Venture capital (VC) plays a vital role in the business world by helping new companies grow into successful enterprises that drive the economy.
As we look towards 2025, the landscape for venture capital and angel investors is evolving, with new trends and strategies coming to light.
Anyone interested in venture capital needs to understand the complex investment and decision-making processes to help startups reach their full potential.
This knowledge is useful even for those who simply want to understand how venture capital works.
This article will highlight some of the best books on venture capital that are worth reading in 2025.
Venture capital (VC) is a type of funding that investors provide to startups and small businesses with high growth potential.
VC investments are risky because startups often face uncertainty.
However, the potential profits can be very high if the startups do well.
Many VC firms do more than just provide money; they also offer guidance, mentorship, and resources to help startups succeed.
This support can include advice, networking opportunities, and operational help.
On the flip side, some venture capital firms focus on startups across various sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and AI.
At Konvoy, we invest in video game startups with the potential to revolutionize the industry and boost the benefits that video games can provide, whether they are AAA titles or indie gems.
Reading key venture capital books is important for anyone who wants to understand startups and raising capital:
At Konvoy, we highly recommend these 4 best books on venture capital for every startup founder or team member at our firm.
"Venture Deals" aims to address the most frequently asked question by entrepreneurs: How do venture capital deals actually come together?
No one is better suited to explain this than Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson.
As the founders and leading figures of the Foundry Group—a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in early-stage technology companies—Brad and Jason bring extensive experience from their involvement in hundreds of venture capital financings.
Their investment portfolio spans a wide range, from small startups to significant Series A financing rounds.
The book takes a deep dive into the ins and outs of startups and entrepreneurship in today’s fast-paced world, with updates on negotiation tactics, gender issues, ICOs, and the nitty-gritty of economic terms.
You’ll find several chapters that explain the legal and procedural elements related to raising funds, bank loans, equity, convertible debt, and even tips on how to work with an investment banker when selling a company.
With "Venture Deals," you will gain:
A key point to remember is that building a strong relationship with your deal partner is important—trust is your biggest asset.
Every move you make during the funding process affects the trust between everyone involved.
"Secrets of Sand Hill Road" by Scott Kupor is a top seller that dives into the world of venture capital in a way that's useful for entrepreneurs.
Kupor tackles big questions like: What are VCs really saying about your startup when the doors are closed? And how can you turn that to your advantage?
If Silicon Valley is where the money magic happens, then Sand Hill Road is the engine driving it all.
This is where you’ll meet some heavy hitters in venture capital, including the famous firm Andreessen Horowitz, where Scott Kupor is the managing partner.
In "Secrets of Sand Hill Road," Kupor breaks down how VCs decide where and how much to invest. He shares tips for founders on how to snag the best deals and navigate the sometimes tricky relationships with VCs.
For instance, he explains:
Packed with Kupor's personal stories, insider info, and actionable tips, "Secrets of Sand Hill Road" is one of the best books on venture capital.
"The Business of Venture Capital" is considered one of the best go-to resources for anyone wanting to start a venture fund or kick off a career in venture capital.
It’s also helpful for current VCs, angel investors, limited partners, lawyers, startup founders, and even MBA students.
Written by Mahendra Ramsinghani, a seasoned VC with over a decade of experience in investing in startups and venture funds, this book shares best practices and insights from industry experts at the forefront of this dynamic field.
This book covers all sorts of topics related to venture capital, from raising money and structuring deals to securing consistent returns and figuring out exit strategies.
It even gives fresh takes on the SoftBank craze, looks at career paths for newcomers, and goes over case studies, investment strategies, cultural missteps, and some big failures.
In "The Business of Venture Capital," you'll learn about:
Many readers find the book truly motivating.
While it’s all about venture capital, the lessons and stories—especially those with real experiences—are shared in a way that connects with broader business ideas and life lessons.
Without a doubt, it is one of the best books on venture capital.
While many people praise the virtues of starting a business, few are upfront about the challenges involved in running one.
This book does an excellent job of exploring that often-overlooked aspect of entrepreneurship.
Written by Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz and a highly respected figure in Silicon Valley, it draws from his rich experiences as a computer science student, software engineer, co-founder, CEO, and investor.
His blog, which attracts nearly 10 million readers, shares insights drawn from his diverse career.
(If you’re involved in the startup world at all, there’s a good chance you’ve stumbled upon Ben's blog before)
In this book, he dives into what leaders face every day, sharing valuable lessons he picked up while creating, running, buying, selling, and investing in tech companies.
He covers everything from cutting ties with friends to outsmarting rivals, developing a CEO mindset, and knowing when it’s the right time to cash in.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things stands out as one of the best books on venture capital for entrepreneurs and those dreaming of launching their own ventures, as it draws heavily from Horowitz's personal and often humbling experiences.
The best books on venture capital that you should read in 2025 have three important things in common: they share industry know-how, personal stories, and the ups and downs of working in venture capital.
These reads will inspire you, spark new ideas, and help you realize that although the challenges can be tough, they're definitely worth it.
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