What is a Venture Studio?
Venture studios, also known as startup studios, startup factories, or venture builders, are organisations that systematically build and launch new companies. Unlike traditional venture capital firms, which invest in external startups, venture studios generate ideas internally, assemble founding teams, and provide operational support, capital, and infrastructure from day one.
For family offices, venture studios offer a compelling model for direct investing and entrepreneurial engagement. They allow families to co-create businesses aligned with their long-term vision, often with greater influence over governance, strategy, and values. This approach is gaining traction among next-generation principals and entrepreneurial families seeking both impact and upside.
Typical elements of a venture studio include:
- Idea generation: Studio teams continuously develop and validate business concepts.
- In-house resources: Legal, finance, design, and technical support are centralised.
- Founding teams: Entrepreneurs or operators are recruited to co-build and eventually lead the ventures.
- Equity structure: Studios retain a significant equity stake in the businesses they create.
While traditionally associated with the tech world, the venture studio model is now being adapted for family enterprises, legacy wealth structures, and impact-focused initiatives. For more, read how family offices are quietly using venture studios to build companies with intention.
What this means: For family offices, venture studios offer a structured, hands-on path to build businesses from the ground up—embedding values, accelerating innovation, and creating proprietary deal flow outside of traditional fund models.
