This study examines how international venture capitalists (IVCs) alter the search routines of their portfolio firms, which allows them to build a new capability in knowledge generation. My theoretical framework suggests that portfolio firm knowledge generation is enhanced as a result of their association with IVCs and the resultant transition towards more global search routines. I construct a novel dataset comprised of 2,327 new ventures across five industries during the period 2004-2014 that were granted 20,985 patents and received 254,616 backward citations. Using a difference-in-differences (DID) approach, I find that following IVC investment, portfolio firms search more distant technological domains, broaden their search scope, and couple local search with distant search more frequently. These effects are moderated by the IVC’s network.