Q1 VC funding hits $300B

Global venture capital investment hit $330.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to KPMG, the highest quarterly total on record. (kpmg.com) KPMG said that was up from $128.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025 and above the previous peak of $210.8 billion set in the fourth quarter of 2021. (kpmg.com) The jump was concentrated in a handful of artificial intelligence deals. Five U.S. companies alone accounted for $188.6 billion of global venture investment in the quarter. (kpmg.com) OpenAI led the list with a $122 billion raise, followed by Anthropic at $30 billion and xAI at $20 billion, all cited by KPMG as major drivers of the quarter’s total. (kpmg.com) Crunchbase also described the quarter as record-breaking and put the global total at $300 billion across 6,000 startups, showing how different datasets are clustering around the same broad picture. (crunchbase.com) That difference in totals reflects methodology more than direction: both KPMG and Crunchbase point to an artificial intelligence-led market dominated by very large rounds rather than a broad rebound in startup financing. (kpmg.com) (crunchbase.com) The concentration showed up below the global level too. New York-based Avoca said on April 27 that it had raised more than $125 million at a $1 billion valuation, with Meritech and General Catalyst leading its Series B. (prnewswire.com) In India, Bengaluru led startup funding in the first quarter with $823 million across 89 deals, ahead of Delhi NCR at $538 million and Mumbai at $402 million, according to figures cited this week by Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge. (deccanherald.com) KPMG said the second quarter outlook depends on whether investors keep backing large artificial intelligence infrastructure and model companies at the same pace. For now, the 2026 venture market is being defined by a few giant checks. (kpmg.com)