Global venture funding reached a record $300 billion in Q1 2026, increasing over 150% year-over-year and representing nearly 70% of all 2025 venture capital spending. Four AI mega-rounds dominated the quarter: OpenAI raised $122 billion, Anthropic $30 billion, xAI $20 billion, and Waymo $16 billion, collectively capturing 65% of global investment. AI startups overall received $242 billion, or 80% of total funding, up from 55% in Q1 2025. U.S.-based companies raised $250 billion, representing 83% of global venture capital and 75% of AI investment specifically according to OECD analysis, while China ranked second with $16.1 billion and the UK third with $7.4 billion. The concentration in mega-rounds contrasts with early-stage activity, where seed deal counts fell 30% despite funding increasing 31%, and Chinese companies led exits with 13 of 21 venture-backed companies exiting above $1 billion valuation.
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