This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Translations*

Entrepreneurial Finance

As taught in: Spring 2002

Graph sharply increases as it approaches the year 2000, topping 100 billion dollars.

Graph showing the unprecedented flow of funds into start-up companies. (Graph by Prof. Antoinette Schoar. Data courtesy of Venture Economics.)

Instructors:

Prof. David Scharfstein

Prof. Antoinette Schoar

MIT Course Number:

15.431

Level:

Graduate

Course Features

Course Highlights

Because entrepreneurial finance is such a new area of academic inquiry, there are no textbooks from which to distill all the information. That makes the lecture notes and case study questions available for this course even more valuable tools to help learn this subject.

Course Description

This class examines the elements of entrepreneurial finance, focusing on technology-based start-up ventures, and the early stages of company development. It addresses key questions which challenge all entrepreneurs: how much money can and should be raised; when should it be raised and from whom; what is a reasonable valuation of the company; and how funding should be structured. The subject aims to prepare students for these decisions, both as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.


*Some translations represent previous versions of courses.