VCs raised fewest funds in Q2 since 1996
We’ve already published (unsurprising) data showing a big drop in the funding raised by venture capital firms during the last six months. Now the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Reuters have released a new set of numbers focusing on the second quarter of the year (April through June), which apparently saw even less venture fundraising than the first.
Here are the basics: VCs raised 25 funds for a total of $1.7 billion. That’s the smallest… Continue Reading
Cleantech could top venture capital within five years
Cleantech could be the largest area for venture capital investment within five years if not sooner, Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association, told VentureBeat in an interview. The NVCA has been bullish on cleantech for several years now, but the stars do seem to be aligning in new, momentous ways.
The trade group recently released a report (pdf) showing that cleantech investing had spiked 54 percent to $4.1 billion between 2007 and 2008,… Continue Reading
Hobnobbing and politics with the National Venture Capital Association
I just got home from the annual meeting of the National Venture Capital Association, which was a fun experience. This may sound a little weird (especially since I’m not looking to get funding for a startup anytime soon), but it was actually kind of exciting to be in a conference room full of venture capitalists. They are, after all, the heart of what we cover at VentureBeat, but until now I’ve only been able to… Continue Reading
VC tax continued — differing views
Private Equity Week’s Dan Primack has a good follow-up on the debate about the new tax for venture capitalists and other investors.
A public backlash against these investors is encouraging politicians: The extravagant ways of Blackstone, the buyout firm that that just went public and where leaders were feasting on $300 stone crabs, haven’t helped. The tax proposal is gathering momentum.
And while most investors are upset about the tax, New York venture capitalist Fred Wilson (pictured… Continue Reading
Sarbanes-Oxley debate heats up — VC lobbyist blasts accountants
Sarbanes-Oxley, a batch of legislation passed in 2002 to tighten financial controls at public companies in the wake of the Enron and Worldcom disasters, is generally a good thing.
It has one major flaw, however: A lack of guidance to companies about exactly how to comply with the Act. It hits small companies hard, because they’re forced to hire expensive accounting and legal help to interpret what are often vague guidelines. They end up overpaying, to… Continue Reading
Note to Washington: About half of VC-backed company founders are immigrants
For those who live and work in Silicon Valley, the positive impact of foreign nationals on the region is obvious. The area has long been a magnet for the best and brightest students, entrepreneurs and professionals from all over the world to thrive. Just look at some of the companies that were founded by these individuals and you start to get a sense as to their value — to our lives and to our economy.
Imagine… Continue Reading