The Venture Capital Business Council (VCBC) within the International Trade Council is a specialized body focused on the crucial role venture capital plays in fostering innovation, creating jobs, and driving economic growth on a global scale. Understanding the intricacies and challenges unique to venture capital investments across borders, the VCBC serves as a platform to connect, educate, and innovate the venture capital ecosystem. The council brings together venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to create a more robust, transparent, and inclusive venture capital community.

Areas of Focus:

  • Investment Strategies: Discuss and analyze a wide range of venture capital investment approaches including seed funding, Series A, B, C rounds, and beyond, to better match startups with appropriate funding sources.
  • Risk Assessment: Create and disseminate best practices for evaluating the various types of risks inherent in venture capital such as market risk, management risk, and technology risk.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Provide regular updates and guidance on international and regional regulations affecting venture capital, ensuring that members stay compliant and well-informed.
  • Innovative Financing: Explore and advocate for pioneering financial technologies and methods, such as crowdfunding, security token offerings (STOs), and decentralized finance (DeFi), to modernize the venture capital landscape.
  • Entrepreneurial Development: Organize bootcamps, workshops, and mentorship programs to prepare startups and entrepreneurs for venture capital investment, focusing on pitch preparation, business modeling, and scaling strategies.
  • Access to Capital: Work to democratize access to venture capital funding, particularly for startups in emerging markets and underrepresented founders, to foster a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  • Networking and Collaboration: Act as a hub for venture capital professionals to collaborate, share insights, and build strategic partnerships for co-investment and syndication opportunities.
  • Sustainability and Social Impact: Promote responsible investing by advocating for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria and impact investment.
  • Exit Strategies: Provide expertise and avenues for discussing and planning successful exit strategies including IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions.
  • Market Intelligence: Offer analyses of global venture capital movements, helping members make data-driven decisions and identify emerging opportunities.

Outputs of the Business Council:

  • Research Reports
  • Webinars
  • Legislative Recommendations
  • Thought-Pieces / Blog Posts
  • Participation in Industry Events
  • Collation of Industry News
  • Mentoring