U.S. startups raised $162.8 billion in the first half of 2025, driven by a massive surge in AI investments, including OpenAI’s $40B and Meta’s $14.3B in Scale AI.
The U.S. startup ecosystem is experiencing one of its most explosive growth periods in history. In the first half of 2025 alone, startups across the country raised a staggering $162.8 billion, marking an impressive 75.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
This remarkable growth has been fueled largely by the artificial intelligence investment wave, which continues to dominate the global tech landscape. AI-related deals accounted for 64.1% of the total deal value, underscoring how deeply the technology has become intertwined with innovation, productivity, and market disruption.
Mega Deals Stealing the Spotlight
The AI funding boom has been led by some of the largest rounds in venture capital history:
These mega deals reflect a broader shift in venture capital priorities, where AI is no longer a niche focus but a core driver of global economic growth.
Why AI is Dominating U.S. Funding
Several factors are converging to fuel this historic investment wave:
What This Means for the Startup Ecosystem
The scale of AI-focused investments suggests that 2025 could be a defining year for both the technology and the U.S. economy. Startups that integrate AI into their products or operations stand to attract more funding, expand faster, and secure a competitive edge in their respective markets.
While AI dominates the headlines, other sectors such as climate tech, fintech, and biotech are also benefiting from increased capital flows — but it’s clear that artificial intelligence remains the star of the show.
RedMimicry, a Berlin cybersecurity startup, has raised seed funding to scale its realistic cyberattack emulation platform, improving cyber threat testing and security preparedness for enterprises globally.
Twin Health, a leading metabolic health startup, raises $53M in Series E funding at a $950M valuation. The capital will expand its personalized metabolic care platform, bringing it closer to unicorn status.
FieldAI, a robotics pioneer, has raised $405M in funding, bringing its valuation to $2B. Backed by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Nvidia, FieldAI focuses on building AI-powered robots capable of operating in challenging real-world environments.
