Advanced Valuation and Strategy - M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is a prestigious research university located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Known for its high academic standards and innovative approach to education, EUR offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across various disciplines. With a strong emphasis on critical thinking, global perspectives, and societal impact, EUR prepares students to tackle complex global challenges and contribute meaningfully to society.

Hi and welcome to this course! Would you like to learn about the latest valuation methods that may help you to make better business decisions? Then 'Advanced Valuation and Strategy – M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital' by Erasmus University Rotterdam is the right course for you! This course is helpful for executives that need to value complete strategies and for all students interested in corporate finance and strategy. We present the latest tools and show you how to apply them! We will revolutionize your way of decision making, by extending static techniques from corporate finance with dynamic methods to quantify strategic thinking. Traditionally, we assess the attractiveness of an investment as a mature business, where future cash flows mainly result from past decisions. But, in an ever-changing world, strategic decisions determine the firm’s long-term success and market value. Yet managers often have to consider these long-term implications using intuition and experience alone, with little guidance from structured, quantitative analysis. Our treatment goes far beyond the use of standard valuation analysis. We introduce the expanded NPV, which brings together DCF, real options, and game theory. Thinking in terms of options, games, and adaptive strategies may help managers address strategic questions such as: How do you value a leveraged buyout? How can you value a high-tech venture with negative cash flows? When should you invest in new ventures in stages? How can you incorporate rival bidders in the analysis? The tools we provide can improve your decisions in business and in daily life. * Who is this class for? We hope that our course appeals to (graduate) students in finance, economics, and business, as well as to high-ranking professionals and a general audience. This course is particularly interesting for venture capitalists, private equity investors, investment bankers, CEOs, CFOs, and those who aspire these affiliations. We offer this MOOC at 3 levels: 1.Executive Summary: This 1-week module provides critical insights into the principles of corporate valuation and strategy. This is accessible for time-constrained executives and the general audience without any prior knowledge. 2. Student Level: This level involves an understanding of the technical details. This level requires basic knowledge of concepts in corporate finance, e.g., the time value of money, financial statement analysis, capital structure, and the relation between risk and returns. Learners of this level can skip week 1. 3. Honors Level (honors certificate): This level is challenging, engaging, and compelling to an intellectually rigorous student.

Founded in 1913, Erasmus University Rotterdam has grown into a leading institution recognized for its excellence in research and education. The university is named after the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus and embodies his values of intellectual freedom and critical inquiry. EUR's diverse and dynamic community of students, faculty, and researchers fosters a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment. With its strategic location in one of Europe’s major ports, the university has strong ties to the business and cultural sectors, enhancing the practical relevance and impact of its programs. EUR's mission is to create a positive impact on societal development through high-quality education and cutting-edge research, promoting innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity.