E-ISSN : 2288-2766
Investment process on startup companies faces several difficulties based on the characteristics of this type of companies, such as lack of historical data, current operating losses and absence of comparable companies. In this paper we focus in a new methodology based on ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operators. OWA operators are useful instruments that enable the aggregation of information; in other words, from a data set we are able to obtain a single representative value of that set. The investment methodology presented consists on the application of OWA operators to the targeted startup companies based on the capacity of cash-flow generation and also on the planned scenario of future growth for each company. This paper shows that the methodology proposed can serve as a valuable tool, complementing the qualitative criteria (which, obviously, should not be ignored) for assessing and selecting a start-up investment.
Casanovas, M. coord. (2009). Valoración de empresas: bases conceptuales y aplicaciones prácticas. Contabilidad y Dirección. ACCID. Profit Editorial. ISBN: 978-84-96998-93-3.
Casanovas, M., & Santandreu, P. (2011). Guia pràctica de valoració d’empreses, ACCID: Profit Editorial, ISBN: 978-84-92956-50-0.
Casanovas, M., & Merigo, J.M. (2012). Financial decision making with the fuzzy generalized probabilistic weighted averaging operator. International Journal of Economic Research, 9(1), 247-262.
Damodaran, A. (2009). Valuing Young, Start-up and Growth Companies: Estimation Issues and Valuation Challenges, Stern School of Business. New York : New York University.
Hege, U. (2001). The valuation and financing of internet start-ups [L'évaluation et le financement des start-up Internet. Revue Economique, 52(7), 291-312.
Hering, T., Olbrich, M., & Steinrücke M. (2006). Valuation of start-up internet companies. International Journal of Technology Management, 33(4), 406-419. .
Merigo, J.M., & Casanovas, M. (2010). The fuzzy generalized OWA operator and its application in strategic decision making. Cybernetics & Systems, 41(5), 359-370.
Merigo, J. M., & Casanovas, M. (2011). The uncertain generalized OWA operator and its application in financial decision making. International Journal of Information Technology and Decision Making, 10(2), 211-230.