Startups in Russia: Ownership and performance

Abstract

During two decades the Russian government has invested heavily in support of high-tech startups. However, considering high level of information opacity of startups, we focus on equity as the primary source of their financing, and on owners as the main source of support for such firms. This paper examines how ownership characteristics affect the performance of high-tech performance of startups in nuclear and space industries. We focus on how different types of owners (founders, state, and venture capital) contribute to performance of startups in nuclear and space industries. Using an unbalanced panel of startups from Skolkovo, the largest Russian innovation cluster, from 2010 to 2016, we found evidence of a negative relationship between a support from government-related organizations and chosen indicators of startup performance. Our findings confirmed the significant impact of private venture capital on startup performance, however the effect is industry-specific. While family equity contributions were not found to have a significant impact on startup performance, we identified a positive relationship between owner or CEO change and future startup performance. We discuss potential interpretations of the findings and provide strategic management insights for startup owners and investors.