Measuring the Spillovers of Venture Capital

Schnitzer, Monika; Watzinger, Martin (2017): Measuring the Spillovers of Venture Capital. Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190, Discussion Paper No. 46

Abstract

We provide the first measurement of knowledge spillovers from venture capital-financed companies onto the patenting activities of other companies. On average, these spillovers are nine times larger than those generated by the R&D investment of established companies. Spillover effects are larger in complex product industries than in discrete product industries. Start-ups with experienced inventors holding a patent at the time of receiving the first round of investment produce the largest spillovers, indicating that venture capital fosters the commercialization of technologies. Methodologically, we contribute by developing a novel definition of the spillover pool, combining citation-based and technological proximity-based approaches.

• Item Type: Paper (Discussion Paper)
• Keywords: venture capital, spillovers, innovation
• Faculties: Economics > Collaborative Research Center Transregio "Rationality and Competition"
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
• JEL Classification: G24, O30, O31, O32
• Language: English