AI Startup Seed Valuation Rises by 177%, 70% of Funding Concentrated

In the first half of 2026, global startup investments totaled $510 billion, with OpenAI and Anthropic accounting for $217 billion, representing 43% of the total. AI-related companies absorbed over 70% of global startup funding in the second quarter. According to Carta, investments in AI companies accounted for more than 60% of the $30.4 billion invested in the first quarter of 2026. The 95th percentile seed valuation in the second quarter of 2026 reached $204 million, up 177% from $72.2 million a year earlier. This indicates that the price increase rate for AI deals is faster than that of early-stage startup valuations. Major venture capital firms are expanding their fund sizes, with Andreessen Horowitz raising over $15 billion. While the cost of starting AI companies is decreasing, investors are facing a structure where they must accept higher prices to acquire stakes in popular AI firms. For AI startups, the initial product development costs are lower, but there is an increasing concentration of capital towards large models and infrastructure.

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