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Kill Zone

Author

Listed:
  • Sai Krishna Kamepalli

    (University of Chicago - Booth School of Business)

  • Raghuram G. Rajan

    (University of Chicago - Booth School of Business and International Monetary Fund (IMF))

  • Luigi Zingales

    (University of Chicago - Booth School of Business)

Abstract

We study why high-priced acquisitions of entrants by an incumbent do not necessarily stimulate more innovation and entry in an industry (like that of digital platforms) where customers face switching costs and enjoy network externalities. The prospect of an acquisition by the incumbent platform undermines early adoption by customers, reducing prospective payoffs to new entrants. This creates a “kill zone†in the space of startups, as described by venture capitalists, where new ventures are not worth funding. Evidence from changes in investment in startups by venture capitalists after major acquisitions by Facebook and Google suggests this is more than a mere theoretical possibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Sai Krishna Kamepalli & Raghuram G. Rajan & Luigi Zingales, 2020. "Kill Zone," Working Papers 2020-19, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bfi:wpaper:2020-19
    as

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    File URL: https://repec.bfi.uchicago.edu/RePEc/pdfs/BFI_WP_202019.pdf
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    Other versions of this item:

    • Zingales, Luigi & Kamepalli, Sai Krishna & Rajan, Raghuram, 2020. "Kill Zone," CEPR Discussion Papers 14709, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Kamepalli, Sai Krishna & Rajan, Raghuram G. & Zingales, Luigi, 2020. "Kill Zone," Working Papers 294, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    • Sai Krishna Kamepalli & Raghuram Rajan & Luigi Zingales, 2020. "Kill Zone," NBER Working Papers 27146, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    References listed on IDEAS

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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Gilbert, Richard J. & Katz, Michael L., 2022. "Dynamic merger policy and pre-merger product choice by an entrant," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Katz, Michael L., 2021. "Big Tech mergers: Innovation, competition for the market, and the acquisition of emerging competitors," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    3. Kaplow, Louis, 2021. "Horizontal merger analysis," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Zhijun Chen & Chongwoo Choe & Jiajia Cong & Noriaki Matsushima, 2022. "Data‐driven mergers and personalization," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 53(1), pages 3-31, March.
    5. Tristan Auvray & Cédric Durand & Joel Rabinovich & Cecilia Rikap, 2021. "Corporate financialization’s conservation and transformation: from Mark I to Mark II," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 431-457, December.
    6. Steffen, Nico & Wiewiorra, Lukas & Kroon, Peter, 2021. "Wettbewerb und Regulierung in der Plattform- und Datenökonomie," WIK Discussion Papers 481, WIK Wissenschaftliches Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommunikationsdienste GmbH.
    7. Geoffrey Parker & Georgios Petropoulos & Marshall Van Alstyne, 2021. "Platform mergers and antitrust [Ex-post assessment of merger control decisions in digital markets]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 30(5), pages 1307-1336.
    8. Gao, Tingfan & Wang, Shixun & Chen, Baizhu & Yang, Lihong, 2024. "The impact of big tech corporate venture capital investments on innovation: Evidence from the equity investment market," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Bauer, Johannes M. & Prado, Tiago S., 2020. "Lessons from Innovation Economics for Digital Platform Policy," ITS Conference, Online Event 2020 224846, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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