You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

VC 100: The Top Venture Capital Firms Backing U.S. Startups If you want to launch a business, it's critical to know the state of startup capital. As the VC market recovers, we look at the firms funding American innovation.

By Tanya Benedicto Klich

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The rise in venture capital funding in 2013 is proving that the industry still has legs despite hitting a post-recession trough in 2009. Venture capitalists invested $29.4 billion in 3,995 deals in 2013, an increase of 7 percent in dollars and a 4 percent increase in deals over the prior year, according to the PwC/NVCA MoneyTree™ Report.

The boost came from Internet companies, which captured $7.1 billion, the highest level of Internet investment since 2001. Investments into Software also reached the highest level since 2000.

Investments in seed and early stage companies rose by the double-digits, at 14 percent and 17 percent, respectively; while expansion and later stage rose by only 4 and 1 percent, respectively.

View the Full List: Entrepreneur's VC 100 & Interactive Timelines

For companies receiving venture capital for the first time, there was a 14 percent rise in dollars while the number of deals increased 3 percent compared to 2012. Industries receiving the most dollars in first-time financings in 2013 were Software, Biotechnology and Media & Entertainment.

Below is PitchBook's listing of the most active venture firms funding seed and early-stage companies in the U.S. To view the research platform's full VC 100 list, click here.

Click to Enlarge (+)
Tanya Benedicto Klich

Data & Featured Lists Editor

Tanya Benedicto Klich is a data and lists editor at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

James Clear Explains Why the 'Two Minute Rule' Is the Key to Long-Term Habit Building

The hardest step is usually the first one, he says. So make it short.

Business News

Microsoft's New AI Can Make Photographs Sing and Talk — and It Already Has the Mona Lisa Lip-Syncing

The VASA-1 AI model was not trained on the Mona Lisa but could animate it anyway.

Living

Get Your Business a One-Year Sam's Club Membership for Just $14

Shop for office essentials, lunch for the team, appliances, electronics, and more.

Side Hustle

He Took His Side Hustle Full-Time After Being Laid Off From Meta in 2023 — Now He Earns About $200,000 a Year: 'Sweet, Sweet Irony'

When Scott Goodfriend moved from Los Angeles to New York City, he became "obsessed" with the city's culinary offerings — and saw a business opportunity.