AI startups raised $220bn in Jan–Feb 2026, driven by OpenAI’s record $110bn round — report

AI startups drew $220 billion in the first two months of 2026, with $189 billion raised in February alone, according to a report from BestBrokers. The surge was led by OpenAI’s $110 billion financing in late February, described as the world’s biggest startup funding round to date.

The early-2026 tally is almost three times the $75.5 billion secured in the first quarter of 2025 and already exceeds the $197.8 billion raised across the first three quarters of last year, the report said. If the pace continues, it added, funding in the first quarter of 2026 could exceed the whole of 2025, when AI startups raised $270.2 billion.

BestBrokers’ Alex Goldberg called it the fastest concentration of capital venture investors have seen, noting that in just two months AI startups have raised more than 80% of their 2025 total. He said the flow is shifting structurally toward a handful of leaders with proven technology and scale.

January set the tone with $31.7 billion for AI companies. Elon Musk’s xAI took the largest share, securing $20 billion in a Series E that surpassed its original $15 billion target. Pittsburgh-based robotics AI developer Skild AI raised $1.4 billion, lifting its valuation to $14 billion.

According to the report, AI funding has climbed from roughly $80 billion in 2020 to $270.2 billion in 2025, when capital for AI companies accounted for more than half of all global startup investment. February eclipsed any previous full-quarter total, with AI startups globally collecting $189 billion.

OpenAI’s $110 billion round was led by NVIDIA, SoftBank and Amazon. Anthropic raised $30 billion in a Series G backed by GIC and Coatue, bringing its valuation to $380 billion; the report also noted the company recently lost a $200 million Pentagon contract following a dispute over AI safety safeguards.

Waymo, Alphabet’s robotaxi unit, secured $16 billion as it prepares to expand its driverless fleet to more than a dozen new cities internationally, including London and Tokyo. Cerebras Systems raised $1 billion in a Series H, taking its valuation to $23 billion.

BestBrokers said 2025 marked the point when AI became the dominant destination for venture capital, driven by mega-rounds rather than a surge in deal count. The report suggests that trend is accelerating in 2026, with larger sums concentrating into fewer companies.

If current momentum holds, first-quarter funding could surpass last year’s total—an inflection point that would underscore how quickly capital is consolidating around leading AI platforms, including those planning expansions into markets such as London.