Press Releases Archive July-September 2011

PRESS RELEASE 29.09.2011: Dissertation: An examination of how entrepreneurs can improve their position in relation to investors.

The doctoral dissertation of Oskari Lehtonen M.Sc.(Econ.) to be publicly reviewed on 30 September 2011 examines the relationship between capital investors and entrepreneurs. The area of research is largely concerned with the currently prevailing topic of growth entrepreneurship. Financing, along with other associated added value factors, is one of the major resources enabling growth entrepreneurship.

"I work in growth entrepreneurship myself as a partner in KoppiCatch, a seed phase investment and development company. This provides the impetus for wanting to translate the research results into practical tips for entrepreneurs and other players in the field," says Lehtonen.

First of all, understand the way financers operate and how they differ from each other. Secondly, make an analysis of the kind of investor that will best match your needs. Be selective. The second step is understanding the various compositions of power and their impact on the relationship between entrepreneur and investor in both the short and long term. Thirdly, enlist the help of an advisor when seeking an investor, particularly if you have no experience of procuring capital investment funding. Finally, it is worth bearing in mind that an investor with a good reputation also serves to increase your credibility.

Lehtonen's doctoral dissertation investigates several factors that may influence the relationship between entrepreneurs and investors, and consequently the success of growth entrepreneurship. Such factors include the ways in which entrepreneurs might choose an investor, the investor qualities an entrepreneur should look for, the significance of the balance of power in the entrepreneur-investor relationship, the entrepreneur's view of the role of experts in the capital investment process, and the increase in the credibility of entrepreneurs that can be brought by investors.

Oskari Lehtonen's doctoral dissertation " An Examination of How Entrepreneurs Can Improve Their Position in Relation to Investors" will be publicly reviewed at Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki.

Date: Friday, 30 September at noon
Venue: Hanken School of Economics
Opponent: Professor Jukka Vesalainen, University of Vaasa
Custos: Professor Martin Lindell, Hanken School of Economics

Further information:
Oskari Lehtonen
oskari.lehtonen@hanken.fi
+358 400-794458

The complete doctoral dissertation is available online at the Hanken Library database DHanken.

PRESS RELEASE 31.08. 2011: Dissertation: Previous relationships help new ventures succeed internationally

An increasing number of new business ventures today are international from the start or become international soon after. Combining business start-up and internationalisation is a demanding undertaking, and the question today is how to succeed with this. Here the importance of previous relationships is clear.

"In order to understand the phenomenon of international new ventures you must understand the background and history of the entrepreneur previous to the decision to start up a new business," says Anette Söderqvist. Söderqvist has looked into the early days and consequent development of five Finnish firms. She goes on to point out that this early period is often a long and very important one in the development of the firm, and one that has seldom been focused on.

To begin with, these entrepreneurs tend to have previous experience of the industry in question as well as of starting up business ventures. Secondly, it seems that these firms do not become primarily internationalised on the foreign market at large, but rather in connection to one or several specific actors. In particular, relationships created at former workplaces are involved in identifying business opportunities and these relationships also strongly impact to where the firm internationalises. Thirdly, Söderqvist has found that not only international relationships are important; the entrepreneurs tend to use their existing Finnish relationships to make new contacts abroad. Relationships, then, benefit the firm as a motor to expedite both the exploration and exploitation of business opportunities at home and abroad.

Anette Söderqvist will present her dissertation "Opportunity Exploration and Exploitation in International New Ventures. A Study of Relationships' Involvement in Early Entrepreneurial and Internationalisation Events" at Hanken School of Economics in Vaasa.

Time: Friday 2 September at 4 P.M.
Place: Hanken School of Economics in Vaasa
Opponent: Professor Svante Andersson, Halmstad University, Sweden
Custos: Professor Sören Kock, Hanken School of Economics

Further information:
Anette Söderqvist, +358 40 7351577
anette.soderqvist@hanken.fi

The dissertation can be read in full at the database for dissertations Dhanken at the Hanken library.

Photo:
www2.hanken.fi/bilder/main.php?g2_itemId=4497

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PRESS RELEASE 1.7.2011: Hanken's fundraising campaign exceeds its goals: 15.7 million Euros and 1200 donors

On June 30th 2011 Hanken's HANKEN 100 fundraising campaign has received donations to Hanken's Centenary Endowment Fund for just over 15.7 million Euros from 1244 donors. Hence Hanken's fundraising campaign has exceeded its financial goal of 10 million Euros by more than 50 %, and reached and engaged more than 1000 intended donors.

Rector Eva Liljeblom and campaign and Hanken chairman Björn Wahlroos extend the School's warmest thanks to all donors. "The HANKEN 100 fundraising campaign has created unique financial strength for Hanken, and forms a strong basis for our future as an internationally competitive business school", says rector Liljeblom. Björn Wahlroos adds that Hanken is indeed especially glad for the strong international support the school has received - around 25 % of the campaign's donations come from abroad. Wahlroos also emphasizes the role played by Hanken alumni in Hanken's fundraising. "90 % of our donors are alumni, and it is wonderful to see how Hanken's alumni have in such a decisive way continued to support their alma mater".

The HANKEN 100 fundraising campaign was launched in conjunction with Hanken's centenary celebration in 2009. The three-year-long campaign has aimed to raise 10 million Euros to be used for further strengthening Hanken's position as an international business school. Donations to Hanken's Centenary Endowment Fund made before 30.6.2011 will be matched by the government with 2.5 Euros for every donated Euro.

For additional information, please contact:

Rector Eva Liljeblom
+358 (0)50 5643742

Campaign Director Kristina Pentti-von Walzel
+358 (0)40-3521560