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How Resilient is Venture-Backed Innovation? Evidence from Four Decades of U.S. Patenting

Author

Listed:
  • Sabrina T. Howell
  • Josh Lerner
  • Ramana Nanda
  • Richard R. Townsend

Abstract

By comparing patenting among VC-backed firms to the universe of U.S. patents over the period 1976-2019, we document that while patents led by VC-backed firms are of significantly higher quality and economic importance than the average patent, VC-backed innovation is substantially more procyclical than innovation in the broader economy. This is driven early-stage startups, whose innovation in recessions is relatively less cited, less original, less general, and less related to fundamental science. Our findings are most consistent with frictions in capital supply playing an important role, leading VCs to change their investment focus during downturns towards less innovative startups.

Suggested Citation

  • Sabrina T. Howell & Josh Lerner & Ramana Nanda & Richard R. Townsend, 2020. "How Resilient is Venture-Backed Innovation? Evidence from Four Decades of U.S. Patenting," NBER Working Papers 27150, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27150
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Bellucci & Alexander Borisov & Gianluca Gucciardi & Alberto Zazzaro, 2020. "The Reallocation Effects of COVID-19: Evidence from Venture Capital Investments around the World," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 167, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    2. Josh Lerner & Ramana Nanda, 2020. "Venture Capital's Role in Financing Innovation: What We Know and How Much We Still Need to Learn," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 237-261, Summer.
    3. Silvia Dalla Fontana & Ramana Nanda, 2022. "Innovating to Net Zero: Can Venture Capital and Startups Play a Meaningful Role?," NBER Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy and the Economy, volume 2, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Jagriti Srivastava & Balagopal Gopalakrishnan, 2021. "Work from home amenability and venture capital financing during COVID-19," Working papers 458, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
    5. Paul Gompers & Will Gornall & Steven N. Kaplan & Ilya A. Strebulaev, 2020. "Venture Capitalists and COVID-19," Working Papers 2020-135, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    6. Amoroso, Sara & Martino, Roberto, 2020. "Regulations and technology gap in Europe: The role of firm dynamics," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    7. Michal Hrivnák & Peter Moritz & Marcela Chreneková, 2021. "What Kept the Boat Afloat? Sustainability of Employment in Knowledge-Intensive Sectors Due to Government Measures during COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    8. Paul Gompers & Will Gornall & Steven N. Kaplan & Ilya A. Strebulaev, 2020. "Venture Capitalists and COVID-19," NBER Working Papers 27824, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Hoang, Huy Viet & Nguyen, Cuong & Nguyen, Duc Khuong, 2022. "Corporate immunity, national culture and stock returns: Startups amid the COVID-19 pandemic," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. Shai Bernstein & Richard R. Townsend & Ting Xu, 2020. "Flight to Safety: How Economic Downturns Affect Talent Flows to Startups," NBER Working Papers 27907, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Brown, Ross & Rocha, Augusto, 2020. "Entrepreneurial uncertainty during the Covid-19 crisis: Mapping the temporal dynamics of entrepreneurial finance," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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