Startup funding shatters all records in Q1

Global investing in startups hit $297 billion in Q1 2026, breaking all records, according to updated Crunchbase data. That’s a massive 2.5x surge over the $118 billion raised in the previous quarter. This single-quarter haul outpaces every full year of global VC activity prior to 2019.

The unprecedented spike was fueled by just four behemoth deals, each a record-breaker in its own right.

Last month, OpenAI revealed that it is now valued at $852 billion after collecting $122 billion, surpassing the previous record for the largest funding round ever, also held by OpenAI when the ChatGPT maker raised $40 billion a year ago.

The quarter also saw Anthropic, its main rival, raise $30 billion at a valuation of $380 billion. That funding haul effectively made it the third-largest VC round on record. The other two mega-deals of the quarter included a $20 billion fundraise by xAI and Waymo’s $16 billion round.

These four rounds collectively raised $188 billion, accounting for more than 63% of total funding in the quarter.

While it might appear that without them, fundraising appears to be on a more typical trajectory, anecdotal evidence implies otherwise. Investors and founders say, for example, that seed-stage AI startups are commanding bigger dollars, and higher valuations at earlier stages than ever before.

,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately This also touches on aspects of startup.

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