Global Venture Funding Jumped 122% in August as Billion-Dollar Deals Continued

Global venture investors put $42 billion into just over 1,500 startups in August, according to Crunchbase data. That total was down 25% from July’s $56 billion, but still up 122% from last August, a month that is typically slower for startup investment.

The takeaway: August cooled from July’s pace, but the year-over-year jump signals that large startup financings remain a major force in the market.

Seven companies raised billion-dollar funding rounds in August, tying several other months for the year’s second-highest count after July’s 13. The largest deal went to 13-year-old Databricks, which raised $5 billion at a $190 billion valuation.

Other billion-dollar-plus rounds spanned defense tech, AI, satellite networks, nuclear energy, automated coding and home battery services. Companies named in the report include Hadrian, River AI, Yuanxin Satellite, Valar Atomics, Poolside and Base Power.

August also brought notable exit activity. Hangzhou-based humanoid robotics company Unitree Robotics went public on Aug. 19 at a valuation of around $9 billion and rose 460% on its first day of trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

On the M&A side, Nvidia announced it aims to acquire open-source AI platform Hugging Face for $12.9 billion. Milan-based tech aggregator Bending Spoons also planned to acquire Airtable for around $1.3 billion.

The report highlights how venture capital continues to concentrate among a small group of fast-growing companies. Databricks added $56 billion to its valuation in six months, while River AI raised both seed and Series A rounds this year and amassed $1.1 billion in early-stage funding.

Five of August’s seven billion-dollar funding recipients had last raised capital less than 12 months earlier, including three that closed previous rounds earlier this year. For readers tracking private markets, the key signal is speed: investors are moving quickly to double down on companies they believe can become major technology players.

Crunchbase says the report is based on reported data and that the data was current as of Sept. 2, 2026. The article notes that data lags are most pronounced at the earliest stages of venture activity, with seed funding amounts often increasing significantly after the end of a quarter or year.

All funding values are given in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. Crunchbase converts foreign currencies at the prevailing spot rate from the date funding rounds, acquisitions, IPOs and other financial events are reported.