OpenAI and Anthropic: $189 Billion for AI in February

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Key Takeaways

1In February, startups raised $189 billion through massive investments in AI, according to Crunchbase.

2OpenAI completed the largest private funding round with $110 billion, followed by Anthropic with $30 billion.

3The United States dominates global funding with $174 billion, accounting for 92% of the total.

💡Why it matters — This concentration of capital in AI highlights a major transformation in the tech sector, influencing innovation and global competition.

A Record Funding Driven by AI

In February, global startup funding reached a historic high of $189 billion, according to data from Crunchbase. This exceptional performance is primarily attributed to massive investments in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, with 83% of this capital concentrated among three major companies.

Among them, OpenAI stood out by raising $110 billion, marking the largest funding round ever conducted by a private company backed by venture capital. This massive fundraising contributed to making February a record month for startup financing, despite a significant drop in the stock market, which lost a trillion dollars due to disruptions caused by AI-related technologies and tools.

Venture capital investment increased by nearly 780% compared to the previous year, when startups raised $21.5 billion in February 2025.

Other AI Giants

In addition to OpenAI, Anthropic, a direct competitor, also raised an impressive $30 billion, ranking third among the largest funding rounds in history. Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous driving division, secured $16 billion. Together, these three companies attracted $156 billion, or 83% of the total venture capital investments for the month.

Other companies also benefited from substantial funding, each raising $1 billion or more. Among them are semiconductor manufacturer Rapidus in Tokyo, autonomous driving platform Wayve in London, robotics AI company World Labs in California, and AI semiconductor firm Cerebras Systems based in Sunnyvale.

Capital Concentration and Dynamics

Seed-stage funding experienced an 11% decline compared to the previous year, reaching $2.6 billion. In contrast, early-stage funding increased by 47%, totaling $13.1 billion. This trend of capital concentration is also evident in the median and average amounts of seed, Series A, and Series B funding rounds, which have been rising each year since 2024.

American Dominance

American startups raised $174 billion in February, representing 92% of global venture capital funding, a significant increase from 59% the previous year.

The Rise of AI and Hardware

AI-related startups attracted $171 billion, accounting for 90% of global venture capital funding. Other growing sectors include autonomous vehicle technologies, semiconductors, robotics, and networking products.

Despite a promising start to the year for private markets, public markets have been marked by volatility and uncertainty, hindering new initial public offerings. As a result, companies like Liftoff and Clear Street withdrew their IPOs last month. However, global venture capital funding has already surpassed 50% of the total invested in 2025, highlighting the strength of private markets.