Consider Intel, the largest corporate venture investor in technology - and widely regarded as the most savvy.

Thompson is a venture investor, management adviser and former board member of private and public companies.

That is not good news for the average venture investor.

Over all, the companies surveyed seemed satisfied with their venture investors, with 84 percent saying they would use them again.

The perspective of venture investors is a world apart from that of day traders.

The goal, one venture investor observed, was to "stay out of the way of the steamroller."

Banks like Chase Manhattan have also become aggressive venture investors.

HealthCentral was later acquired by a group of venture investors in 2005.

Randall is also an active venture investor, having invested in more than 40 early stage companies.

HubSpot compares the program to being a venture investor.