Jumbo-Sized Series A Rounds Are On The Rise
So far this year, global startups have secured at least 114 Series A rounds of $100 million or more, per Crunchbase data. That’s the highest annual total in years and on track to top the all-time peak. We take a look at where the money is going.
Series A funding rounds for hot startups have been increasing in size so far this year, according to Crunchbase data. At least 114 Series A rounds of $100 million or more have been secured worldwide, which is the highest annual total in recent years and on track to surpass all-time peaks. Many of these massive early-stage rounds exceed the $100 million benchmark, with a collective total of around $33 billion raised this year, including at least 12 rounds valued at $500 million or more.
The surge in Series A megarounds appears to be driven largely by the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Over 70% of Series A rounds of $100 million or more went to AI-focused startups, encompassing some of the year's largest early-stage financings. Notable examples include a $1.2 billion round for River AI, an AI platform for developers, and a $900 million financing for Xpeng Robotics, a developer of AI-enabled humanoid robots.
The dominance of AI deals reflects broader trends in venture capital, with a record $394 billion in total funding going to AI startups in the first half of the year, making up roughly 77% of all investment capital. While most of this funding was for later-stage rounds, the data indicates an equally strong presence in early-stage investments.
U.S.-based startups have led the way in terms of jumbo Series A deals, accounting for roughly half of the $100 million-plus rounds and funding this year. This translates to about 62 deals with a collective value of around $15 billion, putting the U.S. on track for a record tally in this category. However, the global dispersion of megaround funding is more extensive than overall venture investment, with more than three-quarters of seed-to-growth stage financing going to American companies so far in 2026, largely due to Silicon Valley-based Anthropic and OpenAI's megarounds.
Several factors may be contributing to the rise in Series A megarounds beyond AI growth alone. Leading startup investors have large capital reserves to deploy, and exit multiples, particularly recently, reward ambitious ambitions. Additionally, investors appear to be more aligned than usual on the sectors, business models, and founding teams they want to back, leading to increased investment in perceived early-stage leaders.
Written by urgent.news from Crunchbase News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
