2. What is Venture Capital
Private or institutional investment (capital) in relatively early-stage companies
(ventures).
Venture capital is money provided by professionals who alongside management invest in
young (startup firms and small businesses), rapidly growing companies that have the
potential to develop into significant economic contributors.
Recently focused on technology-heavy companies:
Computer and network technology
Telecommunications technology
Biotechnology
3. How are Venture Capital Funds organized?
The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans – MIT Course 15.S21
(formerly 15.975)
Joe Hadzima
3
General Partners
These are the “Venture Capitalists” you will deal with. They may have been Entrepreneurs in a prior life or
they might be financial types. they are responsible for:
(Source Deals, Make Investment Decisions, Manage the Investments and harvest the Investments)
The General Partners use an Offering Memorandum to raise a fund of a given size from the
Limited Partners by convincing them that the GPs have a unique strategy or expertise in a
particular sector or sectors of the market. Fund raising can take a year or more.
If the GPs are successful they will convince enough Limited Partners to invest enough
money to achieve the size fund offered.
Venture Capital Fund
Limited Partners
12. Why?
• Up to 90% of Startups Fail [1]. Why?
[1]: http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilpatel/2015/01/16/90-of-
startups-will-fail-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-
10/#5c84ec7855e1