Venture Capital Glossary
A comprehensive guide to venture capital terminology, curated by Esinli Capital's ecosystem intelligence team. This glossary provides detailed explanations of key terms used in venture capital investing, with current market context and data where relevant.
A
Accelerator
A fixed-term program that supports early-stage startups through education, mentorship, and financing. Notable examples include Y Combinator and Techstars, which typically take 5-7% equity for $125,000-$150,000 in funding. The global accelerator market supported over 3,000 startups in 2023.
Angel Investor
A high-net-worth individual who invests personal capital in early-stage startups. Angel investments typically range from $25,000 to $100,000. In 2023, angel investors deployed approximately $25 billion globally in early-stage ventures.
Anti-Dilution Protection
A provision that protects investors from equity dilution in subsequent funding rounds with lower valuations. Common implementation includes weighted average and full ratchet methods, with weighted average being more prevalent in 90% of venture deals.
B
Benchmark
A standard against which investment performance is measured. Common venture capital benchmarks include the Cambridge Associates U.S. Venture Capital Index, which has shown a 10-year pooled return of 15.8% as of 2023.
Bridge Round
A short-term funding round designed to sustain a company until a larger, more permanent financing can be secured. Bridge rounds typically carry a 15-20% discount to the next round's valuation.
Burn Rate
The rate at which a company spends its cash reserves, typically measured monthly. Average burn rates for Series A companies in 2023 ranged from $150,000 to $400,000 per month in major tech hubs.
C
Cap Table
A spreadsheet showing company ownership, including all shareholders and their respective ownership percentages. Modern cap tables often use specialized software like Carta, which manages over $2.5 trillion in equity.
Carried Interest
The share of profits that venture capital fund managers receive, typically 20% of fund profits after returning invested capital to limited partners. This incentive structure aligns manager and investor interests.
Convertible Note
A debt instrument that converts to equity at a future funding round. Standard terms include 15-20% discounts and valuation caps. The global convertible note market exceeded $10 billion in early-stage funding in 2023.
D
Deal Flow
The rate at which investment opportunities are presented to a venture capital firm. Top-tier VC firms typically review 1,000-2,000 opportunities annually but invest in less than 1%.
Down Round
A financing round at a lower valuation than the previous round. Down rounds represented approximately 25% of venture deals in 2023, up from 10% in 2022.
Due Diligence
The investigation and evaluation process before making an investment. Comprehensive due diligence typically takes 6-8 weeks and covers financial, technical, legal, and market aspects.
E
Ecosystem
A network of interconnected stakeholders in a startup community, including companies, investors, accelerators, and support services. Leading ecosystems like Silicon Valley generate over $100 billion in venture capital activity annually.
Equity Round
A funding round where investors purchase shares of company stock. Series A equity rounds in 2023 averaged $15 million in top ecosystems.
Exit
The method by which investors and founders realize their returns, typically through acquisition or IPO. Average time to exit extended to 8.5 years in 2023.
F
Follow-on Investment
Additional investment in an existing portfolio company. Follow-on rates typically range from 60-80% for early-stage investors across multiple rounds.
Fund of Funds
An investment strategy of holding a portfolio of venture capital funds rather than investing directly in companies. Typical fund of funds manage $200 million to $2 billion in capital.
Fund Size
The total capital committed to a venture capital fund. Median fund sizes in 2023 were $150 million for early-stage funds and $500 million for multi-stage funds.
G
General Partner (GP)
The manager of a venture capital fund, responsible for investment decisions and portfolio management. GPs typically contribute 1-5% of fund capital personally.
Growth Stage
Companies with proven business models seeking rapid expansion. Growth stage rounds (Series C+) averaged $75 million in 2023.
Gut Deal
An investment made primarily on intuition rather than extensive due diligence, typically in competitive deals. Less common in today's data-driven environment, representing less than 5% of institutional VC investments.
H
Harvest Period
The time when a fund realizes returns through portfolio company exits. Typically occurs in years 7-10 of a fund's life.
Hockey Stick Growth
Exponential growth pattern resembling a hockey stick shape. Top venture-backed companies typically show 3x+ year-over-year growth in key metrics.
Holding Period
The duration an investment is held before exit. Average holding periods increased to 8.5 years in 2023, up from 5 years a decade ago.
I
Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
The annual rate of growth that an investment is expected to generate. Top-quartile venture funds historically achieve IRRs of 25%+ across fund lifecycles. Early-stage funds typically target higher IRRs of 30-40% to compensate for increased risk.
Investment Thesis
A fund's strategy and rationale for making investment decisions. Modern theses increasingly incorporate data analytics, with 65% of top firms using proprietary data platforms to inform investment decisions.
Investment Committee
The group responsible for final investment decisions at a venture firm. Typically comprises 4-7 senior partners and meets weekly to review 2-3 potential investments.
J
J-Curve
The pattern of venture fund returns over time, showing initial negative returns before positive gains. Typical venture funds see their lowest point at year 2-3, with positive returns emerging in years 4-6.
Joint Venture
A business arrangement where two or more parties agree to pool resources. In venture-backed companies, joint ventures grew 40% in 2023 as a strategy for market expansion.
Junior Equity
Stock with fewer rights than preferred shares. Typically held by employees and some early investors, representing 10-15% of cap tables at Series A.
K
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Critical metrics used to evaluate company performance. Standard early-stage SaaS KPIs include MRR growth (targeting 15%+ monthly) and gross margin (targeting 80%+).
Knockout Provisions
Clauses that can force the sale of shares under specific conditions. Present in approximately 30% of venture deals, primarily in strategic investor agreements.
Knowledge Capital
Intellectual assets and expertise contributed by investors beyond funding. Top firms average 15-20 hours monthly per portfolio company in strategic support.
L
Lead Investor
The investor who sets the terms and typically takes the largest position in a funding round. Lead investors typically take 25-40% of a round and often request board seats.
Limited Partner (LP)
Investors in venture capital funds, typically institutions or high-net-worth individuals. Average LP commitment sizes increased to $10 million for institutional investors in 2023.
Liquidation Preference
Rights determining the order and amount investors receive in a liquidity event. Standard terms include 1x non-participating preference, though some later-stage deals include higher multiples.
M
Management Fee
The annual fee charged by venture funds to cover operational expenses, typically 2% of committed capital. For a $100 million fund, this translates to $2 million annually during the investment period.
Market Size
The total addressable market for a company's products or services. Venture-backed companies typically target markets exceeding $1 billion, with market expansion potential to $10 billion+.
Mezzanine Round
Late-stage financing before an expected exit event. Average mezzanine rounds reached $100 million in 2023, often including structured elements like participating preferred stock.
N
Net Asset Value (NAV)
The current value of a fund's investments minus liabilities. Reported quarterly, with industry standards requiring independent portfolio valuations annually.
Network Effects
The phenomenon where a product or service becomes more valuable as more people use it. Companies with strong network effects commanded 25-40% higher valuations in 2023.
Non-Dilutive Funding
Financing that doesn't require giving up equity, such as grants or revenue-based financing. Non-dilutive funding grew 60% in 2023, reaching $5 billion globally.
O
Option Pool
Shares reserved for employee stock options, typically 10-15% of fully diluted shares at Series A. Pool sizes increased average 2-3% in 2023 due to competitive hiring markets.
Opportunity Fund
A separate fund raised by VCs to double down on their best-performing companies. Opportunity funds grew to represent 30% of total venture capital in 2023.
Ownership Target
The percentage stake a venture firm aims to acquire in a portfolio company. Early-stage firms typically target 15-20% ownership, while seed funds target 7-12%.
P
Participating Preferred
A class of stock that receives its money back plus participates in remaining proceeds. Usage declined to less than 25% of venture deals in 2023 as terms became more entrepreneur-friendly.
Portfolio Construction
The strategy for building a diversified set of investments. Modern portfolios typically include 25-35 companies for early-stage funds, with 30-40% of capital reserved for follow-on investments.
Pro Rata Rights
The right to maintain ownership percentage in future funding rounds. Valued highly by investors, with 85% of early-stage deals including these rights.
Q
Quick Ratio
A metric measuring a SaaS company's growth efficiency, calculated as new MRR plus expansion MRR divided by churned MRR. Top-performing startups maintain quick ratios above 4.
Qualified IPO
A public offering meeting specific size and price criteria defined in investor agreements. Standard definitions require $100 million+ raise at 3x+ last private valuation.
Quartile
Performance ranking divided into four segments. Top-quartile venture funds delivered 3x+ returns over 10-year periods historically.
R
Ratchet
An anti-dilution provision that adjusts conversion prices for preferred stock if the company issues shares at a lower price. Full ratchets appeared in only 2% of 2023 deals, down from 5% in 2022.
Return Multiple
The ratio of money returned to money invested. Top-quartile venture funds target 3-5x returns over their lifecycle, with early-stage funds often seeking higher multiples of 5-10x.
Rights of First Refusal (ROFR)
The right to purchase shares before they can be sold to third parties. Present in 95% of venture financing documents, though exercised in less than 10% of cases.
S
Secondary Sale
The sale of existing shares rather than new shares issued by the company. Secondary transaction volume reached $75 billion in 2023, up 25% from 2022.
Series A Extension
Additional funding raised as part of an existing Series A round. Extensions represented 30% of Series A activity in 2023, averaging $5-7 million in size.
Syndication
The practice of multiple investors participating in a funding round. Average seed rounds in 2023 included 3-4 institutional investors, while Series A rounds averaged 4-5.
T
Tag-Along Rights
The right to join in the sale of shares by other stockholders. Standard in 98% of venture financings, protecting minority investors in exit scenarios.
Term Sheet
A non-binding document outlining the basic terms and conditions of an investment. Standard term sheets in 2023 averaged 8-10 pages, with negotiation periods of 2-3 weeks.
Traction Metrics
Key performance indicators demonstrating business momentum. SaaS companies typically track MRR (targeting 15%+ monthly growth), CAC (targeting 12-month payback), and NPS (targeting 40+).
U
Unicorn
A private company valued at over $1 billion. The global unicorn population reached 1,200 in 2023, with an average time to unicorn status of 6 years from founding.
Up Round
A financing round at a higher valuation than the previous round. Up rounds represented 65% of venture deals in 2023, down from 90% in 2022.
User Economics
Metrics measuring the financial relationship with users, including CAC, LTV, and payback period. Best-in-class B2B SaaS companies maintain LTV/CAC ratios above 5x.
V
Valuation Cap
The maximum valuation at which a convertible note or SAFE will convert to equity. Average caps for seed-stage notes increased to $15 million in 2023.
Venture Debt
Debt financing for venture-backed companies. The venture debt market reached $30 billion in 2023, with typical terms including 3-4 year maturities and 6-12% interest rates.
Vintage Year
The year a venture fund begins making investments. Performance analysis shows significant variation by vintage, with 2015-2017 vintages delivering superior returns.
W
Warrant Coverage
Additional equity rights attached to venture debt or other securities. Standard venture debt terms include 5-15% warrant coverage based on the loan amount.
Waterfall
The sequence of distributing proceeds from exits or dividends. Modern venture fund structures typically follow the European waterfall model, returning all capital before profit sharing.
Write-Off
The removal of an investment from a fund's books due to business failure or significant value loss. Early-stage portfolios typically see 25-30% of investments result in total write-offs.
X
X-Round
Industry shorthand for a bridge or emergency financing round. X-rounds increased 40% in 2023 as companies sought extended runways in a challenging market.
Y
Year-Over-Year (YoY) Growth
The annual growth rate comparing current metrics to the same period in the previous year. Venture-backed companies typically target 100%+ YoY growth through Series B.
Yield
The return on investment, often used in context of venture debt or structured finance elements. Venture debt yields averaged 12-15% in 2023 including warrant coverage.
Z
Zero-Based Budgeting
A financial planning method starting from zero each period. Adopted by 45% of venture-backed companies in 2023 to optimize cash runway.
Zombie Company
A startup that generates enough revenue to sustain operations but cannot scale or exit. Approximately 20% of venture-backed companies that raise Series A become zombies.
Z-Score
A statistical measure used in investment analysis to identify companies at risk of failure. Modern venture firms increasingly use machine learning-enhanced Z-scores for portfolio monitoring.
This glossary is maintained by Esinli Capital's ecosystem intelligence team and updated quarterly with current market data and emerging terminology. Last updated: December 2024.