Melissa Frederick, The Examiner
2007-06-27 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

The Maryland Technology Development Corporation received the top ranking among venture capital firms for budding capitalists from Entrepreneur magazine.

The magazine looked at which firms invested in the most early-stage companies during 2006, ranking more than 200 corporations by the number of deals completed.

TEDCO invested in 26 companies during the calendar year, several more than the next highest ranked firms of Draper Fisher Jurvetson of Menlo Park, Calif., and Tech Coast Angels of Laguna Hills, Calif., which each put money into 17 firms. During 2006, venture capitalists invested $25.5 billion in 3,416 deals.

TEDCO topped the list for the fourth consecutive year, according to Executive Director Renée M. Winsky.

“We were created by the state of Maryland to do exactly this, to provide the first money in the door for entrepreneurs transferring technology that’s already existing in our labs and our universities,” Winsky said. The organization also arranged federal grants for several companies not included in the listings, she added.

Other local Maryland firms recognized were the state’s Department of Business and Economic Development (14 deals) and Bethesda-based Novak Biddle Venture Partners (five deals). In Virginia, CIT Gap Fund of Herndon (10 deals), McLean-based Amplifier Venture Partners (three deals), Updata Partners of Reston (three deals) and Columbia Capital LLC of Alexandria (two deals) made the magazine’s list.

In D.C., the list noted The Carlyle Group (seven deals), Core Capital Partners (three deals) and Prudent Capital (two deals).

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com