• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.67-80
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• 2022

This study was conducted to derive policy measures such as fostering and supporting by examining the actual conditions of domestic startups. The subject of this study was the start-ups located in Seongnam-si, where Pangyo Techno Valley, which is the highest-level innovation cluster in Korea and is evaluated as a start-up mecca. Startups were defined as startups under 7 years old based on new technologies such as IT, BT, and CT, and the subjects of the study were selected. This can be seen as a step forward from previous research in that it embodies the concept of a startup that was previously abstract in a quantitatively measurable way. As a result of the analysis, about 94% of startups are distributed in the so-called "Death Valley" growth stage, and startups above scale-up, which means full-scale growth beyond BEP, account for about 6%. appeared to be occupied. He cited the problem of start-up funds as the biggest difficulty in the early stages of startups, and cited the loan evaluation method that prioritizes sales or collateral in raising funds as the biggest problem. In addition, start-ups rated the access to private investment capital such as VC, AC, and angel investors at a low level compared to policy funds, which are public funds. Most startups showed a lot of interest in overseas expansion, and they chose matching overseas investors such as overseas VCs as the biggest support for overseas expansion. The overall competitiveness in the overseas market was 49.6 points, which is less than 50 points out of 100, indicating that the overall competitiveness was somewhat inferior. It was analyzed that public support and investment in overseas sales channels (sales channels, distribution networks, etc.) should be prioritized along with enhancement of technological competitiveness in order for domestic startups to increase their competitiveness in overseas markets as well as in the domestic market.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-29
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• 2023

Overcoming the death valley, a period in which resources are depleted and profitability declines or stagnates in the entrepreneurial process, is an essential procedure for success. In this study, we examined how the strategic orientation(technology, customer, competitor orientations) and absorptive capacity(potential, realized capacities) of startups affect the possibility of startups to overcome the challenges of death valley, and also empirically analyzed whether support of open innovation and venture capital has a moderating influence to the overcoming of death valley. The result of this study shows that customer orientation and realized absorptive capacity have a positive influence on overcoming the death valley. In addition, we found that the support of open innovation and venture capital has a moderating effect only in the technology orientation among the three types of strategic orientations. The result of this research emphasizes (1) the need for startups to take a more customer-oriented approach to overcome the death valley. The customer-oriented behavior and strategies of startups are vital for their longterm survival and success if we consider the fact that most of the companies investigated in this study were technology-based startups and only customer orientation showed significant results in overcoming the death valley. The research outcome also shows that (2) implementing innovation in a more open way and securing venture capital funding can make it easier for startups to overcome the death valley. This study has academic significance in that it empirically analyzed the relationship of key factors influencing the overcoming of death valley in a situation where the majority of existing research remains at the conceptual level of discussion or methodology of case study. Furthermore, this research also provides practical implications for the establishment and implementation of effective strategies to confront the challenges of death valley for startups, government and related organizations.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.39-50
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• 2022

Based on the signaling theory, this study examined whether startups are more likely to attract venture investment when receiving government R&D subsidies. First, we reviewed previous studies of the investment decision-making process of venture capitalists and understood the conditions that influence investment decisions. Based on previous studies on the signal effect of government subsidies, particularly government R&D grants, on inducing private fund investment, this study revealed a mechanism to induce venture investment by startups. In addition, in order to verify whether government R&D subsidies have the effect of inducing venture investment, an empirical analysis was conducted based on data from startups under seven years and certified as a venture companies in 2021. This paper used PSM(Propensity Score Matching) method and DID(Difference In Difference) analysis for an empirical study to analyze the average treatment effect on the treated group(beneficiary startups of government R&D grants). As a result of empirical analysis, companies that receive more government R&D subsidies after starting a business are more likely to attract venture investment. From two to three years after conducting the first government R&D project, startups that received government R&D grants attracted more venture investment than those that did not. The results of this paper demonstrate that government R&D projects can also affect the venture investment ecosystem, giving policy implications to government R&D projects targeting startups. It is also expected to suggest strategic implications to startups that need new funding.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

There is growing empirical evidence that passion is an important part of entrepreneurship and influences the intentions, behaviors and performance of entrepreneurs, employees and startups. Passion is especially important in an entrepreneurial context, given the effort and challenge that entrepreneurs starting a startup must overcome. The purpose of this study was to confirm the effect of the passion of startup entrepreneurs participating in the accelerator incubation program and the passion of accelerator entrepreneurs and managers on the entrepreneurial performance of incubator startups. In addition, we tried to confirm whether entrepreneurial self-efficacy plays a mediating role in this influence relationship. The survey was conducted online by startups entrepreneur who completed the accelerator incubation program. A total of 330 questionnaires were used for the analysis. As a result of the empirical analysis, it was confirmed that the passion of startup entrepreneurs and the passion of accelerator entrepreneurs and managers all had a positive (+) effect on the entrepreneurial performance of incubator startups. The influence of passion was found to be high in the order of startup entrepreneurs, accelerator entrepreneurs, and accelerator managers. It was confirmed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy plays a mediating role between the passion of startup entrepreneurs, the passion of accelerator entrepreneurs, and the entrepreneurial performance of incubator startups, respectively. However, no significant mediating role was identified between the passion of accelerator managers and the entrepreneurial performance of incubator startups. This study is significant in empirically confirming for the first time that the passion of accelerator entrepreneurs and managers has a positive effect on the entrepreneurial performance of incubator startups. The passion of accelerator entrepreneurs and managers is playing an important role as a hidden lynchpin in creating the entrepreneurial performance of incubator startups. In particular, since the passion of accelerator entrepreneurs has a great influence on the performance of incubator startups, it is necessary to recognize this fact and carefully examine their passion reputation when startups select accelerators.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.41-55
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• 2023

In order to secure sustainable competitiveness of startups, business model innovation is an important task to achieve competitive advantage by transforming the various elements that make up the business model. This study conducted a multi-case analysis study on leading smart farm companies around the world using an analysis framework based on business model theory. Through this, we sought to identify business model types and their constituent elements. For this, 19 companies were selected from the list of top 10 investment startups of the year for the past three years published by Agfunder, a global investment research company specializing in AgTech. Then data collection and analysis of the company cases were conducted according to the case study protocol. As a result of the study, the business model types were analyzed into four types: large-scale centralized production model, medium-to-large local distributed production model, small-scale hyperlocal modular FaaS model, and small-scale hyperlocal turnkey solution supply model. A comparative analysis was conducted on five business model components for each type, and strategic implications were derived through this. This study is expected to contribute to improving the competitiveness of domestic smart farm startups and diversifying their strategies by identifying the business models of overseas leading companies in the smart farm field using an academic analysis framework.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.61-79
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• 2023

This study is a case study of overseas banana farms as a global agricultural startup that has hardly been attempted so far in terms of paradigm shift in the industry, beyond regional limitations. It was researched for the purpose of revealing the success factors of 'global agricultural startup' in terms of business process, entrepreneurship, and management dimensions learned through direct participation and observation at the local level. In order to study global agricultural startups, this study also conducted a comparative analysis of global startups (global startups) and global agricultural startups(global agricultural startups). In fact, the analysis consists of 'definition', 'components', and 'success factors', and we want to confirm the difference between the two concepts that can be distinguished. The case analysis tried to maximize the advantages of 'participatory action research' by directly observing and experiencing banana farms. In the case of banana farm cases, by dividing them into preparation process for farm development and farm development and management process, various variables considered in farm management were explained through the whole process of farm management. Through the process of overcoming and responding to specific failure cases, we tried to secure the reliability and validity of the research, and the case studies related to entrepreneurship, management, and organization analyzed by applying them by subdividing them into theoretical areas belonging to components and management that were theorized in existing preceding studies. This study is almost the first study on the process of creating a local entry business by directly moving the head office overseas rather than entering overseas agriculture as a subsidiary, joint venture or overseas corporation. In particular, it is a unique case that corresponds to agriculture in terms of region(Africa), scale(startup), and industry that have not been introduced so far as a global agricultural startup. In terms of entrepreneurship, it also concretely exemplified how entrepreneurship components such as innovativeness, risk-taking propensity, proactiveness, vision sharing, social contribution, leadership, etc., which have not been attempted so far in agricultural cases, are manifested and effective. The management and cultural aspects also went beyond the argument that only cultural aspects are important in overseas business, and also confirmed individual failure cases and their responses in recruitment, job, wage, retirement, development, organizational structure management, etc. As a result, there is significance and implications of this study in that it provides theoretical confirmation as well as practical and responsive basis for 'entrepreneurship', 'farming management', and 'management' aspects in overseas agricultural startup business operation.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

Existing research on the investment relationship between venture capital and start-up companies has mainly focused on choosing a startup from the perspective of venture capital, an investor. However, as competition among venture capital has increased recently, excellent start-ups with proven technology are choosing venture capital in reversely. This study investigated key elements that affect the selection of the venture capital by a startup. To this end, we looked at which venture capital company was selected as the final investor for startups that have received investment proposals from multiple venture capitals at the same time. Six early start-ups(pre-series A/Series A) and five mid-term (Series B/C) start-ups were interviewed to focus on the influence of the three elements regarding venture capital - 1) venture capital reputation, 2) relationship between cofounders and investors, and 3) value adding service provided by venture capital - on choice. As a result of the research, the investment portfolio among the reputations of venture capital was a very important element in selecting venture capital. However, it has been shown that the age and asset under management of venture capital are not important. Relationships have emerged as a very important element. Finally, as for venture capital's value-adding services, start-ups in this study did not consider it important. In particular, consulting and monitoring by venture capital has been found to be a burdening attribute for startups. This study suggests implications that can increase the probability of successful investment by venture capital in the investment market where investment competition is fierce, and enhance mutual understanding between venture capital and startups.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.366-376
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• 2019

Youth unemployment reached a record high in 2017, and business revitalization is emerging as a means of overcoming this situation. The number of venture companies and amounts of new venture investments are increasing year on year, and the government has upgraded Small and Medium Business Administration to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. However, the success rate of startups is relatively poor. Over the past three years only 39.1% of Korean startups survived and 90% of companies failed in the Valley of Death phase. Survival this phase is critical for early startups, and thus, the amount and timing of investments are critical. Current models for establishing business startups do not effectively attract investments because they lack practical, corporate evaluation variables. In this paper, we develop a mixed process that incorporates the factors and business models focused on by venture capital investors. In addition, we compared our Death Valley Venture (DVV) process with current methods and provide an example of its application.

• Science & Technology Policy
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.34-37
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• 2015

2013년 8월 출시된 버드뷰의 '화해(화장품을 해석하다)' 서비스는 화장품 성분의 분석 결과를 제공하여 유해 성분을 피하고 건강한 화장품을 소비하려는 많은 여성들의 폭발적인 지지를 얻고 있다. 2014년 11월, 본엔젤스, 사이버에이전트벤처스 등으로부터 6억원을 투자받고, 출시 1년 8개월만에 다운로드 120만건, 회원 110만명, 월 방문자수 34만명을 달성한 버드뷰의 이웅 대표를 만나 국내 화장품 시장의 새로운 구매 패턴을 만들어 영향력 있는 모바일 화장품 커머스 기업으로 도약하려는 그의 포부를 들어본다.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.39-50
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• 2018

A main purpose of this research is to identify success factors of start-up based on the AER case study. As a result of case analysis, In the early stage, the success factors of start-up are the entrepreneur's history, experience, expertise, prompt judgment, problem-solving ability, the capacity and teamwork of its members, business networks and supporting government start-ups. In the commercialization stage, securing commercialization and investment funds, timing, differentiation strategy, overseas advancement, and acceptance of customer feedback are important. In the growth stage (maturity stage), new product launches and diversification, and establishment of organizational culture are important. Based on the results of this analysis, this study sought success factors and implications for each stage and sought research directions in the future.