Venture back into start-ups

Venture capital has had a bad press, but hold on for the long term and you could profit handsomely. David C Stevenson explains why, and tips the best funds to buy now.

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The merest mention of the term venture capital (VC) tends violently to polarise opinion. Most professional fund managers are apt to label VC as the last refuge of an equity scoundrel, while most ordinary investors in VC-backed enterprises, such as Facebook, are likely to sport a hangdog look, counting their huge losses.

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IP Group PlcIPO477.711.6259.2730.6-6.5827.54
Imperial Innovations GroupIVO318.9-1.9912.4821.4410.32-
Oxford Technology VCTOXT3.817.6561.9152.7398.576.92
Foresight VCT PlcFTV33.5-0.48-5.48109.0944.7633.11
Fusion IP PlcFIP433.5131.11-57.25-60.67-62.3
Spark Ventures PlcSPK44.7-17.92503.57-28.69-11.22
Herald Investment Trust PlcHRI428.75.3613.0887.6736.3238.41
Biotech Growth Trust (The) PlcBIOG199.37.6744.95194.64167.8155.87
Inetrnational Biotechnology TrustIBT115.64.2524.2962.8934.0875.58
Nasdaq Comp (for comparison)IXIC-4.5511.7635.429.3939.33
FTSE 100 (for comparison)UKX-5.559.817.080.2410.17
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