These days, technology start-ups want more than just a check from venture capital backers and other investors. They are increasingly looking for operational help and industry expertise as well, a recent survey of Wharton alumni in the San Francisco area shows.
In a marked departure from the dot-com era of the 1990s, these companies also put more value on market know-how and connections over snagging a high valuation or a venture capitalist with a marquee name, according to a November 2013 survey of 126 mostly senior tech executives or managers who work at young companies.
