All Posts in "Venture Capital News"

The Lottery Mentality and Venture Capital in Entrepreneurship

Women are often less risk-taking than men in the entrepreneurial world, but this doesn’t mean they’re immune to the impact of venture capital. The VC model appeals to the lottery mentality, causing founders to lose control of their businesses before they’ve even gotten off the ground. This article explains why women often don’t get VC money. It also explains why VCs tend to wrest control of a company before it has even been able to develop a sustainable business.

Women are less risk-taking in venture capital

The gender of the entrepreneurs is a contributing factor to a decreased demand for venture capital. A recent study suggested that women are less risk-taking than men when they start a new business. Despite being aware of external financing options, female entrepreneurs were less likely to seek VC funding. This lack of women entrepreneurs in Europe has led to reduced demand for external financing. But there are ways to overcome the gender bias and make women entrepreneurs more attractive to VC firms.

VCs wrest control of companies from founders

Why do VCs wrest control of companies away from founders? Many reasons can be attributed to the power of information. Founders and managers are more likely to know more than their investors do, which creates a problem called information asymmetry. Moreover, a high degree of asymmetry between information and capital can push entrepreneurs to take risks they otherwise wouldn’t. Hence, this situation can lead to moral hazard.

VCs appeal to a “lottery” mentality

Venture capitalists … READ MORE ...

Ronnie Jackson by — March 13, 2022 in Venture Capital News
Venture Capital Example – How to Predict the Future of a Business

Before looking at a venture capital example, consider the risks and rewards of the investment. After all, investors want to invest in a business that has a chance of success. So how do you predict the future of a business? You need to know whether the business will succeed or fail, and you should be able to predict the return on investment. Listed below are some tips for success. Before looking at a venture capital example, consider the following questions:

High-risk investment

A high-risk venture capital investment is a type of investment with a high likelihood of loss or underperformance. The standard deviation of VC investments is very high, at more than 100 percent annually. This is much higher than the ten percent standard deviation of the S&P-500, and similar to the volatility of small publicly traded NASDAQ stocks. These investments are also highly volatile, with a beta of about one, meaning that they move with the stock market.

VCs avoid investing in companies that aren’t proven. They also avoid betting on technology in unproven segments of the market. The exceptions are concept stocks, which hold tremendous promise but can take years to succeed. One such company is genetic engineering. VCs must identify entrepreneurs with experience in the field, as well as in the industry or segment in which they plan to invest. Moreover, investors need to know how the company will reach FDA approval and sell its product to a major corporation.

Time horizon

While early exits are possible, … READ MORE ...

Ronnie Jackson by — March 5, 2022 in Venture Capital News
Sources of Venture Capital For New Businesses

There are many sources of venture capital for new businesses. Some sources include: External private equity, Business angels, and Intrepid capital funds. These investors may be more lenient with their investment terms. However, a venture capital fund needs a business idea that is both innovative and profitable. In order to attract such investors, a business needs to present a strong business plan and an entrepreneur with a proven track record. Institutional investors include pension funds, insurance companies, professionally managed charitable foundations, and endowment funds at universities. Other sources of venture capital are wealthy individuals, members of the business community, and corporations. These investors are a good source for new ventures, especially if they do not have the resources to attract funding from banks.

Public equity

The relation between venture capital and the public equity markets continues to produce interesting outcomes across study settings. Black and Gilson (1998) provide evidence of a positive relationship between the US stock market and VC activity in Japan and Germany. Lin (2017) provides similar evidence in China. Although the data from these two studies only indicate that there is a positive relation between the stock market and VC activity, recent developments in Europe and Asia show a strong correlation between these two.

A more balanced approach would involve a combination of the stock market and public equity sources to provide the funds needed by VCs. In addition to institutional sources, private individuals can also invest in VCs. Private equity firms also contribute to the VC … READ MORE ...

Ronnie Jackson by — February 28, 2022 in Venture Capital News
Common Characteristics of Venture Capital Investments

What are the common characteristics of venture capital (VC) investments? Venture capital firms are financial intermediaries that invest in companies with rapid growth potential. They generally hold investments in private funds, but add little value beyond capital. However, the difference between PE and VC investments is largely a matter of perspective. PE and VC investments differ in risk and return, and the latter is largely due to the more risk-averse nature of the former.

VCs are financial intermediaries

VCs are financial intermediaries between a company and a bank. While a bank will fund a project if it can guarantee cash flow, VCs are involved in the entire management process. They extend management support, participate in company governance, and provide various other facilities. Most venture capitalists invest in unlisted companies and make their profits after the company has become publicly traded. There are several stages to VC investment, including:

They don’t add value beyond money

Many VCs believe that venture capital adds nothing more than money. In reality, the opposite is true. VCs disagree with founders on growth, but ultimately have to deliver returns to their LPs. They measure returns as a multiple of their original investment or in percentages. This is a fundamental difference from the idea that the founders should be focusing on the customers first and foremost. That’s because VCs aren’t interested in making a company grow, but in making money from it.

They invest in firms with rapid growth potential

Venture capital is an investment fund that … READ MORE ...

Ronnie Jackson by — February 21, 2022 in Venture Capital News
Venture Capital Vs Private Equity Investing

There are some major differences between venture capital and private equity investing, and one of the most important is the level of people involved. Unlike venture capital firms, private equity firms do not have to engage in the same level of management, focusing only on financial decisions. Instead, they must work out the numbers to make the business work. Despite these differences, both venture capital and private equity have become increasingly popular over the past few years. In fact, the amount of capital invested annually rose more than 13 times between 2010 and 2019, topping $160 billion annually.

VC firms invest at earlier stages in the startup lifecycle

Most VC firms invest at the early stage, or “series A” of the startup lifecycle. These funds are used to grow the company from a concept to a profit-generating business. Investors typically seek companies with a realistic timeline, and often look for those with a proven technology or solid business strategy. Angel investors prefer to invest in early stages because they have less influence over the startup’s future than VC firms do.

VC firms collect management fees from limited partners

VC firms collect management fees from limited partners. These fees are capped at a fixed amount, often called a management fee. LPs have the right to reject a particular rate of return and may insist on rate steps down. By doing this, they are effectively granting the VCs a free loan, hoping to recoup the original fees later. This process, called recycling, … READ MORE ...

Ronnie Jackson by — February 12, 2022 in Venture Capital News