California has pulled in more than $335 billion in venture capital funding this year, according to PitchBook data released Thursday, as artificial intelligence turns the state into a capital black hole. Nearly 90% of new money is chasing AI giants such as Anthropic and OpenAI, while Southern California is emerging as a distinct power center with nearly $8 billion across 207 deals, led by space and defense firms like Anduril Industries and Impulse Space.

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