>> VC funding
>
>In general, to get VC funding, you need a lot more than an idea
>and a prototype.  They want you to have a Team, and a working
>business, and a relatively detailed plan for growth and MAKING
>MONEY.  I'm not sure what you call the investors that get in at
>the earlier stages, but I don't think they're called
>"Venture Capitalists."

Sometimes called "Seed Capital" to get a business up and running.

In the UK there is a TV series called "Dragons Den" (new series starting 
soon I believe) where a person can present their idea to a panel of 5 
wealthy business people, to see if they can get them to bite and invest. 
Most don't do a decent enough presentation, from the occasional ones I have 
seen, but some are up and running businesses that now need money to grow. 
See 
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article2837114.ece 
for the investors.

Sometimes one investor will put money in, sometimes 2 or 3 will share. 
Mostly though they cannot see the possibility of the idea going anywhere - 
one that got well publicised in the local papers was a guy who had an idea 
for plastic wedges to put under table legs to stop them rocking. He got 
refused by Dragons Den investors, but managed to go ahead anyway and has 
made a heap of money. See 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1680301.ece

For the OP, some ideas here on how to make the pitch to possible investors.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2452239.ece

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