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Case Study

Cell Network (A): From idea to take-off

By Paul Strebel and Anne-Valérie Ohlsson

15 pages

July 2001

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Reference: IMD-3-1004

The case describes the evolution of Cell Network from a start-up of 5 people in 1997 to 2’000 employees in 2001. This evolution is divided into three cases and six short video sections. The (A) case describes the initial start-up phase, including focusing the business, venture capital funding, winning the first client orders, reorganization, and diversification. The primary focus here is on: 1) What to look for in a start-up (how important is it for a start-up to have a clear concept as opposed to the drive to be an entrepreneur); 2) How fast should a start-up grow? (how important is it to achieve the critical size needed to exploit the business opportunity versus the need for cohesion in order to provide a reliable delivery of the offering); 3) How to achieve higher growth (merger and acquisition versus organic growth). At the end of the (A) case, participants should decide whether Cell should grow organically or not, and if not, which of the three potential partners best fits its strategy.

Keywords

Start-up

Settings

Sweden
Finance and Insurance, Financial Services
1997-2000

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

Related material

Teaching note, Video

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This case study is part of a series

Cell Network (A): From idea to take-off
Cell Network (B): Managing take-off
Cell Network (C): From take-off to mainstream

2001 EFMD AWARD WINNER (Entrepreneurship)

This case study is part of a series

Cell Network (A): From idea to take-off
Cell Network (B): Managing take-off
Cell Network (C): From take-off to mainstream

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