📍 AI startups captured 41% of the $128B raised on Carta last year — a record-high share. The venture market is K-shaped and it's saying fewer bets, bigger checks, and tighter access for everyone else. ───── Hey Builders! The latest data from Carta confirms what the smartest founders already feel: AI isn't a sector anymore — it's the entire capital market. Last year, AI startups accounted for 41% of all venture dollars raised by companies on Carta — a record. And that concentration has only intensified in 2026. In January, xAI raised a $20 billion Series E. In February, OpenAI closed $110 billion — one of the largest private rounds in history. Anthropic followed with $30 billion at a $380 billion valuation. Together, those three companies absorbed the majority of the $189 billion in global VC deployed in February alone. The pattern is clear. Investors are making fewer bets but writing significantly larger checks. Carta's head of insights described the dynamic directly: startups aren't raising mega-rounds because they have large teams — they're raising because the cost of running AI models is high. Here's the opportunity inside the tension: early-stage dealmaking has held relatively steady. Seed rounds are still getting done. The founders who win aren't just AI-native — they're AI-fluent, with sharp narratives, clear traction, and a differentiated position in how they integrate intelligence into their product, operations, or go-to-market. Funds raised in 2023 and 2024 — the post-ChatGPT vintages — are posting the highest internal rates of return compared to funds from 2017–2020. That's a strong signal. The money is performing. And when IPOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI hit later this year, capital will recycle back into the ecosystem fast. The question isn't whether there's capital. It's whether you're positioned to attract it. By the numbers: ▪️ 41% — share of all VC dollars on Carta going to AI startups, a record high ▪️ $128B — total venture dollars raised by companies on Carta last year ▪️ $189B — global VC deployed in February 2026 alone (Crunchbase) ▪️ $13B — US startup funding in March so far, a sharp slowdown from prior months ▪️ 10% — share of startups that captured half of all funding last year ───── 🔧 Three moves to make this week 1️⃣ Embed AI into your narrative — even if you're not an AI company Investors are screening for AI fluency. If your pitch doesn't address how AI touches your product, operations, or competitive moat, you're already behind. You don't have to be an AI company — but you need to be an AI-competent one. 2️⃣ Study the cost structure, not just the technology The reason mega-rounds exist is compute cost. If you understand your AI cost structure — inference, fine-tuning, data pipeline — you can speak the language investors care about right now. That's a differentiator at seed and Series A. 3️⃣ Position before the IPO wave hits When OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI go public later this year, successful listings will push recycled capital back into early-stage funds. The founders who are already in motion — with traction, relationships, and a clear ask — will be first in line. ───── 💬 Quote of the Day "Fewer bets, but more capital. AI startups are raising bigger rounds not because they have lots of employees — they don't — but because the cost of running AI models is high." — Peter Walker, Head of Insights, Carta ───── 🏁 Build New Skills With OHUB The OHUBAI Competency Program is a four-week intensive, hands-on training program designed to help you build real AI capability fast — whether you're a founder, a working professional, or career-switcher ready to future-proof your skill set. New cohorts open every four weeks. By the end of Week 1, you'll have built your first AI agent. For $399, here's what you walk away with: ▪️ 4 weeks of live, instructor-led curriculum — not pre-recorded, not self-paced, real instruction with real accountability ▪️ Up to 1 year of access to the Mindstone Dashboard ▪️ Up to 1 year of updated education content ▪️ A seat in one of the fastest-growing AI communities globally Financing available through Affirm or Klarna — get started for as low as $37/mo. 🚀 Visit opportunityhub.co/ai to learn more. ───── 🎬 Closing Thought When 41% of all venture capital flows into one category, that's not a trend — it's a restructuring. The founders who thrive in this environment won't just build with AI. They'll understand the economics, speak the language, and position themselves where the capital is already moving. The window between preparation and opportunity is shrinking. This isn’t about learning AI—it’s about deciding whether you’ll own the upside or be priced out of it. ───── ⚡️ OHUBNext Daily Brief — investments, edge tech, and moves that matter. For 12+ years, OHUB has been building pathways and on-ramps to multi-generational wealth — without reliance on pre-existing wealth. Through exposure, skills, entrepreneurship, capital markets, and inclusive ecosystems, we've helped people create new jobs, new companies, and new wealth.