Prior co-investments and exits: a study on European venture capital syndicates

Building on recent developments in the literature, we investigated whether the practice of repeatedly investing with the same partners impacts outcomes for venture capital syndicates. Research shows that European venture capitalists have different attitudes to their American counterparts, which might result in a different ability in benefiting from prior co-investing activities. Hence, we analysed how successful prior collaborations and the concentration of prior ties in an investment syndicate affects the probability of successfully exiting an investment. We also examined the role of prior ties as a determinant of the time to successful exit. From an analysis of 922 first-ever syndicated rounds in Europe between 2000 and 2009, we find that prior ties are not a significant determinant of successful exits. However, prior successful collaborations do play a significant role, as does the concentration of prior ties. We also find that a U-shaped relationship links prior co-investments with the to time to exit. These results should be helpful for managers involved in inter-organisational investment collaborations and to policymakers looking for ways to spur the European venture capital ecosystem.