GreatPoint Energy Tops List of Biggest Massachusetts VC Deals of 2007

Good old 2007. Whether just starting out or going public, it was a fine year for many Massachusetts technology firms. In fact, as we reported last week, a bevy of four-quarter Boston area initial public offerings helped make last year the best IPO year for venture-backed companies since 2004. Today, we’re presenting the numbers on the biggest Bay State venture deals of 2007.

Not surprisingly, cost-heavy energy and biotech firms dominated the list. In fact, a pair of energy companies, GreatPoint Energy ($100 million) and A123 Systems ($70 million), claimed the first two slots, with another duo a bit farther down. Biopharmaceutical firms snared another four of the spots, leaving just a pair of IT firms in the top 10—one of which (Brightcove) is an Internet-based content distribution company, and the other (DarwinSuzsoft) is an outsourcing firm.

Here’s the list, with the lead investors behind them, as provided by Dow Jones VentureSource. All except Syndax Pharmaceuticals, which closed its first round of financing, were later stage deals.

Massachusetts’ Top 10 Venture Deals of 2007

GreatPoint Energy (Cambridge) — $100 million
Lead investor: Dow Chemical

A123Systems (Watertown) — $70 million
Lead investor: GE Capital Commercial Finance

Targanta Therapeutics (Cambridge) — $70 million
Lead investors: OrbiMed Advisors, Radius Ventures, Skyline Ventures.

Brightcove (Cambridge) — $59.5 million
Lead investors: AllianceBernstein, Maverick Capital

Aveo Pharmacecuticals* (Cambridge) — $53 million
Lead investors not identified.** New investors this round included: Biogen Idec, Bessemer Venture Partners, Merlin BioMed Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Schering-Plough Corporation, Vatera Holdings)

Microbia (Cambridge) — $50 million
Lead investor:** Ridgeback Capital

DarwinSuzsoft* (Wakefield) — $48 million
Lead investor: Francisco Partners

Konarka Technologies (Lowell) — $45 million
Lead investor: Good Energies

Boston-Power (Westborough) — $45 million
Lead investor: Oak Investment Partners

Syndax Pharmaceuticals (Waltham) — $40 million
Lead investor: Domain Associates

* company name not divulged by Dow Jones, but we were able to piece it together
** Investors not identified by Dow Jones, but…

Author: Robert Buderi

Bob is Xconomy's founder and chairman. He is one of the country's foremost journalists covering business and technology. As a noted author and magazine editor, he is a sought-after commentator on innovation and global competitiveness. Before taking his most recent position as a research fellow in MIT's Center for International Studies, Bob served as Editor in Chief of MIT's Technology Review, then a 10-times-a-year publication with a circulation of 315,000. Bob led the magazine to numerous editorial and design awards and oversaw its expansion into three foreign editions, electronic newsletters, and highly successful conferences. As BusinessWeek's technology editor, he shared in the 1992 National Magazine Award for The Quality Imperative. Bob is the author of four books about technology and innovation. Naval Innovation for the 21st Century (2013) is a post-Cold War account of the Office of Naval Research. Guanxi (2006) focuses on Microsoft's Beijing research lab as a metaphor for global competitiveness. Engines of Tomorrow (2000) describes the evolution of corporate research. The Invention That Changed the World (1996) covered a secret lab at MIT during WWII. Bob served on the Council on Competitiveness-sponsored National Innovation Initiative and is an advisor to the Draper Prize Nominating Committee. He has been a regular guest of CNBC's Strategy Session and has spoken about innovation at many venues, including the Business Council, Amazon, eBay, Google, IBM, and Microsoft.