A Review of Entrepreneurship and Startup Ecosystems

Abstract

Entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems have emerged as critical drivers of innovation, economic growth, employment generation, and regional development. In recent decades, policymakers, academics, and practitioners have increasingly focused on understanding how ecosystem components—such as entrepreneurs, investors, institutions, culture, infrastructure, and support mechanisms—interact to foster successful new ventures. This review paper examines the conceptual foundations, evolution, and key dimensions of entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems. Drawing upon classical theories of entrepreneurship and contemporary ecosystem frameworks, the study synthesizes existing literature to analyze ecosystem structures, success factors, challenges, and policy implications. A comparative analysis of prominent ecosystem models highlights their strengths and limitations. The review concludes that effective entrepreneurship ecosystems are context-specific, dynamic, and dependent on coordinated interactions among multiple stakeholders rather than isolated interventions.