The role of media memorability in facilitating startups’ access to venture capital funding

Media reputation plays an important role in attracting venture capital investment. However, prior research has focused too narrowly on general media exposure, limiting our understanding of how media truly influences funding decisions. As informed decision-makers, venture capitalists respond to more nuanced aspects of media content. We introduce the concept of media memorability—the media’s ability to imprint a startup’s name in the memory of relevant investors. Using data from 197 UK startups in the micro and nanotechnology sector (funded between 1995 and 2004), we show that media memorability significantly influences investment outcomes. Our findings suggest that venture capitalists rely on detailed cues such as a startup’s distinctiveness and connectivity within news semantic networks. This contributes to research on entrepreneurial finance and media legitimation. In practice, startups should go beyond frequent media mentions to strengthen brand memorability through more targeted, meaningful coverage highlighting their uniqueness and relevance within the broader industry conversation.