In contrast to hard information, soft information is non-necessarily-factive, hence revisable in the presence of new information.
Effective communication of quantitative information (hard information) and qualitative information (soft information) by innovator entrepreneurs in the financial market is particularly important in funding innovative projects.
In particular, managers were asked to express an opinion on the relevance of certain categories of quantitative information (hard information) and qualitative information (soft information) in order to assess the creditworthiness of large firms and SMEs.
In the second part of the questionnaire, it asked to express an opinion on the relevance of certain categories of quantitative information (hard information) and qualitative information (soft information) to assess the funding worthiness of the innovative projects (Table 14).
The need to report their investments and to ensure a minimum return to savers compels venture capitalists to attach greater importance to quantitative information (hard information) rather than qualitative information (soft information) regarding the innovative project.
Managers of large banks base their analysis of firm creditworthiness on quantitative information (hard information), while they judge qualitative information (soft information) scarcely relevant, regardless of the size of the firms requiring a credit line.
