Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(461)
- Faculty Publications (114)
- 2010
- Chapter
The Financing of R&D and Innovation
By: Bronwyn H. Hall and Josh Lerner
Evidence on the “funding gap” for investment innovation is surveyed. The focus is on financial market reasons for underinvestment that exist even when externality-induced underinvestment is absent. We conclude that while small and new innovative firms experience high... View Details
- January 2010
- Article
Buy Local? The Geography of Successful Venture Capital Expansion
By: Henry Chen, Paul A. Gompers, Anna Kovner and Josh Lerner
We document geographic concentration by both venture capital firms and venture capital-financed companies in three metropolitan areas: San Francisco, Boston, and New York. We find that venture capital firms locate in regions with high success rates of venture... View Details
- 2009
- Working Paper
Private Equity and Industry Performance
By: Josh Lerner
The growth of the private equity industry has spurred concerns about its potential impact on the economy more generally. This analysis looks across nations and industries to assess the impact of private equity on industry performance. Industries where PE funds have... View Details
- Article
Specialization and Success: Evidence from Venture Capital
By: Paul A. Gompers, Anna Kovner and Josh Lerner
This paper examines how organizational structure affects behavior and outcomes, studying the performance of different types of venture capital organizations. We find a strong positive relationship between the degree of specialization by individual venture capitalists... View Details
- May 2009
- Article
The Empirical Impact of Intellectual Property Rights on Innovation: Puzzles and Clues
By: Josh Lerner
Economists have long seen the patent system as a crucial lever through which policymakers affect the speed and nature of innovation in the economy. It is not surprising, then, that the profound changes which have roiled the global patent system over the past 20 years... View Details
- February 2009 (Revised March 2013)
- Case
Messer Griesheim (A)
By: Josh Lerner, Ann-Kristin Achleitner, Eva Lutz and Kerry Herman
In 2001, Allianz Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs acquired a majority stake in Messer Griesheim, a European industrial gas concern held by Hoechst. The dealmakers faced several challenges, including delicate corporate governance issues due to partial family ownership... View Details
- February 2009 (Revised March 2013)
- Supplement
Messer Griesheim (B)
By: Josh Lerner, Ann-Kristin Achleitner, Eva Lutz and Kerry Herman
In 2001, Allianz Capital Partners and Godlman Sachs acquired a majority stake in Messer Greisheim, a European industrial gas concern held by Hoeschst. The dealmakers faced several challenges, including delicate corporate governance issues due to partial family... View Details
- March 2008 (Revised June 2009)
- Case
Actis: January 2008
By: Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon
Paul Feltcher, the CEO of Actis, a leading private equity investor in emerging markets, is preparing for an executive retreat at which the management team will consider how best to position the firm for the future. Actis could move in a number of different directions... View Details
- January 2008
- Article
Venture Capital Investment Cycles: The Impact of Public Markets
It is well documented that the venture capital industry is highly volatile and that much of this volatility is associated with shifting valuations and activity in public equity markets. This paper examines how changes in public market signals affected venture capital... View Details
- June 2007
- Article
What Is the Impact of Software Patent Shifts? Evidence from Lotus v. Borland
By: Josh Lerner and Feng Zhu
Economists have debated the extent to which strengthening patent protection spurs or detracts from technological innovation. This paper examines the reduction of software copyright protection in the Lotus v. Borland decision. If patent and copyright protections are... View Details
- 2006
- Working Paper
Skill vs. Luck in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital: Evidence from Serial Entrepreneurs
This paper argues that a large component of success in entrepreneurship and venture capital can be attributed to skill. We show that entrepreneurs with a track record of success are more likely to succeed than first time entrepreneurs and those who have previously... View Details
- February 2006 (Revised January 2007)
- Case
ABRY Partners, LLC: WideOpenWest
By: Josh Lerner and Smart Darren
ABRY, a Boston-based private equity group, is considering whether to terminate its investment in WideOpenWest or to try to salvage the transaction by acquiring a division of telecommunications unit Ameritech. View Details
- September 2005 (Revised May 2007)
- Case
OuterLink Corporation (A)
By: Josh Lerner and Brenda Chia
Zero Stage Capital is addressing a troubled investment in OuterLink Corp., which has a capital deficit of $30 million and was written off by all but one of its investors as a victim of the technology bubble. The venture organization must decide whether to shutter the... View Details
- Article
Discussion of "Ivory Tower and Industrial Innovation: University-Industry Technology Transfer Before and After the Bayh-Dole Act in the United States" by David C. Mowery, Richard R. Nelson, Bhaven N. Sampat, and Arvids A. Ziedonis
By: Josh Lerner
- January 2004 (Revised May 2005)
- Case
Gold Hill Venture Lending
By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon
David Fischer is trying to raise $200 million for a first-time venture debt fund that will be affiliated with Silicon Valley Bank, a major technology lender. Despite his lengthy experience in venture lending, the process is proving difficult. He and his partners are... View Details
- March 2003 (Revised January 2004)
- Case
CDC Capital Partners: December 2002
By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon
Paul Fletcher, CEO of CDC Capital Partners, a private equity group investing in the world's poorest countries, is wrestling with questions raised by the imminent reorganization of the firm. Previously an arm of the United Kingdom's international aid agency, CDC is... View Details
- December 2002 (Revised June 2003)
- Case
Vignette: The Rebar Dilemma
By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon
Martin Smith, a new associate at an LBO firm, must respond to a problem posed by his boss, based on an historical deal that suddenly came undone. After months of negotiation, his firm's plan to buy a bankrupt competitor of one of its portfolio companies and close it... View Details
- February 2002 (Revised May 2003)
- Case
Endeca Technologies (A)
By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon
Steve Papa, CEO of Endeca Technologies, must decide among two term sheets raising the same amount of badly needed money for his young software company. One deal is led by insiders and, is offered at a lower price. It continues a board that has worked very well and... View Details
- May 2001
- Article
The Open Source Movement: Key Research Questions
By: Josh Lerner and Jean Tirole
The paper analyzes the incentives of individual programmers and of commercial companies to participate in open source projects. While these incentives are in our opinion well accounted for by the economic paradigm, much empirical and theoretical work is still needed to... View Details