Can You Guess the Top 10 Venture Investors and Accelerators?

May 30, 2016

If there’s anything the venture capital and private equity world is for sure, it’s that at the sectors are competitive, uber competitive. Can you guess which entities come out as the most active?  Here’s a look.

Accelerators

First, a look at the top accelerators.  The first graph is a look at the top 10 accelerators since 2003 by number of investments in companies made.

Can you guess which entity is the top one? Perhaps an accelerator located in Silicon Valley?  Or Boston’s biotechnology hub?

Top 10 Accelerators Since 2003 (No Labels)

Here’s the answer.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top accelerator since 2003 is 500 Startups at 532 investments in 442 companies.

In second place is Y Combinator at 448 investments in 400 companies.

The top two are likely completely unsurprising given that these two are among the most prominent accelerators in Silicon Valley.

The third place is probably surprising.  It’s not located in what are traditionally considered angel investor hubs.  In third place is DreamIt Venture Philadelphia at 70.

The remaining members of the top 10 include StartX at 56, AngelPad at 54, DreamIt Ventures Austin at 53, Techstars Boston at 47, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator at 43, Gener8tor at 39, and Techstars Seattle at 38.

Top 10 Accelerators Since 2003

Venture Investors

Shifting to the investors side, here’s a look at the top 10 venture investors since 2003.

Can you guess which entities are on the top of this list?  Could a non-Silicon Valley entity take a top spot?  What about a surprise entity out of less well-known angel hubs like Salt Lake City, Utah or Austin, Texas?

Interestingly, although the list is still skewed, it is not nearly as skewed as the accelerator list, confirming that venture capital entities are more well-rounded than exclusive accelerators.

Top 10 Venture Investors Since 2003 (No Labels)

Here’s a look at the top 10.

Fascinatingly, the top spot goes to New Enterprise Associates, with 917 investments in 506 companies.  On second thought, the fact of finding New Enterprise Associates on the top of the list isn’t all that surprising given the length of time the company has been in business (since 1977) and the geographic depth of its coverage (headquarters include locations in Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, D.C., China, India, and others).

In second place is the relatively prestigious Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers at 698.

Third place may be somewhat surprising. It’s Intel Capital at 568.  Corporate venture capital is an important component of the business creation world, and finding Intel in the top 3 is somewhat encouraging.

Other member of the top 10 include Accel Partners, DFJ, Sequoia Capital, 500 Startups, First Round Capital, Polaris Partners, Y Combinator, U.S. Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, and Venrock.

Top 10 Venture Investors Since 2003

Conclusion

The venture world is competitive and crowded. The top 3 accelerators since 2003 include 500 Startups, Y Combinator, and DreamIt Ventures Philadelphia.

On the investor side, the top 3 investors since 2003 include New Enterprise Associates, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Intel Capital.

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