Common Questions about Venture Capital

Getting a business started is no easy matter and it takes a lot of money, effort and time to succeed. There are many ways to secure funding depending on the type of business and its stage of growth. Venture capital funding is only one way a business can get funding, but it has some unique characteristics. Many people are unclear on what venture capital funding is and how it works. Here are some of the most common questions people ask about VC funding.

The Venture Capital Market in the United States

The U.S. has a thriving venture capital market. The market is envied by other counties who seek to model their own systems after it. This is due in part by the way funding is received. American corporations only rely on banks for about 40 percent of their loans for investing in promising start-ups. The other 60 percent comes from private equity loans, which offer less rigid standards and lower rates. This encourages corporations to seek out and support young technology companies, all of which contributes to a growing economy.

The State of the World Economy

World Economy

The global economy is essentially dependent on the growth of the U.S. It is a force in the world economy because for the first time in 10 years, the country. is experiencing a higher level of economic growth. America has basically been struggling since 2005, with high gas prices, high unemployment rates and consumer who were scared to part with their money. What may play out well for the U.S. is the fact that the country relies very little on exports, when compared to other countries. Yet many countries depend on the success of economic growth in the U.S.

Tips for the Venture Capitalist

A venture capitalist is defined as one who invests long-term and relies on a hands-on approach with each of their investments and works actively with entrepreneurial teams that specialize in management so that they can create awesome companies.

Understanding How Venture Capital Works

Anytime someone starts a new business, it takes money to get it up and running. It takes money to rent or purchase office space, equipment, furniture, and supplies. While avenues such as tapping into your personal savings, getting a bank loan or bootstrapping are ways to get money for the startup costs, venture capital is another choice. You will often hear about a private equity firm when it comes to venture capital. There are a few different choices when it comes to choosing a private equity firm. Some are known as passive investors while other is active investors.

How Does Venture Capital Work?

Every new business endeavor requires money to get started. Whether it is the initial costs of renting an office location or purchasing a space for general business purposes, there are always start-up costs necessary to make any entrepreneur’s dream a reality. With numerous expenses involved in the building of a new business, there are a variety of ways that entrepreneurs may choose to fund their idea.

Trends in the Global Economy

Economic Trends That Rule the World Today

It’s hard to keep up with changing trends.  Some facts are familiar to anyone who reads the news. Unemployment is high. Growth is slow. Shale gas is a big deal. But beyond the caps-lock headlines, subtler, but no less significant, shifts are changing the U.S. economy and reshaping the global financial order.  Below is a list of things to consider that have a global impact on our economy

How is the Value of Currency Calculated?

Overview

There are various factors that determine an exchange rate. Trade value, inflation, and interest rates, to name a few. These are basic principles to help understand the concept. Increased demand for a currency is due to either an increased transaction demand for money, or an increased speculative demand for money. The transaction demand for money is highly correlated to the country’s level of business activity, gross domestic product (GDP), and employment levels. The more people there are out of work, the less the public as a whole will spend on goods and services. Central banks typically have little difficulty adjusting the available money supply to accommodate changes in the demand for money due to business transactions.

Interest Rates

Interest rates are determined normally by a Reserve Bank governor that determines economic policy for a currency. Interest rates can also be manipulated to stimulate an economy by strengthening or weakening a currency.

The VC Market in Chile

Chile is a sophisticated market for venture capital transactions, thus almost all types are present in the Latin America jurisdiction, including direct M&A (both as corporate acquisitions and minority investments) and convertible debt. Nevertheless, the investment in venture capital through investment funds, created by the uprising of third parties’ funds are administrated by a fund manager is a widely used structure.

Investors have been acquiring businesses and making minority investments in privately held companies since the dawn of the industrial revolution. However with a few exceptions, VC in the first half of the 20th century was the domain of wealthy individuals and families.

The VC Market in Norway

Norway Flag

Startups in Norway whose business is not related to the oil-and-gas industry struggle, The Wall Street Journal reported–that industry sucked up nearly a third of the venture capital that Norway attracted last year.

With a population of less than five million people, Norway isn’t large enough to support a tech startup, which needs to be global, but that’s not the Scandinavian attitude,  It goes slowly turning over one stone at a time. For those who follow Europe’s tech scene, naming startups from the Nordic/Baltic region wouldn’t be too hard.

The VC Market in Silicon Valley

US Flag

When you live and work in Silicon Valley, it’s easy to get caught up in trends billowing from within the echo chamber. Around Silicon Valley, the availability of capital resources helps trends popularize and commercialize faster than anywhere else in the world. From the outside, it seems today’s latest trend is tomorrow’s IPO practically overnight (discounting, conveniently, the 10+ years of persistence required of entrepreneurs along the way).

When it comes to VC-backed exits, Silicon Valley is far ahead of other markets.  Efraim Landa is one of America’s premier venture capitalists and agrees with this statistic.   Silicon Valley is the 800 lb. beast when it comes to exit activity, taking 52% of the largest exits since 2012.  Trailing behind the Valley are New York, Massachusetts, Southern Cal, and Illinois, which collectively account for 28% of the Top 50 exits since 2012.