VC funding in China skyrocketed in 2014, doubling previous record

Venture capital investing in China went white hot in 2014. How hot? According to a new report from Down Jones VentureSource, venture investments in China last year surged to more than US$15.5 billion. That’s more than double the country’s previous record for venture investment in a single year.

The year’s boom was reportedly driven mostly by China’s corresponding mobile boom. As smartphone user numbers continued to explode, venture investors poured money into mobile-focused products and startups.

But the explosive venture funding in 2014 could well give way to a less impressive 2015. China’s mobile explosion is slowing, and in late 2014 several high-profile Chinese investors even said publicly that startups should may hay while the sun shines because a cooldown is almost certainly coming.

See: Major China VC to startups: raise funds now, a cooldown is imminent

Also: Another major Chinese VC warns of a bubble, tells startups to raise funds while they can

(Source: Dow Jones VentureSource via WSJ)