3i (Investors in Industry, and formerly the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation, etc.) is Britain's leading venture capital company. Founded in 1945 as a result of a combination of pressures and counter-pressures from political parties, Whitehall, the Bank of England, and the clearing banks, the organization has played a significant role in post-war investment banking and industrial development. The first part of the book traces its history from the early years of post-war reconstruction and the role played by Piercy and Kinross, through the years of consolidation, to the higher-profile years of the change of name and style and the 1994 flotation. The second part offers an inside view of the workings of this unique institution - the controllers, 3i's role in developing MBOs, methods of assessing risk and return, its relationship with capital markets, etc. During its first 50 years 3i has invested in numerous well known and successful companies - many of these are detailed in the text (British Caledonian, Oxford Instruments, Laura Ashley, etc.). The book is also elegantly and innovatively designed, making good use of the well known 3i cartoons.

About the Author
Richard Coopey is Research Fellow in the Business History Unit at the London School of Economics. Donald Clarke is former Finance Director of 3i.

Reviews
Coopey and Clarke's book exposes the dilemma which has always faced 3i in trying to decide how its uniqueness fits in with the burgeoning venture capital industry that grew up all around it in the 1980s. * UK Venture Capital Journal *
Informative, well written and mercifully briefer than some recent block-buster company histories. * The Business Economist *
This is a book for the specialist interested in 3i. But it also offers the student of Britain's post-war industrial development an insight into the capital markets which have thrived as that industrial base has declined. * Financial Times *
Clarke, a former finance director of 3i, gives the "insider's view" in essays which cover a number of themes, including innovations in investment, accounting and resource funding ... a splendid account of a pioneering organisation. * Business History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198289449
Author Richard Coopey
Format Hardback
Page Count 472
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 238mm * 163mm * 33mm