The United States has the oldest and most developed venture capital industry in the OECD. Several successful high-technology companies in computers and communications, as well as in healthrelated sectors and services, were venture-backed. Young high-growth firms also benefit from a continuum of...

Israel has a higher level of venture capital as a share of GDP than any OECD country. Most Israeli venture capital is channelled to early-stage companies, particularly start-ups in sectors based on information and communications technology (ICT) and biotechnology. The Israeli venture capital...

The Korean venture capital market has grown dramatically in recent years, starting from a negligible base in the early 1990s and almost tripling between 1998 and 2001. Korea now ranks among the leading OECD countries in venture capital investment as a share of GDP. Korea weathered the severe...

Despite high levels of private equity financing in the United Kingdom, relatively little funding is reaching small, technology-based companies. Institutional investors, both domestic and foreign, remain focused on later-stage deals. The United Kingdom has implemented several policy initiatives...

Sweden has one of the highest levels of private equity investment as a share of GDP among OECD countries. However, its strength lies in later-stage investments, financed primarily by foreign investors. This reflects an industrial structure based on large manufacturing conglomerates. A lack of...

The Norwegian venture capital market is oriented towards expansion investments in traditional sectors and suffers from a lack of private risk capital as well as of entrepreneurial demand. Norway needs to increase the entry of innovative start-ups in order to diversify the economy beyond its...

Canada has one of the highest levels of venture capital investment as a share of GDP among OECD countries. Between 1995 and 2001, Canada realised phenomenal growth in venture capital supply and the creation of over 200 new venture capital funds. However, the largest share of Canadian venture...

Venture capital has grown significantly in most OECD countries during the 1990s, and is increasingly associated with improved firm performance in terms of survival rates, innovation and growth. This paper compares venture capital activity across OECD countries by taking into account...

Venture capital has grown significantly in most OECD countries during the 1990s, and is increasingly associated with improved firm performance in terms of survival rates, innovation and growth. This paper compares venture capital activity across OECD countries by taking into account...

Israel has a higher level of venture capital as a share of GDP than any OECD country. Most Israeli venture capital is channelled to early-stage companies, particularly start-ups in sectors based on information and communications technology (ICT) and biotechnology. The Israeli venture capital...