Venture capital investment is experiencing a robust recovery, with global funding on pace for its third-highest year on record. Preliminary Crunchbase data shows $205 billion was raised through mid-2025, up 32% from the first half of 2024 and marking the strongest half-year since early 2022.
Notable Funding Rounds
- H1 2025 Global VC: $205 billion (up 32%)
- Ricursive Intelligence: $300M Series A (AI chips)
- Upwind: $250M Series B (cloud security)
- Synthesia: $200M Series E ($4B valuation)
- Neurophos: $110M (optical AI processors)
- New Unicorns (2025): 100+
AI Infrastructure Dominates
AI infrastructure dominates deal flow. Recent mega-rounds include Ricursive Intelligence's $300 million Series A for AI chip design, Upwind's $250 million Series B for cloud security, and Synthesia's $200 million Series E at a $4 billion valuation for AI video generation.
Optical Processing Breakthrough
Neurophos, an Austin-based startup developing optical processors for AI inference, secured $110 million led by Gates Frontier with participation from Microsoft's M12, Aramco Ventures, and Bosch Ventures. The company's photonic tensor cores promise ultra-fast, energy-efficient AI accelerators.
New Unicorns Emerge
More than 100 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025. Notable newcomers include Unconventional AI at $4.5 billion valuation for energy-efficient AI computers, Suno at $2.5 billion for AI music generation, and Luma at $4 billion for AI video creation.
Deep Tech Gains Momentum
New fund formations signal continued momentum. Deep33 Ventures announced a $150 million deep tech fund focused on quantum computing, post-quantum encryption, and AI infrastructure, with investments in companies including Quamcore and CyberRidge. The fund emphasises US-Israel collaboration in critical technologies.
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