Q1 2026 VC: $220B in 8 Weeks, AI Startups Capture 81% — Winner-Take-Most Concentration
Crunchbase / PitchBook / KPMG·medium signal
AI startups raised $220B in just the first 8 weeks of 2026, nearly tripling Q1 2025's $75.5B total. February alone saw $189B — driven by OpenAI ($110B), Anthropic Series G ($30B), xAI ($20B), and Waymo ($16B). Ten raises over $1B accounted for $71.5B, reinforcing winner-take-most concentration. AI startups now capture 81% of all global VC funding, up from ~50% a year ago. The capital concentration raises questions about whether mid-tier AI companies can compete.