U.S. venture capital funding reaches record levels in first half of 2026

U.S. startups raised $412.7 billion in the first half of 2026, representing a 29 percent increase over the total for 2025 and surpassing the previous record set in 2021. This growth was heavily driven by massive deals, with megadeals of $100 million or more accounting for 87.5 percent of the capital deployed.

Artificial intelligence dominated the investment landscape, capturing 86 percent of all dollars invested during this period. The concentration of capital was particularly high in the first quarter, when $195.6 billion was invested in just five companies. While headline figures show record growth, the market remains highly concentrated among a small number of massive firms and AI-focused entities, leaving many founders in other sectors facing greater challenges in securing visibility and attention.