Venture Capital Investment Q4 04 – MoneyTree Survey

Venture capital investing increased in 2004 to $20.9 billion after declining for three years, reversing the downward trend. Late stage investing jumped significantly to $7.2 billion while early stage investing remained strong. The life sciences sector continued to dominate with $5.6 billion invested, and software saw $5.1 billion in funding. First-time financings also increased, with 796 companies receiving funding for the first time.