The National Venture Capital Association are still not too enthused by nanotechnology, despite its being the next big thing for five years now. According to NVCA President Mark Heesen;
Technology will continue to be the cornerstone of venture capital investing in 2005 with an ongoing focus in software and the life sciences sectors. Emerging areas such as stem cell research and nanotechnology will continue to be watched closely by the venture capital industry, although investment in these companies will be limited until more basic research and development is completed. However, new promising areas of investment include energy, clean technology, and financial services.
There is a ray of hope though, as the NVCA reports that “we will enter a new business cycle in 2005 when many venture capitalists will have fresh funds to invest… at this time in a new funds life, there isnt the pressure for immediate exits. Thus, venture capitalists have the opportunity to search for those seed, startup, and early stage companies that have the potential to truly change the way we live and work in the next decade the future FedExes, Intels and Genentechs.”
Meanwhile, rattled by the lack of much of a Nanotechnology Industry in California a Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology has been set up to try to help this emerging technology emerge a little faster.