Venture capital is an informal term for private equity funding that is typically provided by venture capital companies or private funds. Venture capital is an arrangement in which third party investors invest in a startup company in exchange for shares of the company’s stock ownership. Unlike conventional financing, venture capital investments do not need to be secured by tangible assets, such as plant and property, as is the case with most private equity funding rounds. The term venture capital can also be applied to describe the revenue shared by two or more companies in the same funding round. Venture capital funds are made up of a series of investors, each of which is invested in a different company.
A venture capital firm, also known as a venture capital firm, is registered with the SEC and carries in its books the professional investor listing on the AMEX. A venture capital firm has neither a dedicated staff nor office employees. It has, however, identified a number of key personnel to handle day to day communications and to handle investor relations. All venture capitalists must undergo an accredited investor training program. Ventures also seek to work with accredited investors who have significant experience in the area of their business.
The first step in venture capital financing is the screening of startups. This is often done by local investment banks, accelerators, venture capitalists, or angel groups. After assessing the potential for value, these groups put together an investment portfolio for the venture capital firm to consider. The goal of this stage is to raise a small initial amount of capital for the startup to undertake operations. In some cases, the startups are able to raise a substantial amount of venture capital through third party investors.
Third parties also provide seed money for new companies. Seed capital is provided for two reasons. First, venture capitalists look for companies that are in early stages of development. The hope is that these new companies will generate a significant amount of profits to repay the investors’ investment. Second, these investors are interested in helping to generate the future earnings of a company.
Venture capitalists often seek to obtain high return investments through pension funds, individual equity accounts, and other plans. The purpose of pension fund investing is to provide long-term reliable funding for employees and employers. Equity funds may also be used as sources of venture capital. These funds would be able to issue new equity to existing private sector businesses at a discount.
Angel groups may provide seed money for new companies as well. Angel groups are groups of wealthy individuals who pool their resources to provide start-up capital to new companies. Some of the most popular venture capitalists are early internet entrepreneurs John Templeton and Tim Draper, as well as hedge fund managers Robert Prechter and John Grace.