Publications

27 Apr 2021
Research & Ideas

IPO or M&A? How Venture Capital Shapes a Startup's Future

really paying attention to. It turns out from our research, it matters a lot.” Going beyond the term sheet McDonald, along with Columbia University’s Dan Wang and Emily Cox Pahnke from the University of... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

11 May 2021
Blog Post

IPO or M&A? How Venture Capital Shapes a Startup's Future

really paying attention to. It turns out from our research, it matters a lot.” Going beyond the term sheet McDonald, along with Columbia University’s Dan Wang and Emily Cox Pahnke from the University of... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital / Private Equity

January 2017 (Revised August 2017)
Case

Earl Gordon - Eastern Circle

By: Steven Rogers and Greg White

This case follows an African-American entrepreneur through the process of sourcing a potential acquisition, valuing a company, and securing the funding to purchase the company. This entrepreneur must decide if he should close the deal and which financing term sheet to... View Details

September 2014 (Revised March 2015)
Case

Fast Ion Battery

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Stephanie Puzio

John Davidson, a partner at Ware Street Capital (WSC) and a board member at Fast Ion Battery, had just received a phone call from Don Lerner at Bluelock Ventures telling him that Bluelock would not participate in the $5M bridge financing for Fast Ion Battery. Lerner's... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance; Real Options; Term Sheets; Clean Technology; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital

01 Oct 2000
News

HBS to Host Venture Capital Forum for Women

On November 3, HBS will host the first venture capital forum ever held for women entrepreneurs in the New England area. Titled "Springboard 2000: New England" and sponsored by the Center for Women &... View Details

Keywords: Finance

Web

Field Course: Venture Capital Journey - Course Catalog

with it will cease to exist and will be superseded by this course. In VCJ, students will learn all aspects of the venture capital process, including: Deal sourcing Developing an investment thesis Conducting... View Details

Web

Venture Capital and Private Equity - Course Catalog

does not help build deal-execution skills; students instead should enroll in Entrepreneurial Finance , Private Equity Finance , or Venture Capital Journey . The course covers three broad categories: THE... View Details

January 2011 (Revised November 2011)
Case

Identifying Firm Capital Structure

Students are asked to link concealed balance sheets with firm descriptions. The case helps students understand how balance sheets reflect industry and firm characteristics. View Details

Keywords: Financial Statements; Business Ventures; Capital Structure

July 2022 (Revised September 2024)
Case

York Capital and Enovix

By: William Vrattos, Jo Tango and Alys Ferragamo

In June 2020, Jeremy Blank prepared for a meeting with his fellow partners at York Capital to discuss an investment he had championed in Enovix, a company developing a state-of-the-art, silicon-based battery. Early-stage technology companies, like Enovix, were not... View Details

Keywords: Investment Evaluation; Partners and Partnerships; Investment Portfolio; Judgments; Opportunities

2015
Other Teaching and Training Material

Entrepreneurship Reading: Partnering with Venture Capitalists

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Michael J. Roberts

This reading takes a deep look at the venture capital (VC) industry in the United States. VCs have a unique perspective on opportunity evaluation, deal structure, new venture support, and exit strategy. Their work at all stages of the entrepreneurial life cycle offers... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship

September 2013 (Revised November 2013)
Case

AngelList

By: Ramana Nanda and Liz Kind

In early 2010, Naval Ravikant and Babak Nivi posted a list of angel investors on the Venture Hacks blog as a resource for founders looking for funding prior to seeking venture capital. The list quickly evolved into AngelList, a separate matchmaking platform for... View Details

Keywords: Angel Investors; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurial Finance; Finance; Entrepreneurship; Investment; Financial Services Industry; United States

February 2014 (Revised August 2016)
Case

Strava

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, William A. Sahlman and Sid Misra

Strava is a new fast-growing social network for the avid cyclist and runner. The Strava case traces the entrepreneurial journey of two serial entrepreneurs who have been co-founders in a prior venture, and who have co-founded Strava 3 years ago. The protagonists must... View Details