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Below, some highlights of the five sectors getting the most venture funding, and a list of the most active venture investors in 2003.

Connectivity/Communications Tools
Accel Partners, Intel Capital, and Microsoft are sharing in the latest round (a $38 million bet) for Beverly, Mass.-based Groove Networks, whose peer-to-peer technology creates secure, virtual workspaces that can be used by widely dispersed people. The Homeland Security Information Network uses Groove software.

Biotechnology
Favrille, a four-year-old, San Diego-based biotech that is developing a personalized cancer treatment made from a patient's own tumors, secured $44 million in funding in April. Two days later the company registered with the SEC for an initial public offering. In 2003 the company lost $13.3 million.

Nonfinancial Business Services
Menlo Ventures, NEA, Alloy Ventures, and Deutsche Post Ventures handed over $20 million-plus in funding for Open Harbor. The San Carlos, Calif., company's software helps global businesses deal with ever-changing worldwide trade regulations. DHL is standardizing its customs processes with Open Harbor's software.

Pharmaceuticals
CoTherix, the company formerly known as Exhale Therapeutics, raised a hefty $55 million this past fall around the same time it changed its name, got a new CEO, and acquired the rights to Berlin-based Schering AG's Ventavis, which treats pulmonary hypertension. A few weeks ago the company filed an IPO. One serious risk factor listed in the offering: no current source of product revenue.

Application-Specific Integrated Circuits
Mobius Venture Capital led a top-tier venture team to pony up $60 million last summer for Infinera, a startup that's quietly developing a low-cost optical chip for the telecom industry. So far Infinera has hit up investors for $130 million. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla of Kleiner Perkins is a board member.