Crunchbase data released April 1 shows $300 billion invested across 6,000 startups globally in Q1 2026 — up 150% year-over-year and the largest quarter on record. AI captured $242B, or 80% of the total, up from 55% in Q1 2025. Four of the five largest venture rounds ever closed in the quarter: OpenAI ($122B), Anthropic ($30B), xAI ($20B), and Waymo ($16B), together accounting for 65% of all Q1 investment. U.S.-based companies took 83% of global funding.