Entrepreneurial Finance Summer School

Politecnico di Torino, Italy
September 23^rd-27^th, 2019

With special attendance to the EU-SPRI Early Career Researcher Conference (ECC) Torino, Italy

The creation of functioning markets of entrepreneurial finance has become a priority for the European Union (EU), as is documented by the measures included in the Horizon 2020 and COSME programs, and for many governments across Europe. The entrepreneurial finance landscape has changed consistently over the last years and many new players, with a variety of investment goals and investment approaches, have entered the arena. Besides venture capitalists (VCs) and business angels (BAs), the development of on-line platforms has created new opportunities for entrepreneurs to raise seed capital and for non-professional investors to disintermediate their investments. Other new players in the arena have emerged, such as incubators and accelerators, or university-managed/based funds (such as proof of concepts (PoC) programs).

The aim of the Entrepreneurial Finance summer school is to spread the knowledge on entrepreneurial finance and promote cutting-edge international research on the topic, attracting PhD and Master students across Europe and outside Europe from different economic fields (economics, finance, management of innovation, entrepreneurship, management, management engineering). It will provide students with insights into the complexities of attracting financing for start-ups, with a specific focus on innovative ventures. PhD students will also receive important feedbacks on their current papers/research proposals by senior scholars and will get advice on how to structure their research in order to publish in leading academic journals.

The summer school, completely held in English, will combine:

• frontal lectures by internationally renowned scholars;
• presentations of working papers or research proposals by PhD and Master students to be discussed with senior scholars;
• a set of extra-educational activities;
• round tables and insights sessions with practitioners (e.g. business angels, venture capitalists, crowdfunders, incubators, entrepreneurs, policy makers)

LECTURES

Lectures will be offered on the following topics:

• The spectrum of financing choices for entrepreneurial ventures;
• Financing innovation: actors, instruments, trends;
• Crowdfunding and equity crowdfunding;
• Business angels: individuals, groups and networks;
• Venture capital types: governmental, independent, corporate and bank affiliated;
• How venture capitalists work: deals, exits, impacts on firms’ performances;
• The promise and danger of Initial Coin Offerings;
• Social impact finance;
• Incubators and Accelerators;
• Methodological issues in entrepreneurial finance;

PAPER DEVELOPMENT SESSION

PhD and Master students enrolled in the summer school are required to participate to the EU-SPRI Early Career Researcher Conference that will take place at Politecnico di Torino on September 24th-25^th (https://www.eko.polimi.it/index.php/euspri2019/EUSPRI2019). During the conference, students will have the possibility to present their current papers/research proposals and get advice from senior scholars on how to structure their research. A meeting with an Editor of a relevant scientific journal will be organized to teach Ph.D students how to publish in leading academic journals.

The summer school will be co-sponsored by the EIC (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center) at Politecnico di Torino and is jointly organized with Politecnico di Milano.

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

• Elisa Ughetto (Politecnico di Torino) - Coordinator
• Emilio Paolucci (Politecnico di Torino)
• Daniele Battaglia (Politecnico di Torino)
• Francesco Fontana (Politecnico di Torino)

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH POLITECNICO DI MILANO

• Annalisa Croce (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)- Principal contact
• Massimo G. Colombo (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)
• Vincenzo Butticè (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)
• Carlotta Orsenigo (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)
• Francesca Tenca (Politecnico di Milano School of Management)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ROSEMARIE ZIEDONIS (Questrom School of Business, Boston University)