What entrepreneurial decisions enable the breeding of digital platform unicorns?
Bez, Sea Matilda (University of Montpellier)
Narbón Perpiñá, Isabel (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica)
Pundziene, Asta (Kaunas University of Technology)
Sermontyte-baniule, Rima (Kaunas University of Technology)

Publicació:	John Wiley and Sons ; 2025
Descripció:	33 pàg.
Resum:	Research Summary: Digital platforms have revolutionized business sectors; however, despite their significant success, platform unicorns remain rare. While extensive research exists on digital platform growth, it is uncertain what entrepreneurial decisions achieve unicorn status. We address the research question of what combination of complementary entrepreneurial decisions increases and decreases the likelihood of becoming a platform unicorn. The study examines 125 digital mental health platform ventures, including 12 unicorns, using the Dealroom database and decision tree methodology. We provide combinations of complementary decisions concerning fundraising timing, funding sources, digital technologies, and business model choices that affect a platform venture's probability of becoming a unicorn. The study offers decision profiles for navigating the uncertainties of the digital age. We discuss implications for strategic entrepreneurship and a judgment-based approach. Managerial Summary: In the digital age, achieving unicorn status depends on the right combination of complementary decisions about fundraising timing, funding sources, digital technology, and business model choices. Entrepreneurs dealing with uncertainty frequently rely on their intuition to make such decisions. Our research complements intuition with evidence that can now be obtained by deploying artificial intelligence tools like decision trees and highlights complementary decision profiles that have a higher likelihood of becoming unicorns, such as profiles with early-stage funding, no government funding, and deep tech serving the B2B market. Conversely, we identify combinations with less than 1% success rates, indicating failed judgments. Research insights can help entrepreneurs and investors make better-informed decisions to enhance mental health platform venture success and be aware of possible failure.
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Business model ; Deep tech ; Digital platform unicorns ; Entrepreneurial decision ; Funding ; Mental health ; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Publicat a:	Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, ISSN 1932-443X

DOI: 10.1002/sej.1543

33 p, 2.8 MB

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