Publications

Article

'Myth or Reality?' The Long-run Underperformance of Initial Public Offerings: Evidence from Venture- and Nonventure-capital-backed Companies

By: Paul A. Gompers and A. Brav

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Capital; Business Ventures; Venture Capital

January 2000 (Revised March 2000)
Case

Cachet Technologies

By: Paul A. Gompers and Howard Reitz

Describes the decision facing Danny Lewin, Jonathan Seelig, and Tom Leighton, the founders of Cachet Technologies, an MIT spin-out. The firm has done poorly in the annual MIT business plan competition and the founders have to decide whether to continue. View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Business Startups; Business Plan; Failure; Cooperative Ownership; Business Strategy; Financial Services Industry

August 2003
Article

The Really Long-Run Performance of Initial Public Offerings: The Pre-Nasdaq Evidence

By: Paul A. Gompers and Josh Lerner

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Stocks; Markets; Performance

Read Now

27 Mar 2012
First Look

First Look: March 27

inception of a promising venture lay the foundations for its eventual ruin. The Founder's Dilemmas is the first book to examine the early decisions by entrepreneurs that can make or break a startup and its team. Drawing on a decade of... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

January 1998 (Revised December 1998)
Case

NSK Software Technologies Ltd.

By: Paul A. Gompers and Jeffrey M. Anapolsky

Discusses the efforts of three Israeli software engineers' efforts to bring a network security software product to market. The firm needs an investment to complete programming and start marketing. View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Financing and Loans; Product Development; Information Technology Industry; Israel

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

June 1997 (Revised February 2012)
Background Note

A Note on Franchising

By: Paul A. Gompers and Catherine M. Conneely

Examines the motivations for franchising. Examines the academic literature in the area and draws implications for franchising patterns. Also provides data on franchising patterns. View Details

Keywords: Franchise Ownership

23 Dec 2008
First Look

First Look: December 23, 2008

Examining mechanisms, we demonstrate that cognitive ability increases participation; however, and in contrast to previous research, financial literacy education does not affect decisions. We conclude by discussing how education may affect... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2021
Supplement

CashDrop (B1)

By: Rembrand Koning, Paul A. Gompers and Sarah Gulick

After the events in CashDrop A, Flores-Martinez received two concrete offers from VC funds for his startup business, CashDrop. This case describes the tensions between the two funds: a traditional VC fund who would offer Flores-Martinez a prestigious platform, and a... View Details

Keywords: Small Business; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Internet and the Web; Decision Choices and Conditions; Technology Industry; Financial Services Industry; Chicago; Illinois

March 2021
Supplement

CashDrop (B2)

By: Rembrand Koning, Paul A. Gompers and Sarah Gulick

After the events in CashDrop A, Jarrid Tingle and Henri Pierre-Jacques, the founders of Harlem Capital partners, worried that Ruben Flores-Martinez, CashDrop’s founder, would take another offer while he waited for them to officially make an offer. HCP traditionally... View Details

Keywords: Small Business; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Online Technology; Technology Industry; Financial Services Industry; New York (city, NY)

March 1998 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Xedia and Silicon Valley Bank (B-2): The Company's Perspective

By: Paul A. Gompers and Jon Biotti

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Banking Industry

March 1997
Case

BioTransplant, Inc.: Initial Public Offering, January 1996

By: Paul A. Gompers and Alexander Tsai

Examines the decision to go public. BioTransplant is an early stage biotechnology company that must decide how to finance its research and development. The pros and cons of public offerings are analyzed versus alternative financing sources. View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Financing and Loans; Research and Development; Going Public

June 1997 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Elliot Lebowitz

By: Paul A. Gompers and Alexander Tsai

Elliot Lebowitz, president and CEO of BioTransplant, must decide on a strategy for this young biotechnology start-up. Among the issues to be resolved are focus of research and search for strategic alliance partners. View Details

Keywords: Alliances; Research; Business Startups; Management Teams; Business Strategy; Biotechnology Industry; United States

March 2024 (Revised April 2025)
Case

TELEXISTENCE Inc.

By: Paul A. Gompers and Akiko Saito

A case about a Japanese robotics startup aiming to enter the U.S. market with its robots that combine AI and human intervention to complete restocking tasks in retail stores. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Market Entry and Exit; Technology Adoption; Decisions; AI and Machine Learning; Retail Industry; Technology Industry; Japan; United States

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

Read Now

May 2013 (Revised July 2014)
Background Note

Private Equity Exits

By: Paul A. Gompers and Timothy Dore

This note presents statistics on private equity exits and discusses important issues relating to the most common exit routes. View Details

Keywords: Private Equity

February 2012
Case

FirstMark Capital

By: Paul Gompers and J. Daniel Kim

Keywords: Venture Capital

April 2006 (Revised April 2007)
Case

Endeca Technologies: New Growth Opportunities

By: Paul A. Gompers and Kristin Perry

Steve Papa, CEO of Endeca Technologies, must decide whether to expand into a new market with a new application of his company's technology. Endeca has experienced significant success with its information access software in the online retail industry, and in September... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Market Entry and Exit; Production; Organizational Structure; Partners and Partnerships; Opportunities; Expansion; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Technology Industry

February 2001
Case

ALWAYSi

By: Paul A. Gompers and Sergio Rattner

Anthony Soohoo, COO at ALWAYSi, an independent film distributor, is preparing projections for the company. Soohoo must decide which revenue streams the company should pursue. The firm is faced with a variety of attractive opportunities. View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Business Strategy; Revenue; Film Entertainment; Strategic Planning; Business Startups; Entertainment and Recreation Industry