US venture capital deals highest since 2001
New research from PwC finds market booming
Despite uncertainty in the US economy, research by PricewaterhouseCoopers has
found that venture capitalists are experiencing something of a mini-boom with
deals at record levels since 2001.
According to the firm’s MoneyTree
Report and the National Venture Capital
Association, corporate venture capitalists invested $1.3bn (£650m) into 390
deals in the first half of 2007, representing the highest percentage of
corporate venture deals and dollars since 2001.
In the first two quarters of 2007, corporate venture capital groups
participated in 21.4% percent of the total deals and invested 9.2% of the total
dollars. This compares favorably to the same period in 2006 when corporate
venture capitalists invested $1.0bn into 352 deals, accounting for 19.8% of all
deals and 7.5% of total dollars.
Commenting on the findings, Claudia Fan Munce, managing director of the
IBM Venture Capital
Group, said: “Corporate venture capital partnerships are vital to a robust
global entrepreneurial ecosystem”.
Further reading:
US venture capitalists worry over tax threat