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Buyout funds almost always put their money into established business, as compared to venture capital funds which usually invest in start-ups or very young businesses. They also use debt to fund some of the transaction, invest a larger amount of money than venture capitalists and will seek control of the company they're investing in - conversely, a venture capitalist will usually only own a part share.

There are a number of different types of buyout transaction. These include:

MBOs - Management Buyouts. This happens when a team of executives who are managing a company buy it for themselves from the present owners.

MBIs - Management buy-ins. This happens when a team of managers from another company purchases a rival working in the same sector.

LBO - Leveraged buyouts. Actually, all buyouts are leveraged (it simply means they involve debt). Leveraged buyouts are distinguished by the fact that they are brought about by the buyout firms themselves or by companies who are trying to sell one of their divisions, rather than by teams of managers.

Buyout funds usually seek to use a company's assets as the collateral for loans to fund the deal. This means that companies with a large amount of debt are seldom buyout targets.

Once a buyout fund has purchased a company, it may borrow further large amounts secured against the company's assets; the fund uses some of that money to pay itself before the company is sold to a trade buyer or is floated on a stock exchange.

Private equity and venture capital jobs and careers are split into various categories, including as usual analysts at the lower end, who are responsible for creating financial models and studying numbers to establish whether an investment is advisable; principals who play a important role in deciding whether to go through with a deal and managing the process if it does happen and finally, partners who handle the fund, investigate new investments and maintain relationships with investors. Within these funds, you'll also find jobs for investor relations and operations professionals.