Financing innovation:

1)Sources of venture capital and financing innovations from stage one (research and development) through creation of a product, commercialization and sale.

2)How do small start-ups obtain finance? Is it difficult as a general rule for small firms to obtain finance for innovation? Do corporations have a greater advantage here?

3)What must small firms "offer" in exchange for finance? Is this advantageous to them? Why or why not?

4)What types of corporations tend to provide venture capital for small high-tech firms? What types of start-ups are favoured and WHY? Use case studies or statistics to back up your answer.

5)Optional: What alternate sources of finance can small firms draw upon (eg "crowd funding") If you are interested in developing this you may carry out some of your own research here - maybe some case studies?