Among all emerging technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) has attracted the largest number of investors during 2018, according to GlobalData, a leading and data analytics company.

With an increasing application of AI technologies across industries, more than 1,900 investors funded 1,000 AI-based companies in 2018. Some of the key funded companies working in the AI space include Horizon Robotics, Beijing SenseTime, Zoox, Yitu Technology and Pony.ai.

Interestingly, AI had the lowest investors-to-idea ratio (number of venture capital investors / number of funded companies) among emerging technologies. On the other hand, companies working in the payments segment held the top position with 2.4 investors-to-idea ratio in 2018, riding on the back of expanding payment solutions ecosystem with mobile payments, digital transactions, cryptocurrency and digital wallets gaining traction.

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Payments technology is also ahead of other emerging technologies on average deal size front. Its leadership position on average deal value is driven by a $14bn funding received by the Chinese payments major Ant Financial Services – the parent company for Alipay. Some of the other key funded companies in the payments segment include Bitmain Technologies, Revolut, Coinbase and Tradeshift.

Aurojyoti Bose, Financial Deals Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “With expanding technology-driven disruption across industries, we expect further growth in disruptive tech companies’ funding in coming years. These technologies will play a central role in the companies’ future strategies, with early adopters likely to emerge as winners.”