VC Private Equity Definition
Venture Capital and Private Equity investors are usually owners of public companies only when they have participated in a round of financing prior to an IPO and subsequently retained ownership after the transition from a private company to a public company. Other investors often consider positions held by venture capitalists as an "overhang" on the stock of a publicly traded company since VCs will typically dispose of their holdings of public companies during the first few years following an IPO.