Who's calling? cheap medication Normally, though, venture capitalists make large investments in the hope of even larger returns: the model’s rationale is that every now and then a nascent startup explodes into the next Facebook (or, at least, Dropbox). But now, it seemed, startups were motivated to stay lean and private, thriving in downtown offices rather than on giant campuses. And pressure was already visible in the venture-capital world. Mid-range V.C. firms have started withering in the past few years. Those unable to produce big enough financial returns have had trouble gathering more cash for their next startup portfolios.