IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/revfec/v43y2025i3p317-335.html

Innovative startups and their traditional peers: Further evidence using performance and survival analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Luisa Anderloni
  • Murad Harasheh

Abstract

This study assesses the Italian Startup Act, introduced in 2012, to promote innovative entrepreneurship. Focusing on manufacturing firms registered between 2014 and 2017, we compare innovative startups with non‐innovative peers using matching techniques, survival analysis, probit models, and panel regressions. Findings reveal that innovative startups exhibit stronger financial structures, higher survival rates, and fewer credit constraints, though they take longer to achieve profitability. Firms with greater leverage are more likely to register as innovative, while larger firms are less inclined to do so. Intellectual property (IP) compliance correlates with higher survival and stronger patent activity. These results offer insights into industrial policy effectiveness. While the Startup Act supports financial access and firm resilience, its potential to drive innovation and IP development remains underexploited. Our analysis suggests the need for more targeted, regionally nuanced interventions to enhance the policy's impact and better support the growth of Italy's innovation‐driven startup ecosystem.

Suggested Citation

  • Luisa Anderloni & Murad Harasheh, 2025. "Innovative startups and their traditional peers: Further evidence using performance and survival analysis," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 317-335, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:revfec:v:43:y:2025:i:3:p:317-335
    DOI: 10.1002/rfe.70004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/rfe.70004
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/rfe.70004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lago, Nicole Cecchele & Marcon, Arthur & Ribeiro, Jose Luis Duarte & Olteanu, Yasmin & Fichter, Klaus, 2023. "The role of cooperation and technological orientation on startups' innovativeness: An analysis based on the microfoundations of innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    2. N. Berger, Allen & F. Udell, Gregory, 1998. "The economics of small business finance: The roles of private equity and debt markets in the financial growth cycle," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(6-8), pages 613-673, August.
    3. Bronwyn Hall & Christian Helmers & Mark Rogers & Vania Sena, 2014. "The Choice between Formal and Informal Intellectual Property: A Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(2), pages 375-423, June.
    4. Edoardo Ferrucci & Roberto Guida & Valentina Meliciani, 2021. "Financial constraints and the growth and survival of innovative start‐ups: An analysis of Italian firms," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 27(2), pages 364-386, March.
    5. William J. Baumol, 2004. "Entrepreneurial Enterprises, Large Established Firms and Other Components of the Free-Market Growth Machine," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 9-21, August.
    6. Giraudo, Emanuele & Giudici, Giancarlo & Grilli, Luca, 2019. "Entrepreneurship policy and the financing of young innovative companies: Evidence from the Italian Startup Act," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    7. Bendig, David & Göttel, Vincent & Eckardt, David & Schulz, Colin, 2024. "Human capital in corporate venture capital units and its relation to parent firms' innovative performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(6).
    8. Zoltan J. Acs & David B. Audretsch, 2008. "Innovation in Large and Small Firms: An Empirical Analysis," Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy, chapter 1, pages 3-15, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Del Sarto, Nicola & Cruz Cazares, Claudio & Di Minin, Alberto, 2022. "Startup accelerators as an open environment: The impact on startups’ innovative performance," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    10. Zoltán J. Ács & Pamela Mueller, 2015. "Employment effects of business dynamics: Mice, Gazelles and Elephants," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 16, pages 304-319, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Sarah Bridges & Alessandra Guariglia, 2008. "Financial Constraints, Global Engagement, And Firm Survival In The United Kingdom: Evidence From Micro Data," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 55(4), pages 444-464, September.
    12. Hyytinen, Ari & Pajarinen, Mika & Rouvinen, Petri, 2015. "Does innovativeness reduce startup survival rates?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 564-581.
    13. Francesco Biancalani & Dirk Czarnitzki & Massimo Riccaboni, 2022. "The Italian Start Up Act: a microeconometric program evaluation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1699-1720, March.
    14. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli, 2006. "Small and medium-size enterprises: Access to finance as a growth constraint," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2931-2943, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Angelo Leogrande & Mauro Di Molfetta & Valeria Notarnicola & Maria Giovanna Trotta, 2026. "Picking Winners or Marking Them? Timing-Based Evaluation of Innovation Certification," Working Papers hal-05662584, HAL.
    2. Leogrande, Angelo & di Molfetta, Mauro & Nortarnicola, Valeria & Trotta, Maria Giovanna & Magaletti, Nicola, 2026. "Certification, Not Transformation: The Performance Signature of Italy's Innovative-Firm Status and Its Regional Contingency," SocArXiv h5d7r_v1, Center for Open Science.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Edoardo Ferrucci & Roberto Guida & Valentina Meliciani, 2021. "Financial constraints and the growth and survival of innovative start‐ups: An analysis of Italian firms," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 27(2), pages 364-386, March.
    2. Falavigna, Greta & Ippoliti, Roberto, 2023. "SMEs’ behavior under financial constraints: An empirical investigation on the legal environment and the substitution effect with tax arrears," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    3. Jan-Bart Vervenne & Julie Callaert & Machteld Hoskens & Bart Looy, 2022. "To what extent do SMEs contribute to Europe’s patent stock? A methodological outline for creating a Europe-wide SME technology indicator," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(6), pages 3049-3082, June.
    4. Francesco Biancalani & Dirk Czarnitzki & Massimo Riccaboni, 2022. "The Italian Start Up Act: a microeconometric program evaluation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1699-1720, March.
    5. Bergner, Sören Martin & Bräutigam, Rainer & Evers, Maria Theresia & Spengel, Christoph, 2017. "The use of SME tax incentives in the European Union," ZEW Discussion Papers 17-006, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Mou, W.M. & Wong, W.-K. & McAleer, M.J., 2018. "Financial Credit Risk and Core Enterprise Supply Chains," Econometric Institute Research Papers EI2018-27, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Econometric Institute.
    7. Muhammad Arif & Mudassar Hasan & Ahmed Shafique Joyo & Christopher Gan & Sazali Abidin, 2020. "Formal Finance Usage and Innovative SMEs: Evidence from ASEAN Countries," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Segarra Blasco, Agustí, 1958- & Teruel, Mercedes, 2010. "Are small firms more sensitive to financial variables?," Working Papers 2072/151623, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    9. Jamil Paolo Francisco & Tristan Canare & Jean Rebecca Labios, 2018. "Obstacles and Enablers of Internationalization of Philippine SMEs Through Participation in Global Value Chains," Working Papers id:12905, eSocialSciences.
    10. ElBannan, Mona A., 2017. "Stock market liquidity, family ownership, and capital structure choices in an emerging country," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 201-231.
    11. Audretsch, David & Colombelli, Alessandra & Grilli, Luca & Minola, Tommaso & Rasmussen, Einar, 2020. "Innovative start-ups and policy initiatives," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(10).
    12. Marek, Philipp & Stein, Ingrid, 2022. "Basel III and SME bank finance in Germany," Discussion Papers 37/2022, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    13. Martinez Cillero, Maria & Lawless, Martina & O'Toole, Conor, 2019. "The determinants of SME capital structure across the lifecycle," Papers WP614, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    14. Maria Cristina Arcuri & Ivan Russo & Gino Gandolfi, 2025. "Productivity of innovation: the effect of innovativeness on start-up survival," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 1111-1169, June.
    15. Szczepaniec, Marek & Jurkiewicz, Tomasz, . "Kapitał ludzki a innowacje w małych i średnich firmach," Gospodarka Narodowa-The Polish Journal of Economics, Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie / SGH Warsaw School of Economics, vol. 2009(11-12).
    16. Chau Le & Bach Nguyen & Vinh Vo, 2024. "Do intangible assets help SMEs in underdeveloped markets gain access to external finance?—the case of Vietnam," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 833-855, February.
    17. Philippe Adair & Mohamed Adaskou, 2016. "The determinants of credit rationing of SMEs in France: A disequilibrium model upon a balanced panel [Les déterminants du rationnement du crédit des PME en France : un modèle de déséquilibre sur un panel cylindré (2002-2010)]," Post-Print hal-01667299, HAL.
    18. Suzana Baresa & Sinisa Bogdan & Zoran Ivanovic, 2017. "Specific Form Of Short-Term Financing," UTMS Journal of Economics, University of Tourism and Management, Skopje, Macedonia, vol. 8(2), pages 119-129.
    19. Forbeneh Agha Jude & Ntieche Adamou, 2018. "Bank Loan Financing Decisions of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: The Significance of Owner/Managers¡¯ Behaviours," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(5), pages 231-241, May.
    20. Doh, Soogwan & Kim, Byungkyu, 2014. "Government support for SME innovations in the regional industries: The case of government financial support program in South Korea," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1557-1569.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:revfec:v:43:y:2025:i:3:p:317-335. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1873-5924 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.