US companies captured 80 percent of global AI startup funding through first half of 2026

According to Crunchbase data, US-headquartered companies pulled in nearly 80 percent of global seed-through-growth-stage financing so far in 2026, a sharp divergence from pre-AI-boom years when American companies typically secured less than 50 percent. Of $319 billion in AI-related startup funding globally, 88 percent went to US companies, with the majority concentrated at OpenAI and Anthropic. China's startups raised over $33 billion in the first half of 2026, already exceeding the full-year 2025 total, while UK startups secured $16.5 billion.