Investing in startup companies is a risky business. Most new companies, products, and ideas simply do not make it, so the risk of losing one’s entire investment is a real possibility. However, the ones that do make it can produce very high returns on investment.
Investors in ventures that start with founders, friends, and family (FF&F) money can easily end up with nothing to show. Investing in venture capital funds diversifies some of the risks. However, the harsh reality is that 75% or more of companies funded by venture capital will not make it to the initial public offering (IPO) stage.
For those that go public, the returns can be in the thousands of percent, making early investors very wealthy. A startup goes through several stages, each offering distinct opportunities and risks for investors.
Key Takeaways
- Startup companies are in the idea phase and do not yet have a working product, customer base, or revenue stream.
- Many start out with founders, friends, and family funding.
- As the idea takes shape, the founders may seek venture capital funding.
- Venture capitalists get a stake in the company in return for their investment. That may or may not pay off eventually.
Stage 1
Every startup begins with an idea. In this first phase, the founders do not yet have a working product, a customer base, or a revenue stream. The death valley curve describes this period in the life of a startup in which it has begun operations but has not yet generated revenue. These new companies can fund themselves by using founders’ savings, obtaining bank loans, or issuing equity shares.
Handing over seed money in return for an equity stake is what comes to mind for most people when thinking about what it means to invest in startups.
In the U.S. alone, 457,407 businesses were formed in the 12 months that ended in June 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That number is based on the number of applications to the IRS for Employer Identification Numbers.
Note
Most of those businesses got off the ground with seed money from founders, friends, and family (FF&F). The sums are generally small and allow an entrepreneur to prove that an idea has a good chance of succeeding.
During the seed phase, the first employees may be hired and prototypes developed to pitch the company’s idea to potential customers or later investors. The money invested can be used for performing market research and other tasks that help validate a founder’s proposal.
Stage 2
Once a new company moves into operations and starts collecting initial revenue, it has progressed from seed to bona fide startup.
At this point, company founders may pitch their ideas to angel investors. An angel investor is usually a private individual with some accumulated wealth who specializes in investing in early-stage companies.
Angel investors are typically the first source of funding outside of FF&F money. Angel investments are typically modest in size. At this point, the company’s future prospects are at their riskiest stage.
Angel money may be used to support initial marketing efforts and move a prototype into production.
Stage 3
By this point, the founders should have developed a solid business plan that dictates the business strategy and projections going forward. Although the company is not yet earning any net profits, it is gaining momentum and reinvesting any revenues back into the company for growth.
This is when venture capital steps in.
Venture capital can come from an individual, a private partnership, or a pooled investment fund. Most demand an active role in promising new companies that have moved past the seed and angel stages. Venture capitalists often take on advisory roles and sit on the company’s board of directors.
Note
Additional rounds of venture capital may be sought as the company continues to burn through cash in order to achieve the exponential growth expected by venture capital investors.
Private Equity Funds
Private equity funds invest in a large number of promising startups in order to diversify their risk exposure.
Professional venture capitalists have a bit over 23% success rate of their investment portfolios, according to a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Venture capitalists who have previously launched their own successful startups do the best, at about a 30% success rate. The founders of unsuccessful startups do worse, at about 19%.
Typical venture deals are structured over 10 years until exit. The ideal exit strategy is for the company to go public via an initial public offering (IPO), which can generate the out-sized returns expected by those who take these risks.
Other exit strategies are less desirable to venture capitalists because they’re less lucrative. They include a takeover of the startup by another company or its remaining a profitable but privately held business.
Due Diligence
The first step in conducting due diligence is to critically evaluate the startup’s business plan and model for generating future profits and growth. The economics of the idea must translate into real-world returns.
Many new ideas are so cutting-edge that they risk not gaining market adoption. Strong competitors or major barriers to entry are also important considerations. Legal, regulatory, and compliance issues are also important to consider when developing brand-new ideas.
The Founder’s Role
Many angel investors and VC investors indicate that the personality and drive of the company founders are as important or more important than the business idea itself.
Founders must have the skill, knowledge, and passion to carry them through periods of growing pains and discouragement. They must also be open to advice and constructive feedback from inside and outside the firm. They must be agile enough to respond quickly to unexpected economic events or technological changes.
More Questions
Other questions must be asked. For example, if the company’s early launch is successful, will there be timing risk? That is, will the financial markets welcome this concept five or 10 years down the road when the company is ready to launch an IPO?
For that matter, will the company have grown enough to launch a successful IPO and provide a solid return on investment for its investors?
Example: Google’s IPO
Alphabet Inc., better known as Google, is a casebook example of a successful startup seeded by founders, friends, and families and then funded by venture capital.
The search giant launched as a startup in 1997. Their lead investor at the time, Andy Bechtolsheim, wrote them a check for $100K in 1998. In 1999, the rapidly growing search firm attracted $25 million in venture capital funding, with two VC firms acquiring about 10% each of the company.
In August 2004, Google’s IPO raised about $1.7 billion for the company and almost half a billion dollars for original investors.
This big return potential results from the extreme level of risk inherent in new companies. Not only will most venture capital investments fail, but a whole host of unique risk factors must be addressed when considering a new investment in a startup.
Can I Invest in a Capital Venture Fund?
Capital venture funds are generally closed to all but very wealthy individuals. Investors join the fund by becoming limited partners. Only accredited investors are permitted to join the partnership. This is a U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) designation that indicates that the person has a high net worth and an understanding of sophisticated financial transactions. Essentially, this acknowledges that the SEC has little regulatory authority over venture capital firms, and their investors had better know what they’re getting into.
Are There Venture Capital Mutual Funds?
There are mutual funds that invest in venture capital firms. In most cases, they may take a small minority stake in venture capital in hopes of boosting their overall returns.
There also are mutual funds that specialize in a somewhat less risky version of venture capital. That is, the focus of the funds is on small and mid-sized companies that offer innovative products and appear to be poised for rapid growth.
How Do I Become an Angel Investor?
Contrary to their reputation, angel investors are not necessarily uber-rich and mostly make modest contributions to startups. Many crowdfunding websites, such as SeedInvest and AngelList, connect entrepreneurs and angel investors.
The Bottom Line
If you’re not an insider or wealthy, your path to investing in startups is limited (although not impossible).
Unless you are a founder, a family member, or a close friend of a founder, chances are you will not be able to get in at the very beginning of an exciting new startup. And unless you are a wealthy, accredited investor, you will likely not be able to participate as an angel investor.
Today, private individuals can take part to some degree in the venture capital phase by investing in private equity funds that specialize in venture capital funding, allowing for indirect investment in startups.
Regardless of how you invest, it’s important to understand the risks as well as the potential for rewards.