This module deals with private equity and venture finance from the inception of a project idea, or investment, to the harvesting of the project, or investment (exiting). The first half of the module deals with the institutional backgrounds of new venture financing and the differences between entrepreneurial and ‘traditional’ corporate finance. The second half covers aspects of initial valuation and alternative ways of harvesting equity investment in a project. In particular, initial public offerings (IPOs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&As) processes, as well as financial performance of venture-backed companies, are considered. A rich set of case studies is presented to familiarise students with relevant and practical considerations in IPOs and M&As. This part will also cover a wide range of alternative financing strategies that exist in the growing field of Islamic Finance It will also address the design and structuring of Sharia-compliant products. Moreover, the module will cover the challenges that socially responsible start-up companies face in the modern digital age in both traditional markets and Islamic ones.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Critically explain various financial and ownership aspects of private equity and venture capital investments
Apply various valuation techniques in private equity and venture capital settings
Critically examine how firms make initial public offerings and the cost of such offerings
Critically evaluate short- and long-term performance of venture capital-backed companies
Identify and critically appraise the differences between the traditional finance and Islamic finance
Evaluate the rich set of challenges the start-up companies face in the digital age in both traditional and Islamic markets
Main & reassessment: 2,000 word assignment (50%) & 2,500 word individual assignment (50%).
Students who fail the module resit the failed component(s) only.