So far this year, biotechnology has been the top sector for venture-backed IPOs, followed by software and services. In terms of aftermarket performance, tech is the winner hands down. “Right now, SaaS software is where there is the most appetite,” said Jules Maltz, a general partner at IVP. “It is sector specific.” A healthier balance […]
Corporate venture capitalists have remained surprisingly active in 2016 with their share of dollars going into U.S. startups hitting a 16-year record. However, overall investing is down from a free-spending 2015. Through the first three-quarters of 2016, corporate investors put $5.2 billion to work with U.S. companies, a 20 percent drop from the first nine […]
The past couple years have brought big changes to the seed market. The number of seed deals is down, the number of funds is up, and both round sizes and ownership targets have spiked. It is a recipe for added competition, which is exactly what is taking place. For Michael Kim at Cendana Capital, the […]
Early-stage investor Slow Ventures has raised $145 million for its third fund, hitting the target, according to a regulatory filing. Founded by ex-Facebook employees Kevin Colleran and Dave Morin, Slow targets companies seeking seed-stage funding, and also makes angel investments. More than half of Slow Ventures III is reserved for follow-on investments, the firm said […]
Water may be the new oil. With the globe’s fresh-water supply shrinking due to pollution growth and severe drought in places like California, water is looking less like a cheap commodity and more like a precious resource. So can venture investors strike it rich in the water business? Experts say that while the multibillion-dollar deals haven’t […]
BDC Capital launched a second cleantech fund to support Canadian startups that are feeling the continuing effects of venture capital’s boom-and-bust experience in the fledging sector. The investment arm of BDC unveiled ICE Venture Fund II this week. Capitalized at $135 million, the fund aims to fill a key market gap by investing in 15 to 20 cleantech and energy-tech companies, especially in areas where Canada has a comparative advantage, such as resource efficiency.
National Venture Capital Association Chairman Venky Ganesan, looking to build bridges rather than walls, said he sees ways to engage with a Trump Administration on at least a narrow set of issues. Ganesan, hoping to find a bright spot in this year’s elections results, identified some of them as immigration, tax reform, infrastructure repair and […]
Funds from LLR Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures lead a mid-decade venture-fund portfolio that has chalked up a generally poor performance at Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association. The portfolio of a dozen funds with 2003 to 2005 vintages is divided equally between those above and below water. LLR’s $360 million second fund from 2004 is […]
After a strong run, 1-year returns for venture capital went negative in the second quarter as a slow period for exits hurt portfolio liquidity. One-year returns for the U.S. industry fell to -1.39 percent from 4.78 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to Cambridge Associates. It was the fourth consecutive quarterly decline […]
Information Venture Partners wrapped up its second VC fund at $106 million with the help of a fourth strategic investor as well as increased commitments from existing limited partners. Information Venture Partners II, which invests in fintech and enterprise-software companies in Canada and the United States, closed late last month, General Partners Robert Antoniades and David Unsworth told PE Hub Canada. The fund edged past its $100 million target thanks mostly to a commitment from Manulife Financial, a Canadian insurer and financial-services firm.