Building Wealth through Venture Capital: A Practical Guide for Investors and the Entrepreneurs They Fund - Hardcover

Venture capital is the lifeblood of innovation and economic growth. The biggest business successes of the century – Amazon, Alphabet (parent of Google), and Facebook, to name just a few – were enabled by early venture capital investment. So it's not surprising that venture capital has been one of the most richly rewarding investment asset classes of recent years.

Opportunities continue to abound. Humans' ever increasing aspirations will inevitably drive the quest for innovation. Needs resulting from natural resource constraints, climate change, and other factors will make that quest even stronger.

Historically, access to venture capital investment opportunities has been limited largely to institutions and the super-wealthy. But recent government actions along with Internet technology have increased access significantly for individuals. This democratization is great for individual investors and also for entrepreneurs, who will benefit from more sources of funds.

Co-authors Len Batterson and Ken Freeman help readers capitalize on these developments with this practical guide for investors and entrepreneurs. Their advice combines Batterson's experience from his extraordinary 35-year career in venture capital with Freeman's perspective as someone much newer to the scene following a traditional corporate career, attracted initially by his interest as an individual investor.

The book leverages Batterson's experience in explaining how investors can find the venture capital firms best suited to their needs and how these firms find the best deals. His experience also enables invaluable advice to entrepreneurs — guiding their search for money, coaching on what VCs look for and how to best interact with the VC, discussing how the VC can help maximize venture potential, and reviewing options for ultimately cashing in on winning ventures.

Acknowledging the riskiness of each individual venture investment, the book provides practical advice on diversifying within the asset class, educates on how to think about deal valuations, suggests investor wariness regarding some highly publicized ventures, and even encourages how tightly to limit one's total venture capital investment as a percentage of his or her total portfolio.

PRAISE FOR BUILDING WEALTH THROUGH VENTURE CAPITAL

"Len Batterson was a founding investor in AOL, and helped make the Internet part of everyday life. Building Wealth Through Venture Capital is essential reading for budding entrepreneurs seeking venture capital, and for investors who want to lead in the Internet's Third Wave."
—Steve Case, Co-Founder, AOL, Chairman and CEO, Revolution

"Len Batterson is a battle-tested and victorious participant and strategist in venture capital. I have worked with him for many years and in many deals. In Building Wealth Through Venture Capital, Batterson and Freeman cover the field of venture capital for entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital and investors looking to deploy it. If this is you, read this book."
—Casey Cowell, Co-Founder and former Chairman and CEO, U. S. Robotics

"Len Batterson is one of a very select group who has the experience to really understand venture capital. That makes this book a must-read–and a surprisingly easy-to-understand one too–for anyone thinking about investing in venture capital or looking to VCs for funding support. Because he has been a part of many major shifts in the venture capital industry and the ups and downs of generations of venture-backed companies, Len has the perspective needed to bring distinct insights to his analysis of the capital engine that drives an ever-growing portion of innovation and wealth creation."
—Chris Gladwin, Founder and former CEO, Cleversafe

"Straightforward, practical, and informative. I wish I had read this book before I made my VC investments!"
—James M. Kilts, Former Chairman and CEO, The Gillette Company