This publication-based dissertation concerns the syndication and value creation activities of heterogenous corporate venture capital funds over six chapters. The first chapter serves as an introduction to venture capital heterogeneity and syndication and provides an overview of the four research papers included in the dissertation. The second chapter is a systematic literature review of recent research on heterogeneous venture capital syndication. Therein the underlying motivation, dynamics and results of fund- and affiliation-heterogenous syndicates are clearly identified, integrated and promising avenues for further research are specified. The third chapter is a research paper on the value creation activities of investment syndicates among independent and corporate venture capital funds. Building on a cross-industry sample of 35 interviews this inductive study identifies the determinants of value creation, integrating them in a matrix comprising shareholder relationships, corporate setup, venture lifecycle and deal terms. Chapter four is a research paper that empirically observes how corporate venture capital units leverage the resources of their incumbent parents to generate value for their portfolio firms. Based on case studies of 11 corporate venture capital units the paper reveals the mechanism behind corporate venture capital value creation holistically and identifies eight design elements that result in a typology of four distinctive archetypes. The last research paper is chapter five and concerns the distinct impact structurally heterogeneous corporate venture capital funds have on portfolio firms operating efficiency. Employing the longitudinal, European Union sponsored VICO dataset the paper finds differences in CVC structure, autonomy and objectives to have implications on firm efficiency. The present dissertation is concluded in the sixth chapter, highlighting contributions, limitations and promising avenues for further research.

The venture capital (VC) landscape is a crucial driver of economic growth and innovation, comprising a diverse range of capital investors. This dissertation highlights the heterogeneity, performance, and massive and rapid scaling efforts in this sector, focusing on the two dominant actors: Independent Venture Capital (IVC) and Corporate Venture Capital (CVC). The first study examines the contrasting lifespans of CVCs and IVCs, highlighting the early termination patterns of CVCs. The second study delves into the diverse nature of CVCs and analyzes their influence on the efficiency of portfolio firms. The third study probes the hypercompetitive environment in the VC landscape. It examines its implications and funds' strategies to provide quality signals to investors and startups in a hypercompetitive market. The fourth study looks deeper at the beneficiaries of VC funding: digital startups. Specifically, it delves into massive and rapid business scaling dynamics, shedding light on the key drivers behind this growth trajectory and its tensions. In sum, this dissertation advances the prevailing knowledge on venture capital and digital entrepreneurship, offering a deeper exploration of the heterogeneity of the VC landscape with a spotlight on CVCs. Additionally, it provides frontier research into hypercompetition and the underlying dynamics of massive and rapid business scaling.

Firms‘ resource base is one of the determinants of their capacity to innovate. When firms’ internal base of financial, intangible or technical resources is not sufficient to realize innovation projects, resources provided by other stakeholders can mitigate innovation constraints. This cumulative dissertation intends to shed light on innovation-related collaborations and interactions of three specific kinds of actors. The first article investigates the role innovation plays for investors when screening and evaluating potential investment targets and explains to which extent the investors’ behavior re-orients towards the implementation of innovation-pushing measures once being invested. Also, the second article refers to the interaction between investors and innovative firms: Subsequent to a derivation of an industry-specific business model pattern, the second article analyzes whether and how financing of new and innovative digital health ventures differ between Europe and USA. Adopting a single case study approach, the third article focuses on the interaction between corporate accelerators and innovative firms and identifies shortcomings of Telefonica’s corporate accelerator Wayra.:1 Introduction 2 Theoretical background of dissertation 3 Purpose and focus of dissertation 4 Overview and summaries of dissertation articles 5 First article: The Role of Innovation in Venture Capital and Private Equity Investments in Different Investment Phases 6 Second article: Venture Capital in the Digital Health Industry: Analyzing and Comparing Funding Environment and Business Models of Digital Health Start-ups in USA and Europe 7 Third article: Start-ups in a Corporate Accelerator: What is Satisfying, What is Relevant and What can Corporates Improve? 8 Contribution of dissertation 9 Limitations of dissertation 10 Future Research 11 References