The amount of capital invested in fledgling companies by the venture capital sector in the first quarter rose to $27 billion globally, up from $18 billion in the 2014 opening quarter.
A report by Preqin, the alternatives data provider, said that first-quarter investments in new companies surpassed those of the fourth quarter, the highest on record.
Although the number of companies receiving venture capital investment globally fell by 6% from the previous quarter, the average size of deals has been growing significantly in recent years, according to Preqin.
In the January-to-March period, the aggregate value of deals increased by 4% over Q4 2014.
North American deal flow fell by 8%, while the value of deals rose by 7%. European deal volume also contracted slightly from the previous quarter, but the aggregate value of deals jumped 41%.
Angel/seed financing rounds so far in 2015 have averaged $1.5 million, 25% higher than the 2014 average and the highest average value since 2007, according to Preqin.
The average value of Series D stage and later deals increased from $73 million in 2014 to $100 million in the first quarter.
