Financing and product market competition: Optimal contracts with venture capitalists

We consider the provision of venture capital in a dynamic agency model. In particular, we focus on the interaction between venture capital financing and product market competition: A young firm with a risky innovation project attempts to enter a market where it faces two periods of price competition with an incumbent firm. Since the young firm is wealth-constrained, it seeks equity financing from a venture capital company. The allocation of funds and learning about the project's quality are both subject to moral hazard. We analyze the provision of capital under (i) short-term and (ii) long-term contracting, and compare the results.