Private Equity 24-Hour Briefing

Last updated: July 5, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Venture Capital & Startup Funding

The venture capital world continues to see a surge in new "unicorns," with nearly 90 startups achieving $1 billion valuations so far this year, driven largely by investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence technologies nearly 90 unicorns minted techcrunch.com. This boom is creating new market players, such as the previously little-known Italian company Bending Spoons, which has quietly amassed a portfolio serving over a billion users and has now gone public Bending Spoons goes public. The influx of capital into AI is reshaping the startup ecosystem and creating significant opportunities for both early-stage and established firms.