Review Essay: Regional Venture Capital Policy: UK and Germany Compared1

The government has become an important ‘player’ in the provision of early-stage, venture capital finance to nascent and growing businesses. Public funds have been invested by government agencies both directly to client firms and indirectly via investment in the funds of existing venture capital organisations. With the demise of technology stocks post 2000, governments have felt the need to become more involved in the provision of early-stage finance as private investors have increasingly withdrawn from equity markets that have produced unattractive longer-term returns to technology investments. Europe is in the forefront of designing programmes by which the state may intervene to address allegedly supply-side failures in the market for risk capital. Martin et al. (2003) analyse the regional Venture Capital policies of the UK and Germany reviewing the interactions between central governments and regional authorities. They conclude that there are significant regional venture capital gaps in both countries particularly at the earliest stages of investment. In this review, the major findings of their scientific study, key policy implications and future research implications are discussed.