Our report covers trends in 14 categories (AI Infrastructure, App & Software Development, Crypto, Data analytics, EdTech, Enterprise, ESG, Fintech, Health / Bio Tech, Industries, Legal, Media & Advertisement, Science & Research, Services & Retail) and database of startups backed by leading 13 venture capital firms (a16z - Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capita, YC - YCombinator, Index Ventures, Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Tiger Global Management, SV Angel).This report is designed to help companies, investors, and founders track the trends and benchmarks established by venture capital leaders.
Updated monthly, our report and database provide verified data and expert insights.
We examine the activities of the largest and most experienced firms — the technologies and sectors they support, and the types of investments they make.
We believe that a deeper understanding of the priorities held by venture capital market leaders can help our subscribers more effectively build their investment and growth strategies.
The VC companies we analyze are smart money – they backed more than 800 companies, which became unicorns or even decacorns.
According to our calculations, because of their role in the ecosystem and their smart approach, the leaders reach almost around 15% unicorns to their portfolio.
KEY FACTS: March 2026
164 deals (3.9% of March 2026 deals)
123 deals from 164 were leaded by these 13 venture firms, in other 41 deals, the firms participated in syndicates.
Syndicates with top VC included USD 7.8 bn (not including megadeals **)
Top VC supported 17 of March unicorns (51.5% from 33 unicorns according to Dealroom Unicorns)
In March 2026, the top venture funds backed 41% of Pre-Seed / Incubator stage rounds and 14% of Seed stage rounds.
The total share of VC backed by top firms: Pre-Seed, Incubator, and Seed rounds backed by major VC firms is 55%, which is average compared to previous months.
The largest proportions of Pre-Seed and Seed rounds were observed in App & Software development (93.3%, 15 deals), AI Infrastructure (68.8%, 14 deals).
Almost all new startups supported by market leaders are implementing or using AI. This represents a very high barrier to entry and places high demands on the team.
AI integration has become virtually mandatory for startups. As of March 2026, 100% of Pre-Seed startups & 100% of Seed-stage startups either use or have announced the use of AI in their products.
Analytics by shperes: Fintech (1Q 2026)
Today, we present a new wave of projects reimagining legacy automation products in fintech, powered by advancements in AI technology and infrastructure, co-pilots.
Looking ahead to the medium term, we identify a highly impactful new trend for the fintech industry—the emergence of novel foundation AI models designed to simulate real human behavior and decision-making (e.g., Semile)."
In total, during Q1 2026, leading funds backed 52 startups in the fintech sector, raising a combined $1.4 billion, with 3 companies reaching unicorn status.
2.1.1. Capital Markets & WealthTech
This segment includes AI-driven solutions that drive alpha generation, deal evaluation, and strategic portfolio management for institutional investors and funds.
Rowspace ($50M, backed by Sequoia) aims to assist investment funds in handling large volumes of documents (financial reports, memorandums, correspondence, and trade records). Effectively, it is a robust co-pilot designed to support and analyze investment decisions and standardize reporting for portfolio companies.
The remaining projects in Q1 2026 are currently in the pre-seed/incubator stages (primarily YC-backed). Two notable projects offered strong co-pilots for analyzing and supporting investment strategies: Axis (data modeling and market research for global commodities trading, YC-backed) and Kimpton AI (investment advising and analysis, YC-backed). Kimpton AI is currently offering trial access.
We also find Palus Finance (YC-backed) interesting; its goal is to simplify the short-term investment of companies' idle cash into T-bonds.
2.1.2. Digital Banking & Payment Infrastructure
The core financial connectivity layer, enabling seamless global money movement and transaction data standardization. Seven projects were backed in this segment.
We found the new startup End Close (YC-backed) to be the most interesting, providing an AI-powered reconciliation platform for high-volume payment companies.
ZeroSettle (YC-backed) is building a direct billing system for mobile games and apps to bypass app store fees.
Several mature projects are focusing on regional scaling:
Pomelo ($55M, backed by Insight Partners) acts as an intermediary in Latin America, enabling enterprises to issue their own payment cards (potentially interesting for fintech startups, digital banks, crypto companies, and traditional enterprises).
ARQ ($70M, backed by Sequoia and Founders Fund) is developing a LatAm platform for exchanging currencies.
Xflow ($16M, backed by General Catalyst) focuses on India with a cross-border payment platform.
Additionally, we should highlight a defining new trend in fintech: AI-to-AI payment infrastructure. Key players in this space include Accel-backed Sapiom and YC-backed Sponge.
2.1.3. Corporate Finance & Accounting
Intelligent platforms streamlining internal corporate finance, accounting, tax preparation, and revenue operations.
The most significant automation is seen in the new unicorn Basis, which has created an entire operating system that automates core accounting workflows and manages complex financial data ($100M, backed by Accel and Google Ventures).
Fieldguide ($75M, backed by Bessemer) aims to support audit and advisory teams with AI-powered analyses.
We would like to highlight two strong and ambitious co-pilots: Condor Software ($24M, Insight Partners), which focuses on R&D accounting (with a special focus on Life Sciences), and Onshore ($31M, YC-incubated), which automates and streamlines tax incentive and deduction processes for companies.
2.1.4. RegTech, Risk & Operations
This category includes middle- and back-office tools that automate complex administrative workflows, mitigate financial risk, and ensure regulatory compliance.
We would like to highlight two projects aimed at working with transactional data and complex data analysis: Spade ($40M, YC-incubated) and Rogo Technologies ($75M, backed by Sequoia).
Additionally, two backed startups are providing complete CRM solutions for fintech: Jump ($80M, backed by Insight Partners) and Avantos ($35M, backed by Bessemer).
2.1.5. Insurance Technology (InsurTech)
This category includes digital solutions transforming the entire insurance value chain, from automated underwriting to policy servicing.
In Q1 2026, leading firms backed 9 Insurtech projects with total funding of $436 million. All projects announced the integration of AI into their operations.
We found the startup Corgi ($108M, co-led by YC) particularly compelling. It offers insurance tailored for startups and high-tech companies, focusing on digital technology risks and AI solutions. Their product lineup covers Core Operations, General Liability, Cyber Liability, and Tech & AI Liability, while maintaining high product flexibility based on client needs.
The largest project in this sector backed by top-tier firms is the French unicorn Alan (valued at $5B and backed by Index Ventures). Alan provides subscription-based health insurance managed entirely via a smartphone or web interface. Key app features allow users to claim medical reimbursements in just a few clicks or consult with medical experts via chat or video calls.
Harper Insurance (a YC-incubated startup) focuses on leveraging AI to select business insurance. Based on the client's priorities, the company finds optimal coverage at the best price without compromising on quality.
Finally, four projects focused on automating internal insurance procedures using AI:
Pace: Claims processing and policy servicing (backed by Sequoia)
WithCoverage: Risk management, planning, claims management, and safety procedures (backed by Sequoia)
Sixfold: Underwriting (backed by Bessemer)
Gyde: General workflows (backed by LVP)
Another startup we found particularly interesting is Klaimee (YC-backed), an insurance and certification provider for autonomous AI agents.
2.1.6. Personal assistants
We would like to highlight Cloaked ($375M, round led by General Catalyst)—a security suite that allows private individuals to mask their real information by generating encrypted identities, including masked phone numbers, emails, and passwords.
Analytics by shperes: Crypto (1Q 2026)
In the first quarter, leading firms invested in 10 crypto projects ($424 million raised), of which 3 projects reached unicorn status:
Rain: Infrastructure for stablecoin-powered payment cards ($250M, $1.95B valuation, backed by Bessemer and Lightspeed).
TRM Labs: A blockchain intelligence platform to detect and investigate digital asset fraud ($70M, $1B valuation, backed by Goldman Sachs, Citi, Bessemer, and many others).
Talos Global: A trading system for digital assets and FX ($45M, $1.6B valuation, backed by a16z crypto).
We would also like to highlight Babylon Labs ($15M, backed by a16z), which aims to activate the potential of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as credit collateral.
Interestingly, recent YC batches have supported 3 new crypto projects focused on crypto payment infrastructure and stock derivatives, indicating that the sector still has new niches and potential.
If you are interested in information about venture industry insights and current funding trends, subscribe to our monthly reports here: venture.cdp.center.
Each report covers trends in 14 categories (AI Infrastructure, App & Software Development, Crypto, Data analytics, EdTech, Enterprise, ESG, Fintech, Health / Bio Tech, Industries, Legal, Media & Advertisement, Science & Research, Services & Retail) and database of startups backed by leading 13 venture capital firms(a16z - Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capita, YC - YCombinator, Index Ventures, Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Tiger Global Management, SV Angel)
The detailed data on the rounds is presented in the full report.
DISCLAIMER: This report analyzes market trends and is not a source of definitive or complete data. Due to the dynamic nature of the market, it's impossible to provide 100% accurate, allencompassing data. Our research is based on the information we have gathered through different public sources, and it may be corrected as new data becomes available. Investing in startups is inherently challenging and carries significant risks. This report should not be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice. We are not making any recommendations. If you are considering starting a business or making venture investments, you should consult with qualified professionals, who can provide personalized and competent advice.
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