Venture capital (VC) funds are collectively organised funds that offer capital to small-scale entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses with high growth potential, in the form of equity or partial ownership. These are run by sectoral professionals, who are the general partners, and raise capital from the limited partners to invest it in startups in the hope of reaping significant returns on exit, such as an initial public offering (IPO) or acquisition.
Read on as we discuss venture capital funds, how they work, and more.
What are Venture Capital Funds?
Venture capital funds are a type of private equity that is particularly suited to fund startups and small companies with long-term growth potential. These funds take the form of a limited partnership, whereby investors (limited partners or LPs) invest, with the fund being managed by general partners (GPs) who analyse business opportunities and invest capital in accordance with the fund's mandate. Unlike a typical debt financing, VC funding does not involve keeping the money that was borrowed and then refinancing it later (with interest); the money is returned in the form of equity and proportionate ownership of the success of the business.
The VC funds often assess a fee on management, typically around 2% per year, of the funds they manage, and frequently assess a performance fee, referred to as carried interest, which is generally 20% of profits realised above a hurdle rate. The funds target high internal rates of return (IRR), of approximately 30 per cent gross, as a result of the risk and reward profile of their investments.
Types of Venture Capital Funds
Fund Type
| Stage Focus
| Risk & Return Profile
| Examples / Notes
|
Seed / Angel Funds
| Pre-revenue, product concept
| Very high risk; few are successful; outsized returns potential
| Early seed funding
|
Early-stage VC (Series A/B)
| Post-revenue scaling
| High risk; diversified portfolio reduces
| Often Series A/B
|
Growth-stage VC (Series C+)
| Expansion, pre-IPO
| Less risk than prior stages; high growth required
| May include later-stage funds
|
Sector-specific VC
| Technology, biotech, fintech
| Risk concentration, extensive domain knowledge
| Focused like biotech VCs
|
Corporate VC
| CVC arm of established firms
| Strategic and financial goals
| Alphabet, healthcare companies
|
Explanation:
Seed and angel funds invest during the concept or prototype stage. The majority do not survive, but the survivors can return thousands of per cent.
Early-stage VC invests in product-market fit companies. Series A/B rounds use growth capital to scale the user base and top-line revenue.
Growth-stage VC funds typically invest in later-stage expansion, which can sometimes lead to an IPO or acquisition.
Sector-specific VC specialises in niche industries requiring technical expertise at a deep level.
Corporate VC invests strategically through corporate-owned funds. Examples include captive funds to encourage innovation.
Source: Investopedia
How Does a Venture Capital Fund Work?
VC funds procure capital commitments from LPs, including HNWIs, pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, and family offices. GPs invest this capital in a portfolio of startups after conducting a significant level of due diligence that factors in business plan, market, team, and traction. Equity investments are typically negotiated to include liquidation preferences, board representation, and protective provisions, all of which are commonly included in deals.
Upon investment, GPs are engaged in direct mentorship and follow-up with portfolio companies until a liquidity event (IPO or M&A) occurs. Subsequently, returns are allocated on a decreased basis against management expenses and carried interest.
Source: Investopedia
Venture Capital Fund Returns
Generating profits, Investors recognise returns when portfolio companies leave through an IPO or acquisition. The standard model of VC funds is known as 2-and-20: 2 per cent per annum management fee and 20 per cent carried interest on the profit.
Performance has historically varied over time; according to one set of calculations, venture capital averaged about 15.2 per cent per year between 2010 and 2020, compared to 14 per cent and 10.5 per cent for the S&P 500 and Russell 2000, respectively. A separate estimate observes gross IRRs of close to 30 per cent within the span of VC funds. However, there is a skew in returns: the majority of startups return nothing, while a small number of startups return fantastically well and significantly dominate overall fund performance.
Source: Investopedia
Operating a Venture Capital Fund
Operationally, VCs are involved in deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolios and the exit process. They have overlapping funding cycles, allowing them to co-invest in various vintage crops.
Financial, legal structure, market opportunity, technology, and team capability are some of the tools of due diligence. Key terms include liquidation preference, warrant rights, board seats, and anti-dilution clauses. On a day-to-day basis, VCs aid businesses with personnel, approach, association, and subsequent rounds of financing, so as to provide portfolio organisations with an exit.
Pros and Cons of Venture Capital Funds
VC investment has both significant benefits and substantial risks:
Pros:
High return potential: Industry evidence of VC outperformance, 15% average annual returns (2010–2020) compared with the S&P 500's 14%.
Active management: GPs guide startups and provide strategic input.Diversification: Portfolio strategy mitigates idiosyncratic risk.
Access: LPs gain access to innovative early-stage businesses.
Cons:
High risk and volatility: 80–90% of startups can fail.
Illiquidity: Capital tied up for 7–10 years until exit.
Fee drag: 2-and-20 structures cut net returns.
Dilution risk: Subsequent rounds of financing can dilute early backers.
Complex terms: Preferred stock, liquidation rights, and anti-dilution provisions need expert management.
Source: Investopedia
Venture Capital Firms and Funds
VCs are firms formed as partnerships to manage and operate multiple funds. The normal sources are HNWIs, institutional investors, corporate, and sovereign wealth funds. Firms can carry out sector-specific funds, or stage-specific funds, or in some cases, several funds at once to contain vintage diversity. The organisation enables a constant flow of deals and co-investing even in economic downturns.
Recent statistics in India indicate that the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), a sovereign-backed investment fund, has more than US$4.9 billion in assets under management. This capital is being invested in various vehicles and at various levels, which can help the fund survive a turbulent economy.
List of Popular Venture Funds
Here are some examples of established venture capital funds (global reach):
Sequoia Capital: Early-stage + growth investments in technology in the US, India, and China.
Accel: Experienced in Series A/B, with successful investments such as Facebook and Flipkart.
Andreessen Horowitz: Full-stack VC with a focus on software, biotech, and fintech.
SoftBank Vision Fund: Large-scale growth-stage investments worldwide.
Y Combinator: Seed-stage accelerator turned VC fund – more than 2,000 alumni.
Tiger Global: Cross-stage global tech investor.
Falcon Edge: India-focused early and growth-stage investments.
These funds are selected for their track record of supporting high-growth businesses across various regions and industries.
Conclusion
Venture capital funds are specialised private equity funds that provide funding to startups and high-growth ventures through a series of capital raises in the form of equity. Although they promise high returns with annualised returns of more than 15 per cent historically, they are very risky, illiquid, and complex to manage.
Learning about the structures, stages of investment, fee structure, and key terms of contracts is paramount for both LPs and fund managers. Through strict due diligence, active management, and portfolio diversification, VC funds can be quite a rewarding but difficult investment asset in a wider portfolio.