Venture Builders and the Creation of Scaleups - by Paola Belingheri & Christian Lechner (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This open access book explores the potential of venture-builders, which is a groundbreaking model for creating startups from scratch. Unlike traditional accelerators or incubators, venture-builders leverage structured processes and expert guidance to mitigate risks and accelerate startups toward scalable growth.

Providing a novel classification of venture-building models, the authors evaluate their effectiveness in fostering scaleups--high-growth firms crucial for economic development and innovation. Drawing from a unique dataset of interviews with European venture-builders, the authors go on to reveal key design archetypes and their impact on entrepreneurial ecosystems. It connects venture-building with startup scaling, addressing critical factors like access to resources, funding, and de-risking.

By linking practice with research, it offers actionable insights for policymakers, academics, and practitioners. Whether you are a manager in a venture-builder, a policymaker aiming to stimulate growth, or a researcher studying entrepreneurship, this book will illuminate how venture-builders can unlock new opportunities in high-growth entrepreneurship.

From the Back Cover

This open access book explores the phenomenon of venture builders as an emerging startup support model for creating startups. Unlike traditional accelerators or incubators, venture builders intervene from the startups' inception, leveraging structured processes and expert guidance to mitigate risks and accelerate startups.

The authors present a novel classification of venture building models and assess their effectiveness in fostering scaleups--high-growth firms vital to innovation and economic growth. Using original interview data and datasets on European venture builders' ambitions, the authors identify key design archetypes and examine how resource access, funding, and de-risking influence the potential to create rapidly scaling startups.

By linking practice with research, the book offers actionable insights for policymakers, academics, and practitioners. Whether you are a manager in a venture builder, a policymaker aiming to stimulate growth, or a researcher studying entrepreneurship, this book will illuminate how venture builders can unlock new opportunities in high-growth entrepreneurship.

Paola Belingheri is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Luiss University in Rome. She co-founded several startups and has experienced a host of incubation and acceleration programs. Her research includes studies on technology entrepreneurship through licensing, how entrepreneurs approach patenting, and the potential of venture building to foster scaleups.

Christian Lechner is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Department in Business & Management at Luiss University, Rome. He has been advising startups, launched the TBSeeds incubator of Toulouse Business School, built programs across Europe, and published widely in top journals, contributing to research, policy, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development.

About the Author

Paola Belingheri is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Luiss University in Rome, Italy. She has previously co-founded several startups and has experienced a host of incubation and acceleration programs. Her research on entrepreneurship includes studies on technology entrepreneurship through licensing, and the exploration of how entrepreneurs approach patenting in the space sector.

Christian Lechner is a Full Professor of Entrepreneurship with over 20 years of experience in teaching, research, startup advising, and policy development. He is currently the Director of Department in Business & Management at Luiss University, Rome. Former Associate Dean of Research at Luiss Business School. His extensive entrepreneurship background includes the establishment and management of entrepreneurship programs in Germany, France, and Italy, resulting in the creation of over 100 startups. He launched and directed the startup incubator at Toulouse Business School (TBSeeds). A close collaborator with startup accelerators, Christian has actively contributed to policy activities related to ecosystem development. Currently, he remains actively engaged in European projects aimed at fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems. His research in entrepreneurship has been published in the leading academic journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice or International Small Business Journal.