Angel investing in an austerity economy – the take-up of government policies in Portugal

Bilau, J., Mason, C. , Botelho, T. and Sarkar, S. (2017) Angel investing in an austerity economy – the take-up of government policies in Portugal. European Planning Studies, 25(9), pp. 1516-1537. (doi: 10.1080/09654313.2017.1328045)

Abstract

Business angels are recognized in both developed and emerging economies as playing a significant role in stimulating entrepreneurial activity. With the decline in both bank lending and venture capital investment since the onset of the global economic crisis government efforts to stimulate business angel activity have become a more significant component in strategies to increase the level of entrepreneurial activity in Europe. This paper examines the responsiveness of angels to such initiatives in so-called austerity economies – countries that were hardest hit by the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent global recession and, as a consequence, had to take extreme economic and fiscal measures to reduce their budget deficits. We examine this question in Portugal which experienced one of the deepest recessions in the European Union following the implementation of severe austerity measures. This study confirms that government intervention to support angel investing can have a positive impact. However, the different types of intervention have varied in take-up rates. Other countries can learn from the Portuguese experience in three ways: the types of interventions that have the highest and lowest levels of take-up , the link between the design and the take-up of incentives, and types of intervention that should be considered but have not been implemented in Portugal.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [grant number PTDC/EGE-ECO/12499/2009].
• Keywords: Austerity, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, business angels, government policy.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mason, Professor Colin
• Authors: Bilau, J., Mason, C., Botelho, T., and Sarkar, S.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: European Planning Studies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis (Routledge)
• ISSN: 0965-4313
• ISSN (Online): 1469-5944
• Published Online: 23 May 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
• First Published: First published in European Planning Studies 25(9): 1516-1537
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy