California startups have raised $385 billion so far in 2026, more than three-fourths of all U.S. startup funding this year, according to Crunchbase data published Monday. The share appears to be a record, and the state's total is already more than double what California companies raised in all of last year, with about two months left on the calendar.
The figure covers rounds from seed through growth stage, and most of it traces back to AI. OpenAI and Anthropic, both headquartered in San Francisco, account for more than half of California's total on their own.
Several other California companies raised rounds in the billions. Waymo raised $16 billion in February. Prometheus raised $12 billion in the spring. Databricks raised $5 billion in August, and Safe Superintelligence raised $5 billion in a round led by Nvidia over the summer.
Key facts
- 01California startups have raised $385 billion from seed through growth stage so far in 2026, per Crunchbase data.
- 02That is more than three-fourths of all US startup funding this year, an apparent record share.
- 03OpenAI and Anthropic account for more than half of California's total.
- 04California companies raised nearly $62 billion in seed and early-stage rounds, about 57% of the US total at those stages.
- 05Other large California rounds include Waymo's $16 billion in February and Prometheus's $12 billion in the spring.
The concentration is not limited to mega-rounds. California companies have raised nearly $62 billion in seed and early-stage rounds so far in 2026, roughly 57% of all U.S. funding at those stages. Crunchbase said that share also appears to be a record.
California's share of U.S. startup funding has now risen for three straight years. Crunchbase said the strength extends beyond San Francisco to the broader Silicon Valley region and to Southern California.
One large AI round sits outside the count. xAI raised $20 billion earlier this year as a California-headquartered company, but it is now part of SpaceX, which is headquartered in Texas.
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