Last year saw a major increase in annual startup funding, in what could be an encouraging sign of growth for the market. Digging a little deeper, AI’s influence is chiefly responsible for the growth, proving that investors do not expect a looming bubble – or have hopefully priced it into their investments. Looking at the headline figures, 2025’s total volume of deals (29,501) is significantly lower than 2024’s (35,441). Due to the size of the deals, with 65% of total 2025 funding tied up in ‘mega-rounds,’ the annual total has been lifted to $469.3 billion – up some 47% year-over-year. The usual regional patterns continue here, with the US responsible for the bulk of the global total – $327.8 billion,…