Course 2014-2015 a.y.

Classes: 31 (I sem.)

Instructors:
Class 31: LAURA BOTTAZZI

The aim of the course is to provide students with a deep understanding of the role played by the financial intermediaries, and in particular by Venture Capital (VC), in the creation and financing of new firms. The course has an analytical nature, not an institutional or descriptive one, and covers several topics.

First, we look at raising and sourcing funding for entrepreneurial companies. We start with an introduction to Entrepreneurial Finance and review traditional sources of finance: bank loans, public grants and ‘family, friends and fools’, and then we move to analyze un-intermediated finance, where we focus on (informal) business angels and (formal) corporate venture investors.
Next, we look at financial forecasting and financial management of entrepreneurial firms. We delve deeply into the valuation of entrepreneurial companies, the reasons why financial projections are needed in a business plan and their role for both entrepreneurs and financiers. Then, we move to the analysis of deal structuring.
Finally, we cover deal management. This can be divided into investor involvement and exit.

• J.K. Smith, R.L. Smith, J. Wiley & Sons Inc, Entrepreneurial Finance, 2004, 2nd Edition.
  

• Some topics will be covered by case histories/working papers that will be distributed through the Personal Diary.

In order to successfully attend and complete this course, students are expected to know the basics of:

• descriptive and inferential statistics (mean, standard deviation, correlation, variance-covariance matrices, main statistical distributions, linear multivariate regressions, etc.);
• corporate finance theory and practice (i.e. Capital Asset Pricing Model, IRR, NPV, etc.).