AI Fundraising Resurgence Continues With Second-Largest Investment Haul On Record

The latest Artificial Intelligence market report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals strong fundraising momentum for AI companies, with the total deal value for the sector reaching almost USD 52.4bn in 1H25 – the second-largest amount ever invested in a half-year reporting period. 

The transaction count has also been elevated, with 1,284 funding rounds recorded during this period – the biggest spike since 2022. Continuing a resurgence in investment activity which began last year following a slowdown between 2022 and 2023, these high numbers reflect rising confidence in the sector as demand for vertical AI applications continues to climb and the flourishing of open-source LLMs lowers the barrier for innovative startups to enter the fray. 

The new Hampleton Partners report also breaks down fundraising data by AI subsector, revealing that the Generative AI segment is continuing to attract the highest amount of funding by a considerable margin. In 1H25, GenAI firms accounted for almost USD 23.9bn, which was 46% of total disclosed funding. Machine Learning is another magnet for investment, with this subsector drawing in around USD 14bn, more than a quarter of total disclosed funding.

Commenting on the data in the report, Hampleton Partners’ AI sector principal Heiko Garrelfs said: “Looking ahead, AI is expected to remain the single largest driver of global fundraising, with continued concentration in late-stage mega-rounds and PE-backed scale-ups, while early-stage activity stays strong in application layers. Moreover, hotly anticipated listings from leading AI labs such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Cohere could mark the first blockbuster AI IPO wave in years, unlocking liquidity and recycling capital into the ecosystem.”  

In terms of deal count, the most active investors within the global AI sector have been:

Andreessen Horowitz – 61 deals as lead investor, including Thinking Machines Lab (Machine Learning, AI Research), Abridge (Machine Learning, Healthcare Notes), and ElevenLabs (GenAI, Speech)

Alumni Ventures – 57 deals as lead investor, including Lambda (AI Infrastructure, Cloud), Together AI (GenAI, Open Source Infrastructure), and Clear Labs (Machine Learning, Genomics)

Lightspeed – 50 deals as lead investor, including Neko Health (Machine Learning, Medical Scanning), Cyera (Machine Learning, Data Security), and Nexthop AI (AI Infrastructure, Networking)

General Catalyst – 50 deals as lead investor, including Parloa (GenAI, Natural Language Processing, Customer Experience), Legora (AI, Legal Tech), and Eudia (Augmented Intelligence, Legal Tech, Platform as a Service)

Download the full Hampleton Partners Artificial Intelligence Report 2H2025, which discusses megatrends and major deals which are determining the course of the sector. 

Hampleton Partners’ M&A Market Reports are compiled using data and information from the 451 Research database (www.451research.com); Capital IQ, CB Insights, Gartner, IDC and more.

Hampleton Partners advises owners of software and technology companies on M&A transactions and growth financing with strategic buyers or financial investors. Hampleton’s experienced deal makers have advised hundreds of tech industry shareholders to date, providing hands-on expertise and targeted advice to entrepreneurs looking to sell, partially retire, or accelerate their growth.

With hubs in London, Frankfurt, Stockholm, San Francisco and Shanghai, Hampleton offers a global perspective with industry expertise in the following areas: Enterprise Software, Digital Commerce, IT & Business Services, Artificial Intelligence, Autotech & Mobility, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Healthtech, Supply Chain Management, Healthtech, HR Tech, and Insurtech. 

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