Startup Investment - Publications - Faculty & Research

09 Jan 2020
Book

Rethinking Business Strategy in the Age of AI

and NASA. Iansiti says in the following interview that the book provides a guide for all businesses—from startups to long-standing legacy companies—for thriving in the new digital rat race. Dina Gerdeman: Explain what you mean when you... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

01 Jun 2023
News

An Engine of Innovation

Startup life can often feel like a solo sport, says Matt Segneri (MBA 2010), the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Executive Director of the Harvard Innovation Labs: “What the three labs in our ecosystem do is to make building a venture something... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

November 2000 (Revised November 2005)
Case

Tellme Networks, Inc.

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Nicole Tempest

Tellme, an early-stage, venture-backed company based in Silicon Valley, leverages speech-recognition technologies to provide: 1) a "voice portal" with news and other information accessible through any telephone, and 2) turnkey application development and hosting... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Digital Platforms; Business Conglomerates; Business Startups; Internet and the Web; Venture Capital; Technology Adoption; Internet and the Web; Brands and Branding; Information Technology; Telecommunications Industry; Technology Industry

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September 2019
Supplement

Keroche (B): Considering Entry into the Kenyan Beer Market

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pippa Tubman Armerding

This case discusses the situation of the Kenyan alcoholic drinks producer Keroche in July 2004, when co-founder Tabitha Karanja was debating whether to enter the Kenyan beer market. Doing so would mean direct competition with the multinational EABL in an industry and... View Details

Keywords: Keroche; Alcohol; Alcoholic Drinks; Alcoholic Beverages; Beverages; Drinks; Wine Industry; Wine; Fortified Wine; Viena; Beer; Beer Market; Manufacturing; Production Capacity; Capacity; Growth; Regulated; Unregulated; Informal; Informal Market; Regulation; Illicit; Illegal; Substandard; Dangerous; Shutdown; Factory; Safe; Affordable; Low-income Consumers; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Production; Investment; Safety; Quality; Small Business; Family Business; Crime and Corruption; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decisions; Income; Demographics; Geographic Scope; Geographic Location; Goods and Commodities; Government Legislation; Growth and Development; Business History; Lawsuits and Litigation; Laws and Statutes; Lawfulness; Goals and Objectives; Consumer Behavior; Market Entry and Exit; Problems and Challenges; Social Issues; Poverty; Strategy; Competition; Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Manufacturing Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Kenya; Nairobi; Africa

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04 Apr 2012
Research & Ideas

When Founders Recruit Friends and Family as Investors

ask them to close their eyes and donate money to you." Speaking from the other side, one investor said about investing in a startup founded by a friend or relative, "I sometimes do it, but I regard... View Details

Keywords: by Noam Wasserman

20 Dec 2011
First Look

First Look: December 20

its influence on team processes and performance are discussed. What Drives Sell-Side Analyst Compensation at High-Status Investment Banks? Authors:Boris Groysberg, Paul M. Healy, and David A. Maber Publication:Journal of Accounting... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

12 Aug 2019
Research & Ideas

How Scale Changes a Manager's Responsibilities

guidelines. Companies at this stage often wait too long to hire people experts—both human resources managers and experienced recruiters who get the startup-to-scale scene. That's a big mistake. Investing money in these roles early will... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Austin

25 Jun 2020
Blog Post

Harvard Business School Class of 2021 Student Profiles

that’s my number one leadership takeaway.” HOME REGION Mexico City, Mexico UNDERGRAD EDUCATION Columbia University PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IGNIA, Home Depot, Houlihan Lokey, Inc., Bank of America Merrill Lynch HBS ACTIVITIES Student Association, Section D president; Women... View Details

01 Jun 2023
News

Buy Big, Sell Small

brands and SKUs,” she says. Shruti, who graduated at the top of her class at the Indian Institute of Technology and had experience in consulting and impact investing, came to HBS to gain the skills to launch an India-based impact View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; retail; supply chain management; entrepreneurship; leadership; innovation; Miscellaneous Store Retailers; Retail Trade

18 Jan 2022
Research & Ideas

How Eliminating Non-Competes Could Reshape Tech

curtailing the use of such agreements. Andy Wu, an assistant professor in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, is an entrepreneur and startup advisor who now researches how technology firms organize and mobilize resources to grow... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Technology

Web

Your Social Entrepreneurship checklist | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

Year Fall Student clubs: Connect with students who share your interest in social enterprise and entrepreneurship through clubs such as the Entrepreneurship Club , Social Enterprise Club , Social Enterprise Conference , Impact Investing... View Details

Web

Resources - Alumni

New Venture Competition Resources 45ms Past Pitches : View past Student and Alumni NVC pitches Become an Entrepreneur Without Leaving Your Day Job Joining the Right Start-Up The Startup Rules of Three HBS Rock Center for Entrepreneurship... View Details

March 2024 (Revised June 2024)
Case

Kashat: Navigating the Uncertainties of the Egyptian Fintech Market

By: Paul A. Gompers and Ahmed Dahawy

Karim Nour, the founder of Kashat, an Egyptian nano-lending fintech company, is contemplating how to manage the growth of his startup. Over the summer of 2022, Kashat's loan disbursements had grown by nearly 40%, fueled by macroeconomic instability in Egypt. However,... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Business Model; Developing Countries and Economies; Acquisition; Business Exit or Shutdown; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Financing and Loans; Capital; Financial Services Industry; Banking Industry; Egypt

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10 Apr 2012
First Look

First Look: April 10

Corstjens and Rajiv Lal Publication:Harvard Business Review 90, no. 4 (April 2012) Abstract Most companies assume that the easiest way to grow is by investing overseas and that the developing world offers the best opportunities for... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

August 2020 (Revised November 2024)
Case

NextView Ventures

By: Jo Tango and Nori Gerardo Lietz

David Beisel, Rob Go, and Lee Hower are non-partners at different-and-established venture capital (VC) firms. They decide to leave their positions to start a new seed-stage VC firm. The case covers the genesis of the firm, the formulation of its strategy and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Business Startups; Strategy

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September 2016 (Revised March 2020)
Teaching Note

Fasten: Challenging Uber and Lyft with a New Business Model

By: Feng Zhu

Fasten, a new ridesharing start-up in Boston, entered the scene in September 2015 hoping its unique vision of transparency for both driver and passenger and strategy to keep riders' fares low and charge drivers a flat $0.99 fee per ride, as opposed to the 20%–30%... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Transportation; Business Startups; Business Model; Transportation Industry; Boston

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01 Jun 2023
News

Cultivating Prosperity in Afghanistan

were members of Golden Seeds, which invests in women-led companies; Hivers & Strivers, which provides early stage financing to ventures led by US military veterans; and Mark Cuban, who was among the judges during their appearance on Shark... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

20 May 2014
First Look

First Look: May 20

hesitant to further fund the company. However, the Maricopa investment was much more important to the smaller VC firm, and its representative on Maricopa's board worked hard to convince her counterpart from the larger firm that while the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Web

Investor - Entrepreneurship

coach Build relevant startup experience to make you a better investor Join a Startup Bootcamp team Plug into the Investor community Join the Venture Capital/Private Equity , Entrepreneurship through... View Details

August 2018
Case

MISHA: Modernizing the World of Shisha

By: William R. Kerr and Gamze Yucaoglu

The case opens in 2017 with two of the five co-founders of MISHA telling the company’s CEO Michal Portz that they believe it is time for the global venture to shut down its operations and cease investments. Portz and another co-founder believe MISHA can still... View Details