(Reuters) The total valuation of late-stage, venture-backed private companies in the United States and Europe has exploded from a few dozen startups worth a collective $40 billion in 2010 to hundreds of firms that together are now worth almost $500 billion, according to a report released Thursday.
The numbers show the magnitude of the recent trend in which the biggest Silicon Valley startups raise hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars from hedge funds, mutual funds and other private investors while delaying their entrance into public markets.