Do too many cooks spoil the broth? The effect of syndication on the performance of venture capitalists' portfolio firms in Sweden

The literature surrounding venture capital firms' relations to their portfolio firms is vast, but tend to focus primarily on the relationship between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from the venture capitalists' perspective. Many studies focus on how the venture capitalists need to control their investment. It is often implied that venture capitalists are beneficial to the firms in which they invest. In several studies it has been suggested that venture capitalist add value to their portfolio firms by providing capital as well as competence in form of advice and improved routines to the portfolio firm. Many researchers seem to assume that venture capital firms' advices to portfolio firms are always relevant and useful. Governments and government agencies also tend to unconditionally support the venture capital industry as being crucial providers of venture creation. As Sweden has targeted science-related ventures as being of prime importance to the growth of the Swedish economy, venture capital provision has been placed in the forefront of likely contributors to venture growth in that particular field. Not all entrepreneurs seem equally impressed by contributions made by venture capitalists. Case research provides evidence of venture capitalists having a short term focus, lack of patience with investments and above all, being unable to provide adequate support in terms of contributions aimed at enhancing ventures abilities to market their products. According to these studies there seems to be indications that venture capital may not be as beneficial to venture growth as has been previously reported.