A new Idaho Technology Council report found capital activity in Idaho exceeded $5.2 billion in 2020.

North Idaho alone had 10 mergers and acquisitions, 26 private-placement deals, and one public offering last year for a total volume of $164.3 million.

The Idaho Technology Council released the data in its 2020 Idaho Deal Flow Report.

In total, the number of deals declined slightly to 151 in 2020, compared with 154 such transactions in 2019, but overall volume grew in 2020 to $5.2 billion from $4.42 billion in 2019.

M&A activity in Kootenai County included the acquisition of Advanced Market Sales by Integrity Marketing Group in October 2020; the acquisition of Fiberguide Industries Inc. by Molex, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, in December; and Kootenai Health’s acquisition of Interlake Pharmacy, in July. 

The report also notes strong private placement in North Idaho, with Kootenai County-based companies bringing in over $67.7 million in such funding.

Private placement typically involves the sale of company shares to pre-selected investors, often as seed or angel funding.

Of the companies based in Kootenai County, Tractor Beverage saw the largest investment of venture funding, at $18.5 million. The company also was one of the top 10 private placement deals of 2020 in the state.

Of the 12 companies involved in private placements in Kootenai County last year, seven received $1 million or more in funding. They are Blue Water Technologies Inc., Continuous Composites, GarageSkins Inc., New Jersey Mining Co., Solar Roadways Inc., Timberline Resources Corp., and xCraft Enterprises Inc.