It's always an interesting week in venture capital. Discover the best stories, blog posts and other information inside the VC ecosystem in the US and in hotspots around the world. Onward dear reader…
VC FUND SIZE MATTERS
Large venture capital fund partner Tom Grossi has a thought-provoking post up on the issue about venture capital fund size versus performance.
Fortune: Does Fund Size Matter?
Grossi says flatly that "the largest funds in each vintage have been far more likely than their smaller competitors to generate top quartile performance."
ANGEL GROUP ACTIVITY
A report on Angel group investment activity is out.
Silicon Valley Bank: Halo Report H1 2012
Among the findings is that the median round size is back down to 2010 levels, while pre-money valuations continue to rise.
CROWD FUNDING STREAMLINING
As crowd funding of startups ramps up, there are a number of opportunities to streamline the process.
TechCrunch: Solving Pain Points
Two companies aim to help startups communicate better and do a better job filling orders.
BOSTON ENTREPRENEUR VC SURVEY
The New England Venture Capital Association commissioned a survey to ask local entrepreneurs their opinion of the Boston startup ecosystem.
Boston.com: Entrepreneurs Sound Off
The group asked 111 entrepreneurs their opinions and heard criticisms such as “too-conservative” VCs and the lack of early-stage funding.
BAD SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE
Technology startup attorney Alexander Davie has a case study post on how not to comply with securities laws.
Strictly Business: Neogenix Oncology: What Not to Do
The company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because of securities law violations.
THIRD QUARTER VC FUNDRAISING
Venture capital fundraising in the third quarter had similar qualitative aspects, according to the Dow Jones LP Source.
Dow Jones: Venture Fundraising Ruled by A Few Firms
The report says that of the current quarter's $4.73 billion raised, $2.73 billion went to just five firms.
REGIONAL STARTUP COMMUNITY CLUSTERS
Entrepreneur Steve Blank has a detailed post on his take on how best to create a startup culture in your area.
Steve Blank: Startup Communities - Building Regional Clusters
He’s got a few quibbles with Brad Feld’s startup community primer, including some chicken and egg circular reasoning.
MIDDLE AMERICA VALLEY?
PandoDaily writer Hamish McKenzie has a longish piece up about Silicon Valley losing its grip on venture capital backed startups.
PandoDaily: Does the Tech Road Run Through Middle America?
He quotes some heavy hitter VCs about the value of casting their net far and wide, but unfortunately there's little data to support his thesis.
TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE MONEY
How much venture capital to raise is always a big question for entrepreneurs.
Albert Wenger: Too Much / Too Little Money
Union Square Ventures partner Albert Wenger has a thought-provoking post up on the consequences of raising either too much or too little money.