AI mega-rounds and valuation surge/secondary shifts
Key Questions
What was the total global startup investment in the first half of 2026?
Global startup investment reached a record $510B in H1 2026 according to Crunchbase, with 43% coming from OpenAI and Anthropic.
How much did US venture capital funding total in H1 2026 compared to 2025?
US H1 VC reached $412.7B, up 29% over the full year of 2025, with 81% of dollars going to $100M+ mega-rounds.
What are some notable AI company valuations and raises mentioned?
Anthropic raised $65B at $965B valuation, Together AI $800M at $8.3B, DeepSeek $7.4B at $50B+, and Mistral $3.5B at $23B.
What record did corporate venture capital set in Q2 2026?
Q2 corporate VC hit $146B across 1,364 rounds, up 231% year-over-year, driven by AI mega-rounds.
Which new unicorns were created in the period?
New unicorns include Venice.ai at $1B, Even Realities at $1B, and General Intuition at $2.3B.
What healthcare AI funding occurred in 2025?
Healthcare AI funding reached $10.7B in the first nine months of 2025.
What is Mercor’s current status and activity?
Mercor is in talks for a $20B valuation with $2B ARR and has acquired Deeptune.
How did Europe perform in Q2 venture funding?
Europe Q2 venture funding reached $24B, marking its strongest quarter in four years.
Global startup investment hit record $510B in H1 2026 (Crunchbase), with 43% from OpenAI/Anthropic. US H1 VC at $412.7B, up 29% over all of 2025, driven by mega-rounds (81% of dollars in $100M+ deals). Anthropic raised $65B at $965B. Together AI $800M Series C at $8.3B. DeepSeek $7.4B at $50B+. Mistral $3.5B at $23B. SambaNova $1B at $11B. Q2 corporate VC hit $146B across 1,364 rounds, up 231% YoY. Healthcare AI funding $10.7B in 9 months of 2025. New unicorns: Venice.ai $65M at $1B, Even Realities $150M at $1B, General Intuition $320M at $2.3B. Norm Ai $120M Series C. Keyfactor $1B+ encryption. Proxima Fusion Google backing. Cautionary: AI startup CEO kept doing deals after secret fraud plea. New trend: AI startups automating hedge fund investment work. New: US H1 VC record $412.7B, up 29% over all of 2025; Mercor in talks for $20B valuation with $2B ARR, acquires Deeptune; MiniMax raises $2B; Europe Q2 $24B (strongest in 4 years); CVC-to-acquisition pipeline gaining momentum. Oratomic $300M quantum Series A also notable.