Jan 31, 2020 - Economy & Business

Venture capital has no guesses as to what 2020 has in store

Illustration by Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Over the past 48 hours at the Upfront Summit, I've met with at least 50 venture capitalists and nearly as many limited partners in venture capital funds, representing varying geographies, experiences, and specialties.

My goal in such settings is to suss out a consensus trend or sentiment. The same thing that keeps arising in varied conversation, unprompted. For the first time I can remember, there wasn't one.

Venture's first half of 2019 was all about the rapid ascent, whether it be round sizes or valuations — fueled by everything from SoftBank to public SaaS multiples. Then came WeWork, and it felt like the climb was over. Everyone was Wile E. Coyote on the downhill, waiting to be flattened by a boulder.

But then it didn't happen.

  • Things didn't really get worse, save for some portfolio company layoffs that were relatively mild in comparison to the buildup.
  • Things didn't really get better, outside of increased focus on profitability.
  • So everyone just kept pushing along, doing deals. Running on limbo's treadmill.

Bottom line: 2020 is beginning as the year of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Go deeper: Venture capitalists have yet to join Corporate America in tackling climate change

Go deeper

Venture capitalists have yet to join Corporate America in tackling climate change

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

2020 appears to be the year that Corporate America is serious about addressing climate change, but it remains unclear if venture capitalists plan to join the fight.

The big picture: Many VCs still have painful scars from the mid-to-late aughts, when they lost billions on investments in "cleantech" companies.

Go deeperArrowJan 29, 2020

Venture capital funding fled U.S. and China for Britain in 2019

Reproduced from Tech Nation; Chart: Axios Visuals

Venture capital funding fell significantly in the U.S. and China last year, but boomed in the U.K., rising to a record $13.2 billion, according to a report prepared for the British government by industry group Tech Nation and research firm Dealroom.

Why it matters: The U.K. saw a significant increase in the number of deals and amount of money pledged by venture capital firms, far outpacing other European economies, with half the total funding coming from firms and investors based in the U.S. and Asia.

Go deeperArrowJan 16, 2020

Venture capital slowly seeps outside of Silicon Valley

Adapted from Pitchbook; Chart: Axios Visuals

Venture capital investment is seeping out from Silicon Valley to the rest of the country, but the West Coast still dominates the market by a wide margin.

Why it matters: Venture capital investment can play a crucial role in building fast-growing, tech-based economies like those of the Bay Area, Seattle, Austin, New York and Boston. But VC investors don't typically stray outside those markets to look for the next big thing.

Go deeperArrowJan 15, 2020