By Evan Vitale
Here’s the latest and greatest on venture capital news:
From the Tampa Bay Tribune, local startups are already kicking into high gear and earning some notice from venture capital firms from Silicon Valley with many new programs getting some attention in Clearwater and St. Petersburg.
Check out the full article here: bit.ly/1PbBG8P
In Boston, Assemble.VC is looking to raise a $75 million initial fund, according to a recent SEC filing. Word has it the fund is more than halfway closed so far. More information and other Boston VC news can be found here: bit.ly/1Qrbvfj
iNovia Capital Inc., Montreal, says it has raised $175 million (Canadian dollars – US $120.2 million) for its latest venture-capital fund, overcoming the challenge of a sinking currency that puts Canadian firms investing in startups at a disadvantage to their United States counterparts.
Previously, iNovia attracted $110 million (Canadian) for each of its two previous funds.
The full Wall Street Journal article is here: on.wsj.com/1OGHyDn
Orange County continues to make venture capital headlines with startups landing $1 billion in venture capital in 2015, a first since the dot-com bust in 2000. Software and medical device firms made up most of the closed deals a year ago.
According to a MoneyTree report from Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the National Venture Capital Association, investors last year put their money into 88 deals in Orange County as compared to 148 deals (and $1.7 billion) in 2000. Two years ago, $683 million was invested in 89 deals.
In July 2015, Google Capital led a $100 million investment round in CrowdStrike, an Irvine-based cyber-security technology company, to expand its reach across the United States and internationally. This investment tied for the 10th-largest in the country since 1995.
According to PwC, venture capital in Irvine, California has increased 85% since 2010.
The full article is here: bit.ly/1lFovkt
