NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 7, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Advantage Capital Partners, a venture capital and small business finance firm, was ranked recently among the nation's top venture capital firms by Entrepreneur magazine. Advantage Capital placed first nationally among venture capital firms funding later stage companies, tying with Goldman, Sachs & Co. Advantage Capital also ranked highly among firms for venture investments in early stage companies.
"This is the third consecutive year that we've been named to Entrepreneur's top VC firms list and we are delighted to repeat this feat," said Steven T. Stull, president of Advantage Capital. "Advantage Capital continues to foster the success of entrepreneurs who will grow their businesses and in turn create good jobs that help their communities thrive."
In addition to providing financing, Advantage Capital offers continuing guidance and support to better serve its entrepreneurs. "We recognize that startup companies in particular can face challenges beyond funding, which is why we also do things like help entrepreneurs access talent, forge business partnerships across many disciplines, and provide access to educational networking opportunities," Stull said.
In 2007, Advantage Capital provided funding to a total of 52 companies from a wide range of industry sectors. These included ArcMail Technology, a leading provider of email archiving and management technology in Shreveport, La.; Voxitas, a leading business class VoIP national service provider in St. Louis, Mo.; T&K Machine, a manufacturer of highly engineered precision-machined airframe components in Paris, Texas; and AVSmoot, a firm that specializes in the historic preservation and restoration of landmarks within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Entrepreneur noted that venture capitalists invested nearly $30 billion in 3,813 deals in 2007, making it the highest investment total since 2001. Published in the August issue of Entrepreneur, the firm ranking is based on information from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association's "MoneyTree Report." To see the full VC 100 list, visit www.entrepreneur.com/VC100.
About Advantage Capital Partners
Advantage Capital Partners (http://www.advantagecap.com) is a venture capital and small business finance firm focused on early stage companies and other investments supporting state and local economic development. With offices in New Orleans, St. Louis, Austin and other U.S. cities, Advantage has raised more than $950 million in institutional capital since 1992 and invested in companies located in geographic areas underserved by traditional venture capital.
About Entrepreneur Media Inc.
Entrepreneur Media Inc. is the premier content provider for and about entrepreneurs. As the original magazine for the small and midsize business community, Entrepreneur continues to be the definitive guide to all the diverse challenges of business ownership. Entrepreneur.com is the most widely used website by entrepreneurs and emerging businesses worldwide. Entrepreneur Press publishes the books that turn entrepreneurial skills into business success.