In Q1 of 2025, AI startups claimed 57.9% of global VC funding, with more than 61% going into late-stage deals. Independent of the region, the AI market is keeping its exploding momentum. AI startups in Europe saw ~55% year-on-year investment growth in Q1 2025. Notable: the fund-raising focus is shifting. Investors increasingly target AI startups with clear vertical focus (health-tech, industrial AI, edge AI) rather than generic “horizontal” AI plays.
Because late-stage and mega-rounds dominate, early-stage founders need to show strong differentiation and path to scale. Also, the bar is being raised. It's not enough to simply say “AI” in your pitch: you’ll need real product traction, vertical focus and scalable model along with a powerful brandidentity that undermines this.










