SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO gave venture investors a rare liquidity win in 2026, but it also exposed what one expert called "the biggest contradiction in the VC market so far this year": value creation is accelerating, yet liquidity remains concentrated among only a handful of companies.
During PitchBook’s midyear venture capital market update webinar, speakers pointed to continued strength in venture activity. The second quarter was estimated to become only the third quarter ever to surpass 5,000 completed deals, underscoring that dealmaking remains active despite a broader slowdown narrative.
Megadeals of $100 million or more accounted for 87.5% of the $412.7 billion deployed in the first half of 2026, according to PitchBook. Artificial intelligence companies captured 86% of all venture dollars, while three firms, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive Capital, and Founders Fund, accounted for 48.1% of all capital raised.
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