Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • 2003
  • Chapter
  • Innovation Policy and the Economy, Volume 3

Short-Term America Revisited? Boom and Bust in the Venture Capital Industry and the Impact on Innovation

By: Josh Lerner and Paul A. Gompers
  • Format:Print
ShareBar

Abstract

This chapter seeks to understand the implications of the recent decline in venture activity for innovation. It argues that the situation may not be as grim as it initially appears. While there are many reasons for believing that on average venture capital has a powerful effect on innovation, the effect is far from uniform. During boom periods, the prevalence of over funding of particular sectors can lead to a sharp decline in the effectiveness of venture funds. While prolonged downturns may eventually lead to good companies going unfounded, many of the dire predictions today seem overstated.

Keywords

Venture Capital; Innovation and Invention; Business Cycles; Financial Services Industry; United States

Citation

Lerner, Josh, and Paul A. Gompers. "Short-Term America Revisited? Boom and Bust in the Venture Capital Industry and the Impact on Innovation." In Innovation Policy and the Economy, Volume 3, edited by Adam B. Jaffe, Josh Lerner, and Scott Stern, 1–28. MIT Press, 2003.
  • Find it at Harvard
  • Read Now

About The Authors

Josh Lerner

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

Paul A. Gompers

Finance
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • 2023
    • Faculty Research

    The Market for CEOs: Evidence from Private Equity

    By: Paul A. Gompers, Steven N. Kaplan and Vladimir Mukharlyamov
    • 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Financial Acquisitions

    By: Josh Lerner, Amit Seru and Jennifer Zou
    • 2022
    • Faculty Research

    The Globalization of Silicon Valley: The Dynamics of Start-Up Diffusion

    By: Josh Lerner, Jacob Moscona and David Yang
More from the Authors
  • The Market for CEOs: Evidence from Private Equity By: Paul A. Gompers, Steven N. Kaplan and Vladimir Mukharlyamov
  • Financial Acquisitions By: Josh Lerner, Amit Seru and Jennifer Zou
  • The Globalization of Silicon Valley: The Dynamics of Start-Up Diffusion By: Josh Lerner, Jacob Moscona and David Yang
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College