AI got 41% of VC in 2025
AI startups captured roughly 41% of a $128 billion VC market in 2025 — a dominant share that shows investors funneled a huge portion of capital into AI last year. (x.com)
The 41% share cited in the briefing traces to funding tracked on Carta’s platform and was first highlighted in a March 20, 2026 TechCrunch analysis of Carta’s data. (TechCrunch.com Carta.com ) Carta’s State of Private Markets report says startups on its platform pulled in nearly $120 billion of new funding in 2025 and that Q4 alone delivered $36.1 billion — the largest quarter for fundraising since Q2 2022. (Carta.com ) The same Carta analysis documents an “AI premium”: median AI valuations at Series A were 38% higher than non‑AI peers, AI valuation premiums at Series E+ reached 193%, and Carta reported a 667% year‑over‑year increase in median Series E+ valuations. (Carta.com ) Multiple outlets and Carta noted extreme concentration of capital last year, with TechCrunch reporting that roughly 10% of startups accounted for half of the total funding and Carta finding 58% of Series D cash went to AI companies. (TechCrunch.com Carta.com ) A handful of mega‑rounds drove much of the flow: OpenAI closed a roughly $110 billion private raise in late February, Anthropic completed a $30 billion Series G at a $380 billion post‑money valuation in February, and xAI announced a $20 billion Series E in January. (TechCrunch.com Anthropic.com x.ai ) Carta recorded 396 tender offers during 2025 — up 62% from 2024 — and highlighted that funds formed in 2023–2024 are showing the strongest IRRs so far, a trend Carta’s head of insights warned may partly reflect short‑term mark‑to‑market effects. (Carta.com TechCrunch.com ) Several of the largest AI firms are preparing for public markets: OpenAI and Anthropic have been reported to be exploring IPOs with timelines potentially targeting 2026–2027, moves that would alter exit and capital‑raising dynamics for venture investors. (CNBC.com Reuters via reporting cited by multiple outlets )
