Abstract
Despite the recent increase in research on informal venture capital there are many aspects of this market for which no information exists. One such issue is exits. This exploratory study is the first to address this issue. It is based on a survey of 38 active business angels in Finland who had made a total of 155 investments; 20 of these investors had made 49 exits. Two aspects are addressed. First, evidence is presented on investment performance and the timing and method of exit. Second, the paper explores differences between those investors with a successful track-record of exits and those with an unsuccessful track-record. Differences are identified in terms of motivations for investing, volume and sources of information on investment opportunities, prior relationship with investee businesses, perception of value-added and employment background. However, conclusions should only be regarded as suggestive in view of the small numbers involved.
JEL Codes
G24, G31
Keywords
Investment , Venture Capital, Informal
Recommended Citation
Lumme, Annareetta; Mason, Colin; and Suomi, Markku
(1996)
"The Returns from Informal Venture Capital Investments: An Exploratory Study,"
Journal of Entrepreneurial and Small Business Finance:
Vol. 5:
Iss.
2, pp. 139-158.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.57229/2373-1761.1187
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/jef/vol5/iss2/4
