Harris & Harris Group
Since 1983, Harris & Harris Group has a strong reputation for investing in companies with proprietary technology. Their main focus is on interdisciplinary life science companies, where innovative biology intersects with innovation in areas such as electronics, chemistry, physics, materials, information, technology, engineering and mathematics. Harris & Harris Group differs from competitors because their investments are not divided into specific funds. Currently, they invest in 25 small portfolio companies with total investments equaling $172 million.
Distinctive Approach in Biotechnology
We see lucrative potential in Harris & Harris Group because of their unique focus on founding, incubating and building transformative companies from disruptive science. Their focus on biology, which has become their approach to building high value life companies, distinguishes them from competitors. They believe in interdisciplinary innovation that will solve current and future life challenges. Tulane Endowment is interested in investing in innovations that will radically change the future and improve the lives of individuals. We are further interested in Harris & Harris Group and the biotechnology industry for its youthfulness and fast growth. With an expected growth over next 10 years at 10.8 percent, we believe demand will increase. Tulane Endowment seeks investments in industry segments with a rapid rate of technological change such as that of Harris & Harris. We have seen over the past several years the demand for therapeutic products and genetically modified crops increase, and therefore we believe this industry will remain in the growth stage of its economic life cycle throughout the length of our investment and ...
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...ed to other brands. Tulane Endowment sees Repairogen as a great opportunity for investment and seeks to support such start-ups, as there is much room for development and many opportunities both domestically and internationally to grow.
Valuation
Harris & Harris Group valuated Repairogen at $1,368,055 by using comparables. This is a high valuation for a company that is in the R&D stage. However, this company offers a very unique product with draw for customers in both the health and cosmetic industries. Repairogen’s exit strategy is a merger or acquisition, which is a typical exit strategy for the cosmetics industry and a safer exit strategy than an IPO. Tulane Endowment is very excited to provide funding to this company, because we believe that Repairogen has many opportunities to expand globally and gain a competitive advantage once it hits the cosmetics market.
Schlosser, will focus my directive on the impressive entrepreneurship that J. R. Simplot displayed, especially at such a young age with the lack of both parental approval and a proper education. Simplot’s understanding of fiscal growth and intelligent investing at such a young age is extremely rare. Stated in Why the Fries Taste Good, Mr. Simplot left home and school at 15years, and by the age 16 became a potato farmer in his own right. He was most certainly not afraid to take risks, which could be attributed to his young age but never faltered and is still continuing to grow into new investments. Noted in the New York Times (by the Associated Press, Aug 28, 2015), J.R. Simplot Co was approved by the FDA for their groundbreaking genetically engineered potatoes that resist the pathogen that lead to the Irish Potato Famine and other crops worldwide. This type of innovation is exactly what is so remarkable about Simplot’s
Bass Pro shop started as an 8-foot-long display area in the back of a liquor store in 1971 and has expanded into a Fortune 500 company that employs over 8,800 employees and has annual sales estimating somewhere around $1.25 billion today. The question at hand is: should Bass Pro Shops continue to expand, and if so at what rate should they? The primary problems they might face when expanding are as follows. Could expansion hurt their brand image and if so how? The Competition outside of Missouri is going to be much greater. They will not have the publicity and brand recognition as they do in Missouri. Does Bass Pro have the financial resources in order to open new stores, if not then what are some options they can exercise? Will Negative publicity threaten their brand image as they continue to grow? Is the cost of overhead going to be too high initially for Bass Pro to expand at a fast rate, if so then at what rate should they expand yearly? These are all problems Bass Pro is going to have to face in the future. Through research and extensive problem solving, they will be able to make an accurate decision on rather they should expand.
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is the fourteenth largest retailer in America, and overall the world’s second largest home improvement retailer. They are the 108th ranked corporation on the Fortune 500 top corporations list. With an impressive in store stock of 40,000 home improvement items on hand, ranging from lumber to Home décor items, plus an additional 400,000 home improvement items available through a special order program. Lowe’s provides a onetime stop for all home improvement needs, for both the Do-It-Yourselfer, and the ever-expanding market of the Commercial Business Customer.
At first glance it is noticed that these companies are very different. Beginning with the fact that they are members of two different industries. () Genentech is biotechnology and pharmaceutical company that has an annual revenue of 16.3 billion dollars. The company’s primary function is to research and develop medications that save lives. (0)Genentech has approximately 12900 U.S. employs and 11 locations. The company was founded in 1976, has been on the Fortune 100 list 17 times. It currently ranks number nine on the list.
In 1996, Jim Wagner was hired as chief financial officer and was able to successfully achieve steady profitability for the company. One year later, in 1997, in an attempt to source its strategic investments, Natureview organized an equity infusion from a venture capital firm; however, the venture capital now needs to cash out of its investment in Natureview and management will therefore need to find another investor or position itself for acquisition. In order to attain the maximum potential valuation, the company must make strategic marketing choices in an attempt to increase revenues to $20 million before the end of year 2001. And to meet this lofty goal, Natureview can potentially enter a new market and transition from the natural food channel into the supermarket channel, a move that would signify a dramatic departure from the company’s present cha...
In 2000, Rich Kender, Vice President of Financial Evaluation and Analysis at Merck & Company was discussing the opportunity of investing in licensing, manufacturing and marketing of Davanrik, a drug originally developed to treat depression by LAB Pharmaceuticals. LAB proposed to sell the right of all the future profit made from the successful launch of Davanrik at the cost of an initial fee, royalty payments and additional payments as the drug completed each stage of the approval process. Merck & Company's organizational goal is to constantly refresh it's company's drug development portfolio and reach as many customers as possible during the patented time. So there was not only the potential of financial gain or quantitative aspect of the offer, but also the qualitative value which will be added by getting better positioning in the risky pharmaceuticals industry.
The Boston Beer Company is able to obtain relatively low-cost funds for their working capital and expenditures. The company is constantly in search of the lowest cost items without suffering the quality of their products. The company has thrived and has been able to expand to become successful due to their ability to achieve this.
Genentech has not only become a leading biotechnology company, it is noted as much for its human resources programs as for its development and commercialization of new products. The human resource programs contribute to the overall success of the company and provide a culture that enhances work/life balance for every employee. CEO...
In the article “Inside Amazon: Wrestling Ideas in a Bruising Workplace” by Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld, both authors noted Amazon’s business and work strategy as harsh and strict but rewarding and life-changing at the same time. Apparently, Amazon’s business model focuses on harsh and strict regulations to keep employees more motivated, productive, and innovative. In comparison to other companies who values benefits and positive reinforcement for their workers, Amazon values constant productivity for improvement and growth and compensation as a competitive aspect in workplace. Many people may see this business strategy and the company as harsh and a horrifying experience; however, I believe and agree that this strategy
The soft factors can make or break a successful change process, since new structures and strategies are difficult to build upon inappropriate cultures and values. These problems often come up in the dissatisfying results of spectacular mega-mergers. The lack of success and synergies in such mergers is often based in a clash of completely different cultures, values, and styles, which make it difficult to establish effective common systems and structuresBased on the case study, extensive research and annual reports of AT&T the writer has mapped AT&T in the different domains. AT&T should strive to attain a perfect circle as close to the centre as possible, which indicates total synergy, order and equilibrium. Where the circle is skewed drastic change is needed as it moves closer to the outer ring of chaos:
Resources are being classified into tangible and intangibles assets as the followings: *Resources of *Virgin Group Tangible Resources Intangible Resources Capabilities of Virgin Group are established by the integrated resources that assisted it to stay competitive and to outdo its competitors. Valuable capabilities will aid Virgin Group to effectively tap and explore spotted opportunities as well as to minimize threats in the external environment. Should capabilities are consistently and effectively utilized, they will turn significant and be difficult to be imitated or substituted. With the resources discussed above, 3 capabilities of Virgin Group are identified as follows: - *Capabilities 1: Unique C*ulture of *"Making difference and creating uniqueness"* (*Contributed Resources: *Financial, Organizational, Human, Innovation*, Technological*) Creativity, Innovation are the foundations to Virgin and Richard Branson’s success! Technology push is the spine for innovation and likely to simulate process innovation in how service is provided when looking into Virgin. Technology is more likely to simulate process innovation. Every turn and businesses Branson venture has been with some kind of innovation or creativity element if not something unique, something that has not been seen or heard of before in the relevant market. Virgin Group has achieved a competitive advantage among its competitors by uniformly followed its culture in all business in serving good value and service to the customers in different ways. The basic and the core competence of all Virgin Group's business ventures are to do things just a little bit differently from the rest. And also they always tried to add value by adding a little fun to the business. By differentiating in strategy itself to fit of the activities and the ways of doing business have also differentiated itself from the rivals and make it difficult to imitate Virgin’s strategy. Hence, they have established their business to an untouchable position. How would you characterize the corporate strategy of Branson's Virgin Group? The answer to that question will not be so different from the ones above. However to better understanding we can characterize the corporate strategy of Virgin Group as "Making difference and creating uniqueness" in any kind of customers' service. They are not stuck to any business field so that makes them flexible of thinking and creating new ideas for their customers and the whole consumers around the world who need (or will need) Virgin's service.
Investment opportunities all over the world are unending. There are millions of products and services that are potential game changers for the Embry Investment Group. My job as your consultant is to analyze the market and recommend the best possible investment for today and the future of the Embry Investme...
The original case was about Chiron, a biotechnology company, in the United States. Chiron was acquired in 2006 by Novartis, a Swedish company formed by the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz Laborites. Since Chiron itself no longer exists, we have focused our case around Novartis as of 2013. Novartis specializes in diagnostic services, generic and name brand medications, ophthalmological tools, as well as a small segment in pet health. The business prides itself in producing the latest drugs, hiring the best talent, and being a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry. Over the years the company has survived by focusing on its internal development in addition to a series of mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructurings. Being a pharmaceutical company, the entire population is impacted: patients, physicians, employees, hospitals, and investors are some of the most important stakeholders.
7-Eleven Inc. is one of the leading chains in the convenience/ retail industry. 7-Eleven was founded in 1927 in Dallas, Texas. It is the world’s largest mover and expanded faster then any of the convenience store. It also has many stores with gas stations that are cheaper price then the competitors. (http://mbacase.blogspot.com) The name 7-Eleven was originated in 1946 because the stores were open from 7am to 11pm. 7-Eleven has changed vastly after they started offering customers service 24 hours and seven days a week. It has now become the one stop shop, where customers can get their products quickly. (http://franchise.7-eleven.com)