Governments in both advanced and emerging markets invest heavily into joint R&D projects to facilitate inter-firm collaboration and scientific productivity. As a science-based cluster, nanotechnology is a highly R&D-intensive field with very complex interdisciplinary features that enables multiple interactions between scientists from diverse cultural backgrounds working for multi-faceted organizations across public and private sectors and through internationally regulated borders. In this thesis, I examine the main determinants of the dimensions of inter-firm collaboration in high-tech industries particularly among nanotechnology R&D organisations across Europe. Also, I investigate the key factors that influence the innovation, financial and exit performance of nanotech companies during the commercialisation period and across 15 developed and developing countries, taking into consideration the involvement of venture capital (VC) firms. In order to methodically integrate the qualitative and quantitative features of my research study, I employed mixed method to analyse primary and secondary data collected via survey instruments and comprehensive databases; to gain valuable insights into the complexities around nanotech R&D organisations. The regression results show that a predictable legal system; a high level of tolerance for uncertainty; the proximity to key partners; a high level of export demand for high-tech products; and expansionary economic policies, leads to highly valuable and long-term relationships which produces optimal partnership size with an effective organizational structure. I find that a high financial status of nanotech firms equips R&D project managers with sufficient tangible and intangible resources to engage into complex collaborative partnerships which yield innovative performing outcomes. Also, I find that nanotech R&D firms that exit venture capital investments via IPO are more likely to have their head offices in a big city; and access foreign capital to expand manufacturing operations. I conclude that the successful commercialisation of nanotechnology industries across the globe has been due to the substantial R&D public expenditures and private investments into the application and proliferation of nanotechnologies in key converging scientific fields which require robust inter-firm collaborative partnerships to rapidly develop and promote several portfolios of high-tech products that continually satisfy consumer needs in disruptive ways and secure long-term profitability for nanotech R&D organisations.

<p>Vi vill undersöka huruvida det finns ett samband mellan riskkapitalföretagets ägarstruktur och deras val av exit genom en positivistisk studie med en deduktiv ansats. Målet är att öppna vägen för mer djupgående forskning kring exits i Sverige genom att undersöka ett antal potentiella samband. Riskkapitalisterna delas upp i tre grupper baserat på deras ägarstruktur: privata, koncernbundna samt offentliga riskkapitalister.</p><p>Utifrån befintlig teori på området har vi utformat nio hypoteser som kan delas in i fyra grupper. Den första gruppen testar huruvida sambandet mellan ägarstruktur och val av exit existerar, den andra gruppen testar sambandet mellan portföljbolagets bransch och val av exit, nästa grupp testar huruvida det finns ett samband mellan investeringslängden och val av exit respektive ägarstruktur och slutligen testar vi om det finns ett samband mellan portföljbolagets potential och deras val av exit.</p><p>För att samla in nödvändig data för att testa dessa hypoteser utgick vi ifrån Förvärv och Fusioners data över alla exits i Sverige från 2003 till och med första halvåret 2006. Databasen fick kompletteras med ett antal variabler: omsättningstillväxt, typ av exit, ägarstruktur samt bransch. All databearbetning har skett i Excel och alla statistiska modeller har bearbetats i SPSS. Vår data innehåller 248 exits men eftersom endast tre av dessa var buybacks valde vi att utesluta dessa eftersom det är för lite data för att kunna testas statistiskt. Analysen har utförts med hjälp av korstabeller och ANOVAtabeller.</p><p>Studiens slutsats är att det finns ett samband mellan riskkapitalbolagets ägarstruktur och deras val av exit även om det fanns en avvikelse när det gäller finansiella försäljningar. De portföljbolag som har privata riskkapitalister som investerare hamnar oftare på börsen eller som en industriell försäljning än de som har offentliga riskkapitalister som investerare. Vidare hittade vi stöd för att portföljbolagets branschtillhörighet också har ett samband med valet av exit samt att även portföljbolagets potential har ett samband med valet av exit. Däremot hittar vi inget stöd för att riskkapitalbolagets ägarstruktur har något samband med investeringslängden men vi hittar stöd för att det finns ett samband mellan investeringslängden och valet av exit. Slutligen diskuterar vi vilka studier som skulle behöva göras för att ytterligare utforska mekanismerna bakom exits på den svenska riskkapitalmarknaden.</p>

CleanTech is the sector where technologies intended to reduce the harmful effect that our current lifestyle has on the environment are found. In Sweden the companies developing these technologies has not yet managed to get their deserved part of Swedish venture capital. A number of venture capitalists do invest in CleanTech, however the majority is hesitant. The hesitation is to a large extent said to be born in the many risks associated to a CleanTech investment. This thesis attempts to address this issue by describing and analyzing how venture capitalists reduce risks when investing in a CleanTech company. An abductive approach has been used to conduct the study, mainly based on primary, qualitative data. The data was gathered through six face-to-face interviews with Swedish venture capitalists active within the CleanTech sector. The different risks expected to be found in a CleanTech investment are first presented grouped into three broad risks groups; Agency risk, Business risk and Innovation risk. This is followed by a framework covering methods and tools that can be applied by venture capitalists in an attempt to reduce risks in their investments. These being; Convertible equity, Syndication, Information system, Monitoring, Milestones, Bonding, Share options, Stage financing and Intellectual property rights. The respondents do not view the risks associated to CleanTech as high as generally perceived. They acknowledge that the risks exists but not to any larger extent than in any other investment. When reducing risk in their investment the respondents make use of commonly known and generally used methods and tools. These are not deliberately chosen in order to reduce a specific risk but rather to safeguard the investment as a whole. It is not just the tools in themselves that leads to a successful reduction of risk, but rather when combined with the respondent’s as well as the entrepreneurs skills and experiences.

Vi vill undersöka huruvida det finns ett samband mellan riskkapitalföretagets ägarstruktur och deras val av exit genom en positivistisk studie med en deduktiv ansats. Målet är att öppna vägen för mer djupgående forskning kring exits i Sverige genom att undersöka ett antal potentiella samband. Riskkapitalisterna delas upp i tre grupper baserat på deras ägarstruktur: privata, koncernbundna samt offentliga riskkapitalister. Utifrån befintlig teori på området har vi utformat nio hypoteser som kan delas in i fyra grupper. Den första gruppen testar huruvida sambandet mellan ägarstruktur och val av exit existerar, den andra gruppen testar sambandet mellan portföljbolagets bransch och val av exit, nästa grupp testar huruvida det finns ett samband mellan investeringslängden och val av exit respektive ägarstruktur och slutligen testar vi om det finns ett samband mellan portföljbolagets potential och deras val av exit. För att samla in nödvändig data för att testa dessa hypoteser utgick vi ifrån Förvärv och Fusioners data över alla exits i Sverige från 2003 till och med första halvåret 2006. Databasen fick kompletteras med ett antal variabler: omsättningstillväxt, typ av exit, ägarstruktur samt bransch. All databearbetning har skett i Excel och alla statistiska modeller har bearbetats i SPSS. Vår data innehåller 248 exits men eftersom endast tre av dessa var buybacks valde vi att utesluta dessa eftersom det är för lite data för att kunna testas statistiskt. Analysen har utförts med hjälp av korstabeller och ANOVAtabeller. Studiens slutsats är att det finns ett samband mellan riskkapitalbolagets ägarstruktur och deras val av exit även om det fanns en avvikelse när det gäller finansiella försäljningar. De portföljbolag som har privata riskkapitalister som investerare hamnar oftare på börsen eller som en industriell försäljning än de som har offentliga riskkapitalister som investerare. Vidare hittade vi stöd för att portföljbolagets branschtillhörighet också har ett samband med valet av exit samt att även portföljbolagets potential har ett samband med valet av exit. Däremot hittar vi inget stöd för att riskkapitalbolagets ägarstruktur har något samband med investeringslängden men vi hittar stöd för att det finns ett samband mellan investeringslängden och valet av exit. Slutligen diskuterar vi vilka studier som skulle behöva göras för att ytterligare utforska mekanismerna bakom exits på den svenska riskkapitalmarknaden.

This study investigates variability in the importance of investment decision criteria used by venture capitalists in assessing new technology-based ventures and relates the criteria to the subsequent performance of the investment in the new venture. Variability was measured using interval and ordinal scale approaches for both criteria ratings and rankings. The analyses found that the criteria used by venture capitalists form a general hierarchy that is consistently ranked across ventures. However, there are some criteria that do not form part of this hierarchy and whose importance varies depending on the specific venture being evaluated. The criteria that are consistently considered important by venture capitalists can be thought of as necessary conditions for investment. The hypotheses concerning the relationship between the criteria and subsequent deal performance are that:· deal performance can be assessed by venture capitalists earlier for Internet-related ventures than for other-technology based ventures (H1);· Internet-related ventures have more extreme levels of deal performance (H2);· a small number of criteria will distinguish between successful and unsuccessful deal performance (H3);· criteria that do distinguish have above average variability (H4); and· criteria related to first-mover advantage distinguish between successful and unsuccessful deals (H5). The study was conducted in two parts. The original study (n=100) conducted by Bachher (2000) gathered information about the importance of the investment criteria using a web-based survey. The follow-up study (n=40) gathered information about the success of the investments by surveying the original participants and gathering information from the Internet. Limitations of the study include a nonrandom sample, a small sample size for the follow-up survey and the very small number (n=5) of unsuccessful investments identified. Evidence for hypotheses H1 and H2 was in the predicted direction but failed to achieve statistical significance. The evidence is supportive of H3. Evidence for H4 and H5 was not found. Additional analysis of the results suggests that venture capitalists whose investments were ultimately unsuccessful placed less importance on technology-related criteria than did venture capitalists investing in the other ventures. This finding implies that venture capitalists need to perform detailed assessments of the technology of new ventures.

This study investigates variability in the importance of investment decision criteria used by venture capitalists in assessing new technology-based ventures and relates the criteria to the subsequent performance of the investment in the new venture. Variability was measured using interval and ordinal scale approaches for both criteria ratings and rankings. The analyses found that the criteria used by venture capitalists form a general hierarchy that is consistently ranked across ventures. However, there are some criteria that do not form part of this hierarchy and whose importance varies depending on the specific venture being evaluated. The criteria that are consistently considered important by venture capitalists can be thought of as necessary conditions for investment. The hypotheses concerning the relationship between the criteria and subsequent deal performance are that:· deal performance can be assessed by venture capitalists earlier for Internet-related ventures than for other-technology based ventures (H1);· Internet-related ventures have more extreme levels of deal performance (H2);· a small number of criteria will distinguish between successful and unsuccessful deal performance (H3);· criteria that do distinguish have above average variability (H4); and· criteria related to first-mover advantage distinguish between successful and unsuccessful deals (H5). The study was conducted in two parts. The original study (n=100) conducted by Bachher (2000) gathered information about the importance of the investment criteria using a web-based survey. The follow-up study (n=40) gathered information about the success of the investments by surveying the original participants and gathering information from the Internet. Limitations of the study include a nonrandom sample, a small sample size for the follow-up survey and the very small number (n=5) of unsuccessful investments identified. Evidence for hypotheses H1 and H2 was in the predicted direction but failed to achieve statistical significance. The evidence is supportive of H3. Evidence for H4 and H5 was not found. Additional analysis of the results suggests that venture capitalists whose investments were ultimately unsuccessful placed less importance on technology-related criteria than did venture capitalists investing in the other ventures. This finding implies that venture capitalists need to perform detailed assessments of the technology of new ventures.

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This paper examines the timing of initial public offerings and private placements by venture-backed companies. Using a sample of 187 venture-backed IPOs and private placements in a variety of industries between 1991 and 2000 over TSEC and OTC, we find that these companies go public when equity valuationsare high and employ private placements when values are lower. Seasoned venture capital appears to take firms public when industrial equity valuations are higher than their less experienced counterparts. The results are robust to differential specifications of control variables.

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Current world economy is impacted by the new and the old economy systems primarily due to high-tech software and hardware products that are constantly emerging to the market place. It has brought many innovations and high efficiencies to people¡¦s daily lives, e.g., the food, clothing, housing and transportation, etc. The influence of this evolution is potentially enormous and such evolution inspires people¡¦s confidence in the current Electronic Age. By reviewing the world¡¦s current economy, it appears that winner¡¦s economy system must rely on both the new and the old economy industries positively. In other words, the new economy has to be established on the foundation of stable traditional industries, and the old economy system must be improved and advanced with the help of the new technology. The basic reason is that the necessities of people¡¦s life are mostly supplied by the traditional industries from the old economy. As an island nation under the trend of the world¡¦s economy, Taiwan¡¦s new and old economy systems are required to be balanced in such a way that mutually one benefits the other. Because of this concern, the new government proposed a ¡§Green Silicon-Island Economical Development Project¡¨, and aggressively launched a ¡§Boosting Traditional Industry Plan¡¨ as well. By cultivating the traditional industries, the new economic technology can prosper accordingly. At this opportunistic juncture, Company A formulated a 5-year business plan to venture into a traditional industry: manufacturing of friction materials. The goal is to raise 4 million USD for starting up a production facility to manufacture and market a wide range of friction materials, in an effort to respond to the Government¡¦s call of boosting traditional industries. The main focuses of the proposed business are to build a solid manufacturing foundation on Taiwan, to market the products to the entire world, and to thrive the business to excellence with technology-based operation and management. The variety of friction materials is overwhelming. In terms of material composition, friction materials can be classified into the following four types: semi-metallic, sintered metallic, paper-based, and carbon fiber-based materials. This proposal explores key issues that are essential to the success of the production of all four types of friction materials. These key issues include: industry infrastructure, market size analysis, marketing strategies, operation networking, risk analysis, and core technical strength. Based on the above analysis, a 5-year financial planning is presented. Detailed analysis for the financial objectives on financial feasibility, cash flow, break-even point, and investment interests are also included. ¡K¡K¡K¡K¡K