What is Venture Capital (VC)?

Venture capital is a form of private equity investing focused on early-stage companies with high growth potential. VC funds invest in startups and emerging companies in exchange for equity ownership, aiming for significant returns when these companies succeed.

Investment Stages: - Seed - Very early, pre-revenue or early revenue ($500K-$2M) - Series A - Product-market fit, scaling ($2M-$10M) - Series B+ - Proven model, rapid scaling ($10M+)

Typical VC Fund Structure: - 10-year fund life - 3-5 year investment period - Portfolio of 15-30 companies - Target returns vary by fund (not guaranteed) - J-curve pattern (negative returns early, potential gains later)

Key Characteristics: - High risk, high potential return - Long time horizon (7-10 years to exit) - Illiquid until company sale or IPO - Portfolio approach essential (many failures, few big winners) - Active involvement by VC firms

VC funds typically qualify for the AIP visa program as they invest in growth companies creating economic benefit.