Ann Grimes of Dow Jones VentureWire put together a report entitled "The Journal Report: Trends" dated 21 Nov 05.  The trends are:

• The China Strategy
• Cleantech
• Digital Living Room
• New Kids on the Block (i.e new VC firms)
• Rock Stars (i.e appointing Colin Powell or Bono to join your venture firm)
• Web 2.0 (a new crop of internet companies)
• Older and Wiser (money going back into old companies that weather the dotcom storm)
• Adopting Orphans (funds set up to buy and spin technology that major corporates ignore)
• Telecom Comeback (VOIP and new broadband technologies mean telecom is back)
• Late Exits (it is taking longer to achieve exits, an average of 5.5 years for trade sale and 5.8 years for IPO)

Bottom Line: Know your investors. Play to the trends. Read the full article.