ABSTRACT
The rapid rise of the entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem since the early 2000s led to the development of various start-up development organizations (SDOs) designed to assist founders at various stages. With a growing number of SDO options and limited resources and time, founders may have difficulty selecting an appropriate SDO with which to engage. Similarly, the complex nature of this space makes it difficult for investors to assess the role of SDOs concerning start-up risk factors and odds of success. Both science and practice have yet to identify factors of SDOs that contribute to their performance. Two issues that serve as barriers to identifying success factors are that scientific studies are limited and terminology is inconsistent. Therefore, it remains unclear whether engagement with an SDO increases start-ups’ success and, in turn, a positive return on investment to the investor. This chapter contributes to the literature by identifying differentiating features of SDOs and outlining current evaluation and comparison methods. The chapter concludes with future research topics that will further our understanding of factors critical to SDO performance.
