Jason Zein

Professor Zein is a Professor of Finance at the University of New South Wales Business School. His research examines how public and private capital markets influence firm behavior and investment incentives, particularly in innovation-driven sectors.

His work in entrepreneurial finance focuses on the strategic interaction between startups and established firms, the valuation and pricing of venture capital investments, the role of investor characteristics in determining venture outcomes, and the measurement of venture capitalist skill. His earlier research examines ownership and control structures of firms around the world and their various effects on company outcomes.

Professor Zein has served as an expert witness and consultant on matters involving venture capital and private equity markets, including the high-profile GoCatch vs. Uber case in the Supreme Court of Victoria, where he analysed whether GoCatch could have raised sufficient funding to compete with Uber.

His research has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, and the Journal of Financial Economics, and has been featured in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, and Bloomberg. He has also received multiple awards recognizing his research and has been awarded over AUD 1 million in competitive research funding from the Australian Research Council to study venture capital and private equity markets. Professor Zein currently serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Banking & Finance.

Professor Zein has taught courses in venture capital and private equity at the University of New South Wales and at the University of Melbourne for almost 20 years.