Venture Capital Contracts and Market Structure

36 Pages Posted: 5 Nov 2008

See all articles by Roman Inderst

Roman Inderst

Goethe University Frankfurt

Holger M. Mueller

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Multiple version iconThere are 4 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 2002

Abstract

We examine the relation between optimal venture capital contracts and the supply and demand for venture capital. Both the composition and type of financial claims held by the venture capitalist and entrepreneur depend on the market structure. Moreover, different market structures involve different optimal forms of transferring utility: sometimes it isoptimal to transfer utility via equity stakes, sometimes it is optimal to use debt. Transferring utility via equity stakes affects incentives. Consequently, the net value created, the success probability, the market (or IPO) value, and the performance of venture-capital backed investments all depend on the supply and demand for capital. Similarly, venture capitalists face different incentives to screen projects ex ante if the capital supply is lowor high. We then endogenize the capital supply and study the relation between venture capital contracts and entry costs, public policy, investment profitability, and markettransparency. Finally, we show that entry by inexperienced investors creates a negative externality for the value creation in ventures financed by (regular) venture capitalists.

Suggested Citation

Inderst, Roman and Mueller, Holger M., Venture Capital Contracts and Market Structure (January 2002). NYU Working Paper No. S-CG-02-02, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1295754

Roman Inderst (Contact Author)

Goethe University Frankfurt ( email )

Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen 60629
Germany
+49 (69) 798-34601 (Phone)
+49 (69) 798-35000 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.wiwi.uni-frankfurt.de/en/departments/finance/lehrstuhl/prof-dr-roman-inderst/team

Holger M. Mueller

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance ( email )

44 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10012-1126
United States
212-998-0341 (Phone)
212-995-4233 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~hmueller/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
93
Abstract Views
842
Rank
202,258
PlumX Metrics