Major Venture Capital Firms Raise Billions in New Funds According to October SEC Filings

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Leading venture capital firms like 8VC, Benchmark, and a new AI-focused fund Diffusion ONE are raising substantial new funds, signaling strong LP interest especially in AI and specialized sectors.

October 2026 has proven to be a significant month for venture capital fundraising, as revealed by recent SEC filings detailing numerous large new funds from established and emerging firms. These filings highlight a surge of investment activity, particularly focused on artificial intelligence and specialized industries.

Among the most notable moves, Trust Ventures, a 2017-founded Austin-based firm led by Salen Churi, filed to raise $400 million for its Fund V. Trust Ventures specializes in backing companies operating in heavily regulated sectors, and its earlier debut fund received support from Koch Disruptive Technologies. The firm had previously targeted a $225 million Fund IV in 2023, but it remains unclear if that fund closed.

In deep tech, Interlagos Capital is also seeking $400 million for its Fund II, underscoring continued appetite in this category.

A major new player is Diffusion ONE, a debut AI-focused fund launched by former Benchmark partners Victor Lazarte and Kris Fredrickson. While initially aiming for $800 million, filings show they have raised $1.252 billion. The fund has made sizable early investments, including co-leading a $550 million Series H round for AI company Harvey, alongside Lightspeed Ventures, and participating in a $300 million Series C for Etched announced in July.

Benchmark itself filed four new partner-only funds totaling over $364 million, under various 'Founders’ Fund' names. Notably, Jack Altman, recently transitioning from his own firm, is featured in each filing, reflecting strategic internal growth.

Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC is also in fundraising mode, with filings showing efforts to raise multiple vehicles: a $400 million fund named 8VC DSS III, plus smaller specialized funds such as 8VC COSC ($30.35 million), 8VC BRSC ($20.35 million), and an AI Fund XI that has already secured $13.5 million including internal commitments. These moves follow 8VC’s $1.5 billion Fund VII raised earlier in July.

Beyond these firms, Notable Capital, investors in companies like Anthropic, Airbnb, and Square, is filing for a fifth fund. Similarly, Greenoaks, which co-led Anthropic’s notable $65 billion Series H round, filed for Greenoaks 7, positioning itself ahead of Anthropic’s potential public offering and levering its portfolio success.

Industry Ventures has raised $1.7 billion for its secondaries fund launched in late July, illustrating the growing importance of the secondary market where investors buy stakes in private companies. Analysts note that shares in AI leaders Anthropic and OpenAI represent some of the most fiercely contested assets in venture capital currently.

Collectively, these filings paint a picture of sustained venture enthusiasm and capital influx, with a pronounced focus on AI and specialized sectors where regulatory complexity or advanced technology create differentiated opportunities.