk appetite.
- Record Rounds in AI and a New Wave of "Unicorns." Exceptionally large deals are pushing startup valuations to new heights, particularly in the AI sector, leading to the emergence of numerous new "unicorns."
- Revival of the IPO Market. Successful debuts of tech companies on the stock exchange and new listing applications confirm that the long-awaited "window" for going public has reopened.
- A Wave of Consolidation through M&A Deals. Major mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships are reshaping the industry landscape, providing investors with opportunities for quick exits.
- Diversification of Sector Focus. Venture capital is being directed not only to AI but also to fintech, climate projects, biotechnology, defense innovations, crypto startups, and other promising areas.
- Local Focus: Russia and CIS Countries. Despite restrictions, new funds and programs are being launched in the region to support local startup ecosystems, garnering interest from investors.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Back on the Market
Major investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena—risk appetite in the industry has noticeably increased. Over the past few weeks, several top funds have announced the closure of new mega funds. For instance, U.S.-based Lightspeed Venture Partners raised approximately $9 billion (an unprecedented fundraising effort for 2025), while several other leading firms have formed multi-billion dollar funds. After a period of calm, Tiger Global is also entering the market, targeting about $2.2 billion for a new fund—substantially less than previous amounts, reflecting a more cautious approach. Sovereign investors have also ramped up their activities, with Gulf states injecting billions into tech projects and launching their own startup support programs.
The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, having recovered from past misfortunes, is again making significant bets. At the end of 2025, SoftBank invested around $40 billion in OpenAI. The return of such powerful financiers signifies the emergence of hundreds of billions of dollars in "dry powder”—uninvested capital ready to work. These resources are already flowing into the market, intensifying competition for the best projects and supporting high valuations of promising companies. The return of mega funds and major institutional players not only intensifies the race for the most lucrative deals but also instills confidence in the industry regarding further capital inflows.
Record AI Investments and a Surge of New "Unicorns"
The field of artificial intelligence remains the main driver of the current venture boom, showcasing unprecedented funding volumes. Investors are eager to position themselves at the forefront of the AI revolution, directing colossal amounts to the most promising projects. In 2025, several companies secured multi-billion dollar funding rounds: OpenAI received around $40 billion with a valuation of approximately $300 billion, while its competitor Anthropic raised about $13 billion. Notably, capital is flowing not only to established leaders but also to new teams.
For instance, the U.S. startup Baseten, which develops infrastructure for AI, attracted around $300 million at a valuation of approximately $5 billion. Such inflows are swiftly expanding the "unicorn" club. In just the past few months, dozens of startups—from generative AI and specialized chips to cloud-based AI services—have crossed the $1 billion valuation threshold. Although experts caution about the risk of overheating, the appetite of venture capital for AI startups remains undiminished.
IPO Wave: The Window for Exits is Open Again
The global primary public offering market is reviving after a two-year hiatus, once again providing opportunities for startups to go public. This revival in Asia has been kickstarted by Hong Kong, where several large tech companies have gone public in recent months, collectively raising billions of dollars. For example, Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi issued an additional stock package worth approximately $4 billion, demonstrating that investors in the region are ready to support large listings once again.
The situation is also improving in the U.S. and Europe: following the successful debuts in 2024-2025, more and more "unicorns" are preparing to go public. U.S. fintech giant Stripe, which has long postponed its IPO, is now planning to list in 2026 amid favorable market conditions. Similarly, design platform Figma opted for a direct public offering instead of selling to a strategic investor and raised over $1 billion—subsequently increasing its market capitalization. Even the crypto industry is keen on utilizing the revival: fintech company Circle successfully completed its IPO. Notably, giants such as OpenAI and SpaceX are considering the possibility of public stock offerings—their IPOs could potentially be among the largest in history. The resurgence of IPO market activity is critically important for the venture ecosystem: successful public exits return capital to investors, enabling them to channel it into new projects.
Consolidation and M&A: Major Deals Reshape the Industry
High valuations of startups and fierce competition for leaders are driving increased consolidation in the tech sector. Large corporations and highly valued late-stage "unicorns" are increasingly acquiring promising teams or merging with one another to accelerate growth. The year 2025 became one of the record years for such deals: the combined value of venture M&A worldwide approached historical highs, surpassing the levels reached during the 2021 boom in the U.S. The pinnacle of this wave was Google’s acquisition of cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately $32 billion—this is the largest purchase of a venture-backed company in the history of the industry.
In addition to this record agreement, several multi-billion dollar acquisitions occurred across various segments. Here are just a few examples of the largest deals in recent months:
- Capital One acquired the fintech platform Brex for approximately $5.15 billion;
- Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase acquired its competitor—the derivatives exchange Deribit;
- IonQ purchased British quantum startup Oxford Ionics.
The activation of the M&A market provides venture funds with new opportunities for profitable exits from investments, while startups gain resources for scaling under the auspices of major partners. The consolidation of players through mergers accelerates the maturation of specific niches while simultaneously opening new niches for the next wave of teams.
Diversification of Investments: Not Just AI
The upsurge of 2025-2026 is characterized by a capital inflow into various sectors. Following the downturn of previous years, financing for financial technologies is reviving: significant rounds are occurring not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and emerging markets, fueling the growth of new fintech services. Concurrently, amid a global push for sustainability, interest in climate and environmental projects is increasing—startups in renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon emission reduction are attracting record investments. There is also a renewed appetite for biotechnology: recent breakthroughs in medicine are inspiring funds to finance large healthcare projects. Additionally, the partial restoration of trust in the cryptocurrency market has enabled some blockchain startups to once again receive investments.
Attention is growing towards defense technologies, space developments, and robotics. In light of geopolitical challenges, investors are eager to support projects in national security, aerospace startups, and innovations for Industry 4.0. Below are the main areas—beyond AI—where venture investments are currently directed:
- Financial Technologies (Fintech): digital banks, payment platforms, online services;
- Climate and "Green" Projects: renewable energy, carbon emission reductions, eco-friendly infrastructure;
- Biotechnology and Medicine: drug development, biomedical devices, digital health;
- Defense and Aerospace Technologies: defense-tech startups, drones, satellites, robotic systems.
Thus, the venture landscape is becoming more balanced. Capital is being distributed across various sectors, reducing the risk of overheating in any one area. Funds are forming diversified portfolios and striving to avoid the pitfalls of the past when excessive funding of a single trendy direction led to the emergence of market "bubbles."
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Despite external constraints, Russia and neighboring countries are witnessing a revitalization of startup activity. Notably, several new venture funds have been announced, totaling around 10-12 billion rubles, aimed at supporting early-stage tech projects. Local startups are beginning to attract significant capital: for instance, the Krasnodar-based foodtech project Qummy secured around 440 million rubles at a valuation of approximately 2.4 billion rubles. Additionally, the country has once again allowed foreign investors to invest in local projects, gradually rekindling interest from foreign capital.
While venture investment volumes in the region remain modest compared to global figures, they are steadily increasing. Some large companies are considering taking their tech divisions public when market conditions improve—VK Tech, for example, has publicly acknowledged the potential for an IPO in the foreseeable future. New government support measures and corporate initiatives aim to provide an additional boost to the local startup ecosystem and integrate it into global trends.
Outlook: Cautious Optimism
The venture community is entering 2026 with a mood of cautious optimism. Successful IPOs, mega rounds, and exits from late last year have shown that the downturn period is behind us; however, lessons from the recent past have been heeded. Investors are now much more thorough in assessing startup business models and their paths to profitability, avoiding a rush for growth at any cost. This disciplined approach helps prevent market overheating.
At the same time, key trends instill confidence in further growth. The IPO window that was closed in 2022-2023 has now swung open, allowing mature companies to realize their plans for going public. An active M&A market provides projects with new exit opportunities, and the emergence of new mega funds ensures the availability of capital for financing the next generation of startups. Macroeconomic risks remain, but venture investors are approaching the current upturn more prepared than before. The first weeks of 2026 confirm that the global startup ecosystem is gaining momentum. If positive trends continue, this year could see further growth in venture investments and the emergence of new technology leaders.
