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Learn Chinese - Venture capital jumps 55% on mainland

BIZCHINA / News

Venture capital jumps 55% on mainland

(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-02-14 16:35

Venture capital investments on the Chinese mainland jumped 55 percent
last year, reaching a three-year high, an industry report said yesterday.

Venture capital valued at US$1.89 billion poured into the mainland last
year in 214 deals, said a report jointly released by Dow Jones VentureOne
and Ernst & Young.

It marked a 37 percent increase in the number of deals year on year.

Information technology remained the dominant industry for investment.

By industry, 131 IT companies were financed last year, receiving US$920.7
million, up 34 percent from 2005 in terms of capital.

Meanwhile, there was significant growth in areas such as healthcare,
retail companies and clean technologies.

The business, consumer and retail industry category posted 57 deals and
US$613.3 million last year, 20 more deals and 40 percent more capital
than in 2005.

The energy segment climbed with 10 deals, up from one in 2005, and
US$212.6 million invested, up from US$80 million a year earlier.

"The continuous growth of the Chinese economy and the middle class in
China - as well as the increased focus on innovation - are the primary
drivers for the significant investment growth in these sectors," said Bob
Partridge, China leader of Ernst & Young's Venture Capital Advisory Group.

Stephen Harmston, director of global research for VentureOne, said:
"Another sign of the strength is that investors are helping their
companies to ramp up quickly in the global marketplace by funding them
with increasingly larger sums."

The median deal size in China is now US$5.9 million, up 59 percent from
US$3.7 million in 2005.

In addition, the level of second round investment activity illustrates
the growing maturity of the venture capital market in China, Harmston
said.

"Investors are helping companies to move past the start-up stage into the
next phase of development," he said.

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)

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