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FP Venture Commentary Money sitting on the sidelines Have you seen your local VC? It seems they are hiding in their office or in the board rooms of their struggling portfolio companies. There was still $14 Billion raised by funds in the first quarter (VentureOne), so where is all the money? PricewaterhouseCoopers and VentureOne stated that investments fell from $26.1 Billion (Q1 2000) to only $10.1 Billion (Q1 2001). Funding in every Internet related sector dropped significantly, approximately 50 percent. Venture investors have shown more care and diligence in their investment decisions. The investment average for Internet startups fell 11 percent to $9.8 Million (Q1 2001) from the previous quarter. Internet related companies also dropped to only represent one- quarter of total venture funding. So where is the money? It is sitting on the sidelines. Venture investors still have capital that they HAVE to invest. Many of the venture funds raised in the past two years have 4-5 years to invest their capital. So that leaves only two years for VCs to invest a substantial amount of capital. What are they waiting for? 1) VCs are back to doing real due diligence and taking their time again. 2) VCs are waiting to see which sectors will turn back into good investment opportunities. 3) Everyone is waiting for the IPO market to open back up. 4) Investors are just unsure and very scared from the destruction of the past year. Investors are waiting for a sign, something to boost their confidence and look towards new investments. Gone are the days of trade show booths, first class travel, and business dinners. Now are the days of survival. Next time: Corporate venture – still hanging in there Agree? Disagree? Please email your viewpoints and comments to comment@FundingPost.com we will discuss your comments here. Read previous Venture commentary here. | |||||
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