AI funding surge 2026

U.S. venture capital activity in the first half of 2026 reached $412.7 billion, about 30 % higher than the previous year, with AI‑focused firms receiving $355.9 billion (86 % of total VC capital). Seven financing rounds exceeded $1 billion, highlighted by Anthropic’s reported $65 billion raise that lifted its post‑money valuation to $965 billion, though roughly $15 billion of that amount had been pledged earlier.

SpaceX’s June IPO became the largest U.S. venture‑backed listing ever, valuing the company at $1.7 trillion and raising $75 billion. The launch was followed by a $250 billion purchase of xAI and a pending $60 billion all‑stock deal for Cursor, further underscoring the scale of AI‑related capital flows. Corporate venture arms participated in 21 % of deals, while venture‑debt issuances totaled $64.7 billion.

Globally, venture capital invested a record $510 billion in startups during H1 2026, with AI accounting for more than 70 % of Q2 funding. OpenAI and Anthropic together captured about 43 % of the total, roughly $217 billion. In the United States, New York City’s tech ecosystem continued to attract sizable rounds, including $125 million for Pearl Health, $67 million for Vendelux, and $138 million for travel‑booking platform Fora, illustrating the breadth of sectors benefitting from the AI‑driven capital surge.