Global venture capital investment 2011-2014, by region
Venture capital investments – additional information
Venture capital investments typically go to startup firms and small businesses which are expected to experience significant and long-term growth. Typically these investments have a higher risk for the investor, but the rate of return is usually greater.
Global venture capital investment in the United States is significantly higher than other regions around the world such as Europe, China, Canada and others. Yearly venture capital investment in the United States between 2011 and 2013 was around 35 billion U.S. dollars and it increased significantly in 2014, when more than 52 billion U.S. dollars were invested. In 2015, this figure increased to 52.1 billion U.S. dollars. For comparison, the biggest year for any other country in the world occurred in China in 2014, when 15.5 billion U.S. dollars in capital investment was recorded; significantly less than a typical year in the United States.
Typically the most investment occurs at an early stage, but also during expansion. In 2015, most venture capital investment occurred within the software industry, followed by biotechnology and then media and entertainment. The large majority of investments go to Silicon Valley. The New York Metro area also receives large amounts of venture capital investment as does New England.