Is it appropriate for a Crown-owned company to be involved in venture capital investment?
NZVIF operates as a private investment business, developing and managing products for the early stage and venture capital investment markets. NZVIF was established because the venture capital market in New Zealand has been of a negligible size for many years. The Government took a decision that growth in this investment sector was an important part of increasing the available capital to young innovative New Zealand companies to enable them to grow and reach their potential. What New Zealand is doing is commonplace around the world, where many countries have seen the need for government investment to act as a catalyst in the development of venture capital markets.
