The real wordsTheory
Venture capital and private equity funds
Venture capital fundReceives money from wealthy investors and from pension funds that are willing to lock the money in for 5 to 10 years, and screens business proposals before investing.
Private equity fundPools money from institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies, makes heavy use of financial leverage, and follows a buy, improve and exit strategy.
The short contrast: a VC fund buys a stake in something young that may work; a PE fund buys control of something established and fixes it, with borrowed money.