Overview

The July 2026 monthly funding report shows a slight decline in total capital but a more pronounced drop in deal count. Startups raised $58.6 billion across 525 deals, compared with $61.8 billion across 613 deals in June. Despite fewer transactions, funding remained relatively close to June levels, supported by several large financings, including a $10 billion investment in Blue Origin, its first external funding round. 

Round	Amount June (USD)	Number deals June	Amount July (USD)	Number deals July
Pre-seed funding	142,075,800	55	183,425,000	54
Seed Round	1,915,472,000	187	1,758,750,570	150
Series A	5,687,577,000	180	6,425,310,000	143
Series B	16,893,430,000	65	4,594,840,000	61
Series C	10,898,610,000	44	6,915,040,000	30
Series D	3,794,270,000	17	5,501,860,000	20
Series E	2,487,000,000	9	2,123,500,000	3
Other	20,027,220,000	56	31,096,855,170	64
Total	61,845,654,800	613	58,599,580,740	525

Funding Activity by Number of Deals

July recorded 525 deals, down from 613 in June, with lower deal counts across most stages.

Key observations

• Seed funding fell from 187 to 150 deals, while Series A declined from 180 to 143, showing less early-stage deal flow than in June.
• Series B and Series C also recorded fewer transactions, with Series C falling from 44 to 30 deals.
• Series D was the main exception, increasing from 17 to 20 deals, while pre-seed remained broadly stable at 54.
• The decline in total deal count alongside relatively stable funding suggests capital was concentrated into larger individual rounds.

Funding Distribution by Round

Total funding eased only slightly to $58.6 billion, despite 88 fewer deals, pointing to a higher concentration of capital in larger financings.

Key observations

• Series A funding increased to $6.43 billion despite fewer deals, suggesting larger average investments in companies that had already demonstrated early traction.
• Series D rose from $3.79 billion to $5.50 billion, accompanied by an increase in deal count, showing stronger support for later-stage companies moving toward broader expansion or potential exits.
• Series B fell sharply from $16.9 billion to $4.59 billion, while Series C declined from $10.9 billion to $6.92 billion, illustrating how June’s unusually large growth-stage rounds had lifted those categories.
• Pre-seed funding increased modestly to $183 million, even with one fewer deal, while Seed remained comparatively stable at $1.76 billion.
• Other Funding Rounds reached $31.1 billion, supported by major private financings such as Blue Origin’s $10 billion raise.

Fourteen companies raised billion-dollar rounds in July, the highest number ever recorded in a single month. At the same time, improving IPO and M&A markets are creating more opportunities for investors to realise returns and redeploy capital, helping support large private financings beyond the AI-driven mega-rounds that defined the first half of 2026. 

Political & Economic Influence (Global)

July presented a mixed global picture. The IMF lowered its 2026 growth forecast to 3.0%, citing the Middle East conflict, trade fragmentation, and higher energy costs, while raising its inflation outlook. At the same time, the eurozone showed improving business conditions, while China’s manufacturing PMI fell to 49.2, signalling contraction. New U.S. tariffs on goods from dozens of trading partners added another layer of uncertainty for global trade.

Impact on funding:
The combination of slower growth and geopolitical risk kept investors selective, but did not stop large strategic investments. Capital continued to concentrate in AI, aerospace, defense, energy, and infrastructure, with July recording a record billion-dollar venture rounds. Improving IPO and M&A activity also provided more liquidity back into the venture ecosystem.

Political & Economic Influence (U.S.)

The U.S. economy remained resilient but showed signs of cooling. Second-quarter GDP growth slowed to 1.5% from 2.1%, while July payrolls fell by 23,000 and unemployment held at 4.1%. Inflation eased slightly to 3.4%, but remained above the Federal Reserve’s target. The Fed kept rates at 3.5%–3.75% in July, with three policymakers favoring a rate increase, highlighting continued concern over inflation.

Impact on funding:
Higher borrowing costs and slower economic growth encouraged more selective investment, helping explain why July produced fewer deals but almost the same funding total as June. U.S. companies still attracted around 59% of global venture capital, with roughly half of that going to AI, showing that investors remained willing to make very large commitments where they saw strong technology, market position, and long-term demand

Key Investment Sectors in July 2026

Artificial intelligence remained the leading investment theme in July, with funding spread across software, cybersecurity, data infrastructure, networking, robotics, healthcare, defense, and legal technology. Strong capital flows also went into biotechnology, fintech, energy, aerospace and space technology, robotics and automation, and defense and security. The mix points to continued investor preference for sectors tied to large-scale infrastructure, automation, national security, and long-term technological change, while healthcare and financial services remained steady areas of interest.

Domain Name Highlights

.com remained the leading extension, used by 310 of 525 companies, or 59%, reinforcing its position as the most widely recognised and trusted choice for companies building for broad or international markets.

.ai was used by 75 companies, or 14%, reflecting its continued popularity among AI startups, although its strong association with the sector can become restrictive for companies that later expand beyond AI.

.io accounted for 25 companies, or 5%, remaining a familiar choice in technology but with lower recognition outside tech audiences and a greater chance that users default to the .com.

Other extensions represented 115 companies, or 22%, showing continued experimentation with alternative domain endings, though these often require more effort to establish recognition and user familiarity.

208 companies, or 40%, operated on an Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain name, giving them a direct connection between company name and domain name that supports memorability, easier navigation, stronger brand protection, and lower risk of traffic or email leakage.

21 companies, or 4%, used a hyphenated domain name, a structure that can make domains harder to communicate verbally, remember, and type accurately.

Company Spotlights 

Wonder

Industry: Food & Agriculture, Technology

Funds Raised: $650,000,000 Series D

Wonder is a vertically integrated food technology company founded by Marc Lore. Its platform combines restaurant concepts, food delivery, meal solutions, and proprietary kitchen technology, allowing customers to order from multiple restaurants in a single transaction.

The $650 million Series D, raised at a $9 billion pre-money valuation, will support further physical expansion, marketplace growth, and investment in robotics, artificial intelligence, and food infrastructure. Wonder has expanded rapidly, growing from 46 to 140 locations since its previous funding announcement in May 2025.

Wonder is a simple, familiar dictionary word with positive associations around discovery, possibility, and experience. The broad meaning suits a company that has expanded beyond food delivery into restaurants, technology, robotics, and a wider food platform.

The company operates on Wonder.com, an EBM and a highly valuable one-word .com. The domain is short, intuitive, and easy to remember, giving Wonder a strong identity as it expands into new markets and services. Its broad meaning also avoids tying the company to a single product or category, while the .com extension provides the familiarity and authority expected from a business building at global scale.

Prenetics

Industry: Healthcare

Funds Raised: $1,000,000,000 Growth Round

Prenetics is a consumer health company focused on science-led wellness and longevity. Its portfolio includes IM8, the direct-to-consumer supplement brand co-founded with David Beckham, alongside other health businesses.

The $1 billion growth financing from General Catalyst is specifically aimed at accelerating IM8. The capital can fund up to 70% of the brand’s marketing spend, including digital advertising, connected TV, ambassador partnerships, sponsorships, content, retention, and expansion into new markets and product categories.

The company operates on the EBM domain name Prenetics.com. For a healthcare business spanning multiple products and international markets, keeping the company name and primary domain identical reduces confusion and gives Prenetics a stable digital identity as its portfolio evolves. 

Omio

Industry: Travel Technology

Funds Raised: $10,000,000 Strategic Round

Omio is a multimodal travel booking platform that allows users to compare and book trains, buses, flights, and ferries in one place. The $10 million strategic investment from Granite-Integral will support expansion in Japan and Southeast Asia, helping the company grow its transport network, strengthen regional partnerships, and expand its teams in Japan and Singapore.

The company was originally called GoEuro before rebranding to Omio in 2019 as its ambitions moved beyond Europe. Omio was chosen because it is short, easy to remember, and internationally adaptable. The two “o”s represent the origin and destination of a journey while also maintaining a subtle connection to the original GoEuro name.

Operating on Omio.com gives the company a domain name suited to its global expansion. The short, distinctive name is easy to pronounce across markets, while the .com extension adds familiarity and makes the company easier to find and remember. Moving away from a geographically limiting name such as GoEuro also gives Omio greater flexibility as it expands across Asia, North America, and other regions.

LemonEdge

Industry: Fintech, Fund Accounting

Funds Raised: $21,000,000 Series A

LemonEdge develops fund accounting and operations software for private markets, helping private equity firms, fund administrators, and family offices automate complex accounting, reporting, and data processes. The company supports more than $2.5 trillion in assets under client management.

The $21 million Series A, led by Blackstone Innovations Investments and joined by BNY, will fund product development, expansion across the U.S. and Europe, and the rollout of LemonEdge’s 2026 and 2027 innovation roadmap.

The company operates on LemonEdge.com, an EBM that reinforces recognition and makes the name easy to find and remember. For an enterprise software company serving financial institutions across multiple markets, the familiar .com extension also supports credibility and reduces the possibility of confusion as LemonEdge expands internationally.

Keyfactor

Industry: Cybersecurity, Software & SaaS

Funds Raised: $1,000,000,000+ Strategic Growth Investment

Keyfactor develops trust infrastructure that helps enterprises manage cryptographic keys, digital certificates, and machine identities. Its technology is increasingly relevant as AI systems, connected devices, and post-quantum security create more complex requirements around digital trust. The $1 billion+ investment led by Summit Partners will support product development, international expansion, team growth, and strategic acquisitions.

The company was originally founded as Certified Security Solutions (CSS) and rebranded to Keyfactor in 2018 as it evolved from a consulting business into a software platform. The new name gave the company a shorter, more distinctive identity while keeping a direct connection to its core field through the word “key”, a central concept in cryptography and digital security.

The EBM domain name Keyfactor.com strengthens the company’s position in enterprise cybersecurity. The name is distinctive, easy to remember, and closely tied to the company’s area of expertise, while the .com extension provides the familiarity and credibility expected by global enterprise customers. As Keyfactor expands from PKI into broader trust infrastructure, the domain remains flexible enough to support that wider positioning.

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The right domain name is an important consideration when it comes to building and protecting your brand. If you’re ready to take the next step and invest in a perfect domain name for your business, contact us to learn more about our available options and how we can help you get started.

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