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

Some of Black’s outside investments were in funds focused on investing in timber, venture capital and Chinese private equity—areas not generally in Apollo’s wheelhouse at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal

He says Meadow Lane is self-funded; after working in venture capital for five years, he “really wanted to feel more inspired” by his work.

From The Wall Street Journal

My research, drawing on tens of thousands of startup investments made through the AngelList platform, suggests that venture capital is an asset class defined by extreme network effects.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kaiser Permanente Ventures, its venture capital arm, has invested in Abridge.

From Los Angeles Times

Alphabet took a big part in the recent funding round led by Dragoneer Investment Group, joined by Silicon Valley venture capital titans like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, according to Waymo.

From Barron's

Related Words

• working capital