Investment attractiveness of impact-focused startups

Background: Impact-focused businesses can offer unique competitive advantages. They increase operational efficiency and attract more investors. Research objectives: This study aims to estimate investment attractiveness of startups, using the SWOT methodology. Research design and methods: The study draws on case studies and SWOT analysis. The qualitative approach relies on WIPO reports and impact-focused startup databases. Fifteen case studies cover different industries and a wide range of economies. Results: The findings revealed that the framework of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for impact-focused startups depends on their operational pathways. Conclusions: The customer pathway’s strengths include the ability to address market needs directly and generate significant social impact. The employee pathway is strong thanks to improved workforce quality, diversity, and inclusion. The product/service pathway represents eco-friendly and socially responsible products with measurable impacts. The ecosystem pathway tackles global issues.