Taking stock of who did what at the end of a year has spread from auditing firms to the startup writers. We just have to know who pumped in the moolah and where.
Accel seems to be dominating deal participation
The catch is Sequoia Capital has participated in deal rounds that are worth a good hundred million dollars more (even more, actually). All while participating in fewer funding rounds. Accel has been part of 33 deals that is worth more than 413 million dollars as far as available data will let us analyse. Sequoia performance: 30 deal participation with a value of over 550 million dollars.
It really comes down to whether you think it’s more important to invest at least a little in the deserving startups or whether you want to be impressed by the number of dollars involved. If it’s the latter, then get this.
Indian Angel Network (IAN), one of the largest angel (and mentoring) investor networks in India participated in 27 deals totalling close to twelve million dollars. Often angel deal rounds don’t exceed a million dollars. IAN has participated in deal rounds that boil down to 435,555 dollars a deal this year.
Meanwhile SAIF Partners has been part of far less deal rounds than the top 4 active deal makers. Figures suggest a tally of 19 deals for SAIF. But the total value of those deal rounds is over 250 million dollars, that’s about 13 million dollars a deal. A number larger many times over that IAN number.
These most active and prolific of investors largely originate outside of India, with the exception of Blume Ventures and IAN. Sequoia and Accel Partners come out of the US. SAIF is headquartered in Hong Kong.
Sequoia’s Investing Covers More Range
While the data doesn’t allow to guess how much each of these venture capitalists and angel investors have put into each of the deal rounds that they have participated in, it does hint at the interests and strategy behind investing. For example look at how active Sequoia Cap is in investing in companies with a tech and non-tech background. Accel too is active in both areas.
However, the total value of the deal rounds Sequoia has participated in is consistently higher than those Accel has been a part of. For example, in the deals counted for non-tech companies, Sequoia has participated in deal rounds amounting to over 220 million dollars. The Accel-participated deal rounds for the same category is just over 30 million dollars. Accel has chosen to participate in deals that are more technology-centric rather than not.
In fact Sequoia has only participated in more rounds than Accel when it comes to the non-tech category. Others in the non-tech category like Omidyar Network and Aspada Investments are into impact investing – investing that will result in both some social change and commercial gain.
Note: 1. Since companies might have both tech and non-tech plays (Eg: Byjus, Faasos, Ninjacart etc), there will be an overlap in the funding and number of deals numbers provided for tech and non-tech sectors.
2. Deal amounts provided is the sum of the funding rounds in which the investors have participated and they are not the individual investments made by the funds.
3. Based on available data and estimates. Data courtesy Tracxn Technologies Private Limited.
BW Reporters
Regina is a reporter for BW Businessworld. In her previous assignments, she has worked with Independent television Network as a news anchor and reporter in Sri Lanka
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