NJ Ranks in Top 10 States for VC Dollars Invested

Trenton, N.J. (March 4, 2022) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that New Jersey now ranks ninth in the nation based on venture capital (VC) dollars invested per state. According to PitchBook, innovation-focused companies in New Jersey secured $5.5 billion in 219 venture capital deals in 2021, up from $1.7 billion thorough 154 deals in 2020. This represents a significant improvement for New Jersey relative to 2017, when the state saw a total of $818 million in 143 venture capital deals. In this latest ranking, New Jersey jumped three spots from where it stood at #12 in 2020, and seven spots from #16 in 2013. New Jersey’s share of the Northeast market also grew, by 1.4 percentage points in 2021 to 5.5 percent.

“We’re very encouraged to see the VC community invest in New Jersey startups on a scale we haven’t seen in decades,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It’s well known that New Jersey is the birthplace of innovation, but investors are clearly showing that our state is the future of innovation as well.”

Throughout his first term, Governor Murphy prioritized recapturing New Jersey’s role as a leader in innovation and creating the most diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem in the nation. In January 2021, the Governor signed the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 (ERA). In part, the ERA calls for the establishment the New Jersey Evergreen Fund (NJIEF), which is designed to create the ecosystem conditions necessary for entrepreneurs to succeed. Expected to launch this year, the NJIEF will create a platform for even greater investment opportunity in NJ businesses by leveraging public and private funds to invest in New Jersey-based companies. Details of the NJIEF, which is currently under development, can be found at https://www.njeda.com/evergreen/.

The ERA also made enhancements to the state’s Angel Investor Tax Credit Program. Last summer, the NJEDA approved expanding the Angel Investor Tax Credit Program based on those enhancements as well as revisions made to the program through legislation signed by Governor Murphy in 2019. Examples of the enhancements include increasing the amount of tax credits available annually under the program from $25 million to $35 million. It also increased the amount of tax credits available per qualified investment in an emerging New Jersey technology business from 10 percent to 20 percent and adding five percent bonus credit for qualified investments made in a New Jersey certified minority-or women-owned technology business or a technology business that is located in a qualified Opportunity Zone or New Markets Tax Credit Census Tract.

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