"OpenAI announced that it is now valued at $862 billion after collecting $122 billion, surpassing the previous record for the largest funding round ever, also held by OpenAI when the ChatGPT maker raised $40 billion a year ago."
"The quarter also saw Anthropic, its main rival, raise $30 billion at a valuation of $380 billion. That funding haul effectively made it the third-largest VC round on record."
"These four rounds collectively raised $188 billion, accounting for more than 63% of total funding in the quarter."
"Investors and founders say, for example, that seed-stage AI startups are commanding bigger dollars, and higher valuations at earlier stages than ever before."
In Q1 2026, global investment in startups reached a record $297 billion, a 2.5x increase from the previous quarter's $118 billion. This surge was primarily driven by four major deals, including OpenAI's $122 billion funding round, which set a new record for the largest funding round ever. Anthropic raised $30 billion, while xAI and Waymo secured $20 billion and $16 billion, respectively. These four deals accounted for over 63% of the total funding, indicating a trend of higher valuations and larger investments in seed-stage AI startups.
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