Top AI startups are raising consecutive rounds that double or triple valuations within months, a pattern reshaping capital flows into academic spinouts and university‑industry collaborations. High‑profile examples include Anthropic and OpenAI and a range of smaller firms that received multiple rounds in the same year. Rapid valuation escalation accelerates partnership opportunities for universities but also raises questions about long‑term funding sustainability for research commercialization and the risk of an investment cycle that may outpace revenue generation from applied research and licensed technologies.