Squaring Venture Capital Valuations with Reality

59 Pages Posted: 9 Oct 2017 Last revised: 15 Apr 2024

See all articles by Will Gornall

Will Gornall

University of British Columbia (UBC) - Sauder School of Business

Ilya A. Strebulaev

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research

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Date Written: October 2017

Abstract

We develop a valuation model for venture capital-backed companies and apply it to 135 U.S. unicorns – private companies with reported valuations above $1 billion. We value unicorns using financial terms from legal filings and find reported unicorn post-money valuation average 50% above fair value, with 15 being more than 100% above. Reported valuations assume all shares are as valuable as the most recently issued preferred shares. We calculate values for each share class, which yields lower valuations because most unicorns gave recent investors major protections such as a IPO return guarantees (14%), vetoes over down-IPOs (24%), or seniority to all other investors (32%). Common shares lack all such protections and are 58% overvalued. After adjusting for these valuation-inflating terms, almost one-half (65 out of 135) of unicorns lose their unicorn status.

Suggested Citation

Gornall, Will and Strebulaev, Ilya A., Squaring Venture Capital Valuations with Reality (October 2017). NBER Working Paper No. w23895, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3049719

Will Gornall (Contact Author)

University of British Columbia (UBC) - Sauder School of Business ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://willgornall.com

Ilya A. Strebulaev

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business ( email )

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Stanford, CA 94305-5015
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/ilya-strebulaev

National Bureau of Economic Research ( email )

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