The deal value is also widely divergent, with deals over the 1995 2011 time frame totalling USD 7.7 billion for Silicon Valley-based industrial/energy start-ups, as compared to USD 414 million for Illinois-based firms and USD 26.5 billion for the US overall (PWC/NVCA, 2011). Firms in the Tri-State region report that funds for start-ups and major investments are more readily available than for the middle range of VC investments. There is some evidence that start-ups hatched in the Chicago region often end up relocating to either the east or west coast as a precondition to the receipt of venture capital, indicating how important it could be to develop a strong venture capital base that prioritises business investments in the region (CMAP, 2010a). While different forms of ad hoc co-operation occur among the region's laboratories and universities, a more deliberate, strategic focus for their joint actions is needed. The University of Chicago and Northwestern University, among the region’s most prominent research-intensive universities, are reported to have relatively ad hoc relationships.