U.S. venture capital firms splashed out more money in the second quarter of 2012 than they have in any quarter since the dot-com boom, according to a forthcoming report from venture capital database CB Insights. (The report will be online here once it’s published.) In all, they invested $8.1 billion in a total of 812 companies, with the mobile and Internet sectors leading the way.

Whether you see this as cause for celebration or alarm depends on your degree of bubble-phobia. The last time funding was this high, in the second quarter of 2001, a devastating crash ensued. There are plenty of people out there who will tell you that the huge valuations for companies like Facebook, Instagram, and Groupon are signs that another pop is on the way.

To read the full, original article click on this link: Venture capital Q2: US startups attract most funding since dot-com bust