Guide to International Venture Capital Firms and Funds

International venture capital firms are desirable as investors in your product or service. Are you ready to take your business onto the international scene? You’re making a smart decision. There’s no question that economic growth has exploded in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. A lot of that growth can be attributed to venture capital funds.

You’ll have to convince the venture capitalists that your product or service stands to produce a high return on their investment. You must also show them how you plan to depart before their investing cycle ends. Here's how to persuade them to invest in your product or service:

1. Show enthusiasm and passion for your product when courting venture capitalists.

2. Create a solid business plan.

3. Build a solid management team.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find international venture capital firms online

You can search online for many international venture capital firms. Don't let the search overwhelm you. Limit your search to the countries you want to invest in, then make a list of venture capital firms that deal with that country.

I recommend: Check out Boxwood Partners and Partech International. Boxwood Partners is a venture capital firm in Richmond, VA. It has extensive relationships with global partners. Partech International is an international firm with offices in not only the United States, but in Europe and Israel. The firm has a web page for each country that contains an address and phone number.

Build a rapport with the international venture capital firm's management team

You want to contact the team member that develops and sells start up ideas to the international venture capital firm. You'll want to specifically look for team members who hold the title EIR (entrepreneur-in-residence), CTO (Chief Technology Officer) CEO, or partner. There's no guarantee you'll get funding. However, you will have met a valuable resource, and that resource can introduce you to other players in the international venture capital industry where you can get funding.

I recommend: Garage Canada is a venture capital firm in Canada; it does not list an EIR, but it shows the co-founders. American Capital Strategies, Ltd., a U.S.-based company, has more than 260 investment professionals in several countries. On its website, it has a section called European Capital where it invests in companies in Europe.

Look for international venture capital funds that are viable

Find international venture capital fund companies that have proven track records. You will want to find out who are the international venture capitalists that invest in these international venture funds. You also will want to study the international venture firms' financial information. Keep in mind that most international venture funds' investing cycle lasts approximately 3 to 5 years. The venture capitalists will invest aggressively in the product or service when times are good. So you'll want to consider the risk-taking environment when looking for international venture capital funds.

I recommend: Subscribe to the Dow Jones Financial Information Services. It is a good resource for finding international venture capitalists as well as statistics on international investment fund companies.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Keep in contact with the people to whom you spoke at the international venture capital fund companies. You may not obtain funding from them, but you never know what other doors may open as a result of staying in touch.

The official source of International Venture Capital Firms and Funds is
the International Venture Capital Firms and Funds page at Business.com