Venture capital investments touched a record high of $157.1 billion raised across 7,687 deals in the second quarter of this year, driven by high valuations and an appetite among investors to channel funds to fast-growing companies, according to a new report.
This compares to $147.2bn that was raised across 8,557 deals in the first quarter of this year, KPMG said in its latest Venture Pulse report.
Funding rounds in excess of $1bn in eight countries were responsible for the surge in VC investment during the period.
“Diversity was really the defining characteristic of the VC market globally in Q2 – from the countries where deals occurred to the different sectors that attracted investment. We even saw an increase in the percentage of funding coming from other types of investors making VC investments – including corporates and family offices,” said Conor Moore, KPMG's head of private enterprise for the Americas region.
“This diversity will likely keep VC investment quite strong heading into Q3, with FinTech likely to be a hot area of investment across all regions of the world.”
The coronavirus pandemic has fuelled a tech boom, spurring demand for products by FinTechs, education technology, food technology and e-commerce start-ups as users turn to digital channels following movement restrictions to combat the spread of the virus.
FinTech was the popular sector among investors, while health technology, biotech, EdTech, gaming and food delivery continued to attract significant investment activity, KPMG's report said.
The Americas region attracted more than half, or $84.1bn, of the total, with US companies receiving $75.8bn of this. VC investments in Europe rose for the sixth quarter in a row to $34bn, but in Asia-Pacific there was a quarter-on-quarter decline in funding to $42.8bn. However, India was a bright spot, with companies raising a record $7.8bn during the period, the report said.
Median deal sizes were also up across most funding stages, averaging $2 million for seed stage rounds, $10m for Series A, $25m for Series B, $53m for Series C and $105m for Series D+ deals.
VC-backed exit values reached $221bn in the second quarter of 2021 – second only to the record $314bn reported in first quarter this year, KPMG said.
While the health crisis has accelerated digitisation, many of these trends are forecast to continue.
“Some countries are beginning to emerge into the post-pandemic world,” said Kevin Smith, KPMG's head of private enterprise for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Even as they do, there will be trends, both in the [business-to-consumer] and [business-to-business] spaces, that will stick – from people getting their groceries delivered to businesses recognising the importance of optimising their digital transformation. These areas will be likely to continue to attract VC investment in Q3 and beyond – and that in turn can spark new waves of investment in areas like cyber security and fraud protection.”
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
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Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Squads
Australia: Finch (c), Agar, Behrendorff, Carey, Coulter-Nile, Lynn, McDermott, Maxwell, Short, Stanlake, Stoinis, Tye, Zampa
India: Kohli (c), Khaleel, Bumrah, Chahal, Dhawan, Shreyas, Karthik, Kuldeep, Bhuvneshwar, Pandey, Krunal, Pant, Rahul, Sundar, Umesh
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
