How do green intellectual and co-creational capitals drive artificial intelligence innovation and green innovation in start-ups?

Purpose - This research examines the relationship between the green version of intellectual capital (IC) (measured through green versions of human, structural and relational capitals (GHC, GSC and GRC)), co-creational capital (CC), green innovation (GI), technological innovation (TI) (measured through artificial intelligence) and start-up competitive advantage (SCA). Design/methodology/approach - An online questionnaire collected data from 275 participants. To test the hypotheses, the data were analyzed using SmartPLS. Findings - The results confirmed the positive influence of GSC and CC on TI and GI, GRC with GI and that of GI and TI with SCA. The results also reveal that IC can influence innovation and describe how innovation can drive the competitive advantage (CA) of start-ups. Research limitations/implications - This self-report study examines the associations by collecting data at one point in time, which results in methodological limitations regarding the generalization of the results. The second limitation is that the findings are limited to start-ups. Originality/value - This research work examined a model that combined three components of green IC, customer capital, two forms of innovation and CA. These associations have not been previously examined yet can provide useful insight into what drives green and TIs and how they further influence competitiveness. This study provides unique inferences that improve the value of the literature on IC and innovation, using start-ups as context.