This course uses the case method to study entrepreneurial finance and private equity, including angel and venture capital, growth equity, and buyouts. The course is motivated by growth in private capital markets and in the perceived importance of high growth entrepreneurial projects.
The primary goal of the course is to familiarize students with the financial and organizational challenges typical of start-up and growing private companies and to provide an understanding of the concepts and institutions involved in private capital markets. To do this, the course is broad and comprehensive. The course will appeal to students who want to start and manage their own business, who want to work in a start-up, or who want to work in a venture capital or private equity
organization.
The course primarily considers the financial economics of entrepreneurial settings, but discussions will also integrate issues from micro and macroeconomics, strategy, organization, and control. We explore the questions raised from many perspectives, often contrasting the positions of entrepreneurs, issuers, and targets with those of managing and limited partners. Issues covered include deal structure, incentive design, valuation of high risk projects, financial management in rapidly growing firms, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and capital restructuring. Among capital suppliers we consider informal risk capital, commercial banks, angel investors, venture capital firms, and investment banks.