This case scenario presents the issues faced while assembling an innovative business in an emerging space with new intellectual property from the standpoint of a venture capitalist. Beth Seidenberg, an associate at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), had helped create iZumi Bio, a business with ambitious prospects which she believed had the potential to become "the" authoritative stem cell company. iZumi sought to bring under its banner crucial intellectual property (IP) from the nascent field of stem cell technology.
As such, iZumi would need to obtain the rights to several groundbreaking scientific developments that had recently happened in laboratories all over the world. Seidenberg needed to determine whether to commit to the next important tranche of the investment. Charged with finalizing her choice in less than 24 hours, Seidenberg considered the benefits and drawbacks of the next round of financing. Was it really possible to pull this kind of broad range of IP together under one umbrella? Was the international mix of IP going to be overly challenging to manage? Was it too early for stem cell technology to be commercialized?
PUBLICATION DATE: January 01, 2009 PRODUCT #: KEL533-HCB-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about SALES & MARKETING
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