The first annual AlwaysOn Venture Capital East 50 highlights the 50 individuals based in the eastern U.S. who have backed the most profitable winners during the last four years. To compile the first VC East 50, our editorial team sourced data from our research partners Morgan Stanley, VentureDeal, and the 451 Group on more than 700 active venture capitalists, 1,400 VC investments, and 1,000 technology liquidity events during the last four years, from October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2009.

The winning VCs were selected based on total number and dollar amounts of successful M&A and IPO deals from their portfolio companies. For IPOs, AlwaysOn examined opening market capitalization as well as subsequent stock performance, relative to the NASDAQ. For each investment, AlwaysOn counted one lead investor per firm to identify the true dealmakers, understanding that in many cases, more than one partner is involved in helping each company. Much of the exact valuation data that would have been ideal for this kind of analysis remains private and inaccessible, of course, so we present the VC East 50 ultimately as a representative list based upon our best efforts.

While the VC East 50 is not based upon perfect information-and our editors are certain there are great investors we missed- this list underscores the critical role venture capital plays in new company and new job creation. Congratulations to the winners who, together with the entrepreneurs they have funded, have saddled innovation to overcome a daunting economic environment and provide a long-term stimulus for our economy.

Join the VC East 50 Celebration
Many of the top VC East 50 awards winners will be on-hand at the upcoming Venture Summit East later this month at the Harvard Business School in Boston, MA.

Flybridge Capital's Michael Greeley's will debate the role of Super Angels, and Woody Benson of Prism VentureWorks will be talking about what really happens in those Monday morning partner meetings. The now-famous Eric Ries will be presenting his updated views on the lean startup. The top technology investment bankers from Morgan Stanley, the Blackstone Group, Union Square Advisors, Thomas Weisel, and Jefferies & Co. will present, projecting the prospects for IPOs and M&As for the rest of 2010. More than 30 CEOs from top private companies from the on-demand computing, digital media, and greentech sectors will also be showcasing.

Check out the full Venture Summit East program.

There's still time to buy a ticket for the AO Insider 50% discount.

The Venture Capital East 50

Business Services

Woody Benson
General Partner, Prism VentureWorks
www.prismventure.com
Sector Focus: Consulting
Notable Investments: M:Metrics, Maven Networks, LogMeIn

Andy Goldfarb
Co-Founder and Executive Managing Director, Globespan Capital Partners
www.globespancapital.com
Sector Focus: Networking
Notable Investments: Covergence, m-Qube, VirtusaGlobespan

Patrick Hackett
Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
www.warburgpincus.com
Sector Focus: Technology, media, telecommunications
Notable Investments: Bridgepoint Education, Yodlee

Adarah Sarma
Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
www.warburgpincus.com
Sector Focus: Technology, media, telecommunications
Notable Investments: Bridgepoint Education

Infrastructure

Sean Dalton
General Partner, Highland Capital Partners
www.hcp.com
Sector Focus: IT
Notable Investments: Covergence, Casero, Virtual Iron Software, Starent Networks, PA Semi, Optasite Communications, CCTV

Michael DiPiano
General Partner, NewSpring Capital
www.newspringcapital.com
Sector Focus: IT
Notable Investments: I-pipeline, Cybershift

Rick Ganong
Partner, Tudor Ventures
www.tudorventures.com
Sector Focus: IT, communication, media
Notable Investments: Transmeta, Digital Island, Switch and Data

Patrick Kerins
General Partner, NEA
www.nea.com
Sector Focus: IT, enterprise, consumer technology
Notable Investments: Millennial Media, TidalTV, ChannelAdvisor

Marc Sokol
General Partner, JK&B Capital
www.jkbcapital.com
Sector Focus: Networking
Notable Investments: AlterPoint, CITTIO, CounterStorm

Scott Ungerer
Managing Director, EnerTech Capital
www.enertechcapital.com
Sector Focus: Semiconductors
Notable Investments: Intellon, Comverge, Circadiant Systems, Enerwise Global Technologies, Cablematrix, Fuelquest, Catch the Wind, Catalytic Solutions, Clean Air Power

Internet

Adam Dell
Managing General Partner, Impact Venture Partners
www.impactvp.com
Sector Focus: IT
Notable Investments: Open Table, Buzzsaw, HotJobs, Connectify

Ross Goldstein
Co-Founder and Managing Director, DFJ Gotham
www.dfjgotham.com
Sector Focus: Internet
Notable Investments: Mimeo, ContextWeb, Searchandise, Drop.io, Medialets

Fredric W. Harman
Managing Partner, Oak Investment Partners
www.oakvc.com
Sector Focus: Internet, new media, enterprise software
Notable Investments: aQuantive, Captura. Qpass

Joshua Kopelman
Managing Partner, First Round Capital
www.firstround.com
Sector Focus: Internet
Notable Investments: Jingle Networks, Odeo, Eventful, del.idio.us, myYearbook, VideoEgg

Chris Lanning
Managing Director, General Atlantic
www.generalatlantic.com
Sector Focus: Internet
Notable Investments: Dice Holdings, WebLoyalty

John Martinson
Managing Partner, Edison Venture Fund
www.edisonventure.com
Sector Focus: Education
Notable Investments: Mathsoft Engineering & Education, Presidium

Alan Patricof
Founder and Managing Director, Greycroft
www.greycroftpartners.com
Sector Focus: Internet, digital media
Notable Investments: Pump Audio, ContentNext Media, Huffington Post, Takkle

Nina Saberi
Managing General Partner, Castile Ventures
www.castileventures.com
Sector Focus: eCommerce, security, networking
Notable Investments: GeoTrust, Brix Networks

Ian Sigalow
Partner, Greycroft
www.greycroftpartners.com
Sector Focus: Advertising technology, Internet, mobile services
Notable Investments: Buddy Media, Buzzd, Collective

W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Total Technology Ventures
www.ttvatlanta.com
Sector Focus: IT, eCommerce
Notable Investments: PayCycle, KnowledgeStorm, Silverpop Systems

Alan Spoon
General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
www.polarisventures.com
Sector Focus: IT, digital media, eCommerce
Notable Investments: TechTarget, Cushcraft Corporation

Life Sciences and Biotechnology

Peter Barrettt
Partner, Atlas Venture
www.atlasventure.com
Sector Focus: Healthcare, pharmaceuticals
Notable Investments: Archemix, Helicos Biosciences, InfaCare Pharmaceuticals, Stromedix, Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Zafgen

Alan Crane
General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
www.polarisventures.com
Sector Focus: Biotechnology
Notable Investments: Adnexus Therapeutics, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals

Kent Gossett
General Partner, SR One
www.srone.com
Sector Focus: Healthcare services
Notable Investments: Morphotek, Alere Medical

Michael Greeley
General Partner, Flybridge Capital Partners
www.flybridge.com
Sector Focus: Healthcare, medical technology investments
Notable Investments: ENTRA Pharmaceuticals, Predictive, TARIS, T2 Biosystems

Peter Grubstein
Founder and Managing Partner, NGEN
www.ngenpartners.com
Sector Focus: Greentech
Notable Investments: Renaissance Lighting, and Hycrete

Bob Higgins
Co-Founder and General Partner, Highland Capital Partners
www.hcp.com
Sector Focus: Biotechnology, software
Notable Investments: Helicos BioSciences, Conor Medsystems, WordWave

David Lincoln
Managing Partner, Element Partners
www.elementpartners.com
Sector Focus: Greentech
Notable Investments: Advent Solar, Capstone Turbine

Terry McGuire
Co-Founder and General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
www.polarisventures.com
Sector Focus: Biotechnology and pharmaceutical
Notable Investments: Remon Medical Technologies, GlycoFi

Sherrill Neff
Founding Partner, Quaker BioVentures
www.quakerbio.com
Sector Focus: Pharmaceutical
Notable Investments: Amicus Therapeutics, Medmark, BioRexis Pharmaceutical

Rosemary L. Ripley
Managing Director, NGEN
www.ngenpartners.com
Sector Focus: Greentech
Notable Investments: Carbonetworks, Flipswap, MokaFive

Jon Sakoda
Partner, NEA
www.nea.com
Sector Focus: Greentech
Notable Investments: Opower, ScienceLogic, Suniva

Steven Weinstein
Managing Director, Novartis BioVenture Fund
www.venturefund.novartis.com
Sector Focus: Medical devices and instruments
Notable Investments: Ablation Frontiers, Visiogen

Software

Ajay Agarwal
Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures
www.baincapitalventures.com
Sector Focus: Mobile, Internet
Notable Investments: Skyhook Wireless, Thumbplay, m-Qube

David Barrett
General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
www.polarisventures.com
Sector Focus: Software
Notable Investments: mValent, LogMeIn

Bill Helman
Partner, Greylock
www.greylock.com
Sector Focus: Enterprise
Notable Investments: Upromise, Outlooksoft, Hyperion Software

Jeff Horing
Managing Director, InSight Venture Partners
www.insightpartners.com
Sector Focus: Software, Internet
Notable Investments: SolarWinds, DataCore

Bill Kaiser
Partner, Greylock
www.greylock.com
Sector Focus: Consumer, enterprise
Notable Investments: Constant Contact, RedHat, WildTangent

Steven B. Klinsky
Founder, CEO, and Managing Director, New Mountain Partners
www.newmountaincapital.com
Sector Focus: Software
Notable Investments: Deltek

Charles R. Lax
Co-Founder and Managing General Partner, GrandBanks Capital
www.grandbankscapital.com
Sector Focus: Infrastructure, security, mobile media
Notable Investments: E*Trade, FireFly Networks, GeoCities

J. Benjamin Nye
Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures
www.baincapitalventures.com
Sector Focus: Software
Notable Investments: SolarWinds, Apparent Networks

Justin J. Perreault
General Partner, Commonwealth Capital Ventures
www.commonwealthvc.com
Sector Focus: IT software
Notable Investments: Ounce Labs, SoundByte Communications, NexGen

Dave Tabors
General Partner, Battery Ventures
www.battery.com
Sector Focus: Software
Notable Investments: BladeLogic, Vastera

Telecommunications

Edward T. Anderson
North Bridge Venture Partners
nbvp.northbridge.com
Sector Focus: Software
Notable Investments: Starent, Veveo

Tom Huseby
Venture Partner, Oak Investment Partners
www.oakvc.com
Sector Focus: Software and mobile
Notable Investments: SNAPin Software, Qpass

Morgan Jones
General Partner, Battery Ventures
www.battery.com
Sector Focus: Telecommunications equipment
Notable Investments: Optium, Qtera, Achronix

Andrew Marcuvitz
Co-Founder and Chairman, Alpond Capital (ZeeVee)
www.zeevee.com
Sector Focus: Telecommunications equipment
Notable Investments: Starent Networks

John Simon
Managing Director, General Catalyst Partners
www.generalcatalyst.com
Sector Focus: Mobile
Notable Investments: Hands-On Mobile, Maven Networks, m-Qube

Thomas A. Smith
Partner, Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds
www.mavf.com
Sector Focus: Networking and telecommunications
Notable Investments: sentitO Networks, Colubris Networks, NexTone Communications

Troy D. Templeton
Managing Partner, Trivest Funds
www.trivest.com
Sector Focus: Telecommunications equipment
Notable Investments: Directed Electronics