AVAILABLE CAPITAL ◈
$10.00MReady to deployMONDAY, YOUR FIRST DAY
Investment overview
SIMULATION LIVE
VC
YOUR FUND. YOUR DECISIONS.
Welcome to the
investment desk.
Find promising founders, ask better questions, and build a portfolio designed for long-term returns.
VL
SEED
SERIES A
GROWTH
PORTFOLIO VALUE ▥
$0Current estimated valueACTIVE INVESTMENTS ↗
0Companies backedFUND PERFORMANCE ◎
0.00xPortfolio value + cash / initial fundTHE OPPORTUNITY
Today's deal flow
YOUR PROGRESS
Investor development
“
Venture capital is a portfolio business. One great outcome can matter, but disciplined decisions matter every time.
THE VC FIELD NOTES · DAILY PRINCIPLEDEAL FLOW
Find the next breakout.
Review founder pitches and decide which companies deserve a closer look.
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FUND MANAGEMENT
Your investment portfolio.
Track ownership, paper value, and available capital.
AVAILABLE CAPITAL$10.00M
INVESTED CAPITAL
$0PAPER VALUE
$0UNREALIZED GAIN / LOSS
$0Portfolio companies
0 COMPANIESQuarter 1 · Year 1You haven't made an investment yet. Explore the marketplace to find your first company.
PLAYER GUIDE
How to play VentureLab.
You are managing a fictional venture capital fund. Your job is to find promising startups, decide how much virtual money to invest, and learn how a portfolio changes over time.
START HERE · 5 STEPS
Start with your fund
You begin with $10,000,000 in virtual capital. This is your fund budget. It is not real money and cannot be withdrawn or spent outside the game.
Explore the marketplace
Open Startup marketplace to review fictional companies. Search by name or industry, read each pitch, and consider its product, customers, traction, team, and risks.
Review and invest
Select Review pitch, enter an investment amount, and check the estimated ownership preview. Choose an amount you can afford, then confirm your virtual investment.
Manage your portfolio
Visit My portfolio to see how much you invested, your estimated ownership, paper value, and gain or loss. You can export a save or import one later.
Advance time and learn
Choose Advance quarter to simulate the next three months. Company estimates may rise or fall. Complete VC Academy lessons to earn XP and build your investor level.
Try a simulated exit
Use Simulate exit beside a portfolio company to model a fictional sale. The company leaves your portfolio and the game adds simulated proceeds to your virtual cash.
GAME RULES
Rules to remember
- Virtual money only: all companies, investments, valuations, market changes, and exits are fictional game simulations.
- Stay within your budget: an investment must be at least $10,000 and cannot exceed your available virtual cash.
- Ownership is an estimate: the game calculates it as investment ÷ (pre-money valuation + investment).
- Quarterly changes are random: advancing a quarter changes portfolio paper values. These changes are not predictions of real company performance.
- Learn before you invest: use the VC Academy and mentor to understand terms and think through risks.
- Progress is saved in this browser: use Export save to keep a backup before switching devices or clearing browser data.
THE REAL-WORLD CONCEPTS
Learn venture capital.
Venture capital (VC) is a type of investing that provides money to young companies with the potential to grow. In return, investors usually receive an ownership stake. The concepts below explain what your actions in VentureLab represent.
CONCEPTS IN CONTEXT
What is a venture capitalist?
A venture capitalist invests money from a fund into startups. The investor looks for companies that could grow significantly, while understanding that some startups may not succeed.
In the game: You act as the investor managing a $10M virtual fund.
Deal flow
Deal flow means the startups and investment opportunities an investor gets to review. Investors compare many opportunities before deciding which deserve attention.
In the game: The Startup marketplace is your deal flow. Search, compare, and review pitches.
Due diligence
Due diligence is the research an investor does before investing. It can include checking customer demand, competition, market size, finances, product quality, risks, and the founding team.
In the game: Reviewing a pitch is your first research step. Think about what you would need to verify before a real investment.
Valuation
Valuation is an estimate of what a company is worth. Pre-money valuation is the estimated value before a new investment. Post-money valuation is the pre-money value plus the new investment.
In the game: Each pitch shows a pre-money valuation. Your investment amount affects the estimated ownership preview.
Equity and ownership
Equity means ownership in a company. Investors often receive shares in exchange for funding. A larger investment relative to the company's post-money valuation generally means a larger ownership percentage.
In the game: The ownership percentage shown in the pitch dialog estimates the share of the company associated with your investment.
Portfolio diversification
A portfolio is the collection of investments a fund holds. Diversification means spreading investments across different companies or sectors rather than depending on just one outcome.
In the game: Your portfolio page shows all companies you back and how much virtual capital remains.
Paper value vs. realized return
Paper value is an estimate of what an investment may be worth now. It is not cash in your account. A realized return happens when an investment is sold or otherwise converted into proceeds.
In the game: Paper value changes as quarters pass. A simulated exit moves fictional proceeds into your virtual cash.
Exit
An exit is a way investors may receive a return, often when a startup is acquired by another company or becomes publicly traded. Exits are uncertain and can take years.
In the game: Simulate exit models one possible outcome. It is random and is not a forecast.
Dilution
Dilution happens when a company issues additional shares, often during a later funding round. Earlier investors usually own a smaller percentage afterward, even if the company has become more valuable.
In the game: Learn this concept in VC Academy and ask the mentor how future funding rounds can affect ownership.
A SIMPLE EXAMPLE
How an investment can work
Imagine a fictional startup has a $4 million pre-money valuation. You invest $1 million. Its post-money valuation becomes $5 million, so your estimated ownership is $1 million ÷ $5 million = 20%.
This is a simplified example. Real investment agreements can include additional terms that affect ownership and returns.
LEARN BY DOING
VC Academy.
Build the knowledge to make thoughtful investment decisions.
SHORT LESSONS · EARN XP
YOUR INVESTMENT COACH
Ask the VC mentor.
A built-in learning assistant that explains core venture concepts and reviews your game decisions.
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VentureLab Mentor Learning mode · Available offline
QUICK QUESTIONS
This mentor uses a free, built-in knowledge base and game data. It is not a live generative AI service.