China, Number One Country, Money Flow Exceeds IDR 283 Trillion

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia –Startup funding in Asia increased in the first quarter of this year, driven by a recovery in venture capital investment in China. In the first quarter of 2026, funding flows to startups in the country reached US$16.5 billion, or approximately Rp 283 trillion.

Crunchbase data shows that total funding for Asian startups reached US$27.4 billion during the first quarter of this year. This figure is up around 20% compared to the previous quarter and almost double compared to the same period last year.

Of that total, approximately 60% of the funds flowed to China-based startups. This marks the third consecutive quarter of increased venture capital funding to the country after a slump in the first half of 2025.

The surge in investment in China is driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The largest funding rounds have all gone to AI-based companies, from basic model developer StepFun, agentic AI company Moonshot AI, and AI robot developer Galaxy Bot.

After China, the next largest recipient of venture funding in Asia was India, with investments totaling US$3.8 billion in the first quarter, the highest in the last four quarters. Most of this funding went to the quarter’s largest equity round, a US$600 million funding round for AI systems developer Neysa.

According to Crunchbase, overall, startup funding in Asia increased at all stages, from seed to later stages. Later-stage funding accounted for the largest portion, at US$11.7 billion, including a US$2 billion Series C round for Singapore-based data center company DayOne.

Meanwhile, seed funding also reached US$11.2 billion, nearly doubling compared to last year. Meanwhile, seed funding reached US$3.6 billion, up 85% year-on-year, with AI as the primary driver.

Sectorally, AI startups were the biggest winners. Throughout the first quarter, AI companies in Asia raised approximately US$11.2 billion, the highest ever recorded by Crunchbase.

Overall, the quarterly figures show increasing momentum in the Chinese startup ecosystem, driving an increase in total funding in Asia. Investment in startups in India, Singapore, and South Korea also increased, while funding to Israel decreased slightly.

SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA