The Impact of Innovation Ecosystem on the Innovation Performance of Chinese IoT Startups

Combining the theories of innovation ecosystems, resource dependency, and dynamic capabilities, this study explores the relationship between heterogeneous innovation ecosystems and innovation performance of Chinese IoT startups through a questionnaire survey of 189 mid-to-senior-level managers from IoT startups. The results show that platformbased and product-based innovation ecosystems positively influence the innovation performance of startups. Moreover, the innovation ecosystem influences startup innovation performance through dynamic capabilities. The findings not only extend our understanding of the types of innovation ecosystem models for IoT companies but also provide theoretical support for the mechanisms through which innovation ecosystems affect innovation performance. This research has significant theoretical and practical implications for improving innovation outcomes in Chinese IoT startups.