# Venture Capitalists: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

> **Definition**
>
> A venture capitalist is a private equity investor who provides capital to companies with a high potential for growth in exchange for an equity stake.

## What Is a Venture Capitalist?

A venture capitalist (VC) is an investor who funds companies with high growth potential in exchange for an equity stake in their eventual success. Most VC money goes to startup ventures preparing to go public or small privately owned companies with the potential to expand.

Venture capital companies attract investment money from high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), insurance companies, pension funds, foundations, and corporate pension funds.

### Key Takeaways

*   A venture capitalist (VC) is an investor or investment partnership that provides young companies with capital in exchange for equity.
*   Startups turn to VCs for funding to scale up their businesses.
*   Venture capitalists tend to experience high rates of failure but win massive returns for their rare successes.

![Venture Capitalist](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/Kuq-0Cs8lznYqPFuoXPXfhjA3CE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/venture-capitalist-4187107-1-279ebe8e1bb9410a9f8c3cf7dc47c7cb.jpg)

*— Joules Garcia / Investopedia*

## Understanding Venture Capitalists

Venture capital firms are usually formed as limited partnerships (LPs), with each partner contributing to the VC fund. A committee is generally tasked with making investment decisions. When a promising emerging growth company is identified, the firm agrees to fund it in exchange for a sizable equity stake.

Contrary to common belief, VCs do not typically fund a startup in its earliest planning stages. They target firms that have a product and are generating revenue but need more money to commercialize their ideas.

The VC fund will buy a stake in these firms, nurture their growth, and look to cash out with a strong [return on investment](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnoninvestment.asp).

### What Venture Capitalists Look For

Venture capitalists typically look for companies with a strong management team, a large potential market, and a distinctive product or service with a solid competitive advantage.

They tend to look for prospects in industries with which they are familiar or have expertise, while having the chance to buy a large percentage of the company so they can influence its direction.

[VCs are willing to risk investing](https://www.investopedia.com/venture-capitalists-and-picking-winners-11786518) in such companies because they can earn a massive return on their investments if they are successful. However, VCs have high rates of failure because of the uncertainty involved with new and unproven companies.

Below are the company stages and a chart of recent VC funding in U.S. companies.  

## Venture Capital Structure

High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), insurance companies, [pension funds](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing-strategy/090916/how-do-pension-funds-work.asp), foundations, and corporate pension funds may contribute money to a pool controlled by a VC firm. The venture capital firm acts as the general partner, managing the funds and choosing the investments, while the investors are limited partners (LPs). All partners have part ownership of the fund.

The roles within a venture capital firm vary, but they can be broken down into roughly three positions:

*   **Associates**: These individuals usually come to VC firms with experience in either business consulting or finance. They may analyze business models, industry trends, and sectors. They also work on a firm’s portfolio. Although they do not make critical decisions, associates may introduce promising companies to the firm’s upper management.
*   **Principals**: A principal is a midlevel professional. They usually serve on the boards of portfolio companies and ensure that they run without significant hiccups. Principals are responsible for identifying prospects for VC firms and negotiating terms for acquisition and exit. Principals are on a partner track that depends on the returns they generate. 
*   **Partners**: Higher-profile partners primarily identify areas or specific businesses to invest in, approve deals (whether investments or exits), occasionally sit on the board of portfolio companies, and represent their VC firms.

> **Important**
>
> VC firms control a pool of various investors’ money, unlike angel investors, who use their own money.

[Venture capitalists must follow regulations](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/013015/how-venture-capital-regulated-government.asp) in conducting their business. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates private-equity firms and venture capitalists.

Venture capital fund managers are paid management fees and [carried interest](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/carriedinterest.asp). Depending on the firm, about 20% of the profits are paid to the company managing the private equity fund, while the rest goes to the LPs invested in the fund. General partners are usually due an additional 2% fee.

## History of Venture Capital

The history of investing in high-risk and high-reward ventures is centuries old. It's hard to imagine the history of shipping, whaling, and colonialism without it.

However, the first modern venture capital firms in the United States started in the mid-20th century. Georges Doriot, a Frenchman who moved to the U.S. to earn a business degree, became an instructor at Harvard Business School and worked at an investment bank. In 1946, he became president of the American Research and Development Corporation (ARDC), the first publicly funded venture capital firm.

Before, founders of new companies generally looked to wealthy individuals like the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts for the capital they needed to grow. ARDC expanded the pool of investors. It soon had millions in its accounts from educational institutions and insurers. 

ARDC alums founded firms such as Morgan Holland Ventures and Greylock Partners.

> **Fast Fact**
>
> The VC firm serves as the general partner (GP), deciding where the money is invested. They tend to choose businesses or ventures that banks avoid due to their high degree of risk.

Startup financing began to resemble the modern-day venture capital industry after the passage of the Investment Act of 1958. The act enabled [small business investment companies](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/smallbusinessinvestmentcompanysbic.asp) to be licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which had been established five years earlier.

By its nature, venture capital invests in new businesses with excellent growth potential but enough risk to be rejected by banks with conservative requirements for extending loans. 

### Early Ventures

Fairchild Semiconductor, one of the earliest and most successful semiconductor companies, was the first venture capital-backed startup, setting a pattern for venture capital’s close relationship with emerging technologies in the San Francisco area.

Venture capital firms in that region and period established the standard practices that are still used today. They set up limited partnerships to hold investments, with professionals acting as general partners. Those supplying the capital serve as passive partners with more limited control.

The number of independent venture capital firms increased in the following decade, prompting the founding of the National Venture Capital Association in 1973.

Venture capital has since grown into a hundred-billion-dollar industry. Today, well-known venture capitalists include Jim Breyer, an early Facebook ([META](https://www.investopedia.com/markets/quote?tvwidgetsymbol=META)) investor; Peter Fenton, an early investor in X (then Twitter); and Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal ([PYPL](https://www.investopedia.com/markets/quote?tvwidgetsymbol=pypl)).

### $215 billion

The total amount of venture capital investment in U.S. companies in 2024. There were 538 venture capital firms, which raised $76 billion in new money for future deals.

## VC Expected Returns on a Deal

Venture capitalists invest in startups with the expectation of making a significant return on their investment. The structure of the expected return is based on the high risk associated with investing in early-stage companies and the potential for high rewards if the startup succeeds.

VCs that make a series A investment typically aim for a return of 10 to 15 times their initial investment. If a VC invests $5 million in a startup, it would expect to receive at least $50 million upon a successful exit, such as an acquisition or an initial public offering (IPO).

However, VC returns often follow a power-law distribution, where a small number of highly successful investments (known as “home runs”) generate the most of a fund’s returns. Others break even or post losses.

To achieve their target returns, VCs construct a portfolio of investments, diversifying across sectors, stages, and regions. They expect that out of a typical portfolio of at least 10 to 20 investments, something like the following will occur:

*   One to two investments will be “home runs,” returning more than 10 times the initial investment.
*   Two to three investments will have moderate success, returning two-and-a-half to five times the initial investment.
*   Four to five investments will only return the initial capital or generate a small profit.
*   Four to five or more investments will fail, resulting in a partial or total loss of the invested capital.

By diversifying their portfolios and aiming for a few home runs, VCs can achieve their overall fund return targets of 20% to 35% annually, even with a high failure rate.

Of course, VC returns are not guaranteed and are subject to various risks, such as market conditions, competition, and execution challenges faced by the startups they invest in.

### Pros & Cons of Venture Capital

Pros

*   VCs can provide substantial amounts of capital to help startups grow quickly and scale their operations.
    
*   VCs can give valuable strategic guidance and mentorship to founders.
    
*   VCs have strong professional networks that can help startups connect with potential partners, customers, and talent.
    
*   Securing funding from respected VCs can provide validation and credibility for a startup.
    
*   VCs are often willing to take a long-term view on their investments, allowing startups to focus on growth and innovation rather than short-term profits.
    

Cons

*   Founders give up a significant part of their company’s equity and control to VCs.
    
*   VCs expect rapid growth and high returns on their investments, which can put intense pressure on founders to meet aggressive targets.
    
*   VCs may prioritize their own financial interests over the success of the company, leading to conflicts with founders.
    
*   Despite VC backing, startups often fail, and founders may end up with little to no ownership in the company they built.
    
*   VC investments are illiquid—with the money typically locked up for several years.
    

## Example of a VC Deal

Suppose ABC Inc., a tech startup, has been growing rapidly and is looking to raise $5 million in Series A funding to expand its team, invest in product development, and scale its marketing efforts.

The founders of ABC pitch their business to several venture capital firms and receive interest from VC firm XYZ. After due diligence and negotiations, XYZ agrees to lead the Series A round and invest $3 million, with other investors contributing the remaining $2 million.

The terms of the deal are as follows:

1.  **Valuation**: Startup ABC is valued at $20 million [pre-money](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/premoneyvaluation.asp) (before the investment). With the entire $5 million investment, the [post-money](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/postmoneyvaluation.asp) valuation is $25 million.
2.  **Equity**: VC firm XYZ receives 12% of the company’s equity ($3 million divided by $25 million) in Series A preferred stock. The other investors collectively receive 8% ($2 million divided by $25 million), leaving the founders and employees with the remaining 80%.
3.  **Board seats**: XYZ receives one seat on ABC’s board of directors, giving it a say in major strategic decisions.
4.  **Liquidation preferences**: The Series A preferred stock comes with a [liquidation preference](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquidation-preference.asp), meaning that if there’s a sale or company failure, Series A investors will receive their initial investment back before the common stockholders (founders, employees, future outside shareholders).
5.  **Milestones and tranches**: If the company attains certain milestones, such as revenue targets or product launch dates, the funding may be released in tranches.

After the deal closes, ABC’s founders will use the funds to hire additional software engineers, expand its sales and marketing teams, and invest in new product features. XYZ provides guidance and introduces the founders to potential partners and customers.

As ABC continues to grow, it may raise additional rounds of funding (Series B, C, etc.) at higher valuations, with XYZ potentially participating in these rounds to maintain its ownership stake.

The ultimate goal for both the founders and investors is to achieve a successful exit through an acquisition or an [initial public offering](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/ipo.asp) (IPO), providing a return on investment for the VCs and a payout for the founders and employees.

## How Do Venture Capitalists Raise Money?

Venture capitalist companies create a pool of money contributed by institutional investors (pension funds, endowments, and foundations), corporations, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).

These investors are known as limited partners, and they commit capital to the VC fund for a specific period, usually 10 to 12 years.

The VC firm, which consists of the investment professionals managing the fund, is known as the [general partner](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/generalpartner.asp).

## What’s the Difference Between a Venture Capitalist and an Angel Investor?

VCs are professional investors who manage a pool of investment capital from various sources. At any given time, they have millions of dollars invested in relatively mature startups that have products in the late stages of development or even in the market.

[Angel investors](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/angelinvestor.asp) are mostly individuals who invest their own money as [seed capital](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/seedcapital.asp) for early-stage startups, often in small amounts (tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than millions). Angel investors typically get involved earlier in a startup’s life cycle and are more hands-on in providing guidance and mentorship.

## Must Entrepreneurs Pay Venture Capitalists Back?

Entrepreneurs don't exactly repay the venture capitalists. VCs get a return on their investment by cashing out the ownership stakes they were awarded in return for their investment. For example, if the company launches an IPO, the VC firm sells its shares at a profit.

When a startup fails, the VCs lose their investment and the [entrepreneurs](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/entrepreneur.asp) are not personally liable for repaying the funds.

## What Percentage of VC Funds Are Successful?

The success rate varies widely, but it is generally accepted that a significant portion of funds do not achieve their target returns. According to some industry reports, only about 2% of VC funds generate 95% of the industry’s returns.

A 2023 study by Cambridge Associates found that the 20-year annualized average return for VC funds was 12.33% compared with 12.40% for the MSCI All-Country World Index of global stocks.

Meanwhile, research from Harvard Business School suggests that as many as 75% of venture-backed companies never return cash to investors.

## The Bottom Line

Venture capitalists (VCs) are investors who form limited partnerships to pool investment funds. They use that money to fund startup companies in return for equity stakes in those companies. VCs usually make their investments after a startup has begun generating revenue rather than in its earliest stages of development.

VC investments can be vital to startups because their business concepts tend to pose too much risk for traditional loan sources. While most VC ventures lose money, the profits from their “home runs” must outpace these losses for a fund to be successful.

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