×




Neuroventures Fund SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Neuroventures Fund


This is a Darden case study.This case concerns a group of experienced venture capitalists who are considering the establishment of a fund to invest in neuroscience-related products and services. They must evaluate the economic viability of the fund as well as the steps necessary to have a successful debut.

Authors :: Mark Eaker, Daniel J. O'Connell

Topics :: Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Tags :: Innovation, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Neuroventures Fund" written by Mark Eaker, Daniel J. O'Connell includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Fund Neuroventures facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Neuroventures Fund case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Innovation and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Neuroventures Fund casestudy better are - – there is backlash against globalization, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, wage bills are increasing, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, technology disruption, increasing energy prices, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, etc



12 Hrs

$59.99
per Page
  • 100% Plagiarism Free
  • On Time Delivery | 27x7
  • PayPal Secure
  • 300 Words / Page
  • Buy Now

24 Hrs

$49.99
per Page
  • 100% Plagiarism Free
  • On Time Delivery | 27x7
  • PayPal Secure
  • 300 Words / Page
  • Buy Now

48 Hrs

$39.99
per Page
  • 100% Plagiarism Free
  • On Time Delivery | 27x7
  • PayPal Secure
  • 300 Words / Page
  • Buy Now







Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Neuroventures Fund


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Neuroventures Fund case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Fund Neuroventures, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Fund Neuroventures operates in.

According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.




SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix


SWOT analysis of Neuroventures Fund can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Neuroventures Fund case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Fund Neuroventures
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field.
4. Making a Innovation & Entrepreneurship topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Fund Neuroventures




Strengths Neuroventures Fund | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Fund Neuroventures in Neuroventures Fund Harvard Business Review case study are -

Strong track record of project management

– Fund Neuroventures is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Training and development

– Fund Neuroventures has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Neuroventures Fund Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.

Digital Transformation in Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Fund Neuroventures digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Fund Neuroventures has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Fund Neuroventures has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Neuroventures Fund HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Fund Neuroventures are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Fund Neuroventures in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Fund Neuroventures is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Neuroventures Fund are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Organizational Resilience of Fund Neuroventures

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Fund Neuroventures does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Fund Neuroventures has innovation driven culture where significant part of the revenues are spent on the research and development activities. This has resulted in, as mentioned in case study Neuroventures Fund - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Ability to lead change in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field

– Fund Neuroventures is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Fund Neuroventures in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.

Analytics focus

– Fund Neuroventures is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Mark Eaker, Daniel J. O'Connell can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.

Diverse revenue streams

– Fund Neuroventures is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Neuroventures Fund case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.



02468Milliway Capital: Battening Down the Hatches Charles Schwab in 2002, Spreadsheet Exercise Magdalena Yesil CommonAngels (TM) (A) Teleswitch (A) Neuroventures Fund
Net Promoter Score



Weaknesses Neuroventures Fund | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Neuroventures Fund are -

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Fund Neuroventures has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Fund Neuroventures has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Neuroventures Fund should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Fund Neuroventures has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Fund Neuroventures has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.

High operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Neuroventures Fund has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Fund Neuroventures 's lucrative customers.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Fund Neuroventures is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Neuroventures Fund can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

High dependence on existing supply chain

– The disruption in the global supply chains because of the Covid-19 pandemic and blockage of the Suez Canal illustrated the fragile nature of Fund Neuroventures supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Neuroventures Fund, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Fund Neuroventures vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Fund Neuroventures has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Fund Neuroventures even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Fund Neuroventures is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment. Fund Neuroventures needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Fund Neuroventures to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Neuroventures Fund that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Neuroventures Fund can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Fund Neuroventures is planning to shift buying processes online.

Need for greater diversity

– Fund Neuroventures has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.




Opportunities Neuroventures Fund | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Neuroventures Fund are -

Reconfiguring business model

– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Fund Neuroventures to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Fund Neuroventures can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Fund Neuroventures can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.

Identify volunteer opportunities

– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Fund Neuroventures can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Fund Neuroventures to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Fund Neuroventures to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Fund Neuroventures to increase its market reach. Fund Neuroventures will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.

Reforming the budgeting process

- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Fund Neuroventures can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Fund Neuroventures has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Fund Neuroventures to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Neuroventures Fund case study. Fund Neuroventures can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Fund Neuroventures to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Fund Neuroventures has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study Neuroventures Fund - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Fund Neuroventures to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Loyalty marketing

– Fund Neuroventures has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.

Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions

– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Fund Neuroventures in the consumer business. Now Fund Neuroventures can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Fund Neuroventures can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.

Finding new ways to collaborate

– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Fund Neuroventures can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.




Threats Neuroventures Fund External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Neuroventures Fund are -

Consumer confidence and its impact on Fund Neuroventures demand

– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Fund Neuroventures with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Neuroventures Fund, Fund Neuroventures may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Innovation & Entrepreneurship .

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Fund Neuroventures has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Fund Neuroventures needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.

Aging population

– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Fund Neuroventures in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.

Capital market disruption

– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Fund Neuroventures.

Regulatory challenges

– Fund Neuroventures needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry regulations.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Fund Neuroventures is facing in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Increasing wage structure of Fund Neuroventures

– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Fund Neuroventures.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Fund Neuroventures can face downward pressure on margins from increasing competition from international players. The international players have stable revenue in their home market and can use those resources to penetrate prominent markets illustrated in HBR case study Neuroventures Fund .

High level of anxiety and lack of motivation

– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Fund Neuroventures needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc

– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Neuroventures Fund Template, Example


Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Neuroventures Fund needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants. We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –

First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Neuroventures Fund is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.

Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Neuroventures Fund is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.

Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Neuroventures Fund is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Fund Neuroventures needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



--- ---

American Nursing Services, Inc. SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

W. Earl Sasser Jr., Leonard A. Schlesinger, Roger Hallowell , Technology & Operations


Lesser Antilles Lines: The Island of San Huberto (A) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Phillip E. Pfeifer, James V. Gelly , Strategy & Execution


vineyard vines and The Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Meghan Murray, Matthew Loftus, I.S. Dunklin , Sales & Marketing


The Swatch Group SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Rohit Deshpande, Karol Misztal, Daniela Beyersdorfer , Sales & Marketing


Lifefont: The Case for RetailDriver, Spanish Version SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

F. Asis Martinez-Jerez, Karim Fakhry , Technology & Operations


Meubles Canadel: Looking Towards the Future SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Louis Hebert, Mary M. Crossan, Ken Mark , Strategy & Execution