What is a venture capitalist? – When an entrepreneur comes up with an idea to start a business to offer a new product or service, there is a big requirement of financial resources to create the business. To reach a high level of production, a large amount of money and business experience is required. The job of a venture capitalist is to provide capital in exchange for an ownership stake in the company.

In this article, you will learn some general details about venture capitalists and their functions. Apart from that, we will also discuss the major importance of venture capitalists in business. Finally, we will share with you major tips on how to become a venture capitalist. Hence, to find out more about the job of venture capitalists, read on through to the end of the article.

What Is A Venture Capitalist?

According to Investopedia,

“A venture capitalist (VC) is a private equity investor that provides capital to companies with high growth potential in exchange for an equity stake. A VC investment could involve funding startup ventures or supporting small companies that wish to expand but have no access to the equities markets.”

Venture capitalists are investors that specialize in analyzing the risks associated with a startup business and the market, and they provide capital to startups. In exchange for capital, they take an ownership stake or equity in the business. Some of the most famous venture capitalists are Jim Breyer, Michael Moritz, Peter Thiel, and more.

They provide funds for a startup business in exchange for a share in the profits the company makes. However, the reverse is true, as with the company’s loss, these venture capitalists also share a part of the loss as well. If you are starting out a business with a new idea, a venture capitalist for you shall be just another owner of the business alongside you, who is investing with capital in the business.

Venture capitalists provide businesses with capital at different phases of the business – early-stage capital, expansion capital, late-stage capital, and acquisition/ buyout capital. Apart from just funding for the business, a venture capitalist can also be a mentor for the company’s owners in making decisions on daily operations, financial management, and growth.

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What Are The Jobs And Functions Of A Venture Capitalist?

The following are the major functions of venture capitalists:

1. Investing

The fund that venture capitalists offer to business helps in driving innovation and use that innovation to commercialize the products and services of the businesses. In exchange for providing funds, they take a share in the company’s profits and also get various decision-making power.

2. Expertise

As the venture capitalist contributes funds to the business, they have the right to contribute to the business’ business operations too. These people work to hire the company’s management as the company grows in size. They also serve as board members to make top-end decisions for the company.

3. Financial Management

Since venture capitalists provide private funds for the company, they are also accountable to the people (who are the partners to the venture capitalists) that provide the capital for the investment. Venture capitalists basically invest the funds of the partners into a new company to make it profitable. The investment partners make observe them to make the right decisions for the company.

4. Investment Closing

Venture capitalists also negotiate exit strategies for businesses, which allow the business to end their investment after a particular time period. They also allow the leaders of the company to sell the business or publicize the stock of the company so that venture capital is no longer required.

Indeed.com adds on venture capitalists –

“They also act as fund managers and analysts whose job is to invest money into other businesses. Often, they work with partners to fund large-scale growth and are typically willing to take on more investment risks than traditional banks are.”

As already discussed, venture capitalists make various financial choices since the individual has the right to do so, as he/she is investing the funds in the business, which allows the business to grow. Apart from making investment decisions, these venture capitalists are also involved in business analysis and mentorship to the business owners.

How To Become A Venture Capitalist?

According to TheForage.com,

“Becoming a venture capitalist (VC) isn’t necessarily a linear career path, and you don’t need a specific degree or certification. When you work in venture capital, your industry experience — even in adjacent industries — is what matters most.”

To become a venture capitalist, you will need to have relevant skills and experiences. Here are the steps to take if you want to be a venture capitalist:

Step 1:

Get a Degree in Business. Having a specialization in finance will help you in the long run, as you will have the skills to invest. The best degree to get for yourself is MBA, as you will have an advantage with the expertise and training to deal with capital and market changes.

Step 2:

Start working at a venture capital firm to get relevant experience. The best way to start is to get a job in a company that invests in the latest technology companies. You can also work at a startup to see how it works and what difficulties do startups face.

Step 3:

You should also get some experience working at a financial firm or a bank. Getting experience working at a bank that invests in business can be a great idea.

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Bottom Line

What is a venture capitalist? – A Venture Capitalist is an individual that offers capital to new companies and takes equity in exchange. It is quite common for startups to turn to venture capitalists to get funding to scale their businesses and commercialize their products and services.

However, venture capitalists also assess the associated risks with a new business before they invest, as there is a high failure rate for venture capitalists. Do you have any tips for venture capitalists on how to avoid risks? Share some ideas with us in the comments section below.

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