Mass. gets a venture capital surge in Q2

Venture capital investment into Massachusetts companies crossed $1 billion during the second quarter, for the best quarterly fundraising in the state in three years, according to CB Insights.

The $1.03 billion quarter was the product of both a large number of deals overall — 100 deals during the quarter, the most in at least four years — as well as a string of sizable rounds. Major deals during the quarter included SimpliSafe ($57 million), Acquia ($50 million), Proteon Therapeutics ($45 million), and SilverRail Technologies ($40 million).

At the earlier stage, notable local deals during the quarter included Grove Labs, Zaius, and Seres Health.

The last time Massachusetts companies raised more funding during a single quarter was the second quarter of 2011, when the haul reached $1.14 billion, according to CB Insights data. The CB Insights records show that Massachusetts hasn’t had 100 deals in a quarter since at least 2010 (though the state came close during the fourth quarter of 2012, with 98 deals).

For more on the state’s largest funding deals from the second quarter, check out the top deals from April, May, and June.

Also here is a gallery of the largest Boston tech fundings of 2014 so far:

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<strong>Wayfair</strong> — home goods e-commerce site. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/03/07/wayfair-officially-announces-157m-series-b/" target="_blank">$157 million</a></strong> in March led by T. Rowe Price Associates. (Pictured from left are chief exec Niraj Shah and CTO Steven Conine, who are co-founders of the company)

<strong>Actifio</strong> — software for managing and reducing data copies. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/03/24/actifio-funding-ipo-valuation-billion-dollar-boston-tech/" target="_blank">$100 million</a></strong> led by Tiger Global Management. (Pictured is chief exec Ash Ashutosh)

<strong>SimpliSafe</strong> — affordable, easy-to-install home security system. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/05/21/simplisafe-raises-57-million-for-easy-home-security-device/" target="_blank">$57 million</a></strong> in May from Sequoia Capital.

<strong>Acquia</strong> — cloud hosting for content management system Drupal. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/05/27/acquia-raises-50-million-to-continue-rapid-growth-pace/" target="_blank">$50 million</a></strong> in May led by New Enterprise Associates. (Pictured from left: chief executive Tom Erickson and co-founder/CTO Dries Buytaert)

<strong>Applause</strong> (formerly uTest) — crowdsourced app testing service and quality assurance software for app stores. Raised <strong>$43 million</strong> in January led by Goldman Sachs. (Pictured is chief executive Doron Reuveni)

<strong>DraftKings</strong> — daily fantasy sports competitions. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/08/25/draftkings-raises-41-million-acquires-cambridge-competitor-starstreet/" target="_blank">$41 million</a></strong> in August from investors including new backer The Raine Group. (Pictured from left are founders Paul Liberman, Jason Robins, and Matt Kalish)

<strong>SilverRail</strong> — technology that enables travelers to book train tickets the same way for every rail line. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/04/14/silverrail-raises-40-million-to-become-the-ita-of-rail-travel/" target="_blank">$40 million</a></strong> in April led by Mithril Capital Management. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

<strong>Veracode</strong> — cybersecurity software for large companies that clears the use of new applications. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/09/11/veracode-raises-40-million-to-stop-the-next-heartbleed-prep-for-ipo/" target="_blank">$40 million</a></strong> in September led by Wellington Management.

<strong>Bit9</strong> — software for blocking cybersecurity threats. Raised <strong>$38 million</strong> in February led by Atlas Venture. (Pictured is chief executive Patrick Morley)

<strong>Ambri</strong> — energy storage technology that aims to solve a number of electrical grid issues. Raised <strong><a href="http://betaboston.com/news/2014/04/30/ambri-gets-35-million-to-bring-down-electricity-costs/" target="_blank">$35 million</a></strong> in April from investors including Bill Gates. (Pictured is director of cell development Greg Thompson)

<strong>Invaluable</strong> — live auction art and antique bidding site. Raised <strong>$33.8 million</strong> in June led by Insight Venture Partners.

Wayfair — home goods e-commerce site. Raised $157 million in March led by T. Rowe Price Associates. (Pictured from left are chief exec Niraj Shah and CTO Steven Conine, who are co-founders of the company)