In this article, we examine how startup firms finance their operations over time. We empirically test the financial growth cycle theory developed by Berger and Udell (1998) using the Kauffman Firm Survey data, the largest longitudinal data set comprised of all U.S. startups launched in 2004....

This paper surveys empirical and theoretical studies of various control mechanisms embedded in venture capital contracts. These mechanisms mitigate incentive problems and opportunistic behavior arising in the uncertain environment of financing young hightechnology enterprises that predominantly...

Little evidence exists on the financing decisions of newly founded firms or on the financing dynamics of these firms over their life cycle. We aim to help filling this gap by investigating the financing dynamics of 2,456 French manufacturing firms founded between 2004 and 2006 through their...

This paper aims to analyze the effects of financial constraints and the financial crisis on the financing and investment policies of newly founded firms. Thereby, the analysis adds important new insights on a crucial segment of the economy. We make use of a large and comprehensive data set of...

The present report is a case study on crowdfunding as a finance instrument for SMEs and entrepreneurs. The report aims to examine the characteristics, diffusion and uptake by new firms and existing SMEs, assessing its effectiveness in supporting innovative or potentially high-growth firms to...

This paper shows that active investors, such as venture capitalists, can affect the speed at which new ventures grow. In the absence of product market competition, new ventures financed by active investors grow faster initially, though in the long run those financed by passive investors are able...

Over the past years crowdfunding emerged as an alternative funding channel for entrepreneurs. In contrast to traditional financiers (banks, venture capital firms or angel investors), crowdfunding allows individuals to fund entrepreneurs directly even with small amounts. We received...

This paper deals with the question of whether public venture capital (VC) is performing its task properly, taking a look at how public VC companies' selection process, investment behavior, and consulting services reflect goals that differ from those of private VC firms. The results present...

Using U.S. Census firm-worker data, I document that firms' financial distress has an economically important effect on employee departures to entrepreneurship. The impact is amplified in the high-tech and service sectors, where employees are key assets. In states with enforceable noncompete...

Using Kickstarter, the largest global reward-based crowdfunding platform, we conduct an exhaustive search of all fraud cases from 2010 through 2015 for nine different countries. While fraud in this new market has been of concern to regulators, it is arguably of greater importance to the nascent...