The year 2025 has been marked by unprecedented funding in the artificial intelligence sector, with a total of 15 companies securing venture capital rounds exceeding $2 billion. According to data from Crunchbase, these companies collectively raised more than $100 billion in financing, with a significant portion directed towards generative AI technologies.
The largest funding round was led by OpenAI, which announced a record-setting investment of $40 billion from SoftBank on March 31. This deal not only represents the most substantial venture investment to date but also highlights the increasing demand for AI capabilities across various industries. SoftBank plans to generate a syndicate of co-investors to contribute $10 billion of the investment, while the remaining $30 billion will be funded primarily through debt.
Top Funding Recipients in 2025
Following OpenAI, several other companies also secured significant investments. Scale AI, based in San Francisco, raised $14.3 billion from Meta in June, at a valuation of $29 billion. This funding is expected to enhance Scale’s capabilities in providing training data and model evaluation for AI applications. As part of the agreement, Scale’s founder, Alexandr Wang, and some employees will join Meta to bolster its AI initiatives.
Another major player, Anthropic, secured $13 billion in September during a Series F round, reaching a valuation of $183 billion. The round was led by Iconiq Capital, with notable participation from Fidelity and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
In addition, Project Prometheus launched with $6.2 billion in initial funding in November. The startup, which focuses on applying AI to physical tasks, has Jeff Bezos as co-CEO alongside physicist and chemist Vik Bajaj.
xAI, the generative AI startup founded by Elon Musk, raised $5.3 billion in equity funding this summer, pushing its total fundraising to over $22 billion since its inception.
Notable Mentions and Trends
Other significant rounds included Databricks, which announced over $4 billion in December, valuing the company at $134 billion. This investment reflects Databricks’ rapid growth, with a reported revenue run-rate exceeding $4.8 billion for the third quarter.
The funding landscape also saw Anduril Industries raising $2.5 billion in June, more than doubling its valuation to $30.5 billion. This defense tech startup has become a notable player in the industry, attracting significant investor interest.
Additionally, the coding automation platform Anysphere, which includes the company Cursor, raised $2.3 billion in November. This funding round, backed by prominent venture firms, set a valuation of $29.3 billion for the company.
Funding rounds of $2 billion also included Polymarket, Reflection AI, Safe Superintelligence, Thinking Machines Lab, Binance, and Mistral AI, all highlighting the robust interest in AI technologies across various sectors.
The data underscores a clear trend: as the demand for AI solutions continues to rise, venture capital is flowing rapidly into the sector, setting the stage for transformative developments in technology and industry. As the year progresses, it remains to be seen how these investments will shape the future of artificial intelligence and its applications worldwide.
