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  • March 2023 (Revised September 2023)
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Wilshire Lane Capital

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Lindsay N. Hyde and Stacy Straaberg
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:14
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Abstract

In September 2021, Adam Demuyakor (MBA 2017) was faced with decisions about how to launch his venture capital (VC) investment firm. His previous investment activities were a series of angel investments and special purpose vehicles alongside two part-time general partners (GPs). After hearing investor feedback that the firm was not institutional enough, Demuyakor created a successor firm on his own, Wilshire Lane Capital (WLC), and sold a GP stake to private equity firm Nile Capital to help with operational expenses, infrastructure support, and fundraising. Under WLC, Demuyakor sought to raise a $75 million fund mainly focused on Series A PropTech deals. However, he received conflicting advice on three strategic decision vectors—fund size, stage of deals, and subsector area of focus. Some potential investors were also concerned about Demuyakor running the fund as a solo GP instead of with a full-time partner. While the characteristics of the new fund were based on Demuyakor’s background, preferences, and goals, he knew he had to align his strategy with the approach that would earn the confidence of investors. Thus, he had some decisions to make.

Keywords

Ownership Stake; Investment Funds; Venture Capital; Business and Shareholder Relations; Real Estate Industry; Technology Industry; Los Angeles; California; United States

Citation

Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Lindsay N. Hyde, and Stacy Straaberg. "Wilshire Lane Capital." Harvard Business School Case 823-062, March 2023. (Revised September 2023.)
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About The Authors

Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Entrepreneurial Management
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Lindsay N. Hyde

Entrepreneurial Management
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Related Work

    • March 2023 (Revised September 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    Wilshire Lane Capital

    By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Lindsay N. Hyde and Stacy Straaberg
Related Work
  • Wilshire Lane Capital By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Lindsay N. Hyde and Stacy Straaberg
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