I wrote a blog back in February referencing the 'the chill winds blowing around tech stocks' and the dearth of IPO activity for technology companies in the US and beyond.
Now for some good news: according to the National Venture Capital Association in the US, the $12.1bn invested at the start of 2016 was - with the exception of last year - the best first quarter in the territory since the heady days of 2001. So whilst the IPO window remains shut, it would appear that VC's wallets remain very much open.
As a headhunter, I am often asked by both clients and candidates 'what are you seeing in the market'? I have to admit that for the first quarter of this year my response has been somewhat 'bearish'.
'One swallow does not make a summer', and all that, but this PwC compiled report has made me question if the 'bubble' has been somewhat over inflated...
Venture capitalists will tell you that a lackluster IPO market and struggling tech stocks mean that they are being more cautious, but the data suggests otherwise. Apart from last year, which saw $13.7 billion invested in the first quarter, National Venture Capital Association data shows that the $12.1 billion invested at the beginning of 2016 was the best start to a year since the dot-com boom in 2001.
http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/14/what-bubble-vcs-spend-12-billion-on-startups-in-first-quarter/