VC firms raised $5B last quarter

For the final three months of 2013, venture capital firms raised a big ol’ $4.9 billion for their funds.

In all of 2013, VC firms raised a total of $16.6 billion.

According to the National Venture Capital Association and Thompson Reuters, this figure represents a 12 percent increase in dollar amounts over the third quarter. However, the fundraising seems to have been a bit more consolidated, as the number of firms raising money decreased by 21 quarter-over-quarter.

For the firms that did raise, 14 new funds were established and 34 funds got follow-on financing.

“Venture capital fundraising in 2013 ended much in the way it began, with continued concentration within the larger funds and a sense of optimism for the coming year,” said Bobby Franklin, president and CEO, National Venture Capital Association, in a statement on the news.

“The difference today is that there is hard evidence of an improving exit market, which will actually help realize some of this positive momentum as limited partners again include venture as a vital component of their portfolio. If the IPO market continues to strengthen and receive quality offerings, we can expect more VCs involved in those exits to raise money in 2014, which will bode well for a new crop of startups looking to raise capital,” Franklin continued.

Here’s a chart showing number of firms (bars) and dollars raised in thousands of millions (line):