Managers

Fund performance: Ohio pension sees gains from Top Tier, Essex

Venture portfolio’s focus on secondaries and funds of funds appears to pay off

Fund briefs recap

From 500 Mobile Collective to Deutsche Telekom, a recap of venture fundraising activities worldwide

Northleaf commits $15 mln to Golden Venture Partners Fund II

Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund has made a $15 million commitment to Golden Venture Partners Fund II. Toronto-based GVP II is a mobile-focused seed and early stage venture fund.

Angel investment activity grows in the first half

Angels put $10.1 billion in startups during the first half of the year, a modest increase from 2013, according to the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire.

Golden Venture Partners closes second mobile VC fund at $40 mln

Canadian venture capital firm Golden Venture Partners has closed its second fund, Golden Venture Partners II, at $40 million. Capital commitments to the oversubscribed Fund II were led by Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund, which contributed $15 million of the total, with participation from BDC Capital and other investors. The Toronto-based Golden Venture Partners said a new fund that is larger than the $17 million Fund I will allow it to lead or join seed deals of up to $750,000; undertake larger and later-stage investments of up to $1 million; maintain reserves for future portfolio activity; and diversify investing in around 25 mobile technology companies.

Golden Venture Partners Fund II attracts $15 mln from Northleaf

Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund (NVCF) has made a $15 million commitment to Golden Venture Partners Fund II, the second fund of Canadian early-stage venture capital firm Golden Venture Partners. The fund commitment, NVCF's fifth since its launch in January, builds on a 2012 commitment by the Ontario Venture Capital Fund, an investment vehicle managed by NVCF affiliate Northleaf Capital Partners. Based in Toronto, Golden Venture Partners is focused on investing in mobile technology startups. Among its portfolio companies is Wattpad, an online community for readers and writers, which secured $46 million in a Series C financing in April. NVCF co-invested in that round.

Angel investment activity grows in the first half

Average deal size slipped slightly, but overall investments rose 4.1 percent in year-over-year periods

Guest column: What the election results mean for venture capital

In looking ahead, the issues that are front and center in Washington include tax reform and patent reform

Apple co-founder Wozniak joins VC-backed Primary Data

Salt Lake City-based data virtualization firm Primary Data has named Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak as chief scientist. In his new role, Wozniak will advise Primary Data on technology vision and architecture.

VCAP-backed Kensington Venture Fund raises $160 mln: Reuters

The latest of several Canadian government-backed investment funds that are being set up to breathe life into the country's venture capital industry raised $160 million on its initial closing, Reuters reported. The fund, dubbed the Kensington Venture Fund, is being run by Toronto-based Kensington Capital Partners. Targeted to raise $300 million in total, Kensington's initial close was achieved in part through capital commitments from leading Canadian corporate and financial investors.