European Venture Deals Decline, Euro Volume Up

(U.S. Mint)

Dow Jones VentureSource reports that venture capitalists put €916 million ($1.3 billion) into 198 deals for European companies in the third quarter in 2010, the lowest quarterly deal count for Europe since Dow Jones VentureSource began tracking the region ten years ago. Investment volume rose 6 percent from €866 million, despite the 25 percent drop in the number of deals from the third quarter of 2009.

Except for health care, all industry sectors registered a decrease in both number of deals and investment volume from the third quarter of 2009. Health care remained the largest industry, taking 41 percent of the region’s venture investment volume, €378 million, up 60 percent over 2009. The number of health care deals dropped 21 percent, however, to 45. Pharmaceutical companies attracted most of that volume, €293 million.

The consumer services industry attracted €225 million for 42 deals, a 24 percent increase from €182 million collected for 40 deals in the same period last year, becoming the second largest sector. Information services, which includes Web and social networking companies, drove much of that volume.

The information technology (IT) industry saw a decline in investment and deal flow, which dropped this sector from second to third-leading industry group. In the third quarter of 2010, 60 IT deals brought in €186 million, a 29 percent drop in number of deals and 11 percent decrease in investment volume compared to the same period last year.

The energy and utilities sector also recorded a sharp decline, raising €32 million for eight deals, its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2005. In the third quarter of 2009, the industry attracted €125 million in 27 deals.

VentureSource is the Dow Jones venture capital database tracking more than 48,000 venture-backed companies in the U.S., Canada, Europe, China and India.

Related:

• Venture Investing Down in Q3, Up for Year-to-Date
• Venture Funding Down for Science Startups in Q3 2010

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