Corporate venture capital and its contribution to intermediate goods firms in South Korea

Abstract

Set by government, corporate, financial and individual sources, venture capitalists in Korea have adapted themselves to the new and uncertain venture capital market through stand-alone and syndicated investments. The present study raises questions about whether various financial sources contributed differentially to their portfolio firms during the market boom of 2000. Results show that no single capital source showed better performance, and only corporate venture capitalists contributed to intermediate goods firms. The latter finding might reflect the unique ability of corporate venture capitalists to use vertical value-chain linkages for their investments. © 2011 The Authors. Asian Economic Journal © 2011 East Asian Economic Association and Blackwell Publishing Pty Ltd.