Wharton Scale School: Perspectives on Startup Acquisitions

The past few decades have shown a dramatic rise in start-up acquisitions, which have become the dominant channel through which ventures successfully exit. But how effective are start-up acquisitions (1) for big companies as a source of new innovation and talent and (2) for the careers of acquired founders and employees? In this session, J. Daniel Kim, Assistant Professor of Management, The Wharton School, and panelists, Gary Johnson WG'08 Founder & Managing Partner, Kokua Ventures, former Head of Strategy, Business & Corporate Development, Pinterest and Rich Riley, W'96, Co-CEO, Origin Materials, former CEO, Shazam, discuss the post-acquisition reality from the perspectives of both established companies (“acquirers”) and start-ups (“targets”). They will also share actionable observations and lessons that both parties may want to consider in the future.