Prof Daniel Paravisini

This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange, MSc in Accounting and Finance, MSc in Economics (2 Year Programme), MSc in Finance (full-time), MSc in Finance (full-time) (Work Placement Pathway), MSc in Finance (part-time), MSc in Finance and Economics, MSc in Finance and Economics (Work Placement Pathway), MSc in Finance and Private Equity, MSc in Finance and Private Equity (Work Placement Pathway), MSc in Finance and Risk, MSc in Law and Finance, MSc in Management (1 Year Programme), MSc in Management (1 Year Programme) (Work Placement Pathway), MSc in Management and Strategy and MSc in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

The deadline to apply for this course is Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 12:00 (noon) UK time. You will be notified whether you have been offered a place by 12:00 (noon) on Friday 2 October 2026.

This course is available for students on all MSc programmes (including exchange ones) where regulations permit.

This course is not capped for Department of Finance students; any Department of Finance students that request a place by Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 12:00 (noon) UK time will be given one.

This course is, however, capped with a capacity limit for the total number of students registered on the course. Therefore, whilst students from other departments are likely to be given a place, but this is not guaranteed. Chances of gaining a place on this course are increased if it is selected by Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 12:00 (noon) UK time.

This course does not permit auditing students.

Please contact finance.teachingmanager@lse.ac.uk with any queries.

Mutually exclusive courses:

This course cannot be taken with FM417E at any time on the same degree programme.

Additional requisites:

Basic Mathematics and Statistics knowledge.

After introducing students to methods to assess business plans as well as methods to identify and value business ventures and growth opportunities in the opening part of the course, the bulk of the first half of the course concentrates on obtaining financial resources. It covers a broad set of instruments (venture capital, angel finance, crowdsourcing, venture debt) used by entrepreneurial firms and aims to help the student understand how the staged financing process of a new venture works, and to be able to assess when to raise financing and how to structure it. The second half of the course focuses on practical applications in negotiation, development of a business plan, and evaluation of real-life ventures raising funding.

30 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.

This course is taught in an interactive format. There is no distinction between lectures and classes/seminars; there are simply “sessions” where the pedagogical approach is always interactive.

This course will be taught in several separate groups. There will be a joint one-hour session with all groups once a week and each group will have a separate additional three-hour session each week. Each student will be assigned a group at the beginning of the course and will continue with the same group for the rest of the term. Students will not be allowed to choose their groups or to switch groups.

The course requires weekly in-class and out-of-class activities and discussions. Students must prepare for class activities in advance. There is a significant amount of in-term individual work, group work, and other activities. Attendance is required.
 

All the work done in and out of the classroom will be assessed.

Detailed course programmes and reading lists are distributed at the start of the course. The course pack include lecture notes and case studies for summative and formative assessments.

Continuous assessment (100%).

Summative assessment will take the form of individual assignments, group assignments, an integrative business plan development exercise, and peer evaluations.