A startup investment boom across the U.S. shows no sign of slowing. The $150B invested so far this year shatters all previous records.
It was “the best quarter ever” for early stage venture capital, according to a newly released AngelList report, “The State of U.S. Early Stage Venture: 2Q21.”
According to an analysis of thousands of early stage deals on AngelList:
- 90% of deal activity is positive (for example, when a company’s value increases);
- more startups are raising priced equity rounds; and
- valuations are rising.
The boom ripples far beyond Silicon Valley. A proliferation of emerging technology hubs reports record deal volume.
In Massachusetts, startups have already raised more in 2021 than all 2020. In Boston, biotech companies are helping to lead the surge:
- DataRobot raised $300M for its machine learning platform that helps companies use big data to make predictions;
- Deep Genomics (they’re hiring) raised $180M to apply AI to drug development; and
- Embark Veterinary raised $75M for its at-home pet DNA testing kits.
In Seattle—along with the entire Pacific Northwest—startups are breaking fundraising records. Recent deals include:
- Rover went public this week trading under “ROVR;”
- Truveta raised $95M to help health systems get better patient data;
- OctoML (they’re hiring) raised $28M to accelerate machine learning; and
- StormX raised $15M to give retailers an option to offer cryptocurrency rewards.
In Miami, investment is up 142% from last year. The growth is buoyed by the arrival of investors from established firms like Founders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz and SoftBank’s commitment of $100M to local startups. Recent deals include:
- Pipe raised $250M to offer companies more flexibility in how they fund growth by using recurring revenue streams;
- Heru raised $30M to use AI to improve eye care;
- Honorlock raised $25M to protect academic testing integrity; and
- RapidPulse raised $15M to advance stroke treatment.
There’s a silver lining for those worried about deal volume shrinking in Silicon Valley: Tech workers are moving back to the Bay Area.
Source: angel.co