Indicating Value in Early-Stage Technology Venture Valuation : A Design Science Approach

Fundraising for venture capital investments have continued to increase in recent years. One crucial step in the investment process is the valuation of the target company. Investors are faced with the great challenge of valuing a young venture without a corporate or financial history, a firm customer relationship or even a business model, while still taking into account the tremendous growth potential. Especially the valuation of technology companies is a difficult and often subjective process. Motivated by these considerations, this dissertation details a design science research project, which aims to develop an artifact that improves the indication of value in early-stage technology venture valuation while enabling operationalizable and fair valuation. This approach ensures a more meaningful valuation and better applicability to early-stage technology ventures compared to traditional methods while supporting the deliberate reduction of information asymmetries between entrepreneurs andinvestors. Firm-specific characteristics and practical applicability are taken into account.