Summary:
$32 billion in global venture capital funding recorded in October 2024.
OpenAI raised $6.6 billion, making it the largest funding round of the month.
AI sector led investments with $12.2 billion, accounting for 38% of total funding.
Seed and early-stage funding totaled $10.9 billion, showcasing resilience.
Late-stage funding experienced a 100% increase month over month.
Global venture capital funding in October 2024 reached an impressive $32 billion, marking it as the highest month for startup investments this year. This surge was primarily driven by substantial funds leading supergiant rounds in capital-intensive sectors such as artificial intelligence, data centers, and energy.
Major Funding Highlights
Among the standout successes, OpenAI secured the largest round last month, a staggering $6.6 billion deal led by Thrive Capital, which constituted approximately 20% of the month’s total venture investment. With a valuation of $157 billion, OpenAI is now the second-most valuable company on the unicorn board, following ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
Another notable funding round was for GDS International, a data center provider, which raised $1 billion led by Coatue. Additionally, Pacific Fusion, a nuclear fusion technology firm, raised over $900 million in a round led by General Catalyst.
Trends in Funding
This October marked the third month in 2024 where over 50% of funding was allocated to rounds of $100 million or more. The AI sector led the pack with $12.2 billion in funding, representing 38% of the total monthly funding. The healthcare and biotech sectors followed with approximately $5.6 billion, while sectors like financial services, hardware, and energy each exceeded $4 billion in funding.
Seed and Early-Stage Funding
Despite fluctuations in funding amounts, seed and early-stage funding remained resilient, totaling $10.9 billion across more than 500 rounds. In contrast, late-stage funding saw a significant increase of over 100% month over month, reaching $18 billion across around 180 companies.
Methodology and Data Sources
The data for this report is sourced directly from Crunchbase and is reflective of reported figures as of November 6, 2024. Note that all funding values are presented in USD unless specified otherwise.
Glossary of Funding Terms
- Seed and Angel: Includes seed, pre-seed, and angel rounds.
- Early-stage: Comprises Series A and B rounds, as well as other rounds above $3 million.
- Late-stage: Encompasses Series C and beyond, with rounds exceeding $15 million included.
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