VC investment slides in October, says GSA

LONDON – Six semiconductor companies raised $80.4 million, a dollar amount decrease of 11.2 percent from September 2010 and an increase of 16.2 percent from October 2009, according to the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA). The number of deals decreased by two both sequentially and compared with October 2009.

The GSA classifies semiconductor companies as including fabless companies, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and semiconductor suppliers, such as EDA firms and foundries.

As of October 31, ten semiconductor companies had priced and nine had filed and were awaiting IPO, the industry body said.

In October 2010, ten semiconductor mergers and acquisitions were announced. The GSA counts M&As of entire fabless, IDM and semiconductor supplier companies and does not include purchases of business units, product lines or foundry facilities.

There was evidence of a greater likelihood of privately-held companies exiting through an M&A than an IPO in October. Broadcom and PMC-Sierra acquired companies that filed IPOs earlier this year – Beceem and Wintegra – respectively, the GSA noted.


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