I read that more and more VCs want the cachet of having invested in hot stocks like twitter, fb so that they can tell future investors about their portfolio and

I read that more and more VCs want the cachet of having invested in hot stocks like twitter, fb so that they can tell future investors about their portfolio and go raise the next round. Not that there is anything wrong with that but we need to be more careful with the term 'invested in.' Primary Investment versus just plain Investment say when you and I buy GE on Ameritrade?