Just three companies dominated the $189 billion in VC investments last month

In February 2026, global venture capital investments reached a record $189 billion, driven overwhelmingly by artificial intelligence (AI) startups, which secured $171 billion or 90% of the total funding. This surge represents more than triple the global venture capital spending compared to previous periods, highlighting the intense investor focus on AI technologies. The funding was heavily concentrated among just three companies: OpenAI, Anthropic, and Waymo. These firms accounted for 83% of the total venture capital raised last month. OpenAI led with one of the largest private funding rounds ever, achieving a valuation of $730 billion, while Anthropic was valued at $126 billion. The combined amount raised by these three companies in February alone equaled about one-third of the entire $425 billion venture capital expenditure recorded in 2025, underscoring their dominant role in the current investment landscape.