Two-thousand seven was a year of recent-year records for venture-backed exits. According to the exit poll from the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Financial out Wednesday, 31 venture-backed IPOs pulled in $3 billion for the fourth quarter -- the highest per-quarter volume since the third quarter of 2000.
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For all of 2007, there were 86 venture-backed IPOs raking in $10.3 billion, a 51% jump over 2006. On the M&A front, the fourth quarter was slow by volume with just 45 M&A exits pulling in a disclosed $5 billion, the lowest number since the 44 seen in the first quarter of 1998. However, average disclosed quarterly dollar volume for the fourth quarter was $228.4 million, the highest average since 2000. For the year overall, 304 M&A deals yielded a disclosed collective $23.7 billion, the highest in value since 2000.
But will venture-backed IPOs, M&A keep pace for the year ahead? "An ideal year would see more than one hundred venture-backed IPO's and 350 or more acquisitions," Mark Heesen, the NVCA president, said in a statement. "But we don't want to sacrifice quality to hit that threshold." - Carolyn Murphy
Go to NVCA press release
