ABSTRACT
Based on in-depth interviews with MBT start-up founders and employees, this chapter discusses how production processes in these firms differ from those established vertically integrated firms. It also examines the role of the state, academia, and VC discussed in the previous chapters at the firm level. By examining the exit strategies of MBT start-ups, this chapter, based on Marx’s notion of capital accumulation (M-C-M’), argues that the so-called successful MBT start-ups are enabling what is called as “double-layered accumulation,” and it is a specific phenomenon of knowledge-based enterprises that thrive on monopolistic technologies.
