Venture capital firm Accel announced a $5 billion fundraise, combining a $4 billion Leaders Fund V and a $650 million sidecar vehicle aimed at late‑stage artificial‑intelligence startups. The capital will fund roughly 20 to 25 deals, with average checks of $200 million. Accel’s raise follows outsized returns on its Anthropic and Cursor investments and arrives as Q1 2026 sees a record $297 billion flow into global startups. The new fund positions Accel to compete with mega‑funds for the biggest AI bets. Read more →