Washington State Sees Venture Investment Uptick

After one of the worst years for venture-capital investment in a decade, the first half of 2010 closed on a positive note, signaling recovery for the industry.

Washington companies received $187.4 million of investment during the second quarter of 2010 — an increase of 53 percent from the same quarter last year, according to data from the MoneyTree Report released Friday by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. That brings the half-year total to $355 million, a 58 percent increase from last year.