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Venture funding reaches five-year high in Q1

Investors empty pockets as start-ups eye public markets
By Cara Garretson , Network World , 04/24/2007
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Venture capitalists put more dollars behind fewer companies in the first quarter of 2007, marking the highest amount invested in start-ups since the fourth quarter of 2001.

While companies in the life-sciences and medical-device industries experienced an unusually high amount of funding, IT start-ups also garnered a significant chunk of the $7. 1 billion invested in 778 deals during the first quarter of this year, according to the MoneyTree Report. PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association compiled the report based on data by Thomson Financial.

Significantly, the first quarter of 2007 saw venture investments break out of the $5 billion-to-$7 billion quarterly range seen over the last five years. In addition, more later-stage investments were made during this period than first-time or early-stage investments. These two factors signal that VCs may be pouring their money into companies that are on the verge of going public or getting acquired.

Top 10 VC deals
Amp’d Mobile’s $108 million funding is among the 10 largest venture-capital investments made in start-ups during the first quarter of 2007.

Company Industry Product/service Amount invested
CardioNet Healthcare Real-time monitoring of ambulatory cardiac patients $110 million
Amp’d Mobile Telecom Mobile entertainment via broadband wireless networks $108 million
HowStuffWorks Media and entertainment Educational Web site featuring user input $75 million
Imperium Renewables Energy Renewable fuel provider $70 million
Targanta Therapeutics Biotech Develops antibacterial agents $70 million
Vantage Media IT services Develops search marketing campaigns for the education sector $62 million
Automated Trading Desk Software Automated trading and customized equity execution solutions $60 million
Brightcove Media and entertainment Internet TV service $60 million
Force10 Networks Networking Routing and switching equipment $53 million

Source: MoneyTree Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association based on data by Thomson Financial.

Click to see: Top-10 VC deals

“One quarter doesn’t constitute a trend, but the breakout [of the $5 billion to $7 billion range] bodes well for the rest of 2007,” says Darrell Pinto, director of global private equity performance with Thomson Financial.

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