Research & Relevance, Episode 2: New Ways of Financing Early Stage Entrepreneurs

What are the best ways to motivate socially-minded entrepreneurs to persevere in their quest to take on the world’s most pressing challenges? Using the tools of decision analysis and certainty equivalents, Darden professor and Batten Fellow Sam Bodily compared various backer financing mechanisms that encourage founders to launch a startup that has unacceptable risk although positive expected payout. These mechanisms include three traditional models: equity, incentive gifts, and insurance against downside loss. He also looked at two new ideas: swap hedges and revenue contracts, calculating the comparative risk-adjusted attractiveness of each mechanism to the entrepreneur for a similar level of expected cost to the backer. These efficient new ideas eliminate moral hazard and leave ownership in the hands of the entrepreneur. Hosted by Erika Herz of Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. To learn more, read Darden Ideas to Action.