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The Review of Corporate Finance Studies Vol. 13 No. 2 2024

Venture Capital Investments, Merger Activity, and Competition Laws around the World

Gordon M. Phillips1; Alexei Zhdanov2

1 Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, USA and NBER · 2 Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University , USA

Abstract

We examine the relation between venture capital (VC) investments, M&A activity, and merger competition laws in 45 countries around the world. We find evidence of a strong positive association between VC investments and lagged M&A activity, consistent with an active M&A market providing viable exit opportunities for VC companies and therefore incentives for venture capitalists to invest. We also explore the effects of country-level merger competition laws and pro-takeover legislation passed internationally on VC activity. We find significant reductions in VC activity in countries with stricter competition laws and find that VC activity intensifies after the enactment of country-level takeover-friendly legislation.

DOI
10.1093/rcfs/cfad025
Volume
13
Issue
2
Pages
303-334
Language
en
Sources
openalex bibtex:phds-export.bib crossref

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