Publications

2023
Working Paper

Corporate Leaders Say They Are for Stakeholder Capitalism—But Which Version Exactly?: A Critical Look at Four Varieties

By: Lynn S. Paine

The past few years have seen an outpouring of articles and statements heralding the arrival of a new and more inclusive form of capitalism often called stakeholder capitalism. The new capitalism promises to strengthen companies, improve outcomes for their... View Details

Keywords: Stakeholder Capitalism; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Economic Systems; Business and Shareholder Relations

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January 1999
Article

An Analysis of Compensation in the U.S. Venture Capital Partnership

By: Paul Gompers and Josh Lerner

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Venture Capital; Partners and Partnerships; United States

17 Sep 2020
News

The Rock Center for Entrepreneurship Announces 2020 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, Rock Executive Fellows, and Venture Capital Partners

31 Oct 2023

The Value of an MBA in Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Venture Capital

Do you currently work in tech, entrepreneurship, or venture capital? Or, do you aspire to work in these dynamic sectors in the future? If you find yourself in either of these categories, we invite you to join a panel of HBS students and... View Details

2003
Chapter

Short-Term America Revisited? Boom and Bust in the Venture Capital Industry and the Impact on Innovation

By: Josh Lerner and Paul A. Gompers

This chapter seeks to understand the implications of the recent decline in venture activity for innovation. It argues that the situation may not be as grim as it initially appears. While there are many reasons for believing that on average venture capital has a... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Innovation and Invention; Business Cycles; Financial Services Industry; United States

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August 2022 (Revised November 2022)
Case

Altos Ventures (A)

By: Jo Tango and Alys Ferragamo

In December 2012, Altos Ventures General Partners Han Kim, Anthony Lee, and Ho Nam met to discuss the future of the firm. Altos had already adjusted its strategy multiple times. It began as a U.S.-focused venture capital investor whose first two funds were backed by a... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Venture Capital; Investment Portfolio; Partners and Partnerships

Article

Short-Termism and Capital Flows

By: Jesse M. Fried and Charles C.Y. Wang

During 2007–2016, S&P 500 firms distributed to shareholders $7 trillion via buybacks and dividends, over 96% of their aggregate net income, prompting claims that "short-termism" is impairing firms' ability to invest and innovate. We show that, when taking into account... View Details

Keywords: Short-termism; Quarterly Capitalism; Share Buybacks; Open Market Repurchases; Dividends; Equity Issuances; Seasoned Equity Offerings; Equity Compensastion; Acquisitions; Payout Policy; Capital Flows; Capital Distribution; Working Capital; Business and Shareholder Relations; Acquisition

fall 1997
Article

Venture Capital and the Creation of Public Companies: Do Venture Capitalists Really Bring More than Money?

By: Paul A. Gompers and Josh Lerner

Keywords: Venture Capital; Business Ventures; Money; Public Ownership

02 Aug 2018
Blog Post

Venturing into VC

I’ve spent my summer as an MBA Associate at Victress Capital, an early-stage venture capital (VC) firm focused on achieving outsized returns through investing in diverse teams. I originally met our firm’s... View Details

September 2021 (Revised November 2022)
Case

MAYA Capital

By: Robert F. White, Carla Larangeira and Pedro Levindo

MAYA Capital co-founders Lara Lemann and Monica Saggioro raised $41.5 million through a series of closings for their early-stage Latin American venture capital fund. The two women had met for the first time in mid-2016 when Lemann was contemplating scaling her angel... View Details

Keywords: Early Stage; Portfolio Construction; Fund Management; Investment; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Investment Portfolio; Strategy; Business Startups; Management; Investment Funds; Latin America

March 2014
Module Note

The Impact of Waves in Venture Capital and Private Equity

By: Matthew Rhodes-Kropf

March 2014
Module Note

The Venture Capital and Private Equity Investing Simulation: The Concepts

By: Matthew Rhodes-Kropf and Nathaniel Burbank

01 Sep 2011
News

Using Venture Capital to Build Companies and Save the World

19 Sep 2012
News

The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Fail

22 Jun 2009
News

Q&A; With Harvard's Josh Lerner On State Of Venture Capital

June 2013
Article

Signals across Multiple Networks: How Venture Capital and Alliance Networks Affect Interorganizational Collaboration

By: Umit Ozmel, Jeffrey J. Reuer and Ranjay Gulati

In this paper, we examine the contingent effects of signals generated by different types of networks on new ventures' formation of future strategic alliances. We argue that the signaling value of a given tie in reducing adverse selection is more pronounced when another... View Details

Keywords: Networks; Venture Capital; Alliances

February 2023
Case

Kapor Capital

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Lindsay N. Hyde and Julia Kelley

Kapor Capital, a leading impact investment venture capital (VC) firm, is on the cusp of a generational transition. The two rising managing directors are about to take over the firm from the VC’s eponymous founders. How should they think about strategy, brand, and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Operations; Business Startups; Financial Services Industry; United States

26 Oct 2001
Conference Presentation

Venture Capital Access in the New Economy: Is Gender an Issue?

By: Myra M. Hart, Candida Brush, Nancy Carter, Elizabeth Gatewood and Patricia Greene

Keywords: Venture Capital; Gender; Economy