Time once again for our irregular, data-driven roundup of local deals, M&A, and other news, from biggest to smallest. The truth is, it’s been a slow week since our last local deals roundup on January 17.
$2.89 billion—The total amount invested in venture-backed companies in the San Francisco Bay Area in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to data released Friday by VentureSource, a research unit of Dow Jones. That represented the smallest quarterly investment total for the region, across the smallest number of companies (232), of any period since the third quarter of 2010. For the year, however, overall venture investments across the country were up about 10 percent over 2010 levels, at $32.6 billion.
$558 million—The total secondary stock trades in private companies handled in 2011 by SecondMarket, according to the company’s year-end report. The New York- and San Francisco-based broker-dealer specializes in helping shareholders in pre-IPO startups sell their stock, among other things. That trading volume represented a 55 percent increase over 2010 levels.
$85 million—New funding announced today for San Francisco-based cloud services provider Joyent. A European investment group focused on telecommunications, Weather Investment II, led the round.
$85 million—A round of growth equity financing for Redwood Shores, CA-based game publisher Trion Worlds, maker of connected video games such as End of Nations, Defiance, and Rift. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments participated in the financing.
$15 million—A Series C financing round announced today for San Francisco-based TRUSTe, the provider of privacy verification programs for Web and mobile businesses and advertisers. New investor Baseline Ventures led the round, with participation from existing investors Accel Partners, DAG Ventures, and Jafco Ventures.
$11.4 million—A Series B investment announced last week for San Francisco-based Anaplan, a maker of enterprise planning software. New investors Granite Ventures and Shasta Ventures led the round.
$4 million—A Series A investment for security software firm Mykonos Software, according to a report today in Dow Jones VentureWire. Tom Golisano, chairman of Paychex, led the all-angel financing round, which also included Ironport Systems founder Scott Banister, Orbitz chairman Jeff Clarke, and Federated Clover vice president Mike Jones.
$2.3 million—Total venture funding raised by Redwood Shores, CA-based social shopping startup Mertado, which was acquired last week by Chicago-based Groupon last week for an undisclosed sum. The Y Combinator-incubated company was backed by Rustic Canyon Partners, Blumberg Capital, and Redpoint Ventures.
