The valuations of venture-backed companies held steady in the third quarter, as the prices set in first funding rounds dropped to a six-year quarterly low while later-stage valuations continued to climb. According to Dow Jones VentureSource, the median valuation of U.S. companies raising money in the third quarter was $18 million, the same price as in the second quarter, after falling from $24 million in the first quarter. For the first nine months of the year, the median price sat at $19 million, a bit below the 2008 level of $20 million, which was a decade high. For first rounds, the median valuation was cut in half to $4 million after rising to $8 million in the second quarter. Although it’s just a three-month slice, this could signal that venture capital firms are putting less money to work in younger companies.