According to CB Insights, Q1 2026 saw an acceleration of funding in global tech, driven by AI mega rounds. While funding levels reached a 4-year high, capital is concentrating among a shrinking number of investors. The gap between the US and Europe has become striking for AI companies, payments and retail tech are following a more moderate trajectory.
According to the Venture Report study by CB Insights for Q1 2026, a total of US$286 billion was invested in the first quarter, with 6,598 deals completed across tech companies from all categories. The quarter saw an array of mega rounds, including US$122 billion raised by OpenAI (valuation of US$840 billion), US$30 billion by Anthropic (valuation of US$380 billion), US$16 billion by autonomous vehicle company Waymo and US$7.5 billion raised by Elon Musk’s company xAI. “OpenAI alone accounted for 43% of total quarterly funding”, the report said. “However, even excluding this amount, total investment still reached US$163.5 billion, making the first 3 months of 2026 the strongest quarter in the last 4 years.”
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Sophie Baqué
Chief Editor of mind Retail