VC Roundup: Is VC ready for its turnaround?

Welcome to the VC Round-up, where we’ll parse through venture capital news related to Philadelphia-based private equity firms and the companies they fund. Subscribe to the roundup as an email newsletter. If you have any VC-related news to pass along to us, please drop us a line.
DEFINITE READS
According to the VCs assembled in New Jersey for the New Jersey Technology Council conference, VC activity is primed to heat up in the coming months. Bala Cynwyd-based Osage Partners was among the local firms in attendance. “If you can survive the last three years, then you have something,” said one attendee.
Ben Franklin Technology Partner has anounced nearly $600,000 in investment, including $50,000 going to Viddler. If you remember, Viddler told us in October: “We’re done funding.”

MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR TIME
South Plainfield-based Petra Energy has raised $40 million to hire 30 employees. None of the funding sources were local. The company makes solar panels for utility poles.
Thanks to their love of blogging and their penchant for making a new deal every 15 minutes, First Round Capital is the most trafficked VC website in the country. No other local firms made the list.

GIVE A GLANCE
NestStage Capital has gone intercontinental and invested 2 million ($2.75 million) in the French company Resto in. The startup allows users to order restaurant-quality food online. Though, being Europe and all, it is still unclear whether you tip the delivery boy.
And now for the most low-tech VC deal you’ll ever see: Pret-Mose has raised $20 million, led by locally-based Murex Investments, to purchase Hitcharama Recreational Vehicles of Turnersville, NJ. We can only hope it is to use the RVs to film a road trip reality show.
Osage Ventures travels north to Boston and adds to its current investment of Landslide Technologies. The company, which develops business software, also hired a new CEO.
DreamIt and Wizhive co-founder Mike Levinson is going public in his search for talent. Levinson has posted to Monster.com his need of “bright, creative, rising stars.”
The VC Roundup will deliver Philadelphia private equity news hot and fresh every Tuesday morning.