Venture Capital (VC)
Professionally managed funds that invest pooled capital into high-growth startups in exchange for equity.
VCs raise money from limited partners (LPs) and deploy it into startups with the potential for outsized returns. They invest across stages (seed to growth), take equity, often seek board seats, and aim for a return via exit. VCs are selective, typically funding companies with large markets, strong teams and clear scalability.
Examples
A Series A VC invests £4m for 20% of a scaling marketplace. — A seed-stage VC writes a £500k cheque and takes a board observer seat.
How it relates to The Startup Foundry
The Investability Report measures the exact areas VCs scrutinise — market size, business opportunity, scalability and executability — so you understand what investors actually look for before you ever pitch.