Now that the first half of the year is over, it’s a good time for taking stock. These numbers pretty much tell the story of the tech financing markets:
Down 57 per cent. The value of tech IPOs and M&A in the US in the first half of 2009, compared with the same period last year (figures from Dow Jones Venture Source.) At only $2.8bn, this is back at 2003 levels. The NVCA reckons that the amount that all venture-backed companies raised from “liquidity events” fell by 53 per cent, to just under $4bn.
Down 44 per cent. The amount of money invested in global “green tech” in the second quarter compared with a year ago (figures from the Cleantech Group and Deloitte.) At least the $1.2bn that found its way into the sector was up 12 per cent from the dire first quarter.
Up 25 per cent. The first-day pop for software company LogMeIn, which made its debut on Wall Street on Wednesday. Hey, it’s not all bad news: a handful of well-received tech IPOs has shown that, since the Nasdaq bottomed out in March, some investors are getting interested again. But it’s still a far cry from an active IPO market. Only 11 US venture-backed companies have gone public in the past year and a half, compared to 86 in 2007.
