Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds, which increase crop yields while reducing the need for fertilizers. In doing so, the company developed direct relationships with farmers, in contrast to typical agricultural supply chains that use intermediaries. The company then launched a marketplace platform to link growers directly to crop .....more

In the face of rapid, disruptive change, companies are realizing that managers can''t be expected to have all the answers and that command-and-control leadership is no longer viable. As a result, many firms are moving toward a coaching model in which managers facilitate problem solving and encourage employees'' development by asking questions and offering support and guidance rather than issuing directives and making judgments. The .....more

The case discusses the strategy of Pantheon, a UK-based fund of funds investing in private equity. Client demands and preferences had changed in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis and Pantheon had to adapt its business model to accommodate requests for new asset classes and customized portfolios. The challenge was to keep an eye on the fee structure, as clients also put pressure on the costs. Pantheon had extended its offer into infrastructure, .....more

This case follows Kaspi.kz, a private equity (Baring Vostok) co-owned retail bank in Central Asia that evolved into a fintech, payments and e-commerce company. It provides insights into private equity financing, portfolio company management, and initial public offering practices. In particular, the case focuses on (i) the bank''s journey from a traditional bank that serviced only corporations to an online platform, and (ii) the timing and .....more

This note explains the rationale and derivation behind ""return bridge,"" a key analytical tool used in the private equity industry to understand sources of value-add. The note elaborates on the advantages and the shortcomings of the return bridge.

This case follows a fictional managing partner of a private equity firm, as she contemplates whether to utilize subscription lines of credit in her firm''s funds. Subscription lines are revolving lines of credit secured by commitments from a fund''s investors. Private equity firms are increasingly using these lines to boost metrics and profits on their funds, but the benefits to investors are debatable. Because of this, the firm in .....more

In 2015, the director of the Lebanese non-governmental organization Arcenciel felt a surge of pride knowing that his organization''s bottle caps project had created grassroots awareness of the importance of recycling. In recent years, Arcenciel had grown from an organization that supported people who were disabled and disenfranchised to become the largest recycler in the region. The organization had managed to create a synergy between its .....more

Nobody really recommends command-and-control leadership anymore. But no fully formed alternative has emerged. So mature companies often struggle to balance the need for innovation with the need for discipline. The authors studied two exceptions: the new-product-development stars PARC and W.L. Gore. Both companies, they learned, have three distinct types of leaders. "Entrepreneurial leaders," found at lower levels, create new products and .....more

The case follows social entrepreneur Wilma Rodriguez''s journey of three decades as she creates and grows Saahas Zero Waste. Wilma wants to address the social issue and seeks various forms of solutioning, partnership, and organizational structure to take advantage of whatever opportunities arise along the way. The case spotlights Saahas when it faces the challenges of increasing scale as part of achieving product market fit. Saahas delivers .....more

In 2015, in Aalborg, Denmark, the two co-founders of Better World Fashion formed their company as a social enterprise, aiming to highlight all that was wrong with the fashion industry and offer a cleaner and more ethical solution. The business was designed to focus not only on profit but also on minimizing the environmental impact of the supply chain. The founders chose to specialize in garments made from re-purposed leather, as leather had a long .....more