Venture capital is monetary support provided by professionals who invest alongside management companies that have the potential to develop into significant economic contributors. Venture capital funding may be by way of investment in the equity of the new enterprise or by way of debt or a combination of both, though equity is the most preferred route.
Venture capitalists generally provide finance for promising start-ups. However, they also invest in companies at various stages of the business life cycle viz.
Seed Investing
Invest before there is a real product or company organized
Early stage investing
Provide capital to start up a company in its first or second stages of development
Expansion stage financing
Provide needed financing to help a company grow beyond a critical mass to become more successful
Later stage investing
Providing financing to help the company grow to a critical mass to attract public financing through a stock offering
Acquisition, turnaround or recapitalization
Of public and private companies that represent favorable investment opportunities.
Project Finance
The financing of long-term infrastructure, industrial projects and public services based upon a non-recourse or limited recourse financial structure where project debt and equity used to finance the project are paid back from the cash flow generated by the project.
Many existing companies look to expand their business and their manufacturing facilities. The basic choices in financial options are “off-balance sheet” or “limited recourse” financing’s. This is done either through the traditional project finance model, industrial revenue bond financing’s, or through specialized leveraged leases or other structured equipment and facility financing.
