Startups in the Houston area raised over $1 billion in venture capital during the first half of 2025, nearly doubling the amount raised in the same period of 2024, according to the latest PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor report. In the second quarter of this year, Houston-based startups secured $417.2 million, compared to $281 million in Q2 2024. The first quarter saw even stronger performance, with $607.5 million raised, more than double the $254 million collected in Q1 last year. This brings the total to just over $1 billion for the first six months of 2025, up from $535 million in the first half of 2024. Nationally, startups pulled in nearly $70 billion in venture capital during the second quarter of 2025, reflecting a 25% decrease from the same quarter in 2024, the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor notes. Despite the downturn, some sectors are defying the broader slowdown. According to the report, companies working in artificial intelligence, national security, defense tech, fintech, and cryptocurrency are drawing a disproportionately large share of investment—largely due to their alignment with federal priorities under the current administration. The AI sector in particular was responsible for 64% of all VC deal value in the first half of 2025. In the U.S. the venture capital environment is still in a fragile recovery phase, hindered by ongoing economic uncertainty. Nonetheless, the report indicates that startups in key innovation sectors are likely to continue attracting strong investor interest in the near term. (ICE HOUSTON)

Fonte notizia: Houston Innovation Map