This project analyzes the growth patterns of entrepreneurial ventures - i.e., young, growth-oriented companies that engage in innovative activities (Desantola and Gulati, 2017).

More precisely, we study the relationship between the growth of entrepreneurial ventures and the dynamics of its top management team (TMT).

We examine this relationship in three categories of entrepreneurial ventures: (i) corporate spinoffs, i.e., firms founded by former employees of established companies in the same industry; (ii) academic spin-offs, i.e., firms founded by former university employees or based on knowledge originated in academic institutions; and (iii) startups, i.e., firms founded by individuals without prior employment or financial relationship with established firms in the industry.

The empirical analysis focuses on a sample of firms that have filed a patent application at the European Patent Office (EPO) in the years between 2003 and 2005 and that at the time of the invention were less than 10 years old.