Search

Start-ups are pivotal to economic development and innovation, yet many face failure, often due to limited access to finance. Venture capital emerges as a crucial funding source, yet only a slim fraction of start-ups seeking such investments succeed. This research delves into the allure of venture capital for start-ups and the challenges they encounter in securing funding. Additionally, it explores the perspectives of venture capitalists, identifying key factors influencing their investment decisions. Through a blend of primary and secondary research, including a survey completed by 107 venture capitalists from the author's LinkedIn network, this study offers descriptive insights into the venture capital landscape. The findings underscore the significance of growth potential, industry knowledge, risk mitigation, the ability to secure substantial funding, and increased visibility as factors making venture capital appealing to start-ups. From the venture capitalists' viewpoint, the pivotal elements shaping investment decisions include the quality of the management team, founders' experience and expertise, financial projections, product scalability, and industry attractiveness. Notably, the application of the Friedman two-way analysis of variance by ranks revealed statistically significant differences in the prioritization of these factors, highlighting the nuanced criteria venture capitalists employ in their evaluations. Conversely, the impact of winning prestigious grants appeared minimal, while specialized skills, education, and referrals held moderate importance. This research offers valuable guidance for start-ups, providing a clearer understanding of the criteria emphasized by venture capitalists. Armed with this knowledge, start-ups can refine their strategies to align more closely with investors' priorities, potentially enhancing their prospects of obtaining venture capital funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyse savings and credit groups (SCGs) to investigate whether belonging to these groups contributes favourably to entrepreneurship. SCGs are community-based groups that represent a form of informal finance in developing countries. For the analysis, we adopt the social embeddedness theory, and test our hypotheses on a unique sample of respondents to a survey in Kenya finding a positive relationship between SCGs and the creation of new ventures. The results show that the levels of education and wealth are positively associated with the likelihood of creating a new venture, but SCG membership negatively moderates these relationships. Thus, the benefits of SCG membership are larger for less-educated and less-wealthy individuals that can offset, at least in part, the disadvantages related to these low levels. Finally, to provide insights for future research and policy, we focus on the group characteristics associated with the likelihood of creating new ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the determinants of entrepreneurial modes of entry by conducting a paper-based survey among 3547 students in Vietnam. The focus is to identify the influence of family business background and attitude toward risk on the intention to choose between business takeover versus new venture start-up modes. Results of hierarchical multinomial and binomial logistic model analyses show that people whose parents are self-employed tend to have higher motivation for business takeovers. Meanwhile, people who have higher levels of risk-taking tend to favor new venture start-ups. Results show that entrepreneurship is nurtured through family bonds. From that perspective, it is important to enhance social attitudes toward entrepreneurship and create an entrepreneurship culture to cultivate entrepreneurship among generations. Results also imply the importance of building an entrepreneurial-friendly environment where risk-taking action is tolerant of failing. These findings persist consistently through robustness checks by eliminating respondents who selected inheriting their family business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been rapid digitalization in agriculture, with India seeing a significant rise in agricultural technology (agtech) start‐ups. Many of these start‐ups promise to address the climate crisis by promoting the economic and ecological sustainability of agriculture through market‐driven business models. Using institutional ethnography and counteraccounting at an Indian agtech start‐up, this article illuminates social, economic, and ecological relationships that are obscured by one firm's accounting practices. It shows how, despite tech‐entrepreneurs intending to help farmers, violence remains built into the design and effects of rapidly scaled‐up (“blitzscaled”) sustainability programs. The article proposes violent sustainability as a concept to highlight the unintended harm caused to potential beneficiaries due to structural violence underlying tech‐entrepreneurialism and inherent design flaws in blitzscaled sustainability programs. In doing so, it challenges the normalization and monetization of recurrent failures prevalent in tech‐entrepreneurial ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods Results Conclusions Connecting an infusion line to a closed stopcock results in pressurization of fluid within the syringe infusion pump assembly leading to flow irregularities when opening the stopcock and activating the pump.It was the purpose of this study to assess the extent of pressurization under different conditions and its impact on start‐up fluid delivery.Intraluminal pressures and start‐up fluid delivery at 1 mL/h flow rate were assessed with connection of the infusion line 1 min (delayed connection) or immediately after purging (immediate connection) using two different infusion lines made from polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE).Delayed connection resulted in an increase of intraluminal pressures from zero to 5.1 [4.5 to 5.7] mmHg with the PVC line and from zero to 47.1 [44.8 to 49.3] mmHg with the PE line (mean difference 42.0 [95% CI 39.3–44.7] mmHg; p < .0001). Immediate connection resulted in an increase of intraluminal pressures from zero to 44.3 [41.8–46.8] mmHg with the PVC line and from zero to 61.3 [57.2–65.4] mmHg with the PE line (mean difference 17.0 [95% CI 11.8–22.2] mmHg; p < .0001). The increase in intraluminal pressures was significantly higher with PE lines for both delayed and immediate connection when compared to the PVC lines (mean difference 29.5 [95% CI 19.3–39.7] mmHg; p < .0001). Related fluid volumes delivered at 10 s and 360 s after starting the pump ranged from −252% to 1321% (10 s) of expected infusion volumes and from 59% to 129% (360 s), respectively.Both, timing of infusion line connection after purging and infusion line characteristics considerably affect intraluminal pressures and start‐up fluid delivery when connecting a new syringe infusion pump assembly to a closed stopcock. Consecutive alterations in drug administration can have considerable hemodynamic consequences when dealing with catecholamine infusions in critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The start-up of filters for NH 4 + and Mn2+ removal by catalytic oxidation was studied. • Different combinations of oxidants and reductants were introduced during the start-up period. • Comparison of catalytic oxidation activity of MnOx follows: Mn7+→MnO x ˃Mn7+→MnO x ←Mn2+ ˃ Mn2+→MnO x. • Potassium permanganate was more conducive to the formation of active species. A pilot-scale filtration system was adopted to prepare filter media with catalytic activity to remove manganese (Mn2+) and ammonium (NH 4 +-N). Three different combinations of oxidants (KMnO 4 and K 2 FeO 4) and reductants (MnSO 4 and FeCl 2) were used during the start-up period. Filter R3 started up by KMnO 4 and FeCl 2 (Mn7+→MnO x) exhibited excellent catalytic property, and the NH 4 +-N and Mn2+ removal efficiency reached over 80% on the 10th and 35th days, respectively. Filter R1 started up by K 2 FeO 4 and MnSO 4 (MnO x ←Mn2+) exhibited the worst catalytic property. Filter R2 started up by KMnO 4 and MnSO 4 (Mn7+→MnO x ←Mn2+) were in between. According to Zeta potential results, the Mn-based oxides (MnO x) formed by Mn7+→MnO x performed the highest pH IEP and pH PZC. The higher the pH IEP and pH PZC , the more unfavorable the cation adsorption. However, it was inconsistent with its excellent Mn2+ and NH 4 +-N removal abilities, implying that catalytic oxidation played a key role. Combined with XRD and XPS analysis, the results showed that the MnO x produced by the reduction of KMnO 4 showed early formation of buserite crystals, high degree of amorphous, high content of Mn3+ and lattice oxygen with the higher activity to form defects. The above results showed that MnO x produced by the reduction of KMnO 4 was more conducive to the formation of active species for catalytic oxidation of NH 4 +-N and Mn2+ removal. This study provides new insights on the formation mechanisms of the active MnO x that could catalytic oxidation of NH 4 +-N and Mn2+. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates how business incubator support affects subsequent firm performance. We build on and extend a recent focus on organisational sponsorship mechanisms, applying the lens to business incubators. We first ask: Is there an overall effect of business incubator sponsorship on subsequent firm performance? Second, we ask: To what extent do the decisions of business incubator managers, in terms of allocating resources to start-up firms, impact the subsequent firm performance? We use a unique dataset consisting of the entire population of business incubators in Sweden and their start-ups from 2005 to 2015. Results indicate that business incubator sponsorship has a positive effect on firm performance, while the effects of various forms of sponsorship vary from large positive to neutral effects. Thus, we confirm earlier research on the positive effects of sponsorship and give input on how business managers can use sponsorship theory to provide more optimal resource allocation over time. It appears that coaching and legitimacy have more positive impact on firm level performance compared to other sponsoring activities. Sponsorship is a complex issue, meriting increased theoretical and managerial understanding of its forms and mechanisms. In this respect, our study of how the sponsorship activities of business incubators affect start-up performance complements and extends previous studies of how the effects of business incubator sponsorship depend on external contingencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the fuel injection stage of the FCC unit, the connection between the reaction and the compressor is very important, which is the key to ensure the control of the reaction pressure and work without flaring at the inlet of the compressor. Due to the many interference factors during the start-up fuel injection process, the operation is unstable, it is necessary to discharge flaring at the compressor inlet several times to control the reaction pressure, so that a large number of gas-rich components are discharged to the flaring system for combustion. Through practical exploration, combined with the performance parameters of the compressor, several ways of start-up without flaring are compared, and finally the shortest way of using dry gas and injection of feedstock is chosen to start the unit. By formulating detailed start-up plans and operating principles, optimizing the process, accurate control of start-up pressurized dry gas, reaction injection amount, compressor speed, compressor anti-surge amount and other parameters can be carried out in the actual start-up process. The goal of without flaring during the start-up process is achieved, effectively reducing environmental pollution, avoiding material loss during the start-up process, and realizing green environmentally friendly start-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how start-ups manage high-turbulent markets during the first six-months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how dynamic capabilities are operationalized in that situation. A multiple-case study approach was employed to investigate eight start-up cases in Indonesia. Indonesia was chosen to represent an emerging economy with a tremendous growing number of start-ups. The data are presented based on the evolving circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis. The research findings illustrate how dynamic capabilities are operationalized simultaneously with the validation of adjusted business models through simple-experiential routines, iterative executions, and action-oriented processes amidst the high-turbulent markets. Dynamic capabilities that operate in full combination by sensing, seizing, and transforming capabilities potentially can facilitate the creation of values for firms faster than otherwise. This study also identifies specific elements and alignment mechanisms incorporated in the dynamic capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Start-ups are essential contributors to economic development, but they often face several barriers to growth, including access to finance. We study their capital structure in their early years of operation through the lens of Pecking Order Theory, exploring how the pursuit of innovation influences firms' reliance on different types of finance. Panel analyses of 8273 German start-ups show that innovation activities are relevant predict start-ups' revealed preferences for finance. Effects on the type and order of financing sources depend on the degree of information asymmetries specific to research and development activities, human capital endowments, and the market introduction of new products and processes. New firms focused on research and development activities and with better human capital are less likely to receive informationally complex finance such as debt and will rely relatively more on owner and equity finance. Mixed evidence is found, instead, on the role of new products or processes. Our results suggest that the traditional pecking order theory does not hold for new firms, implying that owner and external equity play a much more prominent role for such firms. Then, managers and entrepreneurs should consider specific sources of finance and financial instruments in light of their innovative activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the impact of the vertical level of the stopcock connecting the infusion line to the central venous catheter on start-up fluid delivery in microinfusions. Start-up fluid delivery was measured under standardized conditions with the syringe outlet and liquid flow sensors positioned at heart level (0 cm) and exposed to a simulated CVP of 10 mmHg at a set flow rate of 1 ml/h. Flow and intraluminal pressures were measured with the infusion line connected to the stopcock primarily placed at vertical levels of 0 cm, + 30 cm and − 30 cm or primarily placed at 0 cm and secondarily, after connecting the infusion line, displaced to + 30 cm and − 30 cm. Start-up fluid delivery 10 s after opening the stopcock placed at zero level and after opening the stopcock primarily connected at zero level and secondary displaced to vertical levels of + 30 cm and – 30 cm were similar (− 10.52 [− 13.85 to − 7.19] µL; − 8.84 [− 12.34 to − 5.33] µL and − 11.19 [− 13.71 to − 8.67] µL (p = 0.469)). Fluid delivered at 360 s related to 65% (zero level), 71% (+ 30 cm) and 67% (− 30 cm) of calculated infusion volume (p = 0.395). Start-up fluid delivery with the stopcock primarily placed at + 30 cm and − 30 cm resulted in large anterograde and retrograde fluid volumes of 34.39 [33.43 to 35.34] µL and − 24.90 [− 27.79 to − 22.01] µL at 10 s, respectively (p < 0.0001). Fluid delivered with the stopcock primarily placed at + 30 cm and − 30 cm resulted in 140% and 35% of calculated volume at 360 s, respectively (p < 0.0001). Syringe infusion pumps should ideally be connected to the stopcock positioned at heart level in order to minimize the amounts of anterograde and retrograde fluid volumes after opening of the stopcock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study analyzes the determinants of entrepreneurial modes of entry by conducting a paper-based survey among 3547 students in Vietnam. The focus is to identify the influence of family business background and attitude toward risk on the intention to choose between business takeover versus new venture start-up modes. Results of hierarchical multinomial and binomial logistic model analyses show that people whose parents are self-employed tend to have higher motivation for business takeovers. Meanwhile, people who have higher levels of risk-taking tend to favor new venture start-ups. Results show that entrepreneurship is nurtured through family bonds. From that perspective, it is important to enhance social attitudes toward entrepreneurship and create an entrepreneurship culture to cultivate entrepreneurship among generations. Results also imply the importance of building an entrepreneurial-friendly environment where risk-taking action is tolerant of failing. These findings persist consistently through robustness checks by eliminating respondents who selected inheriting their family business.

This article conducts a bibliometric analysis to investigate regulatory barriers faced by entrepreneurs and start-ups in the renewable energy sector. The research highlights how inconsistent and outdated regulations in many regions challenge the growth and scalability of renewable energy ventures. Key barriers include complex permitting processes, restrictive grid connection policies, and inadequate support mechanisms such as subsidies and tax incentives. The study underscores that although global investment in renewable energy technologies has grown, many emerging and developing economies lag behind due to high capital costs and regulatory hurdles. The methodology involves data collection from the Scopus database using specified keywords such as "entrepreneurship," "start-ups," "renewable energy," and "regulatory barriers." One hundred seven documents published between 2002 and 2024 were analysed through bibliometric techniques using tools like Biblioshiny and Excel. The study cleans and processes data by removing irrelevant terms and consolidating synonyms to improve the accuracy of the bibliometric analysis. Key research indicators, such as the h-index, g-index, m-index, and citation rates, are employed to evaluate the impact of publications and authors. The analysis also focuses on co-citation networks, clustering keywords, and tracking the evolution of themes over time. Results reveal that regulatory barriers to renewable energy entrepreneurship are widely studied but fragmented. Five main keyword clusters were identified: renewable energy technologies, policy and regulatory frameworks, business models, economic development, and environmental sustainability. A notable trend is the convergence of interdisciplinary research, combining economic, policy, and technological perspectives on overcoming barriers. The analysis highlights a significant publication growth in recent years, peaking in 2022 with 15 publications, which reflects an increasing academic interest in this area. The most cited papers often discuss solutions to regulatory challenges, such as streamlining administrative processes, improving grid access, and implementing supportive financial mechanisms. Case studies from leading renewable energy markets, like Germany and California, showcase successful strategies that have fostered innovation and allowed start-ups to thrive. However, the study emphasises that many emerging markets continue to struggle with outdated regulatory frameworks that hinder the commercialisation of new technologies, particularly in energy storage. The study concludes that future research should focus on detailed longitudinal studies and interdisciplinary approaches that combine legal, economic, and technological analyses. Policymakers are urged to adopt flexible, adaptive regulations to support innovation in renewable energy, ensuring that start-ups can leverage technological advancements and contribute to the global energy transition.

Although we know a great deal about creating ventures that can generate financial wealth for entrepreneurs, we have largely excluded, ignored, or "danced around" the creation of nonprofit ventures (with some important exceptions). We propose research to explore how initiating, engaging, and performing nonprofit venturing may differ from for-profit venturing and how some nonprofit entrepreneurs and their ventures differ from other nonprofit entrepreneurs and their ventures. We hope this essay convinces some entrepreneurship scholars that investigating the creation of nonprofit ventures is valuable and can add richness and vibrancy to the entrepreneurship field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Introduction] The gas turbine generator set (GE-PG9351FA) with a DLN2.0 + burner and a designed NOx emission concentration of 50 mg/m3 is used in a gas turbine power plant. During the warm-up periods, the generator set emitted a large amount of yellow smoke, which violates provisions stipulated in the "Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from Thermal Power Plants" (GB 13223—2011) and is complained by the surrounding residents. According to the new emission regulations for environmental protection in Jiangsu, starting from January 1, 2023, the converted NOx emission average throughout the operation period should be less than 30 mg/m3. In order to meet this requirement and reduce the emission of yellow nitrate smoke during start-up, the renovated SCR denitration technology for the flue gas of the HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator) is adopted. Data simulation, deduction, analysis and summarization of various indicators are conducted during the start-up process to refine a reasonable startup operation method. [Method] To validate the feasibility of this method, the power plant conducted multiple peak shaving start-up process operation tests. Based on the actual NOx emission characteristics, adjustments were made to the start-up point, gas turbine load control, and input nodes for the SCR system in the operation method. This process resulted in an optimized operational strategy. [Result] The test results show that by optimizing the SCR denitration system input point, gas turbine start-up point and warm-up load after grid connection, the converted NOx emission average throughout the operation period is less than 30 mg/m3, and the phenomenon of yellow nitrate smoke disappeared. [Conclusion] This strategy is based on the characteristics of NOx and yellow nitrate smoke emission during the gas turbine start-up process. Afterward, through data deduction and numerous experiments for validation, it can provide direct guidance for reducing yellow nitrate smoke emission during the start-up process of similar gas turbines. Additionally, it can serve as an analytical reference for controlling NOx emissions during peak shaving operations in gas turbine power plants.

Advances in renewable energy technologies, particularly in solar, wind, energy storage, and grid integration solutions, are accelerating the growth of in startups in this sector. Despite the promising outlook, renewable energy startups face several risks, including technological, regulatory, financial and market risks. The article carries out a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications related to the problem of investment and risks associated with the development of entrepreneurship and start-ups in the field of renewable energy. After multi-level filtering of the dataset, the research base consists of 82 publications by 232 scientists for 2005-2023, indexed by Scopus, and the analysis tools used are Biblioshiny and Excel. In 2005-2016, the number of publications grew annually at a rate of 10.47%, with peaks in 2006, 2007, and 2016; in 2017-2023, the number of papers increased (the dependence is described by a third-degree polynomial trend). The article examines 3 different types of Three-field plots in the topic of the investments and risks of the startups and entrepreneurship in renewable energy: 1) “References - Authors – Keywords”, 2) “Countries - Institutions – Authors”, 3) “Authors - Sources – Keywords”. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the scientific journals that make the largest / periodic but noteworthy / minimal contribution to the dissemination of knowledge in this area was carried out, the top 10 authors and papers were analysed by the levels of local and global influence, the most powerful research networks (based on the results of the analysis of joint citations) were identified both in terms of authors and countries, and the leading countries were identified in terms of the volume of research output of their scientists and the intensity of citation of these works. Building clouds of the most used keywords allowed us to identify priority thematic areas of research, as well as to analyse the structural and logical relationships between different thematic blocks in the research landscape. With the help of multiple correspondence analysis (factorial analysis) and longitudinal thematic map analysis, the scientific landscape in this area is clustered and evolutionary changes and interdependence of individual topics are identified.

In the study, bibliometric analysis of the start-up studies in the international literature were performed. Between 1991-2023, taking into account different works, “start-up” and “startup” keywords were scanned from “all areas” with the web of Science and 1,729 studies were reached. Studies Publication Year, Publication Type, Author Analysis, Index Analysis, Distribution According to Countries, Distribution by Publishers, Distribution by Work Area, Common Writers, Writer, Writer, Writer, Writer, Countries and Institutions, Citation in the Context of the Bibliographic Match of Texts and Write has been analyzed. The highest number of publications in 2023 with 217 publications. When the distribution according to the countries is examined, China ranks first with 693 publications in 89 countries/region. It is seen that the most publication was published in Elsevier Publishing House and the publications were mostly made in the field of engineering. Chemistry and science technology are the most studied areas other than engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the Vojvodina Economic Development Program, which supports the local prosperity of the Hungarian community in Vojvodina, the need to support start-ups and start new businesses arose. Bringing the unemployed back into the world of work, through the acquisition of entrepreneurial competences and the encouragement of starting an independent business, are clearly measures that provide a perspective and a liveable vision of the future for the most economically endangered social groups, that are highly exposed to emigration (KOMS 2023). The possibility of getting back into the world of work and ensuring the development path of micro-enterprises significantly and directly contributes to the formation of a positive vision of the future and the strengthening of the possibility of prosperity locally. The main goal of this study is to investigate the effect of the territorial inequalities of Vojvodina municipalities on business launching, to determine the socio-economic indicators that encourage successful business launching, as well as to exploring the professional differences between start-ups and launching businesses based on the analysis of domestic and international literature. The complex phenomenon of the development potential of start-up businesses, the incubation potential of the municipalities, and the competitiveness of the start-ups were examined using factor analysis during this research. The hierarchical cluster analysis was made using the WARD'S method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the article is to showcase the utilisation of open innovation in new technologybased firms (NTBFs) from the perspective of entrepreneurs who have successfully survived the crossing of the valley of death. We examined the interplay of open innovation (OI), and the entrepreneurial background (i.e. human capital, entrepreneurial education) to identify success factors in crossing the valley of death. Research Design & Methods: The research was qualitative and based on interviews conducted with founders of ten start-ups based in Madrid, Spain. To process the information obtained in a more objective manner, we utilised three R codes for qualitative data analysis. Subsequently, we employed word clouds to condense the interviews and ascertain the most significant variables related to the success of the ventures and OI. Findings: There were several recurring components among the entrepreneurs that have enabled them to successfully cross the valley of death. During the early stages, the entrepreneurship background becomes apparent, enabling them to implement their ideas based on the experience and knowledge acquired. In the subsequent stage, the emergence of family support for entrepreneurship facilitates access to initial financing beyond one's own savings invested. Therefore, it appears that human capital and access to informal sources of finance are more critical for entrepreneurial success than open innovation. Implications & Recommendations: Despite the fact that open innovation facilitates the acquisition of new knowledge from a theoretical standpoint, our results suggest that prioritising entrepreneurs' human capital and ensuring access to financing are more crucial in overcoming the valley of death, by optimizing the efforts of various stakeholders. Contribution & Value Added: The article offers a comprehensive understanding of the survival process of nontraditional business enterprises (NTBFs) and categorises three distinct variables that contribute to comprehending the significance of external and internal factors to which entrepreneurs are exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the requirements of power systems to power units of thermal power plants, there are different approaches to variable modes of their operation, duration of start-ups from different thermal states, regulating rates of equipment loading during start-ups and load changes. A considerable role at performance of start-up operations is assigned to supply of heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) circuits that provide the change of HRSG steam capacity corresponding to the loading rate while maintaining all main parameters within the permissible limits. Besides, optimization of duration of CCPP start-up modes should take into account accumulation of damage by the most loaded thick-walled elements of steam path equipment. This occurs due to continuous monitoring of thermal stress state and cyclic strength of CCPP elements under conditions of minimum resource consumption on the basis of finite element mathematical models of critical elements of steam path and calculation studies of thermal stresses arising in them. The influence of HRSG steam capacity on CCPP power change rate under different schemes of high, medium and low-pressure steam circuits supply (HP,MP, LP) has been analyzed. It is shown that the least inertial are deaeratorless schemes with a separate electric feed pump (EFP) of HP, which allows to provide fast, at the pace of the process, change of steam capacity of the HP circuit at any alternating mode, including starts and stops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VC investment has undergone a substantial transition, particularly in emerging countries, where there is a growing entrepreneurial culture. Southeast Asia (SEA) has emerged as an image of trust due to its remarkable accomplishments in venture capital funding. Notwithstanding, the VC success rate is quite low, with up to 75 percent of venture-backed businesses failing to return cash to their investors and 30 to 40 percent of those 75 percent liquidating their assets, resulting in their investors losing their entire investment (Ghosh, 2012). In light of this context, this study sets out to investigate the behavior of venture capital firms in Southeast Asia and the complex decision-making processes involved. This research aims to enhance the success rate of VC firms and contribute to the advancement of VC literature by precisely identifying the relevant parameter. This study seeks to analyze the complex landscape of venture capital activities in a highly dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem, using the complete framework created by Gompers et al. (2023). A case study, a widely recognized method in exploratory research, is used as the primary methodology to reveal novel themes and insights obtained from respondents in venture capital firms. Using a semi-structured interview, this study implies that VC fund structure and strategy, start-up screening criteria, start-up valuation, exit, and risk management have a significant effect on determining SEA VC firm investment decisions. This study is one of the first efforts to utilize Gompers et al.'s (2023) framework in the specific setting of Southeast Asia. This study contributes to the current research on venture capital decision-making by providing innovative measurement parameters, with a particular emphasis on the notion of "runway." These features, which relate to a startup's expenditure rate and its long-term viability offer a broader understanding of the financial factors that impact investments made by SEA VC companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various significant features influence the success of a startup in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, identification of such features has not been performed coherently. This study aims to bridge the gap by determining the essential features impacting a startup's success. In the first part, a machine learning-based approach is applied empirically to determine critical features from ten datasets. Then the obtained features were validated using popular feature selection techniques based upon Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), SelectKBest, and XGBoost to assure the final significant features. Furthermore, mutual information is used between the features obtained from the proposed approach and the ground truth to measure the approach's efficacy, which is calculated to be 90%. The significant features acquired through this approach imply how the entrepreneurs prioritise the determining features in startup success and maximise the socio-economic outputs. This study provides an essential contribution to the entrepreneurial finance literature by empirically exploring the features influencing a startup's success based on its financial performance in different stages of its lifecycle. Startups can apply the implications of this study to reduce uncertainty and enhance performance. It also helps founders, investors, and researchers understand a startup's performance and plan future steps accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the intersection of the "digitalization" and the "climatization" of the agricultural sector grows a promise of the "decarbonization" of agriculture by "start-ups." Based on a qualitative study (40 interviews, 9 days of observation, documentary analysis), this article is a contribution to the political sociology of this promise of ecologization by reconstructing its meaning (what does it signify?) and its implementation (what practices is it referring to?). The study analyzes the bases of a narrative allying the political agendas of agricultural leadership and the executive branch of the French state. The focus on soil CO2 sequestration and the politicization of innovative "start-ups" converge on the promotion of economic solutions to global warming. The authors found the "start-ups" working on this "decarbonization" were quite diverse, but could be sorted into three types: innovative businesses seeking rapid growth, consultancy firms offering expertise without aims of growth, and administrative intermediaries. The latter, the most numerous and the least innovative, are invested in voluntary carbon markets, most commonly the "low-carbon label," a public framework overseen by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The promise of the decarbonization of agriculture through start-ups thus falls short, as the study documents an optional and partial greening of agriculture that is overseen by the state, implemented by private administrative service providers, and funded by businesses wishing to improve their carbon footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketplace development is increasing, as is the number of people with active internet access. Unive is a startup that runs an e-commerce platform connecting Student Activity Units with consumers. Focuses on fostering student entrepreneurship through practical business experience. For its development, this startup needs an interior for business escalation. Designers need software integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) in interior design. This study explores the integration of AI-powered rendering tools in the design of e-commerce platforms, focusing on how these tools enhance the user experience and satisfaction. The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. The author collected data through user surveys, expert interviews, and performance metrics of AI rendering tools. The author based the evaluation criteria on adherence to interior design principles and the quality of rendering results. Findings indicate that selecting furniture and supporting components that adhere to interior design principles results in optimal rendering outcomes. These outcomes are close to user expectations, significantly improving user engagement and satisfaction. Detailed analysis shows the effectiveness of AI rendering in various design scenarios. The discussion highlights the implications of integrating AI rendering tools in e-commerce platforms. It addresses the potential of these tools to revolutionize user interaction and provides insights into future developments and applications in the field. This study demonstrates the value of AI-powered rendering tools in enhancing e-commerce platform design. By adhering to interior design principles, these tools can achieve rendering results that meet user expectations, ultimately leading to improved user experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposed a technique for a low‐power and fast start‐up voltage‐controlled oscillator (VCO) for a high data rate 5 G New Radio (5G‐NR) application. The 5G‐NR high data rate signals require a fast start‐up VCO to accommodate the short pulse width. In this proposed work, a cross‐coupled pair (XCP) is integrated with a center‐tapped orthogonal symmetry inductor placed at the gates of the XCP, forming an inductive booster VCO (IBVCO). The inductive impedance at the gate of the XCP preserve the symmetry signal profile of the output voltage swing while alleviating the intrinsic parasitic capacitance effect and flicker noise effect of the transistor under the absence of the tail current source. The concept proves with the improvement on the phase noise performance and generating a fast start‐up without affecting the VCO bandwidth. The VCO also provides the enhancement of the output voltage swing under low power consumption. The IBVCO has been fabricated in 180 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology and consumes a minimum area of only 0.7 mm2. The IBVCO achieved a 13% tuning range from 3.3 to 3.75 GHz bandwidth with a supply voltage, VDD of 0.7 V. The total power consumption is 1 mW with a corresponding phase noise of −122.60 dBc/Hz and a Figure of Merit (FoM) of 193.48 dBc/Hz at 3.52 GHz carrier center frequency at 1 MHz offset. The start‐up time of the VCO achieved is 5 ns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study analyses the critical issues in Agri-tech start-up growth in India and explores ways to improve the process. Research methods are triangulated to understand Agri-tech entrepreneurs' opinions and experiences. After the articles and reports were reviewed, a statistical analysis of a user opinion survey of two hundred and two Agri-tech users was conducted. Post survey, three rounds of semi-structured interviews among the twenty-two Agri-tech entrepreneurs and experts helped in fine-tuning the findings. The key issues highlighted in the findings are the availability of low-interest and creative financing models; Infrastructure availability and incubation support; Cross-domain quality solutions with multiple levels of features; Supportive mindset of business customers and partners; and Skill-building and Training of farmers. This research is one of the few academic studies on Agri-tech entrepreneurship and includes the COVID-19 pandemic effect. The findings help the researchers build the knowledge base of agriculture 4.0 entrepreneurship. Suggestions may help the practitioner boost the growth of Agri-tech solutions. In addition, the study highlights innovative suggestions like setting up an open national database of core parameters, cloud computing-based agriculture 4.0 digital stack, digitalising farmer producer organisations, and monitoring plus organisational evaluation setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), entrepreneurship and self-employment, particularly among women, play a pivotal role as a means of livelihood. Unfortunately, the share of women participating in these activities is significantly lower compared to men, which has a negative effect on both the development of these countries and gender equality. Usual programs that support women's entrepreneurship are costly. We aim to explore the role of social networks for the entrepreneurial entry of women in EMDEs, as women can 'help themselves' through their development and activation. Our results, using GEM data for 53 low- and middle-income countries for the period 2011–2018, revealed that an entrepreneur on the women's social network increases the probability of their entrepreneurial entry by 3.3 percentage points. Our results also suggest that social networks represent an important source of information that enhances the determination of women to take advantage of good business opportunities, increases the positive effect of self-assessed start-up skills on entrepreneurial entry, and raises awareness of business risks. Based on these results (confirmed by robustness and causality checks), we can recommend supporting networking between entrepreneurs and women by targeted policy measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The double‐layer porous media burner is considered as an effective way to realize stable lean‐burn. In order to quickly achieve a stable combustion state in a double‐layer porous media burner, this work investigated the dynamic characteristics of methane/air premixed combustion in a bench‐scale double‐layer porous media burnspanning from ignition to stable combustion and ultimately flameout. The experimental results indicate that regulating the equivalence ratio and the inlet velocity enables the establishment of a stable flame front and the φ = 0.75 and the Vin = 0.20 m/s are the appropriate start‐up conditions. The average propagation velocity of the combustion wave variation along the axial direction and ranged approximately from −0.022 to −0.078 mm/s. Moreover, the transition time to a stable combustion state is reduced by nearly 47.14% as the equivalence ratio increases from 0.60 to 0.70. During start‐up stage, there are significant fluctuations in CO and NOx concentrations, but both emissions remain low during steady combustion state, with the maximum concentrations of 37.5 and 40.2 mg/m3, respectively. Furthermore, the porous media combustion exhibits a pronounced re‐ignition capacity. At higher equivalence ratios, longer interruptions of premixed gas are allowed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I Design thinking is a human-caused approach to sort out problems and prepare the mindset to deal with the challenges in business. This is a step-by-step method to deal with the entire aspects of production right from product decision to launch of the product. The proper method to know the consumer's need and formulation of suitable action plan to devise solutions is required before product decision. The constructive interaction between design thinking and entrepreneurship development is well-known. Reliable solutions can be derived through design thinking in developing ideas for start-up ventures. The upcoming entrepreneurs can explore many open-ended options and design the options to capture the market share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Southern Energy Construction is the property of Southern Energy Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to analyze the antecedents leading to habitual entrepreneurship by investigating the role of entrepreneurs' narcissism and their level of education. While the literature provides a general understanding of what motivates individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial ideas, the possible antecedents to the individual's decision to become a habitual entrepreneur remain unexplored and untested. Relying on a sample of 343 start-up entrepreneurs, hypotheses are tested through the partial least squares analysis. Results show that entrepreneurs' educational levels fully mediate the relationship between narcissism and the choice to become habitual entrepreneurs. The study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurs' personality, decision-making, and human capital, also underlining a few practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article conducts a bibliometric analysis to investigate regulatory barriers faced by entrepreneurs and start-ups in the renewable energy sector. The research highlights how inconsistent and outdated regulations in many regions challenge the growth and scalability of renewable energy ventures. Key barriers include complex permitting processes, restrictive grid connection policies, and inadequate support mechanisms such as subsidies and tax incentives. The study underscores that although global investment in renewable energy technologies has grown, many emerging and developing economies lag behind due to high capital costs and regulatory hurdles. The methodology involves data collection from the Scopus database using specified keywords such as "entrepreneurship," "start-ups," "renewable energy," and "regulatory barriers." One hundred seven documents published between 2002 and 2024 were analysed through bibliometric techniques using tools like Biblioshiny and Excel. The study cleans and processes data by removing irrelevant terms and consolidating synonyms to improve the accuracy of the bibliometric analysis. Key research indicators, such as the h-index, g-index, m-index, and citation rates, are employed to evaluate the impact of publications and authors. The analysis also focuses on co-citation networks, clustering keywords, and tracking the evolution of themes over time. Results reveal that regulatory barriers to renewable energy entrepreneurship are widely studied but fragmented. Five main keyword clusters were identified: renewable energy technologies, policy and regulatory frameworks, business models, economic development, and environmental sustainability. A notable trend is the convergence of interdisciplinary research, combining economic, policy, and technological perspectives on overcoming barriers. The analysis highlights a significant publication growth in recent years, peaking in 2022 with 15 publications, which reflects an increasing academic interest in this area. The most cited papers often discuss solutions to regulatory challenges, such as streamlining administrative processes, improving grid access, and implementing supportive financial mechanisms. Case studies from leading renewable energy markets, like Germany and California, showcase successful strategies that have fostered innovation and allowed start-ups to thrive. However, the study emphasises that many emerging markets continue to struggle with outdated regulatory frameworks that hinder the commercialisation of new technologies, particularly in energy storage. The study concludes that future research should focus on detailed longitudinal studies and interdisciplinary approaches that combine legal, economic, and technological analyses. Policymakers are urged to adopt flexible, adaptive regulations to support innovation in renewable energy, ensuring that start-ups can leverage technological advancements and contribute to the global energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) achieves the benefits of high volumetric loading rates and lower reject water production, which, however, results in much more concentrated reject water with a remarkable increase in organics and nitrogen compared with that from conventional AD with low solid content. The high concentrations of ammonium (2000–3500 mg/L) and COD (3000–4000 mg/L) were reported to exert inhibition on anammox bacteria (AnAOB), posing challenges to the application of the partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A). To date, no cases of PN/A process start-up for sludge HSAD reject water were reported. This study demonstrated the start-up process of a 480 m3/d PN/A project without anammox sludge inoculation and treating HSAD reject water from a centralized dewatered sludge treatment plant. The project did not construct new infrastructures but utilized previously constructed tanks to upgrade the process from existing short-cut nitrification-denitrification to a two-stage PN/A process. Although no external anammox sludge inoculation was performed to save seeding sludge cost, the start-up was successfully achieved in about 9 months (273 days) based on a three-step method of “AnAOB enrichment - sludge acclimation - capacity doubling”. During start-up, the relative abundance of AnAOB (Candidatus_Kuenenia) increased from near zero to 12.0%. After start-up, the total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal load reached 0.74 kgN/(m3•d), with a total nitrogen removal efficiency of over 90%. Compared to the traditional nitrification-denitrification process, the PN/A process remarkably reduces the addition of organic chemicals and aeration energy consumption, saving approximately 4.2 million yuan (RMB) in operational costs annually. In summary, this research provides a full-scale reference for the start-up of the PN/A process treating sludge HSAD reject water.