Startup and Venture Investment News — Monday, February 2, 2026: AI Mega Rounds, Consolidation, and Revived IPOs
As of early February 2026, the global venture market is showing a sustained recovery following previous downturns. Investors worldwide are once again actively funding technology startups, executing record-breaking deals, and the long-awaited IPOs are lining up on the horizon, while major funds are attracting unprecedented capital. Governments and corporations are intensifying their support for innovation, bringing private capital back into the startup ecosystem and bolstering the market’s new growth trajectory.
The increase in venture activity has spanned all regions. The United States maintains its leading position (especially in the artificial intelligence segment), the Middle East has seen record levels of investment, Europe is witnessing a rise in deals (Germany has overtaken the UK for the first time in the number of venture investments), and India and Southeast Asia are experiencing capital inflows amidst a relative decline in China. The startup ecosystems in Russia and the CIS countries are also trying to keep up by launching local funds and initiatives, although their dynamics remain subdued due to external constraints. Overall, a new venture boom is taking shape in the industry, although investors remain selective, focusing on the quality of projects and the sustainability of business models.
Below are key events and trends shaping the venture market agenda for February 2, 2026:
- The return of mega funds and large investors. Leading venture players are raising gigantic new funds and sharply increasing investments, saturating the market with capital and reigniting risk appetite.
- Record rounds in AI and new unicorns. Unprecedented funding levels are pushing startup valuations to unseen heights, particularly in the artificial intelligence sector, leading to a wave of new "unicorn" companies.
- Revival of the IPO market. Successful public offerings of technology companies and new bold plans for going public confirm that the long-awaited "window" for exits is once again open.
- Industry diversification. Venture capital is flowing not only into AI but also into fintech, climate technologies, biotech, defense developments, and even crypto startups, encompassing a broader array of innovations.
- A wave of consolidation and M&A deals. Large mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments are reshaping the landscape of the industry, creating new opportunities for exits and accelerated growth for companies.
- Local focus: Russia and the CIS. Despite constraints, new funds and programs are emerging in the region to support local startups, aimed at spurring the development of local tech ecosystems.
The Return of Mega Funds: Big Money Re-enters the Market
Major investment players are triumphantly returning to the venture arena, indicating a renewed appetite for risk. The largest Silicon Valley funds and global investors are attracting significant resources: accumulated reserves of "dry powder" are estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars, ready to be invested as market confidence strengthens. For example, Japan's SoftBank is boosting its presence — in addition to launching Vision Fund III (previously announced with a volume of about $40 billion for advanced technologies), its participation in a colossal round for OpenAI is now being discussed. Reports indicate that SoftBank is ready to invest up to $30 billion additional funding while OpenAI seeks up to $100 billion in financing with a potentially $800 billion valuation. Such moves confirm the return of "big money" to the tech sector.
Sovereign funds from the Middle East are also on the rise: investments in startups in the region reached a record $3.8 billion in 2025 (an increase of approximately 74% year-on-year). Saudi Arabia and the UAE are directing billions into technology projects, creating regional tech hubs and mega-programs to support startups. Simultaneously, new venture funds are emerging globally — both corporate and public-private partnerships — aimed at supporting innovation. For instance, the German government has launched the Deutschlandfonds transformation fund amounting to €30 billion to stimulate high-tech industries. These enormous funds and programs fill the startup market with liquidity, intensifying competition for the best deals and reassuring the industry about the long-term influx of capital.
Record Investments in AI and a New Wave of Unicorns
The artificial intelligence sector is the main driver of the current venture surge, showcasing record financing volumes. Investors are eager to position themselves among the leaders of the AI race, channeling colossal funds into the most promising projects. It is estimated that in 2025, investments in AI startups worldwide reached approximately $150 billion — nearly double the previous record set in 2021. Several companies have rapidly emerged as leaders: OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX, and Stripe are now valued in the tens or hundreds of billions, regarded as potential "hecto-unicorns" ($100+ billion). Elon Musk's startup xAI, for example, attracted around $10 billion, while OpenAI previously secured over $8 billion in investments at a valuation of about $500 billion, laying the groundwork for a possible IPO with a capitalization of up to $1 trillion. Additionally, Anthropic agreed on a new round of approximately $10 billion in January 2026 at an estimated value of around $350 billion. Such massive rounds are often significantly oversubscribed — the hype surrounding AI startups is reaching a peak.
It is important to note that funding is not limited to final AI applications but also extends to the infrastructural solutions for them. Venture capital is readily flowing into the "shovels and picks" for the new AI ecosystem: from cloud platforms and specialized chips to data storage systems and energy projects to ensure computational capabilities. For instance, the startup PaleBlueDot AI, which is creating infrastructure for AI, attracted $150 million at a valuation exceeding $1 billion, and Standard Nuclear received $140 million for advanced nuclear fuel technologies — anticipating demand from AI data centers. The ongoing investment boom is giving rise to a wave of new unicorns — the number of startups valued above $1 billion is rapidly increasing. Although experts warn of overheating risks in the market and a possible bubble, investor appetite for AI projects remains unabated.
The IPO Market is Reviving: An Exit Opportunity Window
The global market for initial public offerings (IPOs) is emerging from a prolonged lull and gaining momentum, providing startups with a genuine chance for large-scale exits. In Asia, Hong Kong has spearheaded a new wave of IPOs: in recent months, several major technology companies have gone public, collectively attracting billions of dollars in investments. For instance, Chinese battery manufacturer CATL successfully conducted an offering of approximately $5 billion, confirming investor readiness in the region to once again actively participate in IPOs.
The situation is also improving in the US and Europe. By the end of 2025, several unicorns debuted on the stock market with impressive results. For instance, American fintech startup Chime conducted an IPO after which its shares surged by 30% on the first trading day. Following that, design platform Figma went public, raising about $1.2 billion at a valuation of around $15–20 billion, and its stock steadily appreciated. The success of these offerings has signaled for other players: at the top of the candidate list for 2026 IPOs are giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX, Stripe, and other highly valued companies that could become the market "headliners." The year 2026 is already being dubbed the "year of hecto-unicorns,” when several companies with valuations exceeding $100 billion may go public. Their potential offerings are attracting massive attention — the success or failure of these IPOs will impact investor sentiment and the overall outlook for the AI boom.
The revival of activity in the IPO market is crucial for the venture ecosystem. Successful public outings enable funds and early investors to lock in profits, return capital to their investors, and reinvest in new projects. The expansion of the IPO "window" increases the attractiveness of startups for late-stage funding, as investors once again see a clear path to liquidity. Thus, the revitalization of the IPO market strengthens the entire venture investment chain, from the seed stage to large-scale exits.
Diversifying Investments: Not Just AI
Venture investments in 2025–2026 are encompassing an increasingly broader range of sectors, moving beyond a single dominant theme. Following the downturn of previous years, fintech is experiencing a confident resurgence: large funding rounds for financial technologies are occurring not only in the US but also in Europe and emerging markets. Investors are once again interested in climate and "green" technologies — riding on the global trend towards sustainability, record funds are flowing into climate and environmental startups. A notable example: a coalition of venture funds led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures announced in early 2026 the creation of a new $300 million fund for investments in climate innovations, demonstrating a growing appetite for this area.
Interest in biotech and medtech is also returning: the emergence of new drugs, vaccines, and digital health platforms is attracting capital once more, as the industry emerges from a period of reduced valuations. Simultaneously, against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, the defense and security segment is booming: venture investors are actively financing defense tech projects and cybersecurity. In 2025, investments in defense startups in Europe reached a record ~$1.5 billion (about 6% of all European venture investments), reflecting a demand for new security developments. Finally, trust is partially returning to crypto startups: after a market cooling, several blockchain projects have successfully attracted investments again. For example, the crypto platform Mesh in the US secured $75 million to develop a payment network, and some fintech companies from the crypto realm are integrating into traditional finance. Overall, the diversification of industry focus means that venture capital is now being distributed more evenly across various technology sectors — from artificial intelligence and finance to climate initiatives and defense, reducing the market's reliance on a single trend.
Consolidation and M&A: Strengthening Players
Escalated competition and high startup valuations are leading to a wave of consolidation in the industry. Major corporations and financial institutions are increasingly acquiring promising startups, while the startups themselves are merging or selling to strategic investors to gain resources for further growth. The beginning of 2026 has been marked by several significant mergers and acquisitions. In January, a landmark banking-fintech deal was announced: American bank Capital One is acquiring fintech unicorn Brex for approximately $5.15 billion — a record case of a bank being acquired by a startup in the industry's history. Another example is London-based Hg investment fund, which negotiated the purchase of American software company OneStream for $6.4 billion, buying out shares from shareholders (the deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026).
Consolidation is also impacting the European market: in January, stock exchange operator Deutsche Börse agreed to acquire financial platform Allfunds for approximately €5.3 billion, marking one of the largest M&A transactions in European fintech. Asian unicorns are also expanding their presence through deals: for instance, Australian payment company Airwallex entered the South Korean market by acquiring local startup Paynuri. High-tech giants are not standing by either — major IT corporations are renewing their strategic acquisitions of teams and technologies. For example, Apple acquired an Israeli AI startup in audio technology in early 2026, strengthening its competencies in artificial intelligence. This new wave of mergers and acquisitions is reshaping the market landscape: larger combined players gain scale advantages and access to new technologies, while for investors, consolidation opens additional exit routes through company sales. Ultimately, M&A activity contributes to the health of the ecosystem, allowing the most successful startups to integrate into larger companies or strengthen their positions through consolidation.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Global Trends
Against the backdrop of global revitalization, the venture market in Russia and neighboring countries is developing more cautiously, but steps are being taken to stimulate it. By the end of 2025, the volume of venture investments in Russia decreased by about 18%, totaling approximately $146 million (in comparison, the global market grew nearly 50% during the same period). The number of deals fell by a quarter, and nearly all investments were domestic — foreign capital in the region is almost non-existent. Nevertheless, private investors and funds emerged as key drivers: they increased investments, compensating for the reduction in activity from state programs and corporate venture divisions. Approximately 70% of deals were concentrated in projects from Moscow, with the most noticeable growth in startups in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning (this sector attracted about $70 million, almost half of the total market).
Despite external pressure, new funds and initiatives are being launched in Russia and the CIS to support tech companies. Based on reorganized governmental structures, investment holdings with large share capital are emerging: for instance, the recently established company "Venture Investments" received management of assets worth tens of billions of rubles from former projects of "RUSNANO" and VEB to continue financing IT startups in the Far East. Additionally, large private groups are creating industry funds: the "Voskhoд" fund (with support from Interros) invested 250 million rubles in a developer of industrial 3D printers, while a number of new venture partnerships are forming to support import substitution solutions and innovations amid sanctions. Startup ecosystems in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other neighboring countries are also seeking to draw investors' attention — for example, the volume of venture investments in AI in Kazakhstan has increased several times over the past year, reaching record levels (over $70 million). Although the scale of regional markets is incomparable to global ones, these local efforts are crucial for advancing technology in this geography.
Market participants in Russia are pinning hopes for a revival of venture activity in 2026 on improving macroeconomic conditions. A potential reduction in the key interest rate and the emergence of successful local IPOs or stake sales could enhance the attractiveness of investments in startups. For now, in the absence of stable exits, investors in the region are focusing on relatively mature projects with revenue and clear business models, where risks are more predictable. Nevertheless, even in a challenging environment, interest in technology in Russia and the CIS persists, and the local venture market is striving to leverage the best global practices and trends as far as possible.
Cautious Optimism: Quality Growth Ahead
At the start of 2026, the venture industry is in a state of moderate optimism. After a period of turbulence, a noticeable recovery has emerged: major funds are investing again, headline deals and successful IPOs are restoring confidence among market participants. However, the lessons of previous years have led to a more measured approach — even amid a boom, investors are meticulously selecting projects, prioritizing the quality of the team, the sustainability of the business model, and the potential for profitability. Especially in overheated segments such as artificial intelligence, where grand valuations coexist with heightened attention to actual commercial performance.
Consequently, the global startup market is entering 2026 both inspired and cautious. On one hand, record funding volumes, the return of "long" money, and expanded exit opportunities lay a solid foundation for the next wave of technological development. On the other hand, risks of overheating in certain niches remain, while macroeconomic and geopolitical factors necessitate vigilance. Nevertheless, the overall trend is positive: venture capital continues to function as a driver of innovation, and the startup ecosystem is globally moving toward more mature and balanced growth. In the coming months, investors and entrepreneurs will aim to capitalize on the opportunities that have arisen while adhering to principles of cautious optimism and focusing on the long-term value of the companies created.
