Western Technology Investment is a venture DEBT lender, not an equity venture capital firm. It makes secured loans to venture-capital-backed companies rather than taking equity positions as its primary business, and says of itself: 'Our firm pioneered the concept of venture debt to fill a significant capital gap in the market' and that this is 'a flexible and founder-friendly form of capital that supports their growth with less dilution' (the firm's own claims, quoted from its homepage). The homepage states the firm was founded in 1980, has financed 'more than 1,500 companies', has committed '$7B+' and is investing from its 11th institutional fund, supported by 'institutional LPs including endowments, non-profits, academic institutions, and select family offices'. Its lending funds have historically been business development companies named Venture Lending & Leasing, with later vehicles named WTI Fund; two WTI Equity Opportunity Fund partnerships also exist, so equity exposure is a secondary activity alongside the loan business.