BEIJING - China witnessed a sharp increase of private equity (PE) investment in April, boosted by big deals in the medical and IT sectors, said a latest industry report.

The combined investment in 42 PE deals made public was $8.4 billion in April, much higher than the 466 million dollars registered in April last year, according to the report by China Venture, an industry information provider.

In comparison, the combined investment volume in 160 venture capital (VC) deals stood at around $2 billion last month, less than the $2.6 billion in April last year.

Against the backdrop of mass innovation and entrepreneurship, China has embraced PE and VC investment, especially in emerging industries.

China saw a 49-percent growth in PE and VC investment last year, though global fundraising and investment as a whole fell, according to a recent PwC report.