Global venture capital investment surged to a record $189 billion in February, driven overwhelmingly by artificial intelligence startups.

New data shows that AI companies alone attracted $171 billion, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all venture funding recorded during the month.

The sharp rise marked more than a threefold increase compared to January’s global venture spending.

Analysts say the surge reflects growing investor confidence in AI as the defining technology of the decade, with expectations that current funding levels may only represent the beginning of a broader investment wave.

Despite the headline number, funding was highly concentrated. Just three companies accounted for the bulk of the capital raised, underscoring how investor enthusiasm is focused on a small group of dominant players rather than the wider startup ecosystem.

One company led with a $110 billion fundraising round, one of the largest private investments ever recorded, while another secured $30 billion in late-stage financing.

A third firm raised $16 billion, completing the trio responsible for approximately 83 percent of all venture capital deployed during the month.

Combined, the funding raised by these three firms alone represented roughly one-third of total global venture capital invested throughout the entire previous year, highlighting the scale and imbalance of current AI investment trends

Source: TechCrunch