Key Takeaways
- • AI venture capital reached US$258.7 billion in 2025, representing 61% of all global venture investment, according to OECD data presented at UNGA 81.
- • Less than 1% of global corporate investment in AI is directed toward social impact products and services, despite over 70% of development challenges being addressable through AI technology.
- • The United States and Canada account for 65% of global startup investment, while Europe is accelerating AI funding with focus on healthcare and defense applications.
- • More than 60 global leaders from government, business, philanthropy, and technology convened at UNGA 81 to address capital allocation disparities between AI development and social impact initiatives.
- • Emirates Foundation and H.E. Badr Jafar launched a white paper with Oliver Wyman outlining strategies for philanthropy to fund gaps that markets and governments cannot address, alongside new agreements with Responsible AI Future Foundation and Current AI.
Summary
A significant capital allocation gap has emerged in global venture funding, with artificial intelligence capturing an outsized share of investment at the expense of social impact initiatives. According to OECD data presented during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2026, AI attracted US$258.7 billion in venture capital during 2025, equivalent to 61% of all worldwide venture investment. This concentration of capital stands in stark contrast to social impact funding, which received less than 1% of global corporate AI investment despite the technology's potential to address over 70% of global development challenges.
The geographic distribution of venture capital remains highly concentrated, with the United States and Canada accounting for 65% of global startup investment. Europe is showing increased activity in AI funding, though with a strategic focus on healthcare and defense applications rather than broader development priorities. This skew reflects both investor preferences for near-term commercial returns and the structural challenges facing social impact initiatives in competing for institutional capital.
To address these disparities, more than 60 leaders representing government, business, philanthropy, and technology sectors convened at UNGA 81 under the theme of moving the Global South "From Access to Agency." The Emirates Foundation, led by H.E. Badr Jafar (Special Envoy of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy), partnered with consulting firm Oliver Wyman to develop a white paper examining where philanthropic capital can fill funding gaps that traditional markets and government mechanisms cannot address. The initiative reflects growing recognition that venture capital markets, while efficient at funding commercial AI development, are structurally misaligned with social impact objectives requiring longer time horizons and lower return expectations.
The roundtable discussion included senior figures from multilateral development institutions, including the President of the World Bank Group and the Chair of the Gates Foundation, alongside the UN Secretary-General's envoy on technology. The Emirates Foundation formalized agreements with the Responsible AI Future Foundation and Current AI, signaling coordinated efforts to redirect investment toward development-focused applications. The convening underscores institutional acknowledgment that closing the social impact funding gap requires coordinated action across philanthropy, government, and alternative capital sources rather than reliance on commercial venture markets alone.
The geographic distribution of venture capital remains highly concentrated, with the United States and Canada accounting for 65% of global startup investment. Europe is showing increased activity in AI funding, though with a strategic focus on healthcare and defense applications rather than broader development priorities. This skew reflects both investor preferences for near-term commercial returns and the structural challenges facing social impact initiatives in competing for institutional capital.
To address these disparities, more than 60 leaders representing government, business, philanthropy, and technology sectors convened at UNGA 81 under the theme of moving the Global South "From Access to Agency." The Emirates Foundation, led by H.E. Badr Jafar (Special Envoy of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy), partnered with consulting firm Oliver Wyman to develop a white paper examining where philanthropic capital can fill funding gaps that traditional markets and government mechanisms cannot address. The initiative reflects growing recognition that venture capital markets, while efficient at funding commercial AI development, are structurally misaligned with social impact objectives requiring longer time horizons and lower return expectations.
The roundtable discussion included senior figures from multilateral development institutions, including the President of the World Bank Group and the Chair of the Gates Foundation, alongside the UN Secretary-General's envoy on technology. The Emirates Foundation formalized agreements with the Responsible AI Future Foundation and Current AI, signaling coordinated efforts to redirect investment toward development-focused applications. The convening underscores institutional acknowledgment that closing the social impact funding gap requires coordinated action across philanthropy, government, and alternative capital sources rather than reliance on commercial venture markets alone.
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