Liquidity Risk and Venture Capital Finance

Financial Management, Vol. 34, No. 4, Winter 2005

30 Pages Posted: 10 Nov 2005

See all articles by Grant Fleming

Grant Fleming

Continuity Capital Partners

Armin Schwienbacher

SKEMA Business School

Douglas J. Cumming

Florida Atlantic University; Birmingham Business School; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

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Abstract

This paper provides theory and evidence in support of the proposition that venture capitalists adjust their investment decisions according to liquidity conditions on IPO exit markets. We refer to technological risk as a choice variable in terms of the characteristics of the entrepreneurial firm in which the venture capitalist invests, and liquidity risk as the current and expected future external exit market conditions. We show that in times of expected illiquidity of exit markets (high liquidity risk), venture capitalists invest proportionately more in new high-tech and early-stage projects (high technology risk) in order to postpone exit requirements. When exit markets are liquid, venture capitalists rush to exit by investing more in later-stage projects. We further provide complementary evidence that shows conditions of low liquidity risk give rise to less syndication. Our theory and supporting empirical results facilitate a unifying theme that links related research on illiquidity in private equity.

Keywords: Private Equity, Venture Capital, Liquidity Risk

JEL Classification: G24, G28, G31, G32, G35

Suggested Citation

Fleming, Grant Alan and Schwienbacher, Armin and Cumming, Douglas J., Liquidity Risk and Venture Capital Finance. Financial Management, Vol. 34, No. 4, Winter 2005, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=840810

Grant Alan Fleming

Continuity Capital Partners ( email )

GPO Box 314
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Armin Schwienbacher (Contact Author)

SKEMA Business School ( email )

Avenue Willy Brandt
Euralille, 59777
France

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/view/armin-schwienbacher

Douglas J. Cumming

Florida Atlantic University ( email )

777 Glades Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33431
United States

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/view/douglascumming/bio?authuser=0

Birmingham Business School ( email )

Edgbaston Park Road
Birmingham, B15 2TY
United Kingdom

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

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

HOME PAGE: http://https://ecgi.global/users/douglas-cumming

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