U.S.-based artificial intelligence startups raised unprecedented capital in early 2026. This intense funding activity signals a massive acceleration of the global AI arms race. Venture capital continues to flow heavily into a concentrated group of leading firms.
Elon Musk’s xAI secured a $20 billion funding round in January. AI research company Anthropic followed in February with a historic $30 billion raise. This latest round boosted Anthropic’s valuation to $380 billion.
Other significant nine-figure deals occurred in the opening months of the year. Temporal, Ricursive Intelligence, and Upscale AI all closed major funding rounds during this period.