So far this year, global startups have secured at least 114 Series A rounds 1 of $100 million or more, per Crunchbase data. That's the highest annual total in years and on track to top the all-time peak. Moreover, many of those jumbo early-stage rounds far exceed the $100 million threshold. Collectively, this group of Series A recipients has raised around $33 billion this year, with at least 12 rounds valued at $500 million or more. That figure encompasses some of the year's largest early-stage financings. For instance, it includes a $1.2 billion round for Silicon Valley-based River AI, a platform for developers to train and serve custom models, and a $900 million financing for China-based Xpeng Robotics, a developer of AI-enabled humanoid robots. The high preponderance of AI deals reflects what we've been seeing across stages. In the first half of this year, venture and growth funding to artificial intelligence startups totaled an estimated $394 billion, roughly 77% of all...
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