AI dominates 2025 VC investments with $192.7B raised
VC investment in AI reached $192.7B in 2025, setting records as more than half of total venture capital went into the sector.
According to PitchBook data, in the third quarter of 2025, U.S. venture capitalists invested 62.7% of their funds in AI companies, while global investors put 53.2% into the sector. VCs have invested $192.7 billion in AI startups this year, setting a global record and putting 2025 on course to be the first year where AI attracts over half of all VC funding. So far this year, total VC deals worldwide reached $366.8 billion, with $250.2 billion going to U.S. startups.
Big AI startups like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI are driving the investment surge, thanks to large late-stage funding rounds and a few huge deals in core AI models and infrastructure. PitchBook points out that venture investing has seen trends in social platforms, mobility, and crypto, but the current AI growth is unprecedented.
In 2025, OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI captured over $50 billion in deal value. Source: Q3 2025 Quantitative Perspectives report by PitchBook.
AI startups are getting much higher valuations than other companies at later funding stages. On average, big AI companies raising Series D or later rounds are valued about three times higher than non-AI companies. Overall, valuations for these late-stage companies have grown significantly since 2015, with the highest-valued companies now about five times bigger and the median company about four times bigger than back then.
While a handful of AI startups are attracting massive funding, the broader startup landscape is struggling. Fewer companies are securing venture capital in 2025, and the number of firms raising new funds is also shrinking.
According to PitchBook, just 823 venture funds have raised over $80 billion globally this year - a steep decline from 2022, when 4,430 funds pulled in roughly $412 billion.
The AI boom is continuing into the final quarter of 2025. Recently, OpenAI became the world's most valuable startup, with a $500 billion valuation following a major secondary share sale finalized around October 2, 2025. This half-trillion-dollar valuation now surpasses other tech giants like SpaceX and ByteDance.
Author
Web3 writer and crypto HODLer with a keen interest in market trends and recent technologies.
