The AI sector just inhaled roughly $297 billion in a single quarter. To put that in perspective, that figure represented 81% of all global venture activity in Q1 2026. The remaining 19% was left for everything else: biotech, fintech, climate tech, and whatever else dared to compete for investor attention.
OpenAI set the pace with a staggering $122 billion fundraising round in Q1. That single raise would have been considered science fiction two years ago.
Anthropic wasn’t far behind in ambition, closing a $65 billion Series H round on May 28 at a post-money valuation of $965 billion. That figure surpasses OpenAI’s own valuation of approximately $852 billion from earlier in the year, making Anthropic the most valuable private AI company on the planet, at least for now.
xAI, Elon Musk’s AI venture, pulled in $20 billion during the same period. Following its merger with SpaceX, the combined entity is reportedly targeting an IPO that could reach up to $75 billion as of early June.
Alphabet, on June 1, announced plans to raise $80 billion through public stock sales. That package includes a $30 billion public offering and a $10 billion private placement with Berkshire Hathaway.
