February was the biggest month in venture history, thanks to OpenAI, Anthropic, and Waymo in particular

Global venture funding hit $189 billion in February—the largest startup investment figure ever recorded for a single month. But 83% of that capital went to just three companies: OpenAI, Anthropic, and Waymo, according to new Crunchbase data.​

OpenAI’s $110 billion raise, the largest venture round ever raised by a private company, anchored the month. Anthropic added $30 billion in what ranks as the third-largest venture deal on record, while Waymo closed $16 billion. Together, those three rounds totaled $156 billion. The rest of the global startup ecosystem was left to split the remaining $33 billion.​

February’s $189 billion haul amounts to roughly 45% of all global venture funding in 2025—a pace that, if even partially sustained, would reset annual records.

The spectacle unfolded against a jarring backdrop: The same week those mega-rounds were announced, AI anxiety triggered a massive Read Entire Article