According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, venture capital is bouncing back at an incredible pace. The National Venture Capital Association reported that 2010 was the first time in three years that VC levels had risen, but Q1 in 2011 leapfrogged that substantially. VC transactions in the first quarter of 2011 were 76% higher than in Q1 of 2010! As one of Corum's researchers, I'll certainly be looking into this, but this trend fits information we've been tracking and reporting on our Corum monthly webinars. There has been a massive build up of resources during the market downturn, and this is one of the first big, obvious signs that money is not only available again, but ready to be spent yesterday. This is excellent news for startups, of course, but there may be extensive ramifications for M&A transactions. Look for more thoughts about this soon.