The pace of these large deals has increased as the year has progressed, with a slow start in January followed by a pickup in February. Despite the overall venture numbers remaining steady or even slightly declining, investors are shifting funds from other late-stage growth deals and possibly some early-stage deals to fund these megadeals. This trend suggests that investors are willing to make large bets on companies they see as having significant potential. By the end of last year, there were 210 rounds of $100 million or more, and it is expected that this number will be surpassed this year.
Key takeaways:
- U.S.-based startups have collected 115 rounds of $100 million or more, known as megadeals, through mid-May 2024, a 58% increase compared to the same period last year.
- Startups raising these large funding rounds come from a variety of sectors, including gaming, food delivery, and quantum computing, with biotech and healthcare leading the way.
- Despite a stagnating venture funding market, the pace of large deals has accelerated, suggesting investors are willing to bet big on companies with significant potential.
- The data for this analysis was sourced from The Crunchbase Megadeals Board, which only tracks U.S.-based startups.