The U.S. government’s lawsuit alleging violations of antitrust laws by technology giant Google marks a new era of uncertainty for emerging startup companies in Southeast Michigan and beyond, according to Erik Gordon, a clinical assistant professor at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
The immediate impact of the lawsuit, said Gordon in a recent story in Crain’s Detroit Business, will be a chilling effect in which companies like Google will likely halt any acquisition activity of smaller companies, taking off the table one common barometer of success for startups.
“I think it’s a new world for tech companies,” said Gordon, who focuses on entrepreneurship and technology commercialization, as well as all manner of business finance. “And … most small tech companies dream of being big, powerful tech companies.”
