Almost $6 billion was invested in 612 companies during the second quarter. The report includes data, trends and much more. Very interesting and well worth the time. Print it out and take it home.

According to Dow Jones, 72 funds have raised $7.5 billion in 2010, up 13 percent from a year ago. Angels may be swooping in where VCs fear to tread, but perhaps VCs are starting to venture out from behind the curtain.

The “Great Recession” has ended — or is in the process of doing so, depending on who you talk to or read — and the environment for free-flowing capital to the mouths of newborn entrepreneurs is not yet healthy.

Time for some basic capital budgeting math. What conclusion does any wise techpreneur come to when the payback period for a home solar system capital purchase is 20-plus years and the expected useful system life is 10 to 12??