Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity

Publication Date

4-1-2023

Abstract

Do outside funds and increased access to capital have an effect on the market valuation of technology startup firms? Should entrepreneurs prioritize outside funding to increase the values of their firms? This research seeks to answer these important questions. Given the current lack of empirical-based assessment on this topic, a causal impact analysis was conducted to draw conclusions regarding the effect of different investment types and funding amounts on market valuation. Using the Crunchbase data platform, we conducted a study of 7,481 early-stage technology startups in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2000 to August 2022. To ensure an accurate and reliable evaluation of the impact of funding on market valuation in technology startups, we employed the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and various causal inference methods such as Shapley values analysis, Average Treatment Effect (ATE), and Conditional Average Treatment Effect (CATE). The findings suggest that there is a U-shaped relationship between the amount of capital raised and post-money valuation, indicating that while capital funding has an overall positive effect on market valuation, raising too much capital has a negative impact. Furthermore, we found evidence that private equity, Series B, and Series C rounds generate significant market valuation for early-stage technology companies. These results extend the current literature by highlighting the positive impact of capital funding and financing on market valuation. Policymakers can use these empirical results to make informed decisions about promoting higher investments into early-stage technology firms through venture capital financing from both the government and private sectors.

ISSN

2199-8531

Publisher

Elsevier BV

First Page

100028

Last Page

100028

Disciplines

Business

Keywords

Investment funds, capital funding, capital financing, post-money valuation, market valuation, impact study, UAE

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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Business Commons

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