Job opportunities for financial managers who work for firms that manage funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles will grow by 15 percent, much faster than the average, through 2029, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The venture capital industry has been growing in recent years (although the activity level in the industry is roughly half of what it was at its 2000-era peak). According to the National Venture Capital Association, the number of venture capital firms has increased from 803 in 2014 to more than 1,000 in 2019, and there is increasing competition between firms to convince start-ups to accept their investment funds. The NVCA reported that the venture capital industry deployed more than $136 billion into U.S.-based companies in 2019, continuing the strong pace of VC activity that had occurred in 2018.
In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic disrupted most industries. While the venture capital industry had a slight decline in activity in the first part of 2020, venture capital investments have since been increasing. Overall venture capital firms have been resilient during the pandemic, with most workers able to conduct business remotely. There are uncertainties regarding the future effects of the pandemic, but risk managers will continue to be in demand. With so much investment money flowing, there is a strong need for risk managers to identify threats to the success of portfolio companies and ensure a strong return on investment for VC firms.