The exit strategy is the VC’s way of cashing out on its investment in a portfolio company. A VC often hopes to sell its equity (stock, warrants, options, convertibles, etc.) in a portfolio company in three to seven years, ideally through an initial public offering (IPO) of the company. The company becomes liquid through the sale of its stock to the public and the VC sells its stock to reap its return.

The first step in approaching a VC is to submit a business plan. Once the VC has received your plan, it will discuss your opportunity internally and decide whether or not to proceed. This part of the process can take up to three weeks, depending on the number of business plans under review at any given time.