Agentic AI Startups Attract VC Funding Amid Tech Innovation Boom

According to a joint report by Prosus and Dealroom.co, global venture capital investment in Agentic AI startups came in at $2.8 billion for the first half of 2025. The rise signals an increasing level of investor confidence in a new wave of AI automation as intelligent agents are taking hold in enterprise environments.

"AI agent adoption has passed the tipping point and is here to stay, it is fully entrenched in the workplace," said Fabricio Bloisi, CEO of Prosus. "Agentic AI companies are raising billions in venture capital funding. Prosus will hire the biggest AI workforce in the industry this year, with AI agents everywhere in the organization — from HR to customer support."

The global dealmaking landscape also had a strong momentum. Global M&A activity was $2.6 trillion in the first seven months of the year 2025, the highest level since the pandemic high in 2021. The strong investment cycle driven by AI appears robust enough to offset any anxiety induced by geopolitical tensions and US tariff policies.

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Alongside, Big Tech as a collective has collectively spent about $155 billion on artificial intelligence development in 2025 and has plans for even more in the coming quarters. OpenAI's ChatGPT remains the market leader, and is expected to hit 700 million weekly active users this week.

In India, WestBridge backed LEAD Group had positive operating EBITDA of ₹4.03 crore in FY25 after reporting an operating loss of ₹105.75 crore in FY24. Meanwhile, omnichannel jewellery retailer Bluestone has reduced its IPO size to ₹820 crore and is open for public subscription during the period of August 11-13.