How to become an LP in a VC fund
To become an LP (Limited Partner) in a VC (Venture Capital) fund, you need to meet a few important criteria.
First, you must meet the SEC requirements of an accredited investor to be eligible to invest in a VC fund. Most individuals satisfy this requirement using either the income ($200k+ annually, or $300k+ with spouse) or net worth ($1M+ excluding your primary home) criteria. For those that don’t satisfy this requirement, you can still invest small amounts in startups directly through equity crowdfunding platforms such as Republic or Wefunder, or invest in public equities through a traditional brokerage like Vanguard.
Second, you will need to have a significant amount of capital available to invest in the VC fund. Most VC funds have a minimum investment amount, which can range from a few thousand dollars to several million dollars, depending on the size and stage of the fund. Note: depending on the fund and size of your investment, you may not be required to send your investment to the fund all at once. Most funds “call” (i.e., request) capital over several years, in which case each call from the fund will only be for a percentage of your total investment.
Ganas Ventures, for example, aims to raise $10M and has minimums of $50K from individuals and $250K from institutions.
Third, you will need to know the risks and potential rewards of investing in a VC fund. Putting money into a VC fund can be a high-risk, high-reward venture, since many early-stage companies fail. However, if the fund’s investments are successful, the fund can make you a lot of money.
At Ganas, we’ve found that small funds like ours can give investors better returns (data from the Kauffman Foundation supports this notion).
Fourth, your LP investment is a long-term commitment that will keep your money tied down for a while. Most VC funds have a long-term investment horizon, usually between five and ten years, during which the fund will invest in and help the growth of startups in its portfolio.
For example, Ganas is committed to a 10-year horizon to give our portfolio startups time to grow and optimize for higher returns to our LPs.
Lastly, you must be willing to participate passively in the VC fund. As an LP, you will give money to the fund, but you won’t have any say in the day-to-day running of the companies in which the fund invests. Instead, the VC fund managers will make all investment decisions and manage the companies in the portfolio on behalf of the LPs.
Unlike many other funds, at Ganas Ventures we are all about involving our LPs. We’re a fund that cares about the community, and we believe in the edge and super-strength our community brings. That’s why we encourage our LPs to work with us. We have a number of ways that our LPs can get involved, such as helping us source deals, participating in due diligence, co-investing with us, and supporting our portfolio founders as mentors and perk partners.
Overall, becoming an LP in a typical VC fund requires money, knowledge of the risks and possible rewards, a long-term investment horizon, and a willingness to play a passive role. By meeting these requirements, investors can become LPs in a VC fund and benefit from the potential big returns.
If you’re interested in learning more about Ganas Ventures and are considering investing in our fund, let us know here.
Disclaimer: The views above should not be taken as financial or legal advice. Please do your own research before making any financial and legal decisions.
About Ganas Ventures: Ganas Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed community-driven startups in the US and Latin America. To learn more visit us at ganas.vc.
Other reading
- Early-stage micro-fund VC 101: What Investors, Founders, and Scouts Should Know
- Welcome to Ganas Ventures!
- Community-Driven Companies: What They Are and Why We’re Investing in Them
- Ganas Ventures: How We Source, Select, and Support Startups
- Ganas Ventures Resources
- Ganas FAQ
About Lolita Taub: As a Latina emerging manager and general partner at Ganas Ventures, I always want to work with or invest in community-driven founders, funders, and friends. I have a strong track record with 15 years of experience in the Silicon Valley ecosystem. I have sold over $70 million in tech products and services, made over 90 investments as an angel investor and venture capitalist with Backstage Capital, Lightspeed, and The Community Fund, and had 3 successful exits from my portfolio.
Forbes, Inc Magazine, Nasdaq, and others acknowledge my efforts in advocating investment in underestimated and undervalued founders. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California and earned my MBA from the IE Business School.
In addition to my professional accomplishments, I am a dedicated community builder with more than 78,000 founders, funders, and ecosystem friends. And I want to back founders who care about the community, invite LPs into the Ganas Ventures family, and build wealth in the community that will last for generations.
