Top 20 VC deals of 2007

2007 was another big venture capital year for biotech and medical device companies. Big Pharma's somewhat troubled pipelines contributed significantly to growth in venture investment. Venture capitalists, taking note of Big Pharma’s seemingly insatiable appetite for all things biotech, boosted investment by 20 percent over last year. Biopharma and medical device companies raised a record $9.1 billion--almost a third of the total $29.4 billion invested in 2007. And while VC was up 11 percent for all industries, the biotech sector raised 20 percent more VC than it did in 2006.

While VC funding comes in all shapes and sizes, the biggest deals often indicate which technologies are getting the most attention. Here's a look at the top 20 U.S. companies that raised serious cash in 2007.

1. Zogenix - $78.8M

2. Ception Therapeutics - $77.7M

3. Targanta Therapeutics - $70M

4. Portola Pharmaceuticals - $70M

5. AVEO Pharmaceuticals - $58.5M

6. Cogentus Pharmaceuticals - $55M

7. Phenomix Corporation - $55M

8. Sagent Pharmaceuticals - $53M

9. Microbia - $50M

10. Sangart - $50M

11. Ambit Biosciences - $49.3M

12. Spine Wave - $45M

13. Nereus Pharmaceuticals - $45M

14. QuatRx Pharmaceuticals - $44M

15. Novalar Pharmaceuticals - $42M

16. REVA Medical - $42M

17. Xcellerex - $41.84M

18. Deciphera Pharmaceuticals - $41.5M

19. Agensys - $41.31M

20. GlobeImmune - $41.16M

Data courtesy of the National Venture Capital Association.