Value of venture capital investment in the U.S. 2021, by industry
What is venture capital?
Public companies can access financial markets through stock exchanges, but private firms do not have that opportunity. They must instead seek private equity funding. Venture capital is a subset of private equity which focuses on relatively small firms perceived to have high growth potential. These investments can be quite risky, as many of the firms are not yet established and have a higher risk of failing. However, the industry relies on blockbusters that generate massive returns through explosive growth. North America leads in terms of VC deals, and Asia follows close behind.
Firms that get private equity funding
Startup funding can come from a variety of sources, from family and friends to professional “accelerators” or “incubators” that mentor fledgling companies. Many of these companies remain small, but a few have achieved high valuations. Called “unicorns” because they were so rare, startup companies valued over one billion U.S. dollars have become more common, and the highest valued ones are based in the U.S. and China.