In an exclusive Q&A, the CED’s Dhruv Patel, director of investor relations, talks about what the latest venture capital statistics from the MoneyTree report mean.

North Carolina rose to ninth nationally in the second quarter with 16 deals across the state generating $124 million.

  • Sixteen deals, $124M – good for ninth nationally and 7th straight quarter over $100M: What’s your analysis of VC in NC, looking good?

Across the board we’ve seen greater activity in the second quarter as compared to the first and that’s a positive signal for those who were worried about the severity of the slowdown in the funding market.

  • Three deals in Charlotte, two in mountains, one in Wilmington: Is NC developing a more diverse startup base? 

Deals in these areas are primarily for growth-stage companies. This is an encouraging development for Asheville, Charlotte and Wilmington, because growing companies doing larger deals will help put those areas on the radar for many more investors and stakeholders.

  • Several startups secured early-stage funding. Sign of good things to come?

Despite the slowdown in the market we are seeing sustained funding activity for early stage companies, most of which is taking place in the Triangle.

This is a sign of a strong, mature ecosystem.