個案總覽

MassChallenge Inc. is a large non-profit startup accelerator that connects new ventures with other stakeholders within an established business ecosystem. For this new company to engage stakeholders in the numbers envisaged and create a crowd-sourced deal management system, the founders need to develop a model that brings in as many quality or attractive startups as possible. Instead of taking equity in participating ventures as traditional accelerators do, MassChallenge focuses on developing a marketplace for stakeholders to gain access to startups and for startups to access the resources provided by investors and other stakeholders, including government; angel investors, venture capitalists and lawyers; and businesses, foundations and universities. The founders also need to find ways to build MassChallenge through possible expansion and funding opportunities.

This is a supplement to MassChallenge, Inc.: Launching a Non-Profit Business Accelerator (A), product 9B13M013.

The chief executive officer of eRAD Inc., a company that develops picture archiving and communications systems for the diagnostic imagery industry, is preparing for an upcoming board meeting, where he will face several challenges related to the potential sale of the company. The founder’s recent death in a plane crash has left the company struggling to meet its financial obligations. On one hand, the sale of eRAD to a larger health care technology company will provide enough money to end the ongoing struggle to keep solvent. On the other hand, the business is on the threshold of profitability, and some board members consider the sale premature. All that remains is to reach agreement on the factoring of debt and a few other financial details to satisfy the many shareholders whose votes are needed to accept the offer.