The World's Leading AI Investment Hubs

Along with the United States, China has firmly established itself as a global leader in AI investment, with cities like Beijing and Shanghai at the forefront of venture funding for AI-native companies. According to data published by Startup Genome, Beijing leads the world in the share of venture funding directed toward AI projects, with 66 percent of local investment flowing into AI startups in 2023-2024, more than any other hub around the world. Though Silicon Valley still dominates in absolute dollars, the Californian tech epicenter is in second place, with a 62 percent share, followed by Toronto-Waterloo (50 percent) and Paris (43 percent).

As our chart shows, Shanghai also ranks in the top five globally, with a share of nearly 22 percent, surpassing other major Asian hubs like Singapore and Tokyo (16-17 percent). According to a Bank of America report published this year, China's AI investment is poised to reach unprecedented levels in 2025, with forecasts suggesting the mainland could deploy a total of between $84-98 billion in AI capital expenditure this year.