Crunchbase data shows that so far this year, investors have poured around $48 billion into financings around the Series B stage 1, the highest tally in years. Yet round counts are below year-ago levels and are on track for a multiyear low. So far this year, less than a third of deals in our sample set 2 were for under $30 million. By contrast, between 2021 and 2025, rounds in this range accounted for about half of deals, per Crunchbase data. Model developer World Labs, led by AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, was tied for next-biggest fundraiser, closing on $1 billion in February. Nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics also secured $1 billion in Series B funding across tranches this year, with Sequoia Capital as lead investor. Overall, the numbers point to a bullish climate for Series B investment, particularly for AI startups with demonstrated traction. The environment looks particularly favorable for companies that have already raised considerable sums at Series A and seed. Even so, these...
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