Non disponibile in italiano
Daniel Legran
- 7 May 2026
- FINANCIAL INTEGRATION AND STRUCTURE BOXFinancial Integration and Structure in the Euro Area 2026Details
- Abstract
- The box looks at VC fund investors, showing that the limited involvement of institutional investors with large financing firepower is one factor that constrains VC funds when financing scale‑ups in Europe. The analysis also shows that the European Investment Fund (EIF) plays a key role, which could be leveraged to crowd-in private investors. Finally, the VC fund landscape is mapped against the existing regulatory framework to inform the upcoming review of the framework. This will make it possible to better address the needs of EU VC fund managers and, in turn, potentially expand the availability of VC investment opportunities for investors. Overall, the investor landscape for VC funds affects the broader innovation financing ecosystem in Europe, which would benefit from policies addressing fragmentation within the Single Market.
- JEL Code
- O16 : Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth→Economic Development→Financial Markets, Saving and Capital Investment, Corporate Finance and Governance
F36 : International Economics→International Finance→Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
G1 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets
G23 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Non-bank Financial Institutions, Financial Instruments, Institutional Investors
G24 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Brokerage, Ratings and Ratings Agencies
- 6 August 2025
- OCCASIONAL PAPER SERIES - No. 373Details
- Abstract
- The European Union (EU) economy depends heavily on bank funding. For this reason, strengthening EU equity markets as an alternative funding source has been a policy priority under the Capital Markets Union (CMU) agenda, and more recently a key feature of the Savings and Investment Union (SIU). EU listed equity markets are smaller and structurally different from those in the United States (US), with differing market capitalisations of listed firms and differences in the number of companies listed, stemming from lower initial public offering (IPO) activity in Europe. This paper aims to understand the drivers behind the EU-US listing gap, focusing on two aspects: (1) the general firm-level benefits of listing, and (2) whether pre-listing financing opportunities in the EU are underdeveloped, hindering firm growth and ultimately market depth. This paper first puts forward an empirical analysis to assess how a firm’s decision to list impacts various key performance indicators, with a view to assessing the implications of listing for the economy at large. Second, it zooms in on innovative firms to shed light on the primary challenges faced by EU startups in their funding pipelines, with a focus on late-stage equity financing and venture capital (VC) markets. Focusing on the euro area (EA) as a proxy to derive broader benefits of listing in the EU, we find that EA companies’ key profitability measures, employment, innovation capacity and productivity all increase after listing – and are thus indicative of wider economic benefits. This is, however, associated with challenges for the long-term investment strategies of listed companies, such as potential short-termism – a topic widely studied in the literature. Moreover, a comparison with the US suggests that, while the benefits and risks of listing are qualitatively similar on the other side of the Atlantic, EA companies seem to benefit somewhat less from listing than their US peers. […]
- JEL Code
- G10 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets→General
G30 : Financial Economics→Corporate Finance and Governance→General
L10 : Industrial Organization→Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance→General
L50 : Industrial Organization→Regulation and Industrial Policy→General
G24 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Brokerage, Ratings and Ratings Agencies
G32 : Financial Economics→Corporate Finance and Governance→Financing Policy, Financial Risk and Risk Management, Capital and Ownership Structure, Value of Firms, Goodwill
L21 : Industrial Organization→Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior→Business Objectives of the Firm
L25 : Industrial Organization→Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior→Firm Performance: Size, Diversification, and Scope