New podcast and articles on a proposed $100 million venture capital program Listen Now: Taxpayer-Funded Venture Capital? Should taxpayers be on the hook for a $100 million venture capital program? In our newest episode of Free Exchange, we sat down with Daniel Sem, venture capitalist and dean of the Batterman School of Business at Concordia University Wisconsin, to discuss the economic importance of private-sector venture capital and whether government should engage in this high-risk activity with taxpayer dollars. In liberty, Remso W. Martinez Listen Now Pressing on with government venture capital After Republican legislators cut a $100 million state venture capital proposal from Gov. Tony Evers’ 2021-’23 budget, the governor now says he wants to use COVID-19 relief to achieve his goal. Bypassing the Legislature to create a so-called fund of funds with federal money could pose legal and constitutional challenges. And while some champion the idea as a way to energize a lagging startup culture in Wisconsin, others point to the track record of existing programs in Wisconsin and elsewhere that put taxpayer money at risk without producing meaningful returns. Read the full story here Let private venture capital work its magic Wisconsin has always struggled to attract venture capital. But this does not mean the solution is to involve state government, as Gov. Tony Evers has proposed. Government-funded venture investing is a proven bad idea. The many experiments with state-sponsored funds have shown that government, even with all of its resources, doesn’t play the venture capital game well. The existing data supports the conclusion that government-run funds generally make poorer investment decisions than private-sector venture funds. Read the full story here Subscribe to the Show on Your Favorite Podcast App Apple Podcasts Anchor.FM Google Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Pocket Cast Breaker RadioPublic RSS Our work in advancing free markets, opportunity and prosperity in the Badger State is only made possible by the generous donations of our supporters. The Badger Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. We do not accept any government funding. We gratefully accept your support at any level. Donate online or contact Director of Development Angela Smith at [email protected] or 414-254-6440. Donate Now The Badger Institute | 700 W Virginia St, Suite 301, Milwaukee, WI 53204 www.badgerinstitute.org Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!