The Life of a Deal Most venture capital deals follow a similar life cycle that begins when a limited partnership is formed and funds are raised. In the second phase, the funds are invested in start-up companies. Finally, the venture firm exits the investment.Next, we take a more detailed look at this process.Fundraising A venture firm begins by soliciting commitments of capital from investors. As discussed, these investors are typically pension funds, corporations, and wealthy individuals. Venture capital firms usually have a portfolio target amount that they attempt to raise. The average venture fund will have from just a few investors up to 100 limited partners. Because the minimum commitment is usually so high, venture capital funding is generally out of reach of most average individual investors.Once the venture fund begins investing, it will “call” its commitments from the limited partners. These capital calls from the limited partners to the venture fund are sometimes called “takedowns” or “paid-in-capital.” Venture firms typically call their capital on an as-needed basis.The limited partners understand that investments in venture funds are long-term. It may be several years before the first investment starts to pay. In many cases, the capital may be tied up for seven to 10 years. The illiquidity of the investment must be carefully considered by the potential investor.Investing Once commitments have been received, the venture fund can begin the investment phase. Venture funds may either specialize in one or two industry segments or may generalize, looking at all available opportunities. It is not uncommon for venture funds to focus investments in a limited geographical area to make it easier to review and monitor the firms’ activities.
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