Data from the MoneyTree Report, a Savvy Entrepreneur´s Guide to Where to Look for Funding

As a journalist, I´ve been covering data from the MoneyTree Report since it was created in 1995. Wiith each quarterly report, the information gets richer and richer, not only as a bellwether of the state of venture investing, but as a good source of "due diligence" for the entrepreneur trying to find the appropriate venture capital firms to approach for funding.

One key place to look in the PWC report is the list of most active investors, which doesn't necessarily mean they have invested the most money, but still fertile ground for investment opportunities (you´ll have to register to access this, but can find it in the "Summary Report"). I´m listing the top 26 for Q2 2006 below, all with 10+ investments in the quarter. (Of note, wedged in between the formidable Benchmark Capital and Canaan Parnters is the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. You can bet I'll be following up on that interesting tidbit of information in a near future post.)

To drill down into the data to find which funds´ investment criteria aligns with a company´s business plan, the savvy CEO or CFO can also cross-reference by industry, stage and region.

Another link from the main page of the report which caught my attention was that of the "Historical Trend Data." A glance at the chart, with a huge spike between 1999 and 2001, is a stark reminder of the excesses (and losses) of that era, but most importantly shows that venture investing now is as high or higher than the years prior to 1998--which is actually news you can take to the bank.

Q2 2006 most active venture investors

(from the report)

The most active venture investors in the U.S. closed five or more deals each in Q2 2006. Of the more than

2,300 transactions reported in Q2 2006, the most active firms accounted for 888, approximately 37% of

the total. The top 11 firms accounted for just over 8% of the deals completed during the quarter. Draper

Fisher Jurvetson topped the list with a total of 26 deals, and New Enterprise Associates came in second,

having participated in 22 deals during the quarter. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Intel Capital were

also at the top of the list, each reporting 20 deals.

Draper Fisher Jurvetson--26

Menlo Park, CA

New Enterprise Associates--22

Baltimore, MD