Not Just About the Money: How Investors Evaluate Startup Risks
| dc.contributor.author | Jakubik, Martin | |
| dc.contributor.author | Maresova, Petra | |
| dc.contributor.author | Kuca, Kamil | |
| dc.contributor.other | Ekonomická fakulta | cs |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-10-02T10:24:24Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-10-02T10:24:24Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Startups are exciting but risky business. Today´s investors look at more than just financial numbers when deciding where to put their money. This paper explores how both financial and non-financial risks affect and how startups are valued. The goal is to understand what kinds of risks matter most to investors and how these risks each other interact. To answer this, we reviewed ten peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2024. These studies focus on topics such as cash flow, capital structure, ESG performance, team dynamics, and innovation. The findings show that investors are used to take a broad view. Weak cash flow can limit innovation, while issues with ESG or team quality can reduce a startup’s chances of getting more funding and gaining real business progress. The paper also highlights how risk is seen differently in various parts of Europe, depending on local funding patterns. Startups that manage both types of risk effectively tend to grow faster and attract more stable investments. Financial indicators still matter, but soft factors like adaptability and leadership play a growing role in investor decisions as well. This paper suggests that founders should treat risk management as a strategic tool, not just a financial safeguard. By combining both perspectives, investors and entrepreneurs can mutually make more informed, long-term decisions about the future of a startup. | en |
| dc.format | text | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.15240/tul/009/lef-2025-05 | |
| dc.identifier.isbn | 978-80-7494-747-6 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.tul.cz/handle/15240/178027 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Technická Univerzita v Liberci | cs |
| dc.publisher | Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic | en |
| dc.publisher.abbreviation | TUL | |
| dc.relation.isbasedon | BERNSTEIN, S., GIROUD, X., & TOWNSEND, R. R. (2016). The impact of venture capital monitoring. Journal of Finance, 71(4), 1591–1622. BERTONI, F., COLOMBO, M. G., & GRILLI, L. (2014). Venture capital financing and the growth of high-tech startups: Disentangling treatment from selection effects. Research Policy, 43(7), 1204–1212. CASSAR, G. (2004). The financing of business start-ups. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 261–283. CHEMMANUR, T. J., & FULGHIERI, P. (2014). Entrepreneurial finance and innovation: An introduction and agenda for future research. Review of Financial Studies, 27(1), 1–19. GOMPERS, P. A., GORNALL, W., KAPLAN, S. N., & STREBULAEV, I. A. (2016). How do venture capitalists make decisions? Journal of Financial Economics, 135(3), 169–190. GOMPERS, P., & LERNER, J. (2004). The venture capital cycle. HARRISON, R. T., & MASON, C. M. (2000). International perspectives on the supply of informal venture capital. International Small Business Journal. LIN, L. (2021). Venture capital in the rise of sustainable investment. European Business Organization Law Review, 22,55–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40804-020-00200-6 MAULA, M., KEIL, T., & ZAHRA, S. A. (2016). Top management’s attention to discontinuous technological change: Evidence from the microcomputer industry. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 10(1), 55–78. SHEPHERD, D. A., & ZACHARAKIS, A. (2001). The venture capitalist–entrepreneur relationship: Control, trust, and confidence. Venture Capital, 3(2), 129–149. | |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Liberecké ekonomické fórum 2025 | cs |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Liberec Economic Forum 2025 | en |
| dc.subject | Startup Valuation | en |
| dc.subject | Financial and Non-Financial Risk | en |
| dc.subject | ESG | en |
| dc.subject | R&D | en |
| dc.subject.classification | G32 | |
| dc.subject.classification | M21 | |
| dc.title | Not Just About the Money: How Investors Evaluate Startup Risks | en |
| dc.type | proceeding paper | en |
| local.access | open | |
| local.citation.epage | 66 | |
| local.citation.spage | 61 | |
| local.faculty | Faculty of Economics | |
| local.fulltext | yes | |
| local.relation.abbreviation | LEF | cs |
| local.relation.abbreviation | LEF | en |
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