DPI
A metric in private equity and venture capital that measures the total cash returned to limited partners (investors) relative to the capital they invested. A lack of DPI is a major issue in modern VC.
entitydetail.created_at
8/16/2025, 2:37:27 AM
entitydetail.last_updated
8/16/2025, 2:39:52 AM
entitydetail.research_retrieved
8/16/2025, 2:39:52 AM
Summary
DPI is an acronym with two primary meanings: "dots per inch" and "distributions to paid-in capital." As "dots per inch," it measures spatial dot density in printing, video, or image scanning, indicating the number of individual dots within a one-inch span, crucial for determining print resolution and image quality. In the context of venture capital, DPI stands for "distributions to paid-in capital," a vital metric in private equity that quantifies the cumulative cash returns a fund has distributed to its investors relative to their invested capital. This "realization multiple" is a key indicator of a fund's performance, representing realized gains, and is a component of the Total Value to Paid-in Capital (TVPI) ratio. The pressure for strong DPI in venture capital has been influenced by regulatory actions, such as those by Lena Khan, leading to industry solutions like continuation funds.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Field (Venture Capital)
Private Equity, Venture Capital
Unit (Printing/Imaging)
Number of individual dots per 1 inch (2.54 cm)
Purpose (Venture Capital)
Measures total capital returned to investors, key performance metric
Full Name (Venture Capital)
Distributions to Paid-In Capital
Definition (Venture Capital)
Cumulative distributions paid by a private equity fund to its limited partners, divided by the amount the partners have invested
Full Name (Printing/Imaging)
Dots per inch
Represents (Venture Capital)
Realized assets/gains
Abbreviation (Venture Capital)
DPI
Application (Printing/Imaging)
Printer resolution, image quality, scanner resolution
Standard High-Resolution Print
300 DPI
Abbreviation (Printing/Imaging)
DPI
Alternative Names (Venture Capital)
Realization multiple, cash-on-cash value of distributions
Measurement Type (Printing/Imaging)
Spatial printing, video, or image scanner dot density
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaDots per inch
Dots per inch (DPI, or dpi) is a measure of spatial printing, video or image scanner dot density, in particular the number of individual dots that can be placed in a line within the span of 1 inch (2.54 cm). Similarly, dots per millimetre (d/mm or dpmm) refers to the number of individual dots that can be placed within a line of 1 millimetre (0.039 in).
Web Search Results
- Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI) in Private Equity | Moonfare
Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI) is a term used to measure the total capital that a private equity fund has returned thus far to its investors. It is also referred to as the _realisation multiple_. The DPI value is the cumulative value of all investor distributions expressed as a multiple of all the capital paid into the fund up to that time. [...] DPI is one of the two components of Total Value to Paid-in Capital (TVPI), a widely used measure of the total performance of a private equity fund at any specified time. The other component of TVPI is Residual Value to Paid-in Capital (RVPI). RVPI represents the net asset value of a fund’s remaining (unrealised) assets and DPI represents the cash-on-cash value of distributions (realised). The sum of RVPI and DPI equals TVPI. [...] DPI is a measure of the cumulative value of distributions paid to the investors in a private equity fund relative to the money invested (i.e. cash-on-cash). DPI is expressed as a multiple of investors’ paid-in investment capital. DPI adds to RVPI to determine the Total Value to Paid-in Capital (TVPI) of the fund. What is Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI)? -------------------------------------------------
- Dots per inch - Wikipedia
DPI refers to the physical dot density of an image when it is reproduced as a real physical entity, for example printed onto paper. A digitally stored image has no inherent physical dimensions, measured in inches or centimetres. Some digital file formats record a DPI value, or more commonly a PPI (pixels per inch) value, which is to be used when printing the image. This number lets the printer or software know the intended size of the image, or in the case of scanned images, the size of the [...] In printing, DPI (dots per inch) refers to the output resolution of a printer or imagesetter, and PPI (pixels per inch) refers to the input resolution of a photograph or image. [...] DPI is used to describe the resolution number of dots per inch in a digital print and the printing resolution of a hard copy print dot gain, which is the increase in the size of the halftone dots during printing. This is caused by the spreading of ink on the surface of the media.
- Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI) - Definition, How to Calculate
The Distributions to Paid In Capital ratio (or DPI) represents the cumulative distributions paid by a PE fund to its limited partners, divided by the amount the partners have invested. An alternative to DPI is the Total Value to Paid In Capital (TVPI) ratio. TVPI includes the value of unrealized investments, whereas DPI only includes distributions from realized investments. DPI is easy to use and intuitive to understand, allowing investors to compare metrics across different PE funds. [...] Read Time 5 minutes What is the Distributions to Paid In Capital Ratio? --------------------------------------------------- The Distributions to Paid In Capital ratio (or DPI) represents the cumulative distributions paid by a private equity fund to its limited partners, relative to the amount the partners have invested. DPI is also sometimes known as the realization multiple. [...] Alongside internal rate of return (IRR), DPI is a way to measure a private equity fund’s performance over time and relative to other PE funds. To illustrate DPI, we must first discuss how private equity funds work, as well as some definitions necessary to calculate DPI. ### Key Highlights
- DPI Meaning | What is DPI & How to Check/Change it - Adobe
### What’s DPI used for? DPI is used for printer resolution, to indicate the clarity and detail of an image on paper. It’s an important measurement for photographers and designers, as it will determine the quality of a printed asset – whether for a poster, a brochure or a glossy magazine. [...] DPI meaning and definition. How do I find the DPI resolution of an image? What DPI should I use? How to change DPI on Photoshop. DPI: FAQs DPI meaning and definition. --------------------------- ### What does DPI stand for? DPI stands for Dots per Inch, referring to the number of ink droplets a printer will produce per inch while printing an image. The more dots of ink per inch the picture has, the more detail you will see when printed. style xl spacing, two up layout 1 | 2 [...] DPI is what makes an image look crisp and high-quality. The higher the number, the more ink droplets are tightly bunched together. This also goes for scanning. Like a printer, scanners also measure quality in DPI, meaning the number of points of data the scanner and computer picks up from the image.
- Image Resolution and DPI Explained - LARGEPRINTING.COM
Print resolution is measured in dots per inch (or “DPI”) which means the number of dots of ink per inch that a printer deposits on a piece of paper. So, 300 DPI means that a printer will output 300 tiny dots of ink to fill every inch of the print. 300 DPI is the standard print resolution for high resolution output. This means that that images should be a minimum of 300 dpi x 300 dpi or 90,000 dots per square inch to produce a high resolution print.How the two work together
Wikidata
View on WikidataInstance Of
DBPedia
View on DBPediaLocation Data
DPI, Applethorpe, Southern Downs Regional, Queensland, 4378, Australia
Coordinates: -28.6219080, 151.9540328
Open Map