According to this morning's VentureWire:

Venture capitalists poured more money into U.S. companies in 2005 than in any year since 2001, reflecting a growing appetite for Internet-related start-ups and later-stage deals.

The amount raised by U.S. venture-backed companies hit $22.13 billion, a 2.2% increase from the $21.65 billion recorded in 2004. The investment total rose despite ten less companies receiving funding ˆ 2,239 versus 2,249 - according to industry tracker VentureOne, a unit of Dow Jones & Co., also publisher of this newsletter.

The traditional sectors eyed by venture capitalists health care and information technology experienced a dip in funding for the first time in several years. But the far smaller consumer and business-services sector, which encompasses Internet commerce companies, produced gains in 2005 not seen since the dot-com boom days.

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