Market heat wave

The current increase in transaction price, and entrepreneur value expectation can be observed in today's VentureOne private equity market metrics. According to VentureOne, Valuations of venture-backed companies for 2005 reached their highest point in four years as sizable acquisitions fueled an increase in the price of later-stage companies.

The median premoney valuation of U.S. start-ups reached $15.2 million, up from $12.5 million a year ago, according to a report released today from VentureOne, a unit of Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group. In 2001 overall annual median premoney valuations hit $16 million. Later-stage information-technology company valuations rose the most, by almost $8 million over 2004, to $30.3 million.

Within IT, the median largest valuations were $42.8 million for later-stage electronics and $44 million for later-stage semiconductor companies. Among round classes, U.S.premoney valuations increased for all but first rounds, which were relatively flat at $5.4 million, down from $5.6 million a year ago.

Meanwhile, in Europe, the median premoney valuation increased to $4.1 million, the highest since $4.8 million in 2002. The median value of European IT companies increased to EUR3.9 million from EUR3.2 million a year ago.

Are we going to all get burn again ?

Comments

[James]

Any thoughts on http://duckdown.blogspot.com/2006/03/venture-capital-and-enterprise.html