O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é estudar o crowdfunding de recompensas como uma alternativa de financiamento às Empresas de Base Tecnologica (EBTs) no Brasil. Na primeira parte, realiza-se uma pesquisa descritiva-exploratória por meio de dados secundários que buscam desenhar o panorama atual da utilização do crowdfunding como opção de capital empreendedor. Na segunda parte, é conduzido um estudo de múltiplos casos com cinco EBTs para identificar as razões que levaram seus empreendedores a optarem pelo crowdfunding de recompensas como modelo de financiamento e as condições por eles consideradas determinantes para o sucesso de campanha. Os resultados da revelam um cenário com poucas campanhas vitoriosas no País e uma distribuição bastante heterogênia no que tange meta financeira, capital levantado e quantidade de apoiadores. São encontrados também indícios de que as EBTs escolhem o crowdfunding de recompensas como modelo de financiamento porque são empresas em estágio inicial de desenvolvimento, porque buscam recursos para financiar projetos específicos e por motivações que não envolvem diretamente a obtenção dos recursos. Sobre as condições consideradas determinantes para o sucesso das campanhas, houve relativo concenso em torno de determinadas características, como a importância de uma boa divulgação / The main goal of this research is to study reward-based crowdfunding as a financing alternative for Technology-based companies (TBC) in Brazil. In the first part, a descriptive exploratory research through secondary data is made, which tends to outline the actual panorama of crowdfunding use as an option of venture capital. In the second part, a multiple case study with five TBCs is performed to identify the reasons that led their entrepreneurs to choose reward-based crowdfunding as a financing model and the conditions considered essential for the success of the campaign. The results show a scenario with few successful campaigns in the country and a mostly heterogeneous distribution in which concerns financial goal, raised capital and amount of supporters. Evidences are found that the TBCs choose reward-based crowdfunding as a financing model because they are companies in the starting stage of development, because they look for resources to finance specific projects and for motivations which don\'t directly concern the obtaining of resources. About the determinant considered conditions for the success of the campaigns, there was relative agreement on certain characteristics, such as the importance of a good publicity

<p>Background: Growth oriented entrepreneurial businesses need funding for the development of their idea, technology, product etc. However, for the businesses in the very earliest stages of development, access to funding is very limited. Growing young ventures are important job creators and positively affect growth in an economy. Bridging the gap of funding to these companies is therefore on the agenda of governments around the world. </p><p>Purpose: To describe the situation facing seed stage investing venture capitalists. I will emphasize difficulties and evaluate venture capitalists ability in addressing them. Effects of the difficulties in form of access to financing for entrepreneurs and a possible need for government intervention will be examined. </p><p>Method: Empirical information from seed stage investing venture capital organizations have been collected in the form of face-to-face interviews, email- questionnaires and a telephone interview. Organizations from Sweden, Denmark and Germany are included in the study. </p><p>Result: Several factors make seed stage investing unattractive compared to later stages. Important difficulties are higher risks, high costs for fund management, goal incongruence in the investor – venture capitalist relation and lack of bargaining power for seed venture capitalists. Environmental factorsthat have an impact on seed investing are the deal flow, the investment climate and access to soft funding. Seed stage investing is a very challenging business and the difficulties are to a large extent hard to overcome. The investors more likely have to accept them and I conclude that long term profitability of seed funds is unlikely, at least in absence of government support in form of soft funding towards the entrepreneurial businesses.</p>

Background: Growth oriented entrepreneurial businesses need funding for the development of their idea, technology, product etc. However, for the businesses in the very earliest stages of development, access to funding is very limited. Growing young ventures are important job creators and positively affect growth in an economy. Bridging the gap of funding to these companies is therefore on the agenda of governments around the world. Purpose: To describe the situation facing seed stage investing venture capitalists. I will emphasize difficulties and evaluate venture capitalists ability in addressing them. Effects of the difficulties in form of access to financing for entrepreneurs and a possible need for government intervention will be examined. Method: Empirical information from seed stage investing venture capital organizations have been collected in the form of face-to-face interviews, email- questionnaires and a telephone interview. Organizations from Sweden, Denmark and Germany are included in the study. Result: Several factors make seed stage investing unattractive compared to later stages. Important difficulties are higher risks, high costs for fund management, goal incongruence in the investor – venture capitalist relation and lack of bargaining power for seed venture capitalists. Environmental factorsthat have an impact on seed investing are the deal flow, the investment climate and access to soft funding. Seed stage investing is a very challenging business and the difficulties are to a large extent hard to overcome. The investors more likely have to accept them and I conclude that long term profitability of seed funds is unlikely, at least in absence of government support in form of soft funding towards the entrepreneurial businesses.

O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é estudar o crowdfunding de recompensas como uma alternativa de financiamento às Empresas de Base Tecnologica (EBTs) no Brasil. Na primeira parte, realiza-se uma pesquisa descritiva-exploratória por meio de dados secundários que buscam desenhar o panorama atual da utilização do crowdfunding como opção de capital empreendedor. Na segunda parte, é conduzido um estudo de múltiplos casos com cinco EBTs para identificar as razões que levaram seus empreendedores a optarem pelo crowdfunding de recompensas como modelo de financiamento e as condições por eles consideradas determinantes para o sucesso de campanha. Os resultados da revelam um cenário com poucas campanhas vitoriosas no País e uma distribuição bastante heterogênia no que tange meta financeira, capital levantado e quantidade de apoiadores. São encontrados também indícios de que as EBTs escolhem o crowdfunding de recompensas como modelo de financiamento porque são empresas em estágio inicial de desenvolvimento, porque buscam recursos para financiar projetos específicos e por motivações que não envolvem diretamente a obtenção dos recursos. Sobre as condições consideradas determinantes para o sucesso das campanhas, houve relativo concenso em torno de determinadas características, como a importância de uma boa divulgação / The main goal of this research is to study reward-based crowdfunding as a financing alternative for Technology-based companies (TBC) in Brazil. In the first part, a descriptive exploratory research through secondary data is made, which tends to outline the actual panorama of crowdfunding use as an option of venture capital. In the second part, a multiple case study with five TBCs is performed to identify the reasons that led their entrepreneurs to choose reward-based crowdfunding as a financing model and the conditions considered essential for the success of the campaign. The results show a scenario with few successful campaigns in the country and a mostly heterogeneous distribution in which concerns financial goal, raised capital and amount of supporters. Evidences are found that the TBCs choose reward-based crowdfunding as a financing model because they are companies in the starting stage of development, because they look for resources to finance specific projects and for motivations which don\'t directly concern the obtaining of resources. About the determinant considered conditions for the success of the campaigns, there was relative agreement on certain characteristics, such as the importance of a good publicity