The first quarter of 2026 saw significant investment activity in the private venture sector, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Five companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Databricks, completed the largest funding rounds of the year. OpenAI secured a $110 billion Series C funding round, marking one of the largest private investments ever recorded. Despite ongoing legal disputes surrounding at least three of the space's key players, including world's richest man, Elon Musk, who is suing for $134 billion in damages from both OpenAI and Microsoft Corp. Anthropic raised $30 billion in its Series G round, with backing from Coatue Management and ICONIQ Capital. Meanwhile, Skild AI, a Pittsburgh-based company that secured $1.4 billion in Series C earlier this year, announced it will be powering robots on Foxconn's assembly lines in Houston.