Venture capital investment in SaaS startups has roared back, with Q1 2026 seeing $28 billion in deals — the highest quarterly total since the 2021 boom and a 75% increase over Q1 2025.
Where the Money Is Going
- AI-native SaaS: $12 billion (43% of total)
- Cybersecurity SaaS: $5 billion (18%)
- Vertical SaaS: $4 billion (14%)
- DevTools: $3.5 billion (13%)
- HR/Workforce: $3.5 billion (12%)
Notable Q1 Deals
The largest rounds included Anthropic ($4B), Wiz ($2B), and Canva ($1.5B). AI-native companies commanded the highest valuations, with median Series B at 45x ARR.
