AI VCs: 41% Share
AI startups grabbed 41% of the $128B raised on Carta last year, signaling outsized VC flow into machine‑learning plays that include trading automation and agentic DeFi tools. That shift is accelerating dealflow into crypto‑adjacent AI infra and algorithmic trading startups. (techcrunch.com)
xAI’s $20 billion Series E in January, OpenAI’s reported $110 billion private round in February, and Anthropic’s $30 billion Series G last month together accounted for a heavy slice of Carta‑tracked capital in 2025. (techcrunch.com) Carta’s dataset shows a concentrated market where the top 10% of startups captured roughly half of capital deployed, a dynamic Peter Walker described as a “K‑shaped” market with fewer bets but larger checks. (techcrunch.com) Carta’s own State of Private Markets summary puts the total capital raised on its platform in 2025 at nearly $120 billion, highlighting a tracking frame that TechCrunch referenced when reporting the broader $128 billion figure. (carta.com) Carta’s findings also show funds raised in 2023–2024 posting the highest internal rates of return versus funds from 2017–2020, signaling early performance tailwinds for investors concentrated in recent AI winners. (techcrunch.com) On‑chain and crypto‑adjacent AI funding accelerated in 2025 with DappRadar tracking $1.39 billion raised by AI agent projects and over 17,000 agents launched alongside an estimated 4.5 million daily unique active wallets. (dappradar.com) Significant rounds across crypto AI and infra included EigenLayer’s $70 million raise led by a16z Crypto, PrismaX’s $11 million seed led by a16z CSX, SparkChain AI’s ~$10.8 million round, Ubyx’s $10 million seed for stablecoin clearing, and Donut Labs’ $15 million seed to build an AI‑powered crypto trading browser. (crypto.news)
