Startup Flash Report

STARTUP FLASH - January 16, 2026

Andreessen Horowitz Closes $15B Mega-Fund as North American Startup Investment Surges 46% Year-Over-Year

TOP 3 STORIES:

1. A16z's Record $15B Fundraising Haul Signals Confidence in AI and American Dynamism[3] Andreessen Horowitz announced its largest fundraising round to date, with $15 billion across multiple funds including $6.75 billion for growth investments and $1.176 billion dedicated to defense and security startups. This comes as North American startups raised $280 billion in 2025—a 46% year-over-year increase—with the majority flowing to AI companies, creating unprecedented capital availability for founders building in this space.

2. Skild AI Secures $1.4B Series C Led by SoftBank, Signaling Major Robotics AI Momentum[4] Robot software startup Skild AI raised $1.4 billion from a consortium including SoftBank, Nvidia, Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions, and Salesforce Ventures, exceeding initial expectations by $400 million. The round demonstrates institutional confidence in AI-powered robotics as a transformative sector, particularly as SoftBank aggressively positions itself in this space following its $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB's robotics business.

3. Pre-Seed Funding Remains Robust with 82 Rounds Totaling $124.64M in Early 2025[1] Pre-seed startups averaged $1.52 million per round between January and April 2025, with Information Technology & Services dominating deal volume at 48 rounds and California leading geographically with 34 rounds worth $59.10 million. This data underscores sustained early-stage investor appetite despite market volatility, providing a clear pathway for founders to secure initial capital.

Flash Insight: The startup ecosystem is experiencing a bifurcated strength: mega-funds like A16z are raising record amounts while pre-seed activity remains steady, creating a well-capitalized pipeline from early-stage to growth-stage companies.[3][1] AI and robotics have emerged as the dominant investment thesis, with both venture capital mega-funds and strategic corporate investors (Nvidia, SoftBank, Salesforce) converging on these sectors.[3][4] For founders, this environment presents both opportunity and competition—capital is abundant for AI-driven solutions and defense tech, but founders in other sectors may face a narrower investor base.

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SOURCES:

[1] https://fundraiseinsider.com/blog/pre-seed-startups/

[2] https://startups.gallery/news

[3] https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/a16z-15b-new-funds-american-dynamism-ben-horowitz/

[4] https://siliconangle.com/2026/01/14/robot-software-startup-skild-ai-raises-1-4b-round-backed-nvidia-jeff-bezos/