With another year of venture capital records in the books, it’s time to look forward.
Global data was clear: The 2021 venture capital startup investment cycle was record-breaking; around the world, startups raised more money than ever before, with individual geographies posting all-time hauls.
Africa had a killer year. North America was hot. Latin America was busy. Asia was alight, even under the weight of a regulatory crackdown in China. But Europe. Europe was very busy, something that we explored earlier this week.
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PitchBook data collected on the European 2021 investment cycle pegs venture activity at €102.9 billion, up around 120% from 2020 levels. CB Insights data indicates that European startups raised $93.3 billion last year, up 142% compared to 2020 results. Both sources reported rising volume as well, indicating that the continent did not merely see late-stage rounds push its numbers up.
But there’s potential market chop on the horizon. The recent stock market selloff of key comps to high-growth, richly valued startups is causing tremors. TechCrunch has explored the concept, but lest you think that we’re playing some …