Markets
Q1 2026 Shatters Global VC Record: $300B Deployed, AI Captures 81% — Highest Sector Concentration Since Dot-Com Era
Global venture capital hit $300B in Q1 2026, with AI capturing $242B (81%) — the highest concentration of capital in a single technology sector in VC history, surpassing the dot-com era's peak internet concentration in Q1 2000. Four of the five largest VC rounds ever closed in Q1: OpenAI ($122B), Anthropic ($30B), xAI ($20B), and Waymo ($16B), collectively raising $188B. Analysts expect 20-30 companies to raise the majority of all 2026 venture capital — a concentration level that 'is not sustainable long-term.'
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