Startup and Venture Capital News for Thursday, January 15, 2026: Record AI Rounds, the Return of Mega Funds, IPO Revitalization, and Key Trends in the Global Venture Market.
- Return of Mega Funds: Leading venture firms and investors are actively forming record funds and increasing capital investments in new projects.
- Record Investments in AI: AI startups attracted approximately $150 billion in 2025, leading to a new wave of "unicorns."
- Revitalization of IPOs and M&A: The initial public offering market is once again gaining momentum, and the number of mergers and acquisitions is increasing, opening up additional exit paths for investors.
- Diversification of Sectors: Capital distribution is widening; besides AI, there has been a significant increase in interest in fintech, green technologies, biotechnology, and defense startups.
- Global Boom: The U.S. continues to attract the lion's share of venture investments (~70% in 2025), but new tech hubs are rapidly developing in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
- Russia and the CIS: The internal venture market is undergoing transformation: investment volume in Russian startups decreased by about 10% in 2025, however, new funds and technology support programs are being launched.
Return of Mega Funds: Big Money is Back in the Market
After a two-year decline, the market is once again attracting large investments: leading venture firms worldwide are forming record funds. For example, the American company Andreessen Horowitz raised over $15 billion across five new funds — the largest round in the firm's history. This accounts for nearly 18% of all venture investments in the U.S. for 2025. Similar trends are observed worldwide: funds are accumulating hundreds of billions of "dry powder," ready for deployment. Sovereign and private investment funds from the Middle East have also reactivated, investing billions in the development of the technology sector and creating regional tech parks.
AI Breakthrough: Record Investments and New Unicorns
AI startups continue to be a magnet for capital. According to analysts, investment in AI companies reached an unprecedented $150 billion in 2025, significantly surpassing previous records. Mega rounds have elevated the valuations of leading players to unprecedented heights. The largest deals included rounds for OpenAI (approximately $40–41 billion) and Anthropic (around $13 billion), further confirming the buzz surrounding AI. Projects such as xAI and Scale AI also attracted tens of billions. A significant portion of funds is concentrated in a select few companies, raising concerns among analysts about the risks of a bubble in the AI sector. Nevertheless, the current investment boom is generating many new "unicorns" (startups valued over $1 billion) and stimulating the development of high-tech infrastructure, such as data centers and specialized chips for AI.
Revitalization of the IPO Market: A Window of Opportunities for Exits
Stock exchanges are once again drawing attention — several major tech companies have successfully gone public, indicating a revival of investor interest in IPOs. Significant listings of large startups occurred in Asia (primarily in Hong Kong), while the U.S. prepares for more public debuts from notable "unicorns." The resurgence of the IPO market is crucial for the venture capital ecosystem: successful public market exits allow funds to realize profits and reinvest in new projects. Concurrently, M&A activity is increasing: in 2025, the number of acquisition agreements involving startups grew, providing alternative scaling and exit pathways for investors. Specifically, M&A activity in the Middle East surged by 41%, reflecting an overall industry shift towards consolidation.
Diversification of Investments: Beyond AI
Venture capital is increasingly being allocated across various sectors. Fintech remains one of the most active spheres: for example, in the Middle East and North Africa, fintech accounted for a record $1.15 billion in investments, representing the largest share among deals in the region. Additionally, interest in green technologies — projects focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable development — is growing, alongside biotech and pharmaceuticals after a prolonged quiet period in these sectors. Defense and cybersecurity technologies are also receiving more support amid global instability. This diversification of investments is making the entire industry more balanced and reducing market dependence on a single trend.
Consolidation and M&A: A Structured Market
Corporate acquisitions and strategic investments are intensifying. Large tech and financial firms are acquiring promising startups, expanding their portfolios of innovations. In 2025, major M&A deals surged, providing early investors with exit paths alongside IPOs. The rise in M&A activity is evident across all regions: as mentioned, M&A deals increased by over 40% in the Middle East. Acquisitions are being pursued to accelerate startup growth and consolidate technologies under one management, speeding up the emergence of strong players in the industry.
Global Spread: New Regions and Leaders
Despite the leading role of the U.S., the venture boom is becoming increasingly global. According to CB Insights, U.S. startups attracted approximately $327.8 billion in 2025 (about 70% of the global capital), but activity is rising in other parts of the world. European companies received about $68 billion (18% of the market), with Germany surpassing the UK in deal volume for the first time. Investment in Asia is shifting from China to India and Southeast Asia, where new tech ecosystems are forming. In the Middle East, the volume of investments reached a record $3.8 billion (up 74%), and Africa and Latin America saw the emergence of their first local "unicorns," indicating the truly global nature of the current startup boom. Investors are actively seeking innovations worldwide, from developed markets to emerging regions.
Russia and the CIS: Local Initiatives Amid Changes
In Russia and neighboring countries, the startup market continues to transform under the influence of internal and external factors. According to Kommersant, the volume of deals in the Russian venture sector decreased by about 10% in 2025 (to 7.2 billion rubles), and the number of deals dropped by a third, indicating a "deep contraction" in the market. Nevertheless, the government and large corporations continue to support innovative projects: new state and corporate funds are being launched, accelerators are opening, and grant programs and partnership initiatives are underway. All this is aimed at creating an "autonomous" development model and integrating Russian startups into global technology trends, even amid international constraints.
