Nine Connecticut companies spilt $12.5 million in venture capital funding in the fourth quarter, the worst three-month period for such investments in a year that was a marked improvement over 2009, authorities say.
For all of 2010, 52 Connecticut companies received venture funding totaling $200.2 million, a 28 percent improvement over the investment level in 2009.
Even though the fourth quarter was the second best quarter nationally in 2010, it was the worst quarter by far in Connecticut. The first quarter had $129.1 million in deals; the second quarter had $24.6 million and the third quarter yielded $34 million.
The biggest fourth-quarter venture deal was $6.2 million to VLS Securities LLC in Canaan, which operates as a boutique broker dealer. New Haven biotechnology firm Helix Therapeutics LLC received $2.5 million in venture capital funding. New Haven media and entertainment firm SeeClickFix, Inc. received $1.3 million. New Haven medical devices firm Affinimark Technologies, Inc. received $1.3 million.
The smaller deals were $450,000 to Guilford online advertiser uKnow Corp.; $280,000 to Norwalk telecommunications company Interactive Mobile @dvertising LLC; $250,000 to New Haven media and entertainment firm Twigtek Inc.; $250,000 to New Haven software firm Retail Optimization Inc.; and $50,000 to Stamford software firm Semantifi Inc.
More than $5 billion was invested nationally in the fourth quarter for a total of $21.8 billion for the year.
