---
title: "Pitchbook-NVCA Q4 2025 Data for NYC: AI Dominates 65% of Deal Value, 39% of Deal Count"
description: "The Q4 2025 Pitchbook-NVCA Venture Monitor shows AI at 65.4% of U.S. VC deal value. Here's what that means for NYC's diversified ecosystem — dated snapshot, not a live tracker."
date: 2026-04-18T00:00:00.000Z
tags: ["vc-explainers", "nyc-startups", "market-analysis", "data"]
source: https://venturecapitaltracker.com/nyc-insight-q4-2025-vc-monitor-pitchbook-data
---

# Pitchbook-NVCA Q4 2025 Data for NYC: AI Dominates 65% of Deal Value, 39% of Deal Count

> The Q4 2025 Pitchbook-NVCA Venture Monitor shows AI at 65.4% of U.S. VC deal value. Here's what that means for NYC's diversified ecosystem — dated snapshot, not a live tracker.

**Date-stamp:** This page summarizes the **PitchBook-NVCA Q4 2025 Venture Monitor** (authoritative quarterly U.S. VC data). It is a **dated snapshot**, not a live PitchBook feed or our ongoing fund tracker. Last clarified **August 1, 2026**.

For live-ish firm coverage after you finish this digest: [fund tracker](/2026-fund-tracker-recent-investment-news-table) · [VC directory](/directory).

### Q4 2025 headline data

- **65.4%** — AI's share of U.S. VC deal value.
- **39.4%** — AI's share of U.S. VC deal count.
- **Dominant verticals**: SaaS, AI/ML, Big Data, Mobile, Fintech, TMT, Life sciences, Healthtech, Cloudtech/DevOps, Robotics/drones.
- **Record year**: 2025 set new annual records on absolute deal value driven by AI mega-rounds.

### NYC implications

1. **Percentage share optics**: NYC looks "smaller" when measured as % of national total because Bay Area AI mega-rounds distort totals.
2. **Absolute dollars**: NYC absolute funding stayed strong.
3. **Sector mix**: NYC's diversified mix — fintech, health, enterprise SaaS, media — means Bay Area AI dominance doesn't redefine the NYC opportunity set.

### Capital concentration dynamics

The Q4 2025 data confirms:
- Fewer, larger deals across all geographies.
- Top-quartile deal size has grown faster than median.
- Late-stage concentration in AI "platform" companies.
- Early-stage remaining healthy but selective.

### What NYC founders should take from this

1. **Benchmark to NYC peers, not national averages**: Your Series A is competing locally for capital.
2. **Sector discipline matters**: If you're not AI-native, frame your wedge tightly.
3. **Unit economics beat hype**: Capital concentration favors companies with clean metrics.
4. **Follow-on risk**: Smaller firms may struggle to lead follow-on; stack reserves in cap table planning.

### Fund performance data (Carta Q4 2025)

- **Smaller funds outperform larger**: Sub-$200M funds beat $500M+ funds across most performance thresholds.
- **2021 vintage** struggling: Median TVPI just above 1.0x.
- **2022–2023 vintages** benefiting from corrected entry valuations.

### Cambridge Associates H1 2025

- **IT + healthcare + industrials = 85%** of invested capital in U.S. VC index.
- **Top-quartile IRR** above 25% for enterprise software.
- **Biotech variance** higher, with outsized winners possible.

### Practical takeaway

- **Founders**: Read the Q4 Venture Monitor each quarter to benchmark your sector — then return to [fund tracker](/2026-fund-tracker-recent-investment-news-table) and [directory](/directory) for actionable shortlists.
- **Investors**: Sector mix + fund size + vintage year are the three biggest return predictors.
- **LPs**: Vintage-year exposure matters more than individual fund selection in some cycles.

### Sources

1. Pitchbook-NVCA Q4 2025: https://nvca.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/q4-2025-pitchbook-nvca-venture-monitor.pdf
2. Carta Q4 2025 VC Performance: https://carta.com/data/vc-fund-performance-q4-2025/
3. Cambridge Associates H1 2025: https://www.cambridgeassociates.com/insight/us-pe-vc-benchmark-commentary-first-half-2025/

**By:** [Venture Capital Tracker](https://venturecapitaltracker.com/editorial-policy)
**Last updated:** August 1, 2026

**Editorial note:** AI tools assisted with research, structure, or drafting. Venture Capital Tracker retains human editorial responsibility for factual accuracy, relevance, and source quality before publication.