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Is equity crowdfunding always good? Deal structure and the attraction of venture capital investors

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  • Butticè, Vincenzo
  • Di Pietro, Francesca
  • Tenca, Francesca

Abstract

This paper provides evidence that equity crowdfunding has implications for firms long after the capital raised through the campaign is injected. Using a unique dataset of 290 firms that successfully fundraised via the two most prominent UK equity crowdfunding portals, we examine how different shareholder structures, namely the nominee vs. the direct shareholder structure, affect the attraction of venture capital financing. From the comparison with a control group of twin firms that did not receive any external seed financing, we find that a successful equity crowdfunding campaign facilitates the attraction of VC financing. This association is stronger for equity crowdfunding campaigns with a nominee shareholder structure, while it results weaker when the direct shareholder structure is chosen. Compared to a different control sample of angel-backed firms, receiving equity crowdfunding through a nominee structure facilitates the attraction of VC financing.

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  • Butticè, Vincenzo & Di Pietro, Francesca & Tenca, Francesca, 2020. "Is equity crowdfunding always good? Deal structure and the attraction of venture capital investors," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:65:y:2020:i:c:s0929119920302170
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2020.101773
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    4. Camilla Civardi & Andrea Moro & Joakim Winborg, 2024. "“All that glitters is not gold!”: The (Unexplored) Determinants of Equity Crowdfunding," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 299-324, June.
    5. Chun-Yueh Lin & Yi-Hsien Wang, 2021. "Evaluating the Optimal External Equity Financing Strategy and Critical Factors for the Startup of Lending Company in Taiwan: An Application of Expert Network Decision Model," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(18), pages 1-15, September.
    6. Silvio Vismara, 2022. "Expanding corporate finance perspectives to equity crowdfunding," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1629-1639, December.
    7. Francesca Pietro, 2021. "The rationale for listing on equity crowdfunding: actual and expected benefits for companies," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(4), pages 527-549, December.
    8. Maarten Cerpentier & Tom Vanacker & Ine Paeleman & Katja Bringmann, 2022. "Equity crowdfunding, market timing, and firm capital structure," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1766-1793, December.
    9. Vincenzo Butticè & Francesca Pietro & Francesca Tenca, 2022. "They do not look alike: what kind of private investors do equity crowdfunded firms attract?," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1707-1736, December.
    10. Coakley, Jerry & Cumming, Douglas J. & Lazos, Aristogenis & Vismara, Silvio, 2021. "Enfranchising the crowd: Nominee account equity crowdfunding," CFS Working Paper Series 664, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    11. Laffey, Des & Durkin, Mark & Cummins, Darryl & Gandy, Anthony, 2021. "A shift in power? Value co-creation through successful crowdfunding," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    12. Alice Rossi & Tom Vanacker & Silvio Vismara, 2023. "Unsuccessful Equity Crowdfunding Offerings and the Persistence in Equity Fundraising of Family Business Start-Ups," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1327-1355, July.
    13. KURIHARA Koki & HONJO Yuji, 2022. "Determinants of Campaign Success: Empirical evidence from equity crowdfunding in Japan," Discussion papers 22057, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Equity crowdfunding; Post-campaign performance; Venture capital; Shareholder structure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups

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