Q2’20 saw regions across the globe continuing to grapple with the challenges associated with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) — including economic turbulence, sudden spikes in unemployment rates, restrictions on travel and movement, and the ramifications of the continued shutdown or slowdown of many sectors and industries. As countries began to re-open their economies during Q2’20, both VC investors and startups worked to understand the ‘new normal’ and how it would affect business operations. Read more about global VC trends.
VC investment in the US held relatively steady in Q2’20, even as VC investors and businesses juggled with the challenges of COVID-19. While Q2’20 included some deals that would have been initiated prior to the pandemic, it also included a significant number of deals supporting companies offering ‘go-to’ solutions given the current situation. Read more about VC trends in the US .
VC investment in the Americas fell in Q2’20; while the US managed to attract solid investment, other jurisdictions within the region saw both the number of VC deals and total VC investment drop. The VC market in Latin America was particularly hard hit given widespread travel restrictions coupled with its major reliance on international investors. Read more about VC trends in the Americas.
VC investment in Europe remained quite robust compared to historical trends in Q2’20, driven in part by the momentum the region experienced prior to the pandemic — including a strong pipeline of in-progress VC deals. While Europe showed resilience this quarter, there is growing concern that the VC market in Europe could see large impacts in Q3’20 given the widespread impact of COVID-19 on the economy, ongoing issues related to Brexit, and the challenges associated with international deal-making in the current business environment. Read more about VC trends in Europe.
VC investment in Asia was severely impacted by COVID-19 in Q1’20 due to its early exposure to COVID-19. In Q2’20, the VC market began to see some recovery, particularly in China. While the pandemic is still having a major impact in jurisdictions like India, the increasing focus on recovery in others is creating cautious optimism in the overarching Asia market heading into Q3’20. Read more about VC trends in Asia.