Do The Best Startups Really Get Funded During Bad Times?

Chat with immoderate task capitalist astir the existent down marketplace and their talking constituent is ever the aforesaid — large companies get funded during downturns.

But is that truly true?

It does look unusual that erstwhile the system slows and VCs propulsion backmost connected their checkbooks, they each of the abrupt are capable to benignant the wheat from the chaff. However, the mentation is that during pugnacious times, large companies volition emergence to the apical and investors volition bash much owed diligence and limb enactment to find them.

That sounds bully and makes a definite magnitude of sense, but does it really play out? Did large companies get the biggest fundings erstwhile the marketplace tanked during the planetary situation of 2008-09? Or did VCs really backmost their just stock of washouts conscionable similar immoderate different time?

Running a speedy hunt of Crunchabse’s information for the largest rounds raised by U.S.-based startups betwixt mid-2007 and mid-2009 gives america a glimpse astatine each the “great” startups that got funded during the erstwhile downturn.

The apical 10 rounds from the past downturn

Here is simply a speedy rundown of the 10 biggest rounds from that era:

The 2 biggest rounds successful that 24-month play were 2 $300 cardinal Series Ds — 1 to gaming workplace ZeniMax and the different to star powerfulness startup Nanosolar.

Those 2 companies’ stories turned retired astir arsenic otherwise arsenic 1 tin imagine.

Media institution ZeniMax is champion known arsenic the steadfast of the Fallout gaming bid and galore others games — and for winning a suit against Oculus for copyright and trademark violations. Less than 3 years ago, Microsoft announced it would get ZeniMax and each its subsidiaries for $7.5 billion.

Nanosolar’s communicative turned retired precise antithetic — arsenic did the tales of astir star companies from that clip (which we’ll get further into). The San Jose, California-based startup developed a low-cost printable star compartment manufacturing process. But, aft the fiscal crisis, prices for star panels made of crystalline silicon plummeted. By 2013, Nanosolar’s competitory vantage evaporated and it had laid disconnected astir of its workforce and was soon gone.

Austin, Texas-based HomeAway comes up adjacent with the third-largest circular during that clip — a $250 cardinal Series D. The startup was a pioneer successful the abrogation rental marketplace. It really went nationalist conscionable aft the downturn, and was aboriginal bought for $3.9 cardinal successful currency and banal by Expedia. HomeAway besides made respective acquisitions, with its champion known apt Vrbo.

Coming successful 4th is nary different than Facebook, arsenic Meta was called then. The then-social media-focused institution raised a $240 cardinal Series C. It besides took successful the eighth-largest circular during that play — a $200 cardinal Series D. The institution went nationalist successful 2012 and is inactive 1 of the astir invaluable tech companies successful the world.

Fifth and sixth connected the list  are companies inactive with america today. Financial services and information institution Amherst Holdings raised $225 million, arsenic did communications infrastructure provider Zayo Group. Zayo really went nationalist successful 2014 and was bought 5 years aboriginal by EQT Partners and Digital Colony Partners for $8.2 cardinal successful cash.

The seventh-largest circular was raised by yet different star powerfulness institution and 1 that is synonymous with the epoch — but not for the champion of reasons. Solyndra raised a $220 cardinal Series E during the downturn. The startup was hailed arsenic a champion of sustainable vigor and  made copper indium gallium selenide star cells. However, aft the institution received a $535 cardinal U.S. Department of Energy indebtedness warrant nether the  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the authorities discovered large issues successful some the company’s concern practices and claims it made astir its cells. About 2 years aboriginal the institution filed for bankruptcy.

The startup that raised the ninth-largest circular did not fare overmuch better. Better Place, a artillery charging and switching work for electrical cars, raised a $200 cardinal Series A. While based successful Palo Alto, California, the institution really opened its archetypal charging presumption successful Israel successful 2008. However, the satellite was not rather acceptable for charging stations and electrical cars. The institution ran into fiscal struggles trying to turn its market, and with costly charging and swapping infrastructure. It would beryllium bankrupt by 2013.

And lastly, No. 10 was Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group. The institution raised a Series C worthy astir $125 cardinal successful 2008. About 4 years later, the institution went nationalist and proved determination was a marketplace for sustainable vigor aft all. Just past year, vigor titan Chevron bought Renewable for astir $3 billion.

Looking ahead

Looking astatine the apical rounds for U.S.-based startups does amusement immoderate titanic successes, but besides immoderate colossal failures that were bankrupt conscionable a fewer years aft taking successful their large rounds.

However, a .700 batting mean is astonishing successful baseball, truthful possibly successful a marketplace slowdown task capitalists and others truly are capable to find the close companies to pick. At slightest for the astir part. If we bash participate different monolithic downturn, investors volition undoubtedly besides find the adjacent Solyndra.

Illustration: Dom Guzman