We study entrepreneurs' start-up financing from banks and local financiers. An informal network, whose membership cannot be observed by outsiders, conveys the good signals it gets about the hidden types of network entrepreneurs to local financiers, which are then reflected in different loan...

One in three deals in the early-stage financing market involves an investor and founder from the same alma mater. We show that founders' connections to early-stage investors through shared education networks are more important than school academic quality or shared geography in facilitating...

We study a model of network formation and start-up financing with endogenous entrepreneurial type distribution. A hub firm admits members to its network based on signals about entrepreneurs' types. Network membership is observable, which allows lenders to offer different interest rates to...

We study a model of network formation and start-up financing with endogenous entrepreneurial type distribution. A hub firm admits members to its network based on signals about entrepreneurs’ types. Network membership is observable, which allows lenders to offer different interest rates to...

Entrepreneurs are usually exhorted to attract the best networked investors. We provide further insights into this advice by estimating network effects in the performance of entrepreneurial ventures. We show dimensions that are critical in this estimation, such as the consideration for startups'...

Despite the belief that networks are essential to entrepreneurial success, very few studies consider the role of networks in the founding of new organizations. In response, we test the direct and interactive effects of the characteristics of nascent entrepreneurs’ supporter networks and...