Coopetitive dynamics and inter-organizational knowledge flow among venture capital firms

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze important theoretical work conducted in the research streams of coopetition dynamics and knowledge flows in the area of start-up entrepreneurship. The authors see in practice that venture capital (VC) firms are a highly essential component of the environment that gives birth to entrepreneurial ventures, helping them to grow profoundly. Interorganizational collaborations facilitate VC firms to be a beneficial partner because except for providing funding, they also possess knowledge-based resources to support the new business. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature was conducted, using relevant keywords and academic databases. Then, the backward search was implemented to examine the references of the selected papers, and finally, the forward search to explore the citations of the selected papers. After the selection of papers, they were classified according to their content. A thorough search of the extant literature was done in Scopus and Google Scholar using a combination of keywords such as coopetition, knowledge flows, VC firms, interorganizational and inter-firm knowledge dynamics. Findings This paper highlights the capability of venture capitalists and provides insights as to how knowledge transfer and sharing between VC firms affect new venture’s growth and prosperity. Research limitations/implications This paper attempts to provide new perspectives and explore the significance of interorganizational coopetition and knowledge transfer and sharing between VC firms when they take part in the support and development of new ventures (e.g. start-ups). A theoretical model is proposed via the coopetition dynamics and inter-firm knowledge flows in the VC sector framework. Originality/value This paper adds to the existing theoretical knowledge and underlines the topic of interorganizational coopetition and knowledge flows between VC firms. This is the first attempt, on the one hand, to link inter-firm knowledge flows and new venture development, while on the other to examine the dynamics between VC firms and the collective contribution for the growth of start-ups.