By Our Special Reports Team

Raising venture capital can be the most painful experience of an entrepreneur's life. The most vulnerable time is the closing stages of the deal, when the venture capitalist holds most of the cards. FT.com's special report on European venture capital takes a hard look at the funding process and the players driving high-tech growth.

oney is pouring into venture capital at a higher rate than ever before and reached record levels in 1999. Funds raised for investment in early-stage high-technology companies rose more than 300 per cent to E5.1bn from 1998, according to a European Venture Capital report released in June. Competition for deals is at a high as new players flood the industry. Meanwhile, market volatility makes picking the "smart money" ever more vital for entrepreneurs and institutional investors. The special report takes a critical look at established players and up-and-comers in the early stage high-tech field. It includes profiles of key venture capitalists and enablers, visuals of European metrics and in-depth features. It keeps you up-to-date on industry activity with coverage of new investments, funds and initial public offerings.

You can visit the start-up panel where entrepreneurs at each stage of the funding process from seed to IPO share their tips, or you can share your own start-up experiences through our online forums. Our video documentary on Glasshouse, a networking event for entrepreneurs, takes you to the grassroots of the new economy and puts the spotlight on one investor behind Boo.com, the failed e-tailer.