Global venture capital investment reached a record $297 billion in the first quarter of 2026. This total marks a 150% increase year-over-year.
The artificial intelligence sector drove the surge, capturing $239 billion in funding. AI investments accounted for 81% of all capital raised during the quarter.
Four U.S. companies secured 64% of the total global capital, collectively raising $186 billion. OpenAI led the market with a $120 billion funding round. Anthropic raised $30 billion, while Elon Musk’s xAI secured $20 billion. Waymo rounded out the top deals with a $16 billion investment.
These record-breaking rounds highlight the massive capital requirements for developing advanced AI and autonomous systems.