Data from the final of the “big three” venture capital reports is in – and reality has returned to venture capital deal-making across North Carolina.

After a one-year boom, it’s back to more typical numbers.

Dow Jones Venture Source reports today that North Carolina startups and entrepreneurial companies brought in $559 million for all of 2016 spread across 50 deals.

That’s down substantially from 2015, which was a return to the VC boom times of the early 2000’s both locally and nationally. Just a year ago, N.C. deal makers struck 60 investments worth nearly $760 million.

The Dow Jones numbers reflect the same trend as reported by the National Venture Capital Association/PitchBook and PricewaterhouseCoopers MoneyTree/CB Insights report.

2016 produced 148 deals across the state worth $764 million in 2016, according to the NVCA-Pitchbook data. That’s down sharply from the 197 deals and $1.16 billion reported for 2015.

PwC’s report, compiled from data provided by CB Insights, noted 66 deals across the state totalling $645.5 million.

The numbers are down from 73 deals and $823 million in 2015.

Why the differences? Each report relies on different sources for information and has different criteria, thus producing numbers that differ on a routine basis.

(Note: The Skinny updated Wednesday’s blog to reflect the fact that CB Insights has replaced Thomson Reuters as the source for data reported by PwC.)

However, for longer-term watchers that quarter-to-quarter or year-to-year blips, the Dow Jones numbers for 2016 were still an improvement over 2014.

That year, 45 deals in N.C. produced $404 million.

As for the fourth quarter, Dow Jones reported a mere eight N.C. deals worth a meager $80 million.

That deal flow is lower than the other reports and is the worst of the year by far.

VC insiders are generally optimistic about deal flow and dollars. As promised, we’ll have a report on their comments now that the Dow Jones data is in.