Venture Capital Drops in 2008, Green Goes Up

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2009-01-24 16:59:00 UTC
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About a month ago, I wrote about a report that suggested that the venture capital industry as a whole would shrink in 2008, but that green investment would stay strong.

Today Silicon Alley Insider reported the first evidence that this prediction will be correct. According to the National Venture Capital Association, venture investments dropped from $30.8 billion in 2007 to $28.3 billion in 2008. The largest drop was in the 4th Quarter, which saw a 33% drop from a year earlier. This is the first time in 5 years that VC has dropped.

On the flip side, things look a lot rosier for the green tech world. According to SAI, "of the ten biggest investments made last year, seven were energy companies and the top four were solar companies. Overall, clean tech investment jumped 50% for 2008."

Check out the graphic below:

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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