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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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April 2011
(Revised June 2011)
Internet Securities, Inc.: Path to Sustainability
by
Lynda M. Applegate, William R. Kerr and Ryan Johnson
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Abstract
Founded in 1994 when the Internet was still a "toy for techies," the case is set in 1998 when Internet IPOs were red-hot. Internet Securities provides hard-to-find financial, business, economic, and political information on emerging markets. Information from over 600 information suppliers in more than 25 emerging markets (e.g., China, Russia, Poland, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Turkey) is provided to over 650 institutional clients, including J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, KPMG, and ING Barings. After ruling out seeking another round of VC financing, the cash-strapped founder of this Internet information service provider must decide whether to IPO or accept an offer to be acquired by Euromoney, a global publishing and information content provider that is eager to launch an Internet information service. The case contains a term sheet that can be reviewed to support analysis and decision making.
Keywords: Acquisition;
Business Model;
Business Startups;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Venture Capital;
Cash Flow;
Initial Public Offering;
Data and Data Sets;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Valuation;
