Mark Boslet

Menlo, Highland, Austin funds' performance gain in MassPRIM portfolio: VCJ

It is little surprise that funds from Union Square Ventures and Spark Capital top the list of the best performing venture investments at the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board. Less expected are which funds made the greatest progress over the past year in MassPRIM’s venture portfolio.

Doximity raises $54 mln from DFJ, T Rowe Price, others

Doximity said it closing a $54 million round of Series C funding co-led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Morgan Stanley Investment Management also participated in the round as a new investor. Existing investors Emergence Capital Partners, Morgenthaler Ventures and InterWest Partners also joined the financing. Doximity, an online network for doctors, has more than tripled its user base since its last funding in September 2012 and has one in three U.S. doctors as members, the company said.

Venture capital confidence index climbs again

The Silicon Valley Venture Capital Confidence Index rose in the first quarter for seventh consecutive quarter. This marks the longest upward trend in the history of the index, according to Mark Cannice at the University of San Francisco, who assembles it. The index now stands at 4.03 on a 5 point scale with 5 indicating high confidence. VCs interviewed for the index cited the IPO market and the rapid technological disruption being driven by startups for their confidence.

Fund performance: Menlo, Highland and Austin gain in MassPRIM portfolio

Union Square, Spark and Battery rank as the top performers

Wanderful Media raises $14.5 mln

Wanderful Media said it raised $14.5 million from existing investors. Previous investors include the media companies Advance Digital, A. H. Belo Corporation, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., Cox Media Group, The E. W. Scripps Company, Gannett Co., Inc., GateHouse Media, Inc., Graham Holdings Co., Hearst Corporation, Lee Enterprises, MediaNews Group and The McClatchy Company.

Optimism at startups is highest in five years -- survey

Optimism runs high among private, growth-focused companies despite jitters on Wall Street, according to a new Silicon Valley Bank survey of 1,200 companies in 15 countries.

ARCH raising $250 mln for new venture fund

ARCH Venture Partners is raising an eighth venture fund with a smaller target of $250 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing for ARCH Venture Fund VIII lists six managing directors: Keith Crandell, Robert Nelsen, Clinton Bybee, Mark McDonnell, Kristina Burow and Paul Thurk. Managing Director Steven Gillis is not listed.

Artiman to raise new fund

Artiman Ventures has begun raising a new fund, Artiman Ventures 2014, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing does not state a target for the new fund, which is being packaged with, Artiman Ventures Select 2014.

Silicon Valley grabs record share of venture capital activity

Valley accounts for nearly 50 percent of nation’s venture investing

Fund performance: Technology Partners, TCV, Weston Presidio see gains: VCJ

Institutional Venture Partners and Landmark Partners hold the top positions in the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System’s mid decade venture portfolio, affiliate publication Venture Capital Journal reports. But funds from Weston Presidio, Technology Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures were the most improved through the middle of last year.