Private Equity

A field of investing that focuses on investing in the equity of companies through negotiated transactions rather than buying stock on a public exchange. Venture capital is a type of private equity, as are leveraged buyouts and mezzanine financings. Usually, however, a private equity firm refers to one that focuses on late-stage companies and transaction values much higher than a typical VC deal. Example: As soon as our company crossed $10 million in EBITDA, we started getting calls from private equity firms who wanted to buy us out.