Venture capital (VC) provides seed funding and early-stage expansion and growth capital for start-ups and emerging growth companies. Individual angel investors and VC funds supply the funding and capital primarily in (priced) equity financing transactions and via (unpriced) convertible loans or forward equity instruments (eg, simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) or simple equity investment contracts (SEICs). Angels and VCs fund fast-growing start-ups led by promising entrepreneurs at negotiated private company valuations that are intended to be attractive enough to yield significant upside gains as the portfolio companies grow, generate revenues and eventually exit in a company sale or an initial public offering (IPO). Exits via an IPO are rather the exception and, if completed, happen on a foreign exchange.
