H1 2026 Venture Report: A Record $510B Globally, Dominated by AI
Crunchbase data shows global venture funding hit a record $510 billion in H1 2026 — surpassing all of 2025's $440 billion — with AI the absolute protagonist.
In this story
Per Crunchbase data published on July 2, 2026, global venture funding reached a record $510 billion in the first half of 2026, already surpassing the $440 billion invested in all of 2025 — and AI is the absolute protagonist of the boom (Crunchbase News).
What Drove the Half-Year
February alone saw startups raise a record $189 billion, with AI-related companies taking $171 billion — a staggering 90% share — driven by mega-rounds at OpenAI and Anthropic (Crunchbase News); Q1 saw $300 billion flow into some 6,000 startups, up over 150% year over year (Crunchbase News).
The Risk
The extreme concentration of capital in top-tier mega-rounds has also stoked bubble concerns. Analysts note AI infrastructure and foundation-model companies absorbed most of the money; whether the application layer can convert technical advantage into durable revenue will determine how this boom is judged.
This article aggregates official announcements and public reporting; original sources are linked below.
Source:Crunchbase News
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