The roots of venture capital date back to the times of Christopher Columbus, when states would spend vast amounts on funding voyages in the hopes that explorers might make extraordinary discoveries. From high-risk investments and high-risk entrepreneurs, venture capital itself evolved at the end of the Second World War to encourage private sector investment in businesses run by returning soldiers. The very first venture capital firm was the American Research and Development Corporation founded in 1946 by Harvard Business School professor, George Doriot. He is known as “the father figure of venture capital”.
Doriot’s firm saw its first major success story in its investment into the Digital Equipment Corporation, which changed the course of computer technology. The investment of $6m yielded a $400m return, and the financial opportunities of venture capitalism became known worldwide.
The dot com boom also brought the industry into sharp focus, as venture capitalists seized opportunities to go after quick returns from highly-valued Internet companies.
Today, whether you are catching an Uber, or booking an Airbnb, you are using services and products from venture capital-backed companies each day.