From In-Person To Online : The New Shape of the VC Industry

Geographical clustering is an essential feature of the venture capital (VC) industry as proximity helps VCs to acquire soft information about early-stage companies and to conduct post-investment activities. However, whether the VC investment model based on in-person interactions is still justified in the age of online communication technologies remains an open question. In this paper, we address this question by using an unexpected interruption in face-to-face meetings during the recent pandemic. We document that VCs respond to this change by breaking their traditional norm: they invest in more distant startups. We find that this evolution goes along with selection criteria and syndication process changes despite some persisting behaviors. Thus, our study helps to understand how VCs revisit their investment model and sheds light on the value of in-person interactions for the VC industry