Overview
The name “Venture capital” is a common term heard in the world of startups and businesses today. The term refers to a type of private equity and financing provided by investors and directed to startups and small businesses that are believed to have a long-term and rapid growth potential. Historically, venture capital and private equity officially began in 1946 with the establishment of the first set of venture capital firms. Georges Doriot, a former dean of Harvard Business School and founder of INSEAD (one of the first venture capitals) was touted as the “father of venture capitalism”. His contributions as well as many others are the foundation on which venture capital stands today.
Taking a country-wise perspective on the global operations of venture capitals today, it is revealed that not all economies of the world are up to speed on this fast-rising revolution. Further research showing the top countries possessing the most venture capital operations can be seen below.
The chart above conclusively displays the position occupied by top countries in the venture capital sector of the economy. Cutting to the chase, we take a look at the world-leading firms in the venture capital industry today.
Sequoia Capital
Sequoia Capital is a world-leading VC firm dedicated to providing finance and support to healthcare, energy, financial, internet, enterprise and mobile startups of the world. The firm aids a little number of courageous founders in establishing legendary organizations. Sequoia guides them in pushing against barriers and achieving the impossible.
Highlights
Founder: Don Valentine
Date of Incorporation: November 1, 1972
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
Number of Funds: 29
Total Fund Raised: US $19 Billion
Number of Investments: 1,438
Accel Partners
Accel is an early-stage VC firm that empowers the global society of entrepreneurs. The firm selects entrepreneurs to invest in based on notable characteristics and passion for establishing a world-class category-defining business. Accel possesses over 3 decades of experience as a venture capital firm establishing and supporting various startups from initial concept to IPOs and beyond. Some of the companies invested in by Accel include Facebook, Dropbox, Spotify, Slack, Flipkart, Cloudera, Braintree and many more.
Highlights
Founders: Arthur Patterson and Jim Swartz
Date of Incorporation: 1983
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, United States
Number of Funds: 29
Total Fund Raised: US $12.9 Billion
Number of Investments: 1,514
New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
New Enterprise Associates is a globally-recognized VC firm that invests mainly in healthcare and technology. The firm is focused on helping entrepreneurs establish transformational enterprises across multiple sectors, geographies and stages. NEA invests in healthcare and technology startups at all stages in the business cycle, from seed to IPO. The firm has an impressive record of over 360 acquisitions and over 210 portfolio startup IPOs.
Highlights
Founders: Chuck Newhall, Frank A. Bonsal and Jr., Richard Kramlich
Date of Incorporation: January 1, 1977
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
Number of Funds: 13
Total Fund Raised: US $18.4 Billion
Number of Investments: 1,892
Andreessen Horowitz
Andreessen Horowitz is a world-renowned VC firm having over US $2.7 billion under administration, providing backing and support to startups from seed to growth. The firm invests in several stages of a startup’s lifecycle such as seed, early-stage, mid-stage, growth and late-stage. Andreessen Horowitz, while not limited to a particular industry, prefers to invest in the tech and social media sector. The company especially focuses on software, back-end framework, and internet startups branching into various industries including healthcare, biotech, electronics, SaaS and many more.
Highlights
Founders: Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen
Date of Incorporation: June 2009
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
Number of Funds: 19
Total Fund Raised: US $15.6 Billion
Number of Investments: 882
Intel Capital
Intel Capital is a world-known VC firm that invests in tech startups seeking to change the world with cutting-edge innovations and technologies. The company especially targets startups engaged in cybersecurity, client & gaming, 5G, enterprise applications, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructures, autonomy, silicon design and manufacturing.
Highlights
Founders: Les Vadasz and Avram Miller
Date of Incorporation: 1991
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States
Number of Funds: N/A
Total Fund Raised: US $12.9 Billion
Number of Investments: 1,582
Kleiner Perkins
Kleiner Perkins is a high-profile VC firm that specializes in supporting incubation, early-stage startups and growth companies. Just like many others, Kleiner Perkins invests in startups that present bold and daring business ideas spanning industries and continents. The company collaborates with these startups from inception all through to IPO and beyond in order to fully maximize the potential of their ideas. The firm invests in the healthcare, life science and digital industries.
Highlights
Founders: Brook Byers, Eugene Kleiner, Frank Caufield and Tom Perkins
Date of Incorporation: March 1, 1972
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
Number of Funds: 18
Total Fund Raised: US $5.9 Billion
Number of Investments: 1,218
Bessemer Venture Partners
Bessemer Venture Partners is a VC firm that provides investment to healthcare, enterprise and consumer startups all over the world from seed to growth. The company works together with its partners in ensuring a solid foundation for founders, beginning with seed and series A investments, guiding them every step of the way. Some of their early-backed startups include Pinterest, Blue Apron, Twitch, Skype and Skybox Imaging. BVP also participated in over 117 IPOs including Shopify, Wix, Yelp, LinkedIn and Twilio.
Highlights
Founder: Henry Phipps
Date of Incorporation: 1911
Headquarters: Redwood City, California, United States
Number of Funds: 8
Total Fund Raised: US $5.9 Billion
Number of Investments: 1,046
Khosla Ventures
Khosla Ventures is a high-profile VC firm that deals with startups engaged in internet, silicon tech, computing, mobile and environmentally friendly tech. They provide strategic advice and venture assistance to entrepreneurs developing cutting-edge technologies. Having over US $5 Billion under administration, the firm invests in a wide range of industries including financial services, education, health, robotics, sustainable energy agriculture, food, semiconductors, consumer and enterprise.
Highlights
Founder: Vinod Khosla
Date of Incorporation: January 1, 2004
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
Number of Funds: 10
Total Fund Raised: US $2.9 Billion
Number of Investments: 853
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs is a multinational VC firm and investment bank providing securities, management services and investment banking. The company directs their services towards corporations, governments, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals globally. Goldman Sachs’s investment and lending platform offers long-term loans, invests in real estate, debt securities and private equity securities. They also provide wealth advisory services, brokerage, financial counseling, portfolio management and other investment management services.
Highlights
Founders: Marcus Goldman and Samuel Sachs
Date of Incorporation: January 1, 1869
Headquarters: New York, United States
Number of Funds: 7
Total Fund Raised: US $18.1 Billion
Number of Investments: 798
ZhenFund is a China-based VC firm that invests in healthcare, education and TMT startups among others. The company currently focuses on seed stage startups and possesses over US $1 Billion under administration. Zhenfund is the current leader of China’s early stage venture capital market and is quickly expanding its US branch. The firm has over 750 high-growth companies some of which includes Urwork, Hero Entertainment, VIPKID, RED, 17zuoye and OFO. Their ultimate mission is to provide support to, inspire and guide future generations of global entrepreneurs.
Highlights
Founders: Bob Xiaoping Xu and Victor Wang
Date of Incorporation: December 14, 2011
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Number of Funds: 17
Total Fund Raised: US $1 Billion
Number of Investments: 688
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