Venture finance addresses the full range of financial aspects of new business development. The scope includes:

• assessment of financial needs
• financial strategy
• business valuation
• arranging for and staging external financing from a variety of different sources
• design of financial relationships between entrepreneurs and outside investors
• harvesting of the investment through public offerings or by other means.

New business ventures include both for-profit and not-for-profit entities and both family-owned and non-family-owned businesses

The Venture Finance Institute is distinguished from all other academically affiliated entrepreneurship centers and institutes by virtue of its specific focus on new venture finance.

Four constituent groups are relevant to the mission of the institute: 1) academicians who are conducting research or teaching in the field; 2) practitioners including both entrepreneurs and investors, and students.

To achieve its vision, the Venture Finance Institute strives to position itself at or near the center of the information flows within and between each of these groups.

The Venture Finance Institute is organized around the Financial Entrepreneurship courses that are currently offered at the Drucker School, and around developing relationships that enable students to become actively involved in the financial aspects of new venture strategic and business planning using methodology developed by faculty of the Drucker School. An advisory board is being formed for the Institute that will help set priorities. Nominations are welcome.