A recent funding for a small wireless switch maker is a sign of a silver lining in an otherwise pretty dark venture capital picture here.
Irvine-based Wispry Inc.’s funding was small at $6 million, but it’s in a sector,
technology,that’s attracting interest once again.
Overall, venture capital funds sunk $66.3 million into 15 startups in Orange County in the fourth quarter, according to the MoneyTree survey by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, Thomson Venture Economics and the National Venture Capital Association.
All but one of those funded in the quarter were chipmakers, software makers, wireless gear makers and other technology companies. Just one was healthcare-related, a sector that’s generally been the hotter one of late in Orange County.
Healthcare-related startups grabbed about $70 million of the total venture funding in the fourth quarter last year, with technology companies attracting about $24 million.
“What I have seen are information technology fundings going up,it’s given me a little optimism,” said Rick Shuttleworth, vice president with Silicon Valley Bank in Orange County.
At the top of the tech funding heap: Foothill Ranch-based Aristos Logic Corp., a maker of chips and circuit boards for data storage. The company closed a $12 million round of venture funding in the fourth quarter, bringing its total raised since founding to $65 million.
That makes Aristos, a designer of chips and boards for data storage devices, one of the best-funded technology startups in OC.
The funding was just one of several for startups that already have inked venture deals.
“It shows that there is continued support for existing venture-backed companies,” said Bob Holman, partner at Miramar Venture Partners.
Wireless made a big showing in the quarter.
Irvine-based Networks In Motion Inc., which operates a service to track workers or get directions via wireless phones, raised $5 million in a second round of venture funding.
Another wireless products company that nabbed funding in the quarter was Irvine chip designer U-Nav Microelectronics Corp. It raised $6.1 million.
U-Nav designs chipsets for GPS systems,short for global positioning for satellite.
Another wireless company to snag some funding in the quarter was Irvine-based SolarFlare Communications Inc., which closed on $5.4 million in funding.
SolarFlare makes chips that sit inside network innards and drive data at 10 gigabits per second instead of the standard 2 gigabits per second.
And yet another communications company, Irvine-based ClariPhy Communications Inc., closed $3.8 million in funding.
Another name that’s been around for a while, Irvine-based OpVista Inc., closed a $5.1 million funding.
The gear maker produces a box that sits on the edge of a network and ups the amount of data that can be carried along an existing line.
Software makers also scored some money.
Aliso Viejo-based High Tower Software Inc., a maker of data analysis software, raised $4.3 million in a fourth round of venture funding.
Chief Executive Ursula M. Schwuttke started High Tower in 1998 after 12 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. High Tower’s software is based on a program Schwuttke used to track data from the Voyager and Galileo space probes.
Other technology fundings: Irvine-based Newport Imaging Corp., which makes chipsets for digital cameras, closed $5.5 million; San Clemente-based Property Bureau, which runs an online auction site for law enforcement agencies, closed $4.5 million; Newport Beach Mobile Productivity Inc., which makes a tablet PC-based device for auto mechanics raised $2.5 million; Santa Ana-based Indigita, which designs chips for high-definition television, raised $1.5 million; and Irvine-based Zetera Corp., an Irvine-based gear for storage systems, raised $1.5 million.
