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Patents and the Success of Venture‐Capital Backed Startups: Using Examiner Assignment to Estimate Causal Effects

Author

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  • Patrick Gaulé

Abstract

I study whether patent protection has a causal effect on entrepreneurial firm outcomes using a measure of patent examiner leniency as an instrument for getting patents. The analysis is based on sample of 1,950 U.S. startups applying for patent protection in the two years following their first round of venture capital funding. I find a positive and large effect of patents on firm success but only for life science firms and more important inventions. I interpret these results as reflecting the importance of patents in appropriating returns to invention in the life science industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Gaulé, 2018. "Patents and the Success of Venture‐Capital Backed Startups: Using Examiner Assignment to Estimate Causal Effects," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(2), pages 350-376, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jindec:v:66:y:2018:i:2:p:350-376
    DOI: 10.1111/joie.12168
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    Cited by:

    1. Freilich, Janet & Shahshahani, Sepehr, 2023. "Measuring follow-on innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(9).
    2. Kong, Nancy & Dulleck, Uwe & Jaffe, Adam B. & Sun, Shupeng & Vajjala, Sowmya, 2023. "Linguistic metrics for patent disclosure: Evidence from university versus corporate patents," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).
    3. Nagler, Markus & Sorg, Stefan, 2020. "The disciplinary effect of post-grant review – Causal evidence from European patent opposition," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    4. Eric Chyn & Brigham Frandsen & Emily Leslie, 2025. "Examiner and Judge Designs in Economics: A Practitioner's Guide," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 63(2), pages 401-439, June.
    5. Nagler, Markus & Sorg, Stefan, 2019. "The Disciplinary Effect of Post-Grant Review," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 155, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    6. Righi, Cesare & Cannito, Davide & Vladasel, Theodor, 2023. "Continuing patent applications at the USPTO," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(4).
    7. Bi, Ruigang & Kou, Zonglai & Lou, Pingyi & Song, Hong, 2024. "Stock liquidity and the signaling value of patents: Evidence from china's national equities exchange and quotations market," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(4), pages 871-896.
    8. repec:zib:zbjtwe:v:1:y:2023:i:1:p:18-25 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Rajaiya, Harshit, 2023. "Innovation Success and Capital Structure," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. Joan Farre‐Mensa & Deepak Hegde & Alexander Ljungqvist, 2020. "What Is a Patent Worth? Evidence from the U.S. Patent “Lottery”," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(2), pages 639-682, April.
    11. Michael J. Andrews, 2021. "Historical patent data: A practitioner's guide," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 368-397, May.
    12. Donald E. Bowen & Laurent Frésard & Gerard Hoberg, 2023. "Rapidly Evolving Technologies and Startup Exits," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(2), pages 940-967, February.
    13. Heidi L. Williams, 2017. "How Do Patents Affect Research Investments?," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 441-469, September.
    14. Daniel Alonso-Martínez & Nuria González-Álvarez & Mariano Nieto, 2021. "Does international patent collaboration have an effect on entrepreneurship?," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 539-559, December.
    15. Nikhil Ramkrishna Bandodkar & Renu Singh, 2022. "Small and Startup IT Firms, Information Chasms, and the Market for Acquisitions," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-21, September.
    16. Righi, Cesare & Simcoe, Timothy, 2019. "Patent examiner specialization," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 137-148.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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