Abstract
Objective: this research investigates the impact of intellectual capital (IC) on the longevity of startups in global accelerator programs, focusing on human, social, and structural capital.
Methods: Utilizing data from Emory University’s GALI Entrepreneurship Database Survey Program, a logistic regression model predicts the survival likelihood of pre-seed stage startups based on their initial IC levels.
Results: the findings reveal that social and structural capital positively influence startup survival, while human capital does not. Specifically, founders’ entrepreneurial experience, a proxy for specific human capital, does not enhance survival odds.
Conclusions: this suggests that other factors, such as socio-demographic characteristics, financial constraints, diversity, temporal aspects, gender, and accelerator-related variables, play a significant role in startup success. By controlling for these predictors, the study isolates the effect of IC, thereby strengthening its contribution to the literature on IC and entrepreneurship. It provides cross-sectional and global evidence of IC’s influence on new ventures, offering practical implications for designing more effective accelerator programs and policies to foster new venture creation in various contexts.