Venture capital markets: A cross country analysis

Abstract

Venture capital (VC) may be defined as a support to entrepreneurial talents and appetite by turning ideas and basic science into products and services which are expected to envy the world. Venture capital funds are able to build companies from the simplest form to mature organizations. Venture capital investors generally actively engage with management of the company by typically taking place on the board. Through the due diligence process the venture capital firms concentrate on the founders, the management team, the concept, the marketplace, the revenue model, the value-added potential of the firm, the amount of capital needed to heal the business and whether all these fit to the fund's objectives. Over the next three to eight years, the venture firm works with the founding entrepreneur/s to grow the company. Once a company funded by venture capital matures and becomes successful, venture funds generally exit by taking it public through an initial public offering (IPO) or by selling it to big companies. This allows the venture funds to be free from the previous investment and invest in the next generation of companies. United States, Europe, Israel, Canada, China and India have the most developed markets for venture capital environment. The size of the venture capital market is nowadays about $50 billion and the United States has the most funds for venture capital of $33.1 billion in 2013. Venture capital firms may invest in promising firms in stages of seed, first round, second round or later. The median investment amounts in the United States in 2013 are $0.5 million for seed, $2.5 million for first round, $5.7 million for second round and $10 for later stage. The most attractive sector for venture capital is information technology for the United States, Israel and Canada, invested over $10 billion in 2013, while the most attractive sector is consumer products for Europe, China and India, invested over $4.8 billion in 2013.