Publications

August 2008 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Kmart and ESL Investments (A)

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah Abbott

A major bankrupt retailer is poised to emerge from Chapter 11. Two activist hedge funds ("vulture investors") will own over 50% of reorganized Kmart's common stock, based on prior investments in Kmart's debt claims, and an infusion of new equity financing. The Chapter... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Investment; Investment Activism; Valuation; Financial Services Industry; Retail Industry; United States

Web

Peter O. Crisp papers | Baker Library

Peter O. Crisp papers Venrock Associates Pocantico Conference attendee caricature, 1985 October 1. Peter O. Crisp papers. Peter O. Crisp was a founding partner of Venrock Associates, a venture capital company founded by members of the... View Details

October 1990
Article

The Structure and Governance of Venture-Capital Organizations

By: William A. Sahlman

Keywords: Governance; Venture Capital; Organizations

April 2019
Technical Note

A Note on Boards in VC-Backed Ventures

By: Shikhar Ghosh, Ramana Nanda, Suraj Srinivasan and Terrence Shu

What is the value of a Board, and why does a company need one? The note documents the formal role of a Board of Directors as going beyond simply acting as legal representation of corporate ownership. Moreover, this role changes as the company moves through different... View Details

Keywords: Founders; Business Startup; Board; Board Of Directors; Business Startups; Governing and Advisory Boards; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship

2022
Presentation

Victor Ray presents at the 2022 Gender and Work Symposium

Fast Answer

REITs (real estate investment trusts)

REITs, and publicly-traded real estate companies. S&P NetAdvantage: S&P's REIT Industry Survey provides a good overview of real estate investment trusts. Also available under Markets > Industry Survey in Capital IQ. To... View Details

15 Apr 2025
News

Mothers of Invention

VC Backed Moms founders Nicole Wee (MBA 2018), Lisa Marrone (MBA 2017), and Amelia Lin (MBA 2016) Illustration by John Ritter Early in her first pregnancy, having just launched the venture she cofounded, Lisa Marrone (MBA 2017) wondered how she could take maternity... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

19 Jun 2014
News

Life Beyond The Elevator Pitch: Venture Capital's New Formulas

Keywords: Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

28 May 2019
News

Alumni Achievement Awards 2019

“Our mission at Social Finance is to mobilize capital to drive social progress. We are pioneering new impact investing approaches, like the Social Impact Bond, to unite uncommon partners around common goals.” Step change: “In eight years,... View Details

2012
Chapter

The Role of Venture Capitalists in the Acquisition of Private Companies

By: Paul A. Gompers and Yuhai Xuan

Keywords: Venture Capital; Acquisition; Private Ownership

September 2005 (Revised June 2006)
Case

WuXi PharmaTech

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Simin Zhou

WuXi Pharmatech has gone from zero to $21 million in sales in three years. The company must decide its growth strategy and how best to finance and organize for rapid growth. View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Capital Markets; Problems and Challenges; Pharmaceutical Industry; China

August 2008 (Revised December 2009)
Case

Nantero

By: William A. Sahlman, Dan Heath and Caroline Perkins

This case describes a decision confronting the founder of Nantero, a company developing a new semiconductor technology. The company needs to raise additional venture capital. Potential investors have competing visions for the company, and its business model. Some... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Investment; Product Development; Production; Technology; Semiconductor Industry

June 2007
Exercise

EZAmuse Negotiation Background (A)

By: G. Felda Hardymon and Ann Leamon

This is the background to an exercise in negotiation. A promising venture-capital-backed company, EZAmuse Communications, is raising a B round. Its existing backer, Reality Venture Partners, would like it to raise enough for six or nine months, when it will have... View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Negotiation Deal; Valuation; Leadership Style; Venture Capital; Partners and Partnerships; Product; Germany

December 2002 (Revised October 2013)
Case

Williams, 2002

By: Joshua Coval, Robin Greenwood and Peter Tufano

Williams, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based firm in various energy businesses, must decide whether to accept a financing package offered by Berkshire Hathaway and Lehman Brothers. The proposed one-year credit facility would provide the firm with financial resources in a... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Crisis Management; Credit; Capital Structure; Financial Strategy; Financing and Loans; Financial Instruments; Energy Industry; United States

January 2001 (Revised May 2001)
Case

Return Logic, Inc. (A)

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Michele Lutz

Follows three graduating HBS students as they build a business-to-business Internet venture and highlights the challenges they confront in structuring financing terms with venture capitalists. Requires students to carefully read a six-page term sheet to identify which... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Investment Funds; Private Equity; Internet and the Web; Negotiation Deal; Entrepreneurship

January 1998 (Revised May 1999)
Case

Fitzpatrick Hotel Group (B1): Niall Carroll

By: Paul A. Gompers and Catherine M. Conneely

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Perspective; Financing and Loans; Accommodations Industry; Republic of Ireland

December 1994
Case

CNW Corporation

The Blackstone Group, an LBO firm, is considering a $1.7 billion leveraged acquisition of CNW Corp., a railroad holding company. Information is provided concerning historic and protected results and the proposed financial structure of the entity. Data is presented... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Capital Structure; Leveraged Buyouts