2013 was a good year for Venture capitalists. There were 24 venture-backed firms that went public in the fourth quarter of 2013 and were able to raise $5.3 billion combined in their IPOs. The report said this was the third quarter in a row with over 20 VC-backed firms that went public, making last year the best year for fresh listings since the pre-recession days in 2007, citing data gathered by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).
In total, there were 82 venture-backed firms that undertook IPOs last year, bringing in over $11.2 billion in funds raised. This was a bit lower than the total posted in 2012 which reached close to $21.5 billion but the report said this was due largely to the $16 billion IPO of Facebook. The 48 other firms that went public made up the remaining $5.5 billion. If Facebook's blockbuster IPO is not included, the most recent quarter comprised the biggest funds raised by companies supported by venture capital firms since the second quarter of 2011, the report said.
For 2013, the most widely talked about public debut was that of Twitter which raised a record of $1.8 billion and another $300 million days later when its underwriters sold 10.5 million shares. However, the quiet winner in terms of sector was not technology but that of the biotechnology sector as it comprised over half of the IPOs for the year.
Citing a statement from the research chief of NVCA, the report said the on-ramp provision of the JOBS Act is one of the main reasons why the overall IPO market, especially the biotech sector, gained strength last year. The JOBS Act allowed "emerging growth companies" or firms that posted annual revenues of less than $1 billion to give registration statements to the US Securities and Exchange Commission confidentially, the report said.
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