The size of a Series A round for a hot startup is climbing fast. According to Crunchbase data, global startups have secured at least 114 Series A rounds of $100 million or more so far this year, the highest annual total in years and on track to top the all-time peak. Collectively, those recipients have raised around $33 billion, with at least 12 rounds valued at $500 million or more.
The surge is largely an AI-driven phenomenon. More than 70% of the jumbo Series A rounds went to AI-focused startups, including a $1.2 billion round for developer platform River AI and a $900 million financing for humanoid robot maker Xpeng Robotics. That mirrors a broader trend: in the first half of the year, AI startups captured roughly 77% of all venture and growth funding.
U.S.-based startups lead the pack, taking roughly half of this year's $100M+ Series A rounds and funding — about 62 deals worth around $15 billion. Still, jumbo Series A capital is more globally dispersed than overall venture investment, which remains heavily concentrated in American companies.
Crunchbase points to several causes beyond AI momentum: investors have large capital reserves to deploy, exit multiples reward ambitious bets, and backers are unusually aligned on which sectors, business models, and founding teams to support. As a result, they are piling into perceived early-stage leaders rather than spreading smaller checks across the field.