The venture and private-capital branch in Central Eastern Europe is less developed than in the EU 15, but has greater potentials. Hungary is gaining increasingly from its initial edge in the region, while steadily approaching the norms of the EU. On the positive side, this means growth and globalization of the capital bases, rising importance of takeovers, and greater variation in exits. On the negative side, firms in the early stage of development encounter also in the EU difficulties in financing, the persistent drawbacks of a small national market, and reduced appearance of exceptional yields.