Austin Companies Raised a Record-Breaking $4.9 Billion in Venture Capital in 2021

The year 2021 marks the year of the biggest funding deals

for Austin startups since Silicon Hills News began covering the market in 2011.

Austin had several big funding deals more than $100 million. In fact, all the top ten deals for Austin in 2021 were worth $100 million or more.

Overall, the venture capital industry had its best year ever raising $329.6 billion nationwide in 17,054 deals, nearly double the previous record of $166.6 billion in 12,173 deals in 2020, according to Pitchbook-National Venture Capital Association Venture Monitor data.

“Exits were a huge part of the story of 2021, with

approximately $774.1 billion in annual exit value created by VC-backed

companies that either went public or were acquired,” according to Pitchbook. “The

overwhelming majority of these dollars, some $681.5 billion, was realized

through public listings.”

Austin also had a record-breaking year.

In 2022, the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area raised $4.9

billion in venture capital in 387, more than double $2.3 billion raised in

2021, according to Pitchbook-National Venture Capital Association Venture Monitor

data.

But the 3,445 deals in Silicon Valley still accounted for

the bulk of the venture capital funding of $120.3 billion, a third of the overall

venture capital raised in the U.S. in 2021. New York had the second most deals

with 2,295 and $53.8 billion raised, followed by Los Angeles with 1,621 deals

and $34.3 billion. And Boston ranked fourth with 1,103 deals and $34.9 billion

raised.

Other tech hubs included Philadelphia with 441 deals and $8.1 billion raised, Seattle with 494 deals worth $8 billion, Chicago with 374 deals worth $7 billion, Denver 399 with $6.1 billion, and Washington, D.C. with 415 and $5.7 billion raised.

Even though Austin had a record year, it ranked 10^th in regions for the most venture capital raised and deals done in 2021. And Miami with 272 worth $4 billion and Atlanta with 246 deals and $4 billion raised were not far behind.

Austin’s top 10 VC Fundraising Deals of 2021

1. In the largest deal of the year, Homeward raised $371

   million. In late May of 2021 Homeward announced it had secured funding of $371

   million, including $136 million in equity and $235 million in debt. Norwest

   Venture Partners led the equity financing, with participation by Blackstone

   Alternative Asset Management, Breyer Capital, and existing investors, Adams

   Street, Javelin, and LiveOak Venture Partners.

2. Workrise in May raised $300 million in funding

   led by Baillie Gifford, an existing investor. The company also rebranded itself

   from RigUp to Workrise.

3. ICON Technology announced in August of 2021 that

   it had raised $207 million in a Series B round of financing led by Norwest

   Venture Partners.

4. Everly Health in March raised $200 million in

   later stage capital.

5. Zen Business in November raised $200 million.
6. The Zebra in April raised $150 million in a

   Series D round.

7. CrowdOut Capital in February raised $150 million

   in later stage venture capital.

8. Ambiq in March raised $145 million in later

   stage venture capital.

9. Elligo Health Research in September raised $136

   million in later stage venture capital.

10. Outdoorsy

    announced in June that it had raised $120 million in equity and debt financing.