venture capital

American  

[ven-cher kap-i-tl] / ˈvɛn tʃər ˌkæp ɪ tl /

noun

1. funds invested or available for investment in a new or unproven business enterprise (often used attributively): a venture capital firm. VC

   Startups may seek private equity or venture capital as alternative funding sources;

   a venture capital firm.

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venture capital British  

noun

1. capital that is provided for a new commercial enterprise by individuals or organizations other than those who own the new enterprise

2. another name for risk capital

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Other Word Forms

• venture capitalism
  noun
• venture capitalist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of venture capital

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

venture capital

It was financed by venture capital firms and hedge funds, and aimed to increase profits from overseas clients.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

This has also created severe concentration in the sector, with 86 cents for every dollar of venture capital raised going to AI companies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Companies based in the Golden State have drawn around $366 billion of venture capital since the beginning of the year, according to data provider PitchBook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

And Unilever has made at least four beauty investments in the country through its venture capital arm in the last couple of years.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Parallel to the most advanced and promising scientific endeavors, venture capital underwrites the industries of the near future.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin

Related Words

• working capital