AI startups dominated global VC funding in Q3, capturing 46% of the market with an estimated $97 billion. Anthropic led with a $13B raise, while xAI and Mistral AI secured multi-billion-dollar rounds. OpenAI’s valuation soared to $500B, becoming the most valuable private company worldwide. Hardware, biotech, and data infrastructure followed closely in funding. US firms received the largest share. Does this AI funding frenzy signal sustainable growth or an overheated market? Investors are keeping a close eye.