Business 2.0 has gotten together with 11 venture capital groups to ask them what they think would be hot deals right now. It makes interesting reading. Here's what they're interested in:

• Fraudproof credit card authorization via cell phones and PDAs. Woodside Fund thinks the cell phone, packaged with the right software, presents an ideal solution. Imagine getting a text message on your phone from a merchant, prompting you for a password or code to approve the $100 purchase you just made on your home PC or at the mall.
• A startup that converts proprietary software applications from large banks into a co-op IT service for participating members. (Partech International)
• Software that makes better product recommendations to online shoppers. (Redpoint Ventures)
• PCs tailored for senior citizens, who would rent the machines on a monthly basis. (Ignition Partners)
• AN EVEN SMARTER SMARTPHONE - A clever resurrection of the smart-card concept: a software platform for cell phones that allows consumers to make purchases or open doors by waving their phones in front of tiny infrared or RFID readers. (Storm Ventures).
• A startup that can create a suite of open-source applications for maintenance and upkeep of a company's IT backbone. It would give away the programs to corporate clients but charge for service and upkeep at a substantial discount off current rates. (WaldenVC).
• A kind of souped-up Craigslist for every neighborhood, everywhere. Just type in a zip code, and this website will present not just garage sale listings and classified ads, but headlines and photos from dozens of local news sites run by busybodies willing to provide free content and keep it constantly updated. (Norwest Venture Partners)
• VOIP-enabled software that merchants can use to automate and customize phone orders from their customers. (El Dorado Ventures)
• PLUG-AND-PLAY MOBILE SERVICES - What wireless networks have been craving for years: a single software platform from which they can launch new services (Soffinova Ventures)
• A wireless home-monitoring network for recuperating hospital patients. (3i)
• A KILLER APP FOR CONVERGENCE Software that permits any Net-connected gadget in your home to access and display services like VOIP, instant messaging, and streaming television. (Outlook Ventures).