Global startups have secured at least 114 Series A rounds of $100 million or more in 2026, the highest annual total in years and on track to top the all-time peak, per Crunchbase data. Collectively, these recipients have raised around $33 billion, with at least 12 rounds valued at $500 million or more.

The funding bump is mostly an AI-driven phenomenon. More than 70% of Series A rounds of $100 million or more went to AI-focused startups. This includes a $1.2 billion round for Silicon Valley-based River AI, a platform for developers to train and serve custom models, and a $900 million financing for China-based Xpeng Robotics, a developer of AI-enabled humanoid robots. In the first half of 2026, venture and growth funding to artificial intelligence startups totaled an estimated $394 billion, roughly 77% of all investment capital.

The U.S. leads for jumbo Series A deals. Roughly half of this year's $100 million-plus Series A rounds and funding went to U.S.-based startups, translating to about 62 deals with a collective value of around $15 billion. However, megaround funding at Series A is more globally dispersed than overall venture investment this year. In H1 2026, more than three-quarters of global seed- through growth-stage financing went to American companies, largely due to megarounds for Silicon Valley-based Anthropic and Open AI.

Beyond AI growth, leading startup investors have exceptionally large capital reserves to deploy, and exit multiples reward ambitious ambitions. At Series A, investors agree more than usual on sectors, business models, and founding teams to back, piling into perceived early-stage leaders.