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Is a VC Partnership Greater than the Sum of its Partners?

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  • Michael Ewens
  • Matthew Rhodes-Kropf

Abstract

This paper investigates whether individual venture capitalists have repeatable investment skill and to what extent their skill is impacted by the VC firm where they work. We examine a unique dataset that tracks the performance of individual venture capitalists' investments across time and as they move between firms. We find evidence of skill and exit style differences even among venture partners investing at the same VC firm at the same time. Furthermore, our estimates suggest the partner's human capital is two to five times more important than the VC firm's organizational capital in explaining performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Ewens & Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, 2013. "Is a VC Partnership Greater than the Sum of its Partners?," NBER Working Papers 19120, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:19120
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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