Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

The State of Venture Capital

How much VC money is out there, and where is it coming from? Click through to the full presentation for a detailed analysis—but be warned, the conclusion paints a bit of a gloomy picture of flat and down rounds over the next 24 months.

Europe and the US Have Reached a New Agreement on Data-Sharing

An end to the uncertainty surrounding companies' ability to share people's data across the Atlantic may be in sight, as the United States and European Union have reached a tentative new data-sharing pact. The European Court of Justice declared the predecessor Safe Harbor pact invalid in October based on concerns that US public authorities might access EU citizens' data held by companies in the United States. Stay tuned, as the new pact is expected to face a legal challenge of its own, meaning cross-border data sharing could remain a headache for companies of all sizes in 2016. 

Debate: Venture capitalist and tech association leader spar over banning non-compete agreements

Regardless of whether you have the stomach to read through the full Twitter battle detailed here, take note that Washington's legislature is considering legislation to ban non-compete agreements. Adoption of the bill would move Washington state more in line with the law of California.

Tech Pain: Startups Are Buying Back a Lot More Employee Stock (Registration)

Telis Demos of The Wall Street Journal reports on the trend of startups buying back stock from employees as a strategic retention tool. Is the IPO market to blame? (For a non-registration look at the trend, check out the write-up from Fast Company.) 

The IPO Dry Spell of 2016 Has Come to an End

As we enter the second month of 2016, the first IPOs have at last landed. BeiGene and Editas Medicine, both biotech companies, closed their opening days of trading above their IPO prices.

Links compiled by John Wagner.

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