AI boom drives US startup funding surge

U.S. startup funding surged 75.6% in the first half of 2025, driven by the AI boom, reaching $162.8 billion and on track for a record year. This surge, the strongest since 2021, was fueled by major AI investments, including OpenAI's $40 billion round and Meta's $14.3 billion stake in Scale AI, with AI accounting for 64.1% of total deal value. Despite the funding boom, venture capital firms struggled to raise money, with a 33.7% year-over-year decline in fundraising, though a rebound in exit activity offers optimism.